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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Paul Robinson has named Phil Foden as one of the Manchester City players Liverpool should be wary of this weekend.

What did he say?

The two clubs are set to meet at Anfield on Sunday in a crucial fixture in the title race. A win for Liverpool would put them nine points clear with just 12 games gone and put City’s defence of the title under serious threat.

However, the former England international has stated that Liverpool should be wary of an unexpected man in Foden.

When asked if there is any player the Reds would not want to face, Robinson told Football insider: “Well do you know what…Phil Foden came off the bench and he kind of changed the tempo of the game, he changed the pace of the game, he created chances, he had a couple of chances for himself and I think he’s outstanding.

“He’s obviously a local who is having to bide his time there, but with David Silva going at the end of the season, he’s obviously been earmarked for that position, that slot if you like, so he’s having to bide his time as he’s getting very little game time.

“But when he came off the bench, I thought he was outstanding with everything that he did.”

Time to shine

There is little doubt that Foden is going to be one of City’s main men for the future. The inevitable departure of Silva at the end of the season is eventually going to force the youngster in as one of the club’s playmakers. However, this weekend, Foden has a chance to shine with the Spaniard set to miss the game with an injury.

The academy graduate has once again proved his worth this season, putting in magnificent display against Atalanta a few weeks back. The Englishman has one goal and one assist in the Champions League this season, and against Southampton in the EFL Cup, Foden made one key pass and successfully completed all three dribbles.

With a midfield consisting of names like Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum, the battle could be won and lost in the centre. Foden’s creativity and agile nature could be a worry for such players and he has shown over the last year that he has the capabilities to unlock any defence.

Could it be time for him to fully burst onto the scene with a defining cameo against City’s title nemesis?

Already thinking about their 2025 recruitment strategy, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly eyeing a move to sign a future star in a deal that would see them beat the likes of Arsenal to the youngster’s signature.

Wolves transfer news

Those in the in the Midlands endured a mixed summer. Whilst they lost both Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, the late additions of Andre and Carlos Forbs should prove to be money well spent, though only time will tell whether that is in fact the case.

Wolves could unearth their next Jimenez with teen sensation

Gary O’Neil may have the club’s next version of Jimenez brewing in the academy…

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 14, 2024

Andre is a particularly interesting arrival. The Brazilian previously attracted the interest of Liverpool before a move ultimately never developed. Getting his Premier League chance courtesy of Wolves nonetheless, Andre could now make the Reds regret their hesitant pursuit by becoming a key part of Gary O’Neil’s midfield.

Still just 23 years old and fresh from a standout spell at Fluminense, Andre could prove to be one of the most underrated signings of the summer transfer window in the Premier League. But Wolves aren’t done there when it comes to midfield additions, it seems.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Wolves are now keen on signing Souleymane Sidibe from Stoke City in a deal that would see them beat the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Midlands rivals Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest to his signature.

Just 17 years old, the central midfielder is already playing a part for Stoke’s first team in the Championship, grabbing an assist from the bench in his first league appearance of the season as the Potters defeated Plymouth Argyle 1-0.

Now, the teenager could get the chance to make a similar move to the one that Archie Gray completed in the summer, as he swapped Leeds United for Tottenham Hotspur. Potentially following in his footsteps, Sidibe has quite the decision to make in 2025.

"Terrific" Sidibe is one for the future

For a club like Wolves, welcoming young talent before developing them into top prospects should be the way forward and there would be no better way to represent that plan than by signing Sidibe. The teenager looks destined for the Premier League and the idea of such a talent working alongside Andre and Joao Gomes is a mouth-watering one, to say the least.

The current campaign isn’t Sidibe’s first in senior football of course, having earned the praise of former manager Alex Neil last season. Neil told BBC Stoke Radio after handing the midfielder his first senior start in a Carabao Cup win over West Bromwich Albion last season: “I thought his performance justified why he’s been with the first team all pre-season and why I played him in the game.

“I had no concerns over him. He’s a terrific talent but he’s also really mature, for being so young. He did exactly as I expected him to do – he did wonderfully well and he’s played in a Stoke team that won the game, and played the majority of the match.

“I think when you’re 16 years old, most players of that age could only dream of doing something like that.”

Derby County finally announced themselves to the Championship on their return to the second tier versus Bristol City, as Paul Warne's Rams emphatically put Bristol City to the sword 3-0 last time out.

The only other victory this season Derby had collected in the league was a slender 1-0 win when Warne's men faced off against Michael Carrick's tricky Middlesbrough outfit, but this more recent three points in front of the home masses at Pride Park was way more of a breeze.

Derby will hope they can pick up more stylish victories when the international break is over and done with, knowing that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has a lot more to give the newly promoted outfit.

Mendez-Laing this season so far

The former Cardiff City man was instrumental last season in Derby winning promotion back up to the Championship via the top two, with the experienced head setting League One alight with his sublime performances.

The 32-year-old attacker would amass a ridiculous nine goals and 16 assists in league action, with his importance to the cause only heightened moving up a league, when you consider his previous nous at the tricky level.

He already has two assists next to his name from Derby's opening four league clashes, but both of those goal contributions came on the opening night away at Blackburn Rovers, with nothing falling his way since.

That isn't to say Mendez-Laing didn't bust a gut for his side in the convincing 3-0 success over the Robins, with the skilful Rams number 11 even hitting the woodwork from his bright 74 minutes on the Pride Park turf, but the goals and assists just haven't been as free flowing as his standout season in League One.

Warne could be tempted to explore the free agent market to try and give Mendez-Laing a new exciting partner down the left, even with recent developments suggesting that the Derby boss would have to ditch a member of his 25-man squad to accommodate a new acquisition.

With Craig Forsyth now 35 years of age and very much in the twilight stages of his career, a new left-back might well be on the former Rotherham United manager's mind regardless, gifting the Rams another face to compete with Callum Elder who could get even more out of their 32-year-old star-man.

Why Derby should consider Brandon Williams

Brandon Williams could well be the man Derby desire to bolster their numbers in the left-back spot, away from over-relying on their current Australian first-teamer.

The ex-Manchester United youth product is still on the hunt for a new club after being released by the Red Devils this summer, which might well be seen as a surprise when you take into account his memorable loan stint with Ipswich last season.

Games played

15

Games started

8

Goals scored

2

Goal conversion

67%

Assists

0

Touches

44.5

Accurate passes*

23.1 (82%)

Tackles*

1.9

Ball recoveries*

4.5

Total duels won*

4.7

Williams' whirlwind spell at Portman Road would see him score two goals from just 15 appearances as a livewire option down the left – which included the outrageous solo strike above versus Preston North End – with his willingness to launch into duels also a major plus, winning 4.7 of them on average per match.

Kieran McKenna, who also had Williams under his wing when he was a coach at Man United before taking on the Tractor Boys job, would describe the 24-year-old's moment of magic against Preston as "incredible", whilst also applauding his drive and determination away from the outrageous goal.

He could be utilised as an impact subsitute option, therefore, when teams in the second tier are flagging and Derby want to expose that, with only eight starts handed to him in Suffolk despite McKenna's glowing words.

Capable of also playing at the right-back spot if needed, Williams' constant energy and bite could get more out of Mendez-Laing, who will want to continue to see out his playing days in Derbyshire with a bang.

Derby hit gold on amazing star who's worth more than Cashin & Mendez-Laing

Derby County fans will see this former star in action next season against the Rams.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 23, 2024

Arsenal look set to see a £45,000-a-week first-team player leave the club alongside the deal to sell Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace, according to a new report.

Mikel Arteta’s side continued their strong start to the new Premier League season over the weekend, as they beat Aston Villa 2-0. That win means it is two victories out of two for the Gunners, as they look to mount a title challenge once again in this 2024/25 campaign. Despite the good start, Arteta is still looking to make some changes to his squad as the transfer window enters the final few days.

Arsenal ready to make late offer to sign "incredible" £70m Trossard repeat

They face competition from Manchester City…

3 ByTom Cunningham Aug 26, 2024 Arsenal transfer news

It has been a rather quiet transfer window for Arsenal so far, as the Premier League side have made just two additions, with one of those being goalkeeper David Raya joining on a permanent basis after spending last season on loan at the club.

The other arrival is Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club in a big-money move from Serie A side Bologna. The 22-year-old has had to be patient in the first couple of games, as he’s played just 11 minutes of football so far. Meanwhile, Arsenal haven’t seen many departures from their first-team squad, with the one exception being midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe, who joined Fulham last month.

Riccardo Calafiori

Bologna

David Raya

Brentford

As per Transfermarkt

Apart from him, the Gunners’ other departures were players whose contracts had expired at the end of last season and were allowed to leave the football club, and a few players who have left on loan. However, that could soon be about to change, as Nketiah appears close to the exit door.

Arsenal are expected to accept Crystal Palace’s offer to sign Nketiah in what remains of this transfer window. The bid that Palace made is said to have been £25 million plus a further £5 million in add-ons, similar to what Nottingham Forest had in place for the striker.

But Nketiah might not be the only departure out of the Emirates in these final few days of the transfer window, as a midfielder looks close to following him out the exit door.

Fabio Vieira set to leave Arsenal on loan

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, relayed by Sport Witness, there is an agreement in place between FC Porto and Arsenal over the signing of midfielder Fabio Vieira. The report goes on to add that the agreement between the two clubs will see the Portuguese midfielder return to Porto on loan, with the club paying no loan fee to Arsenal, despite reports to the contrary from Fabrizio Romano.

However, as there has been a compromise on the loan fee, Porto will instead cover Vieira’s entire salary this season, which is said to be £45,000 a week. The report goes on to add that there has been no mention of the player potentially taking a pay cut to facilitate this move, while Porto will not have a buy option as part of this loan move for the 2024//25 season.

Vieira joined the Gunners from Porto in 2022, and since joining the Premier League side, he has gone on to play 49 times for the club in all competitions, but his game time hasn’t been as regular as he would have hoped for, with him playing just 11 times in the league last season.

Manchester United will be desperate to build on their solid debut campaign under Erik ten Hag and as Champions League football is set to grace the Old Trafford pitch once again following a hiatus last term, the Dutchman will be keen to strengthen.

Not only that, but he will also be looking at moving some of the deadwood out of United that has dragged them down, with Harry Maguire being a player who must be banished from the Red Devils.

Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a move for the player last month and despite claims that he wants to remain at the club and fight for his place, the Dutchman looks certain to improve his defensive options.

Maguire started just 16 games last season, with only half of those coming in the Premier League and his current earnings of £190k-per-week were not rewarded with regular game time – hence why he should be moved on.

United have shown interest in Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard according to Football Transfers and he could be the perfect replacement for the club's struggling skipper.

Could Benjamin Pavard sign for Manchester United?

The Bundesliga giants are reportedly allowing the Frenchman to leave should they receive offers of around €30m (£26m) this summer and Ten Hag could see this as a deal which represents excellent value.

The World Cup winner has tended to play more as a right-back during his career, but last season for Bayern, he featured heavily at centre-back and this adaptability could be a big plus in terms of Ten Hag launching a potential move.

Pavard could give United an unlikely goal threat, as he ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.18) and top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.58) however, it is his ability to bring the ball out of defence that could entice the United boss into signing him.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (7.59) and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (1.31) across the big five leagues in Europe among those in his position, suggesting that he’d be a perfect fit for Ten Hag’s tactical system which relies heavily on defenders playing out from the back.

In contrast, Maguire makes only 3.09 progressive passes per 90 and 0.95 progressive carries per 90 across Europe's big five leagues, and these are much lower totals than the Bayern star, thus rendering his role as obsolete should he arrive.

The former Stuttgart defender was lauded as being a “real talent” by former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and for a paltry £26m, Ten Hag might not make a better signing in terms of value for money all summer.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season's successful promotion-winning campaign.

With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.

Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.

It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.

Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?

City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.

Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.

"I consider myself versatile. I'm available for whatever the coach asks," he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. "At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I'd always played right wing, and he likes me to play there."

It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.

Indeed, FBref's comparison model lists Liverpool's Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.

The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).

Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.

With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.

But as someone described as "a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.

Leeds United may be without a manager, but it seems the 49ers are just as keen on bolstering the playing squad as they are the Elland Road dugout.

The new owners will be keen to stamp their mark on the club, having acquired it in near-ruin after Andrea Radrizzani's checkered tenure. It will take a monumental task to return this giant establishment back to the top, and the hope will be it does not take another 16 years to do so.

Through investing shrewdly this summer, there will arguably be no better time to utilise the Premier League parachute payments to bounce straight back into the big time.

In doing so, they could also offload plenty of their ageing deadwood, who have arguably plagued the club for far too long. Few encapsulate this type of player more so than Luke Ayling.

Fortunately for his adversaries, last month the Whites were noted as one interested party for Fenerbahce full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel, whose arrival could bring an end to the 31-year-old's seven-year stay in Yorkshire.

Is Bright Osayi-Samuel better than Luke Ayling?

Having already spent a portion of his career in the Championship, immediately the Nigeria international would boast the pedigree needed to thrive at this level despite being just 25 years old.

His final year before moving to Turkey outlined the offensive qualities that could see him become an influential figure on the pitch too, as he posted five goal contributions and maintained one key pass per game in that division, via Sofascore.

Although struggling last term in the Super Lig, he retains a bright future ahead, but a career in desperate need of re-ignition. He could prove a match made in heaven for the Whites, who are a club that also needs revitalising.

At the very least Osayi-Samuels is certain to improve their current right-back spot, which has been occupied by a man who has consistently struggled at the Premier League level.

Ayling's 6.60 average rating most recently in that division was almost mimicked the campaign prior, suggesting two straight years of mediocrity and rash decisions that even led pundit Jamie Carragher to brand him an "idiot".

For comparison, Mark Warburton instead sought to praise Osayi-Samuel during his last stint in England, claiming:

"I thought he was very, very good. If you remember Bristol City away earlier in the season he gave the full-back a torrid time. He's been very good in spells in games but today he was consistent from the first whistle to the 75th minute. I'm not sure many teams have that blistering pace. As long as he knows how to use it and that's the key for him learning the game.

"Today he was outstanding and deserved the applause."

The 49ers may be stalling over the all-important managerial decision, but in this particular role a switch should be a no-brainer. Ayling has been a wonderful servant to the Yorkshire club, but his age is clearly catching up with him and he must be ditched.

He poses little comparison with the £15k-per-week stalwart, who is yet to even reach his prime.

Chelsea could still launch a move for Aymeric Laporte this summer, with transfer reporter Rudy Galetti stating that the defender remains on the Blues' wanted list.

Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?

The Man City defender did feature for his club during their historic 2022/23 season but not as frequently as he probably would have liked. With the Premier League outfit going on to win the league, FA Cup and Champions League, the centre-back only got onto the field in the top flight on 12 occasions with eleven starts. It's the lowest amount of games he has had yet over the course of his City career.

He still impressed when he was trusted on the field though, ranking in the 99th percentile for attempted passes (86.43 per 90) and progressive carries (2.59 per 90) amongst players in his position in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. It shows that his ability hasn't waned and he is still a very capable, ball-playing and offensively driven centre-back.

It appears that a stay in England is a real possibility for Laporte now too. That's because reliable journalist Rudy Galletti has revealed that Chelsea are still keeping tabs on the defender and that despite Bayern Munich also holding an interest, he is still very much a wanted man by those at Stamford Bridge.

No official bid or offer has yet been made for the Spaniard though and he adds that the situation is "evolving" in terms of the interest around the player.

What is Laporte's transfer value?

No potential fee has been mentioned in the report but CIES Football Observatory suggest that Laporte's value could be around the 40 million Euro (or £34m) mark. It means that a deal wouldn't break the bank for the Blues and would mean they have another body in their backline.

He could be worth the fee too considering his experience in the game. Not only has he won Premier League titles and a Champions League with Man City, but has been good enough to earn time with Spain too, after changing citizienship from playing for France's youth sides.

To add to his 281 club appearances in the league over the course of his career, the national side have also given him 21 caps in total. It shows the defender's abilities in that he is trusted on the big stage – and a player like him, labelled "incredible" by Pep Guardiola, could really boost the defence at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham Hotspur may elect to loan out striker Troy Parrott this summer to give him some more first-team experience to develop, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Troy Parrott?

As per Transfermarkt, Parrott spent the 2022/23 campaign out on loan at Preston North End and endured a difficult time of things at Deepdale, where he never really got going, registering just four goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Despite this, Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has recalled the 21-year-old for their crunch Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece and has backed the £12k-a-week ace to get back to his best, stating in an interview quoted by The Irish Sun: “Troy hasn’t backed that up this year. He had a hamstring injury during the middle of the season and it was bad. I had a long conversation with Troy in Bristol [at a national team training camp] — and his next move is important for him. “He knew in the last camp because I left him out of the last game, he wasn’t at the level he had been. He’s honest and he’ll say, ‘I’m missing chances I should be scoring, I wanted to be better and further on than I am now."

According to Football London, there are question marks over whether Parrott will have a long-term future at Tottenham and young striker Jamie Donley is believed to be ahead of him in the pecking order in N17.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Parrott is likely to exit Spurs on a loan basis once again this summer while he believes that boss Ange Postecoglou may give an opportunity to youngster Dane Scarlett to stake a claim for first-team action.

Jones told FFC: "There has to be a consideration to loan these players out. I think Parrott probably will go out on loan, but I think there'll be more temptation to give Scarlett a chance."

Will Tottenham Hotspur give Troy Parrott a chance under Ange Postecoglou?

Right now, it looks doubtful; however, Postecoglou does have a knack of reviving players' fortunes when coming into a particular club that many punters may not expect to have a prayer of becoming first-team regulars.

One of his most recent examples of this was at Celtic, where he gave forgotten right-back Anthony Ralston, who was previously completely out of the picture at the Scottish giants, a chance to stake his claim for senior involvement, eventually culminating in the 23-year-old becoming an important contributor for Celtic and also earning international recognition with Scotland.

Of course, this isn't related to Tottenham in any way, shape or form, though it is an indication of the type of manager Postecoglou is and how he can turn around the fortunes of fringe stars.

His main priority will be trying to keep hold of star man Harry Kane, who has been linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United; nevertheless, he will need an understudy or two to help deputise in attack when needed.

Whether Parrott, who was hailed as a "leader" on loan at Preston last season, can be that man remains to be seen, though he will need to take his chance in pre-season to have any opportunity to feature under the Australian boss in 2023/24.

An update has emerged on Burnley and their plans to bolster their midfield options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Fabian Ruiz to Burnley?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany has Paris Saint-Germain star Fabian Ruiz at the top of his shortlist as the Belgian is prioritising a deal for him.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 giants are prepared to sanction a departure for the Spaniard if they receive an acceptable offer, although it is unclear how much they would want for his services.

However, it is stated that the player is not willing to let go of his current contract terms with PSG as the ace is earning €5m-per-year (£4.29m), which works out at roughly £82.6k-per-week.

How has Fabian Ruiz performed this season?

The 27-year-old powerhouse has enjoyed a strong campaign in the top-flight with the champions and his performances in France suggest that he would be a big upgrade on current Burnley star Josh Cullen.

Ruiz has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 27 appearances in Ligue 1 and made three tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a pass success rate of 92% and five direct goal involvements (three goals and two assists).

The former Napoli gem, who was once dubbed as an "artist" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is a midfielder who combines defensive reliability with quality passing and contributions in the final third.

Cullen is similar in style and the Irishman averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.0 across 43 outings in the Championship for the Clarets in 2022/23.

The 27-year-old made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match and completed 88% of his passes to go with his five goal involvements (one goal and four assists), which suggests that Ruiz is more efficient with passing ability and, marginally, makes more defensive interventions per game to help his team to cut out opposition attacks.

Their respective statistics indicate that the PSG battler is an upgrade on Cullen as the former Napoli star has performed at a higher level week-in-week-out, on the ball and defensively, whilst in a major European league instead of a second-tier division, which means that the gem has proven himself at the top level, unlike the Clarets talent.

Ruiz has also averaged more progressive carries and successful take-ons combined per 90 (2.49) over the last 365 days than the Burnley midfielder (1.64) and this suggests that the Spaniard would be able to drive the team up the pitch more frequently than the ex-Anderlecht man to get the side into good positions in the final third.

Therefore, Kompany could improve his team by swooping to sign Ruiz this summer as his statistics show that he could cede possession less frequently and make more of an impact on and off the ball in matches in the Premier League next term.