All posts by h716a5.icu

Even though Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of talented players, it’s not hard to pinpoint their most important: Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End icon has become a talisman for the club and a constant source of goals and assists from the right-hand side, racking up a sensational haul of 26 goal involvements in 37 games this season.

Yet, as unbelievably talented as the Englishman is, he cannot drag the Gunners to glory on his own, as even Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has an incredible supporting cast, including the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and most crucially, this season, Cody Gakpo.

So, fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal to an attacker who’s been compared to Saka and the Flying Dutchman.

Arsenal's winger search

With their attack letting them down on several occasions this season, it’s not been a surprise to see Arsenal linked with a host of talented wingers this summer, such as Karou Mitoma and Rodrygo.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could be available for around £80m and was able to rack up a tally of 15 goal involvements in 41 games this season, while the latter might cost as much as £77m but was even more effective, racking up a haul of 14 goals and 11 assists in 52 games.

Yet, there is another name that has entered the frame, a player who has Premier League experience and has been compared to Saka and Gakpo: Noni Madueke.

According to a recent report from the Telegraph, Arsenal are now one of several teams in the picture to sign the former Spurs academy star and Chelsea forward this summer.

The report claims that while the Blues do not want to sell the Englishman, there is a distinct possibility that he would be let go for the right price.

While that price is not mentioned in the story, reports from earlier this month claimed that a fee in the region of €60m, which is about £51m, could do the trick.

It might not be a transfer that is immediately popular with Arsenal fans, but Madueke has shown glimpses of quality in the Premier League, and the fact he’s been compared to Saka and Gakpo is undoubtedly intriguing.

How Madueke compares to Saka & Gakpo

So then, before going over some of the other reasons why Arsenal might want to sign Madueke this summer, it’s important to examine these comparisons and where they stem from.

Well, they both stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in the Premier League this season before making a list of the ten most comparable for each.

According to this list, Gakpo was the seventh most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Chelsea this season, while Saka was the tenth most similar.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.61

0.71

Shots

3.54

3.44

Passing Accuracy

77.4%

75.5%

Passes into the Final Third

0.71

0.78

Tackles Won

0.80

0.78

Clearances

0.49

0.42

Successful Take-On %

44.1%

45.6%

Aerial Duels Won

0.49

0.52

Now, the best way to understand how these conclusions were reached is by looking at some of the underlying numbers in which the players rank closely, and in the case of the Gunners’ talisman, that includes things like non-penalty expected goals plus assist, passing accuracy, passes into the final third, clearances, tackles won and more, all per 90.

In the case of the Eindhoven-born maestro, similar metrics include expected assists, live passes, carries, ball recoveries, goal-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.61

0.53

Passing Accuracy

77.4%

75.7%

Expected Assists

0.14

0.18

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.35

0.37

Live Passes

29.2

28.7

Goal-Creating Actions

0.35

0.37

Carries

28.4

28.1

Ball Recoveries

3.72

3.58

However, it’s not just the comparisons to two of the best wingers in the league that should excite fans, as the “unbelievable” dynamo, as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has also been a relatively reliable source of goals and assists for the West Londoners.

For example, in 42 appearances this season, totalling 2513 minutes, the 23-year-old “mentality monster,” as dubbed by personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, scored 11 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.62 games, or every 157.06 minutes.

In comparison, Gabriel Martinelli racked up as many goal involvements in 51 appearances, totalling 3564 minutes, which comes out to a significantly worse average of a goal involvement every 3.18 games, or every 222.75 minutes.

Ultimately, while the price might be a little high, Madueke has the raw ability to make a difference for Arsenal, and the fact he’s been compared to players like Saka and Gakpo this season suggests as much.

Therefore, if the fee can be reduced somewhat, then this looks like a transfer worth chasing.

Big Martinelli upgrade: Arsenal start talks to sign "magnificent" £85m star

The incredible winger would add so much dynamism to Arsenal’s attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 20, 2025

Liverpool have been the team to watch in the transfer window so far and could now look to strike for a star who has previously been labelled “fantastic” by Jordan Henderson, according to reports.

Liverpool march on in the transfer window

Exciting times are on the horizon at Anfield and Jeremie Frimpong is set to be joined by Milos Kerkez at Liverpool as the latter edges closer to signing on the dotted line for a move to Merseyside, as per David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano.

Florian Wirtz is also signing for Liverpool for a record fee, creating a triple-axis of exciting transfers that have placed Arne Slot and his side in a great position to retain their Premier League title.

Incredibly, The Reds are said to be plotting a blockbuster bid for Newcastle star Alexander Isak in a deal that could be worth £100 million and add-ons, exceeding any fee paid for Wirtz.

Nevertheless, that is likely to be contingent on whether Darwin Nunez leaves the club, albeit there is plenty to marvel about regarding Liverpool’s commitment to conducting smart business.

Club could allow "special" £85k-a-week Premier League winner to join Leeds

It’s a potential big boost for Daniel Farke.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 20, 2025

There is plenty of speculation surrounding the reigning champions, and nobody is expecting that to slow down anytime soon. The dust has now settled on their title victory, and hard work is well underway ahead of another campaign fraught with excitement.

Now, there is another name on their radar that could stir up headlines across Europe if Liverpool are able to push a deal over the line.

Liverpool hold talks over move for Jorrel Hato

According to journalist Duncan Castles on the Transfers Podcast, Liverpool are in talks to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato and could face competition from Arsenal and Chelsea for the versatile Netherlands international.

He stated: “There have been direct conversations between Liverpool and Hato over joining the Premier League champions this summer, and those talks are taking place with the knowledge of Ajax, who are open to selling the player.”

Five similar players to Jorrel Hato (FBRef)

Trai Hume

Sunderland

Sam Byram

Leeds United

DeAndre Yedlin

Cincinnati

Franco Escobar

Houston Dynamo

Bryan Colula

Mazatlan

Later, he added: “Now we have a situation where Liverpool are looking at the player, with Arsenal and Chelsea also seriously interested in him.”

Labelled “fantastic” by former teammate Jordan Henderson, Hato registered three goals and six assists across 50 appearances in all competitions last campaign, and can play left-back or centre-back.

Intriguingly, this news comes as Atletico Madrid begin to step up their interest in Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, potentially offering a clue into who his replacement will be alongside Kerkez.

As talks continue, Reds supporters will hope they come to a satisfactory conclusion as the club look to stock up with elite arrivals ahead of the new campaign.

He will replace Usman Khawaja in the role as the state look to rebuild after a poor season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024Marnus Labuschagne will have the chance to establish his credentials as a potential future Australia captain after he was named Queensland’s new leader for the 2024-25 season.Labuschagne will replace Usman Khawaja who will remain captain of Brisbane Heat in the BBL. They will join forces with new Queensland and Heat coach Johan Botha.Labuschagne briefly captained Queensland in the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield last season. Queensland finished bottom of the Shield, for the first time since 2007-08, and fifth in the one-day competition.”Both Marnus and Usman are strong leaders and we’re looking to the future by appointing Marnus to lead the Bulls,” Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson said. “It is an ideal opportunity for Marnus to once again showcase his leadership abilities and provide him with experience at first class and one-day level. He and our players enjoyed the opportunity he had last season to lead the Bulls and Marnus is excited about the season ahead and working with new coach, Johan Botha.”However, quite how much of Queensland’s season Labuschagne will be available for beyond the first month in October remains to be seen. Australia have an ODI series against Pakistan in November which he will likely be part of before the Tests against India. Australia tour Sri Lanka for two Tests from late January then head to Pakistan for Champions Trophy which runs into March.”I’m greatly honoured to be appointed Queensland captain, as I know how much the Bulls mean to the fans around the state,” Labuschagne said. “I’ve been in a very fortunate position to play alongside some exceptional leaders, and the chance to step up and do a job for the team I love is exciting.””We have a great group of players and one of the aspects of the captaincy that I am most looking forward to is helping us to make the most of the structure and opportunities we are creating here in Queensland.”While there is no imminent prospect of a change of captaincy in the Australia set-up, Pat Cummins has indicated he is unlikely to do the Test and ODI job for a prolonged period. There has previously been a concern about prospective future captains not being able to cut their teeth at domestic level, although Cummins’ success in the role may have alleviated those.Travis Head, who has previously led South Australia and Adelaide Strikers, has been talked about as a potential future captain. Australia’s last Test side, against New Zealand in Christchurch, only included two players – Labuschagne and Cameron Green – who were aged under 30.

Things are finally starting to fall into place for Arsenal this summer.

After watching their Premier League rivals sign talent after talent, the Gunners have sprung into life in the last couple of weeks.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is through the door, Christian Norgaard looks set to follow him, and reports indicate the North Londoners are making good progress in their pursuit of goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres.

That’s not all, though, as after months of waiting, Martin Zubimendi looks set to be announced any day now, although his signing could be overshadowed by another in no time at all.

Arsenal target more exciting signing than Zubimendi

Arsenal were linked with Zubimendi as far back as January 2023, but in reality, the most significant story regarding his move to the club emerged this January, courtesy of Sami Mokbel.

Transfer Focus

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

Since then, there has been a near-constant trickle of updates about the move, but finally, it looks like the Spaniard will be officially announced any day now, and for a fee of around £51m.

It’s easy to see why the Gunners were so keen to land the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by journalist Alexandra Jonson, as not only does he have an abundance of experience under his belt, but he’ll provide Arteta with far more options to adjust his midfield setup when needed.

However, while the Real Sociedad star could well be a transformational addition, the North Londoners now appear to be closing in on someone who’d be an even more exciting signing: Eberechi Eze.

At least that is according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who, speaking on the latest episode of the Highbury Squad podcast, revealed that the Gunners were still very much interested in the Crystal Palace star.

In fact, Jacobs said he is “expecting a bid” from the North Londoners “within the next two weeks” that will be slightly below the Englishman’s £68m release clause.

In more good news, the player himself is “keen” to join Arteta’s outfit, and therefore, this does feel like a deal which will happen, and for our money, it’ll be a more exciting one than Zubimendi’s.

Why Eze would be a more exciting signing than Zubimendi

The first thing to say is that Zubimendi is undoubtedly an excellent and very important signing.

However, when it comes to pure excitement, we have to side with the addition of Eze.

After all, what is it that actually gets fans on their feet? In most cases, it’s goals and thrilling attacking phases of play, which are things the Palace star can and likely will provide in spades at the Emirates.

Appearances

43

Minutes

3303′

Goals

14

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

For example, despite playing for a mid-table side, he was able to amass a brilliant tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3,303 minutes.

That means the former QPR ace averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Moreover, he isn’t someone who statpads by scoring meaningless goals, as he opened the scoring in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, and then scored the winner in the final.

Additionally, while the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, spent much of last season playing in an attacking midfield role, he is also more than capable of playing on the left wing and could therefore help solve multiple problems in the Gunners’ squad.

Ultimately, Zubimendi will likely be an incredible signing for Arsenal, but for our money, Eze will be the more exciting addition, should this transfer happen.

Ollie Watkins will love him: Arsenal in talks to sign £85m "superstar"

The incredible international could be a total game-changer for the striker and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 4, 2025

Allrounder takes 3 for 16 in eight overs then hits unbeaten 152 in run chase

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2024Ed Barnard was outstanding with bat and ball as Warwickshire beat Gloucestershire by six wickets at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to extend their winning start to five matches in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Having claimed 3 for 16 to help dismiss Gloucestershire for 267 in 49.4 overs, the in-form allrounder posted a brilliant match-winning knock of 152 not out from 134 balls as the Bears chased down their target with 2.1 overs to spare.He dominated stands of 79 and 135 with Hamza Shaikh and Chris Benjamin for the third and fifth wickets respectively and helped himself to two sixes and 14 fours as Warwickshire continued to match joint-leaders Glamorgan blow for blow at the top of Group B.Jack Taylor had earlier done his utmost to make a game of it, Gloucestershire’s skipper scoring a brilliant unbeaten 139 from 115 balls with eight sixes and 10 fours. He shared partnerships of 101 and 54 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively to rescue Gloucestershire from the wreckage of 43 for 4.But Gloucestershire were kept in check by the irrepressible Barnard, who took his wicket tally in the competition to 13, while teenage legspinner Tazeem Ali returned career-best figures of 3 for 55.Now unbeaten in their last five outings in the 50-over competition, Warwickshire can virtually guarantee a place in the quarter-finals by defeating nearest rivals Glamorgan at Edgbaston on Thursday. Beaten in three of their five outings, Gloucestershire will almost certainly have to beat Sussex in their next game at Bristol on Wednesday to keep alive their chances of making the knockout stages.Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat, but might well have been regretting that decision after Barnard made early inroads. He found early movement off the pitch to remove Cameron Bancroft without scoring and account for Ollie Price and James Bracey in single figures. Michael Booth had Miles Hammond caught at the wicket for 15 as Gloucestershire were reduced to 43 for 4.Relieved to finally see the back of Barnard, Charlesworth and Taylor launched a recovery, staging an unbroken stand of 50 from 65 balls and forcing Will Rhodes, who conceded 22 runs in three overs, out of the attack. Pulling and driving with refreshing freedom, Charlesworth was first to 50, attaining that landmark via 68 balls with his first six, lofted over long-off at the expense of Tazeem.Tazeem had his revenge when Charlesworth, who had accrued six fours and a six, holed out to midwicket with the score on 144 for 5 in the 31st over. Warwickshire’s three spinners sent down 22 overs between them, Tazeem, Jake Lintott and Rob Yates conceding a combined total of 116 runs.Tazeem had some success, having van Buuren held on the long-off boundary, but only after he had contributed 18 in a crucial stand of 54 for the sixth wicket with Taylor. Warwickshire’s 18-year-old legspinner also sent back Tom Smith, but the visitors were unable to take the prized wicket of Taylor.Gloucestershire’s captain certainly exacted a heavy price, going to his first hundred of the season from 101 balls, and then orchestrating a late flurry that saw the home side plunder 52 runs in 3.4 overs at the death. Taylor’s onslaught reached a climax when he smashed former team-mate Craig Miles for three successive sixes in the penultimate over.Mindful that Warwickshire had chased 328 to defeat Essex at Chelmsford last month, Gloucestershire were aware of the importance of taking early wickets. Matt Taylor obliged, persuading Yates to hole out to midwicket for 16, while Josh Shaw had Rhodes caught at the wicket without scoring as the visitors slipped to 46 for 2.But Barnard and Shaikh provided much-needed reassurance. Having already posted a career-best knock of 173 in this competition this season, Barnard went to his latest 50 from 52 balls, finding the boundary with sufficient regularity to keep the required rate below six an over.Appointed captain of the England Under-19 side in June, Shaikh is enjoying a breakthrough season, and he further enhanced his burgeoning reputation here, making 37 in a stand of 79 for the third wicket. Content to play second fiddle to Barnard, the 18-year-old demonstrated his quality on occasions, caressing van Buuren’s slow left-arm over square leg for six before slicing the same bowler high to cover and departing in the 25th over.Price then bowled the reverse-sweeping Michael Burgess, at which point the visitors were 136 for 4, requiring a further 132 runs from 22.2 overs.But they were unable to unseat Burgess, whose serene progress saw him go to three figures from 99 balls. He found a willing ally in Benjamin, these two making 50 from 56 balls to keep the chase on track. Playing within himself, Benjamin rotated the strike beautifully in making a valuable 45 not out from 59 balls, while Barnard displayed impressive concentration to see the job through, carrying his bat for a second time in five innings to break Gloucestershire resolve.

Hubli Tigers and Bengaluru Blasters both scored 164 in regulation time, before the game went into the first tie-breaker

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2024
Hubli Tigers won a supremely thrilling Maharaja T20 Trophy game that required three Super Overs to separate the two sides at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.With three wickets standing, Bengaluru Blasters could manage to score just five of the six runs remaining to beat Hubli in regulation time.Gneshwar Naveen put Blasters in front with a boundary off the very first ball off the 20th over, but fell off the next delivery.LR Kumar then bowled two dot balls before Lavish Kaushal was tactically retired out on the fifth ball, even as he and his partner Kranthi Kumar sneaked in a bye. Having to defend one off the last ball, Kranthi was run out to force the game into a Super Over.First Super Over: Pandey gets luckyMayank Agarwal, the Bengaluru Blasters captain, was out first ball, but they recovered to score 10, courtesy a last-ball six from Aniruddha Joshi.Manish Pandey unlocked a big hit with Tigers needing eight of three. But with the equation down to 2 off 1, Pandey was dropped by Kaushal, the bowler, who let the ball slip through his fingers. Tigers sneaked a single to tie the Super Over.Second Super Over: Kaverappa holds his nervePandey walked out to open this time with 20-year-old allrounder Manvanth Kumar. Manvanth had played an influential role in the game until then; picking up 4 for 33 while defending 164, which incidentally had been achieved on the back of his late 15-ball 28. But in the second Super Over, he and Pandey could manage just eight.Having to defend a modest score, seamer Vidwath Kaverappa answered his team’s call. India’s selectors had seen fit to give him a fast-bowling contract earlier this year and he showcased the potential.Despite conceding a boundary early on, he held his nerve to concede just four more to force the game into a third Super Over.Third Super Over: Manvanth gets third-time luckyJoshi fell first ball to Manvanth to put Blasters in front, but it took a last-ball six over backward point by Shubhang Hegde to push Blasters up to 12 in the tie-breaker.Having failed to close out the game first in regulation time and then in the second Super Over, Manvanth had a third opportunity, and he set the ball rolling by lofting a boundary off the second ball. But Kranthi came back strongly to give up only three runs off the next three balls (one of them an extra).The Tigers now needed four off the final ball, and Manvanth broke the deadlock by heaving a full toss into the vacant square leg region to clinch a thriller as there was finally something to separate the sides.

As the start of West Ham United’s pre-season fixture list beckons, fair to say supporters are not happy.

On Saturday, the Hammers will face Swiss side Grasshoppers, before traveling to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series, where they’ll take on Manchester United, Everton and then Bournemouth.

Ahead of these matches though, supporters are not in high spirits, after star player Mohammed Kudus was sold to their fiercest rivals Tottenham for a reported fee of £55m.

Nevertheless, could the acquisition of a replacement lift the mood?

West Ham targeting new signings

As noted by Jacob Steinberg and Will Unwin of the Guardian the Hammers were forced to sell Kudus to avoid breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules, so Graham Potter will need to rebuild his squad on a tight budget.

Well, West Ham did make their first signing of the summer earlier this week, with El Hadji Malick Diouf arriving from Slavia Prague, the 20-year-old, Senegalese international left-wing-back joining for £19m.

Nevertheless, this does not fill Kudus’ rather large void, hence why, as reported by Football Insider, West Ham have stepped up their interest in signing Marcus Tavernier from Bournemouth.

Simon Jones of the Daily Mail has previously claimed that Tavernier is valued at around £30m by the Cherries, with İstanbul giants Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş sighted as also being interested in securing his signature.

Transfer Focus

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

The 26-year-old has three years remaining on his contract by the South Coast, so Bournemouth are not under pressure to sell, but could he be on the move this summer?

How Marcus Tavernier would improve West Ham

Tavernier joined Bournemouth from Middlesbrough for around £10m three years ago, and has been a key figure for the Cherries ever since.

Then-manager Gary O’Neil described him as “technically gifted”, while current boss Andoni Iraola praised his “quality”, and Tavernier’s importance at Bournemouth has increased since the Spaniard’s arrival in Dorset.

Appearances

23

30

29

Starts

19

25

20

Minutes

1,749

2,133

1,940

Goals

5

3

3

Assists

4

4

6

Bryant Marques of Total Football Analysis highlights Tavernier’s ability to drive into space and his excellent ‘ball-carrying capacities’, able to create shooting angles thanks to his outstanding ‘individual technique’.

Meantime, Ahmed Shooble of the Athletic outlines how he was once the ‘Premier League’s most prolific dribbler’, impressed by his ‘versatility’ and ability to conduct direct attacks.

This skill set is certainly reminiscent of Kudus, suggesting he would be an ideal replacement, so let’s assess how the duo compared last season.

Minutes

1,940

2,590

Goals

3

5

Assists

5

3

Shot on target %

29.8%

28%

Shot-creating actions per 90

4.55

3.72

Chances created

43

29

Big chances created

9

4

Attempted take-ons

65

208

Take-on success %

47.46%

48.42%

Touches per 90

60.5

52.2

Average Sofascore rating

7.05

6.82

As the table outlines, in the Premier League last season, it is Tavernier’s statistics that come out on top almost across the board.

Kudus has attempted more take-ons than anyone else in the division in both of the last two seasons, while only Lamine Yamal registered more across Europe’s top five leagues last time round, which is certainly impressive company to keep.

Nevertheless, what is noteworthy is the fact that Kudus only completed 1% more take-ons than Tavernier, suggesting that many of his dribbles take him down a blind alley.

Meantime, the Englishman had the edge when it came to assists, shooting, chances created and touches, which is impressive.

Thus, while Kudus is, almost inarguably, the more eye-catching talent, could Tavernier ultimately prove to be the more effective player?

West Ham now battling to hijack Inter Milan move for "gifted" £22m defender

The Hammers could continue their summer spending.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 16, 2025

Manchester City are now leading the race for a “world-class” player, who is very keen on sealing a move to the Etihad Stadium this summer, according to a report.

Guardiola keen on new goalkeeper amid Ederson concerns

Man City crashed out of the Club World Cup at the round of 16 stage, which left Pep Guardiola dissatisfied, and the manager is reportedly growing particularly tired of Ederson’s performances, with the Brazilian failing to reach his usual lofty heights.

Consequently, Guardiola is now looking to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, with it recently being revealed the Blues are ready to submit a £51m bid for FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, who has been identified as one of their top targets.

However, Costa is not the only option on the shortlist, as James Trafford is also of interest, and contact has been made over a deal for the Burnley shot-stopper, with City looking to hijack their Premier League rivals, Newcastle United.

Newcastle have been in the driving seat in the race for Trafford’s signature for quite some time, and a report last week suggested the Magpies were closing in on a deal, but it now looks like he could re-join the Blues.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Etihad Stadium is the goalkeeper’s most likely destination this summer, indicating Man City are now leading the race, with Newcastle now at real risk of missing out on a deal entirely.

City have a £40m buy-back clause for their former player, although they are looking to negotiate a fee below that figure, given that £40m would be a large fee to shell out for a goalkeeper yet to prove himself at the very highest level.

Man City plot £147m bid to sign Chelsea ace with the same agent as Rico Lewis

Manchester City are readying a huge bid to sign a player they and Pep Guardiola know very well.

ByBrett Worthington Jul 21, 2025

Crucially, the Burnley star is “very keen” on a return to the Etihad Stadium, which means it could be easy to negotiate personal terms if the Blues are able to agree a suitable fee with the Clarets.

"World-class" Trafford could be ideal Ederson heir

The 22-year-old, on £25,000-a-week, is clearly now ready to test himself at the top level, given that he performed remarkably well for Burnley in the Championship last season, shipping just 16 goals in 45 appearances and keeping 29 clean sheets.

The former City man clearly has plenty of self-belief too, having described himself as “world-class” last season, and the Englishman’s performances for the Clarets over the past year suggest he could certainly be at that level.

Statistic

Average per 90

Goals against

0.36 (99th percentile)

Save percentage

84.5% (99th percentile)

Save % (penalties)

100% (95th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

64.4% (99th percentile)

Clearly, Trafford could be an ideal long-term replacement for Ederson, but he will have big shoes to fill, given that the Brazilian has been a fantatsic servant to City, winning six Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad Stadium.

No one apart from Imam-ul-Haq showed fight in the 337-run chase as Lions went down by 133 runs

Danyal Rasool14-Sep-2024Babar Azam top-scored with 76 to help Stallions thump Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Lions by 133 runs in the second match of the Champions Cup in Faisalabad. Half-centuries from four batters, including Tayyab Tahir, captain Mohammad Haris and Hussain Talat, helped Stallions amass 336 for 5 in their 50 overs.It was a team effort with the ball, too, with all six Stallions bowlers among the wickets. Haris Rauf picked up three wickets before Mohammad Ali’s 2 for 18 set the tone up top for a dominant Stallions performance as Lions failed to get stuck into the chase. Imam-ul-Haq offered the only real resistance, and though his 78 was the highest score of the match, none of his team-mates managed even 30.Stallions got off to a slow but steady start after their captain Haris elected to bat. Shan Masood and Babar struck up a 39-run partnership to pick up the pace before left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram cleaned up Masood. Babar, who trudged through the first half of his innings, soon found his rhythm, guiding his side through the middle overs alongside Tahir, whose breezy 74 came off just 72 balls. It set the stage for blistering cameos from Haris and Talat towards the end, with 118 runs coming off the final ten overs.Ali, who had an inconsistent Test series against Bangladesh, struck in the first over of the chase to remove wicketkeeper-batter Sajjad Ali. He followed it up by getting rid of Abdullah Shafique in the fifth over. Lions kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Imam fought a lone hand. The asking rate, though, was always rising, and the game was over as a contest by the time Jahandad Khan trapped him in front.Shaheen, who had an indifferent day with the ball, managed a late flurry with the bat to get his side over 200 before Rauf returned to dismiss him and Sirajuddin, rubber-stamping a routine victory.

How well prepared are West Ham United for the new Premier League season?

Well, Graham Potter will certainly take encouragement from his team’s performances during the Premier League Summer Series, beating both Everton and Bournemouth, their only defeat coming in the first game of their US tour against Manchester United.

The Hammers’ homecoming is on Saturday, welcoming LOSC Lille to the London Stadium, before the serious business begins at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland a week later.

However, supporters are certainly concerned about the make-up of this squad, given that Mohammed Kudus has been sold to fierce rivals Tottenham, with the arrivals of Callum Wilson, Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf doing little to lift the mood.

Well, could that be about to change, as the Irons target a move to sign a “phenomenal” striker who has been compared to Erling Braut Håland?

West Ham's never-ending search for a striker

With Michail Antonio having been released, West Ham require a new starting centre-forward this season, even after the arrival of Wilson, who surely cannot be banked upon to remain fit, having seen just 458 minutes of action last season, scoring one goal.

Well, fair to say, they don’t have a great track record when it comes to signing strikers for big money, as the table below documents.

Evan Ferguson

2025

Loan

8

Zero

Niclas Füllkrug

2024

£27m

20

3

Danny Ings

2023

£15m

69

5

Gianluca Scamacca

2022

£30.5m

27

8

Sébastien Haller

2019

£45m

54

14

Albian Ajeti

2019

£8m

12

Zero

Javier Hernández

2018

£16m

63

17

Jordan Hugill

2018

£10m

3

Zero

Lucas Pérez

2018

£4m

19

6

Diafra Sakho

2016

£10m

71

24

Emmanuel Emenike

2016

Loan

16

2

As the table outlines, since Antonio’s arrival in 2015, no West Ham striker has scored more than 25 goals for the club, with a vast amount of money wasted on players who produced very little.

As they seek to change that, reports in Spain claim that West Ham are interested in signing Atlético Madrid striker Alexander Sørloth, with Brentford also mentioned as potential suitors.

They add that los Colchoneros would be open to offers for the Norwegian centre-forward, as they pursue Roma’s Artem Dovbyk, and that Sørloth could be available for as little as €25m (around £22m).

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So, could the 29-year-old soon swap the Spanish capital for East London?

How Alexander Sørloth would improve West Ham

Fair to say, Sørloth has had a strange career, only really becoming a regular goalscorer very recently, with sporadic scoring sprees in there too, as noted below.

2013/14

Rosenborg

7

1

2014/15

Bodø/Glimt

29

14

2015/16

Groningen

15

2

2016/17

Groningen

30

4

2017/18

Midtjylland

26

15

2017/18*

Crystal Palace

4

Zero

2018/19

Crystal Palace

16

1

2018/19*

Gent

22

5

2019/20

Trabzonspor

49

33

2020/21

RB Leipzig

37

6

2021/22

Real Sociedad

44

8

2022/23

Real Sociedad

46

16

2023/24

Villarreal

41

26

2024/25

Atlético Madrid

53

24

*moved in January

As the table outlines, Sørloth changes clubs very regularly, often enduring long periods without scoring very many goals, including making little impact during his time at Crystal Palace.

Up until recently, his career highlight came in the 2019/20 season, firing Trabzonspor to second in the Turkish Süper Lig and glory in the Türkiye Kupası, on target during the final victory over Alanyaspor at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı, one of his 33 goals that season.

Sørloth has then found his feet again in Spain, scoring 26 goals for Villarreal, earning a £28m move to Atlético Madrid last summer, for whom he netted 24 times, on target every 78 minutes in La Liga.

Alexander Sørloth

Atlético Madrid

20

1.15

Patrik Schick

Bayer Leverkusen

21

1.12

Ousmane Dembélé

Paris Saint-Germain

21

1.09

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

26

0.98

Kylian Mbappé

Real Madrid

31

0.96

Mika Biereth

Monaco

13

0.95

Mateo Retegui

Atalanta

25

0.94

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

27

0.91

Ayoze Pérez

Villarreal

19

0.87

Oihan Sancet

Athletic Club

15

0.83

Manager Diego Simeone described Sørloth’s form as “phenomenal”, while Domagoj Kostanjšak of Total Football Analysis notes that he ‘thrives on physical duels’, making him a classic target man centre-forward.

Meantime, Juan Fernández Valencia of Breaking the Lines agrees, praising his ‘exceptional ability to win aerial duels’, suggesting there were fears when he arrived at Atleti that he was simply a one-season wonder, but he very much alleviated those concerns in a Rojiblancos shirt.

Should Sørloth return to the Premier League, one player he’ll know very well is Håland, given that the duo have started all four of Norway’s World Cup qualifiers in 2025 up front together, firing their country to four wins out of four.

Håland has found the net during all four of these victories, with Sørloth netting in each of the first three, including a famous 3-0 demolition of Italy, their main rivals for top spot in Group I, in Oslo back in June.

As noted by Stuart James of The Athletic, national team manager Ståle Solbakken faces a real challenge getting both centre-forwards in the same line-up, given their physical and stylistic similarities; both are tall and physically imposing, but have excellent movement and thrive when able to burst in-behind.

That likeness has also been picked up on by FBref, who note that Håland is one of the most statistically similar strikers to Sørloth among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues.

Interestingly, the Atleti star ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals per 90, thus actually placing him ahead of the prolific Manchester City talisman, who ranks in the top 6% in that regard.

Sørloth certainly would not face a similar issue should he move to West Ham, as he would instantaneously become the main man through the middle of the attack, so could the Norwegian be the player to break the Hammers’ striker curse?

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