Harry Kane said he's "enjoying every moment" of his Bayern Munich career as the England striker received the European Golden Shoe on Tuesday.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
The 14th April 2024 could go down as a poignant one for both Arsenal Football Club and Granit Xhaka.
Both kicking off a 4.30pm, the Gunners had the chance to cement their own title ambitions against Aston Villa.
They had seen fellow challengers Liverpool tast defeat against Crystal Palace just a few hours prior but the form book was ripped up, sending Manchester City top of the pile.
While Arsenal suffered a crippling 2-0 loss to Unai Emery's men, Xhaka was in no mood to be despondent.
Scoring just his second goal in Bayer Leverkusen colours, he helped Xabi Alonso's men to their first-ever Bundesliga title win, smacking Werder Bremen 5-0.
Many questioned the sale of the Swiss, but the midfielder has enjoyed a life of luxury since moving back to Germany, with Leverkusen remarkably unbeaten across all competitions this season.
Xhaka's departure from the Emirates Stadium last summer came as a real shock. The former Gunners man had revived his career in some style, moving from much-hated club captain to a real club icon.
Why? Well, his form as a left-sided 8 under Arteta was nothing short of remarkable in his final term in London.
Surging forward from the centre of the pitch and ghosting into the penalty box like a prime Frank Lampard, the 31-year-old contributed nine goals and seven assists, capturing the hearts of many at Emirates Stadium.
|
Granit Xhaka's Premier League career at Arsenal |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
Yellow cards |
|
2016/17 |
32 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|
2017/18 |
38 |
1 |
7 |
10 |
|
2018/19 |
29 |
4 |
2 |
10 |
|
2019/20 |
31 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
|
2020/21 |
31 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
|
2021/22 |
27 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
|
2022/23 |
37 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
|
Figures via WhoScored |
||||
This term has been a great deal different for Xhaka. He has found the net twice and only has one assist for his troubles.
That doesn't mean the Bundesliga champion has underperformed though, far from it.
As per FBref, he ranks in the very best 1% of midfielders in Germany's top flight this term for progressive passes, overall passes, passes into the final third, touches, carries and passes received.
He has been a real focal point of Alonso's team, also sitting among the best 11% for shot-creating actions and top 2% for pass completion rate. It's safe to say he's been pretty damn good.
Why did Arsenal let him go, therefore? Well, it was their last chance to cash in and a certain Kai Havertz was right around the corner.
Considering it took him until November to score from open play, there may well be a tinge of regret around Xhaka's departure. He has been nothing short of a sensation in 2023/24.
That said, he isn't the only Bundesliga star the club could look back upon wondering 'what if?'.
We have to go back further in time for this tale, one which doesn't quite have the same sweet taste as Xhaka's fabled story.
This time, Serge Gnabry is the focus, scorer of a goal at the Emirates Stadium last week in the Champions League.
Most supporters will be familiar with the fact he once played for the Gunners but he remains probably their biggest mistake when it comes to player departures.
The German had made his breakthrough ten years ago, during the 2013/14 campaign, notably scoring his first league goal against Swansea.
However, the young winger at the time didn't sign a new contract and eventually took his leave, departing London for a fee of just £4m, signing for Werder Bremen after only 18 Arsenal appearances.
Speaking about his exit, the now 28-year-old said: "I was still confident I could've got in the team but I didn't want to wait. I didn't want to be fourth or fifth choice any longer. It was the hardest decision I had to make in football, leaving a club like Arsenal – the fans, the players – but to keep playing I had to take a step back and it was the right decision."
What's Gnabry doing now? Well, despite Bayern failing to win the league title for the first time in 11 years, the £310k-per-week earner has still been shining, showing Arsenal what they're missing.
It's been an injury-hit campaign for the Germany international but he's still found the net five times in 17 outings. Last term was far more productive, however, bagging 17 times and assisting 12 strikes. To put those numbers into context, they were both better than Bukayo Saka's tally of 15 goals and 11 assists in 2022/23.
So, even though they've had the Englishman breakthrough with some aplomb, there would surely still be room for Gnabry in a modern-day Arsenal side.
His numbers for Bayern have been extraordinarily consistent. Hailed as "world-class" by writer Cristian Nyari, the 45-cap German has found the net on 86 occasions in 235 matches.
To lose a player who was once valued at over £50m for just £4m will be a sickener. His market value – as per Football Transfers – may have now fallen just £29m after a period on the sidelines, but he is still an exceptional talent. Arsenal must rue not being able to convince him to stay in England, perhaps even more so than a certain Xhaka.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
The NWSL club is filing the grievance as they believe Zambia didn't provide adequate care for their midfielder following an injury
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
The 2023 summer transfer window was a busy time for Chelsea Football Club. Since Todd Boehly bought the club for a fee of £4.25bn, they have had plenty of incomings and outgoings, and last summer was no different.
The Blues spent around £400m last summer on some major incomings, including a British transfer record fee of £115m on Moises Caicedo of Brighton, the £40m signing of Cole Palmer from Manchester City, and Romeo Lavia for £58m from Southampton.
Their outgoings also saw some major movement, with Chelsea making around £230m from player sales and loan fees. Some of the most notable outgoings from Stamford Bridge included Kai Havertz joining London Rivals Arsenal for a fee of £65m, and Mateo Kovacic joining Manchester City for £25m.
However, there was one particular outgoing which sent shockwaves through Stamford Bridge, as a Chelsea academy product decided against signing a new contract, in favour of making the move to one of Chelsea’s biggest Premier League rivals.
The transfer in question here is one of the jewels of Chelsea’s famous Cobham academy in recent years; Mason Mount.
The 25-year-old midfielder left Chelsea to join Manchester United for a fee of £60m, a decision which proved to be the correct one for Chelsea.
Last season, Mount had just one year left on his deal at Stamford Bridge and did not seem like he would be signing a new one. Thus, Chelsea decided to move him on, with United snapping up the England international.
Since the move to Old Trafford, Mount’s transfer value has plummeted. Now, the midfielder is valued at just £17m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with nine United players more highly valued.
It certainly seems as though Chelsea’s decision to offload Mount last summer was the right one, with the Portsmouth-born midfielder struggling to make an impact thanks to two injury issues he has suffered, and a lack of game time under manager Erik ten Hag.
Thanks to injuries, Mount has only managed 17 appearances for the Red Devils so far. It seems the correct decision from Chelsea, all things considered.
With the business end of the season fast approaching, United’s marquee summer signing from 2023 will be hoping he can stay injury-free and get more minutes. The Red Devils are still pushing for a European spot in the Premier League and are in the FA Cup semi-final, where they face Coventry on Sunday.
Sadly for Mount, the move has not necessarily worked out how he or anyone else envisaged last summer, because his whole campaign has been derailed by injury. His 17 appearances for United have yielded just one goal and one assist so far for the 25-year-old.
Out of Mount’s 17 United appearances so far, the England international has played just 673 minutes in total, which equates to seven full 90s. Frustratingly, he has missed 27 games through injury, with the main issue being a calf injury he picked up in November, which kept him out until March.
The big question during Mount’s time at Old Trafford so far that has not been answered is how he fits into the side. He has mainly operated in the centre of midfield under Ten Hag, a direct replacement for Christian Eriksen, who has fallen out of favour. However, Mount has also played on the left wing and in attacking midfield at times too.
Where Mount’s biggest strengths in possession lie is with his superb passing and vision. He is one of the most progressive players in United’s squad, though, crucially, looks after the ball very well, which United have struggled with in 2023/24.
Last season in the Premier League, Mount averaged 6.25 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which placed him in the top 7% of midfielders in Europe, and 2.32 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 3% of midfielders on the content, according to Fbref. There is no denying Mount’s obvious progressive quality, and what that adds to United's midfield.
Off the ball, he is an energetic presser, who works hard to win the ball back for his side. This is reflected in his 0.53 final third tackles per 90 minutes last season, which ranks him in the top 4%.
He is able to cover lots of ground across 90 minutes, which United have missed this term. The likes of Eriksen and Casemiro are struggling to be able to cover ground like they used to, so the relentless engine mount brings in midfield could be pivotal for United.
With that being said, perhaps his best role is in a pivot next to United’s new superstar Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo is a wonderful ball carrier, and he would complement Mount very well, being able to receive off the centre-backs before finding Mount, who can launch attacks forward.
However, the lack of a defensive-minded destroyer in midfield may prove to cost United, and having a profile like that of Casemiro could be crucial for beating the top sides in the Premier League, considering the physical nature they have in midfield.
Alternatively, we could see Mount take up a more advanced position. Mount is impressive in the final third, in particular putting up good numbers in 2021/22 for Chelsea. He managed 11 goals and ten assists in 32 Premier League games, playing mainly as a number 10.
The issue is if he played as a 10 for United, they would likely have to drop club captain, and talisman Bruno Fernandes. He is a crucial player for the Red Devils, and it does not seem likely this is something they would look to do.
Additionally, the 5 foot 11 summer signing could slot into the team out wide, and his first United goal came from the left wing. However, they have other options there too, namely Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, so it is not clear if Mount would get regular minutes there.
Alas, this is not Chelsea’s problem. They sold Mount for £60m before seeing his value plummet to just £17m after he was shackled by injuries all season.
All things considered, it is surely a deal which most Chelsea fans will look upon favourably, especially considering Mount would have left for free this summer. It is perhaps the best bit of business completed in the entire duration of Boehly’s reign over the club.
Chelsea must rue selling star whose value has risen by 900% after leaving
He left Stamford Bridge back in 2017.
By
Ethan Lamb
Apr 17, 2024
Pep Guardiola compared Erling Haaland to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after seeing the Manchester City striker score in a 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Glasgow Rangers suffered a big blow in their bid to win the Scottish Premiership title as they were beaten 3-2 away at Ross County on Sunday.
The Light Blues were lethargic and lacking in quality at both ends of the pitch against the Staggies, and the hosts took advantage to great effect.
A first half own goal from Jack Baldwin had the Gers in front at the break but two goals inside the opening four minutes of the second half put County ahead, and they went on to add a third before James Tavernier's consolation from the penalty spot.
Philippe Clement's side now sit four points behind Celtic in the league table, with a game in hand away at Dundee on Wednesday to come, and have a lot of work to do if they want to secure the title this season.
There were a number of poor performers on the day for the Light Blues, including John Lundstram in the middle of the park, but the player who must finally be binned from the starting XI is Cyriel Dessers after his horrorshow.
The English midfielder set the tone for Rangers' lacklustre display in the middle of the park with his lethargy in possession throughout the game.
Despite having a whopping 108 touches of the ball over the course of the 90 minutes, Lundstram only made one key pass and did not create any 'big chances' for his teammates, which speaks to how little he progressed play to create for his side.
His slow play on the ball translated to his work defensively for Ross County's second goal as he failed to track George Harmon at the back post. Lundstram checked his shoulder at least twice to see the attacker yet opted to almost stand still in the box and allow him to follow up on Jack Butland's save to find the back of the net.
|
John Lundstram |
Vs Ross County (14/04/24) |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Shots on target |
1 |
|
Duels won |
4/6 |
|
Tackles won |
3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, Lundstram did win the majority of his physical battles on the day, helping him to win three tackles, to cut out attacks.
This shows that there were some good aspects to his performance, even if his lack of intensity on the ball and his error for the second goal meant that it was a poor display overall.
The Nigeria international had a nightmare against the Staggies with a number of misses in front of goal that ultimately cost his side three points, or even one point, on the day.
He did not do enough in the final third with the chances that his teammates created for him throughout the afternoon, the best of which represented a 0.68 xG (Expected Goals) opportunity.
That particular opportunity saw the forward's touch bounce the ball up to him with only the goalkeeper to beat but his tentative effort gave the shot-stopper a chance to flick it wide for a corner, when it appeared as though any effort to either side of Laidlaw would have resulted in a goal.
Dessers' finishing ability also left a lot to be desired towards the start of the second half when the ball fell kindly for him into the box but instead of lifting the ball into the empty far corner of the net, his low drive hit the Ross County defender already laying down on the ground.
His work out of possession was also incredibly questionable. The experienced forward, signed from Cremonese last summer, lost 80% (4/5) of his duels throughout the match, including all four of his battles on the deck.
This shows that the opposition centre-backs found it far too easy to get the better of the Gers number nine, who did not do enough to impose himself on them to hold the ball up or win possession back for his team.
These statistics and the context of his missed shots, with zero goals from four efforts, show that the Nigerian striker was worse than Lundstram, who at least won the physical battle of the game whilst the forward was poor on and off the ball.
Dessers, who completed 65% of his attempted passes, must now be brutally ditched from the starting XI and Kemar Roofe, or an attacking midfielder or wide player as a false nine, should be given an opportunity to impress in his place.
The 29-year-old forward has had mixed success in the Premiership throughout the campaign since his move to Ibrox on a permanent deal under Michael Beale last summer.
He has, in fairness to him, scored 13 goals in 29 appearances and averaged a goal every 141 minutes of league action, which is more than one every other full 90 on average.
However, his decent goal tally has been a result of the exceptional level of chance creation that his teammates have produced over the course of the season.
|
Rangers' biggest xG underperformers (23/24 Premiership) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
xG |
Goals |
Difference |
|
Cyriel Dessers |
17.17 |
13 |
-4.17 |
|
Connor Goldson |
2.73 |
0 |
-2.73 |
|
Sam Lammers |
4.71 |
2 |
-2.71 |
|
Danilo |
6.68 |
4 |
-2.68 |
|
Fabio Silva |
3.64 |
2 |
-1.64 |
|
Stats via WhoScored |
|||
As you can see in the table above, no Rangers player has underperformed their xG by more than Dessers in the Premiership this term, with just 13 goals from an xG of 17.17.
The former Serie A marksman has missed a staggering 22 'big chances' in just 22 league starts for the Light Blues – one per start on average – and that illustrates how wasteful he has been at the top end of the pitch.
His work off the ball has also been questionable throughout the season as Dessers has lost a whopping 68% of his duels in the Premiership, which includes 73% of his battles on the ground.
These statistics suggest that the Rangers number nine has not been good enough as a finisher and has not been strong enough to get the better of defenders.
This all contributes to why Clement should finally ditch the striker, who has not been on the bench in the league since the 28th of February, from the XI against Dundee on Wednesday.
Valencia's sporting director alleges that Atletico Madrid tried to pull out of the Conor Gallagher move as their bid to sign Javi Guerra collapsed.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has suggested that Everton would be set to face some serious competition if they tried to sign Manchester City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer.
The Ukrainian first made the switch to the Etihad from FC Ufa back in 2016, where he has since gone on to make 128 appearances and nine trophies for the Sky Blues during his six-year spell at the club.
The 25-year-old still has two years remaining on his current contract with the Premier League champions, but it was recently reported by The Athletic journalists Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe that his future is very much up in the air, with the likes of the Toffees and fellow top-flight side Newcastle United believed to have identified the full-back as a possible transfer target for the upcoming window.
When asked during an interview with Football Insider whether or not he thought Zinchenko would be a strong addition at Goodison Park, Robinson said:
“As much as Zinchenko is a top-quality player, where does he fit in at Everton?
“They already have [Vitaliy] Mykolenko.
“Zinchenko is unlucky not to get more game time at Man City. He’s a very good player.
“If he is going to make a move this summer there will be a lot more clubs than just Everton looking to sign him.
“He can play left-back and in the midfield. His versatility and quality make him a very attractive proposition for a lot of clubs.
“I’m sure there would be a lot of managers keen on a player like him if it becomes common knowledge that he’s available. 100 per cent.”
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
Despite only making 15 top-flight outings this campaign, the 48-cap international has more than shown what he’s capable of when he’s on the pitch, having provided four assists, as per Transfermarkt.
As well as making 1.3 tackles per game, the defender has been equally as threatening going forward, recording 1.1 key passes and 1.6 long balls per league game, via WhoScored, and he is exactly the profile of player that Everton should be looking at signing if they are aiming for a much higher place finish next season.
However, even if Zinchenko were to leave the Manchester outfit in the coming weeks in a bid to get more game time, he would highly likely want to switch somewhere that he’ll have a strong chance of continuing to get his hands on silverware after his success with City, a factor that might end up being a disadvantage for Everton in the race for their man.
In other news… Fabrizio Romano has revealed the transfer intentions of one of Everton’s ‘best’ players.
Reliable reporters Sami Mokbel and Adrian Kajumba of The Daily Mail have now shared a promising Southampton transfer update involving Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, under the ownership of Sport Republic and guidance of transfer chief Martin Semmens, could be set for their busiest summer in years.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/southampton-latest-developments-2/” title=”Southampton latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
Many Saints players are currently either out of contract or heading into their final year with Semmens recently admitting that the Premier League side already have a plan in place and intend to move earlier for targets than in previous windows (Daily Echo).
One of those supposed players on Southampton’s radar is Spurs outcast Winks as The Mail now share a promising update.
According to their information, courtesy of Mokbel and Kajumba, Semmens and co ‘lead the race’ to sign Antonio Conte’s peripheral player alongside Newcastle United.
It is understood that Southampton, as well as The Magpies, have ‘early interest’ in Winks as Hasenhuttl and Semmens seemingly set their sights.
However, if they wish to seal a deal for the Englishman, Spurs have set their price at £25 million.
The 26-year-old, having been linked with a move to the south coast last year, could well be a shrewd capture for Hasenhuttl.
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has previously tipped Southampton as the perfect move for Winks, citing their style of play and claiming it would suit Tottenham’s outcast ‘down to the ground’.
The player has no shortage of backing when it comes to pundits with ex-Lilywhites shot stopper Paul Robinson admitting he’s a ‘big fan’ – even branding Winks a ‘fabulous player’ and ‘versatile’ enough to play anywhere in midfield (Football Insider).
Conte himself has even praised the England international as a ‘reliable’ asset before, so we believe all of these plaudits may well point to someone who can do a job for Hasenhuttl ahead of next season.
In other news: Hasenhuttl personally sets his sights on signing ‘absolute beast’ for Southampton, find out more here.
Manchester United have had their hopes of signing Juventus defender Merih Demiral boosted.
That is according to a report from Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, via Sport Witness, who claim that the Turkish defender could be “sacrificed” from a Juventus perspective in other to bolster their transfer kitty from what would be an immediate sale.
In a report that mentions both Manchester United and Real Madrid among top European destinations, it is said that the Red Devils are “above all” in the list of European outfits who are ready to move for the defender – this despite the fact that Los Blancos “moved first” for the transfer of the 24-year-old.
In the same report, it is stated that two clubs may “already have an agreement in principle”, with United anticipated to be one of those clubs, particularly with the Premier League side now in pole position for the signature.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]
In order for the transfer to work, it would copy the model that saw Spurs sign Christian Romero from Atalanta, in which they bought Romero and immediately sold him.
With Atalanta intending to trigger the buy-option to sign the £27m-rated Turkish defender from Juventus, they could immediately sell him to the likes of United in a replica model to that used in the case of Romero.
In Demiral, we are talking about a player who has been more defensively sound than Raphael Varane across the last 365 days, as per FBref.
After spending this season on loan at Atalanta, Demiral has been able to demonstrate his acumen in six apiece in the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
His ability to pressure the opposition has been his biggest asset this year, putting up an astonishing average of 14.93 pressures per 90, with 7.35 occurring in the defensive third and 7.03 in the middle third also. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to see him described as an “absolute beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
In comparison, Varane’s numbers falter, with his average of 8.08 pressures almost not worth comparing.
It’s the same for the majority of defensive metrics, with Demiral topping the Frenchman for tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90 minutes. Though it is worth noting that the World Cup winner is more accomplished in possession.
That said, they are two players with different defensive approaches. Demiral can play the Vidic role for Ten Hag in United’s back-line with his ball-winning ability.