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While Saturday's defeat has put a slight downer on the return of the Premier League for Manchester United fans, the transfer window can give them something to be excited about.

So far, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co have signed a plethora of talented players to strengthen Erik ten Hag's squad, including Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui.

However, while that would be more than enough for most clubs, the Red Devils now look set to welcome another potential star who could be the club's new Roy Keane.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, United are now incredibly close to securing the services of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The Italian journalist has revealed that, as long as Scott McTominay's transfer to Napoli goes as planned, the Red Devils will complete the signing of the Uruguayan ace on a permanent transfer.

Romano does not mention a potential price in his update, but reports throughout the summer have consistently claimed any deal would require the three-time European Champions to pay £51m for the £101k-per-week 23-year-old.

It's not a cheap transfer, but adding the tough tackling international into the heart of Ten Hag's midfield should make the team a far more imposing proposition to the opposition, and the player could be the Dutchman's own Keane.

Why Ugarte could be Ten Hag's Keane

Okay, so when you think of Keane, what are the first things that tend to come to mind?

For most fans, it will probably be an image of a stereotypical 'hardman.' The type of midfielder who intimidated his opponents before the game had even started and then clattered into them as soon as possible to let them know he meant business.

However, while that would certainly be an apt description for part of the Irishman's game, he was also far more technical than people often give him credit for. After all, you don't thrive at Old Trafford simply because you're great at smashing into opposing midfielders.

That said, one of the characteristics that Ugarte shares with the former United great is his toughness, as, like the Cork-born icon, he's not afraid to make a tackle.

In fact, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the former Sporting CP ace sits in the top 1% of midfielders for tackles and dribblers tackled and the top 2% for interceptions, ball recoveries and tackles won per 90.

However, also like the player he'll hope to emulate, he's no slouch with the ball at his feet, sitting in the top 1% for his medium pass completion percentage, the top 2% of midfielders for long pass completion percentage and the top 4% for his overall pass completion percentage.

The last thing the 23-year-old "defensive monster", as Statman Dave dubbed him, shares with the midfield legend is his tendency to pick up a yellow card.

In fact, his tally of 47 yellow cards in 200 appearances to date means he's averaging one every 4.25 games, whereas the former Nottingham Forest ace picked up 99 in 612 appearances, or one every 6.18 games.

Ultimately, there won't ever be another Keane, but if Ten Hag wants to secure the services of the next best thing, then bringing Ugarte to Old Trafford this summer would be a great start.

Man Utd hit gold on "monster" Ten Hag signing who's worth more than Ugarte

He’ll be hoping to make a significant impact this year…

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By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 24, 2024

Ruben Amorim sent a message to Manchester United supporters heading into 2025 after suffering four straight losses.

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• Amorim under the microscope after the latest results
• Pressure grows on manager to reverse fortunes
• Sent a special message for Man Utd fans ahead of 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The defeat against Newcastle was another blow in a season already riddled with challenges for United. First-half goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton secured the win for the visitors, leaving Manchester United languishing in 14th place on the league table. After 19 matches, they sit just seven points clear of the relegation zone, an unthinkable position for a club of their stature.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having taken over mid-season, Amorim has found himself in a difficult position, inheriting a team struggling with form and fitness amidst a congested fixture schedule. The expectation may not have been for immediate success, but the hope was for gradual improvement. However, the lack of goals and continued defeats have made his task even harder.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Despite the challenging circumstances, Amorim has chosen to remain optimistic. In a message addressed to the fans, he acknowledged the difficulties while expressing his belief in the club’s potential for a brighter future.

  He wrote: "I would like to thank you on behalf of everyone at Manchester United for your loyal support, and wish you all the very best for the new year. I know it will take a lot of hard work from everyone to get there, but I am very excited about where we can go together in 2025."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United may not have started under ideal circumstances, but his vision for the club offers hope for the future. Looking ahead, Amorim and his team face a critical test as they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in their first match of the New Year. The high-stakes clash provides an opportunity for United to turn the page on a disappointing end to 2024 and start 2025 on a positive note.

It’s been a relatively quiet transfer window for Liverpool this summer, with the club’s dealings only ramping up over the last seven days.

Arne Slot’s side completed a deal to sign Georgian international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, with the 23-year-old spending the remainder of the campaign at Valencia – joining the Reds in the summer of 2025.

They also clinched a deal to sign Italian winger Federico Chiesa from Juventus over the last couple of days, spending £12.5m including add-ons – bolstering the attacking options at Slot’s disposal.

However, as of yet, the club are yet to sign the midfielder they’ve been desiring all summer after Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi rejected the chance to move to Anfield.

It’s since been quiet on the club’s hunt for a new deep-lying talent, but that could be about to change on deadline day, with one player linked with a move to Merseyside before the closure of the window in less than 12 hours time.

Liverpool interested in £75m midfield talent

According to TyC Sports, Liverpool have had an attempt to land Porto’s Argentinian midfielder Alan Varela after previous interest in the talent.

The 23-year-old, who’s been on the club’s radar for some time, has been subject to discussions over a potential move to Anfield, with the hierarchy holding a huge interest in the youngster.

However, Varela has a €90m (£75m) release clause in his current deal, with the Portuguese side unwilling to let him leave unless the Reds trigger the deal in his contract.

He would be a huge addition for Slot’s side, potentially completing his midfield trio and following in the footsteps of his compatriot who’s currently plying his trade on Merseyside.

Why Varela could be Mac Allister 2.0 for Liverpool

Argentinian star Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a successful debut campaign at Liverpool last season, featuring in 33 Premier League matches, achieving a total of ten combined goal contributions.

He joined the club in a £35m deal from fellow English side Brighton – a bargain for a player of his quality – with the 25-year-old cementing his place as a regular starter at the heart of the Reds side.

Mac Allister could be joined by compatriot Varela before tonight’s deadline, with the duo potentially able to form an excellent partnership in the middle of midfield, handing the club a huge boost in their pursuit of a successful first season under Slot.

When comparing their respective stats from 2023/24 on FBref, the pair are very similar, with the Porto star matching or even bettering the Reds’ number 10 in various key areas.

The “monstrous” talent, as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer goals and assists, but he did manage to achieve a higher pass completion rate and complete more progressive passes per 90 – showcasing his excellent ability at moving the ball into forward areas.

He also completed more take-ons than the current Liverpool ace, demonstrating how effective he would be at keeping the ball in Slot’s possession-based system.

Defensively, Varela has also impressed, completing more clearances, and providing that added defensive cover in front of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate that the club have been searching for.

Whilst £75m is a huge figure for an unproven Premier League player, he would provide serious quality to the midfield department, allowing the Argentinian to link up with his compatriot at Anfield.

With less than 12 hours left in the window, Slot’s side will have to move quickly to secure a deal for the youngster to avoid a repeat of a collapsed move for Zubimendi, with it a chance to potentially end the search for a No.6.

After Chiesa: Liverpool eye up last-gasp move for £17m Zubimendi alternative

Things are ramping up on Merseyside…

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By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 30, 2024

Juventus chief Cristiano Giuntoli has not ruled out a January move for struggling Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee.

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• Juventus looking at "interesting opportunities"
• Zirkzee left Bologna for United in summer
• Striker subbed before half-time against Newcastle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Italian giants have been linked with a move for Zirkzee, who has only scored four goals in 27 appearances since signing from Bologna in a deal worth £36 million ($46m) in the summer and appeared to be jeered off by his own supporters when substituted in the first half of Monday's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. The Dutchman scored 12 goals in Italy last season and a return could be the key to rediscovering some form.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United hoped the signing of Zirkzee, 23, would contribute towards a new wave of young, attacking talent, alongside Rasmus Hojlund, Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford. Since scoring the winner on his debut against Fulham, however, the striker has struggled to make an impact for a team that looks bereft of form and confidence. Only Napoli have scored fewer goals than Juventus in the top six of Serie A and they could look to tempt Zirkzee back to Italy as they aim to maintain a challenge at the top of the table.

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  WHAT GIUNTOLI SAID

  Juventus management director Giuntoli is aiming to improve the club's squad this month. He said: "Zirkzee? It is not appropriate to mention names but we are keeping an eye on any interesting opportunities."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Zirkzee's future is likely to be decided by new United boss Ruben Amorim, who has already shown a ruthless streak by leaving Marcus Rashford out of four consecutive matchday squads last month. After that brutal Newcastle withdrawal, Zirkzee has work to do to save a United career that has only just begun.

The deadline for the summer transfer window officially passed on Friday night and Glasgow Rangers were able to bring in two new additions to Philippe Clement's squad at Ibrox.

Rangers brought in defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo on a season-long loan and secured a permanent deal for attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami, who was playing for Sassuolo in Italy.

The Light Blues ended the summer transfer window with 11 signings added to the group, including Jefte, Liam Kelly, Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, and Robin Propper joining alongside Kasanwirjo and Bajrami.

Clement's array of fresh recruits, barring Bajrami who was unavailable, were unable to get the job done against fierce rivals Celtic in the first Old Firm clash of the season on Sunday.

The Light Blues were comfortably beaten at Parkhead in a 3-0 defeat, thanks to goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi in the first half and a strike from Callum McGregor in the second 45.

It was a disappointing afternoon for the Glasgow giants and a timely reminder of how much work there is to do for Rangers to be in contention to win the Scottish Premiership title, which was not helped by their failure to sign a winger on deadline day.

Rangers failed to land Premier League forward

It was reported by Fabrizio Romano just after 10 pm on deadline day that the Gers were in 'advanced talks' to secure a deal for Southampton winger Sam Edozie.

However, the deadline passed and Rangers did not announce the signing of the talented young flanker, which meant that they failed to get a move over the line in the end.

It was then reported by The Sun that Edozie was unable to land a loan because of the Premier League side's demands. They wanted a £1m loan fee as well as wanting the team taking him to pay all of his £30k-per-week wages.

That meant that Rangers ended the window without bringing in the extra left winger that they seemingly wanted, as the 21-year-old ace is a right-footed forward who typically operates off the left – cutting inside onto his favoured foot.

Edozie has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League for the Saints this season, but did contribute to their Championship promotion last term.

As you can see in the table above, the English wizard was directly involved in nine goals in 32 outings in the second tier as Southampton went up via the play-offs.

Clement and Koppen seemingly saw something in him that they liked, as they reportedly wanted to add him to the squad on deadline day, but a deal could not be ironed out in the end, possibly due to Southampton's huge demands.

How Rangers can forget about Sam Edozie

The Rangers manager was recently asked if he would be open to looking at the pool of free agent players to bolster his squad and confirmed that it is a "possibility", which suggests that the club are prepared to explore that route.

Of course, the summer transfer window officially slammed shut last week and that means that the Gers cannot go and sign players, permanently or on loan, from other clubs until January.

However, they can swoop to bring in free agents, who are not currently contracted to any club, to bolster their options if they decide that they do not want to wait over three months to make further additions.

The Gers could, now, assess their options in the market and see if any of the available players would bring the required quality to Ibrox to improve the squad.

Following the failure to sign Edozie on loan from Southampton in the final minutes of the window, it appears as though a left winger would be a welcome addition to the club.

With this in mind, there is one name that stands out on the current list of free agents as a potentially brilliant coup for the Light Blues if they can convince him to move to Scotland – Sofiane Boufal.

Why Rangers should sign Sofiane Boufal

Rangers should swoop to sign the Morocco international in the coming days or weeks as he has the quality to make Clement and Koppen forget all about Edozie.

The 30-year-old forward was recently with Qatar-based outfit Al-Rayyan SC but endured an injury-hit 2023/24 campaign before being released this summer.

Boufal missed a whopping 35 matches through injury and that restricted him to making just 16 appearances for the club, in which time the winger produced four goals and two assists.

This means that it would be a risky move by Rangers, due to his injury issues, but there is a reason these players are free agents and there will be an element of risk with any signing from that pool of players.

Prior to his injury-hit spell in Qatar, the left winger caught the eye with his impressive performances on the flank for Angers in the French top-flight.

As you can see in the table above, Boufal produced 12 goals and created 14 'big chances' in two Ligue 1 seasons, whilst creating around two chances per game on average.

The forward would also arrive at Ibrox with Premier League experience under his belt, having racked up four goals and three assists in 70 games for Southampton earlier in his career.

During his time with the Saints, Boufal scored their 'goal of the decade' with an amazing solo run and finish against West Bromwich Albion, as shown in the clip below.

The 30-year-old star, who was once hailed as "unbelievable" by former teammate Nathan Redmond, is capable of incredible quality on his day, which is also backed up by his superb contributions in Ligue 1 during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

Therefore, Rangers could forget about Edozie by taking a gamble on this free agent in the hope that he can recapture his form from his time in France after his injury troubles in Qatar.

Rangers struck gold on Ibrox signing who is now worth more than Bajrami

Philippe Clement has a player in his squad worth more than Nedim Bajrami…

By
Ross Kilvington

Sep 3, 2024

A Kluivert hat-trick secured all three points for the Cherries, while Adams starred with smart midfield play

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• Bournemouth defeat Newcastle 4-1
• Tyler Adams earns assist
• Justin Kluivert scores hat-trick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. men's national team midfielder Tyler Adams played 90 minutes and recorded a late assist as Bournemouth thrashed Newcastle United 4-1 to extend their domestic league unbeaten streak to 10 matches.

  Forward Justin Kluivert recorded a hat-trick for the with Adams intercepting a pass outside the 18-yard-box before feeding him as he scored his third late in the match.

  Bournemouth snapped Newcastle's nine-match winning streak across all competitions on the day.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Adams put on a clinic in the center of the park, completing 27 of 30 attempted passes while earning 45 touches on the ball. He completed four pases into the final-third of the pitch, while dispossessing the opposition twice, too. Defensively, he completed 100 percent of his attempted tackles while recording four clearances on the ball.

  On his assist, he timed his run to perfection, intercepting a poor pass from Anthony Gordon before feeding Kluivert, who sensationally finished from the edge of the box for his third of the day.

  A late strike from defender Milos Kerkez secured all three points for Bournemouth, as the club and their fans celebrated yet another brilliant showing under Andoni Iraola.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  During their unbeaten streak, Bournemouth have secured results against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS?

  The U.S. star and Bournemouth return to the pitch next Saturday against surprise title contenders Nottingham Forest. Heading into the Matchday, the will be on 37 points.

West Ham are looking to return to European football next season, having recently had Europa League and Conference League runs.

The Hammers won the UEFA Conference League in 2023, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a dramatic winner, and sealing victory for the Hammers.

Last season, West Ham failed to qualify for Europe, finishing ninth in the Premier League, which saw David Moyes’ reign in charge come to an end for a second time, with a new era beginning this season, under new manager, Julen Lopetegui.

Regardless of their start, he might well wish he had a prime Jesse Lingard at his disposal.

Jesse Lingard at West Ham

Lingard spent six months on loan with West Ham, joining in January 2021. The English midfielder was a sensation during his stint in east London, enjoying some of the best days of his career.

Indeed, he made 16 appearances for the club in which he netted nine goals and provided four assists across 1,425 minutes played.

Lingard had managed to rediscover the form that had once seen him in the England national team setup, having scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in the 2017/18 season, before heading to the World Cup with the Three Lions in 2018, scoring one goal, and providing two assists there.

There were claims at the time that West Ham had found their new Dimitri Payet, making attempts to bring the midfielder to the club on a permanent deal during the summer of 2021.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

The Frenchman was a genius player during his own stint in the capital, scoring 15 goals – of which many included some beautiful free-kicks – and supplying 22 assists.

Sadly, the Hammers were unable to strike a deal, and Lingard ended up joining Nottingham Forest a year later.

How Lingard compared to Payet

A failure to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium saw him stay for one last season at Manchester United, making 22 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

The ex-England international was then released in the summer of 2022, which saw Nottingham Forest acquire his services on a free transfer.

Lingard’s career has slowly fizzled out since, only making 20 appearances for Forest in the 2022/23 season where he registered four goal contributions. It’s a far cry from the days of being compared to Payet. Speaking of which, how did they compare?

Whilst Lingard was showing signs of replacing Payet at West Ham, the 33-year-old Frenchman was still putting up good numbers for Marseille across the 2020/21 campaign. Payet still averaged 0.31 assists per 90, and made more progressive passes, key passes, and shot-creating actions per 90. That being said, besides key passes, they did rank pretty closely.

Lingard was back to his best infront of goal though, scoring 0.51 per 90, 0.20 more than Payet, and scoring at a rate of 0.17 goals/shot, again bettering the former France international.

It’s sadly now a story of what might have been for the Man United academy graduate who is now valued at just £1m and playing out his final years for FC Seoul in the K-League, having made 18 appearances for the club and scored four goals.

Offloaded by Lopetegui: West Ham have already axed their next Declan Rice

The club have seen a huge overhaul of their midfield department in the last 12 months.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 17, 2024

Santos have teased Neymar's impending transfer amid Richarlison sending a hilarious message of support to his Brazilian compatriot.

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• Al-Hilal terminate Neymar contract
• Santos tease Brazilian's return
• Richarlison sends message of support

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Al-Hilal terminated Neymar's contract this week, the 32-year-old's former club Santos have tried to sign the forward. Ahead of the Brazilian's impending arrival at the Serie B champions, Santos have dropped a big hint he is coming "home" again. And Tottenham forward Richarlison, whose full-back tattoo features Neymar, has suggested the forward is heading to Santos following a humorous social media post.

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• WHAT SANTOS AND RICHARLISON SAID

  The Santos post translates to: "There is no place like home. 🏠"

  And Richarlison's Instagram post reads: "Neymar returning to Santos. Me automatically:"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neymar has had a dire 18 months or so at Al-Hilal, where he made just seven appearances in an injury-ravaged stint in the Middle East. The ex-Paris Saint-Germain star, who cost €90m (£77m/$98m) to sign, may go down as one of the biggest transfer flops in history. But for his sake, the Brazilian will hope he can resurrect his career at the club where he made his name.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Neymar, who bid farewell to Al-Hilal's fans this week, could be unveiled at the Brazilian giants in the coming days in what would be an emotional return for the ex-Santos star.

In pursuit of an instant return to the Premier League, Sheffield United have suffered an early blow in the form of the latest injury news, with one star now set to miss this weekend’s Portsmouth clash and potentially more.

Sheffield United injury news

With their promotion ambitions in mind, The Blades have started the season in excellent form, with four wins and two draws making for an unbeaten start for Chris Wilder’s side. Last time out featured yet another moment to savour too, with Gustavo Hamer’s stunning free-kick proving to be the winning goal against newly-promoted Derby County.

Up next, meanwhile, the Blades travel to Portsmouth in an attempt to beat their second newly-promoted side in as many weeks. Given that Portsmouth are yet to win a single game in their Championship return too, Wilder’s side should earn all three points in comfortable fashion. That said, Sheffield United will have to secure victory without one key man after the latest injury news.

"Unreal": Sheffield United have a 20 y/o rising star who is "a real player"

He impressed again for Chris Wilder’s side.

By
Ben Browning

Sep 14, 2024

As confirmed by Wilder and relayed by the Yorkshire Post, Oliver Arblaster will now miss the Portsmouth game and no timeline has been set for his return in a major blow for Sheffield United.

Wilder told reporters when questioned on whether Arblaster stands a chance of making the Portsmouth trip: “No, he hasn’t. It’s an ongoing situation, so we miss him. It’s part and parcel of what the game is all about, so we have to deal with it and I thought we dealt with it admirably last Saturday against Derby. There’s no idea on the timescale.”

Missing his second game on the bounce, Arblaster will be a frustrated figure after scoring twice in his opening five Championship games to get off to a solid start. Now, however, any momentum that he did have building has come to a crashing halt.

"Brillant" Arblaster is a huge miss

After spending the first-half of last season on loan at Port Vale, Arblaster returned to Sheffield United and hit the ground running under Wilder, only to suffer an ill-timed injury this season. With no timeline on his return, either, those at Bramall Lane may be left anticipating his return for longer than expected in a dent for their early push for the promotion places in the Championship.

The 20-year-old forward has earned plenty of praise during his time at Sheffield United, with former Blades striker Carl Asaba telling BBC Radio Sheffield’s Blades Heaven podcast last season: “His performances are brilliant. The way he played against Bournemouth was great. To deal with all the hype of the England Elite squad and then to go and score, it’s just brilliant.

“He will get a great reception from the lads. I remember when I was here and we had Phil Jagielka breaking into the youth ranks and coming through. When we saw him after international duty, we were full of praise and admiration.”

The task will now fall the way of Wilder to replace his young midfielder and ensure that his Sheffield United side maintain their form in their push for promotion.

Leeds United maintained their place in the top six in the Championship with a comfortable and convincing 3-0 win over Coventry City at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites were looking to build on their 2-0 win away at Cardiff City last time out and did exactly that, keeping a fifth clean sheet in seven matches in the division.

Daniel Farke will be hoping that his team can push on and close in on the top two places in the league to avoid the play-offs in their promotion efforts.

The West Yorkshire outfit finished third in the Championship last season, missing out on the top two, and went on to lose 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final.

Their failure to earn promotion to the Premier League left them open to teams from top-flight clubs coming in to take their best players, as Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, Archie Gray, and Glen Kamara all moved on to West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, and Rennes respectively.

Summerville was a particularly big loss after he won the PFA Championship Player of the Season award for his efforts in the 2023/24 campaign for Leeds.

Crysencio Summerville's form for Leeds

The Dutch forward, who cut in from the left wing, enjoyed a phenomenal campaign in the second tier after the Whites had been relegated from the Premier League.

Summerville stepped up after the likes of Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra left on loan and emerged as the star of the show for Leeds on a weekly basis.

He stepped out of their shadow to rack up 28 goals and assists combined in 41 starts during the regular season in the Championship, as the electric forward showcased his ability to provide regular quality as a scorer and a creator of goals.

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old sensation had reason to be frustrated with his teammates because they did not make the most of the quality opportunities that he created for them.

They only scored nine times from the 17 ‘big chances’ that the former Feyenoord man put on a plate during the season, which suggests that they were wasteful in front of goal as a team.

Whereas, Summerville scored 19 goals from 16.41 xG and this shows that he was a clinical finisher who made the most of the chances that were created for him.

The Dutch star ranked within the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.39), and the top 4% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.30).

This shows that he was among the best in his position in the Championship at both scoring goals from open play and creating high-quality chances for his teammates.

His move to West Ham was, therefore, a big blow, but it also provided others with an opportunity to step out from his shadow to shine, which is what Wilfried Gnonto is now doing.

Wilfried Gnonto's performance against Coventry

The Italy U21 international was pivotal to Leeds’ success against Coventry with a sublime performance on the right flank for Farke on Saturday.

Gnonto, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by LeedsLive, scored the opening goal in the game with a terrific finish into the top of the net from Junior Firpo’s pullback. He timed his run into the box to perfection and met the cross brilliantly to beat Ben Wilson.

The former Inter youngster then produced the cross for Joel Piroe’s goal to make it 3-0 to the Whites in the second half, which meant that he ended the match with a direct involvement in two of the club’s three goals.

As you can see in the table above, Gnonto offered up an incredibly effective display for Leeds, with one goal from two shots and one assist from one ‘big chance’ created.

He was able to showcase his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, despite losing possession 13 times, and appears to have stepped out of Summerville’s shadow this season.

Wilfried Gnonto's improved performances

In the 2023/24 campaign, the 20-year-old forward only started 19 of his 36 appearances in the second tier as he failed to nail down a regular starting berth throughout the entire season.

In those 36 outings in the Championship, Gnonto provided the team with eight goals and two assists, just about hitting double figures for goal contributions, and this shows that he was not quite at the same level as Summerville – who was involved in 28.

Now that the Dutchman has moved on from Elland Road, the electric Italian winger has stepped into the spotlight and has been a key player for Farke, starting all seven of the club’s league matches so far.

As you can see in the table above, Gnonto has taken more responsibility on the ball in matches for Leeds since Summerville left the club, taking around 18 more touches per game on average.

This has helped to unlock the best of his creative quality after the forward had only managed to create five ‘big chances’ in 36 appearances last season. He has already created three ‘big chances’ for his side this term and is showing that the quality is there for him to be a scorer and a creator for the Whites.

Gnonto has stepped out of Summerville’s shadow and now looks set to be the star of the show for Leeds this season, as he was against Coventry on Saturday, by providing regular goals and assists on the flank as the key man for Farke out wide.

Sold for £7m: Leeds played a blinder with star who's now worth just £800k

The Whites seemingly cashed in on the centre-forward at the perfect time.

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By
Dan Emery

Sep 26, 2024