All posts by z3u9t.icu

In the last few seasons of their domestic domination, Manchester City have had some legends of the Premier League. Some of those are still playing today, such as Kevin de Bruyne and Kyle Walker. While they are getting older now, there is no doubting their importance to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Going back further to the City sides of the 2010s, the likes of Vincent Kompany and David Silva were crucial to the East Manchester outfit’s dominance. Silva is fourth on the list for the club’s all-time leading appearance makers, with 436 in total.

However, perhaps the best of the modern-day City legends is Sergio Aguero.

Aguero’s City career

Argentina striker Aguero made the move to the Etihad Stadium in July 2011 from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. He cost the Citizens £38m, joining on a five-year deal. It is fair to say the centre-forward was worth the money City paid for him.

In 390 games for the club across all competitions, the prolific marksman scored 260 goals and grabbed 64 assists, making him the club’s record goalscorer.

He hit the ground running in his first season, scoring 23 top-flight goals and proceeded to score 20 or more Premier League goals in five seasons.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Given the fact he passed 20 goals in six out of nine English top-flight seasons, it might not come as a surprise to know he is part of the Premier League 100 Club, an elite group of the best goalscorers in the division’s history.

He ranks fifth in the list with 184 goals, arguably the best of which was his famous strike against Queen’s Park Rangers to win City the league in 2011/12.

Aguero departed the club in 2021 as a Citizens legend, with five Premier Leagues to his name. He moved to Barcelona but sadly had to retire just a few months into his time at the club due to a heart condition.

When the striker left City, Guardiola famously said “we cannot replace him”, although it’s fair to say Erling Haaland hasn’t done a bad job so far. Before Haaland, however, the club were meant to have already had a replacement waiting in the wings.

City’s Aguero replacement

Things did not go according to plan for Gabriel Jesus at the Etihad Stadium. He cost £27m from Brazilian side Palmeiras, signing in August 2016. When he joined, City director of football Txiki Begiristain said the striker is one of the “most exciting young prospects” in the world:

His record for the Citizens is not bad by any means. He spent six seasons at the club and managed 95 goals and 45 assists in 236 appearances for the club. Yet, despite a more than respectable record, the striker perhaps lived in the shadow of Aguero during his time at the club.

That was not through lack of support from Guardiola, describing him as “the best striker in the world” at one stage, which suggested he thought he could be Aguero’s heir.

Jesus’ Premier League record for the Cityzens in the top flight is rather underwhelming. Across six seasons at the club, he managed to find the back of the net 58 times and grab 31 assists in 159 games. His best campaign came in 2019/20, where he scored 14 times in 34 games.

2016/17

10

7

4

2017/18

29

13

3

2018/19

29

7

3

2019/20

34

14

8

2020/21

29

9

4

2021/22

28

8

9

His mixed form in that famous Sky Blue shirt led to a big decision for the Citizens. In 2022, they cashed in on their striker once lauded by the higher-ups at the club. Arsenal spent £45m on him, and he linked up with Mikel Arteta, his former coach at City. It was a great piece of business from City to make £18m profit on him, given his contribution to the club.

Just as he did at City, the Brazilian has slightly underwhelmed for the Gunners. He has 25 goals and 17 assists in 91 games, although did score a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night and scored twice more against the Eagles in the league on Saturday.

Overall, Jesus’ career is a bit of an enigma. He was part of successful, title-winning sides at City, but his contributions always left a little to be desired, just as it has at Arsenal. City fans may look back on his time at the club with regret, that he did not end up becoming the next Aguero.

Man City must regret selling their dream Rodri replacement for just £10.5m

Man City made mistake selling their dream Rodri replacement for just £10.5m

ByConnor Holden Dec 18, 2024

Sunderland will hope they can remain in sight of the automatic promotion spots up until May, with Regis Le Bris’ side the third and final challenger to Leeds United at the very top of the Championship tree.

Indeed, the impressive Black Cats sit only three points behind Daniel Farke’s precarious table-toppers, having clinched their 14th victory of the season to date when beating relegation-threatened Portsmouth by a solitary goal last match.

Le Bris won’t be a fool though in expecting his side to be able to keep up the pace with the Whites with what he currently has at his disposal, knowing that his squad is somewhat light on its feet owing to injury troubles.

Therefore, the Wearside outfit could snap up a classy operator in the middle of the park this January to boost numbers. Someone who has previously worked alongside the popular Frenchman could arrive…

Sunderland enquire about midfield signing

According to reports from Italy, the second-tier promotion hopefuls have enquired about the availability of AS Roma outcast Enzo Le Fee, with the enquiry an “explicit” request from Le Bris himself.

After all, the 49-year-old played a key role in the midfielder’s development at the Ligue 1 club, with a reunion now potentially on the cards owing to Le Fee’s lack of game-time under Claudio Ranieri.

This could be seen as a coup on the end of the Black Cats, considering the 24-year-old target cost Roma in excess of £20m to pick up just last year.

Now, he could be lining up for Sunderland as they hunt down promotion glory, with his addition to the ranks perhaps seeing him link up with Jobe Bellingham well, alongside offering a more experienced head away from over-relying on the likes of Chris Rigg to deliver the goods.

What Le Fee could offer Sunderland

Described as an “exciting” player by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Le Fee will be one homegrown talent Lorient are surely proud of, alongside once giving a platform to the likes of Illan Meslier who now plays for Sunderland’s promotion rivals in Leeds.

Transfer Focus

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

He even scored against Paris St. Germain back in 2022 under Le Bris’ tutelage, as Lorient unexpectedly beat a Kylian Mbappe-led PSG 3-1.

A further eight goals and 15 assists came his way across 142 total games before he departed in the wake of his boyhood club’s relegation down to Ligue 2.

Position played

Games

Goals

Assists

AM

17

2

3

CM

14

3

2

DM

4

0

0

Looking at the table above, his impressive numbers from his final season at the French club – which saw him tally up five goals and five assists – could stand him in good stead to leave a lasting impression at Sunderland, with his adaptability to play all across the central midfield positions a big bonus.

After all, Le Bris has played the likes of Jobe Bellingham deeper in the middle of the park or as a number ten, and he could well do the same with Le Fee, but the new Frenchman might well complement the 19-year-old more by playing further back to enable the in-demand ex-Birmingham City man more freedom in attack.

The Sunderland number seven has a fierce shot like this in his locker, which means he is wasted by playing in a holding role. Meanwhile, Le Fee – based on the table above – can put together better numbers playing in a more reserved part of the pitch.

Yet, he can do a job in attack when needed, with the 24-year-old a far more well-rounded talent than Rigg too in this role, who does have four league goals next to his name for 2024/25, but isn’t the finished article by any stretch of the imagination.

With the starlet now out injured, Le Bris does need some boosts centrally, with a well-known figure to him in Le Fee perhaps giving his Black Cats side an edge in the ongoing promotion tussle.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

The Scottish Premiership table doesn’t lie, with reigning champions Celtic sitting pretty at the summit courtesy of a commanding 13-point lead over their closest title ‘rivals’.

That said, the shock 3-0 defeat away at Ibrox – as well as Tuesday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at Dundee – has shown that this Hoops side is far from the finished article, with Brendan Rodgers in need of further reinforcements if he is to kick on in the remainder of 2025.

While the midweek trip to Dens Park may have exposed the Glasgow side’s woes defensively, with Auston Trusty notably coming under fire from his manager, the attacking unit could also do with a fresh lick of paint, particularly amid reports that Luis Palma could be on his way before the month is out.

With Adam Idah having now failed to score in any of his last ten league outings – while Yang Hyun-jun has registered a measly total of six goals and assists in 49 total games for the club – the need for additional firepower is evident, with Rodgers far too reliant on the attacking trio of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi. That triumvirate have netted 42 goals between them in 2024/25 in all competitions.

Thankfully, it would appear that new signings are set to lie in store for the Parkhead giants, all being well, with Rodgers and co seemingly looking to make a move for what could prove to be their next Jota…

Celtic's attacking transfer target

As reported by Daily Mail journalist Stephen McGowan, the Old Firm side are said to be weighing up a bid for Real Valladolid sensation, Raul Moro, with the 22-year-old also earning admiring glances from Ajax.

Transfer Focus

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

As per the report, the Dutch outfit are yet to firm up their interest in the promising Spaniard despite publicly confirming their admiration for the young winger, thus offering Celtic the chance to pounce should they so desire.

Any deal this month would require a significant offer, however, with Valladolid having set an asking price of around £8.5m.

That figure would be just behind what Rodgers forked out for both Idah (£9.5m) and Arne Engels (£11m) over the summer, as well as with the £9m signing of Odsonne Edouard back in 2018, thus potentially making it one of the biggest deals during his time at Parkhead should it go through.

Celtic could land the next Jota

Whether Celtic can edge the mighty Ajax to Moro’s signature remains to be seen, although it is certainly an encouraging sign for Rodgers and Co to also be in the equation, with the £17k-per-week forward deservedly catching the eye of late.

Indeed, the fleet-footed talent has been earning rave reviews ever since his days in the Barcelona youth set-up, no less, with his agent Junior Minguella having previously said of his time at La Masia:

That likeness to the great Argentine stems most notably from Moro’s diminutive 5 foot 6 frame, as well as his elite dribbling prowess, shown by the fact that he averages 1.9 successful dribbles per game in La Liga this season.

Stat (*per game)

Jota (2022/23)

Moro (2024/25)

Games

33

18

Goals

11

3

Assists

11

1

Big chances created

13

4

Pass accuracy*

80%

75%

Key passes*

1.9

1.5

Tackles*

1.2

0.8

Interceptions*

0.4

0.5

Successful dribbles*

1.5

1.9

Possession lost*

14.5

11.4

To put that into context, as indicated above, former Celtic talisman, Jota, was ‘only’ averaging 1.5 in that regard during his final season in the Premiership, indicating just what a wizard Moro truly is down the flanks.

While the former Lazio starlet – who, like Jota, also primarily operates on the left flank – does only have three goals and one assist to his name thus far in 2024/25, it is worth remembering the relatively limited impact of Jota in the senior game, before his move to Glasgow.

The Portuguese sensation had scored just three goals and registered only two assists in 34 games for Benfica, while also, ironically, enduring a mixed loan spell at Moro’s current side, Valladolid, where he scored just twice in 18 appearances.

The 25-year-old would then go on to rip up Scottish football with 54 goal involvements in just 83 games in that famous green and white shirt, with Moro – who has 13 goals and assists in 50 games in total in Spain – boasting all the credentials to potentially emulate his fellow winger.

Rodgers does already have Kuhn and Maeda to call upon in those wide roles, yet, as mentioned previously, quality competition and cover certainly needs to be on the agenda.

Celtic make enquiry to sign exciting star who could be their next Tim Weah

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seeking to improve his squad in January, so could a 21-year-old star be arriving in Glasgow on loan this month?

Jan 16, 2025

Arsenal came into the January transfer window knowing that recruits were a necessity, rather than a luxury.

Bukayo Saka’s long-term hamstring injury meant that they needed to bolster their forward line and that was only exacerbated when Gabriel Jesus was stretchered off with an ACL injury against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

Alas, with a week remaining in the transfer window, Mikel Arteta’s side are yet to conclude any business despite a host of names being linked with a move.

Who Arsenal could sign this January

Name a striker and he’s probably been linked with Arsenal this month. That’s a pretty easy game, isn’t it?

Okay, we’ll name some for you. The most prominent, of course, has been Newcastle’s Alexander Isak but with a £150m asking price slapped upon him any move now or in the summer feels quite unlikely.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha has also been on the radar of Arteta and Co. He doesn’t feel like a priority target but with the Brazilian stalling on whether to sign a new contract at Molineux, seems more attainable than others.

And then there’s Benjamin Sesko, the RB Leipzig forward with frightening potential. He already “picked” Arsenal back in the summer before signing a new deal with the Bundesliga club and if he does eventually leave Germany, the Gunners are likely in pole position to seal a move.

Transfer Focus

Yet, Arsenal area also looking to bolster their midfield and could do so in the summer with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

He’s not the only midfielder linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium. David Ornstein revealed on Friday that the Gunners are ‘working’ on a move for Rosenborg’s 18-year-old wonderkid Sverre Nypan.

It’s been further reported by journalist Graeme Bailey that Arsenal are ‘confident’ they can beat Manchester United and Manchester City to the signing of the talented teenage midfielder.

So, what’s Nypan all about, we hear you ask?

What Sverre Nypan could offer to Arsenal

A creative midfield making makes at first-team level in Norway immediately evokes memories of Martin Odegaard’s early career.

Indeed, Nypan has been in training with Rosenborg’s first-team since the age of 14 and although he did not displace the Arsenal skipper as the youngster player in Norwegian top-flight history, the progress of both players is eerily similar.

So are their playstyles, truth be told. Blessed with the ability to create goals, as well as score them, as a spritely teen, Nypan scored eight and assisted six throughout the 2024 Eliteserien season so he’s already making an impact at first-team level.

While the inevitable comparisons between Odegaard and the Rosenborg starlet will continue for much of his career, we want to look at similarities to a certain Mesut Ozil.

Like Nypan, the German burst onto the scene at a young age and after a dazzling World Cup in South Africa in 2010 aged 21, he moved to Real Madrid.

Ozil, one of the best number 10s since the turn of the millennium had unbelievable technique and was praised for his ‘perfect understanding of where and when to send the ball’ during that tournament 15 years ago by The Guardian’s Kevin McCarra. He wouldn’t be the first nor the last to single out the German for such wizardry on the ball.

In the words of the BBC’s Jonathan Stevenson during that aforementioned World Cup, it was noted that ‘he possesses neither the electric turn of pace of Messi nor the lethal finishing in the final third’,

Arsenal

254

44

74

Real Madrid

159

27

81

Werder Bremen

108

16

54

Schalke

39

1

5

Fenerbahce

37

9

3

Basaksehir

7

0

0

Instead, this was a patient player. He wasn’t explosive but he knew when to time the pass, he knew exactly the right moment to burst forward and carry the ball. He knew how to find a teammate.

That’s a bit like Nypan who with the help of data analyst Ben Mattinson, we can begin to see where the similarities lie. Nypan is a “clever ball manipulator” Mattinson says. “He’s not explosive but smart in how he turns and delays touches to make the defender commit and ‘fix’ them, then turn past them easily.”

Also said to be a “pass-first controller of play” and possess a “devastating final ball”, that’s precisely what Ozil prided himself on in his prime. The German scored goals but his initial mantra was always to pick out the assist and provide goalscoring opportunities for others.

Mattinson continued: “Using body feints and clever drops of the shoulder enable Nypan to turn past players”. That was certainly another quality Ozil used with great regularity to get the better of his markers.

Of course, Arsenal’s first thought must be to add goals to their side but when an elite potential talent like Nypan comes along and you can sign him, it’s a difficult proposition to refuse.

The thought of the teenager playing alongside the likes of fellow youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the future is an exciting one.

He completed only 43% passes: 5/10 Arsenal man proved KSE have to spend

Arsenal sealed a big win away at Wolves despite going down to ten men.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 25, 2025

Glasgow Rangers do not have long left to do any more bits of work that they would like to do before the end of the winter transfer window tonight.

The Scottish giants have only added Rafael Fernandes on loan from French side Lille to bolster their squad so far, but they have been linked with an interest in RB Salzburg midfielder Bobby Clark.

Rangers are also reportedly keen on a deal to sign Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron, although it would be on a pre-contract to join in the summer.

The young dynamo is not the only Scottish Premiership talent on the club’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window, though, as they have their sights set on a new striker.

Rangers lining up move for Scottish star

According to Football Insider, Rangers could still pursue a deal to bring Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland to Ibrox when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Technical director Nils Koppen is seemingly lining up a potential swoop to land the Scotland international on a free transfer, with this latest report revealing that the forward is still on the club’s list of targets for the summer.

The outlet states that the Gers are unlikely to bring a deal forward in the current transfer window but that they could move for the Scottish marksman ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Football Insider adds that there are ‘second thoughts’ within the club about a swoop for the striker, due to his age and form this season, but Koppen and Philippe Clement should fight against those thoughts and sign him on a free.

Why Rangers should sign Lawrence Shankland

The Gers have done a lot of great work in the transfer market in recent windows to fill the squad with exciting young talent, like Jefte, Clinton Nsiala, Hamza Igamane, Mohamed Diomande, and Nicolas Raskin, among others.

Transfer Focus

However, you also need some experienced players on the pitch and in the dressing room. Shankland is a vastly experienced striker who could come in and mentor Igamane moving forward, whilst being a positive influence around the club – as evidenced by his captaincy with Hearts.

Rangers’ Moroccan marksman has produced nine goals and one assist in 13 Premiership starts, but is still learning as a young player at the age of 22 and could benefit from having a seasoned Premiership campaigner to lean on.

Appearances

37

20

Goals

24

4

Big chances missed

9

6

Big chances created

6

8

Assists

4

4

As you can see in the table above, Shankland has struggled in front of goal this season but showcased his incredible ability in the 2023/24 campaign.

Shankland, who Chris Sutton once described as a “ruthless” finisher, knows how to score goals in the league and may be content with a reserve role behind Igamane, given he turns 30 this summer.

Rangers may have their own Lyall Cameron in "highly rated" Ibrox gem

Rangers may have their own version of Lyall Cameron in Ibrox starlet

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 2, 2025

He could be the perfect back-up striker for the Moroccan youngster by offering an experienced option to Clement, as a starter or off the bench, whilst Rangers could hope that he is able to get back to his best next term.

This would mean that the Gers would have a thriving and exciting young forward in Igamane alongside an experienced and lethal striker in Shankland, potentially making the perfect double act.

This season has not gone to plan for Arsenal so far.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign hopeful of finally dethroning Manchester City in the Premier League, and while they are comfortably ahead of the defending champions, they’re six points off leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

On top of that, the Gunners have had to deal with a plethora of injuries to key players, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus out with long-term issues.

So, with all of that in mind, it’s incredible to think that the club are yet to make a single signing this month, especially with the transfer window set to shut in less than a week.

However, there might yet be cause for optimism, as on Wednesday night it was reported that Arsenal had made an audacious £60m offer for Ollie Watkins, and while it was rejected, there’s a chance the club could go back in for him, although even if the Gunners got him for around that price, he’d be worth millions less than one of his potential rivals at the Emirates.

Why Arsenal want to sign Watkins

So, let’s say that Arsenal continue in their pursuit of Watkins and reach a price suitable for Villa before the window slams shut, why would he be worth chasing?

Well, simply put, he’s a sensationally talented striker who can both score and assist goals with ease.

For example, in just 32 appearances this season, the former Exeter City gem has already scored 11 goals and provided nine assists, meaning he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.60 games.

Appearances

169

Minutes

14252′

Goals

69

Assists

31

Goal Involvements per Match

0.59

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.52′

Moreover, in his 169 Premier League appearances for the Villans, he has racked up a brilliant haul of 69 goals and 31 assists, which means that in arguably the toughest league in world football, the Torquay-born dynamo has produced a goal involvement on average every 1.69 games.

Interestingly, and this may be one of the reasons Arteta wants to bring him in, the 29-year-old has also developed a real knack for scoring against the Gunners in the league.

For example, in the ten games against the North Londoners, he has scored six goals, won four times, drawn once and lost five times.

In short, Watkins is a sublime centre-forward and would undoubtedly help Arsenal reach that next level in attack, yet even if he does move to the Emirates for slightly more than £60m, he’ll be worth millions less than one of his new potential teammates.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Watkins

So, to get straight to the point, the Arsenal player in question is none other than Kai Havertz, who joined the Gunners for £65m in June 2023.

Despite the mountain of criticism the German receives from fans and pundits alike, he has recently been valued at up to a staggering €121m by Football Transfers, which converts to about £101m, or at the very least £41m more than the initial offer the North Londoners made for Watkins this week.

Now, there will likely be a significant portion of you who don’t think the former Chelsea ace should be worth anything near that price, and while you’d probably be right, his record as a centre-forward for the Gunners is perhaps better than most people would assume.

For example, in 18 appearances up top last season, the “sensational” international, dubbed by Mikel Arteta, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning when playing a number nine, he averaged a goal involvement every 1.2 games.

This season, the Aachen-born dynamo hasn’t been quite as effective but has still managed to score ten goals and provide four assists in 26 appearances as a striker, which means he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.85 games.

Appearances

18

26

Minutes

1509′

2265′

Goals

8

10

Assists

7

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.83

0.53

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.6′

161.78′

Another reason for the massive valuation is likely the fact that he plays most games for the club, and his contract is set to run until the summer of 2028.

Ultimately, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Watkins before the window slams shut next week, but for all the stick he gets, they do already have a decent striker in Havertz, but he needs the help the Englishman could provide.

Better than Watkins: Arsenal weighing up late swoop for £70m "menace"

The exceptional striker would be incredible for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 30, 2025

Celtic are down but not yet out of this season’s Champions League.

On Wednesday night, in the first leg of their knockout phase tie against Bayern Munich, the Hoops were beaten 2-1, leaving them with a mountain to climb in Bavaria next Tuesday.

Daizen Maeda’s header 11 minutes from time did spark a late onslaught, but the Bundesliga leaders held on for victory.

That goal, while it may ultimately not be enough to see Brendan Rodgers’ reach the round of 16, did set some Celtic history, but it’s a star from the last time Celtic reached the Champions League knockout stages 12 years ago who’s been in the news since.

Daizen Maeda's record-breaking tally

Maeda’s late goal in mid-week was his fourth in this season’s Champions League, having previously netted against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge during the league phase.

This makes the Japanese forward the first Celtic player since Joe Craig in 1977/78 to score four or more goals in a single European Cup campaign; three of Craig’s four goals came against Luxembourgish outfit Jeunesse Esch, the other when then Austrian champions Wacker Innsbruck visited Glasgow.

Some seriously talented strikers have reached three goals in the intervening years, as the table below documents.

Players

Goals

Season

Daizen Maeda

4

2024/25

Adam Idah

3

2024/25

Moussa Dembélé

3

2016/17

Georgios Samaras

3

2012/13

Kenny Miller

3

2006/07

Chris Sutton

3

2003/04

Henrik Larsson

3

2001/02

Mo Johnston

3

1986/87

Of course, Adam Idah could join his teammate on four goals, albeit next Tuesday’s trip to the Allianz Arena appears likely to be his last chance to do so.

However, another former Celtic centre-forward, who played a starring role in the historic Champions League campaign of 2012/13, has been in the news this week, after making a rather unusual career choice.

Celtic's 'best striker' after Larsson

On Thursday evening, Isthmian League North Division club Maldon & Tiptree announced the signing of Gary Hooper.

Nicknamed the Jammers, they ply their trade in England’s eighth tier, but have just been the subject of a ‘multi-million pound’ takeover by Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow.

Former Manchester City and West Ham midfielder Kevin Horlock, who’s just been appointed manager, says the club’s aim is to get into the Football League, a feat they would require four promotions to achieve.

Where Are They Now

Well, the new owners are certainly spending big to achieve this objective, first signing goalkeeper Elliot Justham from National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on Wednesday, but Hooper is certainly the biggest name addition they’ve made so far.

Maldon & Tiptree, who are currently 15th in the table, visit Cambridge City at their brand-new stadium in Sawston on Saturday, so it’ll be interesting to see if Hooper debuts.

During his time at Celtic, Hooper was, as Phil Gordon of the Times puts it, absolutely ‘clinical’, described by then manager Neil Lennon as the club’s “best striker [here] since Henrik Larsson”, and his numbers are certainly comparable to the very best.

Player

Years at Celtic

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Minutes per goal

Gary Hooper

2010-13

138

82

30

136

Kyōgo Furuhashi

2021-25

165

85

19

126

Daizen Maeda

2022-present

145

52

24

194

Odsonne Édouard

2017-2021

179

87

38

140

Moussa Dembélé

2016-2018

94

51

18

121

Leigh Griffiths

2014-2022

261

123

51

118

As the table shows, Hooper’s numbers at Celtic are on par with all the best strikers who’ve come since, boasting a better minutes-per-goal ratio than both Odsonne Édouard and Maeda, scoring only three fewer goals than Kyōgo Furuhashi in 27 fewer games.

The Englishman’s contribution to the 2012 Champions League campaign, scoring home and away during victories over Spartak Moskva, as the Hoops reached the round of 16, will never be forgotten.

This form earned Hooper a move to Norwich for £5m, but he didn’t live up to expectations in Norfolk, and his career has never really recovered.

He was then moved to Sheffield Wednesday, and since departing the Owls in 2019, he has represented Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand, Kerala Blasters in India, Omonia in Cyprus and Gulf United of the UAE, before returning to England, first with Barnet, then at Kettering Town and now Maldon & Tiptree, who he previously played for as a teenager.

Just a few weeks on from his 37th birthday, will Hooper still have his goal-scoring instincts at Isthmian League North Division level?

Celtic now ready to cash in on forward this summer for massive 660% profit

It would see them make a massive financial windfall this summer.

4 ByBen Browning Feb 14, 2025

West Bromwich Albion picked up only their second win in the Championship from their last five encounters when breezing past Oxford United 2-0 last time out.

This could end up being a big three points, considering the Baggies’ next game sees them travel to promotion favourites Leeds United, meaning a loss to the U’s would have been disastrous for their own aims near the top of the tricky division.

Whilst the likes of Daniel Farke’s Whites arguably have a flashier squad – with stars such as Manor Solomon touted to be worth around the £15m ballpark – West Brom are holding onto that final playoff spot in the second tier with a team comprising mainly of bargain buys that have proved to be largely be a success.

West Brom's standout bargain signings

Although he is currently sidelined with an injury, Josh Maja’s electric form this season – when fit – definitely puts him into the bracket of being a successful bargain addition.

Indeed, the ex-Sunderland man joined the Baggies ranks on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, with his 12 goals and two assists in league action this campaign so far making him a big hit with the Hawthorns masses.

Away from solely relying on free transfers, the West Midlands side have shelled out cash too, notably adding Mikey Johnston back into the camp for just £3m which looks to be smart business last summer.

He has justified those millions being spent with seven goal contributions of his own in the league, whilst the addition of Nordic defender Torbjørn Heggem for a modest £500k has gone down as another masterstroke.

The Scandinavian centre-back has been a rock all campaign long with 11 clean sheets tallied up, but there’s another more forward-thinking player in Mowbray’s camp that is now up there with the EFL’s elite, who – much like Maja – cost zilch to bring through the door.

West Brom's "sensational" free signing

John Swift proved his worth to the cause on Saturday versus Oxford United, as the seasoned midfielder made sure of the three points at the death with a strike.

But, it was another midfield asset in the form of Alex Mowatt that got the ball rolling with the opener, with the ex-Leeds man ageing like a fine wine at the Hawthorns.

Calmly slotting away a chance under pressure against his former loan side, the 30-year-old just continues to put in consistent displays for his playoff-chasing side, with the decision to pick him up on a free transfer when Barnsley got rid in 2021 continuing to look like an inspired decision.

With six goals and two assists in tow in the Championship this season, there’s an argument to be had that the stylish EFL veteran is up there with some of the very best midfield talents in the division now.

Indeed, according to FBref, the two most similar players to him in the second tier this season are Leeds ace Ao Tanaka and slick Coventry City star Ben Sheaf.

Shot-creating actions

2.72

2.53

2.82

Attempted passes

73.24

76.14

65.52

Pass completion %

87.2%

89.9%

85.2%

Progressive passes

7.15

7.51

7.63

Progressive carries

1.53

1.08

1.41

Away from bettering both players in question with his goal contribution total for the season, he also isn’t a million miles off trumping them in many similar aspects of their midfield games, with Mowatt at least on par with both Tanaka and Sheaf when looking at the table above for metrics such as pass success percentage and progressive carries.

This is quite illustrious company to keep, considering the Sky Blues star was once in the conversation to leave Coventry behind for £15m, whilst Tanaka is a fully fledged Japan international.

The “sensational” Mowatt – as he has been lauded in the past by ex-Leeds boss Steve Evans – deserves to be in these circles too, with the 30-year-old praying his top performances can help Mowbray and Co taste the glory of promotion.

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Chelsea are planning imminent transfer talks with the representative of a forward, who’s even flown to London for direct negotiations, as the player’s camp drive a potential switch to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Chelsea targeting new attacker for Enzo Maresca this summer

Manager Enzo Maresca and co ultimately didn’t end up signing a new attacker in January, which was met with criticism following injuries to Marc Guiu, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke in the forward area.

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However, that is something they plan to rectify in the summer, with a prolific striker in particular seen as Maresca’s final missing piece.

“Our top SPTC source has heard this weekend that Chelsea are ‘going big’ for a new goalkeeper, centre back, and a striker in the summer transfer window,” wrote reliable journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, in the last few days.

“He also mentions other positions such as a new full back, but we have no definitive news on that just yet.

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Brentford (away)

April 5th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 12th

“Chelsea pushed to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich all through the January window but his fee was far too much then. Revisiting this deal in the summer is still very much expected, and Chelsea would have absolutely signed him in the winter window if they could have got his price down. The expectation is that if his club get relegated, then they will be able to get him much cheaper in the summer. They will return for him regardless though.

“He’s not the only name being looked at. Chelsea also still like Viktor Gyokeres and he has never left our striker shortlist after having an approach knocked back recently. Our source says that Gyokeres is still one to watch especially with his release clause. With Gyokeres though, there is a belief that this will be Champions League qualification dependent.

“We have not heard anything new on Victor Osimhen but obviously they tried and failed to sign him last summer so there’s always a chance they try again when he should be cheaper at the end of this season.”

Chelsea could also target a new winger, as per multiple reports, with an update coming to light on their links to River Plate star Ian Subiabre.

Chelsea poised for imminent talks with Ian Subiabre via his agent

According to GiveMeSport, Chelsea are poised for “face-to-face” talks with Subiabre’s agent, who’s jetted to the English capital for discussions.

They aim of this meeting will be for Maresca’s side to gauge the conditions of a potential deal, and it is believed that the 18-year-old’s camp has been driving these negotiations to happen, which has ultimately convinced Chelsea as they take the bait, alongside a recommendation from their South American scout Alysson Marins.

The report from yesterday afternoon stated that these talks will happen within these next 24 hours, but it will take a fee of around £20 million to sign the highly-regarded Argentine.

As Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke to TNT Sports at full-time, the Spaniard remarked that the squad is “lacking” one thing. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what that is; a striker.

The Gunners’ 1-0 defeat against West Ham last Saturday felt like a real kick in the teeth, the moment the Premier League title was probably lost. That was hammered home following a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest on a night Liverpool secured all three points again.

Truth be told, the title was lost in January. The club can’t have foreseen an injury to Kai Havertz..or perhaps they could. Alas, it was abundantly clear that Arteta needed help. This squad needed someone, anybody, just any sort of forward that could have lightened the load and scored a few goals.

Since Havertz was injured on that trip to Dubai, Arsenal have netted just twice in three games courtesy of makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino. They didn’t look like finding the net last weekend and for all their dominance at the City ground on Wednesday, never looked like finding their way past Forest ‘keeper Matz Sels.

Nuno Santo revealed at the end of the game that their game plan was to crowd the midfield, knowing they didn’t need an extra man to deal with Arsenal’s lack of a striker. That summed it up. Pundit Martin Keown was rather left speechless.

So, what can be done? Not a lot to be fair but Arteta did try.

How Arteta's Arsenal tried to break down Nottingham Forest

In all honesty, this wasn’t a bad away performance from Arsenal. If the title race was a close affair this would have gone down as a decent point considering that Nuno’s men are battling for Champions League football.

Unfortunately, they needed to win and they did not. That was largely because of the elephant in the room; no striker.

Arteta has tinkered with his side in recent weeks to try and find a remedy. Leandro Trossard played the first hour against Leicester as the centre-forward and since then it has been Merino.

It’s not his natural role and he’s trying his best. It’s not his fault the board didn’t sign anyone over the winter.

Riccardo Calafiori was even used against Forest as a makeshift attacker. Since signing from Bologna last summer, the Italian has largely played as an inverted left-back.

He was pretty dismal defensively on Wednesday, notably picking up a yellow card within the first few minutes after being skinned by winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Going forward, however, he was perhaps Arsenal’s most threatening player. That’s a dismal sentence all things considered. He did well, though, most memorably striking the post after cutting inside from the left inside the area.

That yellow card meant he didn’t last beyond the half-time interval. The lesser-spotted Kieran Tierney featured instead and looked a threat himself, spreading some nice passes and crosses but when a player who’s rarely featured for the club in two years is who you’re relying on, you know the season is going from bad to worse.

Without Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, Arteta has needed players to stand up. Some have, chiefly Gabriel who looks like a real leader.

Unfortunately, Arsenal’s captain isn’t demonstrating the same confidence right now.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Nottingham Forest

While the likes of Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri struggled to find the room to create goalscoring opportunities, it was skipper Martin Odegaard who arguably let down the manager the most in Nottingham.

One of the most beautiful footballers in the Premier League to watch when in-form, he hasn’t been at the races since returning from an ankle lay-off earlier in the campaign.

He’s found the net just once from open play and much to the dismay of many a supporter, looks as though he’s gone into hiding. It’s a wretched sight, it really is. This is Arsenal’s captain and he’s fading into the background, failing to take responsibility with key players out injured.

The Norwegian is missing his partner in crime on the right in Saka but unlike someone such as Nwaneri who is really grabbing the bull by the horns, Odegaard continues to underwhelm.

Assists

0.3

0.2

Key passes

3

2.4

Big chances created

0.5

0.4

Accurate crosses

0.9

0.7

Crossing accuracy %

39%

20.4%

This term, the creative midfielder has seen his numbers decrease significantly when it comes to key passes, big chances created and accurate crosses per 90 minutes.

Those elements were missing from his game this week too, with the Express alarmingly handing the 26-year-old a 3/10 match rating, writing ‘at a time when Arsenal needed their captain most, he was nowhere to be found’.

What did the stats say? Well, he did complete 89% of his passes but he ceded possession on 14 occasions and only supplied one key pass.

Minutes played

85

Touches

59

Accurate passes

39/44 (89%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

1/6

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

2/1

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

0/2

Possession lost

14x

Fans are on his back and there are some big concerns surrounding Odegaard’s long-term future in the squad now. Once Saka and Martinelli are back, you do wonder whether his days as a regular starter will continue with Nwaneri champing at the bit to feature in Arsenal’s best side.

When it comes to the former Real Madrid man, comparisons may well be made to a certain Mesut Ozil. Like Odegaard, he was a marvel in control of a football. He could spot passes very few players could see but he also went missing far too regularly in the big moments, when his team needed him most.

Heading into the final months of the season, Arteta shouldn’t just be worried about the lack of an out-and-out centre forward but also the form of one of his classiest players.

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