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One Rangers player’s performance in the 4-1 defeat to Lyon was lambasted by the watching media on a terrible night at Ibrox for Philippe Clement’s side.

Rangers humbled by Lyon in Europe

The Gers enjoyed seeing rivals Celtic thumped 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund earlier in the week, but the hope was that they could show the Scottish Premiership off in a better light when Lyon made the trip to Ibrox for a Europa League clash on Thursday evening.

Instead, Clement’s side were comprehensively beaten on their own turf, succumbing to a 4-1 defeat and looking another level down in quality from their opponents. Tom Lawrence equalised in the first half, but from that point on, the Ligue 1 outfit pulled clear and deservedly picked up all three points.

It was an awful night for Clement and his players, with the Belgian no doubt likely to find himself under more pressure to keep his job, following a hit-and-miss start to the season across all competitions.

Rangers are already five points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race, and only narrowly won 1-0 at home to Hibernian last weekend, with the visitors missing a penalty.

Rangers star's performance vs Lyon slammed

There were so many players who underperformed for the Gers against Lyon, but one individual who has come in for more criticism than most is James Tavernier.

The Rangers captain was miles below his best, with Rangers News even giving him a 2/10 player rating, claiming he was given a “torrid time” throughout the night.

Meanwhile, The Scotsman could only hand him a four, saying: “Missed a very early chance that ought to have put Rangers in front. Struggled to deal with the sheer pace and trickery of the Lyon backline and was beaten by Fofana at the far post for Lyon’s fourth goal. Replaced on hour mark by Kasanwirjo.”

Give Me Sport said there were “question marks” around his defending while Glasgow World handed him a 3/10: “Poor positioning and too slow to react at the back post for Fofana to net Lyon’s fourth. Unable to keep tabs on Fofana and given the run-around all evening.”

Tavernier has been an unbelievable servant for Rangers down the years, producing remarkable levels of consistency and end product going forward, but the negativity towards him after the Lyon defeat feels warranted. The £30,000-a-week ace was so poor that he was substituted on the hour mark, but he still had time to lose possession on 12 different occasions, highlighting his wasteful nature on the ball, which can be punished in European competition.

Tavernier also completed just 70% of his passes and made zero tackles or clearances, as well as being dribbled past once, with his defensive frailties exposed at times. Every player has an off day and this was one such occasion for Tavernier, and the key now is for him to show his leadership and bounce back this weekend, with Rangers hosting St Johnstone in the league on Sunday night.

Minutes played

61

Tackles

0

Clearances

0

Interceptions

1

Dribbled past

1

Possession lost

12

Pass completion rate

70%

At 32, there will inevitably be some supporters who will claim that the Englishman’s best days are now behind him, and it is up to the Gers skipper to prove them wrong.

Looking to make another statement signing, Aston Villa are now reportedly battling Tottenham Hotspur to sign a Serie A winner who would complete Unai Emery’s attack once and for all.

Aston Villa transfer news

As proved in the summer, it’s not just on the pitch that the Premier League’s top six need to watch out for Aston Villa, with their work in the transfer market among the best in Europe in the previous window. The Villans welcomed Amadou Onana to instantly replace the departed Douglas Luiz, whilst also signing the likes of Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley.

Meanwhile, the Midlands club also crucially kept hold of Jhon Duran amid interest from West Ham United. And if there were any doubts over whether the forward can challenge Ollie Watkins for a starting place in Emery’s frontline, then five goals in seven games in all competitions has quickly put those concerns to rest.

With Watkins and Duran to choose from, it should be safe to assume that the Villans are now settled on their attacking options, but reports suggest that they could still add one more star man to complete their attack.

According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa are now battling Tottenham Hotspur to sign Marcus Thuram from Inter Milan, whose current stance is that the £124,000-a-week star is not for sale.

Aston Villa thought they may have the next Messi, then he left for just £7m

He was dubbed the king of speed…

ByConnor Holden Sep 27, 2024

Whether the lure of Premier League football convinces the forward to complete such a move remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that he would make quite the impact at Villa Park.

Arriving at Inter Milan last summer, Thuram instantly earned a place in the history books alongside the rest of his teammates by winning the Serie A in dominant fashion. Now, two years later, he could be on his way to England’s top flight in a 2025 move.

"Special" Thuram would complete Aston Villa attack

As things stand, the Premier League is still watching on and waiting to see if Aston Villa’s top four finish last time out was a mere one-off, but if the Villans’ business is anything to go by, they should be in and around the Champions League places for years to come. And adding Thuram may even take Emery’s side up another level entirely.

Minutes

2,687

3,217

475

Goals

13

19

5

Expected Goals

14.3

16.8

2

Assists

7

13

0

Of course, handing all three players the game time that they need would be an almost impossible task, but if Emery found a way to keep them all happy, then he’d have one of the most dangerous attacking trios in the Premier League.

Alas, it will be difficult to convince Inter to part ways with their star striker who has earned such high praise in Italy, including from teammate Benjamin Pavard. The French full-back dubbed Thuram “special” when speaking about how quickly his countryman settled into life in the Serie A last season.

It was an interesting summer of transfer business for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Daniel Levy and Co splashed £65m to secure the services of Premier League proven striker and once-capped England international Dominic Solanke, but most of their business looked markedly different in approach.

Instead of bringing in another two or three older players who had the experience of consistently playing in the top flight, the Lilywhites opted to sign several young up-and-coming talents in players like Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Yang Min-Hyeok.

Signings like these might not get the fans off their seats at the moment, but they are all highly rated and have the potential to develop into something special.

Moreover, by focusing on younger players, the club can ensure they don’t miss out on the next big thing, as they did in the mid-2010s when, instead of listening to David Pleat about a future England star, players like Clinton N’Jie and Moussa Sissoko came through the door.

N'jie & Sissoko's Spurs careers

Okay, so let’s start with Sissoko first, as while he had his detractors early on, he did end up spending five mostly successful years in North London.

In fact, while many in the media dubbed him a £30m flop following his underwhelming debut campaign in N17, he quickly improved and soon became a genuinely useful player for Mauricio Pochettino during a period in which he had the club fighting for major honours.

The former Newcastle United midfielder played 202 games for the Lilywhites, scoring five goals and providing 16 assists, mostly from central and right midfield.

On the other hand, N’jie was an unmitigated flop. While he wasn’t egregiously expensive, his £12m fee was still reasonably sizeable for a young forward in 2015.

There wasn’t an enormous amount of pressure on the then-22-year-old at the time, as his job was to occasionally play off the left and be the backup for a then-still-young Harry Kane, but even then, he failed to deliver.

In 14 appearances across his one and only season with the club, he failed to score and provided just a single assist before he was sent on loan to Marseille for the following season. A year later, he eventually joined the French team permanently.

Overall, while Sissoko was eventually a successful signing, N’jie certainly wasn’t, and around the time the club signed the pair, Pleat was telling them to sign an encouraging talent from the lower divisions who could play all over the pitch.

Spurs missed out on Ollie Watkins

Yes, the youngster that Spurs missed out on signing is indeed England international Ollie Watkins.

According to an article from the Athletic, Pleat recommended a number of talented youngsters to Spurs in the mid-2010s, from James Maddison to Dele Alli and a certain ‘box-to-box midfielder’ from Exeter City.

Yes, before he was terrifying defenders up top, the Newton Abbot-raised marksman was, in his own words, a “utility man” who was happy to play anywhere, including but not limited to “left-wing back, centre midfield, right wing, striker.”

However, while he was at one point more familiar with the role Sissoko played, he soon developed into a seriously deadly attacker, and after wowing fans at Exeter’s St James’ Park, he earned a move to then-Championship side Brentford, where yet more impressive form finally earned him a massive £28m move to Premier League side Aston Villa.

Since his move to Birmingham, the dynamic goalscorer has gone from strength to strength and moved from the wing to the centre-forward position, and, so far, he’s racked up 70 goals and 27 assists in 172 games, which explains why the club value him at a whopping £75m.

Appearances

78

143

172

Goals

26

49

70

Assists

17

17

27

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

0.46

0.56

However, he took another step up last season, as in 53 appearances, he scored 27 goals and provided 13 assists, which helped the Villans qualify for the Champions League and booked him a place at Euro 2024, where he scored England’s winner in the semi-final.

Ultimately, while clubs cannot sign every player recommended by their scouts, on this occasion, Spurs would have been better off listening to Pleat and bringing in Watkins alongside Sissoko instead of N’jie.

He left for £0: Spurs gem who Poch compared to Messi is outscoring Maddison

The talented attacker has thrived away from North London.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 10, 2024

The international break was an opportunity for Manchester United players to turn their form around, and some of them have, although one came in for criticism.

It has been a frustrating start to the new season for the Red Devils and Erik ten Hag, as the club got off to a winning start against Fulham, but since then have suffered two defeats, putting pressure on them on the eve of the league returning.

Rashford is now being outscored by Man Utd flop who was sold by Solskjaer

The talented winger couldn’t make it work at Old Trafford.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2024 Man Utd players on international duty

Like many Premier League clubs, Manchester United have had a lot of players away representing their countries during these last two weeks. It has been an opportunity for them to get away from club football and get back into form with their countries.

The Red Devils have seen four of their five summer signings go away on international duty, with Joshua Zirkzee impressing with the Netherlands as he netted in their 5-2 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte has also impressed once again while playing for Uruguay, as he completed 78 minutes and 90 minutes in the two outings. As well as these two players impressing, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes also done well while on duty with Portugal, as the pair both got on the scoresheet, as it was two wins from two.

Man United have seen many of their other international players excel while on duty, even seeing academy player James Scanlon, who is yet to make his debut for the club, score for Gibraltar and now is just five goals away from their all-time leading goalscorer. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for United’s international players, as one in particular didn't have a great time.

Pundits slam Man United defender De Ligt after Netherlands error

Netherlands and Manchester United defender Matthijs De Ligt was slammed for his performance on Tuesday night against Germany, with the international making a mistake that cost his country the win.

De Ligt started in the Netherlands’ game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, and despite them winning 5-2, the Dutch centre-back did make an unfortunate mistake to make the game a nervy ending. He retained his place in the starting XI against Germany on Tuesday, but once again he made a mistake and was pulled off at half-time, and now there is speculation that his international career may be in jeopardy for the time being.

Pundit Pierre van Hooijdonk for NOS said on De Ligt’s performance: “He had a similar moment in the beginning, where he actually loses the ball in a simple way by means of a pass. And then it happens a second time. That is terrible for De Ligt.

“Ultimately, top sport is very tough, and then it’s over. We all think De Ligt is a great player, but how often has this happened to the Dutch national team? And at almost all crucial moments. At some point, it stops, especially when you have competitors who are of a high level.”

Apps

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Goals

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Assists

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Meanwhile, Rafael van de Vaart’s three-word response to the analyst was: “This is fatal.”

De Light, who is said to be on a weekly wage of £195,000 at Old Trafford, has been capped 46 times by the Netherlands, and he will be hoping he can come back to United and play as best he can between now and the next international break, so he can retain his place in the squad.

Arsenal are poised to once again return to a Premier League rival for reinforcements, if reports are to be believed…

Is Joao Cancelo going to Arsenal?

The latest comes from German outlet Kicker, who detail the Gunners' pursuit of Manchester City star Joao Cancelo.

With the Portugal international having been banished to Bayern Munich for the latter half of last season, the Bavarian giants opted against activating their buy-out clause to keep him at the Allianz permanently.

This has opened up an opportunity for others to try and swoop for the out-of-favour full-back, who would add to most teams he joined.

The report states that the 29-year-old is top of Mikel Arteta's wish list, however, he has drawn up a number of alternatives for that role should they fail in securing his top target.

His expected transfer value of €55.6m (£48m) could prove troublesome given the money they are already set to expend this summer on players such as Kai Havertz and Declan Rice.

Should Arsenal sign Joao Cancelo?

Despite being snubbed by Bayern, that is not to suggest that the Portugal international did not impress during his short stint in Munich.

Maintaining a 6.96 average rating, he would record five goal contributions alongside an 85% pass accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 1.5 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

He was his usual creative self from defence, but to return within a system akin to Arteta's, he could truly thrive.

Having been one of the first to popularise the inverted full-back role under Pep Guardiola, this defender defined a position that is becoming more and more commonplace in the modern game.

During the season in which it arguably reached its peak, Cancelo would boast a 7.33 average rating in the league, buoyed by his offensive figures rather than his work as part of the back line. One goal and seven assists gave way to 1.1 key passes per game, yet he would marry this with 2.3 tackles per game too, via Sofascore.

He was their fourth-highest-rated player within a term where they won the Premier League once again.

This form even led journalist Zach Lowy to laud him, comparing his talents to his exceptional Liverpool counterpart. He wrote: "This season, it seems like the biggest individual rivalry is between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joao Cancelo. Two world-class footballers."

To now place this kind of quality into Arteta's side, allowing him to recapture that form as he is in the midst of his prime years, he could prove to be the catalyst that topples Guardiola's reign over English football.

After all, his presence inverting beside Rice, who is closing in on a move to north London, could prove remarkable.

The creativity of Cancelo would allow the West Ham United captain to thrive as a defensive asset, yet his own beginnings as a defender give him that well-rounded skillset to also allow the 24-year-old to showcase his offensive talents too.

Last term for the Irons, their midfield general would uphold a 7.19 average rating alongside one key pass, 2.1 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

These figures could be set to only increase further if placed alongside the Citizens' former favourite, who would join with a serious point to prove.

With a pairing that could defend, create and score all from the engine room, these two could spur each other on to true greatness.

Chelsea are among the favourites to sign Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer, but they may have to do battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, and they have recently been linked with a move for Real Madrid Castilla's Rafa Marin, who could be available for a cut-price fee, given that his contract is set to expire next summer.

The Blues are also in the race for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, though they will have to do battle for his signature with Manchester United, while Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte also remains an option.

Inacio has been attracting the attention of multiple Premier League clubs, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool recently being named as potential suitors, however the Blues are now very well-placed to compete for his signature.

That is according to reports from Spain (via Caught Offside), with it being detailed that Chelsea are one of the main favourites to acquire the services of the 21-year-old, alongside Liverpool.

However, there is also a great deal of interest in the youngster from abroad, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also being named as interested parties.

Sporting CP are said to be holding out for €50m (£39m), which should be more than affordable for a club with the resources of Chelsea.

Who is Goncalo Inacio?

Despite his age, the Portugal international has been an important player for Sporting for a number of years now, already making a total of 122 appearances for the first team, including 33 in the Portuguese top flight last season.

Hailed as "fantastic" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the starlet has most commonly been utilised at centre-back, but he has shown a keen eye for goal, registering a total of 11 goals and eight assists for Sporting CP.

The Sporting CP star is also very competent defensively, as indicated by the fact he ranks in the 81st percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Although he is only 21 years old, Inacio already has a great deal of first-team experience, and his performances demonstrate he is ready to take the next step in his career, so Chelsea should undoubtedly test the waters with a bid in the coming weeks.

Over the course of his Manchester United managerial career, Sir Alex Ferguson managed to sign some wonderful talents. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic stand out due to their contributions across a significant period of time, winning countless honours.

However, it could be argued that one of his finest signings only won three major honours at the club, yet he had a devastating impact in front of goal – Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Across five seasons, the Dutchman scored 150 goals in just 219 games, displaying his ruthlessness in front of goal, and it’s fair to say his £19m move from PSV Eindhoven was a massive success.

And Erik ten Hag could repeat United’s Van Nistelrooy masterclass, especially since they have shown interest in a young Dutch talent who is currently playing for PSV – Xavi Simons.

Could Manchester United sign Xavi Simons?

According to Voetbal Primeur (via Sport Witness), the Old Trafford side are among those in the hunt for the youngster, alongside teams such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund. Paris Saint-Germain do have a buy-back clause of just €6m (£5.1m), however, which they could activate in July.

No fee was mentioned regarding a move to any other clubs, yet with Football Transfers valuing him at €34.5m (£30m) it may be that the Eredivisie side would be looking to demand a fee in that region at least, as the prodigy enjoyed a stellar campaign.

Despite his tender years, Simons – under the tutelage of Van Nistelrooy himself – was arguably the standout for PSV last term, managing to register 34 goal contributions (22 goals and 12 assists) across 48 matches, adding some silverware as they won the Dutch Cup.

Ten Hag could get a lot of uses out of the former PSG starlet, as he is able to operate in a variety of positions, including on either wing or in an attacking-midfield role, which is his primary position.

His creative talents would be a dream for United, as he created 11 big chances and made 1.7 key passes per game last season, with only Bruno Fernandes showcasing better figures for United across both metrics in the Premier League during 2022/23, clearly suggesting Simons could fit into their side rather well.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed the 20-year-old as “magic” previously, and with United having previous success of signing players from PSV, including the aforementioned Van Nistelrooy and Park Ji-sung over the years, they should be ready to raid the Dutch side once again this summer for a player who could turn into a world-class talent.

Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, leading Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 21-year-old.

Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol

The highly-rated defender is high of the watchlist of a number of big European clubs, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has tipped Manchester City as the most likely to secure the signing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano hinted that the champions of England and Europe are best placed to sign the central defender who starred at the World Cup for Croatia.

"Leipzig are not even accepting €80 million as a price tag for Gvardiol, so I think it will be around €100 million [£85m] instead and I see Man City being in a better position to sign him, but only if they are willing to spend that money, otherwise the player could stay in Leipzig for one more season," he said.

Josko Gvardiol could be City's next Vincent Kompany

City have a wealth of quality at the back, and signing Gvardiol would improve their elite defence even more.

Pep Guardiola tweaked City’s system this season, opting for an unusual 3-2-4-1 formation instead of their traditional 4-3-3 formation in which full-backs were constantly overlapping.

In the defensive three were three ball-playing centre-backs.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were typically the trio, while John Stones was turned into a transitional midfielder in a hybrid holding role.

Although Dias would be considered the premier defender in this side, City have yet to match the quality of club legend and former captain, Vincent Kompany.

Gvardiol could be that very replacement, and at just 21 years-old, he could become a pivotal part of the Manchester City team for years to come.

The Croatian "monster" – as hailed by Romano back in December – is the glue of the RB Leipzig defence.

The Bundesliga outfit have won 32 of the 59 games the centre-back has played.

Similar to the no-nonsense Kompany, Gvardiol loves a tackle, registering 219 of them in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season and winning 60 aerial duels.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both put the Leipzig defender in their World Cup 2022 team of the tournament, with Ferdinand proclaiming that the City target was his favourite centre back at the tournament.

“He’s young, he’s 21 years old, so to come and perform the way he did, so mature, so calm.

“He is really good on the ball, in the early stages coming out with the ball a lot. Against Messi and Argentina he got turned quite a few times, but this is Messi, so I would put that to one side. In general, I thought he was [a] stand-out for me. I think he has got a chance to go on and become one of the best defenders in the world, if he can continue improving like this.”

Kompany was of the world’s best defenders in his time at City, and Gvardiol could become the second coming of the Belgian international for the blue half of Manchester.

He, at 22, made a similar switch from the Bundesliga, signing for the Manchester giants from Hamburger SV back in 2008.

Good teams don’t wait until the team becomes stale to begin rebuilding, they continually look to improve whether results are good or bad.

Guardiola, fresh from the treble, could send out a major statement signing one of Europe’s hottest young prospects to add to his already stout defence.

Manchester United look set to finally complete a deal for Kim Min-jae, with a report from Il Mattino, via Sport Witness, stating that the club will pay his release clause and that the player has agreed terms.

Is Kim Min-Jae joining Manchester United?

The defender has been in fine form for Napoli this campaign, featuring in 35 Serie A games for the side and bagging two goals with two assists along the way. Despite it only being his first season in Italy, he has already become an important member of the first-team and has helped his side to a league title victory along the way.

Despite having to adapt to a new country, Kim has shown no signs of letting it deter him. In fact, he has ranked as one of the best in his position amongst those in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. His ability with the ball at his feet is clear to see, with the centre-back ranking within the top ten percent for his pass completion rate (90.2%) and his 4.81 progressive passes per 90 puts him in the 88th percentile too. It means that he is excellent at playing out from the back, a trait required to play in Erik ten Hag's defence.

He could suit the Man United team well then and it appears as though a deal is pretty much done to send him to the Premier League. According to a report from Naples-based outlet Il Mattino, via Sport Witness, a move is "sure" to go through on July 1, as the Red Devils have agreed to pay his 60 million Euro (or £51m) release clause. With the player having also accepted personal terms according to this report, it seems as though the only thing left to do is to finalise the deal when the clause officially becomes active in July.

"From July 1st he will be at Manchester United who will pay the 60 million clause," their report reads.

When does Kim Min-jae's contract expire?

The defender's current deal expires in 2025 too, so for the player to leave already having spent only one season with Napoli would be a blow for the club. When you consider how highly he is regarded too, it means the Italians won't be happy to see him leave the side.

Former player Park Ji-Sung for example has been impressed with Kim, stating that he is an "extraordinary" talent because of his showings in the Serie A.

Kim then looks like he could soon be unveiled as a United player – and if he is, then it would certainly be a welcome addition to their backline.

Rangers have signalled their interest in signing Los Angeles FC winger Kwadwo Opoku, though their Old Firm rivals are also in the race, according to a recent report.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

With Ryan Kent leaving Ibrox this summer, Michael Beale will need to bring in a replacement, and the manager has started to run the rule over a number of potential targets.

Having missed out on him in January, the Gers have recently reignited their interest in signing Swansea City's Morgan Whittaker, while Sunderland's Jack Clarke is also an option, with Beale trying to get the majority of his transfer business done early.

The Light Blues have also considered some more unknown players from abroad, including Aris Thessaloniki star Luis Palma, as well as Brian Gutierrez, who currently plays for MLS side Chicago Fire.

Another MLS player that Beale has set his sights on is Opoku, according to Fussball Transfers (via Sport Witness), with it being reported that Los Angeles FC may allow him to leave for anywhere between €3.7m and €4.8m (£3.2m-£4.1m)

Both Rangers and Celtic have signalled their interest in the Ghanaian, placing him on their summer target list, but there is set to be a great deal of competition for his signature, with the likes of Stuttgart, Nice and Bordeaux also named as potential suitors.

At the moment, Los Angeles FC are under no pressure to sell the 21-year-old, as he is contracted until the end of this calendar year, with the option of an extra year.

Who is Kwadwo Opoku?

The Accra-born attacker has started to make a name for himself in MLS, after signing for Los Angeles FC back in October 2020, weighing in with seven goals and two assists in the 2022 regular season.

During the current campaign, the starlet has picked up where he left off, making 13 appearances in the league, and he has averaged 1.5 dribbles per game – the fourth-highest figure in the squad – while 0.8 key passes ranks him fifth.

Football scout Jacek Kulig has previously given an overview of the 5 foot 7 speedster's key traits, claiming that he possesses "pace", "acceleration" and "flair" – all of which are important qualities for an attacking player.

Opoku is still young and relatively unproven, so signing him would undoubtedly be a risk, but he has all the key attributes to become a top-quality player.