Glasner handed Crystal Palace exit route after tense deadline day stand off

After a tense deadline-day stand-off between himself and chairman Steve Parish, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has reportedly been handed an exit route out of the South London club.

Why Crystal Palace blocked Guehi's move

Marc Guehi said his goodbyes, recorded a farewell video and even completed a medical at Liverpool but when the deadline arrived, he remained a Crystal Palace player. It was the biggest twist that took place late on as the Reds missed out on their first top target of the summer and the Eagles, out of nowhere, pulled the plug on their captain’s move.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi

In a civil war between Glasner and Parish, it was the Crystal Palace manager that came out on top. The Austrian was desperate to keep hold of Guehi. It didn’t make sense – he believed – to sell not only Eberechi Eze, but Guehi too just months after winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

There were even talks that Glasner threatened to walk away from his role if Crystal Palace allowed Guehi to complete a move away on deadline day and Parish wasn’t waiting around to find out if his manager was bluffing. As soon as Igor Julio chose West Ham United over Selhurst Park, Guehi’s move was brought to a crashing halt.

It was a tense summer since the very start of the window for Palace for several reasons and deadline day very nearly saw those tensions reach boiling point.

For now, Glasner remains in charge and Guehi remains the club captain, but there will be question marks over whether the damage is already done for the manager.

Bayer Leverkusen want Glasner

As reported by The Sun, Bayer Leverkusen now want to hire Glasner to replace Erik ten Hag, who has been sacked by the German club after just three games in charge. The Crystal Palace manager has just one year left on his current deal, but could leave before he has the chance to walk away for free if Leverkusen officially come calling.

The Austrian has plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and there’s no doubt that he would be an excellent appointment for Leverkusen. It would also be an almighty blow for Palace, of course, who just about managed to satisfy Glasner’s demands by keeping Guehi at the death.

Oliver Glasner

Bundesliga record

Games

136

Wins

56

Draws

43

Losses

40

Having taken charge of Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt in previous years – even winning the Europa League with the latter – Leverkusen would make perfect sense for Glasner.

It would, however, take Palace back to square one and life before Glasner didn’t feature a single trophy and certainly didn’t feature European football. He should be deemed irreplaceable at Selhurst Park, but it is a task that Parish will still have to complete when his contract comes to an end next summer.

Bigger English talent than Eze: Crystal Palace add £45m star to shortlist

Crystal Palace are no strangers to losing some of their best assets to Premier League rivals.

Wilfried Zaha is the first obvious example that springs to mind, with the Eagles academy star ditching Selhurst Park for Manchester United back in 2013, only to then return to solidify his presence among the Palace greats.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka travelled down the same Zaha path in 2019 when he also relocated to Old Trafford, with Yannick Bolasie also another notable exit to Everton in 2016, when the enigmatic attacker left South London for good, for around the £30m mark.

The departure that could sting the most, however, is the impending exit of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal – no, not Tottenham Hotspur – having been catapulted to star-man status at Selhurst Park over the past few seasons, culminating in a hefty haul of 40 goals and 28 assists being tallied up.

Palace will aim to dress up their wounds quickly, though, as some statement arrivals look to be in the works.

Crystal Palace add £45m star to shortlist

The South London outfit already has targets in mind to fill Eze’s void, with the former Queens Park Rangers midfielder’s move away from the club looking inevitable, even if the destination has been altered.

Reports have suggested that the Eagles could explore bringing in Hwang Hee-chan from Wolverhampton Wanderers to add in some needed firepower, alongside other rumours indicating that the top-flight outfit is edging ever closer to adding Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City to boost their options in the number ten spot on the pitch.

Away from both of those options, other rumours are circling involving Palace going after Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling.

TalkSPORT has recently revealed that the Eagles are the next Premier League club to enter into the queue for the standout teenager’s services, with Palace going as far as to shortlist Dibling as a potential heir to Eze.

It could cost Oliver Glasner and Co. a whopping £45m to land the Saints prodigy, but this might well be viewed as a worthwhile gamble, with the 19-year-old already possessing the potential to be a bigger talent than the soon-to-be Spurs midfielder down the line.

Why Dibling could even be a bigger talent than Eze

After all, when placing both their career trajectories side-by-side, Eze is a relative slow burner in comparison to Dibling’s explosive ascent.

The London-born midfielder wouldn’t make his debut in the bright lights of the Premier League until he was 22 years of age, while the Saints number 33 already has 33 top-flight clashes next to his name, having made his own first steps in the tough division aged just 18.

Senior side

44

4 + 3

U18s

42

11 + 5

U21s

27

8 + 6

Just a mere five clashes into this top-flight journey on the South Coast, Dibling would find the net with some confidence against Ipswich Town, with a further three big chances carved out across his 20 Premier League starts in the league. That reinforces the notion that he is a “special” talent to keep an eye out on, as he was labelled by former U21 coach Adam Asghar.

At a similar point in his own development as a teenager, Eze was making waves in the Championship with QPR, but it would take him a lot longer to get up to speed with the pressures of the Premier League, compared to his 19-year-old counterpart.

His first two campaigns at Selhurst Park would see him collect a reasonable 12 goals and assists from 53 first-team outings, not helped by Achilles tendon issues that derailed his 2021/22 season.

All of this is in the past now, obviously, with Eze going on to be known as an “unbelievable” ace for the South London side, as he was dubbed by Glasner last season, on the way to the Eagles triumphantly lifting the FA Cup in part because of the 27-year-old’s heroics.

While it has taken Eze time to get to the level he is at today, Dibling looks ready-made right now – at just 19 – to take the top-flight by storm, donning Palace claret and blue.

In time, the much-talked-about attacker could be viewed in the same light as Zaha and Eze before him, as the Eagles hope landing Dibling’s signature makes the painful loss of the 12-time England international more manageable.

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ByDominic Lund Aug 20, 2025

WPL 2025 scenarios: How can RCB make the playoffs? Are DC favourites to finish on top?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) title defence started with a record 202-run chase against Gujarat Giants followed by a comfortable eight-wicket win against Delhi Capitals (DC). But losing all four matches at their home ground in Bengaluru has left them on the brink of crashing out in the league stage.RCB, who have only four points after six matches, can reach a maximum of eight points by winning their last two games against UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians (MI). Giants and MI are already placed on eight points, while DC are out of RCB’s reach with ten. Despite being well behind, RCB’s fate is still in their own hands. So far, DC have sealed a place in playoffs while UP Warriorz are out of the race.

Must-win scenario for RCB

RCB’s chances in the WPL 2025 playoffs will end as early as Saturday if they go down against Warriorz. But if they win on Saturday, they will closely follow the game between MI and Giants to know whose net run rate (NRR) they must go past to qualify for the playoffs. Giants currently have a better NRR than MI, and an added advantage for RCB is that their last match will be against MI only.Related

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  • RCB in must-win territory against out-of-contention Warriorz

RCB are nearly 60 runs behind MI’s NRR but will need to beat them by only 20 runs if they can win against UPW by ten runs and MI lose to Giants by the same margin. However, going past Giants will be more challenging for RCB – their collective margin of wins against UPW and MI needs to be around 62 runs if Giants lose to MI by only ten runs.

Are Delhi Capitals through to the final?

DC ended their league phase as the table-toppers with five wins, but their direct qualification to the final for the third straight season will have to wait as both MI and Giants can move ahead of them. MI can finish on the top if they win both matches, while Giants can go past DC if they can beat MI by a decent margin.Giants must win by 17 runs or 12 balls (for a first-innings total of 180) against MI to go ahead of DC’s NRR. On the other hand, MI are about 30 runs behind DC, which means if they lose one of their two matches by ten runs, they should have won the other by around 40 runs.

Abbott: Didn't take ODI decision out of selectors' hands

On the flip side to his one-day omission, the pace-bowling allrounder is one of just three frontline quicks heading to Sri Lanka

Andrew McGlashan13-Jan-2025

Sean Abbott has lost his ODI place but remains firmly in Australia’s Test plans•Getty Images

It’s been a bittersweet few days for Sean Abbott: included in the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, with a baggy green perhaps closer than ever, but omitted from the group heading to the Champions Trophy.Given the Test cap is one of the missing pieces from a fine career, perhaps it’s not the worst way it could have played out. Abbott was also realistic in assessing his absence from the Champions Trophy, having been part of the victorious ODI World Cup squad in 2023, after struggling to make an impact in his last two series.Related

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Against England and Pakistan he took one wicket in five outings at an economy rate 7.36. He will be in the selectors’ thoughts should replacements be needed (captain Pat Cummins’ status is still uncertain) but Nathan Ellis has taken the spot as the fourth quick behind the big three.”I didn’t really take selection out of the selectors’ hands,” Abbott said ahead of Sydney Sixers’ trip to Adelaide for their next BBL clash. “I didn’t perform and bowl as well as I would have liked in my last five games for Australia over in the UK and back home here against Pakistan.”My goal at all times when I play is to obviously contribute and do what I need to do for the team, but on top of that, it’s [to] take the decision to drop you out of the selectors’ hands, and I haven’t done that. So that’s fair. The guys who have been picked are in form and I think we’ve got a great squad to go over and compete for the Champions Trophy.”1:52

Smith: Konstas can bat conventionally too, he’s got ‘all the tools’

However, as one of just three specialist quicks heading to Sri Lanka for the two Tests – alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland – it is possible to see an elusive debut. Abbott was officially part of the squad for the final two matches against India but Starc, Cummins and Boland were able to get through the Melbourne and Sydney games.There remains a chance Australia go with just one frontline quick in Galle and use Beau Webster’s medium pace to supplement it, but Abbott believes he has a skillset which could be valuable. George Bailey noted Abbott’s “durability” when the squad was named while he is also a good exponent of reverse swing.”It would have been nice to debut out here the other day [against India] on what was a bowler-friendly wicket,” he said with a smile. “Sri Lanka typically is more spin-friendly than anything, but I feel like conditions might suit me perhaps more than others. But, again, we’ve got such depth with our bowling at the moment.”It gets mentioned a lot, but every time Scotty comes in and bowls, no matter the conditions, he does well. And then Starcy is obviously bowling high 140s, and then reverse swing will play a role, or being able to tie up an end so the spinners can attack, whatever that looks like. Being one of only three quicks going over, I suppose I feel a little bit closer. But I certainly feel like conditions might suit the way I go about my bowling.”Sean Abbott still has a huge part to play in how Sydney Sixers’ season plays out•Getty Images

The trade-off from heading to Sri Lanka is that Abbott – alongside Steven Smith and Todd Murphy – will miss the BBL finals, where Sixers are assured of a spot. But there are still positions to play for with hosting rights for the Qualifier – which provides a direct path to the final – a major incentive, although it is out of Sixers’ hands with Hobart Hurricanes having a game in hand.”It’s definitely a huge advantage if you can finish in the top two and get home game advantage for sure,” Abbott said.All Sixers can do is win their remaining matches against Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder. They will have Smith available for both those outings following his spectacular 121 not out from 64 balls against Perth Scorchers. Abbott, the leading wicket-taking in BBL history, also played a key role in that victory with 4 for 43 but was critical with himself for a final over that went for 20 and gave Ashton Turner an outside chance of heist.”I had six more balls there at the end to bowl and didn’t really bowl anywhere near as good as I should have,” he said. “Pretty disappointing with the way that over went and how close it ended up getting. So I’ll give myself a little bit of a rap on the knuckles for that one.”

فيديو | كباكا يسجل هدف مصر الأول أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العالم للشباب

تقدم منتخب مصر بالهدف الأول أمام نظيره نيوزيلندا، في المباراة المقامة بين المنتخبين، الآن، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع نيوزيلندا، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العالم للشباب المقامة في تشيلي.

طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر للشباب أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العالم

وسجل هدف مصر الأول، أحمد خالد كباكا، في الدقيقة 5 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، بتسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعد تمريرة من محمد عبد الله، ليمنح التقدم للفراعنة. هدف مصر الأول أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العالم للشباب.. أحمد خالد كباكا

وكان منتخب مصر استهل مشواره في بطولة كأس العالم، بالخسارة أمام اليابان بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت السبت الماضي.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا، بجانب منتخبات تشيلي ونيوزيلندا واليابان.

Adingra & Lauriente's dream CF: Sunderland have big interest in £21m "icon"

It’s only a matter of days now until Sunderland officially get their pre-season run of games underway with a trip to local side Gateshead.

Sunderland supporters far and wide will no doubt be making the short trip in anticipation of seeing a whole host of new signings pull on the strip of the Black Cats for the very first time, with Reinildo now officially confirmed as the Wearside outfit’s fourth summer signing after his Atletico Madrid contract expired. Winger, Simon Adingra, also looks set to arrive in a hotly anticipated deal from Brighton.

Atletico Madrid'sReinildoMandava before the match

They will surely be eager to impress as Regis Le Bris’ men build up their fitness this summer before Premier League football makes its long-awaited return to the Stadium of Light next month.

£21m striker still on the Sunderland radar

Not everything is going Sunderland’s way across the chaotic summer transfer window to date, as hurdles now appear to be stopping them from securing more business.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, recent reports suggest that their pursuit of Armand Lauriente is stalling due to the Black Cats not offering enough money to Sassuolo, even as the Frenchman now declares he wants a move to England.

This will surely rumble on, with Sunderland better placed, it seems, to land Lyon star Georges Mikautadze in the meantime.

Indeed, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri took to X to confirm that the newly promoted side holds significant interest in the captivating Georgian, having been taken aback by the profile of the 24-year-old.

AS Roma is also named as a party interested in working out a deal with the 5-foot-9 striker, with £21m the recently touted figure that might be enough for Lyon to part ways with their star-man, owing to their ongoing financial woes.

FC Metz

64

38

13

RFC Seraing

57

36

4

Lyon

47

17

11

Ajax

9

0

0

Why Mikautadze could be Lauriente's dream CF

Based on the above table, which examines his goalscoring exploits wherever he has been across his glittering career, this could well be a statement buy as Sunderland attempts to avoid the Premier League drop.

Add Lauriente into the mix alongside the aforementioned Adingra and the Black Cats could really take the top-flight by storm with their attacking firepower, with the explosive Georgia international perhaps the dream centre-forward for the pair bounce off.

Armand Lauriente in action for Sassuolo.

While Adingra has caught the eye in England, scoring eight goals in 60 Premier League outings to date, the other two players in question have never taken the leap to the English game. That wouldn’t stop them all coming together to entertain, however.

Last season, even from just 13 starts in league action for Paolo Fonseca’s Lyon, the enigmatic Mikautadze would manage to fire home a clinical 11 strikes for his bumpy side, with a bumper six assists also coming his way to further prove his devastating effectiveness up top in Ligue 1.

Lauriente has been here before in the French top-flight with Lorient, too, with a tally of ten goals and eight assists above his head from 68 Ligue 1 outings.

But, much like Mikautadze sparked into life even more for Lyon last season after already being well regarded as a menace up top, Lauriente really turned on the style across the 2024/25 campaign for Sassuolo, with his heroics playing a big part in Fabio Grosso’s men instantly returning to Serie A.

Games played

33

Goals scored

18

Assists

5

Scoring frequency

132 mins

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

6

Lauriente displayed a similar potent edge that the Georgian had in abundance in Ligue 1 for Sassuolo last campaign, with a sublime 18 goals and five assists coming his way, as only four big chances were spurned across the entire season.

Therefore, putting the two of them together with Adingra in Le Bris’ new-look Sunderland attack might well be a match made in heaven, with Mikaudatze perhaps living up to his billing as a “true icon” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig.

If all goes to plan, this will be just another intimidating league the dynamite duo have managed to conquer, as Sunderland prepare to spend more and more in their mission to survive.

Le Bris' very own Amad: Sunderland enter talks to sign "amazing" £13m star

Regis Le Bris might stumble upon his very own Amad Diallo if Sunderland secure this amazing star.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 8, 2025

Isak's new Gordon: Liverpool prepare £104m bid to sign "world-class" star

Liverpool haven’t pulled their punches in the transfer market this summer, and Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are still planning to throw a few more haymakers before the window slams shut.

Having won the Premier League with ease last summer, some might have felt the Reds should have kept their title-winning squad together, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing for Real Madrid and Luis Diaz on the cusp of signing for Bayern Munich, a £65.5m deal agreed, change is afoot.

And the Merseysiders have, of course, been busy with incomings. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong make a new wide duo; Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will redefine Liverpool’s frontline.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s red gloves are on, one year after a £29m package was agreed with Valencia for their fast-rising shot-stopper.

Florian Wirtz in training for Liverpool

However, despite Wirtz, 22, signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee, Liverpool are primed to smash the record which they set only one month ago, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in FSG’s sights.

Why Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak

The potential for Isak to complete the attacking set remains. It would be quite a thing, and has left many of Liverpool’s rivals incredulous. But the finances are there and if Darwin Nunez is sold, this dream could become a reality.

Napoli pulled out of their bid for the Uruguayan due to financial differences between the two clubs, but he still has suitors over in the Saudi Pro League and is open to getting on the flight to the Gulf nation.

Isak, it goes without saying, would stand as a significant upgrade. After all, due to his 27-goal campaign with the Magpies, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared him to be “the best striker in the Premier League right now.”

While Isak is ostensibly Diaz’s replacement, the Colombian is typically a high-speed wide player, only used by Slot last year as a makeshift striker due to the likes of Nunez flattering to deceive.

With this in mind, Liverpool might need another left-sided forward too.

Liverpool in for new winger

According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are preparing a mammoth bid for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after falling down in Xabi Alonso’s estimation, only starting one Club World Cup match.

Rodrygo, 24, would cost around €120m (£104m) to sign, but Los Blancos are indeed open to selling. Liverpool are putting a formal proposal together but Arsenal are also keen on the Brazilian.

Liverpool have also had Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their shortlist, but it’s highly unlikely Eddie Howe would grant his departure along with Isak, having priced the Three Lions star at £100m.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Rodrygo is quite the player, and he ticks a lot of boxes for Slot’s Liverpool side. The Reds head coach demands fluidity and dynamism from his forwards, and he wants them to work hard too.

Real Madrid's Rodrygo

Rodrygo, hailed for his work-rate and selflessness by pundit Thierry Henry last season, would fit right in, especially as he yearns for more football on the left flank, as opposed to the right-hand side he has so often been deployed on under Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.

The right-footed has a wide span of skills to inflict damage on defenders, but his sharp goalscoring ability is an admirable thing, having been described by journalist Sam Tighe for having a “terrifyingly good” eye for the back of the net.

Playing him on the side which he favours, naturally, would elevate his performances. Slot will know this.

Right winger

29

7

4

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

8

0

0

Slot will also know that Rodrygo could be deadly alongside Isak at number nine, with his dangerous goalscoring ability only one string to his bow, ranked as he was last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Even coming off a ‘bad’ year, Rodrygo shone as one of the game’s finest forwards, certainly proving himself to be the “world-class superstar” that former teammate Luka Modric has said he is.

His big-game mentality attests to that, and in this way, he could help settle Isak by being his next Gordon, who shall remain at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, and he’s made the steady progress toward renown as one of the Premier League’s most talented wide forwards, with Bruno Guimaraes hailing his “unbelievable” ability to bring all the aspects of his game together.

Though Cody Gakpo is a fine player for Liverpool, Gordon plays the out-and-out role of a winger, and that’s something that Rodrygo can do too, even though he’s an excellent goalscorer.

In this way, Rodrygo could prove to be Isak’s dream partner, maximising Slot’s chances of winning the biggest prizes next year.

Gordon has even said that the Sweden striker is “the best in Europe”, when asked about what it is like to combine with him.

The English talent has become quite the player over the past several years, and he would be a credit to Slot’s side.

Across his two full campaigns at Newcastle, the 24-year-old has scored 22 goals and supplied 17 assists across all competitions. Quite an interesting balance of output.

Rodrygo's Real Madrid career (timeless)

Well, Rodrygo can match that, and actually eclipse both modes of direct involvement. Liverpool could do far worse than sign the Real Madrid mainstay this summer, who would effectively replace Diaz while bearing the specific qualities to create a wonderful partnership with Isak.

Bigger loss than Diaz or Nunez: Barcelona charge into race for £70k-p/w Liverpool star

The Reds could lose a key man.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 26, 2025

Gyokeres will love him: Arsenal to submit bid for £50m "monster" this week

It would be fair to say that the transfer window is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s most dramatic for some time.

After weeks of little to no noticeable progress on the recruitment front, the Gunners burst into life a couple of weeks ago and have now announced the signing of backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and midfield metronome Martin Zubimendi.

Moreover, the links to Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo refuse to go away, and the club have reportedly been in talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

However, perhaps the most exciting development of all concerns the saga surrounding Viktor Gyokeres, although it also appears that Arsenal are keen to land an international ace with whom the Swede would love to play.

Arsenal moving to sign brilliant Gyokeres partner

Following yet another campaign in which they came close but failed to win a trophy, it was clear that a new centre-forward had to be one of Arsenal’s primary targets this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For a long time, it looked like RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko was going to be that forward, but with the German outfit reportedly demanding at least €90m, which is about £78m, the Gunners turned to another of their options: Gyokeres.

It now looks like a deal for the Swedish goal machine is a matter of time, as personal terms have already been agreed, and the Sporting CP star has even agreed to forgo €2m of his salary to help move things along.

As if that wasn’t enough to get excited about, it now looks like the North Londoners are also making progress towards another attacking signing, an international who Gyokeres will surely love playing with: Noni Madueke.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are incredibly interested in the Chelsea ace.

The Italian journalist reaffirms claims that the Gunners have an “agreement” with the Englishman, and that even though there is a difference in valuation between the two clubs, they’re now “set to make the first bid” for him “at any moment.”

In terms of price, it appears that the Blues value the former PSV Eindhoven gem at around £50m.

While it might not be the transfer some fans were hoping for, Madueke has the ability and potential to become something special for Arsenal, and a brilliant teammate for Gyokeres at that.

Why Gyokeres will love playing with Madueke

There are really two reasons why Gyokeres would love playing in a team with Madueke, and the most important is his style of play.

From looking at his heatmap for Sporting last season, and the areas in which he scores his goals, we can see that, at his best, the free-scoring Swede really is the archetypal penalty box poacher.

Therefore, if the Gunners are going to get the most out of him next season, they will need to get the ball to him when he’s in dangerous situations, and there are two ways of doing so in open play: passing it up the pitch and carrying it there.

While Martin Odegaard will be tasked with doing the former, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Chelsea star is truly world-class at the latter.

Don’t just take our word for it, though, as FBref ranked him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, while also ranking him in the top 7% for total progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

6.82

Top 1%

Carries into Penalty Area

4.12

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.04

Top 4%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.15

Top 4%

Non-Penalty xG

0.43

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.54

Top 7%

Progressive Carrying Distance

154.28

Top 7%

Shots on Target

1.33

Top 8%

In other words, the tricky Englishman is a simply outrageous carrying “monster,” as dubbed by personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, and could therefore be a key cog in the machine that feeds the former Coventry star chance after chance.

Moreover, the second reason the Swede could love playing with the “fearless” winger, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is that his output wasn’t too bad at all last season.

Excluding the Club World Cup, the seven-capped international played 2449 minutes of football across all competitions, in which he scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 153.06 minutes, and suggests that in a better team, alongside a more effective striker, he could do much better.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to overhaul their attack this summer, and bringing in Gyokeres and Madueke is a fantastic way to start.

Talks open: Arsenal submit offer to sign "standout" 17 y/o after Zubimendi

The midfielder is the Gunners’ second summer signing.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 7, 2025

Pep wants Man City to offer £300k-p/w ace in exchange for Real Madrid star

Pep Guardiola is pushing Manchester City to offer one of his current players in exchange for a Real Madrid star, according to a recent report.

Cherki looking to create his own Man City legacy

The Blues have been very busy in the early part of this transfer window, bringing in four new players. They have added Marcus Bettinelli to their squad as another goalkeeper option, along with Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan and Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

Olympique Lyonnais' RayanCherkiapplauds fans

City have seen Kevin de Bruyne leave the club and join Napoli this summer, and therefore, signing someone with Cherki’s creativity was crucial. However, the French attacking midfielder has stressed he is “not De Bruyne”, and he is keen to “write my own story” at the Etihad.

“I’m not Kevin De Bruyne; he is the legend. I’m here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team.

“When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d’Or here – it’s clear that with Manchester City it’s possible, and I am here for this.

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“When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me – he was very, very clear. Pep told me, ‘when you have the ball, you are free’, which is very good for me because it’s my first quality to help the team.

“The system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win, and I think Manchester City wants to win it all.”

Pep wants Rodrygo to join Man City overhaul

Cherki may not be the last of the new attackers arriving at the Etihad in this transfer window, as according to a report from Spain, Pep wants Man City to offer Jack Grealish to Real Madrid in exchange for Rodrygo.

Grealish has been left out of City’s Club World Cup squad, as his time at the club appears to be coming to an end. Guardiola is keen for the Englishman to get another big move and sees him as someone who can help bring Rodrygo’s price down, which currently stands at £84 million.

However, this report does state that Real Madrid are not interested in signing Grealish, and Xabi Alonso has already made it clear to the Brazilian forward that he is a key part of his plans going forward.

Rodrygo

Grealish

Apps

30

20

Starts

22

7

Goals

6

1

xG

4.0

1.1

Goals per 90

0.28

0.12

Assists

6

1

xAG

3.0

1.8

Assists per 90

0.23

0.12

Progressive carries

113

69

Grealish, who earns £300,000 a week at City, is already wanted by teams such as Newcastle United and Aston Villa, with the Magpies said to be the ones leading the race to secure his transfer.

Last season, Grealish played just 20 times in the Premier League, scoring one goal and registering one assist in the process. Meanwhile, Rodrygo, who has been dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave, scored six goals as well as assisting a further six in 30 La Liga games.

Wolves want to seal surprise move for "top-class" £140k-a-week title winner

Wolves are believed to be plotting the surprise signing of a “top-class” Premier League player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Big summer for Wolves after tough season ends on a high

It hasn’t been a season to treasure for Wanderers supporters, who have been threatened with relegation to the Championship throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Vitor Pereira has come in and done a hugely impressive job as manager however, picking up the pieces after the doomed final weeks of Gary O’Neil’s reign. It’s now a case of kicking on next season and making sure this incredible six-game winning streak brings momentum into the new term.

New signings are vital in that respect, helping Wanderers climb the table, with internal talks reportedly held regarding the signing of West Brom’s Grady Diangana this summer. The fact that he plays for the Baggies could make it a controversial piece of business.

Evertton Araujo has also been linked with a move to Wolves when the summer transfer window arrives, with Pereira working with the 22-year-old midfielder during their time together at Flamengo. The youngster is still with the Brazilian club, but a move to Europe would appeal.

Wolves eye surprise move for Premier League champion

Now, a fresh report from Football Insider has claimed that Wolves want to sign Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy this summer, in what is described as a possible “surprise” move to Molineux.

The £140,000-a-week striker has just been relegated to the Championship with the Foxes and will leave the King Power Stadium this summer, and although he is now 38 years of age, his aim may still be to play in the Premier League for the time being.

Vardy could be an intriguing signing for Wolves, with some arguably put off because of his age, but others still feeling he has something to offer at the highest level, not yet losing all of his blistering pace.

The Englishman, who famously won the Premier League with Leicester back in 2015/16, has still scored seven goals in the top flight for a struggling Foxes team this season, while Ruud van Nistelrooy hailed an assist he provided for Bobby De Cordova-Reid earlier this season.

“To have the awareness to play the path to Bobby, pretty good skill, that was a brilliant moment, because so late in the game, 90th minute, on the top of my head. And when you have the calmness and the composure to decide on these things, then that’s absolute top class. We’re happy that we have that.”

If Wolves do sign Vardy ahead of next season, it is important that he doesn’t come in as a regular starter, though, instead arriving as a handy squad player who could be an effective substitute.

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Wanderers also need to target a younger striker who can lead the line and be a talismanic figure in attack, especially if Mathues Cunha leaves when the current campaign comes to an end.

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