Category Uncategorized

da betcris： da dobrowin：

da betsul： After Mohamed Salah finished fourth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed why he thinks France Football looked past the Egyptian’s incredible year.

2025 Ballon d'Or rankings cause controversy

da pinnacle： As ever, the Ballon d’Or rankings caused plenty of debate. There wasn’t a place in the top 10 for either Virgil van Dijk or Harry Kane, whilst many have even disputed eventual winner, Ousmane Dembele. Truth be told, the award has lost some of its value ever since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo vacated their throne.

The most controversial placing was Salah’s. The Egyptian, who broke records as Liverpool sealed the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season at the club, finished fourth and below Vitinha, Lamine Yamal and Dembele. Whilst there’s an argument to be had that he shouldn’t have won the award, it feels harsh that he missed out on a place in the top three altogether.

24/25 stats

Salah

Dembele

Games

52

53

Goals

34

35

Assists

23

16

If the award is based on individual performance, then it’s hard to find a more worthy winner than Liverpool’s star. He was involved in more goals than Dembele, Yamal and, of course, midfield star Vitinha, but failed to finish above all three.

It comes just one year on from missing out on a nomination entirely in 2024, as France Football continue to look beyond Anfield’s Egyptian King. At 33 years old, it seems unlikely that Salah will have a better opportunity to win the award than in 2025, either.

Many have had their say as to why the winger missed out on the award, including Liverpool legend Carragher, who recently put Salah’s snub down to one particular reason.

Carragher reveals why Ballon d'Or snubbed Salah

Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher revealed why he believes Salah missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Dembele. The former central defender looked back on Liverpool’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain and claimed that the French side’s victory made all the difference.

There will be many who disagree with that verdict, but previous years have highlighted just how important the Champions League is in deciding these awards.

With that, Salah’s snub arguably came down to two games against the European champions last season rather than the sensational campaign that he otherwise enjoyed.

da mrbet： Despite being the top scorers in the Championship last season, Leeds United put a real focus on strengthening their attack. The Whites found the back of the net 95 times in 2024/25, far more than any other side, but still brought three new forwards to the club over the summer.

da winzada777： They only paid for one of those attackers, with the versatile Noah Okafor joining from Serie A giants AC Milan for £18m. One of their free signings was former Manchester City academy player Lukas Nmecha, who moved to Elland Road from Wolfsburg. Both Okafor and Nmecha have already scored this season.

The same can be said for their other attacking addition this summer, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin’s start to life at Leeds

The signing of former Everton star Calvert-Lewin was certainly a huge coup for the Whites. He will bring Premier League experience to a team that need to cement themselves as a Premier League side.

Already, the former Toffees number nine has found the back of the net.

He’s played four times across all competitions for the club, and scored in their 3-1 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend to get off the mark.

Yet, his start to life in Yorkshire has not been as simple as that for Leeds’ new number nine. His debut against Sheffield Wednesday, which saw the Whites crash out of the Carabao Cup, was disappointing. Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Lee Sobot described it as a “debut to forget” for the England striker.

His stats from the 2025/26 Premier League season so far also leave a bit to be desired. In 178 minutes so far, Calvert-Lewin has had four shots, with three of those on target, and missed one big chance.

Whilst he is only a short way into his Leeds career, the former Everton star will be hoping his goal against Wolves can be a catalyst for his form to improve. If not, they may have an academy star waiting in the wings to steal his number nine shirt.

Leeds’ potential future number nine

The Whites’ most exciting academy star in recent seasons is surely Archie Gray. The 19-year-old played 52 games for his boyhood club before moving to Tottenham Hotspur last summer, where he became a Europa League champion.

Well, the midfielder might have some competition when it comes to the best talents at Leeds. His younger brother, Harry Gray, is also on the club’s books and is another highly talented prospect to come out of his family.

Unlike his brother, 16-year-old Gray is a centre-forward and has shone for the club’s academy, leading the line at both under-18 and under-21 level.

He’s also made his first-team debut, with his sole appearance coming last season off the bench against Stoke City in the Championship.

This season, the youngster has been on fire already. Representing Leeds in the Premier League 2, he’s found the back of the net four times in just three games.

He’s also chipped in with two assists, one in the league and the other in the EFL Trophy. Gray even bagged a hat-trick against National League side Scunthorpe United.

Indeed, his record across both the Premier League 2 and the Under-18s Premier League shows the killer instinct Gray has in front of goal. In both divisions combined, he’s scored 15 goals in 21 games.

Gray – Leeds youth record

Stat

U18s PL

PL2

Games

11

10

Minutes

819

758

Goals

8

7

Assists

0

1

Stats from Transfermarkt

If Gray continues on his trajectory, it is easy to see how he can snatch the number nine shirt from Calvert-Lewin at some stage. He’s already played for his boyhood club, and if he can carry that academy form into first-team football, he could be a deadly centre-forward at the top level.

With his older brother Archie now plying his trade down in North London, there is certainly an argument to be made that the striker is Leeds’ most exciting talent.

da supremo： Tottenham Hotspur addressed numerous key issues throughout the summer transfer window after what was a dismal Premier League campaign in 2024/25.

da betsul： The Europa League success glossed over the embarrassment suffered in England’s top-flight, but Thomas Frank was brought into the club to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The Dane has been tasked with catapulting the Lilywhites up the table, being handed over £100m worth of funds to land the additions he craved in North London.

Xavi Simons, Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus were the three high-profile additions made by the 51-year-old – with the latter the most expensive at £55m.

However, all three of the additions were made for a cheaper sum than North London rivals Arsenal paid for the signature of midfielder Declan Rice back in the summer of 2023.

The suffering Declan Rice has inflicted on Spurs

The rivalry in North London has been one that has been fiercely contested in recent years – with Spurs often having the opportunity to laugh at the Gunners, given their recent respective trophy tallies.

Mikel Arteta’s side have finished second in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons, unable to end their drought despite having £110m star Rice at their disposal.

The midfielder is unbeaten in 59% of his games against the Lilywhites, with many of the Spurs faithful wishing they had a player of his quality within their own ranks.

He’s notched 16 goals and 20 assists during his two years at the Emirates – subsequently ranking him in the 80th percentile of all midfielders in England’s top-flight last campaign.

The 26-year-old also ranked in the 86th percentile for key passes per 90 (1.9) and the 95th percentile for crosses completed per 90 (5.3).

Such numbers highlight the creative threat he possesses – something which is massively lacking in a deep-lying position with Frank’s current first-team squad.

However, the hierarchy may have made a mistake in allowing one talent to depart the club, especially given his impressive numbers since departing the side in recent years.

The former Spurs star who could’ve been their own Rice

During Daniel Levy’s tenure at Spurs, the club have been known to make multiple mistakes in the transfer market – subsequently offloading players who have gone on to achieve huge things away from the club.

Giovani Lo Celso was a player with huge expectations in North London, after the Argentine joined the club from Real Betis back in the summer of 2020.

However, he only registered ten goals in over 100 appearances for the Lilywhites, a tally fewer than Rice, who’s been known to operate in a deeper position for the Gunners.

He’s since matched such a tally in just 38 outings since returning to the Spanish outfit on a permanent basis – with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also achieving similar feats in Marseille.

The Danish international joined Spurs back in the summer of 2020 from Southampton, subsequently spending four years in North London – racking up just shy of 200 appearances for the club.

The 30-year-old was a consistent presence in the first-team squad, but ultimately fell out of favour in Postecoglou’s system and joined the Ligue 1 side on a temporary basis in the summer of 2024.

Hojbjerg subsequently left permanently this window, with such a decision now appearing to be a mistake – especially after Frank’s appointment in North London.

The Dane previously managed his compatriot at youth levels and raved about his qualities, stating that the star “could be a world-class defensive midfielder”.

It’s safe to say he’s lived up to the hype from the early days of his career, subsequently being labelled as a similar player to Arsenal star Rice, by FBref.

When comparing their respective stats from 2024/25, Hojbjerg managed to outperform the Englishman across the board, further highlighting the mistake the hierarchy made in allowing him to depart.

The Dane thrived in possession last campaign, completing more passes into the final third per 90 (7.8) and completing more of the passes he attempted (92%).

How Hojbjerg & Rice compared in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Hojbjerg

Rice

Games played

30

35

Goals & assists

6

11

Progressive passes

8.9

6.1

Pass accuracy

92%

83%

Passes into final third

7.8

4.3

Tackles won

1.5

0.8

% of tackles won

54%

41%

Interceptions made

1.4

0.8

Recoveries made

5.8

4.9

Stats via FBref

Such talents would’ve made him an excellent fit under Frank’s guidance, with the Lilywhites currently boasting the seventh-highest average possession rate in the Premier League throughout 2025/26.

However, out of possession, the former Spurs star was just as impressive, winning more of the tackles he entered (54%) whilst also making more interceptions per 90 (1.4).

The stats produced by Hojbjerg highlight the impressive box-to-box qualities he possesses, with such figures undoubtedly highlighting how much of a mistake Levy made in offloading him.

£17m for a player of his quality is nothing short of an embarrassment – with such a fee far too cheap given the levels he’s produced since his move to France.

Frank will no doubt be gutted he’s not had the chance to work with the midfielder once again, especially given his ability to outperform Rice after departing North London.

da marjack bet： Leeds United have had some incredibly gifted attacking players grace the turf at Elland Road in recent seasons to help them to succeed on the pitch.

da blaze casino： Go back to Pablo Hernandez and Raphinha under Marcelo Bielsa, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter under Daniel Farke. There have been some remarkable talents at the club.

Unfortunately, the Whites wer unable to add more attacking quality to their current squad of players for the Premier League season when they tried to dip into the market on deadline day.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider: “There will be a hint of frustration for Daniel Farke – they missed out on some targets.

“They are still lacking a bit up front, Leeds and he fears for them on that front – not getting the deal done for Manor Solomon will be a blow to Farke and the Leeds fans, because he had such a great impact there on loan last season.”

The Whites will have to hope that other players are now able to step up and show that they can be the club’s next number ten in the making, to truly take over from the likes of Summerville and Raphinha.

Why Leeds needs to find their next Summerville or Raphinha

You only have to look at what happened to Leeds in the Premier League with and without Raphinha to realise how important it is to have a pure game-changer in the squad. Someone who can create something out of nothing to win a game for the team.

The Brazil international helped the Whites to avoid relegation in both of his seasons in the Premier League at Elland Road, and they were relegated the season he left for Barcelona in 2022.

Raphinha scored 17 goals and created 22 ‘big chances’ in two Premier League seasons with Leeds, per Sofascore, which shows that he made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Raphinha (Premier League)

20/21

21/22

Appearances

30

35

Goals

6

11

Big chances missed

4

6

Big chances created

12

10

Key passes per game

2.1

1.9

Assists

9

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.9

1.8

Stats via Sofascore

Summerville picked up the club’s number ten shirt after Raphinha’s move to Barcelona and went on to become a hugely important player for Daniel Farke in the 2023/24 Championship season.

The Dutch wizard racked up 19 goals and nine assists in 41 starts in the regular season of the second tier, before adding another goal to his tally during the play-offs against Norwich City, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that Summerville and Raphinha were mercurial wingers who could impact games with goals and assists on a regular basis to win vital points for the team during their time at Leeds.

The club’s current holder of the number ten shirt, Joel Piroe, is not that kind of player. He is a goal poacher, and a good one at Championship level, who scored 19 goals in the second tier last term.

Chalkboard

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

Expand Collapse

His lack of physicality, having won 27% of his duels in the Championship last season and 9% of his duels in the Premier League so far, may prevent him from making much of an impact in the top-flight, as opposition defenders find it too easy to get the better of him in physical battles.

Leeds, though, may have a natural successor to the number ten shirt in waiting in the form of summer signing Noah Okafor, who could be the new Raphinha for the club at Premier League level.

Why Noah Okafor may be the new Raphinha for Leeds

The Switzerland international arrived from AC Milan in a £17m deal last month and ended the window as the only winger signed by the club all summer.

Leeds have gambled on the 25-year-old attacker after he endured a dismal 2024/25 campaign. The speedster only scored one goal in 21 matches for Napoli and Milan in all competitions, per Sofascore, and missed 13 games through injury, per Transfermarkt.

Okafor’s worrying injury record and his disappointing goal return last season may not fill many supporters with much hope for the kind of impact he can have on the pitch in the Premier League this season.

However, the Swiss left winger’s form in previous seasons suggests that there is the potential for him to emerge as a Raphinha-esque star who is worthy of wearing the number ten shirt at Elland Road.

Okafor produced six goals in 881 minutes in the Serie A in the 2023/24 campaign, a goal every 147 minutes on average, for Milan, which shows what he can do when fit.

The Leeds winger shone in Austria for RB Salzburg prior to his move to Milan in 2023, having racked up 34 goals and 23 assists in 110 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Noah Okafor’s best season for RB Salzburg

21/22 Bundesliga

Noah Okafor

Appearances

21

Goals

9

Conversion rate

24%

Minutes per goal

105

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.2

Assists

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Okafor’s best season in Austria shows that he does have the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis when he is at his best.

The Switzerland international was described as an “electric” and “dangerous” player by analyst Ben Mattinson, which are adjectives that could also be used to describe both Summerville and Raphinha during their time at Elland Road.

Okafor has not had much luck with injuries in recent seasons, which has affected his development, but his form for Milan in his first season in Italy and his performances for Salzburg show that he does have the quality to make a big impact in the final third.

It is now down to Farke to get the best out of the left-sided attacker because he could be the Raphinha to his Bielsa at Premier League level, by scoring and assisting goals to win vital points for the team.

Given Piroe’s dismal start to the Premier League season, losing 91% of his duels and being left as an unused substitute against Newcastle last time out, Okafor may have a real chance to grab the number ten shirt next season if the Dutchman moves on and he produes quality displays out wide this term.

da fezbet： The storm of the summer transfer window has passed, and Liverpool are now enjoying a welcome period through calmer waters as the first international break of the campaign takes centre stage.

da blaze casino： Some might feel that the break came at the right time for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who won the Premier League so confidently last year but have since undergone significant upheaval, something that showed across the opening matches of the campaign.

Liverpool produced a display of much greater solidity when beating Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield last weekend, and it’s worth stressing that while this new iteration of Redmen have their detractors, they have claimed nine points from nine and added Alexander Isak to their ranks on deadline day.

Some signing, that. Liverpool fought tooth and nail across many weeks to sign the 25-year-old marksman, but they secured their quarry and have scored a major upgrade on Darwin Nunez.

Why Liverpool signed Isak

Liverpool entered the summer transfer window with a single-track mind: they needed to sign an elite striker to lead Slot’s line.

It had been anticipated for a while that Nunez would be sold. The Uruguayan striker had struggled to kick on in Red across his three years at the club, with only 25 Premier League goals scored over his three campaigns, missing 53 big chances, as per Sofascore.

Nunez – Liverpool Stats

Competition

Apps

Goals (assists)

Premier League

95

25 (16)

Champions League

17

5 (1)

Carabao Cup

13

2 (6)

Europa League

10

5 (1)

FA Cup

7

2 (2)

Community Shield

1

1 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

For such a staggering transfer fee, initially £64m with a view toward an £85m total package, Nunez flattered to deceive. In fact, Liverpool never forked out the full sum, for the forward never hit his stride.

It bears testament to sporting director Richard Hughes’ skill that he sold Nunez to Al Hilal this summer in a deal rising to £57m.

And now Liverpool have signed Isak. The Sweden international has linked up with his countrymen over in Scandinavia and will no doubt relish the chance for this sojourn ahead of his new chapter on Merseyside.

It was an unsavoury transfer saga, to be sure, but one which ended in joy for Liverpool. Along with Hugo Ekitike, the Anfield side have landed a big upgrade at number nine, with Isak in particular capable of blitzing his positional competition over the coming years.

While everything has worked out now, Liverpool did actually have an original version of the Swede in their ranks before, but they sold the Premier League star for a comparatively small fee.

Indeed, Dominic Solanke never found his footing at Liverpool.

Why it didn't work out for Solanke at Liverpool

Liverpool signed a 19-year-old Solanke on a free transfer from Chelsea in 2017, and he went on to make 27 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, scoring his first and only goal on the final day of the 2017/18 Premier League season.

Liverpool did well to turn a big profit on the youngster, selling him to Bournemouth for £19m. This move proved instrumental for the England international, who honed his skills across the first and second tiers and eventually earned himself the big-money move he had been touted for all those years earlier.

The 27-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur from Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth for a club-record £65m fee in 2024, coming off the back of a remarkable 19-goal campaign on the south coast, underscoring his improvement from talented hopeful to reliable Premier League frontman.

While it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Solanke since earning his switch to the capital, with injuries limiting him last season, he has established himself as a talented and versatile central striker, described as a “pressing monster” by reporter George Sessions.

In this way, he might be something like Isak, who was hailed last year as being “the best all-round centre-forward” in the league by pundit Ally McCoist.

Isak might not have kicked a ball for Liverpool yet, but he’s the benchmark, all right. Having proven himself over the past three years in the Premier League, it’s inconceivable that he would fall by the wayside.

Solanke, deceptively fast and just as powerful, isn’t in the same bracket, but he plays in a way that Liverpool have shown time and time again in recent years as being their stylistic preference at number nine.

FBref’s statistical data reveals that Solanke ranks among the top 17% of forwards across Europe over the past year for assists per 90, with his ranged approach to his game offering similarities to players such as Isak and Nunez (minus the latter’s profligacy).

That said, rarely have we seen Solanke chalk up numbers of the same calibre as Isak, with his dynamism lending itself to a fluid attacking role, but the jury still out as to his goalscoring ability down N17, having posted 16 goals and eight assists across 48 matches for the Lilywhites so far.

If he can stay fit, Solanke might hit some rather fluent form at Newcastle this season, though, with the Danish tactician previously outlining his capacity to shape physical and athletic strikers into phenoms. Just look at Ivan Toney.

Ultimately, Liverpool might have once felt that they could have got more from the sale of Solanke, whose potential was always clear but whose circuitous journey to the top precluded a more linear route, but they won’t care now.

Even so, they missed out on millions, and having since paid a premium for a young Benfica prospect named Nunez, a bit more time invested in Solanke might have seen him become a star under Klopp and now Slot’s wings.

He has Isak-like qualities, after all.

da bet7： Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has picked between Celtic and Rangers, admitting he wished he played for one of the Glasgow giants.

Wayne Rooney’s record vs Celtic and Rangers

da apostaganha： The iconic striker played against both Scottish Premiership giants during his career for the Red Devils in the Champions League.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney and United played against Rangers in the 2010/11 Champions League group stage, with the forward scoring the only goal of the game in a win at Ibrox from the penalty spot.

Rooney didn’t have much luck on the other side of Glasgow, though, playing at Celtic Park on two occasions in Europe. The first, in 2006, saw the Red Devils suffer a 1-0 defeat at Parkhead, with Shunsuke Nakamura’s free-kick going down in Hoops history.

Then, the striker came on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw on his second visit, with Ryan Giggs scoring a late equaliser in 2008.

After retiring in 2021, Rooney has tried his luck at management with Derby County, D.C. United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle, while also contributing as a pundit when away from the dugout.

Wayne Rooney wishes he played for Celtic

Talking in 2024 after a legends match at Old Trafford against a team of Celtic greats, Rooney admitted he wanted to play for Celtic at some point in his career, describing the Parkhead atmosphere as “special”.

Rooney also caught Gary Neville off guard when asked for one team he wished he played for.

The final years of Rooney’s career saw him play for D.C. United and then as a player-manager for Derby County, so the Hoops could have lured him to Parkhead between 2018 and 2021 if they pursued a move.

da aposte e ganhe： Manchester City have now opened club-to-club talks over a deal for a “world-class” player, who may now be available at a 50% discount, according to a report.

City open account with dominant victory at Molineux

da pinup bet： After falling way below their usual lofty standards last season, Man City may feel as though they have been somewhat written off, with several pundits predicting that Arsenal will finally end their long wait to win the Premier League title.

For instance, Roy Keane believes Mikel Arteta’s side will be able to get over the line, despite City making a solid addition between the sticks, saying: “I never usually bet against Pep and City. I just think maybe defensively, and I know that they’ve thrown James Trafford in there, and I think he’s a really top goalkeeper but I just have that gut feeling that I think Arsenal might do it this year.”

City laid down a marker in their opening game of the season, however, with their attacking quality on full show in a 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, while Trafford kept a clean sheet, in what was a solid first competitive outing.

Statistic

Number completed

Saves from inside box

3

Runs out (succ)

3

High claims

1

As such, Pep Guardiola may not need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, but the manager is clearly still keen to get another one through the door, having entered club-to-club talks over a deal for another shot-stopper.

Indeed, according to a report from Football Italia, Man City have now entered direct negotiations over a deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, with discussions progressing considerably over the past 24 hours.

PSG were initially set to hold out for a fee of €45m – €50m (£39m – £44m), but City have made it clear they are not willing to pay that, and a deal could be possible for around £19.5m – £22m, which would be a 50% discount.

The French club are aware they will lose the goalkeeper on a free transfer next summer, and they are eager to save on his huge salary, meaning the Blues should be able to hash out a deal before the September 1st transfer deadline.

Donnarumma could be "world-class" addition to Pep's squad

It is surprising that PSG are willing to sanction the Italian shot-stopper’s departure, given that he was their number one throughout their Champions League-winning 2024-25 campaign, while the 26-year-old has also caught the eye at international level in the past.

As such, it is clear to see why City hold an interest in the former AC Milan goalkeeper, but it seems a little harsh on Trafford, given that the 22-year-old is ready to be first-choice, rather than a back-up.

The situation that unfolded at Arsenal, with Aaron Ramsdale leaving after David Raya’s arrival, proves that clubs simply cannot have two top goalkeepers on the books at the same time, so it would be strange to bring in Donnarumma this summer.

da marjack bet： Arsenal now hold a firm interest in signing another “dangerous” forward, despite recently signing Eberechi Eze, and his club desperately need to sell.

Gunners keen on another forward after Eberechi Eze

da dobrowin： The Gunners’ attacking quality was on full display in the recent 5-0 victory against Leeds United, with Viktor Gyokeres bagging his first two goals for the club, but the one downside was Bukayo Saka sustaining a relatively lengthy injury.

The injury is not as bad as first feared, but Saka is set to miss around four weeks due to a hamstring issue, with Martin Odegaard also picking up a knock, joining Kai Havertz on the sidelines.

Three injury setbacks at such an early stage of the season has underlined just how important it is for Mikel Arteta to have a deep squad, with the manager saying: “We’ve been two weeks and we’ve already lost Kai, Martin and Bukayo, so it tells you how well-equipped you have to be in this league to manage and to maintain the level that we want.”

Arteta should already have enough players to deal with the absences, given the recent arrival of Eze, while the Spaniard also has Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard at his disposal, but the north Londoners have now entered the race for another forward.

That is according to a report from Diario Nervion on X, which states Arsenal now hold a firm interest in signing Sevilla forward Dodi Lukebakio, who looks like he could be on the move this summer.

The Spanish club desperately need to sell players this summer, given their difficult financial position, and there is widespread interest in Lukebakio, with Everton and AC Milan also named as potential suitors.

However, the 27-year-old is reluctant to leave the La Liga side, having already turned down moves away in the past, so it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible.

"Dangerous" Lukebakio would provide depth in attack

Lauded as “dangerous” by The Athletic’s Michael Cox, the Belgium international enjoyed a very impressive 2024-25 campaign, chipping in with 11 goals in La Liga, matching the number of goals he scored for Hertha Berlin in the previous season.

The Brussels-born forward is also established at international level, having picked up 26 caps for Belgium, with his attacking quality on show when assisting Romelu Lukaku in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden.

That said, there are doubts over whether the forward, who is known to pocket £50k-a-week, would be a necessary signing, given the arrivals of Eze and Noni Madueke this summer, while Trossard also remains an Arsenal player.

As such, Lukebakio should not be a priority target for the Gunners, and they should instead focus on getting a deal for a Jakub Kiwior replacement over the line, with Piero Hincapie recently emerging as a major target.

da leao： Which striker will Newcastle United end up with by the time the transfer window closes on 1 September?

da premier bet： Alexander Isak’s future on Tyneside remains up in the air, having not featured at all for the Magpies during pre-season, while the Swede was reportedly left furious after being told ‘he is not for sale this summer and will not be allowed’ to leave.

Meantime, as they aim to bring a striker in, the Toon Army have missed out on their first two targets, with Hugo Ekitiké instead joining Liverpool, while Benjamin Šeško’s move to Manchester United was confirmed over the weekend.

So now, could Newcastle revisit one of their long-standing targets, rather than being tempted by another available Premier League player?

Newcastle's striker search

After Chelsea signed both Liam Delap and João Pedro earlier this summer, Jason Burt of the Telegraph is reporting that Nicolas Jackson has been told he will be allowed to leave the Blues this summer, with Newcastle his ‘preferred destination’.

Meantime, similar to Isak actually, Jackson is training alone at Cobham, with Chelsea willing to sanction a sale at around £65m.

However, do the Magpies have their sights set on a different Premier League centre-forward?

Well, as reported by Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, Newcastle are ‘expected to make an improved offer’ in their attempts to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Earlier in the window, Newcastle saw a £25m bid rejected for the forward, who is valued at closer to £40m by the Bees, but, with the DR Congo international allegedly pushing for a move to Tyneside, could this transfer happen after all?

Why Newcastle should sign Yoane Wissa not Nicolas Jackson

Wissa was, without a doubt, one of the very best strikers in the Premier League last season.

The Brentford forward bagged 19 goals in the league, numbers comparable with the division’s very best, as the graphic below documents.

Junior Béton praised Wissa’s form as “incredible”, while manager Thomas Frank noted that “he is best as a number nine”, adding that his “remarkable” forward possesses a “nose for goals”.

Meantime, Mark Bruce of Breaking the Lines believes he is amongst the most ‘underrated’ players in the division, outlining how he has ‘shown extraordinary perseverance’ to reach the top, but is now ‘flourishing’ at Premier League level.

The question though still remains; how did he compare to Jackson?

Wissa vs Jackson 2024/25 (PL only)

Statistics

Wissa

Jackson

Appearances

35

30

Minutes

2,929

2,240

Goals

19

10

Goals per 90

0.6

0.5

Assists

5

5

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Expected goals

18.59

12.34

Shots on target %

62.32%

54.69%

Chances created

0.9

1.2

Big chances created

0.09

0.24

Big chances missed

0.52

0.76

Touches

31.4

31

Touches in the box

5.2

6.2

Average SofaScore rating

7.16

6.92

As the table documents, Wissa scored nine more goals than Jackson in the Premier League, boasting a better goals-per-90 rate as well, impressively doing so for a side that finished six places lower.

The Brentford man also boasted better numbers in terms of expected goals, shooting accuracy and fewer big chances missed, while Jackson did come out on top for chances created metrics.

In conclusion, Newcastle should aim to secure Wissa’s signature, given that he’ll prove to be at least £25m cheaper than Jackson, using the saved money to bolster other areas of the squad, including defence, with Malick Thiaw poised to arrive from AC Milan for around £30m.