Chelsea are now open to offers for Hakim Ziyech and have set their price amid interest in the Premier League, according to reports.
What's the latest on Ziyech's future?
The Blues playmaker’s contract at Stamford Bridge isn’t set to expire until 2025 but his future has recently been uncertain after falling out of favour which has seen him make just six top-flight starts this season. Football.London have reported that Todd Boehly could be set to sanction a mass exodus this summer to try and help with the financial aspect of things and the 30-year-old is one of the names to have been included on the list of players who could potentially be facing the axe.
West Ham United and Fulham are two clubs that have already been credited with an interest in the winger should he be made available for transfer at the end of the season and there now appears to be another rival who has entered the race to secure his signature.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have “registered an interest” in signing Ziyech during the upcoming window. Paris Saint-Germain are also expected to join the running after they saw a loan move collapse in January. The Blues forward “could look to leave” SW6 ahead of the new term after dropping down the pecking order where the Irons and the Cottagers are once again both name-checked alongside Spurs.
It’s believed that Frank Lampard's side would “accept bids” in the region of £20m which is a staggering £18m less than the £38m they initially paid for him when he joined from Ajax. PSG are currently his “preferred option”, but the Lilywhites would be the “most likely” to acquire him should he remain in the Premier League.
Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech.
Should Chelsea keep or sell Ziyech?
Ziyech has been hailed a “joy to watch” by journalist Josh Bunting and he certainly can be on his day, but Chelsea clearly don’t see him as part of their long-term future so they should cash in whilst there is significant interest.
The Moroccan international has not featured in any of his side’s previous six top-flight outings, the last four he was completely omitted from the matchday squad and the other two he was an unused substitute. Additionally, the Dronten native has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season but has only recorded one assist during that time showing that he’s failed to prove himself when given the opportunity to play.
Finally, Ziyech is pocketing £100k-p/w in the capital which is an awful lot of money for someone who’s nothing more than a bench warmer so Chelsea letting him go would help free up their wage bill and generate funds for potential new signings in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur could be set to keep hold of Harry Kane as Manchester United are "prepared to explore other options" in the summer, per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Harry Kane
Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer has been linked with moves away from N17 before, but the recent links to United, coupled with his contract running down, felt different.
As dubbed by fellow striker Chris Wood (via Eurosport), the 'monster' has scored a ridiculous 280 goals in his 435 career appearances for Spurs, with 64 assists to boot.
This consistent output from the 6 foot 2 forward has led other clubs to monitor his situation, notably European royalty, Real Madrid.
The Spanish side have been reportedly interested in Kane since the departure of their own legendary striker, Karim Benzema.
The vacant number nine shirt at Los Blancos looked like the perfect opportunity for both Kane to move onto bigger things and for Spurs to avoid selling to a rival.
However, it appears like the Spanish club have pulled out of a potential deal because of the costs involved.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs are looking for a fee of close to £100m for their number nine in the summer.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Harry Kane to Manchester United?
Romano gave the update that United fans were dreading, and Spurs fans were hoping for this morning, the news that the Red Devils were prepared to cool their interest in Harry Kane.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Harry Kane is considered the perfect striker by Erik ten Hag. He is a big fan of Harry Kane. He considers Harry Kane as the perfect kind of number nine for the idea of football that he has, but we always said it's not going to be easy to negotiate with Tottenham.
"And today [Wednesday], we can confirm that Manchester United, after internal meetings, are prepared to explore other options for a new striker because they believe that Harry Kane is a really difficult target."
Romano goes on to explain the two major roadblocks that United see with this deal:"They believe that Tottenham have no intention of negotiating with Man United, they don't want to sell the player to Manchester United, and so the feeling at the club is that it's better to maybe look at some other option."
The second issue is price, with Romano adding:"The price, because they feel in any case, even if Tottenham would open the door for the exit of Harry Kane, it's too expensive."
How good has Harry Kane been for Tottenham this year?
England's captain and all-time leading goalscorer has had a frankly ridiculous individual season this year.
It has been massively overshadowed by the inhuman exploits of Erling Haaland at Manchester City and by the generally poor showing by Spurs as a whole, but as an individual, he has been unreal.
According to WhoScored, the Walthamstow-born striker has averaged a seriously impressive rating of 7.51 across his 38 appearances in the league this year.
His underlying statistics are fantastic as well.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Kane ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for expected goals, all per 90.
It's easy to understand why the club don't want to lose him this year, even if it means he leaves for free next summer.
Burnley target Jean Butez is “keen to join” Vincent Kompany’s side this summer, according to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor.
Who is Jean Butez?
Butez is a goalkeeper who currently plays his football for Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League having moved there from Mouscron back in 2020 where he’s since gone on to make a total of 129 appearances to date.
The Frenchman started all 40 league games under Mark van Bommel last season and is his manager’s firmly established number one, and with Vincent Kompany holding knowledge of players in his homeland, the 28-year-old has been highlighted as a target at Turf Moor.
L’Equipe recently reported that the Clarets have made an approach for the shot-stopper who still has another three years remaining on his contract, but despite their advances initially getting turned down, it sounds as if a deal is firmly back on the cards.
Are Burnley signing Butez?
Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Burnley are currently in discussions with Royal Antwerp regarding a move for Butez who is believed to be pushing to complete his switch to the Premier League. He wrote:
“Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez keen to join Burnley. Talks ongoing between clubs after Clarets saw opening bid rejected. Kamil Grabara of Copenhagen another GK admired, Vincent Kompany has scouted him. #LFC have 20% sell-on clause.”
Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez.
Where could Butez fit in under Kompany?
Burnley and Kompany had Arijanet Muric as their first-choice between the sticks for the majority of last season but you can never have too much competition so Butez joining could push the formerly mentioned goalkeeper for the number one gloves next season.
The DVL Management client, who pockets £13k-per-week, kept an outstanding 19 clean sheets from 34 Jupiler Pro League outings last season, form which saw him not only collect four man-of-the-match awards but also hailed “very impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting.
Furthermore, the 6 foot 2 colossus made a total of 74 saves from 100 shots on target against, giving him a save percentage of 76%, via FBRef, ever so slightly under the 76.6% of Muric showing just how close in quality the two shot-stoppers are.
Finally, Butez knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won two trophies with Antwerp, one of those being his side's division title, so should he put pen to paper, he would be able to match the winning mentality of the current squad already in Lancashire.
Fulham and manager Marco Silva appear to be pursuing a late move for Arsenal defender Rob Holding as news emerges before deadline day.
Who will Fulham sign?
The west Londoners have undergone a fairly solid start to this new Premier League campaign, having sealed a win, draw and loss over their trio of opening league games.
Their most impressive results have come most recently, though, with Fulham sealing a dramatic late draw away to title contenders Arsenal courtesy of a last gasp equaliser from midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Fulham have also just knocked high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup second round, as Tete's decisive spot-kick sealed a penalty shoot out win and their place in the draw's third-round on Tuesday night.
There is clearly momentum to build upon with these results as Silva's side attempt to improve on last year's mid-table finish, and they have been tipped to be one of the busier clubs over these last few days of the transfer window
Indeed, having already sealed deals for Calvin Bassey, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne, Fulham are believed to also be chasing late deals for Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi.
Speaking late last month, Silva highlighted the need for further additions, with former star striker Alexandar Mitrovic since joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
"Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said.
“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers."
According to a report this week, Fulham also want to bolster their central defensive ranks once more after the signing of Bassey, coming as Tosin Adarabioyo remains linked with a late exit.
Holding, who will be allowed to leave Arsenal amid "significant" interest across Europe, is one player being targeted by Fulham for this role.
This information comes courtesy of 90min, who claim that Fulham have already approached Arsenal over signing Holding in the form of an enquiry.
Arsenal defender Rob Holding.
As well as Fulham, clubs from La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.are also eyeing a late move before September 1, with Holding now entering the final year of his Arsenal deal which expires in 2024.
The Englishman's contract, though, contains an optional clause to extend it by a further 12 months.
How good is Rob Holding?
Holding has struggled to fight his way into Arteta's plans this season, with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Ben White all ahead of him.
However, the 27-year-old has been praised for his influence and value behind-the-scenes. Journalist Charles Watts, speaking after Holding stepped in for the injured Saliba last term, called him a "very valuable" member of the dressing room.
"Clearly, people who were there [at the Emirates] said he played well," said Watts last season.
"And he's no Saliba, there's no doubt about it, but as a squad player, I think he's a very valuable, and really, really influential figure behind the scenes. Everyone loves him at Arsenal.”
Perhaps a second chance to assert himself on the pitch at Fulham is needed.
Journalist Daniel Wales has claimed Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock is good enough to get in the England squad amid Jude Bellingham comparisons.
What's the latest on Joe Willock and Newcastle United?
With the Premier League taking a break while intentional teams play fixtures across the globe, the Magpies regular will get to rest his legs too.
Indeed, aged 23 years old, Willock remains uncapped at senior level for his country – though has played for multiple youth teams, right up to the U21s.
However, it seems as though there are those who think he deserves a reward for his good form at the club, having played in all but one of the club's league games this term as Newcastle push for a Champions League spot.
While speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast, Wales claimed Willock – who earns £80,000 per week – should be in Gareth Southgate's England squad.
He said: "I saw a stat yesterday, it showed players that are similar to Jude Bellingham and I think it was Gavi and Pedri were the top two.
"And then Joe Willock was third after those, if I remember rightly, showing that he is certainly capable of, perhaps not exactly emulating the ability of Jude Bellingham – we know how good he is for his age as well – but certainly producing performances good enough to get him in the England squad with that sort of ability that Joe Willock is showing week-in, week-out."
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Group B – England v Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar – November 21, 2022 England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates after the match REUTERS/Lee Smith
Does Joe Willock deserve an England call-up?
The information Wales is referring to comes from an article by The Athletic. In the story, it notes that across Europe from players aged 23 and under who have played 900+ minutes this season, only Barcelona duo Gavi and Pedri are more "stylistically similar" than Bellingham.
With that in mind, if Gareth Southgate was to see Bellingham pick up an injury, Willock is theoretically the best player to come in and replace him.
However, until he gets handed an international call-up, it will be impossible for the Newcastle man to prove his worth. In the meantime, then, he'll have to just keep on impressing with the Magpies.
To be fair to Willock, in the last two games before the break, he delivered impressive 7.8 and 7.7 Sofascore ratings in wins over Wolves and Nottingham Forest respectively, so he may wonder what more he was to do to play for his country.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has handed Manchester United a transfer blow as Frenkie de Jong is “happy” at Barcelona and has yet to say anything to suggest he wants to leave.
What’s the latest on Frenkie de Jong to Man United?
It’s no secret that the Red Devils were very keen on bringing the midfielder to the Premier League last summer but no deal ever came to pass.
Even so, it seems as though the club will go back in for De Jong once more at the end of the current season with The Guardian recently reporting about a renewed transfer interest.
What’s more, reports suggest that Barca may have to sell a number of players in the summer if they want to be active in the upcoming window amid their own financial difficulties.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained: “We know how Erik ten Hag is a big fan of De Jong, he’s always been a big fan; this is not changing. Erik ten Hag would love to have Frenkie de Jong with him.
“But the reality as of today is that Frankie has not communicated to anyone, to Barcelona or to anyone, that he wants to leave and he wants to be on the market.
“Frenkie’s happy with Barcelona. He’s playing, he’s an important player for Xavi. So at the moment, the situation is under control.”
What do the De Jong links mean for MUFC?
In the past, it seemed as though De Jong was pretty happy to turn down any advances made by Man Utd in favour of staying put and proving himself in La Liga.
In fairness to him, it seems as though he’s done just that this term having played in all but two league games this season, starting 18, as Barca look set to win the title thanks to the nine-point lead they currently have over Real Madrid.
However, the midfielder does have a relationship with Erik ten Hag, having made 59 appearances for the coach when they were both at Ajax – so perhaps his arm could be twisted.
Still, it sounds as though De Jong has his mind firmly focused on Barcelona right now, so it’s probably not worth United fans getting their hopes up just yet.
With Leeds United seeking to secure a swift return back to the top-flight, it has not quite been the start to the new Championship season that Daniel Farke would have been hoping for, with the Whites picking up just two wins from their opening six league games.
That being said, however, the Yorkshire giants did have to endure a turbulent summer which saw 15 players depart and nine new faces arrive at Elland Road, with the squad having been overhauled following last season's dismal relegation.
With the transfer window now at a close, the hope will be that Farke can begin to truly get to work with the aim of his steering his side toward the top end of the table, with the most recent 3-0 victory away to Millwall having illustrated the exciting potential that the German has at his disposal.
That classy away performance also proved another fine day for the club's record signing, Georginio Rutter, with the promising striker seemingly shaking of last season's woes after having made his mark at The Den in style.
Leeds forward Georginio Rutter.
With two goals from just five league appearances so far this term the young Frenchman is beginning to truly showcase his quality, although he will have to go someway if he is to reach the heights of the club's stellar centre-forwards of years gone by…
How good is Georginio Rutter?
Brought in for an eye-watering sum of £35.5m in January, the former Hoffenheim man initially looked like being a colossal waste of money for those at Elland Road, having failed to score in what was a deeply disappointing end to last season.
The 6 foot forward was described by Leeds Live's Beren Cross as being basically "a non-entity" during the defeat to Chelsea back in March, with Rutter unable to prove the difference-maker that was needed in the club's battle for survival.
Fast forward just a few months, however, and there are signs of life in the 21-year-old's Leeds career as his three goal contributions this term indicate, with the £70k-per-week hotshot having already struck up a promising partnership with summer signing Joel Piroe.
Quite whether the one-time Rennes man can maintain this impressive early season form remains to be seen, however, with Farke potentially wishing he had a more guaranteed supply of goals to lead the line this term.
Looking back into the past, Leeds have been blessed with some top-drawer strikers who certainly knew where the goal was, with now-retired ace, Mark Viduka seemingly one such talent who would have been ideal in the present day.
How much did Leeds pay for Mark Viduka?
The 6 foot 2 marksman had begun his career in his native Australia and in Croatia prior to joining Scottish giants Celtic in 1998, going on to score 28 goals in just 34 games across all fronts for the Old Firm outfit, after overcoming initial stress-related struggles at Parkhead.
That prolific introduction to life in Britain saw the Melbourne-born goal machine catch the eye of Leeds and then-boss David O'Leary in the summer of 2000, with the Whites preparing for a crack at the Champions League for the forthcoming campaign.
Having been impressed by the striker's displays north of the border, O'Leary and co opted to fork out a sizeable sum of around £7m in order to bring Viduka to England, with that ultimately proving money well spent as he quickly made his mark in his new surroundings.
How many goals did Mark Viduka score for Leeds?
It didn't exactly take long for Viduka to endear himself to the Leeds faithful as he hit 17 league goals during a stunning debut campaign, having also scored four times and contributed four assists as part of the club's surge to the Champions League semi-final.
That latter tally included a goal and an assist against La Liga giants Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, although that season is best remembered for the Aussie's four-goal haul against Liverpool in the 4-3 thriller in November 2000.
Such a complete performance showcased the full array of the striker's clinical and devastating talents, as he ultimately ended that 2000/01 season with 22 goals in 53 games in all competitions under O'Leary's watch.
Those heroics continued over the next few years as the imposing hitman ultimately scored 71 goals in only 165 games in all competitions prior to his departure for Middlesbrough in 2004, having hit double figures for league goals in each of his four seasons with the Whites – including a stellar haul of 20 top-flight goals in 2002/03 to help steer his side to safety.
Leeds United
165
71
Middlesbrough
101
42
Newcastle United
40
7
Celtic
34
28
Dinamo Zagreb
14
2
Stats via Transfermarkt
Unlike the aforementioned Rutter, the 39-cap international proved himself as a truly reliable goalscoring presence in England's top-flight, with such a dependable talent seemingly worth his wait in gold, both then and now.
How good was Mark Viduka?
As a figure who courted attention from the likes of AC Milan and Manchester United when in his pomp in Yorkshire, it is fair to say that Viduka was the type of striker that seemingly any side in Europe would wish to have their hands on.
That was the verdict of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, at least, with the ex-Red Devils skipper having said of his former rival's quality back in 2020: "My view on Viduka is that he could have played for any team in Europe at that time. I think he was one of the best forwards in Europe. He was capable of playing in a technical team, he could have played in a long ball team, he was capable of playing in any type of team."
Viduka's suitability to the modern era – as the hypothetical figurehead in Farke's side – was also noted by Neville, with the former England international going on to add: "I think [Viduka] would grace the Premier League today if he was playing, he was such a great player. Technically, he was brilliant. I always thought he was ahead of his time in terms of the way he played the game, he would have enjoyed it a lot more today than he would have done back then.”
With both the ability to find the back of the net and effectively hold the ball up to bring others into play, the 47-year-old was at times someone who you simply "couldn't stop" – as per pundit Jamie Carragher.
As such, for all the exciting promise that Rutter is beginning to demonstrate, Leeds are still arguably crying out for an 'unstoppable' striker of Viduka's ilk.
An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to bolster their defensive options before the end of the summer transfer window…
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Villans are exploring a deal to sign left-back Nuno Tavares from fellow Premier League side Arsenal, as Unai Emery eyes a move for the defender.
The reporter has claimed that Nottingham Forest's swoop for his services has now collapsed, which has opened the door for another team to snap him up.
Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…
Romano also added that personal terms are yet to be agreed between Villa and the Portuguese full-back as it is up to the clubs to agree on a fee first.
It was recently reported that the Gunners would demand a fee within the region of a staggering £22m to sell him on a permanent basis this summer, amid interest from West Ham and Galatasaray.
How good is Nuno Tavares?
The 23-year-old dud's performances in recent years suggest that he would not be a very good option for Emery this season and that means that the club could land Lucas Digne 2.0 by signing him.
Villa signed the France international from Everton for £25m in January of last year and he struggled badly throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
The 30-year-old flop averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 28 Premier League appearances, which placed him 16th within the squad. This shows that he was far from being one of the club's top performers despite his big-money switch from Goodison Park.
He failed to provide a threat in possession from left-back as the season ended with one goal and zero assists for the former FC Barcelona defender, whilst his 0.6 key passes per outing was the seventh-best in the team.
Former Marseille loanee Nuno Tavares.
Emery could now sign Digne 2.0 in a move for Tavares as his poor form for Marseille is a huge cause for concern, particularly if it would cost £22m to secure his signature this summer.
The Portugal U21 international spent last season on loan in France and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 31 Ligue 1 appearances, which shows that he was as disappointing as the French dud was for the Villans.
Tavares was beaten far too easily by attackers as he was dribbled past 0.9 times per game and Alex Moreno (1.2) was the only Villa defender who was dribbled past more per match in the Premier League last term.
The ex-Benfica prospect also lost 58% of his duels and failed with 58% of his attempted dribbles, which shows that the opposition found it too easy to outmuscle him in physical contests and were able to stop him moving forward the majority of the time.
This also came after he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.63 over 22 Premier League clashes for Arsenal during the 2021/22 campaign.
Tavares, who was described as "catastrophic" by Casa Sports director of development Cherif Sadio during his time at Marseille, also failed to register a single assist in Ligue 1, although he did rack up six goals from left-back.
Therefore, Emery must now avoid a deal to sign the Arsenal dud as his performances over the last two years suggest that it would be another expensive flop at left-back for the club.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.
The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.
An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.
The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.
Points
94
97
Goals for
93
75
Goals against
57
36
Games won
27
29
Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):
However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.
One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.
Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently
The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.
It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.
This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.
Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood.
If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.
This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.
Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.
Sam Greenwood's statistics this season
The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.
However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.
Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.
The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.
He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.
The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.
Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.
To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.
Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.
Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season
Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.
The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.
Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.
Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.
Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.
The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.
It’s been far from an easy ride at Everton over the past few years, as Sean Dyche continues to attempt to combat the on-pitch issues that have previously threatened the club with relegation.
Fans had to wait until matchweek four to see the Toffees net their first goals of the 2023/24 campaign, and matchweek six to see their side claim their first three points of the season, after a dreadful start to the campaign.
Last term, almost identical to the year prior, Everton were forced to have their fate decided on the final game of the Premier League season, as they flirted with demotion to the Championship due to poor form and lack of inspiration.
Change in personnel within the squad and from a managerial aspect has delayed any type of progression for the Merseyside outfit, however with three wins in their previous four games, there is hope that Dyche’s side can finally build some form.
Everton manager Sean Dyche.
With a squad replenished in the summer transfer window, there are vacancies there for new heroes to emerge at Goodison, with those that brought joy before, now just a memory.
One name that was a constant source of hope for the Toffees amid their relegation battle of the 2021/22 campaign was Richarlison, who departed the club that summer after cementing himself as a fan favourite on Merseyside.
While it was a painful goodbye to the Brazilian, hindsight has shown that the Blues got a strong deal in the sale of the forward, despite having to let go of his influence on the squad.
When did Everton sign Richarlison?
In the summer of 2018, Everton announced the signing of the highly-rated Richarlison from Watford, paying £40m for the striker who was 21 at the time of his move.
The Brazilian arrived at Vicarage Road the year before, and made a statement in his debut campaign in Europe by having a hand in ten Premier League goals, scoring five and assisting five to capture the eye of the Blues.
richarlison-watford
Marco Silva, the former Hornets boss who guided Richarlison at Vicarage Road, was the Everton manager responsible for bringing the forward to Goodison in 2018, where he praised him as an acquisition that was “very good technically” at the point of his arrival.
How much did Richarlison earn at Everton?
In making the move to Merseyside, Richarlison subsequently more than doubled his salary, improving his £1.3m-per-year wage at Watford to £4.6m at Everton, equating to a weekly wage of £90k, via Capology.
It was clear from the off how highly the Blues regarded the young marksman, as they handed him a wage that ranked him joint-fourth of the club’s highest-earners in the 2018/19 season.
The faith shown by the Toffees was quickly repaid by Richarlison, as he almost instantly made a name for himself, scoring two goals on his league debut in August 2018, where he was lauded as an “animal” by journalist Liam Canning.
How many goals did Richarlison score?
At the end of his first season, the Brazilian had found himself on the score sheet 14 times in all competitions, netting 13 in the Premier League to get fans excited about what was yet to come.
The following campaign, Richarlison replicated his scoring tally in the league with another 13 in the 2019/20 season, as well as scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup that year.
Along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the versatile forward was repaying the price the Blues had paid to bring him to the club at 21, ending his stay on Merseyside with 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 appearances in all competitions.
Excluding the 2020/21 campaign, the £40m man never failed to score under ten goals in the Premier League while at Everton, with his lowest tally being the seven he claimed that season.
In his final term, amid the struggles going on at Goodison, the Brazil international had a hand in 15 goals in the league, scoring ten and assisting five, maintaining form in the wilted side that caught the attention of other clubs in the top flight.
How much did Everton sell Richarlison for?
They say all good things must come to an end, and that was the narrative that played out for Richarlison at Everton, as he bid farewell to the club after four years in the summer of 2022.
Tottenham Hotspur were the side that opted to splash the cash to sign the then 25-year-old, paying £60m for his services after their opening offer of £40m was rejected by the Blues.
As relayed by Sky Sports at the time, Everton were hoping for more for their talisman, but made the decision to sanction the move in order to hand manager Frank Lampard additional funds to orchestrate change in the transfer window to take forward.
By selling the 48-cap Brazil international, the Toffees generated a profit of £20m from the £40m they paid for him in 2018, highlighting the grasped opportunity for them to optimise their finances in what was a difficult time for the club.
In hindsight, the deal was an integral and successful one, as the now 26-year-old has seen his market value crash, and his form follow, suggesting that he played his best football at Goodison.
How much is Richarlison worth now?
To say that Lampard cashed in on Richarlison at the perfect time is an understatement, as his current market value sits at just €36.3m (£31m), £29m less than the price that he was sold for just a year ago, as per Football Transfers.
Richarlison's Premier League scoring record
Season
Club
Apps
Goals
2017/18
Watford
38
5
2018/19
Everton
35
13
2019/20
Everton
36
13
2020/21
Everton
34
7
2021/22
Everton
30
10
2022/23
Spurs
27
1
2023/24 TBC
Spurs
8
1
Figures via Transfermarkt
The dip in the forward’s form is answered solely by his abysmal displays in the final third during his first season at Spurs, another indication that Everton offloading him at the ideal time.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot hotshot scored once in 27 appearances, scoring his only goal of the entire Premier League season in April after a period of stagnancy relating to the element he was signed to thrive in.
There remains hope that the former Toffees sensation can rediscover his confidence in front of goal, with signs there that this season may be more encouraging as he matched last campaign’s league tally on match week five of this term.
Regardless of whether Richarlison can salvage the form he showcased at Goodison, Everton struck gold by selling the striker for £60m, especially when seeing how dramatically his value has dropped in the year following his departure.