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Crystal Palace’s recruitment model over the last few years has allowed the club to develop into a particularly solid Premier League side.

Steve Parish and the hierarchy have narrowed their focus to signing younger players who have the potential to develop at Selhurst Park, making an impact on the first team whilst also banking a profit in the years ahead.

Michael Olise is an excellent example of the club’s recruitment, joining in a £8m deal from Championship side Reading back in the summer of 2021, before making 90 appearances for the Eagles and leaving in a £50m move to Bayern Munich this summer.

Eberechi Eze is another example of their scouting of England’s second tier, arriving in a £16m move from QPR, with the attacking midfielder now a consistent England international who has cemented himself as one of the very best talents in the division.

However, despite their excellent incomings, the club may have made a mistake in allowing one youngster to depart South London.

The Palace man who left too soon

Palace’s academy has been the home to many impressive talents, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka just one star to breakthrough into the first team before banking the club £50m when he moved to Manchester United in 2019.

However, fellow defender Jake O’Brien is another example of a young talent who was seen as one for the future, but unfortunately for the fanbase, was sold to Ligue 1 side Lyon last season.

The Irishman only moved to Selhurst Park in 2021 from Cork City, but after two years in the academy setup, he departed the club for just £1m and failed to make a single first-team appearance.

O’Brien has since gone on to star in Ligue 1 for Lyon, making 32 appearances for the French side in 2023/24, scoring five goals from centre-back – as he helped the club secure a return to European football.

As a result of his stellar performances, he’s seen a big change in his career, whilst also seeing a huge increase in his market value.

Jake O’Brien’s market value in 2024

Just 12 months on from his departure from South London, O’Brien swapped Ligue 1 for a return to the Premier League in a move to join relegation battlers Everton.

The 23-year-old joined Sean Dyche’s side for a fee in the region of £16m – a huge figure compared to the price received for his services last summer.

His transfer fee this summer yields a 1500% increase on the price he left Palace for to join Lyon, with the club undoubtedly selling the youngster too cheaply.

The situation could’ve been made worse should current centre-back Marc Guehi have left the club during the transfer window – potentially leaving Oliver Glasner’s side light in defensive areas.

O’Brien’s career has jumped to the next level after his move, becoming a regular in the Republic of Ireland international squad – further adding to his value and inflicting yet more pain on Palace.

His talents would’ve been perfect for the current Eagles squad, providing yet more defensive solidity and handing Glasner more quality in his attempts to secure a top-half finish this season.

However, it will remain a case of what could’ve been for the club, with Parish having to live with the consequences of selling the talented youngster on the cheap.

Crystal Palace flop left in 2020, now he's outscoring Nketiah by a mile

Crystal Palace may have regrets over the way they handled this exit.

By
Connor Holden

Sep 6, 2024

Sporting CP manager Joao Pereira has been fired following a poor run of form, just six weeks after he replaced Ruben Amorim.

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Pereira axed after just a month in chargeEx-U23 coach promoted to senior teamThree wins in eight games saw him firedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Just six weeks after Amorim's departure to join Manchester United, Sporting CP have fired former U23's coach Joao Pereira, who stepped up to the senior side to replace Amorim.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At the point of Amorim's departure, Sporting were top of the Liga Portugal and looked favorites to clinch the title for the second year running. However, since naming Pereira as head coach, Sporting have won just three games from eight, which included a 5-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League, less than a month after a 4-1 win over Man City in the same competition.

The Sporting hierarchy had enough of the lackluster performances and in a showing of un-Christmassy spirit, announced Pereira's dismissal with six minutes of Christmas Day remaining.

WHAT SPORTING SAID

Sporting announced Pereira's exit on X, writing: "A Lion forever. Thank you, Joao Pereira."

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WHAT NEXT FOR SPORTING CP?

Sporting have turned to Rui Borges, formerly of Vitoria de Guimaraes, in a bid to get their season back on track. They host Benfica on Sunday, having slipped a point behind their Lisbon rivals in the title race.

After an unbeaten start to the new Premier League season, Arsenal didn't particularly need an international break to get in the way of things. Nor did many top-flight teams saying that.

The Gunners began their conquest for glory with wins over Wolves and Aston Villa but Brighton halted them in their tracks courtesy of Declan Rice's controversial red card.

Rice will, of course, now miss the big clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. With Mikel Merino also missing after suffering a shoulder injury during his first training session, it's safe to say Mikel Arteta is going to have to rustle up a cunning plan to defeat Arsenal's fierce rivals.

They will, however, be buoyed by a new option for their attack. Following his deadline day loan move from Chelsea, Raheem Sterling has had nearly two weeks' worth of training to get used to the style of things in the north side of London.

It's unlikely he's given a start straight from the off but we'd all love a derby day debut goal, wouldn't we?

That said, they will have to try and achieve that without skipper Martin Odegaard.

The latest on Martin Odegaard's injury

On Monday evening Arsenal fans across the globe sat there rocking back and forth. The unthinkable had happened; a big injury blow during what has to be described as a rather pointless international break.

We're being a bit petty here, but for Odegaard to pick an injury ahead of a vital week of action for Arteta's side is incredibly frustrating.

They face Spurs on Sunday, then get their Champions League quest underway in midweek before facing Manchester City the weekend after.

So, what's the prognosis on the Norwegian? Well, during his nation's win over Austria early this week he was on the end of a rough challenge that resulted in the midfielder's ankle twisting nastily.

Initially thought to have a 50/50 chance of making the game it's now unlikely he'll play any part with suggestions that he could be absent for the next three to four weeks of action.

That's according to Norway team doctor Ola Sand, who said: "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus and then it can take longer. What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.

"Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time. In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus."

So, it's not great news over the international break, really. Rice may have scored against the Republic of Ireland but with Riccardo Calafiori also nursing a knock, Arteta is unlikely to be too pleased.

There was also a slightly concerning display from Brazil's Gabriel Magalhaes.

Gabriel's 4/10 performance for Brazil

Now a mainstay at the heart of the Brazilian defence, as well as for his club side, the centre-back is slowly but surely making himself a major part of his nation's team.

However, an unconvincing display during the South American country's 1-0 defeat to Paraguay is unlikely to do him too many favours in the battle to impress supporters.

Indeed, he was arguably at fault for the only goal of the game. A ball came into the box from the left channel and truth be told, his headed clearance was weak and not really away from danger.

The Paraguayan's pounced on Gabriel's misfortune with Diego Gomez picking up possession on the edge of the box before bending a luscious finish beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

What did the stats say? Well, on that front it wasn't an awful night.

Gabriel vs Paraguay

Minutes played

90

Touches

94

Accurate passes

75/83 (90%)

Ground duels won

2/3

Aerial duels won

2/3

Possession lost

8x

Clearances

4

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Long balls

4/9

Stats via Sofascore.

The media didn't really agree with that impressive assessment though with one Brazilian outlet, Zerho Hora, handing him a 4.5/10 match rating. Some people are tough to please, eh?

Arsenal fans will no doubt hope that this was a minor blip and Gabriel will be at the top of his game when he resumes his partnership with William Saliba this weekend.

Related Arsenal's "elite" star could be unleashed in new role after Odegaard blow

Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty with Norway.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Sep 10, 2024

With Chelsea looking to add an attacking thrust to their side, they have recently acquired tricky Wolves winger, Pedro Neto.

The 24-year-old can play off both wings and even through the middle if needed, adding pace, 1v1 ability and creation.

One player this could help is Chelsea's new striker signing, Samu Omorodion, by linking the creativity out wide of Neto, and the box presence of 6 foot 4 Omorodion. Nicolas Jackson could also be a beneficiary of Neto's arrival, due to his ability to find passes in behind for the striker.

But Chelsea could go out and add another striker to the mix, looking to create a frightening trio with Neto and Chelsea POTY, Cole Palmer in attack, with Victor Osimhen remaining on their wishlist.

Chelsea's hunt for another striker

According to reports from the Daily Star, Chelsea are still interested in a move for Brighton forward, Evan Ferguson.

Manchester United are another club interested, and they could even move first for the 19-year-old, in attempt to beat Chelsea to his signature.

Despite already signing Omorodion from Atlético Madrid, Chelsea could still be on the lookout for another striking option, with the possibility of Jackson being moved out to the left wing. The 19-year-old fits Chelsea's recent transfer strategy of buying the best and highest-rated youngsters in the world.

Ferguson made 36 appearances for Brighton in all competitions last season, scoring six goals, providing one assist, and totalling 1,721 minutes played, despite suffering multiple injuries.

Ferguson and Neto as a partnership

Neto, the new Chelsea signing, will bring a bundle of creative qualities to the side. The 24-year-old made 24 appearances for Wolves last season, scoring three goals and providing 11 assists.

He averaged 0.53 assists per 90, made 5.82 progressive carries per 90, and produced 2.26 key passes per 90, all of which are qualities that could help unlock a centre-forward at Chelsea. Of course, they already have Jackson and Omorodion on the books, but Ferguson could be another worth watching.

Ferguson showed in the 2022/23 season his ability to be clinical in front of goal at such a young age, scoring ten goals in his debut season at senior level. And his metrics still show this, having a 56.8% shot on target percentage, and over-performing his xG by +0.06 per 90.

The 19-year-old was described as a player with "very big potential" by manager Roberto De Zerbi, after scoring his first Premier League goal back in December 2022.

Standing at around 6 foot 2, Ferguson has a physical frame, perfect for the Premier League, which with time and development could be one of his biggest weapons, winning more aerial duels (currently only averaging 0.80 per 90) and becoming even more of a box presence because of it.

With Chelsea and United both interested, it's clear the raw talent Ferguson possesses, and perhaps a move to Chelsea to work with Neto, Palmer and Co, would unlock his clinical finishing even more, and take him to that next level that is already projected for him.

Watch out Omorodion: Chelsea want PL ace who's a bigger talent than Solanke

The Blues are still looking to improve their forward line this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 11, 2024

Big picture

It appears the narrative of this series is set. England have committed to being the marauders and India are, as they’ve always been, the pragmatists. It’s like cricket’s own version of a buddy cop show.In the absence of Eoin Morgan, who split the webbing on his right hand on Tuesday, Jos Buttler will lead the troublemakers. The ones that don’t play by the rules but by their own. A set of fearless, gung-ho entertainers who truly believe in – and as a result, enhance the threat of – the firepower at their disposal. If ever there was a team that could touch 500 in an ODI, it is this lot. And no amount of collapses or defeats will sway them off this path. Better these wounds than those of 2015.Virat Kohli’s men are a little more straight-laced. They go by the book. They dot the I’s, cross the T’s because that’s how they have learned to get the job done. But lately, even they’ve been thinking about taking part in the shenanigans. Funnily enough, they’re doing by the book too.Ishan Kishan was selected for India on the day he nearly scored a double-hundred in a one-day domestic game. Krunal Pandya captains his state side and he’s here after racking up an average of 129 and a strike-rate of 117 in this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy. India have understood the need for evolution. They are on the lookout for players with a 360 degree game and the ability to bring it out from ball one. Their talent pool knows it too. They know what they have to do to earn their cap and they are proving themselves ready for it.Ever since the 2019 World Cup, ODI cricket has been on a significant upswing. Now with teams like England re-imagining the limits of the game and India finding a new superstar every other day, there is no telling how much fun is in store.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches first)India: WWLLL
England: LLWLL

In the spotlight

Everyone has something to say about KL Rahul. And they are all mostly good. The team management backs him to the hilt. The experts see him as an all-format player. He himself has been expanding his game – taking on wicketkeeping duties and indulging in IPL captaincy – to make sure his cricket touches a new level. But you get the feeling he sometimes thinks too much, and that if he lets himself go for just a bit – play on instinct like the way Rohit Sharma does – he could unlock something glorious.In a game that was choking with headline-grabbing events, there was a moment of weirdness. Ben Stokes fumbled a ball coming straight at him and it went for four. He does not do that. He is more pluck the type to darn thing out of thin air while being suspended parallel to the ground. He is box office. But that’s not been as readily apparent in this series. There was that blitz in the first Test. Then he threatened to single-handedly win the fourth T20I, but a boss-mode performance from the world’s premier allrounder hasn’t quite come to pass. There’s still time though.

Team news

Shreyas Iyer’s shoulder injury opens up a spot in the middle order, and as replacements go, Rishabh Pant probably ain’t so bad. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t look in his usual rhythm in the first ODI and as such his place may be in jeopardy, especially with Yuzvendra Chahal waiting in the wings.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Prasidh KrishnaMorgan has been ruled out of the rest of the series with his hand injury, and Sam Billings will miss the second game at least after jarring his collarbone on Tuesday. Liam Livingstone will make his ODI debut, and Dawid Malan – newly promoted from the reserve list – is likely to come back for his second ODI appearance. England may also be thinking about adding some variation to their bowling attack and can – if they want – call upon left-arm quick Reece Topley. Matt Parkinson, who has been an ever-present bubble member, is also in line for a call-up as England seek to assess their options.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Dawid Malan, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid/Matt Parkinson, 11 Mark Wood/Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

Tricky to start. Gets flat as the game goes on. Glorious under lights with the dew. That’s been the Pune pitch in one-day cricket. So it may be another game to win the toss and chase.

Stats and trivia

• Since Jonny Bairstow (2654) began opening the batting for England in ODIs on 14 June 2017, only one man has scored more runs at the top of a batting order – Rohit Sharma (3831). And some of that is thanks to more innings played.
• Virat Kohli remains without an international century since November 2019.
• India have played ten ODIs since the start of 2020 across which they have picked only four wickets in the first ten overs. Their average (154) and run rate (6.16) in this period is the worst among 17 teams in this period.

Quotes

“I prefer the Virat who doesn’t get runs. That would be good.”
Ben Stokes on which version of the Indian captain he likes“The extra 40-45 runs that Krunal and I got in the end ended up being very crucial and ended up making the difference. When you win games like that, you as players, we as a team, realise that we have the potential to do that even if our top order doesn’t fire.”
KL Rahul says the performance from the lower-middle order in the first ODI will give more freedom to the top order

Aston Villa have reportedly submitted an offer to sign a new midfielder for Unai Emery, with Monchi seemingly driving a potential deal.

Aston Villa signings so far

NSWE have once again got the chequebook out at Villa Park, backing Emery in the transfer market with eight new arrivals ahead of the 2024/25 campaign which will include Champions League football.

Aston Villa summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Amadou Onana

Everton

€59.35m

Ian Maatsen

Chelsea

€44.5m

Cameron Archer

Sheffield United

€16.65m

Jaden Philogene

Hull City

€16m

Samuel Iling-Junior

Juventus

€14m

Lewis Dobbin

Everton

€11.8m

Enzo Barrenechea

Juventus

€8m

Ross Barkley

Luton Town

€5.9m

Monchi has been hard at work behind the scenes to get those deals over the line, but there could be more to come before the Premier League season kicks off next weekend.

For example, reports aboard in recent days suggested that Villa were looking to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea and had even reached an agreement with the Blues, but as we know, that is yet to gather any major pace in England.

Elsewhere, Villa have been linked with a move to sign Joe Gomez from Liverpool, whereas a formal bid has been sent to Sunderland for forward Mason Cotcher, with the teenager actually training with Villa’s youth squad already.

Meanwhile, there could be more departures following the high-profile exits of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby to Juventus and Al-Ittihad respectively. Jhon Duran is one player who has been heavily linked with a Villa Park exit.

It is shaping up to be a busy month both on and off the pitch for Villa, and a new report has stated that a new midfielder is wanted in the Midlands.

Aston Villa make offer to sign Bryan Cristante

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa have made an offer worth more than £17m plus bonuses to sign AS Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante.

The Serie A giants are said to be considering the bid from Villa Park, with Monchi signing Cristante during his time at Roma. He’s presented as key in any possible deal this time around, with the player potentially being allowed to leave by Roma boss Daniele De Rossi.

Cristante, an Italy international, is primarily a holding midfielder but can also play as a centre-back or further forward in midfield if required.

The 29-year-old began his career on the books at AC Milan and has gone on to play in Portugal with Benfica. He’s been with Roma since 2019, though, making an impressive 280 appearances for his current employers.

As can be seen, Crisante was hailed as “unbelievable” last season by journalist Josh Bunting for a goal he scored last season, and by the looks of it, he could be the next midfield addition made by Villa, making this one to watch.

After keeping hold of Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester City have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a £17m midfield partner for the Nigerian this summer.

Leicester transfer news

Positives are finally beginning to emerge for the Foxes following a chaotic start to the summer transfer window, which saw both Enzo Maresca and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall swap the King Power for Stamford Bridge and Chelsea.

Left without a manager, Leicester turned to Steve Cooper, who has since welcomed fresh faces in the form of Issahaku Fatawu in a permanent deal alongside Caleb Okoli, Michael Golding and Bobby De Cordova-Reid. However, Leicester's most underrated deal this summer, is Nidid's new contract when the midfielder looked destined to leave as a free agent.

After signing the unexpected extension, Ndidi told Leicester's official website: "I feel great, I feel excited, I feel at home. That’s the most important thing. I feel really happy to continue with the Club. My family is settled here and everyone back home, when they say Ndidi, they say Leicester also! It’s really amazing to be a part of this journey going forward.”

Leicester City now open negotiations with UCL club to sign "incredible" ace

The Foxes have made their first move.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 18, 2024

Now, in a further reward, the Foxes could hand the Nigerian a new partner at the heart of Cooper's midfield. According to South American journalist Nicola Parcerias, Leicester have made an approach to sign Richard Rios from Palmeiras this summer in a race alongside fellow Premier League side Everton.

The central midfielder is fresh from the 2024 Copa America, in which he helped Colombia reach the final before suffering defeat against Argentina. Now, Palmeiras are reportedly open to negotiating his exit for around €20m (£17m), putting aside his reported eye-watering release clause of around €100m (£84m).

"Machine" Rios can provide balance next to Ndidi

After such a successful Copa America, it's no surprise to see Rios being linked with a move to the Premier League, especially as Leicester look to form a solid foundation at the base of their midfield. Returning to the Premier League, the key may well be to find a balanced partnership between a "ball-carrying machine" in Rios – as described by Ben Mattinson – and a ball recovery expert of Ndidi's nature.

Of course, Leicester must be careful not to run into any more trouble regarding the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but if they can avoid any sanctions and land a player on the rise such as Rios, then it should be considered incredibly solid business.

Walking a budgeting tightrope, the Foxes may yet sign the perfect partner for Ndidi before the transfer window slams shut.

Manchester United are currently busy behind the scenes trying to secure a number of signings to bolster Erik ten Hag's squad.

The Dutchman penned a new contract at Old Trafford last week and now looks set to get backed by the new ownership group headed up by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

That said, they must learn from the mistakes of the past. No puzzling signings like Antony; they must be wiser with the way they spend their money.

Fortunately, it looks as though they could be doing exactly that as they hone in on a multitude of defensive targets.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Owner

December 24th 2023

Dan Ashworth

Sporting Director

July 1st 2024

Jason Wilcox

Technical Director

April 19th 2024

Jean-Claude Blanc

CEO

April 30th 2024

Omar Berrada

CEO

TBC

Man United's centre-back targets

With Raphael Varane leaving, Jonny Evans now 36 and Lisandro Martinez rather injury-prone, it's a necessity that Ten Hag welcomes one or two new centre-backs to United this summer.

It is no secret that Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is a key target with the Red Devils having now reportedly lodged two bids for his services, although both have been rejected.

Talks have been ongoing to secure the signature of Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt while a deal has even been agreed to sign wonderkid Leny Yoro from Lille.

The difficulty with that one is that the teenage defender prefers Real Madrid and is waiting for them to make the call.

So, what should the new recruitment team do? Well, Teddy Sheringham has had his say.

What Teddy Sheringham has said about United's transfer plans

At this current moment in time, De Ligt seems the most likely man to arrive at Man united.

The latest is that they have been given the green light to sign the player. However, Sheringham doesn't think he'd be a worthwhile acquisition.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Crypto Sports betting, he stated: "I don’t think that he is a player that Manchester United need. They need leaders and strong characters."

Who should United go for instead? Well, the former England striker recommended one of his fellow countrymen.

Sheringham continued: "Marc Guehi is believed to be heading to Manchester United and I would prefer a big strong defender than another ball player, they need more winners and more leaders on the pitch now.

"Any top player heading to Manchester United can improve the team and they need to get signings right to be able to push on next season."

Guehi endured a rather injury-hit campaign with Crystal Palace last season, playing 25 times in the Premier League. However, he has risen to prominence with England at Euro 2024.

The defender missed the quarter-final victory over Switzerland through suspension with Ezri Konsa taking his place. It's expected he will come back into the starting lineup for the semi-final against, ironically, De Ligt's Netherlands side.

Games played

4

Clean sheets

2

Touches *

91.8

Pass accuracy

93%

Interceptions *

0.5

Tackles *

0.5

Ball recoveries *

5

Duels won *

4

Yellow cards

2

Guehi has been nothing short of exceptional in Germany this summer and could quite possibly be hailed as England's Player of the Tournament.

Is that enough to convince United to move for him? Well, with a reported asking price of £65m, he could be cheaper than the aforementioned Branthwaite who has been touted at around £80m.

Better than Branthwaite: Man Utd plot bid for "monster" CB on top of Yoro

This would be a colossal statement of intent from INEOS.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 9, 2024

In the first fortnight of the transfer window being open, Arsenal seemed to be doing very little to no business, but over the last week or so, the North Londoners have sprung into life.

The Premier League runners-up kicked things off by signing 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucas Nygaard last week before confirming the permanent signing of David Raya on Thursday.

Since then, attention has firmly swung to the future of Bologna and Italy star Riccardo Calafiori, with recent reports suggesting that his transfer is mere days away from completion.

However, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co aren't quite done there. The latest name touted for a move following Calafiori's is a player who's been compared to Nico Williams and could be the perfect Reiss Nelson replacement.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are interested in and have been 'closely monitoring' LOSC Lille's star winger, Edon Zhegrova.

The report claims that there have not been any formal talks between the two clubs, and while his contract is set to run until 2026, the player wants to leave in 2024.

The report does not reveal how much the French side wants for the dynamic attacker, but Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed that his price was between €17m and €20m in January this year, which converts to between £14m and £17m.

Overall, it looks like a relatively straightforward and affordable transfer to get over the line, and with Nelson's exit looking increasingly likely this summer, one the Gunners should not pass up on – the comparisons to Williams are just a bonus.

How Zhegrova compares to Nelson and Williams

Now, before we look at how Zhegrova compares to Nelson, let's look at this comparison to Athletic Bilbao's Williams.

The comparison itself stems from FBref, which looks at players in every position across Europe's top five leagues and then creates a list of the ten most similar players for each player in those competitions based on their positions, and they have concluded that the Spaniard is the second most similar winger to the Kosovan.

This can be seen best in some of their underlying numbers, as they rank closely for non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes received, key passes, crosses, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Zhegrova & Williams

Stats per 90

Zhegrova

Williams

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.49

0.46

Non-Penalty Goals

0.24

0.20

Progressive Passes Received

12.70

12.00

Key Passes

1.81

1.87

Crosses

6.85

6.10

Shot-Creating Actions

4.84

4.81

Successful Take-Ons

3.54

3.43

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

So, with his similarities to the Bilbao ace quite clear, how does he stack up to the player he may replace at the Emirates?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it's not a competition as last season, the Lille sensation, whom content creator Zach Lowy described as "magnificent", racked up 12 goals and ten assists in 47 first-team appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 2.13 games on average.

In contrast, the Hale End graduate has only scored 19 goals and provided 17 assists in all 150 senior appearances he has made across his career.

Now, he has obviously been limited for game time in recent seasons, but that is just another sign that Arteta does not trust him enough and another reason he should be moved on.

Related Arteta hit gold on Arsenal star who's worth more than Calafiori & Zubimendi

He’s been an excellent addition for the Gunners since his arrival.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 5, 2024

Ultimately, Nelson has shown glimpses of his ability as a player, but he's never been able to put together a campaign like Zhegrova did last season. Therefore, for the money being mentioned, signing the Kosovan star seems like a fantastic idea.

Leeds United really would have been fearing the worst in the direct aftermath of their crushing Championship play-off final defeat at the hands of Southampton, unsure what the true complexion of another season in the second tier looked like.

There have been suggestions that the Whites would need to have an almighty fire sale in order to balance the books correctly and although the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and others do still look unlikely to stay rooted in West Yorkshire past this summer, the mood around Elland Road has at least gotten less sour with more recent developments.

Red Bull acquiring a minor ownership stake in the club will no doubt allow Leeds to still bring in notable incomings through the door despite their failure to win promotion obviously hurting them, with Whites chairman Paraag Marathe stating that this lucrative deal will allow the West Yorkshire outfit to "reach its full competitive potential."

That could mean the play-off final losers are now able to keep a sublime loanee around permanently, even as other clubs begin to eye up a move after the defender was imperious for Daniel Farke's nearly-men all campaign long.

Leeds looking atr "outstanding" star

A recent report by TEAMTalk indicates that current Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon has been given free rein over his immediate future at the Premier League side, with a permanent deal on the table from Leeds if he wants to stay situated at Elland Road, even as the club prepares for another season in the second-tier.

Leeds will obviously want the Welshman to stick it out at the Whites ahead of next campaign, with the ex-Swansea City centre-back making 50 appearances in total under Farke as an everpresent member of his near-miss squad, who no doubt will feel strange that his successful loan stint didn't conclude with any promotion celebrations.

It won't be a foregone conclusion that he does just end up relocating back up to Yorkshire, however, with Southampton also circling for his services, who denied Leeds at Wembley a spot in the Premier League.

TEAMTalk also states that Rodon's current price tag stands between £12-15m, which could be easier for the Saints to pay up with this promotion success fresh in the bag, although Red Bull's new injection of cash could swing the deal in Leeds' favour.

Alongside this new influx of money, Rodon's successful loan spell could see him want to stay put, entering into the hearts of the Leeds fanbase with powerful and imposing displays becoming commonplace, leading to former Leeds defender Jon Newsome – on BBC Radio Leeds – calling the defender "outstanding" for his contributions at the back.

With the Welshman almost viewing Elland Road as home now over his parent North London employers, stating that it already feels like a "second home" to him during his stint, a move back for good could be on the cards very soon.

Nobody at Leeds would say no to this becoming a reality, with Farke understandably overjoyed if such a move did come to fruition.

Rodon's numbers for Leeds

Only missing three total games in the league, Rodon was arguably the glue that held together the back four for the club alongside Ampadu, when the German manager experimented with the full-back slots.

Stat – per 90 mins

Rodon

Ampadu

Games played

43

46

Average touches

83.7

84.0

Big chances created

0

6

Accurate *

66.0 (91%)

63.3 (89%)

Balls recovered *

4.2

6.9

Tackles *

1.1

1.5

Clearances *

4.5

2.2

Total duels won

4.7

4.0

Stats by Sofascore. * = per game

Gelling well at the back with the ex-Chelsea man, Rodon was the more physical of the two centre-backs as well as being a measured passer of the ball. The current Leeds boss would love to have this partnership back at his disposal ahead of next campaign, with that then being a solid foundation to build a somewhat new-look team around.

Even in that soul-destroying 1-0 defeat to Russell Martin's Saints at Wembley, Rodon didn't put in an underwhelming display, with a 91% passing accuracy managed, but he will no doubt still be troubled by the lax marking that allowed Adam Armstrong acres of space to fire home the decisive match-winning goal on the biggest stage.

He could well right the wrongs of that fateful day by returning for £15m this summer, having collected an impressive 17 clean sheets himself, before his side were unfortunately breached in that stinging defeat.

Rodon might well not be the only new addition to the ranks at Elland Road if this new Red Bull deal does inject hefty millions into the club's bank account, which could sway the 26-year-old even more towards returning to Leeds instead of fighting for an unlikely first-team spot stuck on the periphery at Spurs.

Leeds' other business this summer

Away from multiple different news outlets speculating on the futures of Gnonto, Summerville and Archie Gray to name a few, Leeds are also in the running for various new incomings into the building.

Rodon could even be joined by Ben Johnson, with none of the newly acquired Red Bull money needed to tempt the current West Ham United man to make the switch to Elland Road, as a deal for the versatile defender could be clinched for free owing to his Hammers contract running down.

Farke will feel less grim about his side's chances in the division, therefore, with plenty of fresh recruits coming in to re-energise the downtrodden troops who missed out on promotion glory just, with an out-there swoop for Ao Tanaka also reportedly on the agenda.

Leeds have been here before when it comes to notable departures and have bounced back, cheering on Ilia Gruev's excellence in the play-off semi-finals in the position Kalvin Phillips used to dazzle in.

But, being able to keep a firm grip on such a fan favourite in Rodon permanently would be such a boost for a side very much down their luck after Wembley heartbreak, ahead of battling away near the top of the division all over again when next season gradually begins to comes into view.

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