Following the news regarding Aaron Ramsey’s likely departure to Bayern Munich, as reported by the Independent, Arsenal will need to be in the market for a player who possesses a similar goal threat from midfield.
What’s the word?
The Welshman’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign, and after negotiations regarding a renewal hit an impasse, the 27-year-old is now set to leave the club who he has spent over a decade with.
Ramsey’s departure will not necessarily leave a gaping hole in the Gunners’ engine room as such, but they have no midfielder who can make an impact in the box quite like the former Cardiff man can.
Unai Emery’s current options in central midfield consist of Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi, Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles; all good players in their own right, undoubtedly, but much less decisive in the final third in comparison to Ramsey.
Who can replace his threat?
Reiss Nelson looks likely to be the only player already within the Gunners’ ranks to add goals to the side when he returns from Hoffenheim, so Emery will need to dip into the market.
Of course, we all know the state of the current market, even more so for wealthy Premier League teams, and whilst Arsenal aren’t exactly lacking funds, they will not want to break the bank to replace a player they are losing for nothing.
So, in that respect, they should take advantage of the sticky situation Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco find themselves in, managed by Gunners legend Thierry Henry.
Les Rouges et Blancs are currently 19th in France’s top-flight, whilst their owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev, has recently been arrested on corruption charges. Its all a bit messy.
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Signed from Anderlecht for around £20m last summer, Youri Tielemans was tipped for big things having just won Belgium’s Young Player of the Year award. The 21-year-old has three goals in 11 appearances in Ligue 1 this season and has been a bright light in a terrible campaign so far.
Tielemans is a very good passer of the ball and has a keen eye for goal, whilst his potential is still relatively unfilled. Manchester United held a strong interest in the player before his move to France, as did Arsenal, so this move could well be on.
Arsenal have gotten off to a slow start in the Premier League and await their first win of the campaign.
At the time of writing, the Gunners were preparing for a winnable home tie with West Ham United, and manager Unai Emery will be keen to get his reign underway with three points on the board against the Hammers.
The summer transfer window saw the club bring in a few fresh faces, but despite this, the Gunners still look relatively lightweight in terms of real quality in the middle of the park, and we at the Tavern think they need to act in January.
One man we think Arsenal should have signed over the summer before he committed his future is Wolves star Ruben Neves, who has got off to a superb start in the top flight.
The Portuguese midfielder was the top performer for the Championship winners last term, and he appears to have carried that form right through into the Premier League. However, there was talk he could have been on his way in the summer before he signed a new deal with the Midlanders, and Arsenal should be keeping a watchful eye on his situation.
While Wolves won’t want to sell, Arsenal have the spending power if needed, and Neves is a class act.
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The Portuguese midfielder is young enough to develop into one of the top central midfielders in the game, and a move to Arsenal can only aid his development further.
Arsenal fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
Tottenham Hotspur extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 15 games on Sunday thanks to a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team were firm favourites heading into the contest given that their opponents are fighting a relegation battle and had not picked up a victory in five attempts.
However, Roy Hodgson’s side managed to keep Spurs at bay until the 89th minute when Harry Kane netted the winner and his 35th goal of the season in all competitions.
The North London club have put on some scintillating displays this season, but Sunday’s encounter was not as easy on the eye.
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Former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas highlighted that fact in a tweet following the final whistle.
Tottenham fans responded with their take on the football pundit’s post, with some in agreement and others challenging his claim.
Before the start of the season, Spurs would have hoped to be fighting for the league title given that they finished third and second respectively in the last two campaigns.
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However, Manchester City are streets ahead of the pack with a 13-point advantage and a game in hand.
Tottenham currently reside fourth in the standings, four points behind second-placed Manchester United.
Recent reports from The Chronicle have claimed Newcastle United hope to sign a left-back during the final days of the summer transfer window, with first-choice No.3 Paul Dummett injured until November.
That saw Chancel Mbemba line up on the left against West Ham on Saturday and although it’s by no means the centre-back’s natural position, his performance defensively may just have Rafa Benitez thinking twice about whether he actually needs a new recruit.
On the ball, the 23-year-old wasn’t hugely convincing, creating one chance and recording two successful dribbles but completing less than 50% of his passes.
Defensively, however, the Congo international was nothing short of exceptional, notching up the most tackles, interceptions and clearances of any Newcastle player whilst ranking second for aerial duels won.
Of course, in an ideal world, Newcastle would sign a conventional left-back before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday evening.
But considering how limited funds appear to be at St. James’ Park and Benitez’s need to strengthen other areas too, Mbemba represents a potential solution that just might tide the Toon over until January.
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The end of the 2016/17 season is likely to be a successful one on the trophy front for Chelsea, but it could also bear witness to John Terry’s Stamford Bridge farewell tour. The defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and with no renewal currently in sight, it appears as though the writing is on the wall.
It is certainly fitting that the Blues have regained their mojo ahead of Terry’s inevitable departure, with the 36-year-old often being the standard bearer for consistent, pragmatic performances in a Chelsea shirt – having led his side to countless victories and trophies during his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge.
There is, then, good reason for concern at Chelsea, with next season likely to become the first year in Chelsea’s era of dominance not to include a player wearing the number 26. Terry has overseen a period of great success at Stamford Bridge, and so the thought of him not being around must certainly be a daunting prospect for Antonio Conte. Luckily for him, though, there are a host of players waiting to step up.
Britain Football Soccer – Chelsea v Peterborough United – FA Cup Third Round – Stamford Bridge – 8/1/17 Chelsea’s John Terry heads at goal Action Images via Reuters / Tony O’Brien Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
In fact, Conte need not worry about the future of his defence, with a plethora of young talent ready to take up the mantle that will be left behind by Terry. Conte is seemingly aware of one such player, given that he made the decision to cancel his loan spell at Bournemouth early: Nathan Ake. He came to Chelsea whilst still a teenager, officially joining the youth setup in 2011, and since then Ake has slowly risen through the ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Whilst he hasn’t been a regular since returning, Ake proved during a spell with Bournemouth that he is more than ready to perform in the Premier League, with a few stunning performances towards the end of 2016 the eventual precursor to Conte’s cancellation of his loan. Able to play on the flanks or in the middle, Ake is the perfect squad player for Conte’s new-look Chelsea.
There is also the prospect of Andreas Christensen returning to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Yet to be given a chance in the first team, the Danish defender has spent the last two years on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach to great success, with Christensen carving out a remarkable career for himself in Germany. A regular in domestic and continental competition, he is more than ready to return.
It also mustn’t be forgotten that Kurt Zouma is still available. He was playing regularly at Stamford Bridge before a long-term injury ruled him out for close to a year, but he is now fighting fit once again. Crucially, he has had the opportunity to play alongside Terry for the last few years, and that will surely help his career no end. In many ways he is the perfect player to take up the mantle left behind by the surely-departing club captain, with his charismatic leadership at the back eerily reminiscent of Chelsea’s leader as a youngster.
Britain Football Soccer – Crystal Palace v Chelsea – Premier League – Selhurst Park – 17/12/16 Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma arrives before the game Reuters / Peter Nicholls Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Certainly, the departure of Terry – if it happens this summer – is going to be a tough hurdle to manoeuvre for Antonio Conte. He has been the one constant at Stamford Bridge over the last few years, and he will be hard to replace. However, within Chelsea’s ranks there are a host of youngsters that are more than ready to step up and look to replace him – and Conte must look to utilise them going forward.
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Chelsea have gone, ceased to be: they are an ex-Champions League team. Dumped out of the competition by PSG, but with, frankly, no chance of finishing in the top four and the best they can do is to hope for a top six finish to make the Europa League.
It looks like next year without Chelsea for the Euro roundup. We’re heartbroken.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are as good as gone, so too are Tottenham, and Manchester United are teetering on the brink. Manchester City and Liverpool are flying the flag for England’s coefficient – but even they may be lucky to make it through an extra round.
This week’s Euro roundup has had enough of croissants for breakfast and is going to eat nutella out of the jar with a spoon when no one’s looking. Laters.
Germany
The top of the Bundesliga was restored to order, with Bayern Munich back to winning ways after two games without a victory. This week it was the unlucky Werder Bremen who were thumped, dominated, obliterated and humiliated 5-0 by a resurgent Bayern.
Bremen’s Clemens Fritz and Zlatko Junuzovic both missed the game after picking up ban-inducing yellow cards – later, they admitted the bans were deliberate in order to miss a game they thought they’d lose anyway. They did miss the game, they did lose anyway, and they were both duly fined €20,000.
Dortmund kept the gap at five points with a win over Champions League-chasing Mainz, whilst the battle for fourth spot hots up.
That battle, however, is mostly down to the ineptitude of the chasing teams. Salomon Kalou’s unlikely heroes Hertha Berlin stay in third place, and they beat fellow chasers Schalke on Friday night, although Bayer Leverkusen’s win on Sunday saw them gain a bit of ground, but are still three points off the Champions League spots.
Elsewhere, Borussia Monchengladbach did their challenge a big favour by beating relegation strugglers Eintracht Frankfurt, who had an even worse weekend as they are now level on points with Hoffenheim who won against Wolfsburg this weekend. Frankfurt and Hoffenheim may be fighting it out to avoid doom, but poor Hannover are very doomed at this point.
Winners – Hertha Berlin at the top and Hoffenheim at the bottom, who saw lots of the teams around them lose.
Losers – All the teams around Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim who lost….
Italy
League leaders Juventus continued their inexorable march towards yet another league title as the Bianconeri machine saw off high-flying Sassuolo. This time a stunning, curling strike from Paulo Dybala was enough to see off the opposition as Gigi Buffon approaches the record for the longest a Serie A goalkeeper has kept his clean sheet intact.
Quite a feat when you find out that the current record is held by Sebastiano Rossi from 1993/94, but he had Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Paolo Maldini in front of him. Buffon just needs to keep Turin rivals Torino quiet for all of three minutes in their next game and the record will be all his.
Napoli, meanwhile, are creating something of a title challenge themselves. Over the last few weeks, Sarri’s side have been in the unenviable position of having to chase Juve, playing a series of Monday night fixtures due to their Europa League commitments.
Now they’ve been dumped out, they’re back on track and keeping up with the pace of Juve, just three points back. Ten points now separate Napoli from fourth spot, so they should be all but guaranteed Champions League football next season. A resurgent Roma, on the other hand, are now five points clear of Fiorentina and Inter Milan, so they too will be dreaming of losing at the Bernabeu and the Camp Nou again.
Elsewhere, Palermo have appointed their seventh manager of the season in a bid to stave off certain doom. They remain a point above the currently doomed Frosinone and two above Carpi who beat Frosinone this weekend to stay in touch. Hellas Verona are as good as gone.
Winners – Roma, who are now five points clear in the race for third, and Carpi who have a real chance of survival now.
Losers – Palermo, who are in serious trouble; as if going through seven managers in one season didn’t already tell you that.
France
The title race is over and PSG have put everyone out of their misery. A 9-0 win over severely doomed Troyes sealed the victory in style – a nine-minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat trick summed up the game, and perfectly sums up the season, too. He’s past it, you say?
It’s the earliest anyone has ever won the title in France, and the rest of the league are just trying – and comically failing – to keep pace with Monaco.
The Monegasques, however, were held this weekend by Gazelec Ajaccio of the doomed spots. The Corsicans are inexplicably only six points behind Marseille, however, highlighting the ineptitude of PSG’s alleged rivals this season.
Nice, Rennes, Lyon and even Nantes, are all vying to be the French team who gets beaten in the Champions League qualification round.
Winners – Nice, whose victory puts them above Lyon into the Champions League spots.
Losers – St Etienne, who are now without a win in six in all competitions and a full five points off Champions League qualification at this point.
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Spain
Ligue 1 may be a farce this season, but La Liga isn’t too far behind in terms of monopoly, and Real Madrid are this close to tossing over the board in frustration.
Barcelona are rampant again, scoring six against Getafe. That means they’ve scored 4+ goals in 35% of their games so far in all competitions – that’s 15 times. They’ve stretched their unbeaten run to 37 games and even Andres Iniesta thinks that’s ‘barbaric’.
His boys have scored 117 goals and conceded just 20 in the run so far. The front three certainly is barbaric, looking at this stat:
If MSN are barbaric, then Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are mini-barbarians. Between them, they have scored over 50% of Real Madrid’s 81 league goals this season, and they managed to beat Las Palmas to move 10 points clear of Villarreal, who we all thought might put pressure on Real.
Instead it’s Sevilla who are putting the pressure on the Yellow Submarine. Unai Emery’s side are just five points off the Champions League spot thanks to stellar home form. But don’t worry, if Sevilla don’t qualify for the Champions League in fourth place, they’ll do it by winning the Europa League anyway. It’s their ‘thing’, after all.
Elsewhere, Getafe’s big loss to Barcelona puts them only a point above Granada of the third doomed spot. The relegation battle is becoming the only interesting part of the league as Levante beat city rivals Gary Neville’s Valencia™ and only three points now separates the bottom five. Watch this space.
Winners – Levante, whose derby victory gives them real hope of avoiding doom, and Sevilla, whose great form might be a signal that Europa League glory will be theirs again.
Losers – Getafe, whose huge defeat leaves them perilously positioned above certain doom.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger once again has the fabled ‘war chest’ at his disposal this summer to bring in star names to give the Gunners a genuine chance of claiming the Premier League title.
Last year the Frenchman surprised everyone by ditching his frugal reputation to land Mesut Ozil, and although the playmaker hasn’t truly lived up to his £42.5m price tag, it appears that the Emirates Stadium chief’s fingers have not been too badly burned.
A number of big name, and expensive players, have been linked with Arsenal, and here are some of those ‘dream’ additions…
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ALEXIS SANCHEZ TO REVEAL ARSENAL’S DREAM HIT LIST
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Angel di Maria
Having just fired Argentina to the World Cup semi-finals, it seems off that di Maria could be available. But Real Madrid are willing to sell and Arsenal have cash…
//www.youtube.com/embed/4sUmYE5vxBg
Alexis Sanchez
The man Arsenal want above all others appears to be Sanchez, The 25-year-old Chilean attacker is thought to be keen on a switch to the Gunners from Barca yet Liverpool’s deal for Luis Suarez may be a sticking point, with the Reds and the Catalans keen to do a swap.
Micah Richards
Badly injured for a few years, Richards is said to be available for a minimal fee this summer. With Bacary Sagna gone, he could be a good option to cover for the Frenchman.
Mario Balotelli
‘Mad Mario’s’ nutter credentials have never been in doubt, and the same can be said for his sublime skills. Wenger is believed to have pulled out of a deal for Balotelli, but he could go back in if his price drops. //www.youtube.com/embed/6S3flAAkBO0
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
A bit of a journeyman, but 30-year-old Huntelaar is undoubtedly a top-class goalscorer. He could also add a touch of Klaas to Arsenal’s attack… //www.youtube.com/embed/o480150x-V0
Dejan Lovren
Southampton’s car boot sale may see more names leave, with Lovren understood to have requested a transfer. Thomas Vermaelen’s imminent exit could make the Croatian a tempting option for Wenger.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Wenger loves a classy young French player, and Schneiderlin fits the bill. Like Lovren, the 24-year-old is keen to move, and could well make the trip to north London.
Karim Benzema
Every window Arsenal are linked with Benzema but this time they could well get him, as Radamel Falcao nears a switch to Real Madrid. It’s fair to say that the Les Bleus star would be an upgrade on Olivier Giroud…
Jackson Martinez
Big, strong and good in front of goal, Martinez looks like a no-brainer for Wenger. Oh, and he also wants to join Arsenal…
Guillermo Ochoa
The unemployed Mexican may well go down as the 2014 World Cup’s best goalkeeper. He could also be a good replacement for the departed Lukasz Fabianski at Arsenal.
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//www.youtube.com/embed/dh3_z_8Wy5U
Antoine Griezmann
Carlos Vela may have eluded Wenger’s grasp, but another Real Sociedad attacker in the shape of Griezmann could well make the trip to north London. Pacey and good in front of goal, the Frenchman would be an upgrade on Santi Cazorla.
Arturo Vidal
The midfield general Arsenal have been missing for around 10 years. Vidal is available for close to £40m, which is a steal for a player of such supreme talent.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger are the two finest managers to have graced the Premier League in its twenty year history. They have been responsible for signing some of the Premier Leagues best such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry alike.
Unfortunately they have also been responsible for importing some of the worst players England’s top flight have ever witnessed. These players are not even comical like the Titus Bramble’s and Emile Heskey’s of this world where although people say they’re terrible, in reality they do have an ounce of talent. This bunch of 20 virtually had not a whisker of talent.
They are the footballing equivalents of Simon Cowell asking a terrible contestant on X-Factor ‘who told you that you could sing?’ They are that poor. From Djemba-Djemba to Dundee, take a trip down memory lane and reminisce over the players you cringed watching in the stands.
Click on Ibrahima Bakayoko below to get the ball rolling
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Have I missed any obvious inclusions? Post your comments on Twitter @matt_of_the_day
While they haven’t gone quite as big as they have in windows prior, it’s been a good summer of business for Chelsea so far this year.
The Blues have made a massive amount of money selling players deemed no longer good enough and replaced them with a host of exciting talents like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jorrel Hato.
However, it would probably be fair to say that some fans were left a little disappointed by the club not signing Xavi Simons last week, and instead opting for Alejandro Garnacho.
However, those supporters might soon forget all about the new Tottenham Hotspur star, as Chelsea appear to be closing in on someone who’d be a significant upgrade.
Chelsea target Simons upgrade
According to a recent report from Si Phillips, as relayed by Caught Offside, Chelsea remain incredibly keen to sign Fermin Lopez before the window shuts.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
More than that, though, Phillips has revealed that, in recent hours, the Blues have received encouragement from the player’s camp, which indicates he may well inform Barcelona that he wants to leave.
While that would undoubtedly help grease the wheels of any potential deal, the deal would still be a costly one, with other reports from today claiming that the Catalan giants would want a fee of up to €90m to sell, which is approximately £78m.
While that is an enormous sum of money, Lopez is an extraordinary talent and may well be worth it, especially as he’s an upgrade on Simons.
How Lopez compares to Simons
Simons and Lopez are both relatively young attacking talents who can play and thrive either on the wing or in attacking midfield, which makes comparing them a pretty straightforward affair.
If we start with their output, it quickly becomes very apparent that the young Spaniard is the more dangerous player.
In 46 appearances, totalling just 2039 minutes, the “creative” star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored eight goals and provided ten assists.
That means he managed to average a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 113.27 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for someone his age.
On the other hand, the Flying Dutchman scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, for Leipzig.
Now, that does result in a better average of goal involvement every 1.73 games, but that was largely due to him making fewer appearances than the Barcelona star.
When you look at minutes played, his average shoots up to a far less impressive figure of a goal involvement every 145.42 minutes.
Things do not get much better for the Lilywhites’ new star when we examine their underlying numbers either.
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Here, the “spectacular” Spaniard, as dubbed by former manager Xavi, comes out ahead in most relevant metrics such as expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, tackles won and more, all per 90.
Lopez vs Simons
Statistics
Lopez
Simons
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.71
0.47
Non-Penalty G+As
0.75
0.57
Progressive Passes
5.05
5.80
Progressive Passes Received
7.90
7.61
Progressive Carries
2.26
3.51
Shots
2.81
2.26
Shots on Target
1.14
0.92
Passing Accuracy
82.2%
78.1%
Key Passes
1.88
2.10
Passes into the Final Third
4.19
3.26
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.32
0.22
Goal-Creating Actions
0.54
0.51
Tackles Won
1.32
0.83
Blocks
1.02
0.87
Successful Take-Ons
1.72
1.45
Carries into the Penalty Area
0.97
0.80
All League Stats via FBref for 24/25
In other words, the El Campillo-born maestro appears to be the more dangerous and creative outlet, while also being more willing and able to contribute to the defensive side of things.
Ultimately, Simons is certainly a talented player, but Lopez appears to be better in almost all metrics; therefore, Chelsea should do everything possible to sign him before the window closes.
Their own Gyokeres: Chelsea make late move to sign "aggressive" £69m star
Chelsea could snap up their very own Viktor Gyokeres with this late £69m swoop.
Nottingham Forest are now interested in signing an “excellent” £29 million forward who has scored 14 goals this season, according to a new report.
Forest drop points in race for Champions League spot
It is now no wins in their last three games in all competitions for Forest, as their fight for a Champions League spot has taken a hit. Murillo rescued a point for the Reds on Monday evening after going a goal down thanks to Eberechi Eze’s penalty. The draw leaves Forest in sixth place on 61 points, two behind Chelsea and Newcastle United and one ahead of Aston Villa, who are sitting in seventh place.
Despite the dropped points, Nuno Espirito Santo was pleased with his side’s attitude and defensive performance and believes everyone in the Champions League race will give it their all. As he said, “all the teams in this big fight will give it a go”.
Nottingham Forest willing to make big offer for £42k-p/w Juventus defender
He has made a big decision about his future.
ByHenry Jackson
Nuno told BBC Match of the Day: “Let’s think about the game. It was two halves, and in the first half, we were very good. It was good for us that we achieved the goal so soon after the goal for Crystal Palace. That gave us belief to fight for the game. After last week, a good attitude.
“It’s about finding ourselves again after the past three games. We defended better; it’s so obvious, against a talented opponent in Palace.
“The final games will be nervous, tight games. Everyone is fighting for something, and Selhurst Park is always a tough place to come. All the teams in this big fight will give it a go.”
Nottingham Forest want to sign £29m forward with 14 goals in 24/25
As Nuno and his team remain focused on the race for a Champions League spot, Forest chiefs and the manager are looking towards the summer transfer window. Now, according to La Opinion A Coruna, relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest want to sign winger Yeremay Hernandez from Deportivo La Coruna.
The report states that there is a good chance Hernandez leaves the Spanish side at the end of this season, despite the fact he has just signed a new contract that runs until the summer of 2030. The winger was a wanted player in the January transfer window but stayed at Deportivo, where they inserted a release clause worth €35 million, which is roughly £29 million.
As well as Forest now showing an interest in a deal this summer, AFC Bournemouth and Brentford are also keen on striking an agreement. Teams from Italy, Germany and France are also keen on signing Hernandez, who has been dubbed “excellent” by Ben Mattinson in the past.
Yeremay Hernandez’s Deportivo La Coruna stats
Apps
94
Goals
22
Assists
10
However, all the teams are not going to have it easy signing the 22-year-old, as they will need to bring a lot of money and the skill to persuade Deportivo to sell one of their brightest players.
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It is unclear at this stage if Forest, as well as Bournemouth and Brentford, are willing to pay Hernandez’s release clause. The Spanish U21 international has been in fine form this season, as he’s netted 14 goals in 35 La Liga 2 games.