Tottenham are the frontrunners to sign a Serie A centre-back heading into the 2024 summer transfer window.
Tottenham want a centre-back
Tottenham have been one of the more entertaining sides to watch in the Premier League this season. Their free-flowing attack has led to plenty of high-scoring games involving the Lilywhites, with their shaky backline often making their fixtures a great watch for neutrals.
While Tottenham's goalscoring ability no doubt pleases Ange Postecoglou, especially after the departure of Harry Kane, their defensive woes – six clean sheets in 35 games – have been a cause for concern this season. In turn, the Australian tactician spoke at length earlier in 2023/24 about his desire to sign a centre-back:
"If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at,” said Postecoglou on Spurs signing another centre-back. "With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club.
"So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit into what we’re trying to build here. I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment."
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.
However, despite the wishes of Postecoglou, Tottenham have primarily been tipped to make moves for players further up the pitch this summer, with the likes of Ivan Toney and Eberechi Eze linked with moves from across London.
Now, however, the Lilywhites finally appear to have nailed down a target who can help plug their leaky defence.
Tottenham frontrunners for £34m star
As per Italian outlet Calciomercato, Tottenham are "above all" in the race to sign the Torino defender Alessandro Buongiorno. The report adds that the defender is valued at €40m, or around £34m.
The 24-year-old is a product of Torino's academy and has notched 107 appearances for their senior side, including 29 this season.
Italy defenderAlessandro Buongiorno.
His impressive club form over the last year also earned him his first call-up to the Italian national team in 2023. He was then singled out for praise on his Italy debut by Roberto Mancini in June 2023. Buongiorno became the 78th Torino player to represent the Azzurri, starting the 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in Enschede that allowed them to take third place in the Nations League.
“It was not easy, especially as he is not used to this style of football, but Buongiorno was excellent and really applied himself well," Mancini said.
After his debut for Italy, Buongiorno spoke of his ability to play in a three or four-man backline, something Tottenham would no doubt find useful: “I can fit into a three-man defence or four, but my teammates were also very helpful with their advice. I thank them and am very happy.”
Everton have enjoyed a quietly impressive campaign in the Premier League. While the final fixture, away against title-chasing Arsenal, is as ominous as they come, Sean Dyche's squad have battled through adversity to finish comfortably away from the relegation-threatened pack.
And that's despite being handed an eight-point deduction due to financial breaches, with their 15th-place and 40-point standing belying the fine football that, without the penalty, would place them 11th in the Premier League, behind tenth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion only on goal difference.
Everton boss Sean Dyche
Everton's future is shrouded in uncertainty but the players – and Dyche – have done their job. Though that doesn't mean that everyone in the squad has been up to scratch, with Ben Godfrey seeming to have failed to live up to his once-lofty potential.
Ben Godfrey's season in numbers
Godfrey, in fairness, has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent months, starting 13 matches in the Premier League this season after featuring for just one minute across the only 16 fixtures of the year.
Principally playing at right-back, the dynamic ace has averaged two tackles and 3.4 clearances per game, as per Sofascore, though he's not proven himself to be a confident distributor, completing only 71% of his passes and, despite this waywardness, averaging 0.2 key passes per match.
He's aggressive and he's passionate – described as a "monster" in the past by journalist James Whaling – but the 26-year-old is not the long-term solution in a starting role for any place in the backline.
A sharp defensive player, yes, but Godfrey is flawed and one-dimensional, ranking among the top 14% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions, the top 1% for clearances and the top 4% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, but also ranking among the bottom 4% for passes attempted, the bottom 7% for pass completion and the bottom 6% for progressive carries per 90.
If the right offer is tabled this summer, Farhad Moshiri will certainly be considering his options, recouping a portion of the hefty fee parted with to bring him to Goodison Park.
How much Ben Godfrey has cost Everton
Everton need to ameliorate their struggles against financial fair play regulations and the convoluted takeover process, and cashing in on Godfrey might be a good way to go – also freeing up the wage bill quite considerably.
Godfrey takes home £75k per week at Goodison Park, working out to around £4m a season, and for a player who has offered such a mediocre, bit-part role over the past few campaigns it's questionable as to whether Everton are getting bang for their buck.
23/24
15
13
6.76
22/23
13
10
6.32
21/22
23
23
6.51
20/21
31
29
6.78
He's enjoyed comparative levels of success at intervals placed throughout his time at the Blues outfit but given that he was signed from Norwich City for a whopping £25m, he's hardly repaid the faith.
Indeed, according to Football Transfers' player vaulation model, the Englishman is now worth just £4m, really emphasising how poor some of his performances and attempts to muster up some fluency have been.
Dyche might be playing him at the moment but this is more down to a lack of options than anything, with Nathan Patterson currently sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Leeds United transfer target Ben Godfrey in action for Everton.
His hesitancy to field the dynamo likely stems from his shocking displays toward the backend of the 2022/23 term, where Godfrey was chastised for his performance against Manchester United. Stuart Pearce said: “It’s awful defending. If I was Dyche I would take Godfrey off the pitch. I think he’s having a disaster.
"Even at this stage of the game I’d get him off the pitch, because he’s going to cost you a goal.”
Everton player Ben Godfrey
Godfrey will be pleased with his efforts over the past several months – notably picking up a 9/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo after Everton's stunning 2-0 win over Liverpool – but he's proved himself inconsistent and unreliable after an impressive start to life on Merseyside, reflected in his market depreciation.
Everton might be inclined to renew the defender's terms once the ownership situation is sorted out – but perhaps it would be better to cash in. After all, he's rinsed of them a pretty penny.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
After failing to finish inside the Premier League's top four, Newcastle United could reportedly weaken one of their rivals this summer by landing a fresh face at the heart of Eddie Howe's midfield.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies have shown no signs of wasting any time so far ahead of the summer transfer window, with a deal reportedly on the cards to sign Lloyd Kelly on a free deal upon the expiry of his current Bournemouth contract. The centre-back, who can also play left-back, will arrive to add some much-needed depth to Howe's backline, which struggled with injuries throughout the campaign.
It's not just the backline that could see upgrades and reinforcements this summer, however, with the Magpies also in need of an extra midfielder in the coming months, which may see them turn to a Premier League rival.
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According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are interested in signing Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa, who may need to sell players to avoid any profit and sustainability trouble. The report suggests that Newcastle, along with Liverpool, could be priced out of a deal for Ramsey, however.
Jacob Ramsey in Premier League action for Aston Villa.
That said, given Ramsey's potential and Premier League experience, this is a deal that those at St James' Park should be going after this summer. What's more, the fact that Ramsey is under the same agent as Callum Wilson should help any personal negotiations, should any deal reach that stage.
It would be a sign of intent, that's for sure, if Newcastle instantly weakened a top four rival ahead of next season.
"Wonderful" Ramsey can partner Guimaraes
Without the suspended Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes was often left carrying the responsibility when it came to creativity and stepping onto the front foot as well as maintaining defensive responsibility in Newcastle's midfield. The arrival of a player such as Ramsey would help ease that responsibility, however, especially as he reaches his peak.
Minutes
853
3,263
Goals
1
7
Assists
1
8
Ball Recoveries Per 90
4.42
6.50
Progressive Passes Per 90
2.95
7.80
Praised by Steven Gerrard in the past, the former Villa boss told TNT Sports: “I know the level of the England players, I’ve been around it, and have enough experience to know it’s only a matter of time, but let’s all be sensible and keep calm about it.
“I want him to make his own headlines with his football. He is a top talent, I’m loving every moment of working with him. He is getting stronger with each game because we’re giving him the platform to express himself. He is in a wonderful place.”
With that said, Ramsey could yet leave his boyhood club this summer to join a rival and ease Villa's PSR concerns once and for all.
Aston Villa transfer chief Monchi and manager Unai Emery are both convinced the club can strike a deal for a £79,000-per-week ace, following talks with his entourage.
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It's been a historic full debut campaign for Emery, who has now officially guided Villa to Champions League qualification following Tottenham's 2-0 loss at home to Man City earlier this week.
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The Spaniard has grown deeply popular with the fanbase after an exceptional last 19 months, following up Steven Gerrard's brief reign with real aplomb.
Villa will participate in Europe's most prestigious competition next season for the first time since 1983, with Emery's side boasting the fourth-best defensive record in the league and fifth-best in terms of goals scored.
Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool
Brighton 1-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea
Aston Villa 3-1 Bournemouth
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Following what has been a very memorable 2023/24 for Villa supporters, attention now turns to the summer transfer window and how Monchi could seek to back Emery with crucial potential signings.
The Midlands side are looking to strengthen across the board, with reports suggesting this week Villa are in pole position to sign Villarreal attacker Alex Baena. The Spaniard could cost around £52 million to prise away from La Liga, as is the value of his release clause, so it will be interesting to see if they decide to trigger it.
Villa have also held talks with Kelechi Iheanacho, as the Nigeria international is set to leave Leicester City for nothing this summer after the expiry of his contract. Defensively, Atletico Madrid ace Reinildo Mandava is on Emery's personal radar, and reports have even claimed he's urged Monchi to make a move for the Mozambique ace.
Emery and Monchi are also looking at upgrades for the engine room, so much so that a Paris Saint-Germain player is turning their heads.
Emery and Monchi convinced Villa can strike Carlos Soler deal
According to HITC this week, the Birmingham giants have opened talks with PSG midfielder Carlos Soler.
The Spaniard, once a star at former club Valencia, has played more of a bit-part role this season at the Parc des Princes. He's managed just 11 Ligue 1 starts, with most of his 23 French top-flight appearances coming off the bench.
PSG player Carlos Soler
This has stirred doubt over his future under Luis Enrique, and HITC claims the 27-year-old has been offered out to Arsenal, Man City and Tottenham. However, it is Emery's men who are favourites to sign him.
Indeed, both Emery and Monchi are convinced Villa can strike a deal for Soler after holding discussions with his camp pre-summer. On a reported £79,000 per week at PSG, they wouldn't exactly have to break their wage bill to bring him to England, and Soler could be worth the punt based on the praise he has received.
“We know his quality,” former PSG coach Christophe Galtier said in 2022.
“He has technical quality and the ability to get into the opposition penalty area. He’s from the Spanish school, keeps things tight. He didn’t start many games, but he’s a scorer.”
It was a season of mixed fortunes for Tottenham Hotspur this year. For the first ten games or so, they looked like one of the best teams in the Premier League, but ultimately finished just outside the Champions League places.
With their pre-season expectations and injury problems throughout the campaign, it would be fair to say that Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed a successful first year in North London, although Daniel Levy and Co will need to back him properly over the coming months if they want to see him take the team further in 2024/25.
Ange Postecoglou
The good news for fans is that, based on recent reports, that might happen, although the latest name touted for a move to N17 could spell trouble for Rodrigo Bentancur.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Italy, Tottenham are strongly interested in Inter Milan's talented midfielder Davide Frattesi and could make an offer for the player in the 'coming weeks.'
That offer would comprise a €30m – £26m – cash component and the offer of full-back Emerson Royal, which, according to the report, would make the full transfer worth around €48m or £41m.
While the idea of bringing in a new midfielder for a reasonable fee and finally getting rid of Royal sounds like a brilliant business move, the Lilywhites will have to contend with other interested parties, such as Roma and Atlético Madrid, which could complicate things.
While the Nerazzurri aren't eager to sell, this looks like a deal well worth pursuing in the coming weeks, although if they do get their man, that might not be so good for Bentancur's future prospects in N17.
How Frattesi compares to Bentancur
So, if Postecoglou were to get his man in the summer, it's unlikely he would come to England just to sit on the bench, and so he would be in direct competition with the club's other central midfielders and with Papa Matar Sarr showing so much promise at just 21 years old, the player most at risk of losing his place would likely be Bentancur.
Neither midfielder played a starring role for their respective teams this season. The Uruguayan played 1161 minutes of action in 25 games due to injury, while the Italian played 1555 minutes for Inter in 42 mostly substitute appearances.
However, while the Rome-born star only played 394 minutes more than the Spurs ace, he was significantly more effective, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists, compared to just one goal and one assist.
Appearances
42
25
Minutes
1555
1161
Goal
8
1
Assists
7
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
0.08
Minutes per Goal Involvement
103
580
That means that the 24-year-old averaged a goal involvement every 103 minutes from central midfield, while the former Juventus star could only manage an average of a goal involvement every 580 minutes.
The comparison is just as one-sided when looking at the pair's underlying numbers. While the Lilywhites ace comes out ahead for progressive passes, shot-creating actions, and passing accuracy, all per 90, he comes out second best in most other relevant metrics.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.75
0.22
Goals
0.45
0.08
Assists
0.28
0.08
Progressive Carries
2.48
1.43
Progressive Passes
3.66
6.43
Progressive Passes Received
3.99
2.77
Shots
2.62
1.48
Shots on Target
0.47
0.25
Passing Accuracy
77.7%
84.3%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.59
0.36
Shot-Creating Actions
2.68
2.78
For example, the 5 foot 10 Inter dynamo produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scores and assists more actual goals, produces more progressive carries, more goal-creating actions and takes more shots and shots on target, all per 90.
So, with Frattesi coming out ahead in both raw output and underlying numbers, it's hard to disagree with journalist Wayne Girard's assessment that he has "something really special" about him.
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Therefore, while it might not be great for Bentancur's long-term future at the club, Levy and Co must go all out to try and bring the 13-capped Italian to N17 this summer.
Ipswich Town will aim to use their newly acquired Premier League millions well this transfer window, as the prospect of top-flight football grows ever closer for the Suffolk club.
Kieran McKenna and Co will be cautious about overspending for the sake of it, however, which could result in the harmony of the camp being ripped up after back-to-back promotions were amazingly achieved with a tight-knit group.
Still, there will be areas in the team where the Tractor Boys manager will be wanting reinforcements, to attempt to adjust to the step-up smoothly, with another new striker target on the agenda.
Ipswich looking at Greek goal machine
According to Sport Witness, via a report in Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ipswich have already put a bid forward to try and land Panathinaikos attacker Fotis Ioannidis this summer.
It's claimed that a bid in the region of £16.9m should be enough for the Greek club to be tempted to part ways with their prolific centre-forward, who has also previously been on the shopping lists of West Ham United and Fulham.
Fotis Ioannidis
The imposing 6 foot 2 forward's signature being won by the Tractor Boys could well end their interest in Armando Broja, with their new target available for far cheaper than the Albanian's excessive reported £35m price tag.
What Ioannidis can offer Ipswich
Ioannidis could even be seen as an upgrade on the current Chelsea man when you consider his deadly nature out in his native Greece, compared to the misfiring Broja, with Ipswich hopeful that the 24-year-old can become a goalscoring menace in the Premier League for them too.
As can be seen with the delicate finish above, despite having a towering frame, Ioannidis can score all sorts of strikes, with his reputation for Panathinaikos that of a cool finisher under pressure.
Last season, across all competitions, the in-demand number seven would amass an impressive 23 goals from 44 matches in total, with a place in the Greece national team coming his way as a result.
Games played
27
21
Goals scored
15
1
Assists
7
1
Scoring frequency
137 mins
579 mins
Shots*
3.0
0.6
Big chances missed
9
2
Big chances created
8
1
Just comparing their league statistics in isolation from last season, when glancing at the table above, it's clear why Ipswich are now setting their sights on signing Ioannidis, who looks like he would be a major upgrade in most departments on a goal-shy Broja, who really struggled last campaign for both Fulham and Chelsea.
Whereas, his 24-year-old counterpart came into his own, on the contrary, with the Athens born striker netting 23 of his overall 40 goals for his current employers in 2023/24, to live up to the "dangerous" billing he had been previously given by football analyst Ben Mattinson.
Broja will know it's make-or-break time for him at Stamford Bridge this summer, with the Albania international no doubt eager to find a new club to call home soon, to reawaken a confident goalscorer within him again, instead of continuing to fire blanks.
Yet, that might not be with McKenna's men after all, as Ipswich look set on battling it out to sign Ioannidis instead, to strengthen their already entertaining attacking positions, ahead of the new and exciting Premier League campaign.
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Ipswich Town will aim to still get this ambitious signing over the line.
As Southampton prepare for life back in the Premier League, Russell Martin's transfer policy appears show a desire to balance top flight experience with exciting young talents.
Saints want premiership ready players
After the final whistle at Wembley signalled Southampton's instant return to the Premier League, the higher ups at St Mary's immediately started assembling a squad ready for the top flight.
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The first man through the door on the South Coast was Adam Lallana. The midfielder made his return to Southampton almost a decade after he swapped St Mary's for Merseyside in a £25 million move to Liverpool back in 2014. The now 36-year-old will add to his 265 Saints appearances when he makes his return to his boyhood club next season.
Another former Saint linked with a return is Danny Ings. The striker currently plies his trade at West Ham, however after struggling to impress at the London Stadium is set to be offloaded this summer. Ings scored 46 goals in 100 games for Southampton and will look to add to this tally if he is to return this summer.
Danny Ings in action for Southampton in the Premier League
The Saints aren't shopping exclusively among their former players with the club also linked with a move for Peterborough United star Ronnie Edwards. Southampton are one of many sides interested in meeting the £10 million price tag that the Posh have attached to the 21-year-old.
With a young defender clearly high on Martin's list of priorities, Southampton have now entered the race to sign a player being shown the door at a fellow Premier League side this summer.
Saints show interest in Anfield exile
As first reported by Sport Witness, the Italian press are reporting that Southampton are showing an interest in Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg. The outlet claims that the Saints are set to compete with Italian outfit Bologna as well as Bundesliga stalwarts Wolfsburg to secure the services of the 22-year-old.
Sport Witness states that van den Berg has an apparant value of £12.5 million which would have to be met by any side wanting to get a deal over the line. The Dutch defender is being shown the door at Anfield after managing just four appearances since arriving on Merseyside in 2019.
Sepp van den Berg.
The 22-year-old has spent much of his senior career out on loan, with his most recent spells coming at Championship side Preston and Bundesliga outfit Mainz. It was his time with the former that saw him earn praise from then manager Alex Neil, as the former Preston boss spoke highly of the defender after his debut.
"We know Sepp is very good on the ball, he's quick and gives us good size in terms of defending crosses into the box. I thought he had a really good performance for his first game, really strong."
Whilst Southampton's newfound status as a Premier League club may go some way to help in the race for van den Berg they will face stiff competition from Serie A's fifth-placed side Bologna. After qualifying for the continent's premier competition for the first time in 60 years, the Italian side may prove a thorn in the Saints' side as they attempt to get their man.
One of Burnley's shining lights from last season could be on his way out this summer after he asked for a move away, according to the latest reports.
Burnley chasing new boss
Following the shock departure of Vincent Kompany to Bayern Munich after failing to secure survival in the Premier League, Burnley remain on the hunt for a new manager. The Clarets have been linked with the likes of Frank Lampard and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but the latter now seems set to snub a managerial role to join the coaching staff at Manchester United.
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It leaves Burnley still searching for a fresh face in the dugout, and now any new manager may have to make do without a key man.
Exit pending in blow for Bellamy
Now, it has emerged that Aro Muric has asked to leave Burnley this summer. Muric only arrived at Turf Moor in 2022, arriving from Manchester City in a move that saw him sign a four year deal worth £25,000 a week.
However, after being first choice for Kompany during their Championship success, he was relegated to the substitutes bench following the arrival of James Trafford, who endured a tough first campaign at Turf Moore.
As a result, Muric was recalled for the final stretch of the season, starting each of the final 10 games of the campaign and impressing despite a calamitous own goal, racking up by far the highest performance rating in the Burnley squad.
Following that gaffe, assistant manager Craig Bellamy was quick to jump to Muric's defence.
"I’ve no issue with it. Aro is top. Get the ball again, look for the pass again. You see the save he makes in the last minute. Top. That to me is a goalkeeper. We all make mistakes, it’s how you respond from it. So I’ve got nothing but praise for him, even more.”
In fact, of goalkeepers to appear more than once, no one performed better than the Kosovan shot-stopper last term, with post shot expected goals figures revealing that Burnley conceded six fewer than they should have with him between the posts, compared to six more than they should have with Trafford as their no.1.
23/24 Premier League goalkeepers ranked by post shot xG per 90
1.
Arijanet Muric
+0.67
2.
Stefan Ortega
+0.28
3.
Jose Sa
+0.26
4.
Emiliano Martinez
+0.20
5.
Caoimhin Kelleher
+0.13
However, he is unlikely to be at Burnley next season if he gets his way, with the Daily Mail revealing that the 25-year-old has asked to leave the club this summer following their return to the Championship.
He is not short of suitors either; it is claimed that "several Premier League clubs" and "teams abroad" have registered an interest in the shot-stopper, and Muric is keen to find a spot as a no.1 away from Turf Moor despite the possibility that Trafford could also depart this summer.
He won't face too much opposition to his departure, with the report adding that the Lancashire outfit will "respect his desire to play elsewhere", and it is added that a deal could come in "the next few weeks".
Though it would come as a blow to lose the talents of Muric, and more so should Trafford also depart, his form has likely earned him a top flight stay.
Despite showing caution with his chequebook in recent windows, Daniel Levy finally looks set to spend big this summer and give Ange Postecoglou the players he needs to break into the top four of the Premier League.
Levy looks eager to back Ange this summer
The latest rumours out of N17 have linked Tottenham Hotspur with a slew of fresh faces. Conor Gallagher has of course enjoyed something of a will-they-won't-they saga with Spurs, as the midfielder looks set to depart Chelsea this summer.
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Despite rumours cooling-off in recent weeks, the arrival of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Stamford Bridge could be what finally brings the England star to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A midfielder is clearly high on Levy's list of priorities as Spurs are also leading the race for Leeds United star Archie Gray. The teenage sensation is set to depart Elland Road imminently owing to his club's continued financial worries.
With the higher ups at Spurs clearly not shy of splashing the cash this summer, the Lilywhites are now in the driver's seat for one of Europe's highest rated talents.
Spurs front of the queue for versatile forward
As first reported by Sport Witness, the Italian press are claiming that Spurs are in the front row for Albert Gudmundsson. The Icelandic striker currently plies his trade at Genoa, however has long been linked with a move away from the club this summer, namely to Spurs.
The outlet claims that the Lilywhites are joined by Inter Milan in their pursuit of Gudmundsson, who scored 14 goals as his side finished 11th in Serie A last season.
Whilst continuing to play in Italy may prove the more appealing option for the 27-year-old, Sport Witness states that there are a number of hurdles in Inter's pursuit of Gudmundsson. The outlet claims that Genoa’s £30 million asking price is currently too high for Inter, meaning that they will have to sell players in order to fund the transfer, with Spurs waiting to pounce.
Albert Gudmundsson for Genoa.
At 27 years of age some may feel that this is the peak of Gudmundsson's powers, however many have tipped the Icelandic striker, who can play several positions across the attack, to continue his upwards trajectory if he is to move this summer.
In fact, Gudmundsson's Genoa teammate, Kevin Strootman, backed the striker to make the same leap as Mohamed Salah did when he moved from Roma to Liverpool, telling the press: “I said that Salah didn’t always score goals at Roma, despite being clear on goal four or five times per game
“So others noted that if he did score every time he was clear, then he’d be at Real Madrid or Liverpool rather than Roma. And that’s where he ended up.
“If Gud can make the same leap, I think he can do well at a super top club. He must do it to become a world class player, because his quality is already beyond doubt. He is a serious professional and I am sure he’ll do even better over the next few years.”
The Nerazzurri's financial woes may play into Spurs' hands as they should have no issue matching the fee that Inter have so far struggled to cough up. With Europe's top strikers now fetching fees almost triple what Genoa are asking for, signing Gudmundsson could look something of a bargain in years to come if he can add quality depth in multiple forward roles.
Chelsea should be eyeing an improvement on last season as they aim to return to the Champions League whilst also competing for major trophies.
Mauricio Pochettino was relieved of his duties at the end of the 2023/24 campaign after the Argentine boss failed to lead the team to a top four finish and did not lift a single piece of silverware.
Todd Boehly has brought in Italian boss Enzo Maresca, who won the Championship with Leicester City last term, to replace the former Tottenham Hotspur coach.
He is now tasked with getting the most out of the talented squad at his disposal, whilst there is also over a month left of the transfer window to make further additions to the group.
A new attacker is on the agenda for the London giants after they struggled with their finishing as a collective in the Premier League last season.
The Blues only scored 76 goals from their xG tally of 80.18 in the top-flight and 11 goals from their xG tally of 14.07 in the League Cup, which illustrates how wasteful they were in front of goal.
Chelsea's interest in Premier League marksman
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are preparing a bid to sign England international Ollie Watkins from Premier League rivals Aston Villa this summer.
The report claims that the club want to add a 'marquee' number nine to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch before the end of the transfer window.
It states that, as a result of that desire, they are now willing to push the boat out to secure a deal to sign the English star ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Ollie Watkins celebrates for England
Football Insider adds that Villa and Chelsea have already held extensive talks throughout the summer over different deals, as the Blues had previously been keen on Jhon Duran whilst the Villans tried to sign Connor Gallagher.
The outlet now reveals that the London giants are prepared to offer Gallagher to Unai Emery's side as part of a deal for Watkins, who was at the European Championship with the midfielder for England this summer.
However, it does not state how much Chelsea would be willing to offer in cash alongside the former Crystal Palace loanee, or if Villa are even open to entertaining the idea of such a transfer.
If Boehly and his recruitment team can get a move for Watkins over the line before the end of the window then he would come in as a big upgrade on Nicolas Jackson.
Nicolas Jackson's debut season with Chelsea
The Blues swooped to sign the Senegal international from Villarreal on a permanent deal last summer to lead the line for Pochettino last season.
He ended up enduring a mixed campaign in front of goal for the Premier League giants as he showed plenty of signs of promise whilst also leaving a lot to be desired from his performances overall.
A mixture of his electric movement in the final third and Chelsea's creativity, namely from Cole Palmer, meant that Jackson ended the season with the fifth-highest xG tally in the top-flight at 18.64.
Nicolas Jackson
However, the 23-year-old's finishing let him down too often as he was only able to find the back of the net 14 times and missed a staggering 24 'big chances'.
Jackson scored 17 goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances for the Blues in all competitions last term, which shows that he was not a complete flop as the 23-year-old forward still provided a decent goal threat.
Appearances
35
xG
18.64
Big chances missed
24
Goals
14
Assists
5
Big chances created
8
As you can see in the table above, the Senegalese forward was incredibly wasteful with the opportunities that did come his way in the top-flight.
19 goals and assists in a debut season in England for a 23-year-old striker is a fine debut campaign on paper but the underlying numbers suggest that it could, and perhaps should, have been so much better.
His inconsistency in front of goal could be why Chelsea are now looking for a 'marquee' centre-forward signing to lead the line under Maresca next season, and Watkins could be the dream signing to arrive as an upgrade on the ex-LaLiga attacker.
Why Chelsea should sign Ollie Watkins
Firstly, he is a homegrown and proven player who would have a good chance of hitting the ground running due to his experience in the league.
The 28-year-old star has scored 59 goals and provided 26 assists in 146 Premier League appearances for Villa throughout his career, after a return of 45 goals in 132 outings in the Championship.
19 of his top-flight goals came in the 2023/24 campaign under Emery at Villa Park, as the England international enjoyed a terrific year to help his team qualify for the Champions League – finishing above Chelsea in the process.
He ranked within the top 19% of forwards in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.53) and the top 1% for assists per 90 (0.36), which illustrates how impressive his performances were in the league.
Watkins, who scored 27 goals in 53 games in all competitions for his club last term, would come in as a big upgrade on Jackson immediately for Maresca.
Appearances
37
35
xG
16.93
18.64
Goals
19
14
Big chances missed
22
24
Big chances created
11
8
Assists
13
5
As you can see in the table above, the English attacker produced significantly more quality in the final third in comparison to the Chelsea striker.
The former Brentford star, who was hailed as "spectacular" by journalist Ryan Adsett, fired in five more goals despite having less xG created for him by his teammates.
This suggests that Watkins is a far better finisher than Jackson and would, therefore, turn Chelsea's fortunes around in that respect, as they could go from underperforming their xG to overperforming – making the most of Palmer's creativity.
The Villa sensation also created more 'big chances' and assisted more goals than the Senegal international, which means that he could provide more quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
This is why Chelsea must now press ahead and convince the Villans to part ways with the forward as he would be a huge upgrade on Jackson next season.
Perfect for Palmer: Chelsea could land "proflic" £100m David alternative
The Blues have admired the talent over the last 12 months.