Journalist Fabrizio Romano says that reported Arsenal transfer target Ivan Fresneda is staying at Real Valladolid, after a loan bid has been rejected today.
The Lowdown: Arsenal interest
Arsenal’s interest in Fresneda has been well-documented, with reports just a couple of days ago that they were moving ‘behind the scenes’ to try and get a deal done.
Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth reported that ‘multiple bids’ were expected from a ‘number’ of clubs in the Premier League and Europe for the Spaniard, and Romano claimed that although it was likely that he would stay at Valladolid, he did not rule out ‘twists in the final hours’ of the window.
The Latest: Definitely staying
Taking to Twitter, Romano has now confirmed that Fresneda will definitely stay at Valladolid until the end of the season, after a loan bid from an unnamed club was ‘rejected’ today:
“Ivan Fresneda stays at Real Valladolid until the end of the season. Loan bid received today has been rejected.
“No Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund, he’s staying and will get top club move in the summer.”
The Verdict: Shame
It is a shame for the Gunners to miss out on Fresneda, but at least he will not be joining one of their rivals in terms of interest, and will be available to sign in the summer.
The 18-year-old is very highly-rated indeed, having been lauded by journalist and La Liga presenter Juan Arroita for his ‘beastly’ ability to maraud forward and put in dangerous crosses, while Matt Clark of La Liga Lowdown says that he has been a ‘revelation’ in the Spanish top flight, and is a ‘remarkably complete’ right-back.
This is evident by some of the outstanding statistics that he has been producing in the last year, ranking in the top 11% for tackles, clearances and interceptions per 90 minutes among full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues (FBref).
Nonetheless, with Cedric’s proposed move to Fulham still not being completed, it makes sense for Mikel Arteta’s team to postpone their move for Fresneda, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu also capable of playing at right-back.
Everton have suffered plenty of transfer woe over the last 12 months, having lost their talisman in the summer and endured a January window which saw no incomings.
Despite receiving a £60m fee for Richarlison, his exit to Tottenham Hotspur continues to sting given how desperate the Toffees have become for goals, and how important he was to them last season.
The Brazilian netted ten times in the league, and after saving them from relegation, many Evertonians would have reluctantly admitted that he had earned the move to Spurs. However, having made just five league starts this season, his attributes are hardly being utilised in north London.
It may have led some Everton fans to jokingly suggest that he was deserving of a homecoming, to ride back into Goodison Park on loan to rescue them once again. Unsurprisingly, that was not to be.
That fantasy was likely derived from the club’s failed pursuit of Arnaut Danjuma, who had done everything but sign for the Toffees before joining Spurs at the 11th hour.
It was one of numerous failed transfer pursuits for Frank Lampard, Kevin Thelwell and eventually Sean Dyche, who now leads a threadbare and confidence-sapped squad into an all-out relegation war.
However, the lack of fresh additions could make way for the promotion of some of the club’s youth stars, something that Everton have an illustrious record of producing.
Anthony Gordon, who had only featured 78 times for their first team, commanded an eye-watering £45m fee just last month as he moved to Newcastle, so many Goodison Park graduates are regarded highly in English football circles.
Dyche could now seek to unearth his next star forward, who will hope to emulate the heroics of Richarlison in the Toffees’ hour of need.
The natural option would be Stanley Mills, who has been knocking on the door of senior football for some time now. Lampard had been vocal in his praise for the 19-year-old, to whom he handed two first-team appearances in the Carabao Cup.
He outlined why the teenager had earned his place in and around the first-team, stating: “The reason Stan’s here is that he trained really well. One day we were looking for a player for training and the staff mentioned Stan. I know Danny, so had wanted to see Stan anyway. Straight away you could see he had talent and character. He brings energy and cover.”
Mills would not only add some youthful exuberance, but also has a keen eye for goal. This season, the teenage sensation boasts five goals in eight Premier League 2 appearances, with a further three goals in four EFL Trophy matches.
He has offered a constant goal threat in the under-23 ranks and could look to convert this into Premier League success.
Should he translate his youth level form to senior level with ease, he could soon have fans forgetting about Danjuma and all the other failed January pursuits, as Evertonians would again have a reliable Richarlison-esque figure on whom they can hang their hopes.
Wolverhampton Wanderers struggled under their former manager Bruno Lage during the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign, winning just once in the Premier League before he was sacked at the beginning of October.
It could have been so different for the Old Gold had the club managed to pull off a transfer which would have undoubtedly improved their midfield and sent a big statement of intent to their top-flight rivals, and the Molineux club are now seeing just how big a mistake it was to let the opportunity slip.
Last summer, the club were linked with Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was then playing for River Plate. However, he eventually made the move to Benfica for €10m (£9m), which is now looking like the bargain of the century.
The 22-year-old excelled for the Portuguese club, registering six goal contributions across 17 league matches, taking 109.8 touches and making 1.8 key passes per match, while creating nine big chances. He blossomed into one of the finest young talents on the continent before the World Cup – a tournament which would thrust him into the stratosphere.
Fernandez didn’t start the first game against Saudi Arabia, with Argentina suffering an embarrassing 2-1 defeat, but he was brought in for the must-win clash against Mexico four days later and made a huge impact. He displayed the maturity of a veteran, scoring the second goal a few minutes from the end to secure a 2-0 win which proved to be the catalyst in Argentina’s revival.
Overall the midfielder was incredible in Qatar, achieving an average Sofascore rating of 7.1/10 as he made 0.9 key passes and 3.1 tackles per match and recorded a pass success rate of 88%, showcasing his all-round effectiveness and powering Argentina to their third World Cup triumph – 36 years after their second.
He was named the Young Player of the Tournament and the list of potential suitors grew overnight, although Benfica were in no mood to sell.
The 22-year-old was hailed as a “cheat code” by Kwadwo Sheldon following his wonderful performances last year, and it was Chelsea who eventually won his signature, securing the player for a Premier League record fee of £107m.
Wolves must be kicking themselves for missing out on a player of Fernandez’s quality, especially after his recent meteoric rise. His move to the Premier League will certainly bolster the Chelsea midfield, but in an alternative reality, he should have been wearing old gold instead of royal blue.
Everton’s recent transfer activity is not usually tethered to positivity, and the recently concluded January window certainly left little to be desired on Goodison Park.
The Toffees were the only outfit in the Premier League to fail to complete a signing this winter, and despite landing Sean Dyche in the managerial role, the relegation-threatened outfit might just lament their lackadaisical approach come the end of the campaign.
An acquisition or two certainly would not have gone amiss, particularly in the offensive department, with Everton currently 18th and having scored just 16 goals in the division all season, behind only Wolverhampton Wanderers, but there were several panicked and frenetic attempts to bolster the forward firepower in the dying embers of the window that in hindsight might be viewed as a near miss.
With Dyche now at the wheel, and having pulled off a trademark win of resilience and grit in his first outing against none other than runaway league leaders Arsenal, there could finally be light at the end of the tunnel after several years of turmoil and strife within Goodison Park, with the former Burnley boss renowned for utilising the tools at his disposal and instilling cohesive tenacity within his squad.
As such, stricken striking options such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay might just rekindle the best of their form as the side looks to ascend from the murky waters at the depths of the top-flight, and recent pursuit of divisional aces such as West Ham United’s Michail Antonio might be viewed as near misses well avoided.
According to the Sunday Mirror (29/01, p78), Antonio was at the centre of interest from several Premier League outfits ahead of the culmination of the January window, with the 32-year-old stalwart’s contract up for expiry at the end of next season.
However, with the Toffees requiring an upturn in productivity and performance this season, it is unlikely that the ageing £85k-per-week forward would have offered more than the current crop on Merseyside.
Indeed, Antonio’s decline this season has coincided with his Irons outfit, with three successive league returns of ten goals a distant memory at present, with the Englishman having plundered just two league strikes all season despite playing 20 times.
And ranking among the bottom 11% of forwards across Europe’s big five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals over the past year, as per FBref, the “complete monster” that Antonio once was, as hailed by journalist Paul Brown, appears to have lost his panache.
In fact, his seasonal Sofascore rating of 6.72 does not exactly evoke confidence, especially when given that he would be trading one relegation battle for another, with the Toffees ostensibly fraught with more danger than the Hammers, who are in European competition and have lost just once across their past four league matches.
With his arrival, Everton might have faced a repeat of the infamous signing of Oumar Niasse, a £13.5m winter deal from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2016 and considered an overt failure after scoring just nine times from 42 appearances and was released at the end of his contract after scoring in just one of his three seasons donning the Blues’ shirt.
BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty once remarked that the deal is “comfortably one of the worst pieces of business Everton have ever conducted”, and there would certainly be fears that Antonio, approaching his twilight years, would bitterly add to such woes in the forward area.
Of course, Everton did not sign a single player and in fact, sold one of their most coveted assets in Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for £45m, but with the recent victory in Dyche’s debut unrecognisable to the languishing Toffees squad that have sunk so heavily to the bottom of the division, there is hope yet that the ship can be turned around.
Darren Bent would keep his faith in Son Heung-min despite his poor form for Tottenham Hotspur, rejecting the idea of dropping or even selling him out of hand.
The Lowdown: Son’s form is alarming
In what is one of the more surprising turns of events this season, Son’s form has fallen off a cliff compared to last campaign when he finished as the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 23 goals for Spurs.
The South Korea international has just four top-flight goals to his name with the attacker netting just two goals, although that form has only seen him benched once in the league by Antonio Conte.
If Spurs want to make a good push for the top four this season and progress in the Champions League, Conte may well have to think about Son’s role in the starting lineup – both in the short and long term.
The Latest: Spurs shouldn’t be selling Son
While acknowledging the winger’s poor performances this term, Bent was asked by TalkSport colleague Andy Goldstein whether he would consider selling Son this summer if he fails to find his form, with the former Spurs man categorically insisting that Tottenham should not be looking to move on from the 30-year-old just yet.
He said: “His overall play at the minute, his touch – everything just seems to be a little bit off. He’ll get it back because he’s a good player.
“[Selling him is] absolute madness. When did he get here? He got here in 2015. The only players to have scored more Premier League goals in that period since 2015: Harry Kane – who’s got the most – Salah, Vardy, Aguero and Sadio Mane. They are the only players above Son who have scored more goals.
The Verdict: Tottenham have to stick with last season’s top scorer
Until this season, Son has been incredibly consistent for Tottenham since he joined from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2015, having netted double figures in all but one league campaign, so he certainly has credit in the bank with fans and the club.
However, the fact that Conte saw fit to bring in another wide player last month in the form of Arnaut Danjuma could suggest that he is at least slightly worried about Son and his lack of form and confidence at present.
Also, Son himself is hardly likely to be looking to move away from Tottenham, as he signed a new four-year contract in 2021, which will have likely bumped up his wages, so it would perhaps be best for him to potentially be taken out of the firing line for a week or two and see if that can help him rediscover his undeniable talent, as it was just last May that Alan Shearer labelled him as ‘unplayable’.
The Premier League very much looks like the richest league in world football; clubs seemingly have the ability to splash the cash to no end each and every summer, as talent around Europe.
The money involved in English football right now is bigger than ever, with an incredible inflation of prices. 13 years ago, £80 million got you Cristiano Ronaldo – one of the best players in the world. Now, it gets you Harry Maguire. The difference is staggering.
With that said, we’ve listed the 20 most expensive Premier League signings of all time, via TransferMarkt.
20) Mykhalo Mudryk to Chelsea: £62.1m
One of the most recent signings on this list.
Chelsea, led by their new owner, Todd Boehly, spent huge sums in the summer and Mudryk was one of the big-name acquisitions.
He appeared to be heading to Arsenal but the Blues intervened at the last minute to secure his signature.
So far, he’s only played three times in the Premier League but he’s got a huge price-tag to live up to.
19) Alexander Isak to Newcastle United: £62.1m
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Isak is perhaps the cornerstone signing of this new Newcastle United team.
Having been bought out by hugely wealthy owners, the Magpies splashed the cash on the Sweden international.
He scored 44 goals in 131 appearances for Real Sociedad and is already on the goal trail in black and white.
Thus far, Isak has scored three times in 10 games for Eddie Howe’s high-flying side.
18) Casemiro to Manchester United: £62.7m
Soccer Football – Europa League – Group E – Manchester United v Real Sociedad – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – September 8, 2022 Manchester United’s Casemiro reacts REUTERS/Craig Brough
Snapped up from Real Madrid as United searched for a defensive midfielder who could prove transformative to the club.
And the Brazilian has already delivered.
In the Premier League, United have only lost once when Casemiro has started; he’s a truly elite midfield player.
Whether his transfer can inspire the club to silverware, though, remains to be seen.
17) Ruben Dias to Manchester City: £63.5m
One of the biggest hits you’ll find on this list.
Dias came in from Benfica and has gone on to make 112 appearances for the club, becoming a bedrock of Pep Guardiola’s defence.
The Portugal international has already won two Premier League titles, and is on the hunt for a third this season.
A superb defensive signing.
16) Angel Di Maria to Manchester United: £67.5m
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Now at Juventus, having moved to the club from PSG in the summer, Di Maria was an undoubted flop at United.
Signed as a marquee acquisition, he made 32 appearances for the club and while he did involve himself in 16 goals – an involvement every other game – he fell off a cliff at the club.
He wanted to leave and was allowed to move on, at great loss to United’s finances.
Not a good signing in any way, but we’ll always have that gorgeous lobbed finish against Leicester City.
15) Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester City: £68.4m
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One of the greatest signings of the Premier League era.
De Bruyne was heavily doubted by onlookers after arriving from Wolfsburg, having struggled at Chelsea.
How wrong they were. De Bruyne has won four Premier League titles at City and has scored 90 goals, while providing a staggering 139 assists, in 337 games for the club.
A bargain of a deal for City.
14) Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea: £72m
Kepa is a rather odd one.
He became the most expensive goalkeeper in history when he made the move to Chelsea but he has been in and out of the team under different managers.
In total, he has made 145 appearances for the club and has kept 56 clean sheets.
He’s clearly a good player, but it is unclear if he is actually a better player than Edouard Mendy.
13) Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal: £72m
It’s not even an argument: Pepe is a huge flop.
Arsenal flexed their financial muscle to secure his signature from Lille but he struggled immensely during his time at the Gunners.
In 112 games, he scored just 27 goals, which simply isn’t a good enough return.
It’s no surprise he was loaned to Nice, simply to get him away from the first-team.
12) Kai Havertz to Chelsea: £72m
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The Germany international is a superb player, clearly.
Havertz has made 122 appearances for the club and has scored 29 goals, while registering 15 assists.
Best deployed as a No.10, Havertz can unlock any defence with his silky passing and his turn of pace.
He’s yet to truly explode, but he is clearly a top player in waiting.
11) Darwin Nunez to Liverpool: £72m
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The jury is firmly out on Nunez.
Signed at huge expense for the Reds, he’s yet to truly find his feet, and he’s been more famous for missing chances than burying them at Anfield.
Nunez has scored 10 goals in 27 games but just five of them have come in the Premier League.
The Reds need him to start scoring goals at a clinical rate very quickly.
10) Wesley Fofana to Chelsea: £72.4m
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This is another one where it’s really hard to judge if this is a good or bad signing.
Fofana developed into a superb centre-back at Leicester City and they received a huge fee for him from the Blues.
However, he’s played just six times for the club due to a serious knee injury.
It remains to be seen if he will get the chances he needs at Stamford Bridge under Graham Potter.
9) Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool: £76.19m
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One of the most undisputed successes on this list.
Liverpool spent big to sign Van Dijk from Southampton and he proved transformative as Jurgen Klopp’s side entered a golden era.
He’s won the Premier League and the Champions League and is clearly one of the best defenders in the world.
His form since his serious injury has been less than world-class, but he is a truly elite centre-back.
8) Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United: £76.23m
Lukaku’s first entry onto this list.
The Belgium international was meant to fix United’s centre-forward woes for a decade, but it just didn’t quite work.
In 96 games, he did score 42 goals but he always felt like an awkward fit for United’s playing style, and he was eventually moved on.
A disappointing signing at a time when United really needed a major success.
7) Jadon Sancho to Manchester United: £76.50m
This is another one where the jury remains out.
Sancho has not managed to replicate the form he showed at Borussia Dortmund at United yet.
In 55 games, he’s been involved in a grand total of 13 goals, which is coming very close to flop territory.
Under Erik Ten Hag, though, he could receive a new lease of life. He needs to.
6) Harry Maguire to Manchester United: £78.3m
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Can we say now that this didn’t work?
United paid a huge sum to Leicester City – the Foxes really are very good at extracting big fees for their best players – and Maguire is now the club captain.
However, he doesn’t really seem fancied by Erik Ten Hag at all, and has been dropped.
Thus far this season, he’s made just five Premier League starts. For the investment, it’s not good enough.
5) Antony to Manchester United: £84.3m
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Signed in the summer from Ajax, Antony has gone on to make 23 appearances for the club.
The Brazil international has scored three Premier League goals but it’s far too early to make any sort of judgement on the transfer.
Still, United clearly believe in him, having paid an immense figure to secure him from the Dutch club.
Under Ten Hag, he may well become the next great United right winger, or, as the evidence on this list suggests, he might well be offloaded in a summer or two.
4) Paul Pogba to Manchester United: £94.50m
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This was meant to be the big one.
Pogba was meant to come in and fix United’s midfield for years.
Instead, his spell was marred by rows with managers, injuries, and a lack of silverware.
The Frenchman was subsequently offloaded to another one of his former clubs, Juventus, in the summer.
3) Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea: £101.70m
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We did say that Lukaku would appear again.
Lukaku came back to Chelsea ahead of the 2021/22 season, having previously played for their academy.
He scored eight Premier League goals in 26 games and was shipped back to Inter Milan in the summer.
One of the biggest Premier League flops you’re going to find.
2) Jack Grealish to Manchester City: £105.75m
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City had to pay through the nose to get Grealish into the club from Aston Villa.
The winger and attacking midfielder has clearly adapted to life under Pep Guardiola and has been involved in six goals thus far this season in the Premier League, including what could prove to be a vital strike against Arsenal in a top-of-the-table clash.
He’s also already won the Premier League, and Guardiola clearly thinks highly of him.
Still, it’s hard not to be wistful for the time when he was absolutely destroying teams single-handedly at Villa.
1) Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea: £107.4m
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Final – Argentina v France – Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar – December 18, 2022 Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez poses with his Best Young Player award during the award ceremony after the match REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
The most recent signing on the list is also at the top of it.
Chelsea spent an immense figure to sign Fernandez from Benfica.
It should be said here that the Portuguese club bought the Argentina international for around €18m, or just over £15m.
That means Benfica made a profit of £91.5m after he played 29 times for the club. We can’t help but think his performances for Argentina, as they won the World Cup in Qatar, contributed to the hugely inflated fee.
Tottenham Hotspur have quite an impressive academy set-up, with several players transitioning from young hopefuls to first-team stars over the years, and the north London hotbed is capable of producing many more talents in the near future…
Who is Spurs youngster Kallum Cesay?
Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Chelsea, several U23 starlets were involved in the senior training session at Hotspur Way, one of which being versatile gem Kallum Cesay, according to football.london.
He was one of four academy prospects to receive a high-five from striker Harry Kane, who is no doubt the shining example of the path to stardom that they could take at the club.
Primarily a right-back, Cesay is also capable of playing in defensive and central midfield, which could surely be a valuable asset to manager Antonio Conte or whoever is in charge heading into next season.
The 20-year-old has also featured for his national side, Sierra Leone, at senior level and scored a match-winning brace on his debut to beat the Republic of Congo 2-1 in March 2021.
How is Cesay getting on at Hotspur Way?
Standing at 6 foot 2, the youngster is quite the composing figure, which leads to some belief that his future may well lie as an anchorman or ball-winning midfielder, rather than out on the flanks.
Last season, he racked up 22 appearances for Spurs’ U21 side in the Premier League 2 and has since maintained his place in Wayne Burnett’s side by featuring in 17 games across the same competition, as well as the EFL Trophy.
An outing against Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth side earlier this month even saw Cesay provide an assist from defensive midfield, which further highlights his multi-faceted game.
Whilst Kane is the pinnacle of success for any Spurs youngster, a player like the versatile 20-year-old could well follow in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp as someone that has been in and out of the side for the last few years, even going out on loan to Norwich City in 2020/21.
The 22-year-old is a fine case of what could happen if you’ve got the quality and show some loyalty in the progression system around N17.
Cesay’s ability to play in a multitude of positions will certainly aid his case, especially with Conte currently light on midfield options, owing to long-term injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, whilst the wing-back roles have always been contentious since the Italian took the helm.
The Newham-born prodigy has previously been lauded as a “really promising prospect” whose “prospects and development have gone through the roof” by Football Insider’s John Wenham.
As such, it could be Cesay who could emerge as the next Skipp at Tottenham, with signs of him being in first-team training a very positive step in him doing so.
AND in other news, Paratici eyeing 6 ft 4 “monster” in Spurs summer swoop, he’s a bargain Son successor…
Even at the age of 38, Thiago Silva remains as important as ever for Chelsea, but the Brazilian cannot last forever and Graham Potter will soon have to consider who can replace the former PSG man at the back for the Blues.
A number of young defenders have been recruited in recent seasons, with Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both likely to be regulars at the back for the remainder of the campaign, with the former recovering from his long-term injury to reclaim his place in the squad in recent weeks.
However, Potter’s best potential replacement for Silva may come straight from the academy, as Levi Colwill is showing his quality once again out on loan, starring with Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton side.
Could Levi Colwill replace Silva at Chelsea?
Last season saw the teenage defender spend the season on loan with Huddersfield Town in the Championship, where he was a regular in the Terriers’ side as they exceeded expectations, losing out to Nottingham Forest in the playoff final.
The Englishman would make 31 appearances in the second tier, scoring two goals and providing one assist, earning an impressive 6.97 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Former Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan sang his praises during the campaign, saying:
“I think he’s going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future.“I am seeing a player with a lot of potential and a lot of personality.”Despite his performances in the second tier, Chelsea saw fit to loan him out again in the summer, to a side that now looks to have a far better chance of earning European football next season.While Colwill’s best performances for the Seagulls have come in the League Cup, where he has averaged a superb 7.29 rating from WhoScored, he has also featured seven times in the Premier League.The Athletic’s Simon Johnson has previously described Colwill as a “rising talent,” comparing him to Chelsea legend John Terry, but the Blues need to make sure that he doesn’t become another promising youngster to leave the club and showcase his abilities elsewhere.FBref ranks Colwill in the top 15% of centre-backs in Europe’s top leagues for passes attempted, progressive carries and aerials won, which suggests that he certainly possesses the attributes to excel as a modern, ball-playing defender.Therefore, when Silva leaves Chelsea or eventually retires, Potter should consider promoting the teenager as his replacement.
Leeds United have some of the most loyal fans in English football, and with that comes a trend; a trend of helping a player’s stock rise higher than ever as soon as they pull on the famous colours of the club and kiss the badge now embroidered on their new shirt’s chest.
Of course, this can have an impact off the pitch, however. If a player is hyped up enough and produces what seem like decent numbers that could improve even more, then when big clubs come calling, the price has the potential to sky-rocket, with one example being Raphinha, who moved to Barcelona.
With that said, we’ve ranked Leeds United’s most overrated players of the Premier League era.
10) Raphinha
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Hear me out. Raphinha is an excellent player, and he may just go on to become a world-beater.
But he’s struggled since his move to Barcelona. Raphinha has scored just four goals in his 26 outings for the club. In total, he scored 17 times and laid on 12 assists – 29 goal involvements – in 67 games for Leeds. Did he really deserve that move to the Camp Nou? We’re not so sure.
Indeed. since his move to the Catalan club, he’s hardly set the world alight, either.
He has only made 11 starts in La Liga this season and there were even reports that he could potentially move on in January, less than six months after arriving.
9) Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate really was a victim of his own success. He was incredible at Leeds, and the praise from the Premier League even reached the ears of Real Madrid.
And that’s where the problems started. The question that should have been posed all those years ago is: Jonathan Woodgate is good enough for Leeds, but is he good enough to become a Galactico? The answer, of course, would have been no.
He had one of the worst debuts of all time, being sent off and scoring an own goal, and he was never as good as he was at Leeds thereafter.
He succumbed to injuries, with perhaps his best moment being scoring the winning goal in the 2008 League Cup final as Tottenham beat Chelsea.
8) Matteusz Klich
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Now, whilst Matteusz Klich is absolutely adored by the majority of Leeds United fans, the question needs to be asked whether he is perhaps a little overrated.
And, our answer to that question is, yes, we believe that he is. The job that he does at Elland Road, which was often next to Kalvin Phillips before his departure, could arguably be fulfilled by the majority of Premier League midfielders.
To confirm this: His big move away from Leeds saw him join DC United in the USA.
Klich is one of those players who was exceptional in the lower-leagues, but couldn’t quite translate it into the Premier League.
7) Luke Ayling
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Luke Ayling has been an incredible servant to Leeds United, but, in the Premier League, he has struggled at times. It was only last season when some began to admit it, too, as he occasionally lost his place to Junior Firpo – we’ll get to him – and dropped down the pecking order.
As it turns out, the top flight seems too great a step for Ayling and Jesse Marsch seemed to agree; Ayling has made just five starts this term.
He was something of a lieutenant during his time in the Championship but the step up into the Premier League has matched him up against some truly world-class wingers.
In that time, he’s been sorely exposed at times; Leeds, after all, have never been defensively solid.
6) Diego Llorente
When a club buys a player for £18 million, they would expect a certain quality.
However, it must be said that Diego Llorente hasn’t always shown that quality at Elland Road since arriving in 2020. Last season, the Spaniard was at the heart of a Leeds defence which struggled to stay afloat at times, which, again, brings questions over his transfer, and he’s made just two starts since the World Cup.
Llorente is slightly too slow on the turn, and can be consistently left hanging by attackers who have a real turn of pace.
With him in the team this season, Leeds kept just one Premier League clean sheet. It’s no surprise he was loaned to Italian side Roma in January.
5) Jermaine Pennant
When you have a nightmare loan spell at a club and you’re still overrated, then there must be a problem.
Following his spell at Leeds United, Jermaine Pennant still went on to play for a club as big as Liverpool, where he also failed to do anything special, although he remains the only English player to feature in a Champions League final and never play for his country.
The fact that his stock was still high enough to make that move is still bizarre to us, however. Just take a look at his stats: He played 36 times for the club and scored twice.
Now, he’s perhaps better known for his off-field issues, which included appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show.
4) Illan Meslier
Illan Meslier could go on to justify the hype surrounding him. But, the fact is, for now, he remains an overrated shot-stopper.
Throughout his time in the Premier League, the Leeds United number one has made three errors leading to goals, which suggests that he’s not exactly the most reliable player to have in a relegation fight.
This season, Meslier has conceded over 30 goals in just 20 games, and has even collected two yellow cards.
He’s still only 22, which is remarkably young for a top-flight stopper, but he’s not quite at the level he needs to be right now.
3) Junior Firpo
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If you have Barcelona on your CV as a footballer, almost every door in world football will automatically swing open in your direction.
And, best believe, the interview process will be short and sweet. Leeds United fell into the Barcelona trap in the summer of 2021 when they signed fullback Junior Firpo, who has failed to impress. And that’s putting it lightly.
He’s only made one start in the Premier League so far this term and it remains to be seen if a new manager will be making a change to his playing time.
It feels unlikely.
2) Daniel James
Leeds finally secured the signature of Daniel James in January of this year, but it’s fair to say that he was not worth the wait, having attempted to sign him from Swansea the summer prior.
Though, it must be said, for now, he remains an overrated player, who didn’t work out at Manchester United, and is yet to work out at Elland Road.
James has played 40 times for Leeds and has managed to score just four goals.
He is rapid, there’s no doubting that, but he really needs to add more of an end product to his game if he is to remain a Premier League player.
1) Rodrigo
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When Rodrigo joined Leeds for £27 million in 2020, many, including myself, believed that the Yorkshiremen were getting themselves a player guaranteed to score goals and lead the line to Premier League safety with ease.
As it turns out, however, they had to rely on Patrick Bamford to do that job, with Rodrigo struggling at times. With 25 goals in 83 appearances, Rodrigo is an expensive, overrated flop.
It may well explain why Leeds have had to change their manager, having hitched their wagon to the Spaniard to score the goals to keep them up.
He’s not been good enough, and now he’s injured.
So, there you have it, our list of Leeds United’s most overrated players of the Premier League era. Do you agree with our picks? Or have some players been hard done by? Let us know in the comments!
The list, itself, involves a fair number of current players, which could suggest that the Leeds United fan base are backing their players more than ever.
Everton reporter for The Athletic Patrick Boyland has shared that Vitaliy Mykolenko could make a return at home to Brentford in the Premier League after illness.
The Lowdown: Missed Nottingham Forest
Mykolenko missed last weekend’s 2-2 draw away at Nottingham Forest through illness, which was the first game that he has missed in the top flight so far this season.
Ben Godfrey, a central defender by trade, had to fill in at left-back in his place, and struggled at times up against Forest right-winger Brennan Johnson, who scored twice in the match.
The Latest: Return to training
Taking to Twitter, Boyland shared the news that Mykolenko has been ‘back in training’ after illness, meaning that he should be able to make a return against Brentford:
“Mykolenko back in training after illness.”
The Verdict: Boost
Mykolenko’s return is no doubt a boost for the Goodison Park and outfit, as he is tried and trusted after not missing a Premier League match before last weekend.
It also means that a natural left-back can return to the position, with the Bees promising to be a tough nut to crack having been unbeaten in the league since October.
In what has been a disappointing season for the Merseysiders so far, Mykolenko has been one of Everton’s more consistent performers, ranking highly among his team-mates for average interceptions, blocks, key passes and crosses per game in the top flight (WhoScored), and the Toffees will need him to be at his best against Brentford, should he come straight back into the side.