Everton suffered a heavy 5-1 loss away at Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League, but they will not care too much after securing their survival.
Still, Frank Lampard would have expected a better performance from his players, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to now analyse who their three worst performers were on the day:
Admittedly joint with second in terms of overall rating (6.0), Alli ranks in third here as he did not play the whole game.
Still, the former Tottenham Hotspur ace lost out on five of his duels in total, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, interception, tackle, cross or long ball, losing the ball nine times.
Jarrad Branthwaite
Also given a 6.0 rating, Branthwaite ranks in second having played the full match.
The youngster conceded five goals as a central defender, and also lost three duels, while he recorded no interceptions and lost possession eight times.
Alex Iwobi
Unfortunately for Iwobi, it was not a happy return to the Emirates Stadium as he ranked as the Toffees’ worst player with a 5.6 rating.
The Nigeria international gave away the penalty for the Gunners’ first goal, while he also lost four duels, and recorded no shots on goal, interceptions, crosses or accurate long balls, losing it 11 times in total.
In other news, find out which ‘unbelievable’ colossus could now leave the Blues here!
Aston Villa are planning to offer forward Jesse Lingard a contract this summer with the 29-year-old set to leave Manchester United next month as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract.
What’s the story?
According to reports, via Birmingham Live, the Englishman is a summer target for Villa as Steven Gerrard looks to bolster his squad in his first summer transfer window in charge of the West Midlands club.
Lingard had enjoyed an excellent half-season on loan at West Ham United last season where he scored nine goals and registered five assists in 16 appearances and was labelled as “phenomenal” by TalkSPORT’s Adrian Durham.
However, since returning to United, the 29-year-old has been offered little game time under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, starting just twice in the Premier League.
Villa must sign Lingard
Despite a cruel end to a long Manchester United career, there is no doubt that Lingard is still a talented Premier League winger.
Villa could still finish as high as seventh and as low as 15th meaning that their final four matches will be vital in deciding what sort of a proposition they will be to players they look to sign over the summer.
What is for certain though is that Gerrard will be looking for extra quality from out wide with neither big money signings Emi Buendia (£38m) nor Leon Bailey (£25m) making the desired impact at Villa Park.
Buendia has shown glimpses of brilliance but has scored just three goals in the Premier League this term, alongside registering six assists.
As for Bailey, the Jamaican’s first season in England has been injury-hit and thus the winger has managed to start just seven league matches.
Both were brought in in the attempt to replace the goal contributions of Jack Grealish who departed for Manchester City. However, Lingard alone could potentially come close.
In his final season as a Villa player, Grealish scored seven goals and registered 12 assists in 27 appearances. That averages at a goal contribution every 1.42 matches whilst at West Ham, Lingard’s average was slightly better at 1.14.
Moreover, on a free transfer, signing the £80k-per-week ace would be a bargain given his talent and experience. It would certainly make sense for Villa to swoop for the winger.
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Celtic have the chance to take a big step towards lifting the Premiership title this afternoon by securing another victory over their Old Firm rivals.
Out of the three previous meetings between the two Glasgow clubs in the current league campaign, Celtic have won the most recent two after losing the first derby of 2021/22 in August.
Heading into this latest clash, it seems as though the Hoops have been handed a potential boost which could well increase their chances of making it three league wins on the bounce in this fixture.
What’s the news?
According to a recent article from the Daily Record, Rangers centre-forward Kemar Roofe is unlikely to be available for today’s showdown due to injury.
Taking into account how the Gers already have Alfredo Morelos ruled out for the rest of the season, seeing Roofe join him on the sidelines will surely be a massive blow for the visitors.
On the flip side, this will be a massive boost for Celtic and their chances of picking up a positive result against their arch-rivals and taking another step towards the Premiership title.
With 21 league goals between the duo this season, not having them able to play on this occasion will surely put Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side on the backfoot in an attacking sense, and it could be great news for Postecoglou.
Also, with the Bhoys having the best defensive record in the league, this should only make it harder for the Ibrox club to get anything out of the game.
In terms of Roofe, he boasts the highest percentage for shots on target (47.7%) out of any Rangers player to have had more than seven attempts at goal.
Taking that on board, it seems as though Hoops goalkeeper Joe Hart could have a relatively quiet afternoon in terms of having to make many saves, with both Morelos and Roofe set to miss out.
However, this shouldn’t mean that the rest of the Celtic players should relax. It’s still an Old Firm derby and they can’t afford any slip-ups in terms of potentially dropping points and missing out on the title.
With that in mind, the Hoops manager needs to ensure that his players have their eye on the ball throughout the 90+ minutes and pick up the three points which would take them to the brink of being crowned champions.
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Newcastle United fans will be clinging onto Nick Woltemade’s electric start in England as one major positive so far this season.
Indeed, despite the Magpies only picking up two Premier League wins to date, the lofty and instinctive German has already powered home four goals in the demanding league from just five outings.
Still, while the ex-Stuttgart striker has already proven why he cost a significant £69m to bring to Tyneside this summer, Anthony Elanga, on the other hand, is in danger of looking like a major waste of money so soon into his Toon career.
Elanga's poor start at Newcastle
Woltemade ultimately stole the limelight right at the death of the transfer window when leaving Germany behind for that bumper amount.
However, there was equal excitement in the air when Elanga put pen to paper on a £55m switch to leave the Tricky Trees behind for St James’ Park, having been branded a “frightening” talent in the past by the Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.
With six goals and 12 assists under his belt for Forest last season, too, it did seem as if this was going to be a sublime bit of business from the get-go. Unfortunately, his time so far under Howe’s wing hasn’t gone to the pre-planned script.
From eight Premier League games to date this campaign, the Swedish attacker has zero goals or assists to shout about, touching the ball just 24.4 times per game across those largely forgettable league showings in black and white.
Long gone now are the days when the “electric” winger – as he was once labelled by statistician Statman Dave – was bursting forward with pace and scaring the lives out of Premier League defenders, with just 20 touches of the ball and one feeble attempted dribble against Brighton, leaving Howe with no choice but to hook Elanga at the half-time interval.
He won’t be completely written off, with the 23-year-old perhaps just needing more time to gel and acclimatise, before finding his mojo again.
But, Howe could now be looking for some left-field options on the right wing to add some depth – away from solely relying on the trusty back-up option of Jacob Murphy.
Howe's surprise Elanga replacement
Howe hasn’t shied away from gifting rising youngsters chances to impress in his senior side since taking on the Newcastle reins in 2021, with Lewis Miley only 17 years of age when he was chucked into the Premier League deep-end on his debut.
William Osula has also been handed the odd chance here and there in attack, with U21s superstar Alfie Harrison no doubt eager to leave a lasting impression too when a first-team opportunity heads his way, having once been branded a “star in the making” by football writer Thomas Hammond when first signing for the Magpies.
Coincidentally, Harrison – much like Elanga – opted to walk away from Manchester to try and kickstart his career, with the 23-year-old also well aware of how tricky it is to make that step-up from youth football to the demands of the men’s game.
Still, with 14 goals and eight assists under his belt for the Man City U18s, it was clear that the Toon had bagged themselves a gem going after Harrison when they did.
The goals have somewhat dried up in the U21 frame at Newcastle, with zero goals in Premier League 2 action for the teenager this season to date.
25/26
8
0 + 4
24/25
22
3 + 7
23/24
10
0 + 3
But, it’s clear when assessing his numbers above that he has a laser focus on picking up assists after bursting forward with pace from down the right wing, or in a more central spot on the pitch, which are two trademark parts of Elanga’s game when he’s at the peak of his powers.
Woltemade will surely already be dreaming of lining up next to such an assist-heavy presence, with the German very rarely needing a second bite of the cherry to score.
Further lauded as an “electric” talent this summer by Magpie Media, it only feels like a matter of time before Harrison is making waves in the senior scene, with Howe perhaps ready to test him out imminently if Elanga continues to falter.
Newcastle man who was "tough to watch" is now on borrowed time under Howe
Newcastle United’s defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion has highlighted some issues for Eddie Howe.
Former midfielder Jamie O’Hara has slammed two Tottenham Hotspur stars in the wake of the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday, branding their performances “painful”.
Spurs fall to sixth after Aston Villa defeat
Tottenham suffered their second Premier League defeat of the season at the weekend, suffering a 2-1 loss at home against Villa, which means they have now fallen to sixth in the table.
On the balance of play, it was a relatively even game, with very few big chances being created by either side, but the visitors were ultimately more clinical, and Morgan Rogers’ first-half goal was particularly eye-catching.
Thomas Frank admitted the loss was a fair result in his post-match interview, saying: “I don’t think we did enough. If we’d done enough we wouldn’t have lost this game. I don’t think we gave too much away, they scored two goals from outside the box. But I think we can also create more for ourselves.”
As you’d probably expect, O’Hara was a little more scathing in his assessment of Spurs’ performance, taking to X to single out two players in particular for heavy criticism.
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The former midfielder said: “We’re so frustrating to watch it’s painful, why is Tel playing? Why is Odebert starting? They are not good enough, we need more than just long throws, our home form needs to be million times better.”
Tottenham must improve ahead of tricky run of fixtures
Frank’s side’s fixtures have been relatively kind on paper so far this season, but things are about to get more difficult, with upcoming Premier League opponents Everton still undefeated at home since their move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Everton (a)
October 26th
Chelsea (h)
November 1st
Manchester United (h)
November 8th
Arsenal (a)
November 23rd
Fulham (h)
November 29th
As such, Spurs must start showing signs of improvement soon, and O’Hara is right to be concerned about Odobert’s performances, with the winger still yet to register a single goal or assist in eight Premier League games this season.
Tel has also disappointed since his arrival, scoring just four goals in 28 outings, and the 20-year-old struggled once again on Sunday afternoon, receiving a 6.1 SofaScore match rating before being withdrawn on the hour mark.
Consequently, Frank could do with Dominic Solanke returning sooner rather than later, and the Tottenham boss recently provided a promising update on the centre-forward’s return from injury, saying: “The good thing is it’s positive, he’s progressing now. But he’s still training on his own. I don’t want to be too excited or too negative either way, so I’m actually taking it a little bit day-by-day and week-by-week to see how quick he progresses.”
Chelsea dream of illustrious success, but this project is a work in progress, and there’s no doubting the Londoners’ improvements over the past several years.
Last season’s efforts under coach Enzo Maresca led to Champions League qualification and triumph across two continents, winning the Conference League and then beating Paris Saint-Germain over the pond to lift the Club World Cup in its fresh format.
Since Todd Boehly and co first arrived at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have recruited heavily, and this summer was no different. But there’s a new level of coherence about the squad, more focus and quality from corner to corner.
Liverpool
7
£415m
Chelsea
10
£285m
Arsenal
8
£255m
Newcastle
7
£250m
Man United
5
£216m
No longer are the Blues so reliant on Cole Palmer to lead the way. And that’s a good thing too, given the 23-year-old’s groin injury was confirmed by Maresca on Friday morning to have been aggravated, extending his spell on the sidelines.
How Chelsea can cope without Palmer
It’s not unfair to say that Chelsea have at times been reliant on Palmer’s brilliance since the Three Lions star transferred from Manchester City for £42.5m in 2023.
Across 101 matches in all competitions for Chelsea, Palmer has scored 45 goals and supplied 29 assists, effortlessly good in attacking midfield.
This season, a low-fitness first few months have put something of a spanner in the works, and that’s now set to drag through to the final month of 2025, striking a vicious blow against Maresca and his men.
However frustrating the setback is, this is no longer such a detrimental blow as it once was. After all, a number of Chelsea’s biggest talents have now grown into their skin.
Some believe Moises Caicedo has taken the crown as the club’s new main man. Truly, the Ecuadorian has come into his own this year, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville even claiming he is “the best midfielder in the league”.
This is a far cry from the initial noise around his name after joining from Brighton for a record £115m fee in 2023.
But Caicedo’s not alone. Chelsea also broke the bank for Enzo Fernandez after the Argentine’s phenomenal World Cup campaign in Qatar. He has ebbed and flowed and been scapegoated on an occasion or two, but became an increasingly prolific force last year and works tirelessly to connect the thirds.
However, there’s another first-teamer down at Stamford Bridge who flattered to deceive for a time, but now is firing on all cylinders and might actually rival Palmer for the standing as one of the best players in the Premier League.
Chelsea star is now one of the best in the Prem
For as long as he is a member of the Chelsea first team, Palmer will be the poster boy. But the silky playmaker is no longer the head of a one-man outfit.
While the frontline is going from strength to strength, players like Marc Cucurella are finally realising their potential and shaping Maresca’s vision into one of completeness and depth.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella
In 2022, the 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton for £60m, a staggering sum for a full-back. And for the first year or two, Boehly would have a hard time arguing he had received bang for his buck, even with the Blues’ wider problems exacerbating Cucurella’s own.
Journalist Tom Overend recently acknowledged the £175k-per-week talent “looked lost” during his first foray into life at Chelsea, but has since rebounded and is regarded as “one of the best left-backs in the world”.
The data speaks for itself. Cucurella’s tactical duty has changed since he first arrived from Brighton, inverting more often under Maresca’s wing, contributing to the build-up.
And with such confident passing, Maresca’s decision to use him in this fashion makes sense. As per FBref’s data, the Spaniard ranks among the top 11% of positional peers in the Premier League so far this term for assists, the top 2% for pass completion and the top 11% for passes attempted per 90.
Not only this, but Cucurella has also become more creative in his distribution. Sofascore record that he has averaged 1.4 chances created per Premier League match. On top of this, he has won two tackles on average each match and has won 58% of his ground duels.
Palmer and Cucurella are very different players and at different stages of their careers, but the latter’s meteoric rise is undeniable. He knows what it means to toil and struggle to get up from the wayside. Indeed, Cucurella was once branded a “disgrace” for his performances by the ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara.
But the “machine”, as he has been called by content creator Terry Flewers, now undroppable, having added goals and assists to his game while reinforcing his defensive skillset and energising his athleticism.
Emphasising the trust his coach has in him, no Chelsea player has featured more often under Maresca’s leadership than Cucurella.
1.
Marc Cucurella
64
2.
Enzo Fernandez
63
3.
Pedro Neto
61
4.
Moises Caicedo
59
5.
Malo Gusto
57
It’s interesting to consider a full-back being among the most influential players within a competitive Premier League squad. Scant few could argue themselves with that standing within a team. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a good example.
Cucurella might not have the same range of passing, but if he continues in his current rich vein of form over the course of the season and the next few years, he would stake a compelling case for being one of the most complete defenders in the history of the division.
If that’s the case, surely he is shaping into one of the finest in the country.
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Glasgow Rangers continued their preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with a behind-closed-doors friendly clash at St. George’s Park on Saturday.
The Light Blues were held to a 1-1 draw, as Danilo scored the only goal for the Ibrox side.
There is still plenty of work left to be done before Rangers face their Champions League qualifiers later this month, not least on the transfer front.
Sheffield Wednesday winger Djeidi Gassama looks set to be the next player through the door. When asked about the forward’s arrival, Russell Martin said: “We’re waiting on their end to be sorted but we fully expect Gass to be our player hopefully fairly, very, very soon. We need to try and strengthen as many areas as possible.”
The 21-year-old attacker, who predominantly plays on the left flank, appears to be on the verge of joining the likes of Thelo Aasgaard, Nasser Djiga, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez, Max Aarons, and Lyall Cameron at Ibrox.
What Djeidi Gassama could bring to Rangers
Gassama is far from the finished article and supporters should not expect him to immediately be an incredible talent who is going to produce 20 goals and assists in his first season.
At the age of 21, he has plenty left to learn and plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, which means that the winger will be a long-term signing for the Gers on a permanent deal from the Owls.
Djeidi Gassama
However, that does not mean that Gassama will not be a useful player for Martin to call upon at Ibrox next season, because he produced a decent amount of quality in the final third in the Championship last season.
In the 2024/25 campaign, the French dynamo scored seven goals and provided one assist in 43 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, who were not competing for promotion from the division.
xG
5.92
Top 16%
Goals
7
Top 14%
Shots on target
23
Top 14%
Chances created
38
Top 23%
xA
2.54
Top 32%
Assists
1
Bottom 27%
Touches in the opposition box
153
Top 6%
As you can see in the table above, he ranked well among his positional peers as a goalscorer and was unfortunate to only have one assist, as his teammates let him down with wasteful finishing.
These statistics suggest that he could be an exciting player for supporters to watch as a winger who constantly gets himself into high-quality goalscoring positions by taking plenty of touches in the opposition’s box.
Gassama will not be the only winger to arrive at Ibrox this summer, though, and the Light Blues are reportedly eyeing a forward who is even better than the Owls sensation.
Rangers battling to sign Premier League forward
According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are one of the teams eyeing up a deal to sign Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers have joined the race to land the left-footed forward, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield United.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It states that Wolves are looking to reinvest some of the cash that they brought in from the sale of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, and they have identified the Eagles youngster as a target.
The Scottish Sun reveals that Rangers, who are now battling the Old Gold for the winger, would like to bring the 22-year-old star to Ibrox on a season-long loan, as they are not prepared to pay the £10m asking price for a permanent move.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not Wolves will stump up the £10m required to sign Rak-Sakyi, which means that the Gers are still in the race at this moment in time.
Why Rak-Sakyi is even better than Gassama
The English forward would be an even better signing for Rangers next season than Gassama with the immediate future in mind, as he could hit the ground running as a star for the Light Blues in the coming months.
Rak-Sakyi, who was hailed as “wonderful” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, only started 22 games in the Championship for Sheffield United last term, but racked up seven goals, 3.48 xA, and two assists for the promotion-chasing Blades.
Despite his limited game time, the right-sided winger showed that he can make a big impact in front of goal, which suggests that he could thrive at Ibrox as a regular starter under Martin if he arrives in Glasgow this summer.
The £10m-rated star, who delivered 15 goals and nine assists for Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign, could offer more in the final third than Gassama at the start of next season, as he heavily outperformed the Sheffield Wednesday man in the Championship when on the pitch.
xG
0.18
0.32
Goals
0.21
0.36
xA
0.08
0.18
Assists
0.03
0.10
Chances created
1.14
1.51
Dribbles completed
1.99
2.44
Touches in the opposition box
4.60
7.69
As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi outperformed the French whiz as a scorer, a creator, and as a dribbler in the second tier of English football, in terms of what he offered per 90.
These statistics suggest that the left-footed star is more likely to offer consistent quality in front of goal as a scorer and a creator of goals for Rangers if given regular game time than Gassama is next season, given their respective performances at the same level last term.
Therefore, Rak-Sakyi could be a terrific signing for Rangers to immediately add goals and assists to the team on the right flank ahead of the Champions League qualifiers later this month.
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It is now down to the Gers, though, to convince Palace to send the winger to Ibrox on loan for the season, despite interest from Wolves in a permanent deal for the young attacker.
In what would be the ultimate statement of intent from INEOS, Manchester United are now eyeing a shock move to hijack a Champions League megastar ahead of Arsenal after Real Madrid lowered their asking price.
Who Man Utd could target after Bryan Mbeumo
After launching a fresh bid worth more than £60m to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, all signs a pointing towards success for Manchester United in their chase to sign the winger. In another big money deal, the Red Devils look increasingly likely to welcome their second attacking reinforcement of the summer following Matheus Cunha.
It always needed to be a big summer at Old Trafford, however, and INEOS may not be done after Mbeumo. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team have also set their sights on improvements in goal, in midfield and further attacking additions to round off an excellent summer of business.
On the goalkeeper front, the main name mentioned in recent weeks has been Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. The Midlands club have PSR troubles hanging over their head and will likely need to sell a player before the June 30 deadline – potentially allowing United to take full advantage.
Aston Villa'sEmilianoMartinezreacts after Paris St Germain's Nuno Mendes scores
Meanwhile, when it comes to midfielders it is Ardon Jashari who has found himself among recent headlines. The Belgian Pro League’s Player of the Season has reportedly attracted the interest of United, who could land an instant upgrade on Casemiro.
It’s going forward that INEOS could save their best work once again though, with reports now suggesting that United may yet hijack Arsenal’s move to sign a Real Madrid megastar.
Man Utd eyeing shock Rodrygo hijack
As reported by Caught Offside, Manchester United are now eyeing a shock move to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid this summer in what would see them hijack Arsenal’s pursuit.
It looks as though the Brazilan’s Real Madrid departure is a realistic possibility this summer as he continues to be overshadowed by the work of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
Arsenal are chasing his signature, which will now cost around €85m (£73m) following Madrid’s price drop from €110m (£94m), but United’s interest could now complicate things for the Gunners.
It would be some statement if INEOS managed to beat Arsenal to Rodrygo’s signature, albeit an expensive statement at that. Not only would United be spending another £73m to secure his signature, but the Madrid man also currently earns around £10.5m-a-year at the Bernabeu to form what would be Ratcliffe’s biggest deal yet.
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Previously described as a “special” player by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, there’s a strong argument to be made that Rodrygo would be worth every penny of that £10.5m-a-year contract.
The talented winger may be an afterthought at Madrid at times, but there’s no denying that he’d instantly become the biggest star at Ruben Amorim’s disposal if he joined Manchester United this summer.
Recent history suggests that Leeds United are going to find it incredibly difficult to avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League next season.
The last six teams to have been promoted from the Championship have been relegated in their first season back in the top-flight in the last two campaigns, including Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton.
This illustrates the huge gap in quality between the two divisions and shows that the Whites will not find the step up easy, despite their 100-point haul in the second tier.
Daniel Farke, of course, already has experience of how difficult it can be, as his Norwich City side were relegated in the 2019/20 campaign, after they had won the Championship title the previous season.
However, his Canaries team went up alongside Aston Villa and Sheffield United, and both of those teams avoided the drop in their first year back in the Premier League.
There were many reasons that those sides stayed up and Farke’s Norwich outfit did not, but a key player in Villa’s success since their promotion has been all-action midfielder John McGinn.
Why Leeds United need a player like John McGinn
Without meaning to state the obvious, the Premier League is an incredibly high-quality division that requires a high level of both technical quality and athleticism in order for players and teams to shine.
It is not enough to just be technically sound, if you do not have the athleticism to match it, and it is not enough to just have physical qualities, as you need to be technically good enough to compete.
McGinn has been a key player for Villa since earning promotion with the club in 2019 because he has the physical and technical qualities required to be a star in the middle of the park, racking up 203 appearances in the Premier League to date.
The Scotland international has provided a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Villans, with a return of 17 goals and 25 assists in those 203 outings, which shows that he can make a decent impact in the final third from a central midfield position.
McGinn can also compete out of possession with his peers in the top-flight. In the 2024/25 campaign, for example, he averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game and won 4.1 duels per match in midfield.
Leeds need their own version of the Scottish star because they need players who can compete technically and physically in the Premier League, and they are reportedly eyeing a gem who could be Farke’s own version of the Villa ace.
Leeds in talks to sign Ligue 1 star
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds United are in talks to sign Strasbourg central midfielder Habib Diarra to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Italian reporter stated: “They are in negotiations for the player. He’s really appreciated.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
“Diarra is one of the most appreciated options internally, but it’s not an easy deal because of the valuation, so it’s still complicated to make it happen. But Leeds are trying.”
It was previously reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Championship champions have already had an offer of £22m rejected by the French side for the midfielder, and it remains to be seen exactly how much it will take to secure his signature this summer.
Senegal's Habib Diarra in action against England's Eberechi Eze.
Leeds are in talks, per Romano’s latest update, though, and they will now be hoping to strike an agreement with Strasbourg in the weeks to come.
Why Leeds should sign Habib Diarra
The Whites should be pushing to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old central midfielder because he has the potential to be Farke’s own version of John McGinn.
Per FBref, the Aston Villa star is the most comparable player to Diarra in the Men’s Big 5 Leagues and European competitions out of all attacking midfielders, based on their respective statistics over the past 365 days.
As you can see in the chart above, McGinn and Diarra excel in similar areas of the game, particularly in possession, and this means that the Senegal international could come in and have a similar impact at Elland Road as the Scottish dynamo has had at Villa Park.
The Leeds target has been a regular for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, which means that he has already proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues. Whereas, the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka have all yet to establish themselves as top-flight players.
Diarra, who scored against England for Senegal in June, caught the eye with his impressive performances in and out of possession in the French top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign.
Appearances
30
xG
3.34
Goals
4
xA
4.27
Assists
5
Recoveries per 90
3.44
Duels won per 90
3.78
Tackle success rate
59%
As you can see in the table above, the right-footed dynamo has similar attributes to McGinn in the middle of the park, as he can deliver goals and assists whilst also winning duels and being efficient as a tackler.
The 21-year-old star, who was described as a “complete” midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, can combine solid defensive work off the ball with the potential to be a difference-maker in the final third with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr celebrates withHabibDiarraand Cherif Ndiaye after scoring their first goal
Diarra could, therefore, be Farke’s own version of McGinn at Elland Road, and be a Premier League-ready talent for the Whites to put in their starting XI on day one in August.
As aforementioned, Leeds need players who can combine physical and technical qualities if they want to avoid an instant relegation, and signing the Strasbourg star would mean that they have one more of them in the door.
Leeds open talks with agent of "talented" Champions League level star
Wrexham will no doubt be a busy club this summer as they attempt to tweak their personnel to fit into their fresh Championship surroundings.
The Red Dragons finally got the ball running with their first pick-up recently, with second-tier goal machine Ryan Hardie leaving Plymouth Argyle behind for a new adventure in Wales.
The now former Pilgrims number nine has an impressive 22 Championship strikes next to his name from 77 appearances at the level, with a hefty ten of those coming just last campaign, even as Argyle heartbreakingly slipped down to League One.
He will get more chances to strut his stuff in the EFL’s elite league with Phil Parkinson’s men, however, with this already bumper goal tally hopefully rising even more at the Racehorse Ground.
Hardie's reputation as a goal machine
The lethal Scotsman ended up being one of the very few select players to come out of Plymouth’s relegation season with their heads still held high.
Even if his individual season didn’t turn out to be that memorable, he still will have departed Home Park this summer as a modern icon of the club.
In total, Hardie bagged a colossal 74 goals from 248 appearances in Devon, with Wrexham excited to see what heights the 28-year-old can soar to as one of their main marksmen after promotion.
After all, with Paul Mullin rumoured to be off, the Red Dragons needed to bolster up top. But, the attacking signings might not be done just yet, as another statement deal involving a Championship regular could be in the offing to help Hardie become even more potent.
The "vital" star who could make Hardie even better
Whilst Hardie’s goal tally last season was seriously impressive, he might well have been hampered by the situation he found himself in at the foot of the second tier.
Wrexham will be aiming not to get sucked into any similar battles against the drop, and with potential signings such as Barry Bannan entering the door, no such dog-fights should be on the agenda.
On the contrary, Bannan’s potential arrival on the scene could have Wrexham dreaming of back-to-back promotions, with a report from football journalist Alan Nixon earlier this month talking up the prospect of the skilful 35-year-old midfielder swapping Hillsborough for pastures new in North Wales.
Of course, the Owls wouldn’t just let their long-standing servant leave so easily, but the Red Dragons have already poached one Championship superstar in Hardie, with Bannan perhaps the next to link up with Parkinson’s men to enhance the ex-Plymouth striker’s output.
Games played
374
77
Goals scored
18
22
Assists
51
7
Evidently a legend of the EFL now, even as he reaches the twilight years of his career, Hardie’s fellow compatriot continues to deliver the goods in terms of goals and assists in the taxing division, as seen in nine of his 69 overall goal contributions in the Championship coming in 2024/25 for Danny Rohl’s men.
Creating eight big chances along the way too, Bannan would be desperate to slot straight into his new Wrexham side and be as classy, with Hardie equally champing at the bit to line up alongside such illustrious company to try up his second-tier goal haul.
There has been talk to suggest that the much-loved figure at Hillsborough could opt to sign a new Owls deal before the month is out, with former Wednesday boss Darren Moore once labelling the diminutive ace as “vital” to the team’s cause.
But, if the clock continues to tick away and a deal isn’t struck, Wrexham will feel quietly confident that they could win his services for zilch, with Hardie potentially going on to be an even more effective goal machine partnered next to Bannan.
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