All posts by z3u9t.icu

There’s no denying that the 2024/25 campaign was one to forget for Manchester United, needing to erase such a year from their memory if they’re to be a success next season.

The Red Devils only registered a measly 15th-placed Premier League finish, whilst also being on the losing end in the Europa League final against fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur.

Ruben Amorim was ultimately unable to have the desired impact after taking the reins halfway through the campaign, undoubtedly hoping to make amends in 2025/26.

The 40-year-old has finally had the pre-season he desired to get his feet under the table and make the changes he needs to allow his players to operate in his 3-4-2-1 system.

Despite already splashing over £130m on new additions this summer, the hierarchy look set to back the manager once again in his quest for success in England’s top-flight.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

Benjamin Sesko has undoubtedly been the biggest star linked in recent weeks, with the Red Devils battling Newcastle United for the RB Leipzig striker’s signature this window.

The Slovenian has already been subject to an offer from the Magpies, with United needing to act quickly if they are to secure a deal for the 22-year-old before the September 1st deadline.

However, despite the interest in the forward, other options are also being considered across the pitch, with Barcelona star Fermin Lopez the latest on their radar, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

They claim that Amorim’s side are preparing a €70m (£60m) offer for the 22-year-old central midfielder, after he made 46 appearances across all competitions last season.

The report also states that the LaLiga outfit would be open to allowing him to depart before the end of the window, if an offer in that region is submitted in the coming weeks.

Why United’s latest target could spell bad news for Bruno

Bruno Fernandes has been a player constantly providing the goods for United in recent years, scoring 98 times and notching 83 assists in his 290 appearances for the Red Devils.

Such numbers have saved the side in key moments, especially last season, with his tally of 37 goal contributions undoubtedly preventing the side from a relegation battle in the Premier League.

However, despite his contributions, he could find himself dropping down the pecking order in 2025/26, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha already being signed to operate in the number ten role.

Bruno has regularly operated in such a position over recent times, potentially having to drop into a deeper role as a result of the pair’s big-money arrivals at Old Trafford.

The likes of Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte all currently occupy such roles, with the potential arrival of Lopez adding further depth to the midfield department.

There’s no doubt that if the Spaniard moved to the Theatre of Dreams it would put Fernandes’ spot in the side at risk, especially when considering the phenomenal numbers the Barça star produced in 2024/25.

Lopez, who’s been labelled “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, registered 11 combined goals and assists, highlighting the attacking threat he possesses from his deep-lying role.

Games played

28

Goals & assists

11

Pass accuracy

82%

Progressive passes

5.7

Passes into final third

4.7

Shots taken

3.1

Take-ons completed

1.8

Tackles won

1.4

Key passes made

2.1

Recoveries made

4.7

He also completed 5.7 progressive passes per 90, 4.7 of which were into the final third, handing the new additions the chance to thrive within attacking areas in their first season at the club.

The youngster’s talents are further reflected out of possession, winning 1.4 tackles per 90 and 4.7 recoveries per 90, offering Amorim the defensive presence he may need in the middle of the park.

£60m could be an expensive addition, but given Lopez’s all-round talents, he could prove to be an exceptional addition for United in their attempts to rise up the table.

At just 22, he has plenty of time to build on his early success in his career, potentially putting Bruno’s long-standing presence within the side at huge risk.

Most important deal since Bruno: Man Utd make enquiry for "world-class" gem

Manchester United are set to make another key move within this summer’s transfer window.

1 ByEthan Lamb Aug 2, 2025

Arsenal are currently attempting to get a host of players off Mikel Arteta’s books, and they must do so quickly if Andrea Berta is to win the race for Eberechi Eze before Tottenham.

The consensus right now is that the Gunners’ current focus is on selling players (Sky Sports), with previous reports suggesting that they may have to offload certain squad members before formally bidding for Eze, despite the player’s recent talks with Berta and Arteta (Ben Jacobs).

Arsenal have long been in discussions with the 27-year-old’s camp (Fabrizio Romano), and there are some suggestions that the north Londoners even hold a broad agreement on financial terms with Palace.

However, their hesitancy and need to sell has gifted arch rivals Tottenham an opportunity to hijack their deal – with Thomas Frank’s side opening talks this week.

If Arsenal are to trim the squad and make room for Eze, it is absolutely imperative that they’re fast about it.

Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior are all being linked with exits before the transfer deadline on September 1, as is left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The former Man City star is considering the possibility of seeing out his contract and leaving for free in 2026, but given Arsenal’s need to raise funds and make room in the squad, Arteta’s side obviously prefer to sell now (The Athletic).

Zinchenko is on a considerable salary of around £150,000-per-week at the Emirates Stadium right now and barely got a look in under Arteta last season, so Arsenal will understandably be keen to find a buyer.

The Ukraine international attracted interest from AC Milan earlier this summer, according to reports from Italy, but now Turkish Süper Lig giants Fenerbache are throwing their hat into the ring.

Oleksandr Zinchenko keen to join Fenerbahce after Jose Mourinho talks

According to Turkish news outlet Sabah, Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has held a meeting with Zinchenko and discussed his plans for the defender – promising to use him in midfield as opposed to at full-back.

These talks have piqued Zinchenko’s interest, as the ex-Ufa sensation is now believed to be keen on a switch to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

While Mourinho has acquired the player buy-in, there is still work to do on the club-to-club front. Arsenal value Zinchenko at £17 million, but Fenerbache only want to sign him on loan with an option to buy in 2026.

So far, Fenerbache director Devin Ozek has offered Berta a loan fee of £2.5m, with an option to buy set at around £8.6 million, so a significant gap in valuation remains before a deal can be struck.

Arteta brought Zinchenko to Arsenal in 2022 after previously working with him at Eastlands, and the tactician praised his exceptional mentality.

“He’s a perfectionist and a really demanding boy. I know him so well, and after that he brings qualities that we didn’t have in the squad,” said Arteta to the press.

“He gives us a different option to play within the role in different spaces, and I’m really happy to have him.”

There’s never a quiet day in the Newcastle United recruitment department is there?

It was reported on Tuesday morning that Alexander Isak has no intention of playing for the Magpies again, even if the transfer window closes and he has not been sold.

This is certainly a saga that will seemingly rumble on and on, possibly even beyond the 1 September transfer deadline.

In the meantime, with or without Isak, Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his squad ahead of a return to the Champions League, so could a “quality” talent soon move to the North East?

Newcastle's busy transfer activity

So far, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale are Newcastle’s only two additions, but a fair few more could soon follow.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, an enquiry has been made for Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, while it has also been claimed that the Magpies are set to make a bid for Brentford’s wantaway marksman, Yoane Wissa.

Meantime, could Newcastle snap up a bargain by bringing in a young talent reminiscent of Hatem Ben Arfa?

Well, John Percy of the Telegraph reports that Newcastle are set to accelerate their interest in signing Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City.

They add that the Moroccan international’s contract contains a release clause, following the Foxes’ relegation to the EFL Championship, with the Magpies willing to pay up to £30m to secure his signature.

El Khannouss did complete 90 minutes during Leicester’s league opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, but is seemingly set for a return to the Premier League, with Leeds and Tottenham also interested, so could he end up on Tyneside?

Why Bilal El Khannouss should excite Newcastle supporters

Fair to say, Leicester City endured a miserable campaign last time round, winning just six Premier League matches all season, failing to score in nine consecutive home games, losing all of them, between 22 December and Easter Sunday, a new unwanted top division record.

However, amid all the dross, El Khannouss did manage to impress, scoring three goals during his debut season in England, most notably bagging the winner at Tottenham in January.

As a result, analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “one of the best prospects in the world”, while scout Antonio Mango has lauded him as a “genius”.

The 21-year-old’s composure on the ball and exceptional dribbling ability rank among his key strengths, having notably averaged 1.1 successful dribbles per game in the top-flight last season, as per Sofascore. That certainly sounds like former Newcastle favourite Ben Afra, doesn’t it?

During his time on Tyneside, between 2010 and 2014, the French international became renowned for his skill, dribbling prowess and attacking flair, all of which was encapsulated by this astonishing solo strike against Bolton at St James’ Park in April 2012.

So, let’s analyse El Khannouss’ statistics and Leicester last season to underline the comparison.

Goals

2

5th

Assists

3

3rd

Expected assists

4.6

1st

Shots

30

4th

Big chances created

8

1st

Progressive carries

73

2nd

Progressive passes

128

1st

Key passes

42

1st

Passes into the box

31

1st

Shot-creating actions

78

1st

Successful take-ons

34

2nd

Touches in the attacking 3rd

445

1st

Average SofaScore rating

6.91

3rd

As the table documents, in a generally dismal Leicester City side, El Khannouss was without a doubt the primary creative force, ranked first when it came to expected assists, big chances created, key passes, progressive passes and many, many other attacking metrics.

He has a similar talismanic quality that Ben Arfa possessed during the majority of his time at Newcastle, taking on the attacking burden and often making things happen all by himself.

Thus, in a significantly better side, El Khannouss could become a star of the Premier League, and the Magpies could provide him with the platform to do that.

He'd replicate Isak: Newcastle make enquiry to sign "complete" £80m striker

With Alexander Isak still hoping to force a move to Liverpool, could Newcastle target a “complete” striker valued at £80m who’d replicate the Swede?

Aug 12, 2025

Everton laboured their way to defeat on the opening day of the Premier League season, losing at Elland Road to newly-promoted Leeds United.

Contentious penalty or not, David Moyes will be frustrated with his outfit’s lack of coherence and bite in the final third, especially after a drab opening half.

Might a few more signings be in order? Perhaps so. But Everton are “on it”, as Moyes says himself, and further than a week of transfer window terrain stretches in front of the Hill Dickinson Stadium, which awaits further fresh faces.

Marquee man Jack Grealish has been welcomed to the fold, with raw striker Thierno Barry, 22, also touted for big things.

But more is needed.

Everton's late-stage transfer targets

Everton desperately need a right-back, and a right-sided forward too. Lyon’s Malick Fofana, a versatile winger, has been touted as a player of interest.

However, Everton would be remiss not to consider other areas too, with depth, or a lack thereof, appearing a glaring concern at the moment.

That’s why one notable Everton insider has revealed that Everton are working on a deal to sign Manchester City’s Nathan Ake, perhaps in response to Jarrad Branthwaite’s recent hamstring injury.

Everton have a good relationship with the Etihad Stadium side and have already completed a loan deal for Grealish this summer. They must now use this line of communication to complete a shrewd swoop for the experienced Ake.

Why Everton want Nathan Ake

Left-back Vitalii Mykolenko missed the season opener with a fitness problem, heightening the need for reinforcements. Ake, who operates across the backline, would be a fantastic addition in this regard, covering and challenging the established starters.

A dynamic defender, Ake has been hailed for his “incredible” efforts in a City shirt by Pep Guardiola, having played 145 times for the club, scoring ten goals, since joining from Bournemouth five years ago in a £41m package.

However, his match action dried up last year, in part because of injuries, and with Guardiola’s recent comments regarding a desire for a slimmer squad, the Toffees must pounce on the 30-year-old Dutchman, in doing so, replicating what might turn out to be fantastic business for Grealish.

25/26

0 (0)

0′

24/25

10 (8)

683′

23/24

29 (24)

2,044′

22/23

26 (22)

1,877′

21/22

14 (10)

920′

20/21

10 (9)

797′

Grealish was in a similar boat as a Citizen, having been pushed toward the periphery over the past couple of years in Manchester, consequently missing out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, a decision that polarised England’s football community.

At Everton, he has the chance to shine once again, and showed flashes of his quality on a dour evening in Leeds on Monday night, taking some smooth touches and fizzing a dangerous delivery into the penalty area across his second-half cameo.

That crossing ability could play to Ake’s strengths. The Netherlands defender is renowned for his aerial ability and would add a dimension to Everton’s threat from set-pieces.

Moreover, he would add depth to Moyes’ build-up play, with a passing game fit for a transitional approach. Data from FBref reveals Ake ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 10% for progressive carries per 90.

If Everton pull this off, they will be repeating a move for Grealish that holds so much promise. Adding such talents to his team, Moyes is demonstrating a tactical acuity that suggests he wants to widen the scope of Everton’s potential. He might just succeed by completing a deal for Ake.

Moyes' own Lukaku: Everton still chasing move for £51m "game changer"

Everton are still in the market for new players this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 21, 2025

Four draws from four in the Premiership, amid a dismal Champions League exit, has ensured that the jury is still out on Rangers boss Russell Martin, with the former Scotland international facing an uphill task to win over the Ibrox faithful.

That said, regardless of whether or not the under-fire coach is the right man for the job, the Gers are evidently in need of further reinforcements before the window slams shut, with the centre-forward berth a particular area of concern.

Indeed, the Light Blues have seen Hamza Igamane already catch fire at new club Lille, amid a stunning brace on debut in Ligue 1, while Martin admitted that Cyriel Dessers has likely played his last game for the Glasgow giants.

With Danilo also continuing to underwhelm, amid his return of 13 goals in 58 games in Scotland, the pressure is on new man Bojan Miovski to hit the ground running. To ease that burden, however, a new addition now looks to be imminent.

Latest on Rangers' deadline day dealings

There is much to be done and little time to do it in, with reports emerging on Sunday evening that Rangers are in the race for Crystal Palace starlet Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, having been linked with the 22-year-old throughout the summer window.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, Portuguese journalist Sebastião Sousa-Pinto has revealed that Everton striker Youssef Chermiti is heading to Scotland amid his impending Ibrox switch, with the final touches being made on that deal.

As per Sousa-Pinto, that switch – which previously had looked set to be an initial loan – will be a permanent deal for a fee in the region of €15m (£12.7m), eclipsing the £12m previously dished out on Tore Andre Flo.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Such a hefty price tag would heap instant expectation on the former Sporting CP man to perform, with there perhaps concerns that the 21-year-old could head in a similar direction as that of Adam Idah at rivals Celtic.

Why Rangers could be targeting their own Adam Idah

In one of the more surprising moves of the window so far, Swansea City have pounced to take Idah back to the Championship on a £7m deal, thus ending his turbulent 18-month stint at Parkhead.

Signed on an initial loan deal in January 2024, the Republic of Ireland international was an instant hit in Scottish football, having scored nine goals in just 19 games during that temporary spell, including the winner in the Scottish Cup final.

While 20 goals followed in all competitions last term, following a £9m permanent switch, the 24-year-old divided opinion among those of a Hoops persuasion, having since failed to score in the early weeks of the new campaign.

Despite his early hot streak, the ex-Norwich City man has perhaps returned to his former levels, having arrived in Glasgow after registering just 17 goals in 116 senior games at Carrow Road, as per Transfermarkt.

There could well be fears of Chermiti enduring similar struggles at Ibrox, with Martin and co gambling on a player who has also yet to prove himself at first-team level, after failing to score at all in 24 games for the Toffees.

Games

4

Starts

0

Goals

0

Big chances missed

0

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes*

0

Total duels won*

50%

Aerial duels won*

67%

Successful dribbles*

0.3

While the young marksman did net three times in 22 first-team outings in Lisbon, there remains little evidence that he can thrive at the elite level, with analyst Kai Watson even suggesting that he could be “[Umar] Sadiq 2.0”.

A player believed to have been “inspired by [Alexander] Isak”, as per The Athletic, Chermiti is yet to showcase that he can get anywhere close to the levels of the Liverpool-bound £130m sensation.

Of course, much like Idah in his early Celtic days, the Portuguese giant could surprise a few if he makes an immediate impact under Martin, although he will have to go a long way to repay his hefty transfer fee.

As was the case with Idah, the pressure on a young, marquee striker can be overpowering – time will tell to see whether the same applies for Chermiti.

Imagine him & Miovski: Rangers make last-gasp offer for "devastating" star

Rangers have reportedly made a last-gasp offer to sign a star who could shine alongside Bojan Miovski.

ByDan Emery Sep 1, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur might not have secured all three points away to Brighton & Hove Albion, but Thomas Frank must be satisfied with the way things are taking shape.

The Spurs boss replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer and was tasked with creating a more stable project. Tottenham won the Europa League last year, but also languished to a 17th-place finish in the top flight.

Signings have been made, and while he’s an imperfect player, Mohamed Kudus has offered much to the Lilywhites cause after signing from West Ham United for £55m in July.

Mohammed Kudus' start to life at Spurs

Kudus’ shot somewhat fortuitously found Richarlison before the break, and so the Brazilian converted and halved the deficit, scoring a crucial goal that would lead to late parity.

The Ghanaian winger still needs to bring his clinical output into focus, but there’s no denying he is a talented and effective winger, adding a dimension to Frank’s project.

According to Sofascore, Kudus won eight duels and completed six dribbles across the afternoon, causing all sorts of problems for his opponents and whipping in the ball that ricocheted off Jan Paul van Hecke.

With three assists from five Premier League appearances for Tottenham, Kudus is coming into his own, bouncing back from a difficult campaign last year with the Hammers.

However, this isn’t the biggest revival within the Spurs squad, with Destiny Udogie rising back up to the fore in a manner not dissimilar to that of Djed Spence last season.

Frank's own Djed Spence revival

When Spence was called up to Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, it was a landmark moment in the 25-year-old full-back’s development.

While Spence has revived his career over the past year, reinventing himself last year under Postecoglou’s wing, Udogie’s performance against Brighton underscored the importance of having a natural left-footer at left-back, working wonders for the side’s progression.

Awarded an 8/10 match rating by football.london, the statistics perhaps don’t tell the full story, with Udogie shackling – for the most part – the bright Yankuba Minteh and working effectively to build up patterns of offensive play down the left flank.

They also considered Udogie to have been the standout performer against the Seagulls.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

86

Accurate passes

58/65 (89%)

Key passes

1

Possession lost

14x

Dribbles

1/3

Tackles + interceptions

2

Clearances

1

Ground duels won

3/7

Having struggled with injury and subsequent dips in form last year, the Italy international made his first start of the season here, with Frank hailing his “absolutely exceptional” performance and continuing to remark that he was “almost unstoppable going forward”.

With Udogie fit and firing on all cylinders, Tottenham’s backline will begin to look far more fluent, not just solidifying when facing the ball but opening up a more coherent build-up process too.

This is not to the discredit of Spence, who continues to go from strength to strength at the club, but instead highlights the quality of the 22-year-old, who now provides his manager with the very best kind of selection headache.

Kudus might have been directly involved in both of Tottenham’s goals, but Udogie proved his worth as one of the most exciting full-backs in the Premier League, and under a new manager in Frank, this might just prove to be the start of something special.

Worth even more than Kudus: Spurs have struck gold on "sensational" talent

Tottenham Hotspur have once again shown their impressive work in the transfer market given one player’s rise.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 19, 2025

After a slow start to his Anfield career, Florian Wirtz has revealed what Liverpool manager Arne Slot has just told him to do if he wants to get back to his best.

Why Wirtz has started slow at Liverpool

Whilst it’s been far from disastrous, Wirtz hasn’t got off to the electric start that many expected from a £116m player. The former Bayer Leverkusen player arrived as a player who has the ability to change games on his own and contribute to goals, but what Liverpool have so far seen is a hard-working midfielder who has struggled to make his mark.

There have been glimpses of his best form. In the September international break, the German scored an excellent free-kick and then returned to Liverpool to enjoy his best display yet against Atletico Madrid. It’s a game that should have ended his wait for a goal or assist since the Community Shield, but there were ultimately plenty of positive signs.

There were also signs of how he can control games in a 1-0 victory against Arsenal, especially when Alexis Mac Allister was replaced and he was no longer sharing the same spaces with such a similar player. Whether those two can thrive together is the big question. Slot did, of course, drop Wirtz for the Argentine in the Merseyside derby instead of starting both.

Unlike others in the Premier League, time is on Wirtz’s side. Liverpool sit top of the Premier League by five points and are the only side with a 100% record. If there’s an environment that allows players to settle in, it is Anfield.

Now worth more than Guehi: Liverpool lost "superstar” for less than Quansah

Liverpool must regret parting ways with this iconic Jurgen Klopp talent.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 26, 2025

That said, Slot has still spoken to the big-money star about his form and told him exactly what he must do to get back to his best.

Wirtz reveals Slot conversation about Liverpool form

Speaking to reporters, Wirtz revealed that he has held a conversation with Slot about his slow start to life at Liverpool. The German revealed that Slot suggested that his form could be down to Liverpool’s press and his struggle to adapt to that intensity whilst also playing a part in possession.

It would certainly make sense why Wirtz has struggled to keep pace at times. Alas, if that is the reason behind his underwhelming form, then logic suggests that Liverpool should see the best version of their midfielder as the season goes on and his fitness reaches the level required.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a tight spot under Vitor Pereira and need to find a run of form, though they could now shatter their transfer record to improve their lacklustre forward line.

Wolves looking to bounce back after another Premier League defeat

Molineux isn’t somewhere that supporters would describe as a happy environment at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether Pereira can turn the tide after a fifth successive Premier League defeat against Leeds United last weekend.

Despite Ladislav Krejci’s fine opener, a quickfire trio of goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor left fans leaving their feelings known at full-time as the Old Gold verged four points away from safety.

Even at an early stage, the Old Gold are playing with fire in their hunt for top-flight survival. Crucially, they have put their trust in Pereira with a new three-year deal, albeit his contract extension doesn’t come with an added compensation threshold should they opt to part ways with the Brazilian later down the line, per The Daily Mail.

Reacting to speculation over his future, he said post-match via Match of the Day: “I am not worried about my future. I don’t need to answer because I am not worried about my future. I am worried about the results. Of course I am confident I can turn it around.”

Speculation surrounding an out-of-window Wolves move for Dele Alli has seemingly died down, not that the England international appears to be a sole solution to their problems. However, he could help to plug a noticeable creativity void left by Matheus Cunha’s departure to Manchester United.

With that in mind, they could now be about to back Pereira by pursuing an exciting attacker once the January transfer window opens.

Wolves want to meet Yeremay Hernandez release clause

According to reports in Spain, Wolves want to meet Deportivo La Coruna star Yeremay Hernandez’s £52.3 million release clause and feel confident they can seal an agreement to bring the Spain Under-21 international to the West Midlands.

Approval ratings for the Old Gold’s ownership are low among supporters, prompting club chiefs to show ambition in the market by looking to complete what would be a club record deal, exceeding Cunha’s arrival from Atletico Madrid by quite a distance.

Wolves bid for star rejected but he's now up for sale and could join in January

The Old Gold could look to pounce for his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 8, 2025

Following a return of 15 goals and five assists in 39 appearances last term, Yeremay has registered a goal inside his first six outings for Deportivo in 2025/26. He has previously been lauded for his “creative” qualities by Ben Mattinson.

Capable of playing on either flank, the 22-year-old is viewed as someone who could turn Wolves’ poor start to the campaign around. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether they can force a deal through in January.

Tottenham Hotspur have always been a club that gives young players a chance.

Today, Thoms Frank has the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall making regular appearances, and so long as things turn around at Rangers, Mikey Moore is likely to feature more prominently next season.

Go back just over a decade, and it was a certain Harry Kane who was given the chance to lead the line under Mauricio Pochettino. Then, just a few years after that, Dele Alli was signed from MK Dons.

At his best, the former England international was a force of nature for Spurs, and while it’s early, it looks like the North Londoners might just have another version of him on the books today.

What made Dele Alli so special

While he has unfortunately faded out of football almost entirely today, it is impossible to overstate just how special a player Dele was at his peak.

For example, in just his first season with the club, the Englishman was able to rack up a brilliant tally of ten goals and ten assists in 46 appearances.

Such a return would be impressive for a seasoned professional, but considering he was just 20 years old and had spent the prior campaign in League One, it was incredible.

Unsurprisingly, he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year, an award he’d win for a second time the following year after producing an out-of-this-world tally of 34 goal involvements in 50 appearances.

While it sounds overly simplistic, it was this sensational ability to produce goals and assists at an unimaginable rate for someone so young that made the Milton Keynes-born gem so special.

Appearances

269

Minutes

19162′

Goals

67

Assists

58

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153.29′

He wasn’t necessarily the best passer in the game, and sometimes could be found lacking when it came to the defensive side of things, but he was a force of nature when it came to popping up at the right time to either score or provide the final pass to someone else who’d put the ball in the back of the net.

So, unfortunately, when the goal involvements began to dry up, everything started to go wrong for the potentially world-class talent, and while he may well get back to his best, he is currently without a club.

In more positive news for Tottenham, it looks like they have an academy gem who could potentially become their new Dele in the coming years.

Meet Spurs' new Dele

There are more than a handful of truly exciting prospects in Spurs’ academy setup at the moment, but the one who stands the best chance of emulating Dele at his best is Luca Williams-Barnett.

Despite still being just 17 years old, the youngster has been a real talking point for those in the know for some time now, and when you take a look at his numbers in youth football, it’s easy to understand why.

For example, in just 23 appearances last season, totalling 1857 minutes, the Luton-born wonderkid scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists, which comes out to 1.39 goal involvements every game, or one every 58.03 minutes.

Then this season, even though he’s now primarily playing with the U21s, he has still scored eight goals and provided five assists in nine youth team appearances, totalling 716 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.44 goal involvements per game, or one every 55.07 minutes.

In other words, the Lilywhites’ young phenom is already a goalscoring machine, but one who is also a reliable provider of assists, which certainly helps to justify analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “one of England’s best talents.”

Moreover, the fact that he has already made his first-team debut, combined with his ability to pop up left, right, and centre with goal involvements from a young age, is undoubtedly reminiscent of Dele at his very best.

Ultimately, it’s still incredibly early in Williams-Barnett’s career, but it’s impossible to ignore just how immense a talent he already is, and his similarities to the Spurs’ former game-changer.

Spurs sold "phenomenal" striker for just £7m, now he's as prolific as Kane

The incredible striker Spurs sold is starting to play like Harry Kane.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 7, 2025

Everton are crying out for a striker in the here and now who can put away chances for fun, having been previously been blessed with the blistering goalscoring exploits of Romelu Lukaku.

It hasn’t just been this season in isolation where the Premier League titans have been cursing their options up top, though.

Former Toffee Dominic Calvert-Lewin often spurned chances galore when he was still on the books of the Merseyside outfit, before he was let go of this summer for Leeds United to snap up his hit-and-miss services on a free transfer.

David Moyes and Co must have thought getting rid of their former number 9 – who had been situated in Merseyside for a whopping 273 games – was going to be a re-energising experience.

Yet, Beto has now seemingly been handed over the baton from Calvert-Lewin as a wasteful centre-forward Everton fans can’t get on-board with, with the former Udinese man extremely lucky to still be in Moyes’ first-team plans.

Why Beto must be replaced

Everton fans, weirdly, have very little to complain about their team’s attacking department. That is until you hit the centre-forward spot on the pitch.

Indeed, Jack Grealish looks back to his devastating Aston Villa peak for the Toffees, with five goal contributions already collected this season from nine outings. At the same time, Iliman Ndiaye’s trickery and pace proved to be a real handful for Manchester City to contain last time out.

This sharp ability to unnerve defenders with his directness has even seen analyst Ben Mattinson label the Senegal international as a “creator of chaos”.

One of Ndiaye’s trademark bursts forward nearly gifted the Merseyside outfit a shock 1-0 lead at the Etihad, only for Beto to skew an effort wide after all of the 25-year-old’s hard work went to waste.

This has been the unfortunate tale of the Lisbon-born striker’s season, in truth, with Beto now going without goal since bagging at Molineux back at the tail-end of August.

Games since scoring

6

Starts since scoring

4

Minutes since scoring

354 mins

It’s now been a disastrous 354 minutes since the 6-foot-4 marksman last fired home an effort for Moyes’ men, and with Thierno Barry also failing to spark into life up top as a summer recruit, the Scotsman could now be prepared to think outside of the box in uncovering a clinical striker.

How Everton could fix their striker problem

The Glaswegian hasn’t looked uneasy this season when shoving Tyler Dibling into first-team action.

Amazingly, Dibling is still only 19 years of age, but if feels as if he’s been in and around the pinnacle of English football for a long while, with two goals and one assist next to his name from 37 appearances at the very top.

He is yet to get off the mark for Moyes’ men from his minimal first team chances, but if the ex-West Ham United boss is willing to gamble on the £40m starlet here and there, he could also be prepared to unleash U21 goal machine Braiden Graham into the first team picture shortly, as he tries to desperately find any viable solution to the frustrating Beto situation that’s continuing to unfold.

Graham might well even be Moyes’ next Rooney-style story, with the Northern Irish teenager only 17 years of age.

That is just one year older than Rooney was when first being handed a senior chance for the first time. The rest is, of course, history, on Rooney’s end, with Graham already being dubbed as a “deadly finisher” by his ex-Linfield boss in David Healy, despite still being a wide-eyed youngster.

Everton U21s

17

7 + 3

Linfield

14

2 + 0

Everton U18s

14

8 + 2

He has gone on to be potent for the Merseyside giants at both U21 and U18 level, as well, with 15 strikes now collected from 31 appearances on the youth pitches at Everton.

It’s not just Healy in isolation who has been complimentary, either, with his U21s boss in Paul Tait also going out of his way to laud the Ballygowan-born forward as a “cool” finisher under pressure.

While it could be deemed as a step way too soon for Graham to be chucked into the senior mix, it’s surely a decision worth exploring from Everton’s point of view, with Beto not anywhere near the levels expected of him at the moment.

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He has a big future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 20, 2025