Christian Vieri has tipped Inter’s 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito to become “a great striker,” stressing that the pressure of playing for a club like Inter will accelerate his growth. Esposito has already made his mark in Serie A with his first goal and is now being asked to step up in the absence of Marcus Thuram.
Esposito tipped for greatness at Inter
Inter youngster Esposito has enjoyed a rapid rise this season, marking his breakthrough with a goal against Cagliari in just his third Serie A appearance. The forward has mostly featured as a substitute but has shown glimpses of his talent and potential. His form has already drawn praise from both his manager Cristian Chivu and former Italy striker Vieri.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportVieri backs Esposito to grow into Inter’s next great striker
Speaking at a press event, the Nerazzurri legend highlighted the unique challenge of playing for clubs like Inter, AC Milan or Juventus, but insisted that pressure is exactly what will help Esposito develop.
“When you’re at Inter, Milan, or Juventus, you’re always under pressure. Like at Barcelona or Real Madrid. Last year he was at Spezia, he didn’t have the pressure Inter have, but it’s better to play in Serie A and the Champions League. Then there are those who are ready at twenty, and he’s already physically ready: he can handle the strain at international level, where you have to be a beast," he said.
“He has no problems, he’s really hungry to improve, and I often talk to his teammates: they tell me he’s really hungry. He’s a great talent, he’s under pressure, but it’s better to have it: he plays for a great team and has started off great, he has everything it takes to become a great striker.”
Esposito’s breakthrough highlights Inter’s rising star in Serie A
The Italian striker's goal made him the fourth-youngest Italian to score for Inter in Serie A this century, underlining his promise. Already praised by his manager for his strong display against Sassuolo, the youngster has proven he can link up effectively with senior forwards like Lautaro Martinez. With his pace, energy, and ability to stretch defences, Esposito is positioning himself as an exciting long-term option for the Nerazzurri.
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Getty Images SportWhat’s next for Inter’s rising striker
Esposito recently featured against Slavia Prague in the Champions League and could be handed more opportunities with Marcus Thuram sidelined by injury. Inter face Cremonese next as they look to maintain momentum in Serie A, and all eyes will be on whether the young striker can earn a starting role alongside Martinez.
The summer of the saga is finally over, but it’s difficult to know how Newcastle United supporters will feel about it.
On deadline day, Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for a reported fee of £125m, including add-ons, which makes this a British transfer record.
The Swede has, quite publicly, been on strike all summer as he attempted to force through this move to Merseyside, skipping the Magpies’ pre-season tour of Asia and also not turning up to the PFA awards, where he was named in the team of the season.
As a result, the Geordie faithful have completely turned against Isak, making it frankly unfathomable that he would ever play for the club again, so most will be glad to see him gone, albeit their team are losing arguably the best striker in the Premier League.
Isak's Premier League record before joining Liverpool.
The Magpies have signed two very expensive strikers to fill his void, it remains to be seen if they’ll come good, but the astronomical fees being paid by all clubs this summer has only underlined the fact that Newcastle struck gold snapping up their talisman.
Newcastle's Isak replacements
On Saturday, Newcastle announced the signing of striker Nick Woltemade, arriving from Stuttgart for an initial fee of £65m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons.
This time last year, barely anyone had heard of Woltemade, considering he’d scored just two top division goals during his time at Werder Bremen.
However, the 23-year-old really burst onto the scene at Stuttgart, netting 18 times in just 36 appearances for die Schwaben, including scoring during each round of the DFB-Pokal, breaking the deadlock against Arminia Bielefeld in May’s final, as his side won the competition for the first time since 1997.
He then further enhanced his reputation during this summer’s U21 European Championships, bagging a hat-trick during Germany’s tournament opener against Slovenia, picking up the golden boot by netting six times in total, as die Mannschaft were defeated 3-2 by England in the final in Bratislava.
Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade
Standing at 198 cms (6 ft 6 in) tall, he is nicknamed “Woltemessi” due to his perceived good touch for a big man, so it’ll be fascinating to see how he fares on Tyneside.
That is not all, though, because on deadline day, Newcastle also finally completed the signing of long-term target Yoane Wissa.
The DR Congo international himself had gone full-Isak at Brentford, refusing to play as he pushed for a move, but the two clubs agreed a fee of £55m on Monday, after bids of £25m and £40m had both been rejected earlier this summer.
Wissa leaves West London as Brentford’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, having been on target 49 times in all competitions for the Bees, 19 of which came in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Braut Håland, Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood.
At 28 years old, however, £55m for Wissa, when you’ve also just signed another striker for around £70m, does seem very high, further underlining how much of a bargain Newcastle’s talisman has proved to be.
Newcastle talisman signed for a bargain fee
Back in October 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund completed their £305m takeover of Newcastle United and, after swiftly replacing Steve Bruce with Eddie Howe, they wanted to make a splash in the transfer market.
During that first January window, with the Toon Army very much embroiled in a relegation battle, having won just one of their first 20 fixtures, the new owners spent big to ensure Premier League survival.
Four new signings arrived for a combined £90m, namely Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimarães, and the latter instantaneously became a cult hero on Tyneside.
To date, Guimarães has made 147 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 23 goals and registering 24 assists, playing an instrumental role in the team that won last season’s EFL Cup, ending the club’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware.
The table below emphasises his importance to Newcastle.
Minutes
3,844
2nd
Goals
5
7th
Assists
8
4th
Shots
54
4th
Completed passes
1,481
3rd
Key passes
52
1st
Passes into final third
180
1st
Progress passes
271
1st
Shot-creating actions
133
1st
Big chances created
13
2nd
Tackles
83
1st
Interceptions
33
3rd
Ball recoveries
188
2nd
Touches
2,213
3rd
Avg Sofascore rating
7.22
3rd
As the table reinforces, Guimarães is pivotal to everything Newcastle achieve; ranked first by every passing metric, while also in the top two for out-of-possession statistics, tackles and ball recoveries, producing goals, assists and chance creation at the other end of the pitch too.
The £40m paid to Olympique Lyonnais to secure his signature has turned out to be a complete bargain, especially considering his current estimated transfer value is around £69m.
Bruno Guimaraes
For comparison, new signings Woltemade and Wissa are valued at around £26m and £27.6m respectively, substantially lower than the fees Newcastle have paid.
His international teammate Casemiro is certainly a fan, stating that Guimarães has been “exceptional” at Newcastle, adding that he is a “great player who has been demonstrating this in the most difficult league in the world”.
Thus, now that Isak has finally departed Tyneside, the Brazilian midfielder is ready to step up and be Newcastle’s talisman, leading them into a Champions League campaign, with Barcelona the first visitors to St James’ Park on 18 September; what a tie that’ll be.
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Newcastle are looking to sign one of the best midfielders on the planet to partner Bruno Guimaraes
تحدث رودريجو جوس، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن علاقته بـ زين الدين زيدان وثنائية مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة وأول هاتريك له في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وأجرى الدولي البرازيلي حوارًا مطولًا مع صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تحدث من خلاله حول كارلو أنشيلوتي وعلاقته القوية به ومنتخب البرازيلي وأسرار كثيرة من كواليس انتقاله إلى الفريق الملكي.
وقال رودريجو، عن مباراة مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة: “كان أصعب يوم في حياتي، وكان أيضًا أفضل يوم في حياتي، ويوم العديد من مشجعي ريال مدريد الذين ما زالوا يكتبون لي ليشكروني على هذين الهدفين في دقيقتين، كان الأمر جنونيًا”.
وأكمل: “عند التعادل 1/1، أعلن المذيع الداخلي عن 6 دقائق من الوقت بدل الضائع، وكان الهدف بمثابة التأهل لنا، جنون الجماهير في البرنابيو واحتفلوا بعدد الدقائق كما لو كان هدفًا، هذا أخافهم (يقصد مانشستر سيتي) وفكرت لحظة وقلت في نفسي هل يمكنني تسجيل هدف آخر؟، وفعلت ذلك برأسي، انظروا، كان بإمكاني تسجيل هدف آخر قبل الوقت الإضافي لكن أنقذها إيدرسون، كانت ستُكتب أعظم هاتريك في التاريخ، في اليوم السابق، أخبرت والدي أنني سأسجل ثلاثة أهداف، وفعلت ذلك بالفعل، كان الأمر في رأسي، كان الأمر جنونيًا للغاية”.
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وعن أول مباراة شارك بها بقميص ريال مديد على برنابيو: “نعم، كان الأمر مميزًا للغاية، أتذكره كأنه كان بالأمس، لن أنسى أبدًا عندما اتصل بي زيدان ليخبرني أنني سألعب مباراتي الأولى في البرنابيو، لم أتخيل أبدًا أن يحدث ذلك بهذه السرعة، لطالما حلمت به ولكن عندما يحين الوقت، أشعر بتوتر شديد، أتذكر أن كاسيميرو مرر لي الكرة وسيطرت عليها جيدًا وراوغت وسددت وسكنت الكرة الشباك، كانت بداية مثالية”.
وعن تسجيل هاتريك في أول مباراة له في دوري أبطال أوروبا قال رودريجو: “كنتُ أعتقد أن بيننا رابط مميز، لطالما أحببت هذه البطولة، ثلاثية مثالية (هاتريك) أمام جماهيرنا، كانت البداية رائعة بهذه الطريقة”.
وعن اللعب تحت قيادة زين الدين زيدان: “كان شخصًا عاديًا لكنه أبهرني، نظرت إليه وقلت زيدان يتحدث معي! في الثامنة عشرة من عمري كان كل شيء جديدًا بالنسبة لي، وكان كل شيء مثيرًا للإعجاب، استغرق الأمر مني بعض الوقت لأعتاد عليه وأتقبل أنه مجرد مدربي، وهذا كل شيء، تحدث معي كثيرًا وساعدني وأحببت الوقت الذي قضيته معه”.
Tilak jumped a whopping 69 places after his back-to-back centuries in South Africa
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2024India allrounder Hardik Pandya is back on top of the T20I allrounders list in the ICC rankings, while Tilak Varma has broken into the top 10 among batters for the first time.Hardik displaced England’s Liam Livingstone at the top and also overtook Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee after he picked up two wickets and scored 18, 39 not out and 2 in the T20Is against South Africa. His top performance was his spell of 1 for 8 that included a maiden in three overs in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg. The last time Hardik rose to the top of the allrounders list was just a few months ago, after India won the T20 World Cup in June also by beating South Africa.Tilak, the Player of the Series in the recent bilaterals, shot up 69 places among the batters after his consecutive and unbeaten centuries that followed scores of 20 and 33 in the first two T20Is. He is now placed third, after Travis Head and Phil Salt, and closely followed by his captain Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson, the other batter with two hundreds in the series, went up 17 places to 22nd, as he also bagged two ducks between the two centuries. Among bowlers, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh moved to ninth after gaining three spots with the help of eight wickets against South Africa. Arshdeep was the top-wicket taker in the series among fast bowlers and bagged three-fors in the last two games.Adam Zampa, who picked up six wickets against Pakistan, was among the biggest gainers among the bowlers, reaching third spot after rising five places, just behind Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga. His team-mate Nathan Ellis shot up a significant 15 spots to reach 11th rank, after he finished the three T20Is against Pakistan with four wickets, including figures of 3 for 9 in the opening match that was truncated by rain.For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed three places to move to 23rd whereas Heinrich Klaasen jumped six places but remained out of top 50, at 59th.After the 1-1 T20I series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kusal Mendis rose to joint 12th spot after going up three places. After they won the ODIs 2-0, Maheesh Theekshana went up six places to be placed sixth, that pushed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj one spot down each, to seventh and eighth respectively.
Away from Nathaniel Phillips joining Ryan Mason’s ranks, it’s been somewhat of a quiet summer so far at West Bromwich Albion as far as incomings are concerned.
It’s definitely been hectic surrounding outgoings, however, with Grady Diangana, John Swift, and Semi Ajayi all exiting one after the other, having failed to agree on extended contracts at the Hawthorns.
Tottenham's Ryan Mason
The brand-new Baggies boss must have thought he’d won himself his second big buy when it was reported that AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks was likely to join his camp.
But, no such deal has got off the ground, leaving the promotion hopefuls back at square one with who to bring in to boost their chances of moving up to the Premier League.
Brooks' collapsed West Brom deal
In a drastically sharp change of events, Brooks – who had reportedly completed a medical at the Hawthorns – has now seen a move to West Brom fall through.
This would have been an ideal signing for Mason to strengthen his numbers in attack in the wake of Diangana leaving the building, with the Welshman a top performer in the Championship in the not-so-distant past.
David Brooks for Bournemouth.
Just two seasons back, the AFC Bournemouth number seven proved himself to be an instant hit out on loan at second-tier promotion chasers Southampton, as seen in a whirlwind return of two goals and six assists coming his way from just 20 outings at St. Mary’s.
That bumped up his overall tally in the division to a sublime 11 goals and 16 assists, with Brooks’ adaptability to play as a left winger or as an attacking midfielder making him even more of a sterling, short-term pick-up.
An unfortunate twist in the tale has stopped this promising deal from occurring, though, but the Baggies could win themselves a dream alternative if this exciting starlet is loaned in instead.
West Brom's "fearless" Brooks alternative
Mason might as well put his Tottenham Hotspur connections to good use from the Hawthorns hot seat.
This might well prove to be a great weapon on West Brom’s end, with rumours circulating last month that Spurs’ teenage sensation Mikey Moore is being eyed up by the West Midlands side.
Moore is arguably cut from the same cloth as the Cherries forward, with Brooks held in high regard ever since breaking through at Sheffield United aged just 19. In the case of the North London prodigy, he’s already making waves at Thomas Frank’s men at the tender age of 17.
Indeed, a terrific solo strike against Elfsborg last year was his first ever senior strike for his boyhood employers, shining so much in the Europa League that teammate James Maddison suggested he was “like Neymar.”
LW
18
4
6
AM
8
6
4
CF
7
11
4
RW
6
1
0
Much like his Welsh counterpart would have been capable of, the teenage sensation could go on to be a superb talent for the Baggies across various attacking positions, with a lethal 11 goals coming his way across his fledgling career as a centre-forward, away from shining as a left or right winger like Brooks.
The worry would be that Moore might not instantly take to his new Championship terrain, having only ever been in that bubble of youth football at Spurs.
Yet, having recently also been hailed as “fearless” by Maddison when leaping into the Tottenham first-team, this should be another hurdle he’s able to overcome, with West Brom’s failed pursuit of Brooks quickly forgotten about if he goes on to be a success.
The new Fellows: West Brom looking at deal to sign "outstanding" EFL star
West Bromwich Albion could repeat their Tom Fellows magic by landing this EFL star.
Everton are one of the clubs in the mix to sign a “brilliant” former Premier League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.
Everton left-back signs new deal
The Blues may be looking at signing experienced players this summer, but retaining the services of their most exciting players is also of the utmost importance.
One big positive has emerged in that respect, with Everton left-back Josh van Schoor signing his first professional contract at the club, keeping him on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.
The 18-year-old is clearly delighted to have committed his future to the Blues, speaking about the new deal and calling it a “really special” moment for him.
“It’s a really special moment for me and my family. It’s something you work towards your whole life, and as a little lad you dream about it, so to sign is a very proud moment. When you’re working hard towards things, and then again over the past few years when you’re so close, to finally achieve it is a very good moment. Last season was good, I think I really found a good bit of form and captained the side a few times as well, which was really good for me.”
Everton keeping tabs on "brilliant" free agent
According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Everton are also “keeping close tabs” on former Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Spurs last month, having been on loan at Manchester United.
Bournemouth and West Ham are also mentioned in the update, with the Hammers mentioned as the “most enthusiastic” among the three Premier League clubs.
Reguilon could be an astute addition for Everton between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, possessing lots of experience at a high level and no doubt wanting to get his career back on track, following a nomadic spell of late.
The 28-year-old has tasted victory against the Blues before, scoring in a 5-0 win for Spurs back in 2021/22, and Noel Whelan once called him “brilliant”, also saying:
“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”
At 28, Reguilon is far from an ageing player, so he should be able to be a good player for Everton for the next four or five years, and the fact that he has Premier League experience is an added bonus.
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The Spaniard could come in and provide stiff competition for Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back, giving the Blues two great options in that position.
David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt are the only players from South Africa’s makeshift squad that toured New Zealand in February to be named for their next red-ball assignment, against West Indies in August. While Bedingham is seen as central to the future of South Africa’s long-format batting, Paterson, 35, has been included to add experience in the absence of Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, and Piedt, 34, to have a second spinner in addition to Keshav Maharaj.The rest of the players were all part of South Africa’s home series against India earlier this year with the exception of batter Matthew Breetzke, who has earned his first Test call-up. Breetzke is currently playing for Northants and was part of a South African A side that toured Sri Lanka last year. With Dean Elgar’s recent international retirement, he will provide batting back-up to a top five that will likely include Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham.Red-ball coach Shukri Conrad confirmed that Stubbs would take over the No. 3 spot, with de Zorzi moving up into Elgar’s opening slot. “Technically Stubbs is one of the best around,” Conrad said at a press conference. “He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order. And I think he has got all the makings of a top-class No. 3 batter. He will get a really good run and he is definitely one for the future. Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton has been recalled after last playing Tests in the home series against West Indies in March 2023 and will compete with incumbent gloveman Kyle Verreynne for a spot at No. 6. The only seam-bowling allrounder in the squad is Wiaan Mulder, who also last played Tests at home against West Indies, after Jansen was rested from the tour.”Given the hectic schedules and not necessarily for South Africa – you take someone like Marco, who would have had two months at an IPL straight to a World Cup, straight into an MLC – the plan was always for different guys to be getting breaks at different times,” Conrad said. “So this is Marco’s time where we felt we can do some really good work with him from a rehab and conditioning point of view, and if there’s some technical work that needs to happen.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Jansen will also miss the October Tests in Bangladesh and “be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan”, Conrad said. “And then another quick will have the Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan. So it’s conversations that Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and I have been having for the longest time now. We want to make sure that we manage these players properly. They never get time to actually do some work on their bodies and any technical stuff. It’s not a holiday.”The pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi with Nortje not considered after he opted out of a central contract this year with the aim of focusing primarily on T20 cricket. Paterson and left-armer Nandre Burger are the other two pace options.South Africa’s first-choice Test players have not been in action since the New Year’s Test, which they lost to India after being to miss the New Zealand series and honour SA20 commitments. South Africa lost that series 2-0 and sit in seventh place on the WTC points table, but have only played four matches. They have eight more Tests scheduled in this cycle – two in the West Indies, two in Bangladesh in October and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and have hopes they could put themselves in a position to compete for a spot in the WTC final.”We’ve got eight test matches left in the cycle and whilst one doesn’t want to look too far ahead, in order to give ourselves a good crack at it, we probably need to win at least seven,” Conrad said. “That’s part of the end goal. We know that every Test series is going to be a challenging one. But when we play to our full potential, I think we can obviously get the right results. We’re still very much in the mix.”Those members of the squad who are not involved in the MLC or on the county circuit – Bavuma, Breetzke, de Zorzi, Mulder, Paterson, Stubbs and Verreynne – will take part in a four-day training camp in Durban before departing for the West Indies. The first Test takes place in Trinidad from August 7 and the second in Guyana a week later.
South Africa Test squad
Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne
Celtic are now likely to complete the signing of an “amazing” attacking player soon, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
Attackers the order of the day for Celtic
Brendan Rodgers will know the importance of adding to his squad and making his team even more of a force next season, in order to prevent Rangers from closing the gap in the Scottish Premiership, and perhaps more excitingly for the Hoops to improve in the Champions League.
Celtic appear to be prioritising attacking signings this summer, with Benjamin Nygren strongly linked with sealing a move from Nordsjaelland to Parkhead.
Meanwhile, Evan Ferguson has emerged as an audacious transfer target for the Hoops ahead of next season, with the Brighton striker’s stock falling over the past 12 months, following a tough spell out on loan at West Ham.
That’s not to say that the Republic of Ireland international couldn’t be a fantastic acquisition for Celtic, however, with Gary Lineker calling him a “born goalscorer” and once tipping him to replace Harry Kane at Tottenham.
Now, it looks as though the Scottish champions could be edging towards another attacking signing.
O'Rourke: Celtic set to finalise deal for Balikwisha
Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claimed Celtic have a good chance of signing Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha this summer.
“There’s real potential that Celtic could finally get a deal done for Balikwisha. He’s been a long-term target for them, they tried to sign him in the summer transfer window last year but an injury and failing to agree a price stopped their hopes. Their interest has never gone away, they’ve continued to keep tabs on him. He has got back to full fitness after a bad injury and finished the season strongly.
“Celtic will be in the market for a new winger and Balikwisha has remained on the radar. They’ve been given a boost in their pursuit as well, reports are suggesting in Belgium that Royal Antwerp are experiencing some financial problems. They may have to cash in on some of their players, and with the 24-year-old in the final year of his contract Celtic could land him for a bargain fee of £5million.”
Michel-Ange Balikwisha against Porto in the Champions League.
Balikwisha has been linked with Celtic for some time, with talks mooted recently, and he could be a brilliant signing this summer, with the 24-year-old possessing so much quality.
Belgium Under-21s
10
1
Belgium Under-19s
3
0
Belgium Under-18s
1
0
Belgium Under-17s
5
1
Belgium Under-16s
4
1
The attacker already has 46 goal involvements in 141 appearances for Antwerp, and at international level he has been capped for Belgium across five different youth age groups, also being called “amazing” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
While primarily a left winger, Balikwisha can also shine on the opposite flank and as a striker, so Rodgers would be signing a player who can add so much depth to his attack.
Chelsea have not held back in the transfer market under new owner Todd Boehly. The Blues have certainly been comfortable to splash the cash, aiming to build a new dynasty at Stamford Bridge, and particularly looking to strengthen in attack.
Over the past few seasons, they have signed several new attackers, including permanent deals for the likes of Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and even a loan move for Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
They even have three young attackers joining in the next couple of seasons, further strengthening their options in forward areas. That does not include summer targets for 2025, with Kenan Yildiz one player they are linked with.
The latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Yildiz
It seems as though the race to sign Juventus attacker Yildiz is on this summer, with Chelsea set to go head-to-head with one of their biggest rivals, Arsenal, to bring the 19-year-old to London. Whether he moves to West or North London, however, remains to be seen.
Juventus'KenanYildiz
A recent report from Caught Offside suggests that the Blues have been ‘intensifying their efforts’ to bring the youngster to Stamford Bridge in the next few months. As well as facing competition from the Gunners, newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool, 13-time winners Manchester United and their rivals Manchester City could all show interest.
As for why Enzo Maresca’s side want to add Yildiz to their ranks, he has been impressive for the Old Lady this term. The Turkey star has eight goals and five assists across all competitions for Juve, and has played everywhere across the frontline. They are eye-catching numbers for such a young player.
With that in mind, his price might not come as a shock, though it is certainly a high fee Juve could demand. Caught Offside report that he is worth £85.2m, if he is to depart the Allianz Stadium this summer.
Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates
Incredibly, the Blues have an attacker worth even more than the 19-year-old sensation.
The Chelsea star worth more than Yildiz
Of all the attackers the Blues have bought, none has made the impression that Cole Palmer has. The England international has been in lean form for a few weeks, but his time at Stamford Bridge overall has been exceptional.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?
The 22-year-old, who hails from Wythenshawe in Manchester, has an exceptional record in that famous Blue shirt of Chelsea.
He’s managed 39 goals and 24 assists in 85 games so far, and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year for his 33 goals in as many Premier League games last term.
This term has been slightly slower for the former Man City star. He has managed 14 goals and nine assists in the top flight, although has now gone 12 games without a goal. In that timeframe, he has chipped in with three assists.
With that being said, his underlying stats from the past two seasons, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how talented he is. For example, the 22-year-old averaged 2.5 key passes per game last term, and a slightly better 2.6 key passes per game so far this term.
Goals and assists
1.2
0.7
Key passes
2.5
2.6
Big chances created
0.6
0.6
Dribbles completed
1.8
1.5
Expected goal involvements
0.93xGI
0.76xGI
When considering all that, it might not be a surprise to learn that Palmer is valued extremely highly by Football Transfers. They have him worth £100.2m, higher than any other player in the Chelsea squad.
Interestingly, that is around £15m more than the amount Juventus would be looking to charge for Yildiz this summer. If anything, this further highlights the importance of Palmer to the Chelsea side.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer
They certainly got lucky with Palmer when they signed him in 2023. He has proven to be a revelation, an “insanely consistent” player as Statman Dave called him. Despite his struggles in recent weeks, there is no doubt about the quality of Palmer.
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In the Premier League, Arsenal have been left to bemoan their lack of a fit centre-forward.
Truth be told, even before Kai Havertz sustained a season-ending hamstring injury, they needed more cover in an attacking area.
Just weeks before, Gabriel Jesus was dealt a cruel blow of his own, picking up an ACL injury that means we are unlikely to see him play again in 2025.
That didn’t spur the recruitment team at the Emirates Stadium into life and they have been made to pay the price since.
Still, Mikel Merino has been in fine form since becoming the club’s leading number 9, scoring six goals in his ten outings as a striker. Not bad numbers indeed.
However, the Spaniard, despite his incredible finish against Real Madrid, is not the long-term answer.
Arsenal's hopes of signing a new striker
Andrea Berta has now been in the job a few weeks and his main objective over the summer transfer window must be to strengthen the club’s offence.
It promises to be an exciting summer at Colney with the Gunners not only needing a new forward but also a winger, a back-up goalkeeper and potentially even a midfielder. Martin Zubimendi is reportedly edging close towards a deal.
So, who will the shiny new striker be? That’s the question on everyone’s lips down at N5.
David Ornstein confirmed a few weeks ago that Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres is one of their leading targets but work is also being done on Benjamin Sesko.
Transfer Focus
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A flurry of reports linked the Slovenian with a move last summer but he ended up penning new terms with German club RB Leipzig.
A year on and his departure from the Bundesliga looks far more likely. Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Arsenal continue to keep a ‘close on’ on the 21-year-old with new steps now taken in a bid to secure his signature.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
The report notes that the London club have had ‘direct contact’ with the player’s camp to discuss a move and the feeling after that meeting has been a positive one.
Sesko’s contract – which expires in 2029 – currently contains a release clause valued at around €70m (£60m).
How Sesko compares to Haaland and Isak
A few years ago, Arsenal were monitoring the progress of Alexander Isak. The Swede was at Real Sociedad at the time and wasn’t yet a truly rampant goalscorer.
The year was 2022 and Isak’s contract in Spain also contained a release clause, one that was slightly more than Sesko’s at about £75m.
Sadly, the Gunners deemed that too expensive and since then, he signed for Newcastle for £63m and become one of the Premier League’s leading lights, scoring 20 goals this term, third to only Erling Haaland and Mo Salah in the top-flight.
So, Arsenal must learn their lesson. Miss out on Sesko now and you could be looking at a price tag of over £100m in a few years’ time.
The Slovenia international may not be the finished article just yet, but he possesses a unique profile and Berta must buy now, with Arteta undoubtedly having the ability to turn him into a top-class talent, just like Isak.
Indeed, if Arteta can get a tune out of Merino in the club’s forward line, a midfielder by trade, just think what he could do with an actual striker.
Viktor Gyokeres
45
44
Victor Osimhen
33
29
Alexander Isak
35
24
Hugo Ekitike
41
20
Benjamin Sesko
40
19
Matheus Cunha
29
15
Described as “the new Erling Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig, Sesko has found the net 19 times in 40 matches this term and seems to be getting better season by season, still aged 21.
Like Haaland, he’s a tall centre-forward. The Norwegian stands at 6 foot 4 while the Arsenal target is a fraction taller at 6 foot 5.
Manchester City's ErlingHaalandcelebrates scoring their first goal
What that allows the pair of them to do is a number of things. Not only are they physical but their lengthy running stride and pace makes them a total nightmare for a defensive line.
Sesko would not get as much time and space in the Premier League, something Haaland is now all too familiar with, but their games marry up nicely when assessing their ball striking as well.
Just look at the thunderbolt below from Leipzig’s star man. It’s a thing of beauty and something that, let’s be honest, no Arsenal player in the current squad is capable of.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that Sesko is actually right-footed, but that’s not a bad thing, particularly when you consider Havertz is left-footed, meaning Berta would be adding more variety to the attack.
While someone like Gyokeres – who has scored 44 goals this season – and Isak, a proven Premier League striker, would be amazing signings, perhaps the best thing to do is go out and get Sesko, an unpolished diamond but someone who possesses elite potential.
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