All posts by n8rngtd.top

Manchester City are going to be without star player Rodri for the rest of the season following his ACL injury, and the Blues are already plotting potential replacements as they eye a deal for a big name midfielder, according to a new report.

Man City already in talks to sign "outstanding" £18m Rodri replacement

The Citizens seemingly have a plan in place…

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 29, 2024

Man City transfer news

Pep Guardiola’s side have some very important players throughout their squad, but none come as important as Rodri, as he is the player that gets the team ticking. So, for him to be missing the rest of the 2024/25 season is a big blow, and City are expected to pursue a replacement in January while using Rico Lewis in the meantime.

According to a recent report, Man City are already in talks to sign Samuele Ricci from Torino in the January transfer window. The Blues see the 23-year-old as a future star for the position, but could still go for a more marquee option.

If Ricci can replicate Rodri’s success in this team, his valuation of €22 million, or roughly £18 million, could make him a bargain purchase in the long-term. The midfielder joined Torino first on loan in January 2022 and then on a permanent basis that summer. Ricci has played 85 times for the Serie A side in all competitions, scoring three goals and recording six assists, but he is not the only target.

Man City identify £75m-rated star as possible Rodri replacement

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, Manchester City are interested in signing Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan. The Italian has been identified by the Premier League side as their top choice to replace their Spanish superstar.

The report states that City could look to make a move in January but may face difficulty trying to get Barella out of Inter Milan. The Italian international has just signed a new contract with the Serie A champions, and they are said to have placed a £75 million price tag on his head. Guardiola is said to have been left impressed by Barella when the two sides faced each other a couple of weeks ago in the Champions League.

Barella, who Jamie Carragher labelled as being “fantastic” during Inter Milan’s 2023 Champions League run, has been at Inter since July 2019, when he joined the club on loan from Cagliari, before joining on a permanent basis a year later.

The 27-year-old has been part of the Inter sides that won Serie A in the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons, as well as winning the Italian Super Cup three times and the Italian Cup twice. Barella has yet to win a European trophy with Inter, and they will be hoping he can stay beyond January and be part of a side that looks to end that drought.

Glasgow Rangers made it five wins in six matches in all competitions with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Sunday night.

The Light Blues claimed all three points against the Saints thanks to two goals from Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny, who scored one goal either side of half-time.

Philippe Clement’s side did have to dig in to earn a clean sheet late on, however, as the returning Ianis Hagi was shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge.

The Romania international made his first appearance for the club since an outing against Morton under Michael Beale in August of last season and had an eventful evening.

Ianis Hagi's performance in numbers

The playmaker started the match on the bench and was introduced in place of Ross McCausland at half-time, with Rangers winning 1-0 at the break.

He played out on the left flank but interchanged with Nedim Bajrami in the middle to create confusion at the back for the Saints defenders, and the midfielder was constantly looking to get on the ball.

Hagi completed 20 of his 25 passes and created two chances in just 36 minutes on the pitch before his, deserved, red card for a poor challenge.

One of the chances the 25-year-old maestro created turned into an assist for Cerny, as the Romanian star fizzed a brilliant pass into the forward in the box. He found a pocket of space on the left side and played a progressive, incisive, ball through for the winger to score.

However, Hagi was not the worst performer on the pitch for the Light Blues – despite his sending-off – as centre-forward Cyriel Dessers endured a difficult evening at Ibrox.

Cyriel Dessers' performance in numbers

The Nigeria international led the line from the start for the Scottish giants and ended the match, having been subbed off in the 60th minute, without a goal or an assist to show for his efforts.

Dessers had a glorious chance to find the back of the net in the first half as he found himself free in the box from James Tavernier’s corner, but his header went up and over the bar.

He also failed to create a single chance for his teammates in the game and earned himself a Sofascore rating of 6.4, which was – astonishingly – lower than Hagi’s 6.5, despite the midfielder’s red card.

As you can see in the table above, Dessers struggled to get involved in the match, as he had even fewer touches than goalkeeper Jack Butland (33) and was dominated in physical duels by the Saints defenders.

These statistics, and the ‘big chance’ that he missed, show that the experienced attacker did not have a positive impact on the match in his 60 minutes on the pitch.

Whereas, Hagi – despite being sent off – helped Rangers to claim the three points with an important assist to put the game to bed in his 36 minutes.

83% duels won: Rangers titan was even better than Cerny vs Saints

The Light Blues colossus enjoyed an impressive evening at Ibrox.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 7, 2024

The injury-prone Italian lasted the entire game and also made a couple of key contributions during an encouraging display

Liverpool lost their 100 percent record in this season's Champions League on Wednesday, but it mattered not a jot. Despite being beaten 3-2 by PSV in Eindhoven, the 10-man Reds still finished top of the table, and there was one big positive for Arne Slot: the performance of Federico Chiesa.

The injury-prone Italian not only played all 95 minutes of the game, he was also his side's best player – and by some distance. Chiesa won the penalty from which returning hero Cody Gakpo opened the scoring and, after Johan Bakayoko had drawn PSV level with a fantastic goal which showed why Liverpool have been linked with the Belgium winger, the former Juventus man unleashed a shot that Walter Benitez found too hot to handle, leaving Harvey Elliott with a simple finish.

PSV turned the game around by the break, however, with Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi benefiting from some sloppy defending from Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah, before poor Amara Nallo was sent off for a professional foul just minutes after coming on to make his debut in the closing stages. However, all of the drama ultimately had no bearing on Liverpool's Champions League prospects, and they now know that they'll face either Brest, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the last 16.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Reds on show at the Philips Stadion after Slot rested his key players ahead of Saturday's massive Premier League clash with Bournemouth…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):

  Hard not to feel sorry for the Irishman, who was badly let down by his defence on all three goals as PSV scored from their only shots on target in the first half.

  Conor Bradley (4/10):

  As usual, confident in possession and a real threat going forward, but PSV's second and third goals came down his side. The presumption that he's already ready to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold is folly.

  Jarell Quansah (4/10):

  Along with Robertson, sent for a hotdog by Bakayoko before the winger's strike, and also at fault for PSV's third with a dreadful attempted clearance. The more he plays this season, the less he looks like a reliable option in the centre of defence.

  Andy Robertson (5.5/10):

  Played a couple of fantastic balls out of defence but was beaten all ends up by Bakayoko. Something will have had to have gone seriously wrong for us to see Robertson at centre-back in a meaningful match.

  Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

  The best of a bad bunch at the back without being particularly impressive. Made a couple of timely interceptions in defence and also created some chances at the other end of the field.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Wataru Endo (5.5/10):

  The Japanese midfielder's passing was typically precise, but he was far too easily muscled off the ball in the build-up to Saibari's strike. Moved back into the centre of defence after Robertson's withdrawal.

  James McConnell (6/10):

  Showed a nice turn of pace, good feet and really put himself about, throwing himself into tackles, intercepting the ball and winning plenty of duels. But his passing was poor at times.

  Harvey Elliott (6/10):

  Lively enough in the first half, creating one good chance for Chiesa before later following up the winger's shot to put Liverpool back in front, but was booked for diving during a frustrating second-half showing.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Federico Chiesa (7.5/10):

  Liverpool's most dangerous attacker by some distance, Chiesa effectively created Liverpool's two goals with some good pressing and a fine drive. So encouraging to see the winger still running at full pelt in the dying minutes.

  Jayden Danns (5.5/10):

  Showed what he's capable of with one jinking run down the left wing that led to two PSV players going into the book – but he struggled to get a foothold in the game and never got a clear sight of goal on his first start.

  Cody Gakpo (6/10):

  Marked his return to Eindhoven with a well-taken penalty but he was actually pretty quiet – by his standards at least – before being taken off just after the interval in what was clearly a pre-planned substitution.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Tyler Morton (5.5/10):

  Came on for Gakpo early in the second half but didn't make that much of an impact.

  Trey Nyoni (5/5/10):

  Introduced in place of Robertson midway through the second half but struggled to get into the game.

  Amara Nallo (1/10):

  A nightmare for the youngster. Sent off just minutes after coming on to make his debut.

  Arne Slot (6/10):

  With Liverpool already assured of a top-two finish, the Dutchman decided to give the majority of his senior stars the night off – and with mixed results. There were some positives but not many fringe players made a case for more regular game time.

Mikel Arteta revealed he "lost connection" on his iPad & missed Everton's last-gasp equaliser in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Everton salvaged a point at the death against Liverpool
• Arteta was keenly following the Merseyside derby
• Missed Tarkowski's late equaliser due to poor network

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah had overturned an early opener by Everton’s Beto, putting the Reds on course for victory. However, in the 98th minute, defender James Tarkowski produced a stunning finish past Alisson, snatching a point for Everton.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The goal was a significant moment in the title race, as it meant Liverpool dropped two points, giving Arsenal a lifeline in their pursuit of the top spot. However, while thousands of Everton fans erupted in joy, Arteta was unaware of what had just happened.

• WHAT ARTETA SAID

  Speaking about the match, Arteta admitted he was watching the game on his iPad when, at the most crucial moment, his connection failed.

  "I'd better not tell you the story of what happened," Arteta told reporters. "No, no, no. It was a funny one because I lost connection in that moment. I was watching the iPad, and I lost the connection. We didn't know exactly what was going on.

  "That's the beauty of football, that uncertainty and the fact that for everybody, and it's not the first time, for everybody it's really difficult to win matches in this league. That's why always the hope and the ambition is there because to do it consistently for 10 months is a very, very, very long league."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While the late goal gave Everton a reason to celebrate, the aftermath saw heated confrontations between both sets of players. Abdoulaye Doucoure taunted the Liverpool away fans, which provoked a response from Reds academy graduate Curtis Jones. The situation quickly escalated into a pushing and shoving altercation, forcing referee Michael Oliver to intervene.

  Both Doucoure and Jones were given marching orders, resulting in suspensions. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot was also sent off after the final whistle for his protests against the officiating. Slot, Liverpool and Everton have all been charged by the Football Association.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been left very impressed with a member of his squad, who has worked tirelessly to improve and shown real dedication after the threat of being sold.

Chelsea prepare for Liverpool after solid Premier League run

The west Londoners haven’t lost a single Premier League game since their opening weekend defeat to English champions Man City at Stamford Bridge, which is testament to the excellent job done by Maresca and his coaching staff.

"Underrated" £200k-p/w Chelsea star open to joining Premier League rivals

They’ve registered a serious interest ahead of January.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 18, 2024

Chelsea boast impressive routine wins over Wolves – who they thumped 6-2 at Molineux – West Ham and Brighton. They’ve also displayed their grittier side on occasion too, with Christopher Nkunku’s dramatic late winner handing them a hard-fought 1-0 win at Bournemouth.

Their two draws were thoroughly entertaining ones as well. Crystal Palace keeper Dean Henderson thwarted Chelsea time and time again to earn the Eagles a 1-1 draw in west London, and the same can be said for Nottingham Forest, with Matz Sels pulling off some truly impressive stops to upset Chelsea’s excellent attack and keep the scores level.

Supporters can be very satisfied with what they’ve witnessed so far, but a very tough test awaits Maresca’s side in Premier League title contenders Liverpool at Anfield.

Reece James will miss the Liverpool game as he continues to get back to full fitness, taking part in full training at Cobham for the first time in months, while midfielder Omari Kellyman remains out with a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are on a fine run of form under new manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman, who took over from Reds legend Jürgen Klopp, has big shoes to fill after his departure. However, Slot has done a fine job of it so far – winning six games out of seven and conceding just two goals, which is the best defensive record in the division.

A trip to Merseyside is as tough as it gets right now, but Maresca will still fancy Chelsea’s chances considering their own promising start to 2024/2025.

He will be counting on star players like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and the rejuvenated Noni Madueke, with an interesting bit of information coming out on the latter man this week.

Maresca happy as Madueke works tirelessly after threat of Chelsea exit

According to GiveMeSport, Maresca has been impressed with Madueke behind the scenes, as the winger showcases true professionalism and dedication to the cause.

Indeed, insiders have suggested to the outlet that the threat of being sold in the summer window has elevated Madueke to another level, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Chelsea’s new manager.

The former PSV Eindhoven starlet’s resurrection is said to have caught Maresca by surprise, and his new-found form at Cobham is translating onto the field. Madueke ranks among their top five performers according to WhoScored, bagging four goals in six Premier League starts, and he’s averaged more attempts at goal per 90 in the top flight than any of his teammates.

This isn’t Madueke’s first lot of eye-catching performances for the Blues, so perhaps all he needed was consistent opportunities to impress.

“Noni was very sharp, considering he was not so well on Wednesday, Thursday. He trained yesterday,” said former Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard on Madueke last year.

“I thought he was really good against Arsenal in a tough game and got his goal. And again today [vs Bournemouth], he’s got a fantastic one-on-one ability to go past people. I like him as a lad, he’s got really good energy.

“He will know that because he’s hungry, and I want that. It’s been a breath of fresh air, him coming in and he’s training well to deserve that.”

After failing to sign a replacement for Max Kilman in the summer transfer window and paying the price ever since, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly made their first move in the race to sign a young central defender.

Wolves transfer news

Whilst they’ve been able to fall back on the excuse of the toughest set of fixtures to open the Premier League campaign, Wolves have more than enough quality to avoid the winless run that they found themselves in after eight games. It’s been the most frustrating start for Gary O’Neil, who has seen his side pushed aside by Brentford and Chelsea but narrowly beaten by Liverpool and Manchester City.

Their defensive struggle is something that those in the Midlands should have seen coming after sanctioning Kilman’s exit to West Ham United and then failing to replace their star centre-back. Left short on options ever since Yerson Mosquera’s long-term injury to compile their misery, Wolves simply must act in 2025 if they are to avoid shock Premier League relegation.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Wolves have sent scouts to watch Nathan Zeze ahead of joining the race to sign the Nantes centre-back in 2025. One for the future at just 19 years old, O’Neil could offer the defender the ultimate learning curve in England’s top flight with promise of game time Wolves’ only selling point ahead of clubs like Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea.

O'Neil must sell Wolves dud who earns 400% more than Ait Nouri

Wolves must sell a player who is earning more than some of their best performer stars this season…

By
Ross Kilvington

Oct 24, 2024

Standing at 6 foot 3, Zeze has enjoyed an excellent start to the Ligue 1 campaign despite his age, keeping three clean sheets in just six starts. Such interest in his signature should come as no surprise, especially given the success that William Saliba has enjoyed since swapping French football for the Premier League.

"Strong" Zeze can replace Kilman

In the long term, signing Zeze to replace Kilman would prove to be excellent business. Zeze is a far younger and cheaper option who may eventually make Wolves even more profit than the £40m fee they received for Kilman in the summer. The Frenchman wouldn’t be coming in to sit on the bench necessarily either, perhaps instead stepping in ahead of the ageing Craig Dawson.

Although the numbers show that Zeze has improvements to make on the ball, his defensive ability off the ball is there in abundance. Also described as “strong” in the air by analyst Ben Mattinson, the teenager certainly ticks plenty of boxes for Wolves.

By the time 2025 arrives of course, the hope from a Wolves perspective will be that their incredibly slow start has well and truly been forgotten and they’ve pushed back to the level that they showed under O’Neil in the last campaign. Whether that’s when they decide to target Zeze or they wait until the summer remains to be seen, however.

Carlo Ancelotti took aim at referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero and insisted "there is a problem" with refereeing in La Liga after drawing with Osasuna.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mbappe put Madrid in front at Pamplona
• Real reduced to 10-men after Bellingham's red
• Ancelotti also cautioned for criticising match official

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid endured a frustrating afternoon in La Liga as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna. They had taken an early lead through Kylian Mbappe, but their search for a second goal was met with frustration, as referee Munuera Montero dismissed three strong penalty appeals. Madrid's calls for fouls on Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, along with a handball inside the Osasuna penalty area by Alejandro Catena, were all ignored.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The tension escalated in the 39th minute when Bellingham was shown a straight red card for dissent. The English midfielder, clearly frustrated by the referee’s decisions, voiced his displeasure while Madrid were preparing to take a goal kick. Munuera Montero wasted no time in brandishing the red card, leaving Madrid a man down for the remainder of the game. This controversial dismissal further angered Ancelotti, who believed Bellingham’s sending-off was harsh and only added to what he saw as one-sided officiating.

• WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

  While Madrid’s three penalty claims were ignored, the referee did consult VAR in the second half—but it was to award a penalty to Osasuna. Eduardo Camavinga was judged to have stomped on Ante Budimir’s foot inside the box, prompting VAR intervention.

  Ancelotti, already furious over the Bellingham incident, was cautioned for protesting and he later explained to reporters: "I told him there was a handball in the box that had to be reviewed by the VAR, but they must have turned it on later."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  This is not the first time Madrid have had issues with refereeing decisions. Earlier in February, the club officially complained about the standard of officiating in La Liga, citing inconsistencies in decision-making.

  Ancelotti expressed his frustration about officiating and said: "Strange things have happened in these three games that everyone has seen. I don't feel like adding more. Everyone saw that the VAR didn't go in to look at plays in their area but they did in ours. There is a problem. Something has happened that shouldn't happen. We must fight and continue."

Arsenal got back to winning ways on Wednesday night with a comfortable victory over Preston North End in the League Cup.

However, Mikel Arteta didn’t take the Championship side lightly, and even though he made several changes, he started some of his most experienced stars.

Fortunately, there was no giant killing to be seen, and while there were a few fringe players who made strong cases to be included in today’s game, the manager must be ruthless and axe a number of them from the starting lineup, including Gabriel Jesus.

Why Jesus should be dropped

It might sound harsh given his impressive performance against Preston, which included a brilliantly taken goal, but Arteta must drop Jesus ahead of today’s must-win game against Newcastle.

In fact, the main reason why is related to Wednesday’s game, as that goal was his first for the team since January, and while he has had some injury problems that have impacted his game time, that is a shocking statistic for a player who was once the North Londoners’ starting number nine.

Moreover, while the former Manchester City ace can provide more than just goals, those are his main currency as a striker, and in his 27 league appearances last season, he scored just four.

Finally, he cannot blame his lack of goals on a lack of service either, as according to Understat, the 27-year-old has underperformed his expected goals figure in the league every season he has been at the club.

For example, despite being at his most potent in 22/23, he underperformed by 5.17; the following season, that number was 3.29, and even though he’s barely featured this season, he’s still underperforming by 0.51.

Overall, while Jesus looked better against Preston, he’s had a real issue in front of goal for some time now, and in a must-win game at St James’ Park, the “frustrating” attacker, as dubbed by Micah Richards, cannot be trusted to lead the line.

Why Kai Havertz should start

Yes, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but in a league match, the striker Arteta should be turning to is Kai Havertz.

The German international might have had a rough start to life in N5 following his £65m transfer last summer, but since moving into the number nine role, he has been utterly “sensational”, per Arteta.

For example, in his 33 midfield appearances, he’s scored just six goals, while in 29 games as a striker, the Aachen-born poacher has racked up an incredible haul of 13 goals and eight assists.

Moreover, when he scored at home against Southampton early last month, he matched Robin van Persie’s record of scoring in seven consecutive matches at the Emirates, and while the Flying Dutchman isn’t the most popular man in North London, he’s not a bad striker to sit alongside.

Lastly, while the former City man is no pushover, Havertz’s 6 foot 4 frame adds even more physicality to Arteta’s already monstrous team, and in a game against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, that will come in handy.

Ultimately, there may still be a way back into the fold for Jesus, but as things stand, the German is far and away Arsenal’s best striker.

Arsenal wanted to sign Spurs "freak" before his move but got Timber instead

The talented international would have made quite the impact at Arsenal

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 1, 2024

The Bayern Munich board have made their stance clear on Kompany's future in the wake of recent evaluation talks at board level

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Kompany overseeing debut season as Bayern coach
• Has led his side to top spot in Bundesliga
• Decision on future already made by board

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from the higher-ups at Bayern Munich have already made a decision on the future of head coach Vincent Kompany at the club, with the Belgian's spot apparently not in jeopardy regardless of how they perform against rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League Round of 16.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern Munich appointed Kompany as head coach after several top candidates, including Xabi Alonso, were unavailable. At the time, Kompany had just overseen Burnley's relegation to the Championship. Now, Bayern lead the Bundesliga by eight points, and Kompany prepares for a Champions League showdown with Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.

  Ahead of the clashes on March 5 and 11, Bayern’s management has given Kompany a job guarantee, regardless of his Champions League performance. As long as he wins the Bundesliga title, his future is secure.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Earlier this month, reported that the Bayern bosses were going to conduct an internal meeting to analyse the club's recent struggles, which has seen them struggle to produce convincing performances despite the fact that they are winning a lot and barely losing.

  However, despite failing to beat Alonso in three previous meetings (two league draws and one cup loss), Bayern remain confident in Kompany's work. The club hierarchy appreciates Kompany's work up until this point, taking into account his inexperience at the highest level. Not just that, but the coach has strong backing from his players, too, who are fully behind him.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  The Bavarians will face Leverkusen next Wednesday (March 6) after visiting Stuttgart for a Bundesliga fixture over the weekend.

There is no getting away from it; this season is starting to fall apart for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign with the ambition of finally winning the Premier League at the third time of asking, but after failing to win any of their previous four games in the competition, that goal is looking somewhat unrealistic.

The Gunners have been notably more porous at the back, as evidenced by the fact they’ve already conceded 41% of the goals they did last year, and their attack has been just as underwhelming as six teams are currently outscoring them.

In short, things aren’t looking great, but as we all know, the right players can make all the difference, and based on recent reports, the club could be set to land one of the most potent strikers in world football to challenge Kai Havertz, and no, it’s not Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Turkish newspaper Sabah via the Daily Cannon, Arsenal have made contact with Napoli over the potential signing of striker Victor Osimhen.

The report claims that, alongside the Gunners, several clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle United and Al Hilal, have all spoken to the Italian giants about the Nigerian’s availability next year.

While interest from so many top sides is far from ideal, the good news is that, according to the story, Fenerbahçe Sporting Director was quoted a price of €75m – £63m – by the Neapolitan’s own Sporting Director, Giovanni Manna, for the sensational forward, and that the Serie A side will sit at the table with the club that offers €25m upfront, which is about £21m.

This transfer would still represent a significant investment from Arsenal, but given Osimhen’s form of late and the club’s need for a proven goalscorer, one well worth making, even if it’s bad news for Havertz and ends the chance of signing Gyokeres as well.

How Osimhen compares to Havertz

Okay, so before we get to why Osimhen would be an upgrade on the Gunners’ current starting striker, let’s look at one of the key reasons why he may well be a smarter signing than the other forward heavily touted for a move to the Emirates during the summer, Gyokeres.

Now, as the pair have both proven their goalscoring chops over the last few seasons, the Napoli ace’s main advantage over the Swede is experience.

Unlike the former Coventry City star, he has proven himself capable of playing in a top-five league, and not only that, but leading a sleeping giant to their first league title in decades – sound familiar?.

The Sporting CP star may well be able to do that as well, but until we have seen it, there will always be an element of doubt, doubt that does not hang over the Nigerian phenomenon.

With that said, how does the “world-class” marksman, as dubbed by José Mourinho, stack up to Havertz then? Unfortunately for the former Chelsea ace, it’s not a particularly close contest.

For example, from the start of the 22/23 campaign, the Serie A winner has scored 56 goals and provided 13 assists in just 80 club appearances, meaning he’s maintained an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

In contrast, the North Londoners’ midfielder-turned-centre-forward has found the back of the net on 30 occasions and provided nine assists in 115 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.94 games.

Moreover, even if we look exclusively at the German’s 32 appearances as a striker for Arteta’s side, his tally of 13 goals and eight assists still comes out at a worse average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games.

Ultimately, if Arsenal want to win the league this season or the next, they are going to need to find a genuinely elite centre-forward to lead the line for them, and while Havertz has been a useful player for them and still could be in the future, he is notably less effective in front of goal than Osimhen is.

Therefore, Arteta and Co should do all they can to bring the Nigerian superstar to the Emirates in 2025 before someone else beats them.

Arsenal planning offer to sign £83m star who could rival Saka & Martinelli

The “sensational” international would make Arsenal so much more dangerous.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 12, 2024