All posts by z3u9t.icu

Chelsea legend John Terry has made a huge claim about star left-back Marc Cucurella after his masterclass against Barcelona and Lamine Yamal in the Champions League.

Chelsea thrash Barcelona as Marc Cucurella shines

Cucurella delivered the performance of his Chelsea career on Tuesday night, completely neutralizing Barça’s sensation Yamal as the Blues cruised to a commanding 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

While another teenage sensation, Estevao, grabbed all the headlines with his spectacular solo goal, it was Cucurella’s disciplined defensive work that provided the foundation for Chelsea’s dominant display against the Spanish champions.

The left-back’s ability to lock down his international teammate proved instrumental in suffocating Barcelona’s primary attacking threat throughout the ninety minutes, with Cucurella earning a deserved player of the match award.

Yamal, who finished second in the recent Ballon d’Or voting, endured one of the most frustrating evenings of his early career to date as Cucurella shadowed his every movement.

The Chelsea defender repeatedly intercepted passes intended for the teenage prodigy and forced him into ineffective wide areas where he posed minimal threat, with Cucurella continuing to make his previous doubters look pretty silly.

Beyond his defensive responsibilities, Cucurella contributed going forward too — providing an outlet down the left channel and delivering dangerous crosses into Barca’s penalty area. His energy and work rate exemplified the intensity Chelsea brought to the contest, setting the tone for teammates to follow.

The 27-year-old, who has been a standout performer for both Enzo Maresca’s side and Spain over these last two seasons, was also awarded a secret contract extension in August to reflect his star player status, according to Fabrizio Romano this week.

Now, Terry has had his say on the former Brighton star in a statement of real praise.

John Terry makes big Marc Cucurella claim after Chelsea masterclass

Speaking on Wednesday, Terry branded Cucurella as one of the best left-backs in the world right now and everything he wants to see in a Chelsea player.

Right now, there is no question that he is one of Chelsea’s most important players, but a time will come when the club must replace him considering he one day wants to return to play in Spain.

According to some reports, Chelsea already have a succession plan in mind.

Journalist Simon Phillips reported earlier this week that Chelsea are trying to convince Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly to join them as a long-term replacement for Cucurella, but for now, the Hale End sensation isn’t keen on going anywhere.

The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

After the weekend defeat in the Premier League, what Arsenal really needed in the Champions League on Wednesday evening was a straightforward victory.

Thankfully for Mikel Arteta’s men, that’s exactly what they got, swatting aside Belgian side Club Brugge 3-0 with relative ease.

The Gunners were at their free-flowing best in the final third, notably scoring two outstanding goals courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

It was a much-changed side as Arteta chose to rotate and many in red and white in midweek staked their claim for more regular opportunities.

Arsenal's standout performers against Club Brugge

This was a fantastic night for Arsenal’s wingers. With Leandro Trossard injured and Bukayo Saka part of the rested crew on the bench, it meant that Martinelli and Madueke started on the left and right flanks respectively.

Both players have struggled with injuries this season but Martinelli, in particular, has made an impact nearly every time he’s played.

The Brazilian scored the away side’s third and final goal on Wednesday, a beauty from the edge of the area.

That happened to be his fifth goal in his last five Champions League ties, the first player in Arsenal history to record such a statistic.

That said, his colleague on the opposite wing was even better. This was his finest day in Arsenal colours yet.

Signed from Chelsea in the summer, every man and his dog seemed to question why on earth Andrea Berta and Co had brought Madueke to the Emirates Stadium. Well, safe to say he’s proved everyone wrong.

The Englishman bagged his first goal for the club against Bayern Munich a few weeks ago and added two more to his tally this week.

His first was a scorcher from distance. The Arsenal winger burst away from his marker, headed towards the box and then unleashed a fierce effort which crashed off the bar and found the net.

By contrast, his second goal was about as simple as they come. Martin Zubimendi’s cross from the left found Madueke who headed home from a matter of yards out.

There were a number of real positives for Arsenal. It was great to see Gabriel Jesus back on the pitch for the first time after suffering an ACL injury back in January.

Emergency centre-half, Christian Norgaard, also stood out at the back, part of a backline that kept a clean sheet.

With Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera and Jurrien Timber all missing through injury, it meant a rare opportunity for the Dane and he took it with aplomb, even if he was playing out of position.

That being said, it wasn’t the finest of nights for another of Arsenal’s summer signings.

Arsenal's worst performer against Club Brugge

This was an evening for those on the fringes to stake their claim. Madueke, Martinelli and Norgaard all took their chances.

Viktor Gyokeres, on the other hand, did not. The question that was raised after this game was, when do we start to worry about the Swede?

When Berta first arrived in north London, his priority task was to find a new striker and one capable of scoring goals.

Well, it looked as though he’d acquired one of Europe’s finest. This is a player who bagged 54 times in 52 games last term for Sporting CP but he has so far failed to translate that form in English football.

To be fair to him, he has largely been starved of service. Arsenal struggle to create clear-cut opportunities for him to score from and that was the same story against Brugge this week.

Chalkboard

The only chance of note that Gyokeres had came in the first half but it was a half-chance at best, heading the ball straight into the arms of the goalkeeper with a few bodies challenging for the same ball.

Gyokeres did leave the field with three shots to his name but none of them were that noteworthy, which seems to be a familiar trend from his time in north London to date.

That said, the Sweden international does need to be doing more. Even if he has just returned from injury, his 45-minute cameo against Aston Villa at the weekend, combined with his 60-odd minutes on Wednesday, were not good enough.

Minutes played

62

Touches

12

Accurate passes

5/6 (83%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Shots

3

Shots on target

1

Successful dribbles

0

Ground duels won

0/3

Aerial duels won

2/3

He had just 12 touches of the ball in Belgium, 25 fewer than goalkeeper David Raya. Furthermore, he also managed just five passes.

There is a sense that Gyokeres has vastly improved his hold-up play and ability to link things together at the top of this Arsenal team since signing from Sporting. However, he was brought to London to score goals and he’s simply not doing that with any regularity right now.

It is only December. We must not completely write off the big-money attacker before he’s had a full season. For now, however, it doesn’t look great.

Arsenal have looked a much better team with Mikel Merino as the number 9 and you’d expect him to start against Wolves in that role on Saturday night ahead of Gyokeres.

Arsenal star was playing like Saka, now he's being treated like Smith Rowe

The incredible Arsenal talent could end up following Smith Rowe’s trajectory instead of Saka’s.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

To say that Arsenal are unrecognisable as a club today from the one Mikel Arteta took charge of over five years ago would be an understatement.

The Spaniard has helped to completely overhaul the club from top to bottom and has signed some incredible players in the process.

One of his very best additions to the squad has undoubtedly been Declan Rice, who was once again incredible in the Champions League this week.

And now, it looks like another of Arteta’s signings is transforming into a Rice-type player this season.

Rice's best European nights for Arsenal

Since joining the club for £105m in the summer of 2023, Rice has made 26 appearances for Arsenal in the Champions League, in which he has scored four goals, provided four assists and averaged 2.12 points per game.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It would be fair to say that across those 26 games, he has been pretty incredible for the North Londoners, but when it comes to picking out his best European nights in red and white, there are three that stick out, the first of which is the home game against Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase last season.

It was a game the Gunners comfortably won 2-0, and one in which the former West Ham United captain totally bossed the Parisians’ smaller and, at the time, out-of-form midfield.

The Englishman didn’t pick up a goal or assist in that game, but he did do that in his second-best Champions League display for the club, which came on Wednesday this week.

Arteta started his record signing in the left eight against Atlético Madrid, and as fans have now come to expect, he was cool, calm and composed on the ball and a physical monster off of it.

Moreover, he provided the assist for Gabriel Magalhães’ opener, and then it was his corner that eventually led to Viktor Gyokeres’ second goal, and the team’s fourth.

However, while the 26-year-old was great against Atleti, he was out of this world against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals last season.

The midfield machine put in an extraordinary shift at the Bernabéu, but it was the home leg where he was utterly sublime, stopping everything in the middle of the park and then scoring those two world-class free-kicks.

In short, while he cost a lot of money, Rice has been worth every penny for Arsenal, and now another of Arteta’s signings is starting to embody some of his best traits.

Arsenal's new Rice-type star

Due to Arteta’s brilliant signings and Hale End’s production of talent, there is no shortage of incredible players in Arsenal’s squad, but the player who is becoming something of a Rice-type star is Riccardo Calafiori.

Now, it’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean they are the same type of player, as that would be a silly thing to suggest.

However, there are some increasingly obvious similarities between the pair, with the first being their mentality.

Like the Englishman, since coming back from his string of injuries that kept him out for most of last season, the former Bologna star has played like a man possessed.

Not only is he someone who can and does bound forward with the ball at his feet, but he’s also more than happy to get into a physical duel with an opponent to try and keep the ball or win it. As The Telegraph’s Sam Dean aptly put it, he plays like a “wild horse on the loose.”

On top of that, he is also a sensational striker of the ball, and while he isn’t delivering set-pieces, it has been on show in the goals he has scored over the last year, and even those that have been disallowed, like that unreal volley against Fulham last weekend.

Moreover, like the former West Ham man, the Italian international seems to have limitless energy, and this season has been allowed the freedom to roam here, there and everywhere on the pitch.

This “positionless” approach in games, as one analyst puts it, makes him a nightmare for opponents to defend against and could help him snuff out counters before they have a chance to get out of their half at times.

Finally, the Rome-born titan is also one of the best in his position in the league, as according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of full-backs for expected goals, shots, goal-creating actions, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for tackles in the attacking third and more, all per 90.

xG: Expected Goals

0.28

Top 2%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.28

Top 2%

Shots Total

2.35

Top 2%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.29

Top 2%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.73

Top 2%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.15

Top 2%

SCA (Shot)

0.44

Top 6%

GCA (Shot)

0.15

Top 6%

Touches (Att Pen)

3.96

Top 6%

Goals + Assists

0.44

Top 10%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.15

Top 10%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.44

Top 10%

Goals

0.15

Top 13%

Assists

0.29

Top 13%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.15

Top 13%

npxG/Shot

0.12

Top 13%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.44

Top 17%

Ultimately, Calafiori has been unreal for Arsenal this season, and as he has got better, he has become more and more of a Rice-type player.

Gyokeres can help Arsenal's "unbelievable" star reach Mesut Ozil's level

Gyokeres could play a key role in helping the incredible Arsenal star reach the levels of Ozil this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2025

In every great Manchester United side, you’ll typically find a midfield lynchpin, a driving force behind it all from the centre of the park.

In Sir Alex Ferguson’s pomp, he was blessed with two such figures in the form of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, the two men forming the bedrock of the side that would claim treble-winning glory in 1998/99.

Ironically, also the two men who actually missed the crowning moment at Camp Nou through suspension and injury, respectively, the Keane and Scholes pairing is arguably the best there’s ever been at Old Trafford.

There’s an argument, too, that they are the “best pair in the history of English football”, in the view of an – unbiased – Gary Neville.

It would be unfair to suggest that the modern-day duo of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are way off that status, considering their own individual quality, but this is still a brittle pairing, a short-term fix that Ruben Amorim has almost been forced to resort to.

Having bolstered the top end of the pitch over the summer, United are just about getting by despite a lack of midfield reinforcement – could that all change in 2026?

Latest on Man Utd's midfield search

There is a frustration that the Red Devils left themselves somewhat short in midfield for the new season, although it was fanciful to assume that after splashing out £250m on four senior signings, another sizeable investment would be dished out on a midfielder.

There was notable interest in the likes of Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, with the latter man believed to be particularly keen on making the move to Old Trafford. A reported £100m plus price tag, however, proved prohibitive.

Rather than merely turning to a bargain alternative, United have perhaps wisely played the waiting game instead, ready to attack the market again, be it in January or next summer.

Transfer Focus

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

According to recent reports from Caught Offside, there is said to be a growing confidence that Jason Wilcox and co can strike a deal for Nottingham Forest star, Elliot Anderson, with the England international said to be ‘open’ to making the switch.

That willingness to join Amorim’s ranks has sparked hope back in Manchester that United can secure a ‘bargain’ fee for his signature, seemingly far below the widely touted £100m asking price that Forest are believed to have set.

As per the report, a figure closer to £60m might be more realistic, with Anderson perhaps representing the midfield solution that Amorim is desperate for.

How Man Utd's £60m target compares to Casemiro

Anderson is certainly man of the moment right now, with recent international breaks seemingly seeing him nail down a number six role alongside Declan Rice for England, ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Kobbie Mainoo might be a cautionary tale of what can happen to those who enjoy a meteoric rise at club and international level, but the Forest man can only be judged on what he’s doing right now.

At present, he’s looking sensational.

In the view of talkSPORT’s Max Scott, the 22-year-old simply “has it all”, with the reporter even going as far as to suggest that the ex-Newcastle United talent has “a bit of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Zinedine Zidane all rolled into one”.

A rising English star, like Scholes, Anderson could well follow in the footsteps of Keane by moving from the City Ground to the Theatre of Dreams, with that switch having proven so fruitful for the Irishman under Ferguson.

Those might be wild, hyperbolic comparisons to be making, although that is the level of quality that the £60m maestro possesses, having even been likened to a young Paul Gascoigne amid his prior emergence on Tyneside.

Newcastle’s PSR-related loss has certainly been Forest’s gain, with United now hoping that they can steal a march on the competition and tempt the £40k-per-week playmaker into jumping ship in 2026.

Casemiro is currently holding the fort alongside Fernandes, although the 33-year-old’s inability to last the full 90 minutes is a growing problem, having been substituted off on seven occasions this season, while seeing red against Chelsea.

Only five of the 20 goals United have conceded in all competitions have come when the resurgent Brazilian is on the pitch, but he certainly isn’t the Champions League-winning force that he once was. On current evidence, Anderson is looking a step above.

Non-penalty goals

0.44

0.00

Assists

0.15

0.09

Shot-creating actions

1.32

4.18

Passes attempted

52.77

76.45

Pass completion

81.4%

83.4%

Progressive passes

4.40

8.82

Progressive carries

0.15

1.36

Successful take-ons

0.29

1.27

Tackles

3.22

2.64

Interceptions

0.72

0.91

In the Premier League this season, for instance, the younger man ranks in the top 1% of midfielders for passes attempted and progressive passes, as well as in the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

Casemiro, by contrast, ranks in just the top 36%, the bottom 45% and the bottom 30% for those same three metrics, respectively, albeit while coming out on top for both non-penalty goals and tackles made.

That said, Anderson is certainly no slouch in that latter department – as his 2.64 tackles per 90 record illustrates – providing Amorim with a potential all-round, all-action, athletic upgrade who can instantly hit the ground running in the much-discussed 3-4-2-1 system.

While it remains to be seen if it will require a bid of closer to £100m or £60m to secure his services, United must do what they can to make Anderson the new centre-piece of Amorim’s ageing midfield.

Man Utd "confident" they'll sign Anderson for £40m less than Forest's asking price

He’s keen on an Old Trafford transfer.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 22, 2025

Angry Ginge has named a Manchester United legend as the one person he “would love” to join him in the I’m A Celebrity jungle if he could choose anyone.

The Twitch streamer has now touched down in Australia, having been confirmed as part of the line-up for the latest series of I’m A Celeb, which is due to start this Sunday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

The 23-year-old is not the only Mancunian taking part either, with his close friend, Aitch, also being revealed as one of the new contestants on Monday evening.

Having a friend in the camp will no doubt make it easier to settle into life in the jungle, but Angry Ginge, whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle, has now revealed he wishes a Man United legend was also heading down under this winter.

Angry Ginge "would love" Wayne Rooney to join him on I'm A Celeb

Speaking about the type of contestant he plans to be in a recent interview with ITV, Burtwistle said: “I will try to be the motivator in camp and make sure everyone is chatty and happy. I’m not argumentative either.

“And if I could pick anyone, I would love it if Wayne Rooney was in camp with me. We would have a laugh.”

The 40-year-old making an appearance may not be completely out of the question, having recently revealed he would be open to one day being a part of the ITV show, saying: “Would I? I think I would, at the right time.

“I’d struggle with some of the trials, though. You know the worst one, you know where they walk into a room…and there’s like a big ostrich looking at you. I didn’t [know he was scared of ostriches] but I’m just picturing them being there.”

The former Man United star also knows Angry Ginge well, having bizarrely joined his Pro Clubs team ‘Girth N Turf’ on EA Sports FC 24.

However, should he one day jet out to Australia, Rooney will have big shoes to fill, given that his wife Coleen finished as runner-up in the 2024 edition, behind only McFly singer Danny Jones.

With Angry Ginge, who has 1.4m Twitch followers, due to take part, this year’s I’m A Celeb is shaping up nicely regardless, but maybe 2026 will be the year we finally see Wazza taking part in a Bushtucker Trial…

Wayne Rooney says one Man Utd player has proven him wrong this season Rooney: £150k-p/w star has been Man Utd's "best player" and "proven me wrong"

The Manchester United legend has praised one of Ruben Amorim’s key players, who he was initially “sceptical” about.

ByDominic Lund Oct 21, 2025

Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has provided an update on injuries within his squad ahead of their Sunday clash with Nottingham Forest.

Last season, at the second time of asking, Farke led Leeds back to the Premier League as centurions and winners of the Championship. After 10 games in the top flight, the Whites have picked up 11 points as, alongside Sunderland and Burnley, the newly-promoted teams have enjoyed promising starts to the campaign.

Leeds are certainly at their best when at home, having lost only to Tottenham Hotspur in five games at Elland Road. On the road, however, Leeds have just one win, which came against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Not only have they lost the other four matches, but excluding the win over Wolves, Leeds have not scored away from home.

The Whites are next in action on Sunday when they travel to face Forest, who have not won in the Premier League since their opening day victory against Brentford.

Sean Dyche oversaw a victory against Porto in the Europa League on his debut as Forest manager, having since lost to Bournemouth as well as draws with Man United and Sturm Graz.

Ahead of their visit to the City Ground, Farke has revealed which of his players have faced fitness setbacks.

Farke reveals Leeds pair are struggling with injury

Signed for just over £5 million in the summer from Wolfsburg, Sebastiaan Bornauw was recruited to serve as depth to pre-existing centre-back options Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon, along with fellow summer addition Jaka Bijol.

Yet to make his Premier League debut for the Whites, Bornauw has played just once for the club, when he featured against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup. Farke has now revealed that the Belgian is struggling with a new injury suffered behind closed doors.

Elsewhere within the team, it will be a “late call” whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin can play against Forest. The former Everton striker has been brilliant for Leeds, giving them a physical outlet up front that has allowed them to compete in the Premier League.

Lukas Nmecha is a serviceable back-up option, but Leeds will hope that both Bornauw and Calvert-Lewin are not absent for too long. Given that, including Joel Piroe, no Leeds striker has been a consistent goal threat this season, it may be that Farke could soon turn to some younger options within his squad.

"Dangerous" striker could be open to Leeds switch in January

When approaching a transfer window, whether it is in the summer or January, Glasgow Rangers should be looking to do one of two things with their signings.

They should be making signings with a view to improving the team in the short-term, as they should always be competing for trophies every season.

As well as those impact signings, the Gers should also be looking for young players who have the potential for big development, with a view to selling them on for a substantial profit in the future, to carry their player trading model.

In the summer transfer window just gone, Kevin Thelwell led the recruitment drive and it is hard to see many signings that fall into either of those categories at the moment.

In terms of short-term impact, Rangers are currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership after finishing second last season, which shows that they have regressed on the pitch.

Meanwhile, there are not too many players who were signed in the summer who currently look like they will go on to be sold for a profit in the future.

Rangers summer signings who are most likely to be sold for a profit

Thelwell, who was moved on from his position on Monday, swooped to bring in seven players on permanent deals to Ibrox in the summer, along with the pre-agreed permanent deals for Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron that were agreed before he joined in April.

Rangers have a fairly decent record of selling players for big money in recent years. Calvin Bassey joined Ajax for £19.6m, Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £6m, and Nathan Patterson signed for Everton for £11.5m in 2022, whilst Hamza Igamane was sold to Lille for £10.4m this year.

Excluding Cortes and Cameron, as they were not sanctioned by Thelwell, it would be bold to confidently predict that any of the seven permanent summer signings will be sold for profit.

Djeidi Gassama feels like the most likely, at this moment in time, because he was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m and has produced six goals and two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt. No other summer signing has scored more than twice.

Because none of the others have provided much of an attacking threat, Emmanuel Fernandez, despite playing just four matches, may rank second. Signed for £3.5m, he has scored two goals in four matches and won 88% of his aerial duels in two league outings, per Sofascore.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Emmanuel Fernandez

3

Oliver Antman

4

Thelo Aasgaard

5

Youssef Chermiti

6

Bojan Miovski

7

Joe Rothwell

As you can see in the table above, Joe Rothwell and Bojan Miovski, who both started on the bench against Livingston last weekend, rank in the bottom two because they have been bit-part players at the ages of 30 and 26, which does not suggest that they are likely to kick on and be sold for a big profit.

Oliver Antman, with three goal contributions, and Thelo Aasgaard, with two goal contributions, rank just ahead of those two because they are 24 and 23, respectively, and still have time to improve.

Youssef Chermiti ranks in fifth because he has plenty of time to develop, at 21, but was signed for a whopping fee of £8m and has only produced one goal in 13 matches as a striker, per Transfermarkt, which makes it seem unlikely, on current evidence, that they will recoup that outlay.

Meanwhile, there is a player in the current Rangers squad, signed before Thelwell arrived, who does look likely to be sold on for a substantial profit, and potentially for even more than the likes of Joe Aribo and Hamza Igamane.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nicolas Raskin was signed by former Gers boss Michael Beale under the previous ownership at Ibrox, whilst they were between sporting directors, in January 2023 for a reported fee of roughly £1.5m from Standard Liege.

Why Rangers could sell Nicolas Raskin for a profit

Given that the Belgian midfielder was signed for a fairly small sum of money, certainly in comparison to a player like Chermiti, it will be ‘easier’ for Rangers to bank a profit on him if they ever decide to cash in.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds and Tottenham are two of a number of clubs across the Premier League and Europe that are eyeing up a possible move for Raskin, but that the Gers want a “big fee” for their star.

This shows that there are teams keen on snapping the Belgium international up from Ibrox in the winter window, which means that Rangers could, if they wanted to, cash in on him to fund new signings for Danny Rohl, not to say that is what they should do.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that it would take a fee of £18m to £20m to tempt the Gers to sell Raskin, which would be a substantial profit on the £1.5m they signed him for almost three years ago.

Selling him for a fee in that region would mean that Rangers would get more money for him than they did for Igamane, Patterson, and Aribo, as aforementioned, although it would take a fee of £20m for him to take Bassey’s crown as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

Appearances

33

10

Sofascore rating

7.43

7.39

Goals

4

1

Assists

10

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.4

2.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin’s performances as a box-to-box midfielder in the Premiership have been exceptional since the start of last season, as he has provided quality in the final third and defensive strength out of possession.

The 24-year-old maestro, once praised as “unbelievable” by ex-Gers striker Kris Boyd, has proven that he can provide consistent performances for the club, which is something the batch of summer signings this year have failed to do thus far.

That is why Raskin may end up being sold for a huge fee, as possibly the most or second-most expensive sale in the club’s history, amid interest from several teams in January, whilst it is hard to say if any of Thelwell’s signings will go on to be sold for a profit.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

This summer signing by Kevin Thelwell has been as bad as the deal to bring Kieran Dowell to Rangers.

ByDan Emery Nov 26, 2025

Whilst Rangers supporters may not want to see the Belgian move on from the club in January, his story and the fact that there is the possibility that he is sold for huge money is an example that Thelwell’s replacement should look to follow.

Elite central midfielders cost a pretty penny in the transfer market in the modern day, but Manchester United are trying to find their next top talent in such an area.

Over the years, the Red Devils have previously been home to numerous incredible talents, with Paul Scholes one of the best midfielders to ever play for the club.

The Englishman made a staggering total of 718 appearances for the club over a 19-year period, subsequently winning every major honour available in the 1990s and 2000s.

He was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad that often dominated England’s top-flight, subsequently being a part of the squad that managed to win 11 Premier League titles.

However, in the present day, boss Ruben Amorim is yet to taste glory in the division, with the potential moves for numerous players potentially aiding his quest for success.

Man Utd ready big-money bid for new midfielder

Over the last couple of weeks, United have once again been labelled as one of the sides interested in a potential winter deal to land Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

It’s been reported that Amorim’s men could look to revisit such a move in the months ahead, with Fabian Hurzeler’s side once again expected to demand a fee in the region of £100m.

However, the Red Devils are likely unwilling to fork out such a fee, especially after rejecting a move for the Cameroonian in the summer after a similar price tag was mooted.

He’s not the only midfielder currently in INEOS’ sights, as Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has once again appeared on their radar over the last couple of days.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are set to make a €100m (£87m) offer to sign the 21-year-old when the winter window opens on January 1st.

It also states that the Eagles don’t want to part ways with their young talent, but could be forced to cash in if a bid of such a nature is to be made in the near future.

How Wharton compares to Caicedo

As previously mentioned, big money is currently being spent in the transfer market on midfield talent – with Moises Caicedo the best example of such a scenario in 2023.

The Ecuadorian international joined Chelsea for a reported £115m two years ago – a then English record – but it has since been broken by striker Alexander Isak.

However, such a deal now appears to be an excellent one despite the mammoth sum forked out for his signature, with the 24-year-old currently one of the best midfielders in Europe.

He was named as the Blues’ Player and Supporters Player of the Season for 2024/25, with clubs like United no doubt wishing they had their own version of the midfielder.

Whilst landing such a player would also cost a pretty penny, the Red Devils fans could get their wish of getting a similar calibre of player if they complete a move for Wharton.

The Englishman has been labelled as a similar player to Caicedo by FBref, with the Palace star even managing to outperform the Blues sensation in numerous key areas.

Wharton has registered more key passes and more passes into the final third per 90 to date, arguably making him a better ball-playing option at the base of the midfield.

Games played

13

12

Goals & assists

2

4

Progressive passes

5.9

5.7

Key passes

1.7

0.5

Clearances made

1.6

1.1

Tackles won

1.2

1.1

Take-on success

43%

31%

Recoveries made

5.8

5.6

Whilst being composed with the ball is key in Amorim’s system, the manager is desperately craving a dominant ball-winner who can sit and conduct the play in front of the backline.

The Palace star has demonstrated just that, even bettering the Chelsea star in that aspect, as seen by his higher tally of tackles won in the middle third of the pitch this campaign.

Wharton’s all-round dominance over the former English record addition is highlighted in his better take-on success rate and higher tally of recoveries made per 90 – which has led to one coach dubbing him the “best English midfielder since Scholes”. It sounds a stretch but given the numbers and clamour from many Three Lions supporters to see him alongside Declan Rice at next summer’s World Cup, it’s easy to see why that assessment has been made.

£87m may seem a mammoth sum for such a young talent, but it’s evident that the Englishman has bags of ability, but not to mention the potential to improve further in the years ahead.

If he can replicate such numbers at Old Trafford, he would certainly become a fan-favourite, potentially emulating Scholes in helping the club create new history in the Premier League.

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