Liverpool are believed to be in talks to complete the signing of an “extraordinary” attacking player when the summer transfer window arrives, according to a fresh claim.
Latest Liverpool news
The Reds are back in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Manchester City for another huge game in their title push.
There is no question that Liverpool have wobbled a little of late, drawing four of their last eight league games, not to mention crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of Plymouth Argyle. A win at the Etihad would feel significant, but further dropped points would really give Arsenal hope.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, the Reds could make a number of new signings this summer, strengthening in various areas of the pitch. Atletico Madrid forward Giuliano Simeone has been linked with a move to Anfield, giving Arne Slot even more depth in the final third, amid doubts over the futures of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Frimpong has also been backed to seal a switch to Liverpool, potentially even being looked at as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, should the vice-captain join Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Liverpool in talks to sign "extraordinary" £50m+ attacker
According to a new report from Caught Offside, Liverpool have “held talks” over the signing of Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman this summer.
The Nigerian is “on the radar of a number of top clubs”, including the Reds and Arsenal, with his current team possibly wanting as much as £53.7m for his services. The talks with Liverpool are described as the “most advanced”, along with the Gunners.
Atalanta's Ademola Lookman in action with AC Milan'sEmersonRoyal
Lookman could be a hugely exciting addition for Liverpool, having matured so much as a player since his time in English football with the likes of Charlton Athletic and Everton.
Last season, the 27-year-old famously scored a hat-trick in the final of the Europa League, inspiring Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over much-fancied Leverkusen, and his manager Gian Piero Gasperini has lauded him, saying:
“He’s [Lookman] a top player. In terms of character, there are perhaps players who have more continuity and are more solid, but that’s normal. Even his role is difficult. He always has to be very fit, but he has become a truly extraordinary player, among the best in Europe and the world. Because he has improved his consistency and in some ways he has started to be an important Atalanta player.”
This season, Lookman has continued to shine for Atalanta, scoring 10 Serie A goals in 17 starts, not to mention netting five times in the Champions League from his centre-forward role.
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With doubts persisting over Nunez’s quality and Jota’s availability – Diaz has also been hit-and-miss in a new role down the middle, too – the Nigeria international could be a brilliant choice to bring in and lead the line for Liverpool.
Sunderland fans must have been praying that the managerial appointment of Regis Le Bris last year would be the spark their beloved side needed to push back into the Championship promotion spots.
The decision to bring in a left-field option looks to be working a treat so far, with the ex-Lorient manager dreaming that a push up into the automatic promotion spaces can still be achieved as a playoff finish looks to be nailed on.
Sunderland manager RegisLeBris on the touchline
The Frenchman will also hope he can continue to utilise the transfer window to his high-flying team’s advantage, having made headlines recently for bringing in Enzo Le Fee.
Why Sunderland signed Enzo Le Fee
In an alternate reality, Le Fee could be currently lining up for Arsenal with the Gunners once linked with a move for the 24-year-old before his surprising Black Cats loan move was clinched.
In need of breathing life back into this playing days after a choppy time at parent club AS Roma, Le Fee will hope he can demonstrate his class on Wearside to steer his new team to promotion, having previously picked up eight goals and 15 assists under Le Bris’ wing at Lorient.
He certainly showed off his class in spurts during Sunderland’s recent away win at Derby County with two key passes tallied up, whilst his debut against Burnley the match prior saw him complete three successful dribbles as a stylish operator from the middle of the park.
Whilst having a player of Le Fee’s stature in the team is a big bonus – with the Frenchman’s value coming in at a weighty £15m according to Transfemarkt – Le Bris did already have a top performer in central areas of the pitch before the grand unveiling of the new number 28.
The Sunderland star who's worth as much as Le Fee
The player in question here is Sunderland captain Dan Neil who arguably slips slightly under the radar as one of the Championship club’s top assets, with Jobe Bellingham’s name often dominating conversation when it comes to potential big sales in the midfield.
Now, however, Neil could soon leave his boyhood employers for pastures new at Everton, with reports suggesting that David Moyes and Co could be prepared to offer the Black Cats in excess of £15m to land the 23-year-old.
Indeed, former Mackems boss, David Moyes, has been a keen admirer of the midfielder since working at Sunderland himself, with Neil just a wide-eyed starlet in the academy when the Scotsman was at the helm.
Since then, he has turned himself into a consistent starter in the senior fold by notching up a hefty 178 first-team appearances and counting, with the strike above against Swansea City showing off his ability to hammer a fierce effort home away from being known as a brave battler.
January 2025
£15m
May 2024
£3.7m
March 2023
£2.1m
June 2022
£674k
Year on year, Neil has seen his value drastically increase, with the 23-year-old worth just £674k when first making substantial waves in the Sunderland first team picture back in 2022.
He has since been able to establish himself as a “fantastic” talent in the eyes of many, including journalist James Copley, as a move up to the Premier League now potentially beckons.
The Black Cats will be clinging onto a crumb of comfort that Neil will want to stay put with his boyhood club to make promotion a reality though, with Neil remaining meaning Sunderland’s midfield options are stacked with some unbelievable quality for the level.
2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship
Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.
Western Australia cemented their status as domestic cricket’s undisputed powerhouse with a crushing nine-wicket victory over Victoria to emphatically complete a back-to-back Sheffield Shield triumph.Having bowled out Victoria for 210 in their second innings, WA chased down the 91-run target in the second session on day four. Their 17th Shield title was secured when opener Cameron Bancroft, the leading run-scorer in the competition, hit the winning runs to trigger scenes of jubilation around the WACA.As expected against a strong Victoria attack, WA were made to work and lost skipper Sam Whiteman for his seventh duck of the Shield season when he was trapped lbw to unrelenting seamer Scott Boland.Related
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It was Boland’s 300th Shield wicket and he almost added another when he caught an edge from teenager Teague Wyllie only for skipper Peter Handscomb to drop a tough chance at second slip.But WA were not to be denied as they completed a historic treble of domestic titles for the second straight season. They thrashed South Australia in the 50-over Marsh Cup final and Perth Scorchers overcame Brisbane Heat in an epic BBL decider.WA’s revelry was held up by impressive allrounder Will Sutherland, who superly backed his attacking instincts with 83 off 84 balls but Victoria’s lead just wasn’t enough.Victoria started day four at 6 for 122 with their slim hopes resting on Sutherland and Mitchell Perry, who had both defied WA late on day three.Sutherland was almost caught at long on in the first over but settled in after that in a gutsy performance having been moved down to No.8 due to a back injury.The batters looked comfortable until Perry was caught behind off quick Matthew Kelly, who was on a hat-trick after a cracker of a delivery knocked over Fergus O’Neill.Matt Kelly made quick inroads on the fourth morning•Getty Images
The end was nigh but Sutherland received support from Todd Murphy, who offered resistance having had little impact with the ball in his return from a breakout Test tour of India.As Victoria’s lead approached triple figures, Murphy’s defiance ended on 26 when he was caught at point off allrounder Aaron Hardie.Sutherland, who claimed five wickets in WA’s first innings, holed out just shy of a deserved century but capped a strong allround season and looms as a player of interest for the national selectors.After being sent in on a green-tinged surface, Victoria managed just 195 in their first innings with 21-year-old opener Ashley Chandrasinghe mustering the only substantial fight.In a rearguard that polarised public opinion, Chandrasinghe carried his bat to finish unbeaten on 46 from 280 balls but Victoria failed to collect any bonus points.WA struggled in response at 4 for 53 before veteran Ashton Turner scored a drought-breaking century to power his team to 315 and a lead of 120 runs.Having only recently returned to WA’s Shield side after a near three-year exile, Turner counterpunched to notch his first Shield ton since November 2017.Turner’s heroics dented Victoria’s hopes of avenging last season’s final where they fell short to WA in a drawn match decided by bonus points.Victoria can take heart out of a spectacular turnaround after they were staring down the barrel mid-season before storming into the final with five straight wins.An emerging Victoria, marked by an exciting pace attack, are on the cusp of a formidable run but will be left pondering how they can knock off all-conquering WA, who are firmly amid a golden era.
da stake casino： Having already secured the arrival of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa are now reportedly setting their sights on an in-demand forward worth over £21m.
Aston Villa transfer news
da betsson： Desperate to make it back-to-back top four finishes in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League as a result, those at Villa Park have acted as swift as ever to hand Unai Emery a fresh option going forward. Malen – an experienced forward after his Dortmund exploits – instantly hands the Spaniard an upgrade on the struggling Leon Bailey and a player capable of sharing the goalscoring responsibility with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.
When asked about that aforementioned experience in a question and answer session with the club’s official website, Malen said: “I’ve seen a lot of football. I’ve been in different leagues now. I’ve played Euros, I’ve played a lot of tournaments, so that creates a lot of character, so from there, I just have to show it.”
As one experienced option arrives, however, a younger option looks to have emerged onto the radar of those in the Midlands. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Stefanos Tzimas from PAOK Salonika following his loan spell at FC Nurnberg at the end of the season.
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The 19-year-old striker has also attracted the interest of Liverpool an Brighton & Hove Albion to create quite the race for his signature which will reportedly be worth €25m (£21m) plus add-ons when the summer transfer window arrives.
A player who has thrived in Germany’s second division on loan this season, Tzimas could yet receive the ultimate chance to take the biggest step of his career so far courtesy of Aston Villa.
"Exciting" Tzimas is one to watch
Whilst he is still only a teenager, Tzimas has shown all the signs that point towards a future star whilst at Nurnberg and deserves to reap the rewards for such success. Alas, whether Aston Villa’s interest brings Duran’s future into question once more will be interesting to see. The clinical forward has already been linked with a move away to West Ham United this month and Tzimas could be seen as an ideal replacement when the summer arrives.
Jhon Duran
Scoring eight goals and assisting another two in 15 games in all competitions so far this season, the Greek striker certainly knows how to find the back of the net in a rise to stardom that Jacek Kulig saw coming in October. The Football Talent Scout dubbed the forward “one of the most interesting young strikers in Europe” and predicted an “exciting future ahead”.
A summer switch to Aston Villa would only see the forward accelerate towards that increasingly impressive potential too.
The Guyana pacer’s action had been found to be illegal for the third time in his career
ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2023West Indies fast bowler Ronsford Beaton has been cleared to resume bowling after his action was found to be legal following an assessment in England.Beaton was suspended from bowling by Cricket West Indies in March this year after his action was deemed illegal by an independent assessor at Loughborough University, an ICC-accredited testing centre for suspect bowling actions.The pacer was reported during Guyana Harpy Eagles’ West Indies Championship first-class match against Jamaica Scorpions at the Guyana National Stadium, where he picked up five wickets. Beaton then underwent remedial work to remodel his action, and video footage was sent to Loughborough University for analysis earlier this month.This is the third time Beaton has faced suspension and subsequently cleared over a suspect action. After only his second ODI appearance against New Zealand in December 2017, he was reported and later suspended after failing an independent assessment of his action. But he successfully remodelled his action in the subsequent months, and was cleared to bowl again in late August 2018 before being suspended again in November 2019.Beaton has played two ODIs for West Indies, both in December 2017.
With his brilliant performance in the Nations League, he reached a total of 40 goals with El Tri
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Jiménez scored four goals in Nations League this week
He surpassed Cuauhtémoc Blanco to take third place
Chicharito remains the top scorer with 52 goals
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AFP
WHAT HAPPENED?
Raúl Jiménez had a brilliant performance in the Final Four of the Nations League, scoring twice against Canada in the semifinals and another two in the final against Panama, helping Mexico secure its first title in the tournament’s short history.
The forward reached 40 goals with El Tri, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco for third place among the national team's all-time top scorers. The 'Lobo de Tepeji' is now just 12 goals away from matching Javier Hernández, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, with a long schedule of matches ahead.
The team led by Javier Aguirre will face Switzerland and Turkey in June before defending their 2023 Gold Cup title. There, Jiménez will aim to surpass Jared Borgetti’s 46 goals, moving into second place on the all-time scoring list.
The FMF is planning four more friendlies before the end of 2025 as preparation for the 2026 World Cup, two against Asian teams and two against CONMEBOL teams. With this schedule, Jiménez is surely not far from surpassing Hernández.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Raúl Jiménez has maintained an impressive scoring rate with the Mexican national team, averaging a goal every 2.7 matches. Since making his debut in 2013 and scoring his first goal in that year’s Gold Cup against Canada, his journey with El Tri has been filled with highs and lows, notably failing to score in the three World Cups he has participated in.
After a severe injury, his form dipped, but over the past two years, he has regained his sharpness. Between 2024 and 2025, Jiménez has played only five matches but has already netted six goals, raising his average to 1.2 goals per game – significantly better than his previous numbers.
If he doesn’t reach the scoring record in 2025, he will have another opportunity in 2026. Mexico will play two friendlies before the World Cup and could feature in up to five tournament matches if they meet expectations.
With as many as 21 potential games left before the end of the World Cup, Jiménez has a strong chance to cement his place as Mexico’s all-time top scorer.
Getty Images Sport
WHAT RAÚL JIMÉNEZ SAID
"It's something that's there (being the top scorer). There are many matches ahead. I still have a lot to give to the national team, and I will give my best effort. If it happens, I’ll be the happiest", the forward said to TUDN.
Getty Images Sport
DID YOU KNOW?
Why does Jiménez have 40 goals for the Mexican National Team but only 39 according to FIFA? While El Tri and FIFA sort it out, the reason is simple: in the 2019 Gold Cup, the striker scored a goal against Martinique, a team not registered with FIFA.
As a result, the football governing body officially recognizes Jiménez with 39 goals for Mexico.
da betsson： Liverpool fielded something of a patchwork side against Southampton in midweek, and though they had to weather the storm, in both senses of the phrase, Arne Slot’s remarkable campaign moved further forward.
da brdice： The hard-fought Carabao Cup victory has set up a semi-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur in the new year, and given that Liverpool are atop the Premier League and Champions League tables, things could hardly be going any better.
Liverpool managerArneSlot
Well, they could. They always could. The Reds have ceded ground in both of their recent top-flight matches, away at Newcastle and against Fulham at Anfield last weekend, having been reduced to ten men before 20 minutes were on the clock.
The culprit: Andy Robertson. The experienced left-back has been criticised throughout the campaign, and while he’s still a high-class player, there’s a growing sense that FSG will want to replace him sooner rather than later.
Why Liverpool need to replace Andy Robertson
Robertson has been nothing short of a stalwart since joining Liverpool from Hull City in 2017, signing for an astute £10m fee. His energy and dynamism have seen him defy the naysayers and forge a prosperous career at the heart of one of the most successful contemporary English sides.
Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Along with his alternate full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, Robertson’s creativity and ball-playing skills rewrote the job description and saw Jurgen Klopp’s system take a liftoff, with Reds writer Leanne Prescott once even hailing the Scotland skipper as a “Duracell Bunny.”
But he was afflicted by a damaging shoulder injury last term and has struggled to maintain his level under Slot’s wing, ditched for Kostas Tsimikas on several occasions and starting to fumble in big moments, conceding a few penalties and indeed being dismissed against the Cottagers.
Aged 30, Robertson might feel that he has plenty of mileage in the tank, but the tireless work that he has performed over so many years is bound to have reduced the engine’s throttle power.
Liverpool have hardly been scatter-spenders since Slot took to the helm, but there’s little question that when the time comes for action, replacing Robertson will be near the top of the agenda.
Liverpool transfer news
As per German reporter Christian Falk, Liverpool are thick in the battle to sign Alphonso Davies, with the Bayern Munich speedster out of contract at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich'sAlphonsoDaviescelebrates scoring their fifth goal
Obviously, the caveat is that Real Madrid are also interested, but Davies earns a pretty penny at £178k per week and his lofty demands appear to have dissuaded the La Liga giants, as per Spanish sources.
He is set to become a free agent next summer and that is why he could be an attractive target for the Reds, who would not have to splash out a transfer fee to secure his services.
What Alphonso Davies would bring to Liverpool
What would Davies bring to Liverpool? Pace, and plenty of it. The Canada superstar’s electric rapidity is a remarkable thing, with an ever-present fleetness denoting his high technical quality too.
Bayern signed Davies from Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps for a fee rising to £17m in July 2018, which was a record for an MLS player, and a 17-year-old one at that.
Davies has stayed at Bayern throughout the entirety of the intervening period, his evident quality diffusing any notion of a loan spell to help him sharpen his tools.
In fact, the pacy defender has completed 216 appearances for Die Roten, notching 46 goal contributions and notably lifting five Bundesliga titles and the 2019/20 Champions League.
He’s a remarkable player, once described as a “machine” by podcaster Stefan Buczko, and still only 24, the Bayern ace could replace Robertson at Liverpool and serve as Slot’s number one for many years to come.
This all goes to prove that Liverpool would be getting their mitts on a left-back of immense talent, sure, but also one with an elite, title-winning mentality that amazingly has much room for further growth and success.
It will come as no surprise that Davies ranks among the top 2% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries (4.76) and the top 1% for successful take-ons (2.25) per 90, as per FBref, further highlighting the blistering energy that Slot would weave into his thriving side.
Of course, pace isn’t everything, but when assessing the Bavarian star’s metrics compared to Robertson’s across league matches in 2024/25, you can see that Liverpool’s man is lacking across the board, less threatening in attack and far less robust in defensive phases.
Andy Robertson vs Alphonso Davies (2024/25)
Match Stats*
Robertson
Davies
Matches (starts)
11 (10)
13 (12)
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
2
Touches*
69.5
84.2
Pass completion
88%
92%
Key passes*
1.5
1.6
Ball recoveries*
4.0
6.3
Dribbles*
0.2 (40%)
1.8 (51%)
Tackles + interceptions*
1.6
2.1
Ground duels (won)*
1.5 (50%)
4.9 (58%)
Stats via Sofascore
The pertinent question for those of a Liverpool persuasion would be whether Davies would be willing to prioritise Anfield with Real Madrid lurking. Los Blancos have their hesitations, but when a team engages in a transfer tussle with Florentino Perez, there’s rarely any surprise about the one to come out on top.
It’s curious that Robertson has adapted his game to a point where he averages only 0.2 dribbles per Premier League outing, something that is perhaps a by-product of the indefatigable displays across the best part of eight years.
Andy Robertson in action for Liverpool
Davies’ wage demands will see him rival the heaviest hitters at Liverpool on the bill, and that might prove to be a stumbling block for Richard Hughes and co. Nonetheless, the chance to sign one of the best left-backs in the world for free is an opportunity that simply can’t be passed up.
Having only signed Federico Chiesa in Slot’s first transfer window for a reduced £12.5m fee, it’s hardly as if FSG don’t have the money to spend on a high-profile superstar, one who could make a marked impact on Slot’s reign over the coming years.
It’s time for action. This would be a signing to show Europe that the Reds mean business, and are keen to turn their fast start to the season into an imperious run over a number of years.
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England’s women will play three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies in Antigua and Barbados in December.The ODIs in Antigua will form part of the ICC Women’s Championship, in which England are yet to get off the mark following their 3-0 defeat by India in September.The Tour runs from December 4 to 22, which means it will be concurrent to the men’s Test tour of Pakistan, which gets underway in Rawalpindi on December 1, with the third Test in Karachi ending on December 21.England are likely to be able to call upon the services of Nat Sciver, who withdrew from the India series for a mental-health break in the summer, while their captain Heather Knight is also hopeful of being fit after undergoing hip surgery during the summer.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“We’re happy to be able to release the schedule for the tour of the West Indies,” Jonathan Finch, director of England Women’s cricket, said.”It’s always a great place to visit and with a new head coach soon to come on board it’s the beginning of a new cycle for this team.”The West Indies series sees our first overseas round of the ICC Women’s Championship and it’s key we get some points on the board. The tour also plays an important role in preparing for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup early next year.”
A career-best double-century for Glamorgan captain David Lloyd put his side in the driving seat in this third vs fourth clash.Glamorgan finished the first day on 380 for 3, gaining four batting bonus points, with Lloyd on 203 not out, his second century coming off just 101 balls as Derbyshire’s bowlers toiled.Glamorgan first class debutant Tom Bevan offered good support with 48 in a century partnership which set the platform, while Billy Root made the most of a move up the order to No. 5 by contributing 77 not out in a partnership of 197.Derbyshire needed a win to overtake Glamorgan and stay in contention for promotion going into the final round of fixtures, but now find themselves with their backs against the wall with the Welsh County looking to push on to a huge first-innings total.Glamorgan were without India’s Shubman Gill with a heavy cold, while they also brought in off spinner Andrew Salter for all-rounder Kiran Carlson. Derbyshire gave a debut to South Wales-born paceman Adam Sylvester.Related
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With a winner between these sides having a chance to challenge second-placed Middlesex in the final round of matches, Lloyd’s day did not start so well when he lost the toss and was asked to bat on a pitch which had a greenish tinge.Three balls later and Derbyshire had lost opening bowler Ben Aitchison with a rolled ankle, which made the decision to bowl seem a little unfortunate. He did return to bowl one more over, and fielded at slip, but his future fitness in the game is doubtful.Anuj Dal took over the rest of that over and also made the first breakthrough, getting opener Ed Byrom caught behind.Bevan made his first class debut having made his breakthrough this season with a century against Hampshire in the Royal London Cup.He was slower than Lloyd at the other end, but also showed enough promise to mark him out as one for the future. While he has helped steer local side St Fagans to the South Wales Premier League title this season, he is likely to be otherwise engaged next year.He would have been disappointed to miss out on a half-century, attempting to get there in style hitting across the line at spinner Alex Thomson and skying the ball instead.Sam Northeast looked comfortable until he was clean bowled out of the blue with Luis Reece getting the ball to move off the seam.While wickets fell at the other end, Lloyd got better and better. Having moved to his half-century just before lunch, he moved to three figures comfortably before tea, no sign of nerves about his first hundred of the season as he smashed the ball aerially through mid on off Thomson to bring up the landmark.His previous highest score this season was 84, his average in the mid 20s with the allrounder having moved to regularly opening the batting.Soon after tea he surpassed his career-best score of 121 and carried on past 150, with Root offering steady support in another century partnership. Root moved to his half-century off 94 balls as the run rate increased with the second new ball.
da fazobetai： The importance of full-backs in Enzo Maresca’s system at Chelsea is key, often having to change their role based on the opposition and tactical game plan.
da leao： This has become very apparent at Stamford Bridge where Malo Gusto has seen himself popping up in all kinds of positions, overlapping to provide width, inverting into the pivot, and even finishing himself in the pockets as a number 10.
Malo Gusto in action for Chelsea
However, as good as Marc Cucurella has been – notably silencing Bukayo Saka in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal – if Maresca wants to deploy his left full-back in this role, he doesn’t get the same technical quality and creativity as he gets from Gusto on the right side, and that’s why the Blues are currently looking at a creative option for that role.
Chelsea looking at signing Premier League star
According to reports from CaughtOffside, Wolves defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri, is on the radar of Chelsea as a left-back option. Liverpool and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, which could see a bidding war for the highly rated defender who is allegedly valued at around £58m.
The Algerian has gone from strength to strength since joining Wolves from Angers back in 2021 for a fee of around £10m. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has described Ait-Nouri as “incredible”, praising his versatility and work rate.
Wolves player Rayan Ait-Nouri
The flying wing-back has made 13 appearances so far this season, scoring three goals, providing two assists, and totalling 1,079 minutes played.
The 23-year-old could add extra creativity from the left-hand side, as he has shown this season already with his 5 goals and assists, and creative metrics that even rank ahead of Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.
Transfer Focus
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Ait-Nouri vs Madueke comparison
Madueke has had a brilliant start to the new campaign under Maresca, making 14 appearances in all competitions, and scoring five goals in 975 minutes. However, he is yet to register an assist, becoming much more of a direct goal threat this season, rather than a provider.
On the other hand, Ait-Nouri has been playing in his dynamic left-back role, inverting into midfield at times, finding himself in the number 10 position, providing width almost as a left-winger at times, getting himself two Premier League assists already this season, better than Madueke in this regard.
Ait-Nouri vs Cucurella & Madueke
Stats (per 90 mins)
Ait-Nouri
Cucurella
Madueke
Goals
0.25
0.00
0.33
Assists
0.17
0.00
0.16
xAG
0.09
0.04
0.19
Progressive Carries
1.68
1.27
6.45
Progressive Passes
3.10
2.84
3.55
Shots Total
1.18
0.22
3.77
Key Passes
0.97
0.29
1.29
Shot-Creating Actions
2.30
1.18
2.90
Tackles + Interceptions
3.27
3.10
1.78
Stats taken from FBref
When you compare the creativity numbers of Ait-Nouri against Madueke, who is a natural winger, and Cucurella, who has played a host of different roles already, you can see the Wolves defender provides more quality going forward than the Spaniard.
Ait-Nouri ranks closely to Madueke in progressive passes per 90, key passes per 90, and shot-creating actions per 90, whilst having better assists per 90 metrics than the England winger.
Cucurella, on the other hand, offers much less in the way of progressive qualities and creativity but instead adds defensive intensity and leadership at the back.
Ait-Nouri
By adding the Wolves star to the squad, Maresca would have real flexibility in his decision-making, using Cucurella for certain game types, and the 23-year-old Algerian for others.
This would be yet another string to the Italian’s tactical bow, and something that could make the Blues that little bit more unpredictable.
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