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Sunderland are believed to have identified an "amazing" player as their "top" target in the January transfer window, according to an update from journalist Alan Nixon.

Sunderland transfer news

The Black Cats will feel that they are right in the Championship promotion mix currently, finding themselves seventh in the table and only outside the playoff places on goal difference.

Michael Beale's reign is still in its infancy, however, with the Englishman replacing Tony Mowbray as manager last month, and he may feel that he needs to bring in players who can suit his style of play in the January transfer window, in order for his team to have the chance to making it back into the Premier League.

Sunderland have been linked with a host of different attacking players recently, including Barnsley forward John McAtee, who they are looking to sign ahead of fellow Championship side Ipswich Town. Blackburn Rovers attacker Sam Gallagher is also seen as a target for the Black Cats, and he is seen as a good alternative for Bournemouth ace Kieffer Moore.

It would certainly be a surprise if the club failed to complete a single signing in the whole of January, and a fresh update has outlined which individual is wanted by them more than most.

Sunderland want Kieffer Moore

According to reliable reporter Nixon on X [via Sunderland News], Sunderland see Bournemouth striker Moore as a top transfer target in January.

He is thought to be at the "top of the list" when it comes to reinforcements this month, as Beale looks to complete some important business to aid his side's promotion chances, with no bid made for Gallagher due to their desire to land Moore.

Moore could be a fantastic addition by Sunderland this month, possessing so much experience at the top level, including playing for Wales at major tournaments, scoring 12 goals in 40 caps for his country in the process. The 31-year-old is someone who has been valued by so many of his managers down the years, and former Cardiff City boss Mick McCarthy once lauded his quality as a player, saying:

"He's been terrific. Not only that, when he's not scored he has been on the pitch almost every minute of every game. The shift he puts in every week is amazing. We have not got a direct replacement for him, so he has played all the games. Testimony to that is that he knows we haven't got a direct replacement and he knows he is going to play all the games, but he doesn't take his foot off the gas, he keeps going."

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Moore is an attacking player who could give Sunderland that extra bit of firepower between now and the end of the season, with his physicality and aerial presence a nightmare for defenders to handle at times, and he will surely be keen to get more playing time away from Bournemouth.

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His aforementioned international pedigree speaks volumes about his ability, and he has also netted 47 times in 155 Championship appearances, showing what a force he can be in the division.

Southampton splashed the cash on deadline day as they snapped up Ross Stewart from Sunderland for an initial fee of £8m, which could rise to £12m including add-ons.

Who are Southampton's most expensive striker signings?

The Saints have not been afraid to lavish out big fees in order to find a consistent number nine to bolster their attacking options over the years.

They will now be hoping that the former Black Cats star does not follow in the footsteps of a certain Guido Carrillo, who turned out to be a huge flop at St. Mary's after his move to the club under Mauricio Pellegrino.

Top five signings (excluding Carrillo)

Fee paid (via Transfermark)

Danny Ings

£21.6m

Paul Onuachu

£15.5m

Adam Armstrong

£15.2m

Manolo Gabbiadini

£14.6m

Che Adams

£14.4m

The club have had mixed success with their recruitment at the top end of the pitch over the years but the signing of Carrillo was a particularly poor piece of business, all things considered.

How much did Southampton pay for Guido Carrillo?

Southampton signed the centre-forward from French side AS Monaco for a club-record £19m fee in January of 2018 in an attempt to find a reliable scorer.

The striker had worked with Pellegrino, who was the manager at the time, at Argentine club Estudiantes and the club decided to back their head coach by securing a record deal for Carrillo, with vice-chairman Les Reed stating that he was confident that the player would benefit the Saints for "years" to come.

It was reported that the Argentine boss made a number nine signing a priority after £75m was raked in from Liverpool for central defender Virgil van Dijk, which provided him with the funds to splash out on a big addition.

However, it was a strange move for Southampton to make as Carrillo was 26 and had yet to prove himself to be a consistent or reliable goalscorer.

Football Transfers rated his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €13.1m (£11.2m) at the time of the move, which suggests that they paid far above the going rate to secure his services.

The £19m signing arrived off the back of just 15 goals and four assists in 65 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco. He had joined the French side after scoring 40 goals in 140 appearances for Estudiantes in his home country.

During the first half of the 2017/18 campaign, the 6 foot 2 forward scored only four goals and created zero 'big chances' for his teammates in 15 league outings for Monaco.

That came after the towering striker plundered seven goals and one assist in 19 Ligue 1 matches for his former club throughout the 2016/17 season.

These statistics show that Southampton signed a relatively experienced player who had yet to find his scoring boots on a regular basis at senior level.

They were gambling on him finally developing into a consistent scorer whilst being able to adapt to English and Premier League football. That turned out to be an expensive gamble that did not work out.

How many goals did Carrillo score for Southampton?

The Argentine ended up playing just ten matches in all competitions for the Saints and did not find the back of the net on a single occasion.

Pellegrino handed him seven Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, which included five starts, but he was unable to hit the ground running at St. Mary's with zero goals and zero 'big chances' created.

Carrillo only completed 66% of his attempted passes and lost 63% of his duels throughout those top-flight matches for the club, as per Sofascore, an indication that he struggled with the quality and physicality of the division.

The former Monaco marksman did not provide a goal threat, did not create for his teammates, was not a reliable passing option through the middle of the pitch, and was dominated by opposition players from a physical perspective.

Pellegrino was sacked in March 2018 and his replacement, Mark Hughes, opted to send Carrillo out on loan to LaLiga outfit Leganes for the 2018/19 campaign.

The Argentine finisher spent two seasons on loan with the Spanish outfit and contributed with ten goals and two assists in 60 appearances for the club.

How did Carrillo leave Southampton?

Southampton eventually decided to cut ties with the £19m flop as they released him on a free transfer in the summer of 2020, two-and-a-half-years after his club-record move to the club from Monaco.

Journalist Josh Bunting described it as a "disappointing" situation for the Saints as they received £0 back off their initial £19m investment on the striker.

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It was a howler of a move by Reed and Pellegrino in 2018 as they gambled on a player who had shown few signs of being ready to take the Premier League by storm after his struggles in France.

The warning signs were there and it turned out that they should have been heeded as Carrillo went on to flop in England and left for nothing after failing to score a single goal for the club.

Where is Carrillo now?

He is currently back playing for Estudiantes in Argentina at the age of 32 and has scored five goals in 27 games since making the move earlier this year.

Football Transfers currently rates his xTV at just €1.5m (£1.3m), a whopping £17.7m less than the fee that Southampton paid to secure his signature at the start of 2018.

He has not proven his worth since departing the Saints on a free transfer which only goes to emphasise the disaster that played out regarding Carrillo during his time in England.

Reed seemingly trusted Pellegrino's opinion on the centre-forward, as he had already worked with the ex-Monaco man in Argentina, and was willing to spend a huge sum of money off the back of his thoughts, despite the statistics not backing it up.

It ended up being a costly howler and Russell Martin will be hoping that Stewart does not go down the same route over the years to come.

The head of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau has claimed that fans will have a say in whether or not current Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro will stay in charge.

Why will fans have a say in the next Nigeria manager?

The former Porto and Sporting Lisbon manager took over back in May 2022, and it was claimed then that he would have a potentially hard time winning over supporters.

Indeed, BBC Sports writer Oluwashina Okeleji noted: "Peseiro will need to surpass his predecessor's achievement to win over demanding fans in Nigeria."

This was because the country's last foreign boss, Gernot Rohr, departed as the Super Eagles' longest-serving manager after taking charge in 2016 and leading Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and a third-place finish at the 2019 Nations Cup.

Well, Peseiro has managed to secure qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations but they didn't manage to make it to the 2022 World Cup. What's more, with four wins and fives losses since, he has been criticised by local media and fans for what some "poor team selections and colourless performances".

That is according to Okeleji again, who once more is reporting for BBC Sport. This new article then quotes the NFF head who explains why fans will have a say in the coach's future.

Speaking interview on the Gbamm! LovingFootball radio show, Gusau explained: "We have the plan to push the votes to Nigerians to hear their views and thoughts.

"We've tried the foreign coaches and also the local coaches, and it seems they were having some kind of problems.

"Maybe we didn't get it right in the area of getting the right person.

"We are surely going to push it to the public, whether we should continue with Peseiro or he should go."

What happened with Jose Peseiro's Nigeria wages?

The report claims that his contract with the NFF expires on 30 June, so this situation should be resolved pretty soon.

However, it remains unclear just how desperate Peseiro will be to stay in the job. After all, back in November – six months after being appointed – it was reported that he had yet to receive a single pay cheque from his employers. Even so, the 63-year-old didn't make an official complaint to the NFF at the time.

Once more, as per BBC Sport, Gusau claimed his

organisation will only pick the best man for the job and nationality will not be a factor.

He added: "Whether we are going to consider an indigenous coach, we are also going to push that to Nigerians on the phone.

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"The public will tell us if they think going for a Nigerian will be best for Nigeria at the moment or we appoint another foreign coach.

"We will get their views, look at it and then we will do what we have to do as a board and come out with a decision."

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has delivered his verdict on how Martin Zubimendi has taken to life at the Emirates Stadium.

Gunners off to a flying start to the season

After coming second in the Premier League three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta identified the need to strengthen his squad considerably in the summer transfer window, and spent heavily, bolstering his options in a number of key areas.

Viktor Gyokeres was arguably the statement signing, amid widespread demand for Arteta to bring in a new striker, and the Sweden international is off to a solid, if not spectacular start, having scored three goals in his opening seven league games.

Folllowing the departure of Thomas Partey, it was also vital to strengthen in midfield, and Zubimendi was among the most notable additions, with the Spain international starting six of the seven Premier League games up to this point.

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As such, the Spaniard has clearly managed to impress Arteta, and he has also caught the eye of Gilberto Silva, despite the Brazilian admitting he wasn’t aware of who he was before the Gunners finalised a summer deal.

Zubimendi establishing himself as key player for Arsenal

It is no surprise that Arteta has started the Spain international so consistently, considering he has put in some fantastic performances in the Premier League, averaging a 7.33 SofaScore match rating, the second-highest figure of any Arsenal player.

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The 26-year-old also won the Guinness Goal of the Month award for September, courtesy of a phenomenal strike in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, during which he scored two goals in one game for the first time in his career.

There were some concerns that Zubimendi’s new midfield partner, Rice, may have been ruled out due to injury, but the 26-year-old featured in England’s 3-0 victory over Wales, meaning he looks on course to be available for the trip to Fulham next weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur salvaged their season in the most glorious fashion last month, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final to end 17 agonising years of searching for silverware.

However, it wasn’t enough to save Ange Postecoglou, who Daniel Levy dismissed at the start of the month following a wretched Premier League season that concluded with Spurs completing a miserable 17th-place finish.

But with Thomas Frank brought in to replace the Aussie, there’s hope yet that Tottenham can use the past year as a springboard for future success, having already targeted Bryan Mbeumo, who is expected to leave Brentford this summer and has expressed a preference to go to Old Trafford, although Spurs’ new manager could tempt him to change direction.

It’s the kind of signing that simply wouldn’t have been possible had Tottenham failed to clinch the Europa League. But now, the door is very much open for what would be a marquee move.

Why Spurs want Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has truly established himself as one of the most threatening forwards in the Premier League, vital for Frank’s side’s success over the past several years.

His shooting marks the most salient part of his skill set, for sure, but Spurs would also be getting their hands on a dynamic and layered player who, as per Sofascore, created 17 big chances in the league, and averaged 1.3 tackles and 4.7 successful duels per game.

Brennan Johnson holds down the fort on the Tottenham right wing, but for all the Welshman’s potency in the final third, he’s shown to drift in and out of games, his influence waning all too often.

As such, a player like Mbeumo would prove a marked improvement, someone refined and talismanic who could serve as a leader and an example to follow.

However, while Tottenham will be buoyed by Mbeumo’s supposed change of stance in considering their offer now that Frank is at the helm, it would be foolish to put all their eggs in one basket after he previously made it clear that he wants to move to Old Trafford.

Premier League 24/25 – Top Scorers

#

Player

Apps

Goals

1.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

2.

Alexander Isak

34

23

3.

Erling Haaland

31

22

4.

Chris Wood

36

20

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

38

20

Data via Premier League

The Cameroonian has proved himself to be one of the most prolific forwards on English shores, but if he does opt to become a Red Devil, the Lilywhites may have found the perfect alternative.

Spurs lining up another Premier League forward

As per Caught Offside, Tottenham have been scouting Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert, with the report stating that the Londoners are currently weighing up an official offer.

Curiously, Man United are also interested in signing the Netherlands international, clearly following a similar train of thought as Spurs. Arsenal and Liverpool are also in the mix.

Bournemouth don’t want to sell their dynamic attacker but would, of course, for the right price, with that tag seemingly set at around €55m (£47m), although it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs would be willing to meet their demands.

Why Spurs want Justin Kluivert

Kluivert has proven himself across two seasons as being worthy Premier League material, instrumental for Bournemouth across their impressive campaign under Andoni Iraola’s wing.

Tenacious and technically talented, Kluivert, 26, brings a dribble-centric game that has been refined to establish him as one of the most impressive goalscorers in English football, scoring 12 times in the division last season.

The exciting part is that he is clinical with his chances, thus proving he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, with Frank labelling his star Brentford forward as being “unplayable” at times.

Justin Kluivert – Premier League Stats

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)*

32 (26)

34 (29)

Goals

7

12

Assists

1

6

Shots (on target)*

1.8 (0.6)

1.9 (0.9)

Big chances missed

7

6

Pass completion

72%

81%

Key passes*

0.7

1.4

Ball recoveries*

2.8

2.3

Dribbles*

0.8

1.1

Duels won*

2.9

2.9

Data via Sofascore

There’s no question that the Dutchman has gone up a gear over the past year, and who’s to say that he wouldn’t raise his game once again under Frank’s wing down N17?

Kluivert has truly become one of the most dangerous shooters in the Premier League, so economical and precise with his finishing, capable of drifting into space from close or indeed firing from range.

As per FBref, Kluivert actually finished the 2024/25 Premier League campaign ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals and assists per 90 (0.69), which even led to him being considered a player of statistical likeness to Mbeumo.

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Though Mbeumo is a right-sided forward, and Kluivert tends to operate in a central attacking midfield berth, the Cherries man has been singled out for his pace and energy in the past and indeed has a wealth of experience on the flanks, scoring 55 goals and providing 47 assists across 221 career appearances out wide.

Moreover, he’s been hailed for his “incredible” finishing this season by writer Ifreke Inyang, scoring Premier League hat-tricks against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

If Frank can get the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison performing at the top of their respective playmaking games, Kluivert could find himself reaching even loftier tallies than he has so far achieved.

The versatile forward’s vibrant, physical style suggests he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, still providing Tottenham with exciting new qualities while playing in such a way that could see Frank turn him into his new version of Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

It’s the kind of shrewd signing that might just see Tottenham go from strength to strength.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes

Fair to say, in the last decade or so, some ultra-talented players have come through Manchester City’s academy.

As noted by Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Cole Palmer, Roméo Lavia, Morgan Rogers and Liam Delap are all flourishing elsewhere in the Premier League right now, having either been sold or discarded by Man City as youngsters in recent seasons.

Rob Dawson of ESPN adds Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jadon Sancho and Brahim Díaz to this list, while Sam Lee of the Athletic would include James Trafford, Gavin Bazunu, Sam Edozie, Juan Larios, Pedro Porro, Shea Charles and Tommy Doyle to those who’ve been sold for big fees.

So now, at a time when Man City have, as Jamie Jackson of the Guardian puts it, an “ageing squad”, they’ve sold off their best young talent, so are unable to refresh the team, but could the next generation of youngsters change that fact?

They’ll be looking towards Arsenal for inspiration, that’s for sure…

Ethan Nwaneri's amazing impact at Arsenal

During Sunday’s 5-1 demolition at the hands of Arsenal, Manchester City experienced first-hand the value of keeping your best young talent at the club and putting them in the first team when Ethan Nwaneri spanked home the fifth, really rubbing salt into the wounds.

A year ago, Football Insider reported that Man City actually attempted to sign Nwaneri, but Gooners everywhere are delighted that this did not come to pass.

That’s because the teenager has seven goals to his name this season, becoming the second-highest Arsenal scorer in history for goals scored at the age of 17 or younger, behind only John Radford, whose goals came in 1964/65, one shy of his tally of eight.

Nwaneri has earned rave reviews, with James McNicholas of the Athletic noting during a recent Arsecast Extra how extraordinary and unique it is for a 17-year-old to have a “trademark goal”.

He has also become only the third Premier League player to score seven or more goals before celebrating their 18th birthday, after Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, both of whom were strikers, and both had pretty decent careers didn’t they?

Yousef Teclab of Breaking the Lines described Nwaneri as a “prodigious talent”, while Ali Tweedale in Opta’s The Analyst believes Arsenal supporters should be “very excited” about his talent.

So, could Pep Guardiola learn a thing or two from his former assistant when it comes to unleashing top teenage talents?

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Expand Collapse Manchester City are brewing their own Ethan Nwaneri

As alluded to earlier, Manchester City have, as Neil Leigh puts it, quite the “conveyor belt” when it comes to academy talent, so could Reigan Heskey be the next cab off the rank?

Born in January 2008, we know, we feel old too, he joined Man City’s academy at the age of eight, and is the son of former Leicester, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey, who won 62 caps for England, scoring seven goals.

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Heskey junior has come in for rave reviews, with scout António Mango on Twitter stating he is “flourishing” and that his talent “can’t be ignored”, while Bix Williams, who writes about Man City’s Academy for Salford Now, states that it’s “only a matter of time before he makes that big jump”.

A winger by trade – like Nwaneri – the 17-year-old has been in phenomenal form this term notably scoring 20 goals in 24 games. So, let’s assess how Heskey and Nwaneri compare at youth level.

Heskey vs Nwaneri youth career comparison

Competition & statistics

Heskey

Nwaneri

UEFA Youth League appearances

7

1

UEFA Youth League goals

3

1

EFL Trophy appearances

1

4

EFL Trophy goals

1

0

Premier League 2 appearances

3

24

Premier League 2 goals

3

11

FA Youth Cup appearances

3

7

FA Youth Cup goals

1

8

Under-18 Premier League appearances

16

16

Under-18 Premier League goals

13

7

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table shows, Heskey compares favourably to Nwaneri for a lot of statistics, especially his output in this season’s UEFA Youth League, scoring a brace against Feyenoord as the Sky Blues reached the round of 32, set to face Midtjylland next week.

By the time he made his breakthrough at Arsenal, Nwaneri had much more PL2 experience than Heskey currently has, still predominantly plying his trade at U18 level, but it is clear that Man City have a hot prospect on their hands, one that they’ll have to give an opportunity to in the first team, or he’ll simply become just the latest player to leave.

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Newcastle United are showing serious interest in signing a player who has been compared to Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, according to a new transfer report.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies continue to be linked with new signings, considering a relatively underwhelming summer transfer window, with Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo emerging as a rumoured target. The Cameroonian has enjoyed a highly impressive start to the new Premier League season, scoring five goals in six appearances.

Borussia Dortmund ace Karim Adeyemi has also been mentioned as an option for Newcastle, with sporting director Paul Mitchell believed to be battling his predecessor Dan Ashworth for his signature, as the latter looks to bring him to Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Monaco attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche has also been backed to join the Magpies in the near future, with Mitchell knowing the 22-year-old well after working alongside him at the Ligue 1 club, prior to moving to St James’ Park in the summer.

In terms of the futures of current Newcastle players, a recent report has claimed that the club are looking to tie Sean Longstaff down to a new deal alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, as they look to retain the services of key figures moving forward.

Newcastle want to sign "outstanding" player

According to a new claim from Give Me Sport, Newcastle are among the clubs interested in signing Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, with West Ham and Aston Villa also in the mix. The 25-year-old’s “prolific performances during the early stages of the campaign” are seen as the reason for such a willingness to snap him up, as he potentially moves “to the English top flight for the first time in his career next year”.

Marmoush would be such an eye-catching signing by Newcastle, with his performances so far this season showing exactly what he is capable of. The Egyptian has six goals and three assists in just five Bundesliga appearances, as well as netting once in the Europa League.

His current manager, Dino Toppmoller, has heaped praise on him:“He’s very difficult to defend due to his pace and how fast he can run deep. He can also sneak in from close range, exhibit a great touch and play some great balls. He’s in outstanding form at the moment, and he’s feeling comfortable. That’s the key to his success these days. He feels comfortable with this club and the group, and is thus a key component for us.”

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The fact that Marmoush has been compared to Liverpool legend Salah says so much about his ability, being backed as his heir for Egypt at international level, and Newcastle should see him as a brilliant attacking option.

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Capable of thriving out on the left wing or in an attacking midfield role, the Frankfurt hero is at the perfect age to come in and hit the ground running at St James’ immediately, so Mitchell should do all he can to strike a deal in one of the upcoming transfer windows.

There’s no hiding that the centre-back spot at Manchester United has arguably been their most vulnerable position this season.

Prior to the first kick off the ball against Wolverhampton Wanderers back in August, the Red Devils had seven options for the role, but that’s not been the case as of late.

Injuries have been the main cause of Erik ten Hag’s downfall, as he’s even been forced to play Casemiro at the back due to a lack of options – reports now indicating that the Dutchman will be sacked no matter the outcome of Saturday's FA Cup final.

With that in mind, it’s vital that Sir Jim Ratcliffe signs a new centre back this summer to help kickstart what could be a new era under a new manager, and he’s already eyeing one up who could replace Raphael Varane.

Man United's search for a new defender

According to reports from Argentina – as per Planet Boca Juniors – Man United 'are willing to do anything' to sign highly-rated Aaron Anselmino.

The report mentions that the Red Devils have been monitoring his progress for months, and 'it would not be strange for [them] to make an offer' – a deal that could make him the first addition post-Ten Hag.

The defender has recently signed a new contract at Boca Juniors, extending his stay at the club until 2028.

In order to acquire the young Argentine, a fee in the region of £21m is said to be enough, which could prove to be a bargain in years to come.

Anselmino could be United’s Martinez clone

Since arriving from Ajax with Ten Hag, Lisandro Martinez has quickly become a fan favourite who’s a vital cog in the Man United side.

Unfortunately, his absence this season through injury has been catastrophic, hence why United ended the campaign with a -1 goal difference.

The number six missed an astonishing 36 games through injury this campaign, starting just eight Premier League matches. But his influence is unquestionable, with United not losing in any of his last seven appearances.

However, the Argentine could soon be playing alongside his clone, Anselmino, who has plenty of similarities to the 26-year-old.

Anselmino & Martinez's Most Recent Match

Stats

Anselmino

Martinez

Touches

75

45

Passes completed

59

36

Pass accuracy

94%

92%

Clearances

4

2

Tackles

1

1

Duels won

6/7

2/2

Via Sofascore

Anselmino has barely featured for Boca since breaking through into the first team, with a hamstring injury holding his progress up.

However, the teen’s performance in the Copa Sudamericana against Trinidense proves just how “special” he truly is, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson.

The first aspect of the 19-year-old’s game that stands out is his immense technical ability, which saw him produce 59 passes with an accuracy of 94% while also taking 75 touches.

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United’s World Cup winner is also known for his ability on the ball, as proven by his 45 touches and 92% pass accuracy against Brighton & Hove Albion, but the similarities don’t end there.

The right-footed prospect is also an extremely proactive defender who has great “timed aggression, positioning, and anticipation,” as per Ben Mattinson, which certainly sounds like Martinez.

Yet, unlike the former Newell’s Old Boys academy ace, Anselmino stands at 6-foot-1, which means he could become the perfect partner for his Argentine counterpart in the future, given his aerial dominance, which helped him score the winner in his most recent outing.

Overall, with Varane leaving the club, this summer provides the perfect opportunity to bring in a youthful talent like Anselmino, and he could just lock down the right centre-back role at United for the foreseeable future.

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Arsenal have gone from cloud nine just a couple of weeks ago to a mini-crisis after their 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, their third defeat in a row. Where they were top of the Premier League table on Christmas day, the Gunners now find themselves in fourth place and five points off the Reds.

One of the biggest reasons for Mikel Arteta's side's fall off since Christmas has been the abysmal finishing of his frontline, which is made very clear by the fact that they ended each of the previous three games with a higher expected goals figure than their opponents but scored just one goal in all three games.

This lack of lethality in the strike force has clearly been a concern for the club, as one of the players they have been linked with recently has been scoring for fun and has been likened to former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins.

Arsenal's hunt for a striker in January

According to a report from the Daily Mail last month, Arsenal are on the lookout for a new striker in January, and one of the names that has made it onto their list of targets is Villa's Watkins.

The former Exeter City sensation is sure to cost the Gunners a pretty penny, with journalist Pete O'Rourke telling Football FanCast previously that any deal would likely cost in the region of £70m, which sounds about right considering he signed a new long-term contract with the Claret and Blue in October last year.

However, the north Londoners have something significant in their favour: Watkins has always wanted to play for the club.

In an interview with the Sports Gazette in 2020, the then Brentford striker was open about his desire to pull on the red and white of the Gunners, saying: "That's the dream, to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know, it's a long shot."

While it would be a complicated deal to complete, the knowledge that the sensational striker wants to play for the club should encourage Edu and Co to push on.

How Ollie Watkins compares to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Jesus

Now, while Aubameyang ultimately left the club under a cloud of controversy and didn't enjoy a particularly fruitful final season and a half in north London, it should not be forgotten just how good he was when things were going well at the club.

For example, in the summer of 2020, he became the fastest player in Arsenal history to reach fifty Premier League goals, and then in the same season, he scored against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final before scoring a brace in the final to win the entire competition.

So, FBref's claim that the Gabonese superstar is the fourth most similar player to Watkins across Europe's top five leagues should be viewed as a favourable comparison, especially as the 34-year-old is currently in the top 1% for assists in Europe's top five leagues – while the Villa man has racked up ten assists in all competitions.

Moreover, with the "phenomenal" Watkins, as described by BBC Sport pundit Farah Williams, seemingly scoring for fun this season – with 14 goals thus far across all fronts – he could replace Gabriel Jesus in the starting XI and even go on to replicate some of the goalscoring form that led to Aubameyang getting the captaincy during his spell with the club.

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When comparing the pair's underlying numbers, it is very apparent that the Brazilian would have to seriously up his scoring rate or vacate his position in the starting XI.

Ollie Watkins vs Gabriel Jesus

Stats per 90

Watkins

Jesus

Goals

0.46

0.29

Assists

0.41

0.10

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.67

0.60

Goals per Shot on Target

0.39

0.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.77

0.48

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

The Arsenal fan scores more goals, provides more assists, requires fewer chances to score and produces more goal-creating actions per 90 compared to Jesus – who has just three league goals this season, in contrast to Watkins' nine.

Ultimately, while this would be an expensive deal to complete and potentially upset Jesus, the team is in need of a clinical finisher, and Watkins' performances this season suggest he could be that for the Gunners.

Heart of Midlothian have seen a decent start to the season descend into a poor run of form and perhaps the international break has arrived at the best time.

Steven Naismith secured a spot in the Europa Conference League playoff round following a wonderful aggregate victory over Norwegian giants Rosenborg but the previous few weeks have been anything but promising.

Since defeating Partick Thistle in the League Cup last 16 on 20 August, the Gorgie outfit have proceeded to lose their next four matches, scoring just once while conceding eight goals in the process.

Two Premiership defeats to Dundee and Motherwell alongside losing 6-1 on aggregate to PAOK means Hearts enter the international break occupying eighth spot in the table, winning just one of their four league matches so far.

Would their results have differed had Naismith been able to call on the services of Barrie McKay for the previous few matches? He has proven that he is among one of Hearts' finer performers when fit.

How long is Barrie McKay injured for?

The left-winger has started just one match this season as he recovered from an ankle injury which kept him out for six games at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and into the current term.

During their 2-1 home loss to PAOK a few weeks ago, however, McKay sustained a knee injury and Naismith gave an update on the injury shortly after, saying:

"Barrie, I think it's worse than a couple of days or a couple of weeks. We're still waiting to hear back from the specialist. He will probably be out a bit longer than we had hoped. It was strange. He felt it in his knee but the symptoms were showing it might have been calf or hamstring. I think it is more something to do with the knee. Until we hear what the specialist has to say, we aren't going to speculate.”

They have certainly missed him recently and since arriving back in Scotland in the summer of 2021, he has been a consistent performer.

How much did Hearts sign Barrie McKay for?

The one-cap Scotland international began his career at Rangers, making 140 appearances for the Ibrox side before moving south of the border to join Nottingham Forest in 2017 for a fee of around £500k.

German club RB Leipzig showed interest in the player in January of that year, coming close to tabling a £6m bid for the player, yet he left for a fraction of that just six months later and his time in England wasn’t as productive as anticipated.

He made 118 appearances for Forest, Swansea City and Fleetwood Town during his four years down south, playing across the Championship and League One, yet he scored only 13 goals during those four years.

Having departed the Welsh club due to his contract expiring, Hearts swooped and secured McKay for nothing in what was a relatively risk-free gamble, and he came with prior experience of the Scottish top flight.

What is Barrie McKay worth now?

His first season at the Jambos was a success as the 28-year-old scored twice while grabbing 12 assists across 38 matches in all competitions.

The 5 foot 8 dynamo even ranked third in the squad for his league performances, receiving a Sofascore rating of 7.15 while also ranking second for goals and assists (12), first for big chances created (15) and key passes per game (2.5) along with ranking second for successful dribbles per game (1.2) with these performances having led Hearts to a third-place finish that season.

Due to Rangers reaching the Europa League final that term, Hearts were guaranteed group-stage European football during the 2022/23 campaign, and they ended up playing in the Europa Conference League group stage.

McKay carried on his wonderful form for the Tynecastle side as he ranked second in the squad for key passes per game during their European adventure, while also finishing top of the pile for successful dribbles per game (2.2) and it certainly proved that not only was he starring domestically, but the winger was exuding his excellent attacking abilities on the continent to great use.

Once again, he also reached double figures for goals and assists last term in the league campaign (ten) alongside completing 1.5 successful dribbles per game and these figures ranked him third and first across the squad as Hearts finished fourth, dropping a place from the season below.

These performances have seen the 28-year-old restore his reputation with Football Transfers now valuing him at €1.7m (£1.5m), which suggests Hearts could make a solid profit should they decide to sell the Scot at the end of the season.

How much does Barrie McKay earn?

The former Rangers gem was lauded by journalist Joel Sked during their win over Rosenborg in August, who said: “Cameron Devlin! As emphatic a finish as you’ll see. A huge goal for Hearts with Barrie McKay making a positive impact off the bench already.”

He is currently one of Hearts’ highest earners, taking home £3.5k-per-week, yet there is no doubt he is worth every penny, especially considering the form he has shown since joining the club two years ago.

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His market value was once an impressive €5.3m (£4.5m) and this was after just six months at Forest, as he looked to help them try and secure promotion to the Premier League.

His spell in England didn’t quite work out, but this has been Hearts’ gain, with McKay arriving at Tynecastle with a point to prove, and his two-year stint has given him the chance to showcase his wonderful talents which were on show during his time at Ibrox.

The quicker Naismith is able to select him in his starting XI the better as the club have endured a tough few weeks on the pitch.

They will regroup during the international break while hoping McKay is only out for a matter of weeks, not months.

There will be no midweek distractions this term and hopefully this will see the Jambos retake that third spot which was snatched off of them by Aberdeen during the final few weeks of last season.

With McKay fit and firing, it is more than achievable.