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Tottenham Hotspur have made some big additions over the last couple of years, with many of which have made a huge impact on their recent success in Europe.

The hierarchy has been boosted in recent days, after it was confirmed that former Sporting Director Fabio Paratici would return to his role after a two-and-a-half-year absence.

He’s been known to make key additions such as Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski during his previous stint in North London, but he could be about to land similar quality in the future.

With the transfer window still a couple of months away from reopening, the 53-year-old has a key period ahead of him to identify players who would improve Thomas Frank’s squad.

However, the Italian has wasted no time in finding players who could become top targets when the chance arises at the midway stage of the Premier League campaign.

Spurs’ hunt for new attacking talent under Paratici

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been hugely touted with a move to land Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo after his impressive start to the new campaign.

The 25-year-old has already scored six times and registered three assists in his seven league outings, with it being reported that he currently has a release clause in his deal at the Vitality.

However, he’s not the only player currently in their sights, with Juventus star Dušan Vlahović a talent who is firmly in their sights, according to TEAMtalk’s latest report.

They claim that Paratici’s links with the Old Lady could help the Lilywhites in their pursuit of the centre-forward, with his deal set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

It also states that Spurs have been long-term admirers of the Serbian international, but they could face competition from Chelsea for his signature in the near future.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be perfect for Kudus

In an attempt to build on their Europa League success, Spurs spent over £100m on new additions during the off-season to help strengthen Frank’s chances in the role.

Mohammed Kudus was just one of the additions made, with the hierarchy paying local rivals West Ham United a whopping £55m for his services and signature.

The Ghanaian has already made himself a fan-favourite in North London after making an immediate impact in the Premier League under Frank’s guidance.

The 25-year-old has scored once and registered four assists – the most of any player in the squad – whilst laying on more goals for his teammates than any star in the division.

His assists alone highlight the quality he possesses within attacking areas, but such numbers could improve further should Vlahovic make the move to England in the near future.

Whilst he’s already netted six goals in his 11 outings in 2025/26, his underlying stats further highlight why his addition would be perfect for Kudus in the years ahead.

The Serbian, who’s been labelled “one of the best strikers in the world” by Luca Toni, has averaged 1.2 shots on target per 90, with 43% of his efforts troubling the opposition ‘keeper.

Games played

11

Goals scored

6

Shots on target

1.2

Shot on target accuracy

43%

Aerials won

2.4

Goals scored per 90

0.81

Touches in opposition box

4.5

Fouls won

1.7

Such numbers could hugely play into the hands of Kudus, given his assists, but the big-money addition also ranks in the 97th percentile for crosses completed, which would certainly be perfect for Vlahovic.

The Juve star has also won 2.4 aerial duels per 90, with such a figure handing the Dane’s side a needed focal point to play off when they find themselves under pressure.

He’s ranked in the 92nd percentile of all players in Italy for goals scored per 90, with such numbers making him the perfect talisman to complete the Lilywhites’ attack.

It’s unclear if a deal would be completed in January or the summer, but it’s evident that a deal for the 25-year-old would be one that could add a new dimension to the frontline.

If he can strike up a partnership with Kudus, it would also take the latter to the next level and hand Frank’s side a greater chance for added success in the near future.

No Porro, £40m winger joins: The dream XI Paratici could build at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur could be set for some changes after Fabio Paratici returned to North London.

2 ByEthan Lamb Oct 17, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly considering an offer to sign a Premier League striker to replace the struggling Dominic Solanke for Thomas Frank in 2026.

Frank ready to replace Solanke

It’s been an excellent start for Frank in North London. After becoming the first Premier League side to win away at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Spurs now sit as high as third in the Premier League. Any thoughts about a repeat of last season are long gone and the Lilywhites are on course to earn their place back in the top four.

Not everyone is thriving under the Dane, however. In fact, the likes of Solanke have failed to win over the new manager entirely and now reports are suggesting that the former Brentford boss simply does not rate him.

The same reports also claimed that Spurs could replace the former Liverpool striker as soon as January, which could open the door to an early exit just over a year on from his £65m move from Bournemouth.

What hasn’t helped the forward’s case is his injury history. Since the start of last season, Solanke has missed 26 games through injury. For a £65m signing, that was always likely to give those in North London something to think about.

Tottenham now keen on "world-class" £35m star who Frank's already approved

Spurs are in the race to sign a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

The early season form of Richarlison as well as the introduction of loan signing Randal Kolo Muani is also unlikely to help Tottenham’s record signing, who is facing an uphill battle to get in to Frank’s side for the first time.

Now, further reports have claimed that the Lilywhites are considering a 2026 offer to sign the 28-year-old’s replacement in a brutal decision from all involved.

Tottenham considering Igor Thiago offer

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are now considering a 2026 offer to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford. Frank initially welcomed the forward to West London for a record deal in 2024 before the Bees broke that record to sign Dango Ouattara in the summer just gone. Now, the Dane could reunite with his towering striker in North London.

The Brentford star has recovered from a long-term injury issue and is now thriving under Keith Andrews – scoring seven goals in 10 games in all competitions so far this season. It’s, therefore, no surprise that Spurs are reportedly eyeing a €35m+ (£31m+) loan to buy offer for Thiago in the January transfer window.

Described as “selfless” by Andrews, Thiago could yet hand Frank an ideal replacement for the struggling Solanke, who takes up £140,000-a-week on Spurs’ wage bill.

Pundit Jamie Carragher has switched sides when asked for his favourite Scottish club out of Celtic and Rangers.

A Liverpool legend, Carragher made 737 appearances for the Reds across 17 years and has since been a regular for Sky Sports alongside former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville.

As a player, Carragher won numerous domestic cup competitions but never lifted the Premier League title. In Europe, the defender won the UEFA Cup in 2001 and the Champions League in 2005, featuring in the historic final against AC Milan in Istanbul.

Champions League

2005

UEFA Cup

2001

UEFA Super Cup

2001, 2005

FA Cup

2001, 2006

League Cup

2001, 2003, 2012

Community Shield

2001, 2006

Interestingly, the former Reds defender never played against Rangers in his career but did feature on three occasions against Celtic.

In 1997/98, Carragher was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw at Celtic Park in the UEFA Cup First Round first leg. In the return fixture, Carragher started as the Reds qualified on away goals with a 0-0 draw at Anfield.

When the two sides met again in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2002/03, Carragher played every minute of action as the Hoops famously won 3-1 on aggregate.

Martin O’Neill’s side would go on to reach the final at the Estadio Olimpico in a historic European run before losing to Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto 3-2 in extra time.

Carragher chooses between Celtic and Rangers

Players and managers who aren’t associated with either Celtic or Rangers are often asked who they prefer, and Carragher is no different.

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Talking on American network CBS Sports as he covered the Champions League in 2024, Carragher was asked to pick out of Celtic and Rangers by fellow pundit Micah Richards. The former England defender simply said:

However, back in 2020, Carragher was asked the same question on an Instagram Q&A, and replied at the time: “Right now it’s Rangers because of Steven Gerrard but as soon as Steven leaves it’ll be Celtic.”

Steven Gerrard, a long-term teammate of Carragher’s at Anfield, left his role as Rangers manager back in 2021, which has resulted in Carragher swapping back to green and white.

Winning the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox, Gerrard had a successful spell in charge of the Gers but departed for Aston Villa.

His stint in charge at Villa Park wasn’t as positive as he’d have hoped, which led to Gerrard moving to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq until 2025.

Birmingham City has seen their positive start to the brand-new Championship season unravel somewhat in recent games.

Indeed, the Blues raced out of the blocks very quickly after promotion with two wins and a draw, kickstarting their season on an unbeaten footing.

However, since an unexpected EFL Cup exit at the hands of Port Vale, the usually confident side have lost their way, as seen in the unfamiliar feeling of back-to-back defeats greeting Chris Davies recently.

Birmingham now find themselves all the way down in 11th position in the early league standings off the back of these two losses, with Davies praying he can get a tune out of his underperformers again very shortly, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield – in particular – looking uncharacteristically rusty.

Birmingham's woes in attack this season

Birmingham are no longer the feared team in the division, having once bagged a weighty 86 goals on the way to lifting the League One title on a resounding 111 points.

Now, they find themselves in a middle-of-the-road position in the league above, with their recent attacking performances leaving a lot to be desired, arguably.

Frustratingly, since being in the right place at the right time to convert a golden opportunity back in August, summer arrival Kyogo, has regularly fired blanks.

Indeed, his lacklustre showing against Leicester City at the end of the month saw him make no accurate passes, while also struggling to catch out Jakub Stolarczyk with a goal-bound effort.

Having cost a reported £10m to bring to St. Andrew’s this summer, there will be a lot of worries already in the air that the former Celtic attacker isn’t cut out for the intense pressures of the EFL, and he will be viewed, down the line, as a costly mishap.

It’s not just new signings who have failed to settle up top, however, with Birmingham’s usually dependable number 28 in Stansfield also misplacing his shooting boots.

His last three outings in the cup and league have seen goals pass him by, with just 69 touches coming his way across those clashes, as the ex-Fulham youngster recedes into his shell.

Davies does have Marvin Ducksch as an alternative option in this department, but he will surely be resentful of Birmingham’s decision in the summer to part ways with this EFL-experienced marksman, who is now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield.

Kyogo & Stansfield being outperformed by ex-Blue

An unfortunate consequence of promotion glory is the rash decision-making that follows, as certain individuals are cast aside for flashier purchases who they hope will star in the league above.

In all fairness, there was plenty of logic behind Birmingham’s decision to part ways with electric goal machine Alfie May this summer, considering the hard-working veteran has never fired home a goal in the challenging Championship across his lower-league career to date.

Still, unwanted records like that are meant to be broken, and with May fresh off a promotion-winning return of 16 goals and eight assists in the third tier, Birmingham might well have been better placed to persevere with their experienced 32-year-old and see what he could do if given a chance up a league.

Birmingham’s loss has ended up being Huddersfield Town’s gain, though, with the brand-new Terriers number 26 now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield, situated back in League One, as he prepares to be yet another driving force for a side attempting to push back into the EFL’s elite division.

Games played

6

Games started

4

Mins per game

64 mins

Goals scored

2

Assists

2

Shots per game

2.4

Big chances missed

2

When looking at the table above, in league action for Lee Grant’s men this season, May boasts one more goal involvement than both the Englishman and the Japan international, with those four goals and assists coming about despite making just four starts.

His ability to be a “wonderful” option from off the bench – as he was once labelled by ex-boss Nathan Jones – would certainly boost Birmingham right now, with Davies no doubt now growing impatient with the wasteful displays of both Stansfield and Kyogo.

Of course, there’s no guarantee May would come back into the fold and be an instant success in such a daunting division.

But, there are certainly worse shouts out there, as Davies now tries to get his team firing again to ensure they don’t slide down the competitive league even more.

"Strange" – Reaction as Birmingham linked with signing 29 y/o free agent

Could the Blues get their man?

ByHenry Jackson Sep 11, 2025

Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.

Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.

Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.

Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.

Why Ndiaye is so important to Everton

Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.

Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.

Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.

With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.

Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.

Everton's homegrown Ndiaye

Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.

Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.

The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.

RW

9

4 + 2

LW

7

3 + 0

CF

3

6 + 0

LM

1

0

The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.

Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.

But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.

Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.

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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has now personally opened talks with an “incredible” manager to replace Nuno Espirito Santo.

Marinakis searching for Nuno replacements

Marinakis has been left baffled by Nuno’s recent comments about their relationship, with the Portuguese manager saying: “I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very close. This season, not so well. No, it’s not [good].

“I don’t know exactly, but I’m being honest with you. I cannot say that is the same, because it’s not the same. The reason behind it, I don’t know. I always believe that dialogue and what you say or your opinion, is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relations have changed.”

It is a bizarre situation unfolding at the City Ground, especially considering the Tricky Trees have had a very good summer transfer window, retaining Morgan Gibbs-White and bringing in additional depth ahead of an exciting European campaign.

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However, the relationship between the chairman and the manager has now deteriorated, with Marinakis actively searching for replacements, and talks have been held with a former Premier League boss.

That is according to a report from talkSPORT, which states Marinakis has held direct talks with former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, who is keen to return to Premier League management.

The Australian is high on Forest’s wanted list as a replacement for Nuno, as he has a personal relationship with Marinakis, having been pictured together at an awards ceremony in Greece earlier in the summer.

Nuno’s poor relationship with Edu is also cited as an issue, as the manager is not in full agreement with the sporting director on issues like the recruitment strategy and playing style, and there is a strong chance the 51-year-old departs after this weekend.

"Incredible" Postecoglou could lead be solid appointment for Forest

It would be extremely disappointing if Nuno’s recent comments lead to him being sacked, given that the Forest boss has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the City Ground, transforming his side from relegation candidates to Champions League-chasers.

However, if the relationship with Marinakis is broken beyond repair, it is difficult to see a way back, and things must be very strained, as Nuno was willing to risk his job by talking about the issues publicly.

That said, there are some signs Postecoglou could be an exciting replacement, given that the 59-year-old received high praise for the work he did at Tottenham.

Not only that, but the ex-Spurs boss led his side to a Europa League triumph last season, and that experience could be very useful, with the Tricky Trees about to embark on a European campaign of their own.

Harry Kane has been informed of the “obvious choice” he should make in the summer of 2026 if exit doors do swing open at Bayern Munich. The former Tottenham striker has seen a return to the Premier League speculated on. There is said to be a clause in his contract that could be triggered in 2026, with leading sides in England keeping a close eye on his situation.

GettyKane lifted trophy curse with Bayern

Kane, who is the all-time leading goalscorer for Spurs and the Three Lions, has been in Germany since 2023. He opted to step out of his comfort zone at that point and take on a new challenge. A move to the Allianz Arena was made with the intention of lifting a much-publicised trophy curse. Kane was able to achieve that when becoming a Bundesliga title winner in 2024-25.

He has gone on to savour Supercup success with Bayern and maintained remarkable individual standards. His stunning strike rate in Bavaria, which includes several hat-tricks, currently stands at 98 goals through 103 appearances in all competitions. He has won the Bundesliga Golden Boot in both of his seasons in the German top-flight and is already up to 13 efforts this term – with praise raining down on the prolific 32-year-old.

AdvertisementPremier League return: What next for Kane?

Bayern are understandably reluctant to part with their fearsome No.9 and have him tied to a deal through to 2027. There are said to be exit clauses in that contract, though, which mean Kane may be on the move again after captaining England at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham can see his fellow frontman heading home and trying to chase down Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goals record. Sheringham told : “It’ll be interesting if Harry Kane returns to England. Football can change very quickly, so to say where he could go next at the season is anyone’s guess. Despite his age, he’d still be one of the most sought-after players in world football if he was to become available.

“The way it’s looking for Manchester United, they still could do with a player like him, but I think it’s unlikely that they would get him. For me, Tottenham would be the obvious choice. I couldn’t see why the club wouldn’t want him back if that became a possibility and I’m sure the Spurs supporters would welcome him back with open arms.”

Getty Images SportWhat does success look like for Frank at Spurs?

Spurs included an option in Kane’s sale to Bayern that allows them to match any bid for the England skipper. They may decide to make a move as Thomas Frank could do with a proven goalscorer to lead the line in north London.

Sheringham added on the progress being made at Tottenham since replacing Europa League-winning coach Ange Postecoglou with Danish tactician Frank: “Thomas Frank has been very good at Tottenham so far; he’s had a great start in the dugout. They’re third in the league after five games and on the board in the Champions League which is an encouraging start. I like his style of play and tactics, it’s good to watch and they’re winning games. Hopefully, they can keep that level of form up and go far in competitions this season.

“They look a lot more solid defensively, which needed improving on last season. The new signings look to be gelling well with the squad, and they’ve got better depth this time around which should stand them in better stead this time.

“That said, we will have to wait and see if it’s any better than Ange Postecoglou winning a trophy. Many criticised the way that he set his teams up, but he was the only manager that finally delivered a trophy in the end, so I think we need to see Thomas Frank do the same thing.”

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Next up: Tottenham & Bayern fixtures

Spurs, who saw off Doncaster last time out to keep themselves in contention for Carabao Cup honours, will be back in Premier League action on Saturday when playing host to Wolves. Kane, meanwhile, will be looking to help Bayern maintain their perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign when they face Werder Bremen on Friday.

Tottenham Hotspur have held a fresh round of talks over a deal for a “brilliant” star, and they are now ready to submit a huge bid, with chiefs “hoping for a twist” as we enter the final week of the transfer window.

Tottenham pushing to sign forward before transfer deadline

Thomas Frank has made a fantastic start to life as Tottenham boss, winning his opening two Premier League games, and the most recent victory was undoubtedly the most impressive, with his side extending their fantastic record against Manchester City.

Spurs ran out 2-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium, with Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha getting on the scoresheet, while Richarlison grabbed an assist, with the Brazilian following up a brilliant performance against Burnley on the opening day, during which he bagged a brace.

The Lilywhites’ attacking quality has been on full display in their first two matches, but they are evidently a little light on options, given that Wilson Odobert, who the north Londoners are willing to sell, has featured in both Premier League games thus far.

As such, it is vital that Daniel Levy brings in another winger before the rapidly approaching deadline, and according to a report from TEAMtalk, a huge bid for Man City’s Savinho is now ready, with Tottenham prepared to pay over £69.2m for the Brazilian.

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Spurs have held a fresh round of talks over a deal for the winger, but City have been reluctant to sanction a departure, which means many club chiefs now believe that a deal will not be possible.

However, according to reporter Rudy Galetti on X, the north Londoners are still attentive to the situation, and are “hoping for a late twist”.

Savinho could be "brilliant" signing for Tottenham

A fee of over £69m would be a huge outlay for the Brazil international, but he could kick on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he would be more likely to receive more game time, given the lack of depth at Frank’s disposal.

The starlet made a fantastic start to life in the Premier League last season, picking up 11 goal contributions in 29 outings, and Pep Guardiola described the City forward as “brilliant” back in May.

Savinho still needs to improve some aspects of his game, with Guardiola admitting the youngster struggles in “final positions”, which is evidenced by the fact he scored just one Premier League goal last season, but the City ace clearly has a lot of potential.

Newcastle United frustratingly drew blanks across the entire 90 minutes away at Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day.

The obvious question on everyone’s minds post-match was whether the Magpies would have been so wasteful if Alexander Isak were leading the line, but the superstar Swede was notably absent, as he remains insistent on a summer switch away from St James’ Park.

With the ex-Real Sociedad striker seemingly set on leaving, Eddie Howe and Co. will be desperate to land a striker in a similar vein to their potent number 14 before the transfer window slams shut, with plenty of targets popping on the Toon shortlist.

Newcastle given encouragement over striker deal

It’s not exactly been a closely guarded secret this summer that the Magpies are in the market for an explosive, new centre-forward.

They could finally be about to land long-term target Yoane Wissa, with the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope recently revealing that a deal could be wrapped up by next week for the 28-year-old to leave Brentford behind for pastures new on Tyneside.

While his 19 goals last season would make him a suitable Isak replacement, he isn’t the only clinical attacker on Newcastle’s shopping list.

Indeed, Hope has also revealed that the Isak-less Toon have been handed some “encouragement” over securing the services of Paris St. Germain hotshot Goncalo Ramos, who has also been reportedly looked at by the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa this window.

Transfer Focus

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

Hope said: “Goncalo Ramos, the PSG striker, is back on the agenda. He was and then he wasn’t, I was told last week that it’s not happening. Then I was told yesterday [Friday] that actually there’s a chance it might, Newcastle have been given some encouragement there.

“But again, I think that would be a really hard one to do. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one for want of a better phrase. But they are looking, he is an option absolutely. I’ve had that confirmed, that’s why I put the story out there last night.”

How Ramos possesses shades of Ekitike

It’s still some way off from being near completion, but landing the Portuguese attacker could see the Magpies win a striker who possesses shades of Hugo Ekitike’s clinical game.

Amazingly, Ekitike was yet another striker Howe and Co. missed out on this summer, as Arne Slot’s Reds ultimately won his signature over picking up Ramos.

The Magpies must be forlorn that the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker decided to uproot to Anfield over St James’ Park, considering he already has two goals next to his name for the reigning top-flight champions, which included a fierce strike getting Liverpool up and running on the entertaining opening night of the campaign.

Any lingering disappointment surrounding the Frenchman choosing the luxuries of Liverpool over Newcastle would soon be forgotten about, however, if Ramos were to make the switch to Howe’s men, with the 24-year-old a recognised goalscoring menace in Europe, much like Ekitike was before Merseyside came calling.

Already, Tottenham Hotspur are aware of his red-hot instincts in front of goal, with Ramos only needing 14 minutes of action against Thomas Frank’s Spurs in the Super Cup final before delivering this sucker punch of a header to level proceedings at 2-2.

This has been a tale of his entire stay in Paris to date, with only 28 Ligue 1 starts coming his way across his last two seasons in the French capital.

However, that hasn’t stopped him from going on to bag a mightily impressive 21 league goals across those limited opportunities.

Coincidentally, Ekitike also struggled for gametime during his own up-and-down stay at the Parc Des Princes, but slipped up in the goalscoring department with only four strikes registered.

Games played

248

153

Goals scored

102

52

Assists

29

26

Trophies

10

3

Top goalscorer accolades

3

0

The brand new £79m Reds signing, of course, fought back from this underwhelming stint in Paris, with a promising return of 26 goals from 64 games for Frankfurt winning him the lavish move.

However, when assessing the table above, the “outrageous” 24-year-old – as he’s been lauded previously by scout Jacek Kulig for his unerring accuracy in front of goal – has actually had a far more glittering career path than his Anfield counterpart, with 50 more career strikes next to his name.

Therefore, the former Benfica marksman will be loving the prospect of having his own moment in the Premier League spotlight with Newcastle, as he potentially goes head-to-head with Ekitike in the demanding division.

Once hailed by Bruno Fernandes as having “all the qualities to play in the Premier League”, the proof will soon be in the pudding if Ramos does make the move, as Newcastle’s hunt for a fresh striker looks to go the distance.

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Leeds United have seemingly made it a priority to improve their defensive options in the first phase of the summer transfer window ahead of their return to the Premier League.

The Championship champions only conceded 30 goals in their 46 matches in the second tier last season, but that has not stopped them from wanting to improve their backline.

Daniel Farke has swooped to bring in Jaka Bijol from Udinese and Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg to add to his centre-back options, with Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Ethan Ampadu already in the building.

The German head coach has also moved quickly to replace Junior Firpo, who officially left the club at the start of this month, by signing Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille.

Leeds have reportedly paid a fee of £10m to sign the Sweden international from the Ligue 1 outfit, and he is now in place well ahead of the season opener against Everton at Elland Road.

What Gabriel Gudmundsson could bring to Leeds

One of the main reasons why this appears to be such a sensible signing for Leeds is Gudmundsson’s readiness to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

At the age of 26, the Swedish star is in the prime years of his career and is not a young player with a lot to learn, or a veteran who is past his best and struggling physically.

He also has 103 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille and 15 caps for Sweden, which means that he is experienced at the top level and knows what it takes to play in a major European league, and for his country against the best of the best.

This suggests that Gudmundsson has the experience and quality to slot straight into the team as Firpo’s replacement for the Premier League season.

However, despite scoring two goals in Ligue 1 last term, the £10m-rated full-back may not offer much to the team as a creative threat down the left flank for Farke.

Appearances

30

Starts

20

xG

0.73

Goals

2

Big chances created

1

xA

1.97

Key passes per game

0.5

Assists

0

Dribble success rate

44%

As you can see in the table above, Gudmundsson did not offer a big threat at the top end of the pitch from a left-back position for Lille in the French top-flight, with one chance created every other game on average and zero assists in 30 games.

The solid full-back, who won 54% of his duels in the division, is not a Firpo like-for-like who is going to replicate the four goals and ten assists that the former Barcelona man delivered in the Championship last season.

That may be why Leeds are also reportedly interested in another left-sided option who could be a dream for Gudmundsson in the team next term.

Leeds in the race for versatile left-footed star

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs in the race to sign Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer.

The reporter claims that Serie A side Atalanta are weighing up a move for the Senegal international, who would take up the last non-EU slot that they have available in their squad.

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Longari adds that Premier League teams West Ham United and Leeds are also in the race, as they have been keeping tabs on the left-footed star for some time.

It has previously been reported that Slavia Prague are looking for a final fee that is close to £22m (£21.6m) in order to allow the 20-year-old talent to move away from Czechia before the summer transfer window slams shut.

However, it now remains to be seen whether Atalanta, West Ham, or Leeds are prepared to spend that kind of money to snap him up in the coming weeks.

Why Diouf would be a dream for Gudmundsson at Leeds

If the Championship champions are able to win the race for Diouf’s signature this summer, the 20-year-old talent would be a dream signing for Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

The Senegal international has played as a left-back, a left wing-back, and as a left winger in his short career to date, which shows that he can operate in pretty much any role down the left flank.

This suggests that Farke could deploy him ahead of Gudmundsson as a winger, in order to provide the attacking quality that the Swedish ace lacks, but without weakening the defensive structure of the team.

Diouf could operate as a back-up left-back to the Sweden international as well, given that it is his natural position for his national team, but his attacking output for Slavia Prague last season suggests that he could have a lot to offer in front of the former Lille man.

The £22m-rated star, as shown in the post above, ranked highly among his positional peers outside the seven major leagues in a host of key attacking metrics.

Appearances

27

8

Goals

7

0

Big chances missed

3

1

Big chances created

10

3

Key passes per game

1.3

1.6

Assists

2

1

Completed dribbles per game

0.9

1.3

As you can see in the table above, Diouf provided outstanding quality at the top end of the pitch, largely from a wing-back role, with seven goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in 35 appearances in the Chance Liga and the Europa League combined.

The Senegalese star, who analyst Rohit Kumaran hailed as “physically dominant”, is a forward-thinking full-back who wants to get into the final third to score goals and create chances for his team, as shown by his impressive statistics in those departments.

That is why Diouf could come in as the perfect foil for Gudmundsson on the left flank for the Whites, because Farke would then have a solid and experienced defensive left-back and an attack-minded, yet defensively and physically capable, left midfielder in his starting XI.

Their respective qualities could complement each other well and help Leeds in their bid to avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League next term.

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