An Arsenal target now has his heart set on joining Manchester United, due to his deep respect for former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the club’s traditions.
Man Utd's standards have slipped since Ferguson's retirement
Man United are well-known for their rich history and traditions, which included wearing suits when arriving ahead of matches, but Wayne Rooney has revealed that standards started to slip after Ferguson’s retirement back in 2013.
Rooney said: “I remember we went to the League Cup final and players were wearing the suits with big, bright yellow trainers and stuff like that.
“I remember we went to the League Cup final and players were wearing the suits with big, bright yellow trainers and stuff like that. I went to Mourinho and said, ‘Listen, I’ve spoken to the players and you need to have a word here and to keep the standards. We can’t have that going to Wembley into a cup final.’
“He’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll speak to them’. And then as we came down to leave, I’ve seen Jose there and he’s got a zip-up top with no tie on. I was thinking, “What’s the point?”
With Rooney going on to reveal that players are allowed to wear whatever they want nowadays, one of United’s traditions has arguably been eroded, but that hasn’t stopped an up-and-coming star setting his sights on a move to Old Trafford.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal target Kirill Glebov, who currently plays for CSKA Moscow, has his heart set on joining Man Utd and dreams of a transfer, citing the Old Trafford atmosphere, the club’s traditions, and his deep respect for Ferguson as the key reasons.
Glebov is currently valued at just €1.5m (£1.3m), but the winger’s price tag could rise considerably if he continues his current form, having started the season very well, which has attracted the attention of the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Brighton.
Glebov could be future star for Man Utd
At this stage, United don’t appear to have a great deal of interest in the Russian, but there are indications he has plenty of potential, having made a flying start to the 2025-26 campaign for CSKA Moscow.
The 19-year-old already has four goals and two assists to his name in all competitions, which recently earned the teenager a first call-up to the Russian national side, making his debut in the 0-0 draw against Jordan last week.
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That said, Glebov is still at a very early stage of his career, and having strengthened their attack considerably in the summer, signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, Man United should now focus on bringing in a new central midfielder instead.
There is certainly no shortage of options on the shortlist, with Al Hilal’s Ruben Neves, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson all believed to be of interest.
Rangers have had a torrid start to life under Russell Martin as they are winless in the Scottish Premiership, and their dreams of Champions League qualification were ruthlessly put to the sword by Club Brugge in a 9-1 defeat on aggregate.
Rangers have only recorded wins in the League Cup and in their failed Champions League qualification campaign during Martin’s tenure, ramping up the pressure on a managerial selection many fans disdained from day one.
It’s not just early days for Martin, it’s also early days for Rangers’ new owners, Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises. And with the frustration mounting around Ibrox, The I Paper’s chief football correspondent, Daniel Storey, has highlighted how the new men in charge face something of a time bomb as tensions continue to bubble:
Three out of work managers Rangers could sign
There are options available should Rangers decide to make a change after witnessing the fan sentiment first hand on Sunday. They wouldn’t be the first club to take drastic measures, as the likes of José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and Erik ten Hag have all been sacked in the opening month of the season
Mourinho could actually be a contender to replace Martin if the owners did decide to act. He has previously expressed that he doesn’t want his next club to be in the Champions League, which Martin has seen too, and has also spoken positively about the Gers in the past: “Why not in the future? People can say the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it is a league of passion. Passion in football is everything.”
Another candidate is the former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzić. The German manager had previously been linked with the club when they sacked Philippe Clement, and is still available as a free agent.
Possibly the most exciting manager available however is legendary Spanish World Cup winning midfielder Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving Barcelona last year.
Back in 2022, when he was still in charge in Catalonia, he saw Rangers as one of their biggest threats in the Europa League, heaping praise on the atmosphere at Ibrox: “People will say Barcelona are favourites because of history, and they are used to seeing us play in the Champions League – but this is not the Champions League… As somebody who has played in Glasgow, nobody is going to get an easy time against Rangers.”
Rangers face stick or twist decision
While there’s currently no shortage of available managers and talented tacticians like Xavi and Mourinho are tempting, it would be an awfully big gamble to get rid of Martin at such an early stage.
Martin’s tenure at Southampton was often criticised because his playing style didn’t suit the Premier League. He favoured high possession football, which worked well in the Championship, but not so much when the Saints were promoted and his squad struggled against the tougher opposition.
Given the gap in quality between the squads of the big two and the rest in Scotland, the 39 year-old should be able instil that Championship dominance once again, but the difficulty for Rangers’ new owners will be balancing their patience with the fans’ justified desire for change.
After finishing 15th last season, Manchester United required a major squad overhaul which they got, well in two specific areas of the team anyway.
On deadline day, the Red Devils signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of £22m including add-ons, certainly a big fee for a 23-year-old who has made just 64 senior appearances for the Belgian club.
Senne Lammens for Royal Antwerp.
Nevertheless, goalkeeper was certainly a position of need, given André Onana’s calamitous performance at Grimsby last Wednesday, as they were dumped out of the EFL Cup by fourth-tier opposition for the first time ever, while Altay Bayındır has not covered himself in glory during his three Premier League appearances either.
This late move aside, the only other new additions to Rúben Amorim’s squad have all been attackers, splurging a combined £207m to sign an entirely new-look front three.
However, could one of these forwards ultimately prove to be a bargain, especially when compared to the prime target Man United missed out on?
Manchester United's midfield situation
To the surprise of many, Manchester United have not signed a new midfielder this summer, leaving a situation that is a complete mess.
Earlier in the window, it was reported that Manchester United had held initial talks with Brighton over the possibility of signing Carlos Baleba, but the Seagulls would only be willing to sell for around the £115m Chelsea paid to sign Moisés Caicedo two years ago, which quickly ended this as a possibility.
Brighton & Hove Albion's CarlosBaleba
As the Cameroonian international did not arrive at Old Trafford, it would appear likely that Bruno Fernandes, alongside Casemiro will remain Amorim’s first-choice midfield combination, much to the chagrin of Kobbie Mainoo.
Having seen zero minutes during the first two Premier League fixtures, he was introduced at halftime against Burnley on Saturday, the England international submitted a loan request last week, but this was unequivocally rejected by the club.
Considering Man United’s next fixture is away at the Etihad, bringing Mainoo into the team appears to be a no-brainer, given that the 20-year-old has the capabilities to solve a lot of problems, as he did for England during their run to the Euros final.
So, perhaps the Red Devils didn’t need Baleba after all, not willing to smash their transfer record to secure his signature, but could one of their summer signings prove to be a bargain?
Manchester United's shrewd investment
At the start of the window, Old Trafford certainly did not appear to be Benjamin Šeško’s most likely destination.
After RB Leipzig finished seventh in last season’s Bundesliga, thereby failing to qualify for any European competition, it was clear that the Slovenian would depart Saxony.
Arsenal appeared to be the front-runners to secure his signature but, partially put off by Leipzig’s humongous asking price, elected to sign Viktor Gyökeres instead.
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Then, as the Alexander Isak saga escalated, Newcastle agreed a fee to sign Šeško before, after the Magpies had done all the legwork, Manchester United swooped in and convinced him to sign for them instead of moving to Tyneside.
Upon his arrival, Man United’s sporting director Jason Wilcox asserted that the striker “possesses a rare combination of electrifying pace and the ability to physically dominate defenders”, believing he will fulfil his “world-class potential” at the club.
Benjamin Sesko
The final fee paid for Šeško is £66.3m plus £7.4m in add-ons which, even if all met, is still below his estimated transfer value of £108m, according to the CIES Football Observatory.
Meantime, they also believe that Baleba is worth around £75m, supporting the decision Man United made in not progress any further with that deal, given Brighton’s sky-high demands.
So, even though Šeško is yet to get off the mark, time is on his side, considering he’s just 22 years old, while he has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer, bagging 39 across two seasons at Leipzig, on top of the 14 he’s netted for Slovenia.
Thus, while Manchester United have not been particularly smart in the transfer window for a decade and more, they might have just struck gold here, certainly improving their existing options.
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Sufiyan Muqeem spun a web around Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, registering the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in T20Is as his team crushed Zimbabwe by ten wickets to seal the T20I series.Zimbabwe were skittled for 57, losing their ten wickets over a 20-run period as they fell to their lowest total in T20I cricket. In response, Pakistan coasted to the total with 14.3 overs to spare, marking the biggest win by balls remaining between two Full Members in men’s T20I cricket.
Zimbabwe start well, before collapsing
Difficult to believe in hindsight, but Zimbabwe got off to a flying start. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani took the attack to Jahandad Khan and Abrar Ahmed, blasting the ball through the infield with superb timing and power on what looked a cracking batting surface – when Sikandar Raza won the toss, he had no hesitation batting first.Even Haris Rauf’s introduction didn’t stanch the bleeding, Bennett showing his deft skills and picking up two boundaries behind point on the off side. By the end of the fourth over, Zimbabwe sat pretty at 37 for 0.But what happened after that was as dramatic as it was ignominious for Zimbabwe.Abbas Afridi had Marumani slash one straight to cover-point, and once that wicket-maiden was complete, Rauf removed Bennett off the first ball of the next over. Zimbabwe needed to rebuild, but never came close to achieving a second wind. Seven balls later came the dagger blow as one snaked back in from Afridi and made a mess of Raza’s stumps.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
When Salman Agha brought himself on, he had Dion Myers plumb in front off just his fourth delivery before Muqeem took over. Using the conventional wristspinner and the wrong’un, he had Zimbabwe’s lower-middle order on a string. Ryan Burl was fooled by a googly that struck his pad in front of middle, while Tashinga Musekiwa had no answer to another wrong’un that knocked back his stumps for a golden duck. Clive Madande survived the hat-trick ball, but Muqeem returned to remove another two in his following over, and eventually finished off the innings when Madande top-edged him. He finished with figures of 2.4-0-3-5.
Easy chase, easily done by Pakistan
There was nothing complicated about Pakistan’s chase, and the openers knew it.Raza bowled the first over but Omair Yousuf took 11 off it to set the tone.Saim Ayub got into the act with a lovely late adjustment that saw him carve Richard Ngarava over the slips for a boundary. Blessing Muzarabani’s poor series continued with both Ayub and Yousuf sending him to the fence, the latter scything him over deep point for six with a shot that oozed confidence.Ayub wasn’t to be outdone, and there was time enough for his signature shot: a whip off Trevor Gwandu off the pads behind square leg for six. It was Muzarabani’s errant line once more that allowed Ayub to pick up two more boundaries that finished the game off.It was telling of how little Zimbabwe had tested Pakistan that, on a blazing hot day in Bulawayo, when the openers took their helmets off and shook hands, there was barely a bead of sweat on their foreheads.
خسر نادي ريال مدريد أمام نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد اليوم السبت بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين، وذلك لحساب منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.
وتعتبر هذه أولى مباريات ريال مدريد خلال هذا الموسم التي يخسرها في كافة المسابقات، والتي تشمل بطولة الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا.
وارتقى أتلتيكو مدريد إلى المركز الرابع في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بعدما بات لدى الروخي بلانكوس 12 نقطة.
اقرأ أيضًا.. باريوس بعد الفوز على ريال مدريد: حاولنا رد الجميل لجماهير أتلتيكو مدريد
وأشارت الصحفية الموثوقة المقربة من ريال مدريد، آرانشا روديجيز، إلى أن ريال مدريد تلقى ضربة موجعة بين صفوفه بإصابة كل من داني كارفاخال وإيدير ميليتاو خلال لقاء اليوم.
وأضافت رودريجيز، أن كارفاخال يعاني من ألم على مستوى عضلة باطن القدم اليمنى، حيث أصيب خلال لقاء الديربي.
وخرج كارفاخال في شوط المباراة الثاني وحل بدلًا منه إدواردو كامافينجا، حيث استكمل مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، المباراة براؤول أسينسيو كظهير أيمن.
كما أكدت رودريجيز، أن إيدير ميليتاو مصاب هو الآخر ويعاني من كدمة في كاحل قدمه اليسرى.
ميليتاو أصيب خلال شوط اللقاء الأول، بعد احتكاك مع مهاجم أتلتيكو مدريد، سورلوث، وتحامل بعد ذلك ليكمل المباراة، قبل أن يخرج بعد نهاية الشوط ويحل بدلًا منه أسينسيو.
وسوف يخضع ميليتاو وكذلك كارفاخال لفحوصات طبية غدًا الأحد لتحديد مدى خطورة الإصابة ومدة الغياب.
With 10 Tests to be played in 15 weeks, India have “laid out some plans” to manage the workload of fast bowlers
Alagappan Muthu17-Sep-20241:56
Are turning pitches a good idea for India against Bangladesh?
India are coming off a break of more than a month without any cricket – “We are starting after a long time actually”, the captain Rohit Sharma said – but they are also aware of the strain that their schedule over the next few months can place on their players, particularly their fast bowlers.India begin the first of 10 Tests in 15 weeks against Bangladesh on Thursday, and they already have plans in place to protect the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who might be needed to take on heavy workloads when they travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November through to January.”We have laid out some plans on how we are going to manage these bowlers,” Rohit said. “But again, it all depends on the workload that has been carried by them in these games. So yeah, we will monitor that. I think we have done that pretty well. Even when we played against England [at home, earlier this year], we managed to get Bumrah one Test match off. We managed to give Siraj one Test match off.Related
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“So it all depends on how the body feels at that particular time, what the [strength and conditioning] is, and what the physios feel about them, when is the right time to give them a break from the game, and then take the call.”India wrap up the two-Test series against Bangladesh on October 1 and have a couple of weeks off from red-ball cricket before they face New Zealand over three games that take them into early November. Then they will leave for Australia where they will play five Tests in eight weeks.”You want your best players to play all the games, but that’s not possible because there is so much cricket that happens,” Rohit said. “It is not only Test cricket, there is T20 cricket happening [against Bangladesh and South Africa] in the middle of the Test series as well. So you [have] got to understand everything, and then see what is best for the team and then manage your bowlers around it.”There has also been an effort made to expand the fast-bowling pool, with left-armer Yash Dayal joining the team for the Bangladesh series. There are several others pushing their case to make the national team with performances in domestic cricket. Harshit Rana, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj were all involved in the season-opening Duleep Trophy earlier this month, and Rohit was pleased with what he saw from those matches.”We have got a lot of bowlers who are there for us,” he said. “We saw some exciting prospects in the Duleep Trophy as well. I am not too worried about the kind of bowlers that are waiting in the wings for us.”On head coach Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma said: “We have a good understanding”•PTI Gautam Gambhir takes charge of the Test team for the first time since being appointed the new India head coach. He and his assistant Abhishek Nayar were with the limited-overs team in Sri Lanka in August, and they have been overseeing a training camp in Chennai, leading up to the Bangladesh series.”The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar,” Rohit said. “I have played quite a bit of cricket against [bowling coach] Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against [assistant coach] Ryan [ten Doeschate], but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and [an] understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team.”As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series [with them in charge], and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul [Dravid] , Vikram Rathour, [and] Paras Mhambrey – they had a different way of running the team, [while] these guys will have a different style.”So it’s important for you to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both [coaches and players], that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding.”India arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the first Test against Bangladesh•PTI India are not seeing their home series as preparation for the challenges they will be facing abroad.”Look, at the end of the day, you are playing for your country,” Rohit said. “So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn’t matter where we play in two months’ time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match.”That’s why they arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the game, to have the best preparation possible.”We assembled here on the 12th, and we’ve had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they managed themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket, obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good.”So in terms of preparation, [and] in terms of readiness, I feel we are quite ready for this game and what lies ahead of us. So it was a good little prep that we had before this Test match. It was important to utilise that time, and I thought we utilised this little camp that we had in Chennai pretty well.”
Celtic continued to ramp up their preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with their latest pre-season clash against Portuguese giants Sporting earlier this week.
Goals from Reo Hatate, who scored from the penalty spot, and Luke McCowan in the second half secured a comfortable 2-0 win for the Hoops over the Liga Portugal champions.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have now won three of their four pre-season friendlies this summer, having also beaten Cork City and Queen’s Park, and they face Premier League side Newcastle United this weekend.
These pre-season games are primarily fitness exercises to prepare players for the upcoming season, but they also serve to identify who is ready to be a frontline option and who may need to take a backseat in the squad.
One player who has not furthered their cause to be a starter in the 2025/26 campaign is centre-forward Adam Idah, who missed several big chances in the win over Sporting.
The former Norwich City striker is currently the only senior number nine option available to Rodgers at the time of writing, but that may change before the end of the window.
Why Adam Idah may not be a starter next season
When Celtic agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign Idah from the Canaries last summer, the Scottish Premiership champions may have been thinking that they had their starting striker for the foreseeable future in the building.
However, Idah’s performances in his first full season at Parkhead did not live up to the expectations that came with such a hefty price tag, despite the fact that he ended the campaign with 20 goals in all competitions.
That haul of 20 goals did come in 54 appearances, though, and consistency was an issue for the Ireland international, who failed to keep his place in the starting XI on a regular basis, starting 22 of his 45 appearances in the Premiership and the Champions League.
As shown in the clip above, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon explained that the striker needs to find more consistency in his all-round performances and needs to think more about his decisions on the pitch.
Idah’s inconsistency in front of goal in the Premiership was an issue for him in the 2024/25 campaign, as his finishing left a lot to be desired at times.
Highest xG for Celtic
24/25 Premiership
xG
Goals
xG differential
Daizen Maeda
14.95
16
+1.05
Adam Idah
14.77
13
-1.77
Kyogo Furuhashi
14.14
10
-4.14
Nicolas Kuhn
11.4
13
+1.6
Arne Engels
9.26
9
-0.26
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, the Irishman had plenty of high-quality openings in front of goal for the Hoops, but failed to make the most of them as he underperformed his xG by almost two goals.
All of this together illustrates why Idah may not be viewed as a starter for Celtic next season, particularly amid interest in another centre-forward.
Celtic eyeing £7m centre-forward
According to TEAMtalk, Rodgers has identified Wycombe Wanderers number nine Richard Kone as a new target for the Hoops to potentially bolster their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are lining up a swoop for the 22-year-old marksman as a possible replacement for Daizen Maeda, who is attracting interest from a host of teams in the Premier League.
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Brentford, Everton, and West Ham United are among the clubs eyeing up a possible move for the Japan international, who is valued at £25m by Celtic.
TEAMtalk adds that it will take a fee of around £7m to prise Kone away from Wycombe, and that is a fee that the Hoops are only willing to pay if they cash in on Maeda for a huge transfer fee.
Daizen Maeda
This suggests that it is a transfer pursuit that could rumble on late into the window, as it is linked to Maeda’s future, but it is a potential deal that should concern Idah.
Why Celtic signing Kone should concern Idah
The current Hoops number nine should be concerned by the club’s interest in Kone because the arrival of the £7m-rated star could result in the Irishman being consigned to the bench for the majority of the season.
As aforementioned, Idah did start 22 of his 45 outings in the Premiership and the Champions League, which means that he started just under half of the games in those competitions. He also started 19 of his 35 appearances in the Premiership, specifically, as Rodgers gave him plenty of opportunities to shine.
Kone’s arrival at Parkhead, though, if they manage to sign him from Wycombe, would send the former Norwich man to the bench almost permanently, because he could be an upgrade for the Hoops.
The Ivorian number nine’s performances for Wycombe in League One during the 2024/25 campaign suggest that the potential is there for him to be an excellent all-round centre-forward for Rodgers.
24/25 League One
Richard Kone
Percentile rank vs STs
xG
15.89
Top 7%
xG on target
16.84
Top 6%
Goals
18
Top 7%
xA
3.33
Top 8%
Assists
3
Top 32%
Successful dribbles
44
Top 6%
Duels won
240
Top 5%
Aerial duels won
131
Top 9%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target plundered 18 goals from 15.89 xG in the division, which shows that he was a ruthless and efficient finisher for his side, ending the campaign with five more league goals than Idah managed for the Hoops.
Kone, who was hailed as a “goal machine” by teammate Joe Jacobson, also ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to completing dribbles, winning duels, and winning aerial battles, which shows that he is also a dynamic and physical striker.
This suggests that the £7m-rated star offers an all-round presence at the top end of the pitch, which is what Lennon suggested Idah was missing from his performances, which is another reason why he could be an upgrade on the Irishman.
Therefore, the Celtic number nine could be sent packing to the bench as a regular super substitute next season if the club can secure a deal for Kone, who may have the consistency in his all-round game that he lacks.
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The Wycombe star has shown consistency as a finisher, a dribbler, and a dueller in League One, which is the same league that Matt O’Riley was recruited from, and his impressive attributes and performance suggest that Idah could be a bench warmer next season if he joins the club.
Sunderland are thought to be in talks to sign a new £17m forward who Regis Le Bris already knows well, according to a new update.
Speakman in Sunderland transfer talks after Le Fee deal
The Black Cats have so far been patient when it comes to new signings, with Enzo Le Fee’s loan move becoming permanent the only incoming piece of business following promotion to the Premier League.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is working behind the scenes on deals, though, and admitted last week he was in three different countries in three days discussing transfers with targets.
By the looks of things, one player on Speakman’s list could now be Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente, with a new update showing there has been a development.
Sunderland in talks for Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente
According to reports in Italy relayed by Chronicle Live, Sunderland are thought to have begun talks over a ‘sensational swoop’ to sign Lauriente.
The Sassuolo forward has already worked under Le Bris, scoring one goal in four games under the Sunderland boss during their time at French side Lorient. He can also play anywhere across the front three, so would provide plenty of versatility in the final third, should a deal be struck.
The Black Cats are looking to provide competition to Wilson Isisdor and Eliezer Mayenda and seemingly see Lauriente as the man to do just that, with previous claims suggesting he could cost up to £17m.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign in 2024/25, scoring 19 goals and registering six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, mainly as a left winger.
Forwards similar to Lauriente
Club
Dan James
Leeds United
Borja Sainz
Norwich City
Wilfried Gnonto
Leeds United
Sontje Hansen
NEC Nijmegen
Liel Abada
Charlotte FC
As per FBref, Lauriente ranks in the top 1% for goals when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers, the top 2% for shots on target and the top 6% for expected goals.
As can be seen, Lauriente has been likened to a number of wingers playing their trade in England, so a move to the Stadium of Light could be one to keep an eye on.
Everton and David Moyes have had a meeting with a Premier League attacker over a summer move to the club, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Everton plotting summer signings
A new era is dawning for the Toffees, with life at Goodison Park now over for the men’s team and a move to Bramley-Moore Dock taking place this summer.
The hope is that Everton will be able to make the jump from being a relegation-threatened outfit to a team pushing for Europe, but plenty of new signings are required in the summer transfer window.
Everton manager David Moyes
Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze has been linked with a move to Merseyside, and Everton may have to be eyeing defensive replacements for Jarrad Branthwaite should the highly rated Englishman decide to head off for a new challenge ahead of next season.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray right-back Elias Jelert has also been mentioned as a defensive addition. Further up the pitch, Jamie Carragher has urged them to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, telling him to be a “main man” at the club.
Everton hold meeting with Premier League "monster"
Now, writing on X, Romano has claimed that Moyes has recently met with £30m-rated Delap, as they look to get a summer deal over the line for the England international:
Delap could be a great signing for the Toffees this summer, with Moyes badly in need of more firepower, especially if Dominic Calvert-Lewin moves on.
The Ipswich ace has impressed in a relegated team this season, scoring 12 goals in 32 Premier League starts, and teammate Alex Palmer has said of him:
“You look at him and he’s a monster. He’s a young lad that’s got the enthusiasm and energy – and also the talent. So for us to have him and him be playing as well as he is at the moment, he’s going to have a big part to play [in] the rest of the season.”
If Everton were able to beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to the signing of Delap, it would feel like a major coup, potentially making other possible additions feel that Moyes is building something great at the club.
He's been better than Branthwaite: Moyes hit gold on Everton’s "revelation"
Moyes wants to make a wealth of summer signings at Everton, but he’s already found a gem or two.
By
Angus Sinclair
May 24, 2025
Branded an “unselfish” player, the 22-year-old is still young and should only mature as a footballer for the foreseeable future, and he has the physicality and selflessness to thrive in a Moyes team, given the types of centre-forwards he prefers.
Leeds United ended their Championship season by beating Plymouth Argyle in stoppage time to claim the title ahead of Burnley, whilst also hitting a century of points.
Since then, it has been a week full of parades, celebrations, and interesting chants and dance moves from members of the squad and management.
Once the celebrations are over, or at least subdued, Daniel Farke and his staff will have to start to think about plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Leeds are in a party atmosphere right now, and rightly so after their incredible achievement, but they know how hard the task ahead of them will be.
In fact, Football Insider reports that the Whites already have doubts over Joel Piroe and are not expected to build their attack around the Dutchman next season, which suggests that the club will be in the market for a new centre-forward.
This means that Leeds will need to find a lethal number nine to come in and provide the team with goals on a regular basis, as they look to land their best striker signing since Chris Wood.
Leeds United's strikers since Chris Wood
The New Zealand international set the bar high when he plundered an exceptional haul of 27 goals in 44 Championship matches for the West Yorkshire outfit in the 2016/17 campaign.
His incredible form in the second tier led to interest from the Premier League, though, and Burnley swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £15m, which was a club-record deal for the Clarets at the time.
Wood has gone on to score 88 goals in the Premier League for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest combined, which shows that he has proven himself to be a reliable scorer in the top-flight.
Leeds, meanwhile, have not found a striker of Wood’s quality or potential since his move to Turf Moor, as none of their former or current strikers since the New Zealand international have gone on to achieve what he has.
24/25
Joel Piroe
Championship
19
23/24
Crysencio Summerville
Championship
20
22/23
Rodrigo
Premier League
13
21/22
Raphinha
Premier League
11
20/21
Patrick Bamford
Premier League
17
19/20
Patrick Bamford
Championship
16
18/19
Kemar Roofe
Championship
15
17/18
Kemar Roofe
Championship
11
As you can see in the table above, no striker has hit 20 goals in the league for the Whites since Wood’s return of 27 goals, with winger Crysencio Summerville the only player to hit that mark in the last eight seasons.
Patrick Bamford showed great potential to kick on when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, but the former England international has failed to score more than eight goals in a season in any of the last four years.
Football Insider’s report that the club have doubts over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight does not suggest that the Dutchman is set to be the next Wood by going on to be a success in the Premier League, either, and this means that Leeds have to nail their next striker signing this summer.
The Whites have already been linked with an interest in new players ahead of the summer transfer window and one of their targets, Troy Parrott, could be their best striker signing since Chris Wood.
Why Troy Parrott could be the best striker signing since Chris Wood
What made Wood such a successful signing for Leeds was that he developed during his time at Elland Road, as the forward scored 13 goals in his first Championship season before hitting 27 goals in his second.
The Whites were, then, able to cash in on him for a significant amount of money, which is not something that they have been able to do since then.
Parrott is reportedly one of the names on the club’s shortlist of striker targets ahead of the summer transfer window, and the Ireland international is a forward who has the potential to be the best centre-forward signing since Wood.
Firstly, the Irish striker has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve at the age of 23, which means that he could grow in value throughout his time at Elland Road before being sold for a profit in the future, as was the case with the current Nottingham Forest star.
Secondly, Parrott is a player with the physical attributes to compete at the top level, as he is a nimble and quick forward who can race away from opposition defenders, whilst Piroe, for example, is not blessed with lightning-quick speed or athleticism.
Finally, the 23-year-old star’s form in the Netherlands over the past two seasons suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable goalscoring threat for the Whites.
Parrott, who was described as a “phenomenal” marksman by former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, has caught the eye with his performances in the Eredivisie for Excelsior and the Eredivisie and the Europa League for AZ Alkmaar.
Appearances
29
40
69
xG
9.49
20.22
29.71
Goals
17
18
35
Big chances created
5
10
15
Assists
4
3
7
As you can see in the table above, the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has plundered an eye-catching 35 goals in those two competitions in the last two seasons combined, outperforming his xG by roughly five goals in that time.
These statistics suggest that Parrott, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this term for AZ Alkmaar, is already a player who can deliver goals on a regular basis at the top level, because he has proven himself in a big European league and in a big European competition.
If you take his form in the last two seasons, his physical attributes, and his age profile into account, the Leeds target has the potential to be the club’s best striker signing since Chris Wood.
No centre-forward since the ex-Burnley man has gone on to thrive in the Premier League on a consistent basis, or be sold on for a major profit, and Parrott is a striker who seemingly has the potential to go on to achieve both of those things, which is why the Whites must swoop for his services this summer.
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