All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

West Ham United have enjoyed considerable success in promoting talented prospects to the first-team over recent seasons, notably cashing in on Declan Rice for £105m last summer after the England international's central role in the success under David Moyes.

While there were fears that Rice's sale would spark a decline, astute investment throughout the summer has left the club fighting for continental qualification through the Premier League once again, also topping their Europa League group.

Moyes and the Hammers board will be eager to bring through the academy's next big thing and while there are multiple exciting players, centre-back Luizao could be approaching a state of readiness ahead of a senior debut on English shores.

Luizao's style of play

West Ham signed Luizao from Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo back in December 2022, and while he has long been considered a talented prospect, Moyes and the club's development staff deemed his progress was suited within the U21 set-up in the short-term.

This season, the 21-year-old has scored twice from 12 outings in the Premier League 2, and while The Athletic's Roshane Thomas was of the opinion that he doesn't "think Luizao is ready" for senior action back in September, one defeat during the action thus far speaks of his innate ability as a top-class defender within the first-team.

He also played a prominent role as the development squad reached the last 16 in the EFL Trophy, keeping two clean sheets from four starts, averaging and coming out on top in 71% of his contested ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Such metrics corroborate the observations of one West Ham youth expert that he has "dominated" at the base of the U21s so far.

To put that in perspective, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has won 67% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season.

Described as "super confident” by Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola in the past, Luizao must now transfer this conviction onto the major stage, providing Moyes with what could be an invaluable extra option in the rearguard.

A replacement for Nayef Aguerd

Left-footed and capable of playing at left-back, Luizao could be the perfect in-house heir to Nayef Aguerd, who joined from Ligue 1 club Rennes for around £30m back in 2022.

While the 27-year-old has completed 52 appearances for the east London side and was instrumental in last year's Conference League triumph, club insider Claret & Hugh suggested back in October that Moyes has been seeking replacements for the Moroccan star, whose poor passing and lack of defensive awareness makes for a poor fit in the Scotsman's system.

Blocking

Aerial duels

Long passing

Passing

Clearances

Concentration

Source: WhoScored

Indeed, as per FBref, Aguerd ranks among the bottom 17% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the bottom 29% for both tackles and interceptions per 90, highlighting deficiencies that certainly don't secure his spot in the side.

With Luizao impressing this season and pushing for his senior debut at West Ham, he could be the perfect solution to Moyes' defensive quandary, saving millions in the process.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is believed to have "sounded out" another manager alongside former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, as the Austrian now fiercely contends to replace Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson now in danger of imminent Palace sacking

The Englishman, after a very disappointing season thus far at Selhurst Park, is now facing the very real threat of being sacked before this summer.

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Parish's widely reported original plan was to give Hodgson until the end of this Premier League season, with his contract set to expire in June, but it is now believed that he could be shown his P45 long before then.

They're now in discussions with Glasner over potentially succeeding Hodgson in south London, and the Europa League-winning tactician would come as a very interesting appointment given his successful stints in Germany.

According to reliable journalist Ed Aarons of The Guardian, it is only a 'matter of time' before Parish gives Hodgson his marching orders, despite the fact he is due to face the national press at lunchtime today.

Palace are currently flirting with the Premier League relegation zone, having scored fewer goals than every other side in the division except bottom three sides Everton, Sheffield United and Burnley.

Numbers like that make for grim reading if you're an Eagles supporter, with protests currently surrounding the club's ownership and general direction. The appointment of an elite Hodgson alternative could do wonders to both turn the tide and get fans back on side.

Naouirou Ahamada

6.07

Nathaniel Clyne

6.37

Chris Richards

6.43

Sam Johnstone

6.44

Joel Ward

6.48

Parish has been actively looking at new potential Palace managers long before opening talks with Glasner. Another coach to be linked with the post is former Wolves and Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui, with Aarons sharing some details about their interest this week.

Parish has "sounded out" Lopetegui for Palace

According to the reporter, writing in a piece for The Guardian, Palace have sounded out Lopetegui over the manager's job via their chairman, and failed in a push for Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna before opening talks with Glasner.

If negotiations with the latter fall through, perhaps the Spaniard could be a brilliant alternative, especially considering other reports state Lopetegui is attracted to the quality of Palace's squad.

While his time at Wolves apparently ended on a sour note, Lopetegui is also a Europa League winner and has been praised by Molineux chief Jeff Shi as a "strong personality".

"Julen has a strong personality and he’s a coach with clear leadership," said Shi.

"Not just with football players but with the clubs he has been at. He has a lot of experience in elite football and his track record is proven."

Glasgow Rangers have had mixed success in the transfer market in recent years as they have pulled off a few blinders and been stung by a few big flops.

Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes were both signed on permanent deals by former Light Blues boss Michael Beale last summer, and they were both sent out on loan by Philippe Clement in the recent January transfer window.

Meanwhile, the likes of Todd Cantwell, Jack Butland, and Abdallah Sima have all emerged as key players for the Scottish giants, having joined over the last 13 months or so.

Beale was not the first Rangers boss to make mistakes in the transfer market, though, and will not be the last. In fact, the man he replaced – Giovanni van Bronckhorst – had his fair share of blunders.

The Dutch head coach decided to part ways with talented maestro Juninho Bacuna at the start of 2022, and that has turned out to be a howler as the midfielder is an upgrade on Nicolas Raskin, who was signed by Beale a year later to fill that gap in midfield.

Juninho Bacuna's time with Rangers

Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson swooped to sign the young talent from English side Huddersfield Town in the summer of 2021 on a two-year deal.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder described him as a "powerful" gem and "big talent", and urged the need for patience with Bacuna to make sure that he could fulfill his development at Ibrox.

Unfortunately, Gerrard opted to leave Scotland to join Aston Villa in the Premier League shortly after that and van Bronckhorst was brought in to replace him in November 2021.

The former Feyenoord head coach was seemingly not prepared to have the patience that the man he replaced felt was needed to get the best out of the exciting midfielder as Bacuna was sold to Birmingham in January 2022.

That came after the Curacao international made six appearances in the Scottish Premiership and started one match for the Scottish giants during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign.

He produced one goal and one assist in those six outings and completed 86% of his attempted passes, which suggests that there were positive signs from his performances in spite of the limited minutes he had on the pitch.

Van Bronckhorst did not give him many chances to showcase his quality on a consistent basis and opted to part ways with the talented gem just two months into their working relationship.

Birmingham swooped in to secure his services midway through the 2021/22 season and Bacuna revealed upon joining the English side that the "opportunity" to play matches was a factor in his decision to move on from the Scottish outfit.

Beale's swoop to sign Nicolas Raskin

A year on from the club's decision to sell the midfielder, Beale decided that the Gers lacked a dynamic number eight who can hold his own defensively and contribute with quality at the top end of the pitch.

This led to a move for Standard Liege whiz Nicolas Raskin on a permanent deal, for a reported fee of around £1.75m, in January of last year.

He had produced four assists in 16 Pro League appearances during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign, to go along with a duel success rate of 58%, which showed that the Belgian gem could make an impact on and off the ball.

Appearances

12

11

Goals

Zero

One

Assists

One

One

Duel success rate

52%

57%

Tackles per game

1.8

2.5

Interceptions per game

0.5

0.6

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old midfielder struggled to make an instant impact in Glasgow with his lack of attacking contributions and average defensive work in physical battles.

He, as you can also see, has improved slightly during the current campaign, with one more goal contribution and 0.8 more tackles and interceptions combined per match for the side, along with a higher success rate in his duels.

Raskin is yet to set the world alight at Ibrox but there is still plenty of time left for him, at the age of 22, to develop and improve under Clement over the years to come.

However, Bacuna's performances for Birmingham, particularly this season, make it seem like van Bronckhorst fumbled the club's own, better version of, Raskin a year before Beale swooped to sign him.

Juninho Bacuna's form for Birmingham

The 26-year-old midfielder enjoyed his first full season with the Championship side during the 2022/23 campaign and caught the eye with his creativity in the middle of the park.

Bacuna started 33 matches for the club and chipped in with two goals, six assists, and nine 'big chances' created, which shows that he liked to step forward to be a difference maker at the top end of the pitch.

He also made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match for his side – 0.2 more per game than Raskin managed in the Premiership during that time.

Appearances

31

Goals

Five

Assists

Five

Big chances created

Four

Tackles per game

1.8

Interceptions per game

0.8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the £10k-per-week star has been a huge threat for his team in the final third with his quality as a scorer and a creator from midfield.

Meanwhile, no Rangers central midfielder has produced more than five goals or three assists, with Todd Cantwell topping the charts for both, which illustrates how impressive Bacuna's return for Birmingham is.

Raskin, as aforementioned, has managed one goal and two assists in 23 Premiership appearances for the Gers, which is one goal contribution every 7.67 games on average. Meanwhile, Bacuna has averaged a goal or an assist every 3.1 outings on average so far this season in the Championship.

When you consider that they have both made tackles and interceptions at a similar rate over the past 18 months or so, the Curacao international could have offered far more to Rangers in the middle of the park.

Bacuna could have provided a big threat in possession when it comes to scoring and creating goals to go along with his similar defensive work, which is why he would be an upgrade on Raskin.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst fumbled a quality player when he decided to sell the midfielder at the start of 2022 and should, instead, have used the patience that Gerrard urged previously.

Birmingham have been rewarded for taking their time with him and Rangers ended up wasting money on, at this moment in time, a seemingly inferior player – in Raskin.

Over the last few years, Manchester City have had a policy of inserting buy-back clauses when they sell some of their more promising young players. For instance, City insisted on the right to re-sign Pedro Porro for €20m (about £17m) when he joined Sporting, though they ultimately decided not to challenge Spurs for his signature in 2023.

Likewise, had Romeo Lavia stayed at Southampton for a second campaign after leaving the Etihad, City would have been able to bring him back for £40m this summer. Instead, he wound up signing for Premier League rivals Chelsea within 12 months.

Then there's Douglas Luiz, who joined City from Brazilian club Vasco de Gama in 2017 but never kicked a competitive ball for the club. He was immediately sent to City Football Group side Girona on a two-year loan, and when that concluded, he was sold to Aston Villa for just under €17m (£15m). City's option to re-sign him for £25m expired in the summer of 2021, but they appear to have kept tabs on his progress ever since.

Guardiola performs Luiz u-turn

According to Football Insider, Manchester City want Douglas Luiz to return to the Etihad. Pep Guardiola specifically is a "huge fan" of the Brazilian after noticing a "significant" improvement over the past couple of years.

As such, the reigning champions are now "stepping up their interest" ahead of the summer transfer window, when they could go toe-to-toe with Arsenal for his signature.

Luiz may have made City regret sale

Labelled "fantastic" by pundit Clinton Morrison, Luiz has arguably been one of the best midfielders in the league this season, doing a bit of everything for Unai Emery's side. First and foremost, he's been directly involved in 13 goals, four of them penalties, which is second only to Brighton's Pascal Gross among players in his position.

Rank

Player

Club

G+A

1

Pascal Gross

Brighton and Hove Albion

14

2

Douglas Luiz

Aston Villa

13

3

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

11

=4

James Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur

9

=4

John McGinn

Aston Villa

9

=4

Declan Rice

Arsenal

9

=4

Rodri

Manchester City

9

8

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

8

9

Scott McTominay

Manchester United

8

10

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

7

Luiz is nearing double figures for this season after netting twice in Villa's 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, but he's also been the team's chief playmaker, ranking first for chances created (40) and shot-creating actions (90, 24 from set-pieces). He's often been the man playing the final ball but he can also fashion dangerous situations from deeper areas, having recorded the second most passes into the final third (108) and progressive passes (139) in the squad.

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On top of that, he also leads the way for tackles won (37) and blocked passes (22), so he's highly active out of possession too. Nominated for the league's player of the month award in October, he's looking more complete than ever, and some would say that City made a mistake letting him go in the first place.

As the Anfield faithful prepare for life without Jürgen Klopp, it seems that Liverpool have already faced a major set back in their quest for a new manager.

Liverpool braced for rebuild this summer

It appears that the sudden news of Klopp's departure was the starter pistol for a mass exodus at Liverpool with a number of top talents now linked with a move away from the Premier League side.

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With rumours swirling about who will occupy the dugout from next season, Liverpool are also preparing for a slew of key players to also walk out of the door at Anfield. The contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all set to expire in 2025, with the latter two already tipped for a move away from Liverpool.

Whilst the playing staff focus on the domestic and European competitions still up for grabs, it appears that FSG have begun their mammoth task of shaping the post-Klopp era on Merseyside. Liverpool have looked to tempt ex-sporting director Michael Edwards back into his old post, although there is no guarantee that he would be interested in returning.

Facing a to-do-list a mile long, FSG appear to have been dealt a significant blow in their quest to find the man to suceed Klopp at Anfield.

Development in Liverpool's manager search

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, well-placed sources have stated that Xabi Alonso currently prefers a move to Bayern Munich rather than Liverpool. The current Bayer Leverkusen manager played for both sides during his illustrious career however, now appears to favour staying in Germany rather than moving to Merseyside.

The sources told the outlet that Alonso and his family are “happy and comfortable” in Germany in a "big" update in Liverpool's search for a manager. It is an open secret that the Spaniard is FSG's first choice to take over next season but it is reported that the club are also looking at other options.

The Spaniard's Leverkusen side currently sit top of the Bundesliga with a ten-point lead over Bayern Munich. Scoring almost 2.5 goals per game, it is clear that Alonso would be well-equipped to inherit and continue Klopp's brand of 'heavy metal' football.

Alonso's Leverkusen Stats 2023/24

Total

Bundesliga Rank

Points

64

1st

Goals Scored

59

2nd

Goals Conceded

16

1st

Clean Sheets

12

1st

The 42-year-old already received a massive vote of confidence from Klopp himself earlier this month when the German tipped Alonso to become one of the great managers.

With the praise of an Anfield legend and one hand on the Bundesliga title, there is no doubt that Alonso would be a celebrated arrival on Merseyside. However, with the competitive and often ferocious nature of the Premier League, Alonso staying in Germany to wrap up a couple more league titles may not be the worst idea.

An esteemed member of Mikel Arteta's squad has been playing on with an injury all season, and it is believed he's still the hardest trainer at Arsenal.

Arsenal chasing first Premier League title in 20 years

The Gunners are in hot pursuit of their first league title in 20 years and have picked up scintillating form at just the right time with 33 goals scored in their last eight Premier League games alone.

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Arsenal currently sit top of the table, level on points with fellow contenders Liverpool whilst boasting the superior goal difference. Jurgen Klopp's side and Man City come as their biggest obstacles, with the two teams having dominated English football for over half a decade.

If Arteta can upset the applecart and usurp the pair, it would go down as a historic season and one which would cement the manager's status in Arsenal folklore.

Bukayo Saka

7.69

Declan Rice

7.40

Martin Odegaard

7.33

Gabriel Martinelli

7.10

Gabriel Magalhaes

7.04

Key players like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and others will have a major part to play in the race, but so will versatile defensive ace Ben White. The Englishman, who recently caused a stir by refusing a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad, has been pivotal over his 27 league appearances this season.

According to Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, speaking to Caught Offside, the 26-year-old shows his dedication week in, and week out at Hale End.

Ben White playing through injury as hardest trainer in Arsenal squad

Watts claims that White has been playing with an injury throughout the entirety of Arsenal's season, and nobody can question his work ethic as he stands out as the hardest trainer in Arteta'a squad.

“Ben White is as focused about football as any other elite player. You talk to anyone at Arsenal and they will say the same thing. No-one trains harder or works harder than Ben White," said the reporter.

“Just because he doesn’t go home and watch match after match on the TV doesn’t mean he isn’t fully committed to the game and his club. Mikel Arteta demands absolute professionalism from his players. If they don’t show that, they are swiftly shown the door. But White has been rewarded with a new contract that Arteta and Edu were desperate for him to sign and that tells you all you need to know about his character and how he is behind the scenes.

“White has been carrying an injury throughout the season, but he consistently plays through the pain barrier. He is absolutely committed to everything he does.

“So instead of people pointing the finger at White following his decision to opt out of playing for England, they should probably be asking why a player at the peak of his powers does not feel comfortable working with the current England coaching set-up.”

Given White's sheer importance, supporters will perhaps be breathing a huge sigh of relief that the £150,000-per-week defender won't be risking further injury in meaningless England friendlies.

It's all been rather doom and gloom for Chelsea over the course of Mauricio Pochettino's first season in charge.

A lack of consistency, notably in the Premier League, has left fans incredibly frustrated after such hefty spending during the Todd Boehly era to date.

But hey, it's not all a case of negativity, right? The Blues have reached the Carabao Cup final and will travel to Wembley again before too long where an FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City awaits.

However, before then, preparation is required. Perhaps some time to regather over the international break will have served the Argentine manager well. But, how did those of a Chelsea persuasion fare for their countries?

How Chelsea players fared during the international break

Plenty of contracted players at Stamford Bridge have been off galivanting across the world in the last week or so.

Conor Gallagher stayed closer to home, starting in England's defeat to Brazil alongside. Ben Chilwell started against Belgium but sadly their club colleague Cole Palmer failed to earn any minutes.

That's a rather bewildering point considering his immense form this season, scoring 11 Premier League goals. That said, Pochettino surely won't complain about a bit of rest for his star man.

There was a goal for midfielder Enzo Fernandez in Argentina's 3-0 win over El Salvador, minutes for Marc Cucurella in a Spain jersey, while Mykhailo Mudryk helped Ukraine qualify for the European Championships.

The speedster scored a crucial goal in a clash with Iceland on Tuesday night as they sealed their place in Germany this forthcoming summer.

That said, we've failed to mention the real winner of this international break; Noni Madueke.

Noni Madueke's performances for England U21s

Madueke has endured a rather mixed spell in London since moving from PSV Eindhoven.

So far this season the 22-year-old has played just 12 times in the Premier League, of which only four of those outings have come from the start. That said, six goal involvements have been registered in the 22 games he's featured in, meaning an impression of sorts has been made.

Madueke notably impressed off the bench against Leicester City in the FA Cup over a week ago, scoring late into the tie.

With Raheem Sterling missing a penalty and taking quite possibly one of the worst free-kicks we've seen, there have been rather understandable cries for the youngster to start instead.

Well, Pochettino surely can't ignore him any longer after dropping what Sofascore rated as a 10/10 performance for England U21s against Luxembourg U21s in midweek.

The London-born attacker started the game on the right and captured the imagination, scoring twice in a 7-0 rout. Madueke opened the scoring and then found England's fourth of the night, sending a message to his boss back at Chelsea in the process.

Amassing a mammoth eight shots in the contest, the spritely young winger also supplied three key passes and completed five dribbles.

The opposition wasn't exactly great but the £30m summer signing has shown on the odd occasion for Chelsea this term that he can twist and turn defenders with great ease. This was certainly the case on Tuesday, producing an utterly flawless performance.

After a swashbuckling display on the international stage at youth level, Pochettino must give him a run of games. Chelsea have little to play for in the league and youth must be entrusted. Forget about Sterling, Madueke is the future.

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As much of a success story as Kobbie Mainoo's Manchester United rise has so far been, his place in Erik ten Hag's starting side looks set to see one particular player make a swift exit this summer.

Man Utd transfer news

Ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's first summer at the helm, most of the focus has been on the future of Ten Hag, with Gareth Southgate reportedly the top target to replace the Dutchman should it be necessary in the coming months, whilst Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi has also been mentioned.

Meanwhile, when it comes to incomings, rumours are beginning to circle over United's chances of signing Brentford's Ivan Toney this summer in a deal worth up to £70m. The forward would certainly be a statement signing, but it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will make their move.

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One position that United no longer need to worry about, however, is central midfield after the emergence of Mainoo. The 18-year-old has taken Old Trafford and now England by storm and doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon.

The academy graduate's rise looks set to come at a cost for one player though. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Manchester United are ready to accept offers for Christian Eriksen this summer, with the Dane unhappy after losing his place to Mainoo and falling down the pecking order.

Clubs from Saudi Arabia are reportedly keeping an eye on Eriksen's situation and could make their move. It could be a simple deal to negotiate too, with Eriksen confirming his unhappiness when speaking to Tipsbladet via Fabrizio Romano.

Mainoo has earned Eriksen's spot

It's a long way back from here for Eriksen, who is now 32-years-old and arguably past his best whilst watching a fresher face in Mainoo emerge to earn his place under Ten Hag.

With Eriksen unhappy and United now reportedly ready to accept offers for the Dane, we could see one of the simplest deals of the summer take place and see the Red Devils clear a reported £150k off their weekly wage bill. The stats show that Mainoo is more than ready to fill the gap potentially left by Eriksen too.

Tackles Won

15

12

Interceptions

13

3

Blocks

13

14

Progressive Carries

10

18

So those at Old Trafford needn't worry if Eriksen does leave this summer, which looks likely to be the case, with Mainoo ready to step up even further under Ten Hag next season.

With a new era approaching at Liverpool, one Anfield star is reportedly ready to put pen to paper on a new deal in Merseyside, much to the shock of FSG and Michael Edwards.

Liverpool transfer news

Whether they win the Premier League title or not, Liverpool are in for a busy few months behind the scenes. Before anything, the Reds need to find a replacement for Jurgen Klopp, which seems an almost impossible task. As things stand, it looks likely to be Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim who comes in, even though he chose to shut down any questions about his future in a recent press conference.

Amid Klopp's exit, meanwhile, Liverpool must make sure that key players don't choose to start fresh too, with Luis Diaz among those linked with an exit, while the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all nearing the last year of their deals.

Previous reports have linked the Colombian in particular with a summer switch to Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona in a move that would see him bring his time at Liverpool to an end just over two years since arriving for a reported £37m. There's since been a U-turn in those reports, however.

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Now, according to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Diaz's agents have told FSG and Liverpool that he is ready to sign a new contract at the club, leaving them shocked given that his current deal still has three years remaining. Those behind the scenes at Anfield are also reportedly unhappy with how transfer rumours have unravelled regarding Diaz's future and will not make his new deal their top priority this summer.

"Special" Diaz is becoming an important part at Liverpool

Whilst it took him a while to find his form this season, Diaz has finally got back to his scintillating best in a Liverpool shirt as of late, providing the Reds' attack with an added flair it has otherwise lacked at times. It could be easy to take aim at the winger's end product too, but 13 goals and four assists in all competitions so far this season suggests that Diaz knows exactly where the back of the net is.

He's a player that Klopp will undoubtedly miss coaching, with the German previously singing his praises via the official Liverpool website. Klopp said: "He's a natural player. I love him, absolutely love him. It's unbelievable. He's so football smart, moving in the right areas, naturally defending from his position, goal threat, speed, cheeky. Very, very special player, I have to say. We missed him a lot."

It could now be Amorim who benefits from a player of Diaz's calibre for years to come, especially if Liverpool eventually get to offering the Colombia international a new contract at the club to finally put an end to any exit rumours.

Arsenal chiefs are now hopeful they can reach an agreement for a star striker this summer with an official bid expected once the window opens.

Edu's sets sights on signing new forward for Arsenal

The Gunners were dealt a hammer blow in their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 20 years over the weekend, with Aston Villa grabbing two quick-fire goals to cement an impressive 2-0 win for Unai Emery at the Emirates.

Arsenal battling to sign £50m star who has more assists than Odegaard

The Gunners are reportedly interested in a Premier League attacking midfielder.

ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2024

With Liverpool also losing their game against Crystal Palace, it was a squandered opportunity from Mikel Arteta's perspective, as Man City now take the driving seat mathematically and look on course to win a fourth-successive Premier League title – something which has never been done before.

If Arsenal fail to pip Pep Guardiola, attention will turn to where sporting director Edu can strengthen so they can go again next term. Despite Arsenal boasting one of the most impressive attacking records of 2024, it is widely recognised that the north Londoners intent to sign a star striker.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal will bring in an "important" centre-forward when the window reopens, and Arteta has been urged to do just that for quite some time.

Bukayo Saka

14

Kai Havertz

9

Leandro Trossard

8

Martin Odegaard

7

Declan Rice

6

"I think they look much better equipped [than last season]… I'm mainly putting that down to the acquisition of Declan Rice," said Jermaine Beckford to The BBC in January. "I still think they are a centre-forward short of clinching the title, so January will be interesting. I would say yes [to go for Toney], but not to pin all their hopes on him. He's been out for an age, so it's going to take a little while to catch up with the tempo of the Premier League.

"He's a completely different type of player to what they've had for a while. He's not blessed with pace, but he's got that physicality."

Arsenal offer for Gyokeres likely as Gunners hope to reach agreement

According to Jornal de Noticias this week, as translated by Sport Witness, one goal-getter they think they can reach a deal for is Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.

The clinical Swede has bagged a quite exceptional 36 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for Sporting, and has proved the arguable signing of the season where Europe's top five leagues are concerned.

Arsenal have been repeatedly linked with a move for Gyokeres to solve their natural striker conundrum, with Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus standing out as Arteta's only senior options right now.

Despite the growing interest in Sporting's star striker from across the continent, it is believed an Arsenal bid for Gyokeres is increasingly likely and chiefs are hopeful they can reach an agreement for the £86 million man. Whether or not they will have to pay his release clause, remains to be seen.