Nottingham Forest closely monitoring £25m star who’s "close to Phil Foden"

Nottingham Forest rescued a point on their travels to secure a 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at the AMEX on Sunday. Ramon Sosa came off the bench to score the equaliser in the 70th minute, finding the back of an empty net from Jota Silva’s square pass, after goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck had put the hosts in front despite Chris Wood’s early penalty.

Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half and Nuno Espirito Santo will now need other players to step up in his absence next time out.

The Tricky Trees could also make further additions to their attacking options, to cover and provide competition for the likes of Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, by dipping into the market in January.

Latest Nottingham Forest transfer news

According to CaughtOffside, Nottingham Forest are ‘closely monitoring’ Galatasaray forward Baris Yilmaz ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. The report claims that fellow Premier League teams Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur are also eyeing up the talented winger, which means that it will not be a straightforward deal for the club to pursue.

It states that Galatasaray are looking to rake in a fee of around €30m (£25m) for the 24-year-old sensation, yet it remains to be seen whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs are willing to pay that.

CaughtOffside does, however, reveal that Brighton are planning to offer around €25m (£21m) for the Turkey international after the turn of the year, but that would be €5m below the Super Lig champions’ valuation.

For now, Forest are said to be keeping tabs on Yilmaz’s progress with Galatasaray and are interested in the Turkish whiz, as a potential target for the next transfer window.

Why Nottingham Forest should sign Baris Yilmaz

The exciting 24-year-old star’s impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign could be why the Tricky Trees are showing an interest in bringing him to England next year.

Yilmaz has fired in four goals and created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates in six appearances in the Super Lig so far this term for Galatasaray. Meanwhile, no Nottingham Forest midfielder or winger has struck more than once in the Premier League.

This suggests that, on current form, the right winger, who can also play up front, would provide Nuno with a significant goalscoring boost from the flank.

Appearances

28

25

20

Goals

6

5

8

Big chances created

10

14

4

Assists

6

9

1

Key passes per game

1.2

0.9

1.2

As you can see in the table above, the Turkey international also stacked up fairly well against Elanga and Hudson-Odoi at league level last term, outscoring the former and providing more creativity than the latter.

Back in April, Kayserispor coach Ilker Puren claimed that the winger’s level of performance is “close to Phil Foden” and that he will play in the Premier League because of his positional intelligence and his physical attributes.

That is staggering praise for Yilmaz, given Foden racked up 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last season, and illustrates why he would be an exciting addition to Forest’s squad moving forward.

Nottingham Forest eye free agent with best in the world defensive metrics

A defender who produced some impressive numbers last season could be set for a switch to Forest.

ByBrett Worthington Sep 17, 2024

Botafogo x Guarani: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir ao jogo da Série B

MatériaMais Notícias

De um lado, uma despedida de luxo. Do outro, o último fio de esperança para a glória. Botafogo e Guarani duelam pela 38ª rodada da Série B do Brasileirão neste domingo, às 16h no Estádio Nilton Santos.

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+ Botafogo não desiste e vai apresentar novo projeto financeiro a Rafael Navarro, que recusou Estados Unidos

O Alvinegro já é o campeão da Série B. Com o primeiro lugar garantido, o jogo será marcado por festa, entrega do troféu e casa cheia – mais de 36 mil botafoguenses são esperados no estádio.

Pelo lado do Guarani, contudo, o jogo é muito sério. O Bugre ainda tem chances de subir para a Série A. Para isso, o time capineiro, além de vencer, precisa torcer para Avaí, CRB e CSA tropeçarem nos respectivos jogos que farão. As três equipes também jogarão às 16h deste domingo.

FICHA TÉCNICA

Data e horário: 28/11/2021, às 16h
Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (FIFA – PR)
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia (FIFA – PR) eIvan Carlos Bohn (PR)
VAR: Jean Pierre Goncalves Lima (RS)
Onde assistir: Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Enderson Moreira)
Diego Loureiro; Daniel Borges, Carli, Kanu, Carlinhos; Luiz Henrique (Romildo), Luís Oyama; Marco Antônio, Chay, Diego Gonçalves; Rafael Navarro.

Suspensos: Barreto
​Pendurados: Diego Gonçalves, Diego Loureiro, Romildo, Marco Antônio, Carlinhos, Pedro Castro e Ronald.
​Fora: Hugo e Pedro Castro (lesionados)

GUARANI (Técnico: Daniel Paulista)
Rafael Martins; Samuel Santos, Ronaldo Alves, Thales, Bidu; Bruno Silva, Índio , Andrigo; Júlio César, Pablo, Lucão do Break.​

​Suspensos: Matheus Ludke e Régis
​Pendurados:Andrigo, Bruno Sávio, Carlão, Diogo Mateus, Eliel, Lucão do Break, Maxwell, Pablo, Rafael Martins, e Ronaldo Alves.
​Fora: Júnior Todinho, Bruno Sávio e Rodrigo Andrade (lesionados)

Celtic have now "opened talks" to sign 20 y/o ace alongside Bogusz

Celtic have "opened talks" with a 20-year-old ace ahead of a potential move to the club this summer, according to a new claim from Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.

Celtic eyeing Bogusz signing

Time is running out for the Hoops to make further signings in the current transfer window, but there appears to be work going on behind the scenes to get some more business completed.

Mateusz Bogusz looks like a primary target for Celtic in the coming days, with the 23-year-old once at Leeds United and now plying his trade at MLS side Los Angeles FC. The reigning Scottish Premiership champions are said to be in talks with the attacking midfielder over a switch to Parkhead, with an £8m deal reportedly close to being completed.

Bogusz seems to be being looked at as the ideal potential replacement for Matt O'Riley, whose move to Premier League side Brighton is now imminent, acting as a significant blow to Brendan Rodgers. The Dane's creativity and end product will be a huge miss, and replacing him won't be easy.

Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley.

Away from that one specific Celtic rumour, though, Sheffield United centre-back Auston Trusty continues to be linked with a summer move, and now another fresh claim has emerged regarding a different target.

Celtic open talks to sign 20-year-old midfielder

Writing on X on Saturday, Joseph said that Celtic have now "opened talks" over the signing of FC Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels, who wants to seal a move to Parkhead.

Angels could be a great long-term signing for the Hoops, given his tender years, and his versatility allows him to not only shine in central midfield but also as a right-back and a right-winger.

The Belgian has already made 53 appearances for Augsburg, 51 of which have come in the Bundesliga, so he has already picked up some significant experience in one of the biggest leagues in Europe. Nine assists have come his way in the competition, highlighting his creative side, and he also averaged one tackle per game in the league last season, showing that he can be effective out of possession, too.

Given his age, Engels may not be coming in as a quick fix for Celtic, and a panic buy to make up for the loss of O'Riley to Brighton, but instead an exciting young player who could develop further under Rodgers as the years pass.

Arne Engels' international stats

Caps

Goals

Belgium Under-21s

9

2

Belgium Under-19s

9

2

Belgium Under-16s

7

3

Belgium Under-15s

5

1

He has been capped by Belgium across four different youth age groups, showing that he could be a future regular at senior level if he continues to progress, so it is hard to find many negatives to the Hoops snapping him up.

مدافع إيبسويتش تاون: خطتنا أمام ليفربول كانت للحد من خطورة محمد صلاح

كشف جاكوب جريفز، لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي إيبسويتش تاون، عن خطة فريقه في مباراة ليفربول، للحد من خطورة محمد صلاح التهديفية.

محمد صلاح تمكن من تسجيل هدف في فوز ليفربول 4-1 بملعب أنفيلد، أمس السبت، ضمن الجولة 23 من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسجل جريفز هدف إيبسويتش تاون الوحيد في المباراة، بعد أن كانت النتيجة 4-0 لصالح ليفربول.

وفي تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “تايمز” البريطانية، قال لاعب إيبسويتش تاون: “ليفربول لديهم بعض اللاعبين المذهلين، محمد صلاح لاعب رائع بالتأكيد، وكان الأمر يتعلق بمحاولة الحد من خطورته قدر الإمكان، وكنا نشعر أننا نجحنا في ذلك”.

طالع أيضًا | “نحتاجه من أجل اللقب”.. روبرتسون يكشف أهمية وجود محمد صلاح في مباريات ليفربول

وأضاف: “كان يمكننا أن نمنعه من التسجيل، لكن لسوء الحظ لم نتمكن من فعل ذلك، لكنني فخور بالمستوى الذي أظهرناه أمام محمد صلاح والفريق بالكامل في الشوط الثاني”.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدفه الـ23 في جميع المسابقات هذا الموسم، وعزز صدارته لترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بـ19 هدفًا بفارق هدف عن إيرلينج هالاند مهاجم مانشستر سيتي.

Newcastle investigating move to use Saudi links to sign "high-level" star

Looking to instantly follow up on the signing of William Osula, Newcastle United are now reportedly investigating the chance to put their Saudi Arabia links to good use and sign a defensive reinforcement for Eddie Howe.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies' summer transfer window has seemingly been kickstarted by Osula, who arrives as a player for both the future and the forthcoming campaign looking to provide backup for Alexander Isak. The former Sheffield United forward is Newcastle's fifth signing of the summer, following John Ruddy, Lewis Hall, Lloyd Kelly and Odysseas Vlachodimos through the door at St James' Park.

Speaking to the club's official website after putting pen to paper, Osula said: "I'm very happy to be here. It's a big club, a great club, so I'm very happy for the opportunity to join Newcastle United.

"It's a great opportunity, and as soon as I heard about Newcastle's interest, I knew I had to take the chance to join this club if it came. It has come, and I'm really happy to be here."

Howe's own Rodri: Newcastle make contact to sign "extraordinary" ace

He has been a man in demand so far this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 8, 2024

The Dane may well be just the start too. Now, according to Felipe Silva of UOL Esporte, Newcastle are investigating the chance to sign Luiz Felipe this summer in a deal that would see them put their Saudi links to good use to welcome the Al-Ittihad centre-back.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Those at St James' Park reportedly like Felipe's profile as they look to secure a defensive addition for Howe's side. Of course, Newcastle have been linked to Marc Guehi on that front recently, so the Saudi defender could come in on the cheap to provide depth alongside their potential marquee arrival.

"High-level" Felipe should arrive with Guehi

Whilst the 27-year-old wouldn't steal the same headlines as Guehi, he would bring an instant wealth of experience to Newcastle's backline as a former Lazio, Real Betis and Salernitana defender. Having spent just one season away from European football too, the Italian wouldn't take long to get back to the level he was at Lazio and Betis, perhaps handing Newcastle a major boost.

The defender certainly has his fans across European football, with Real Betis' Marc Bartra describing him as a "high-level player" when asked about the possibility of Felipe's return to the La Liga side this summer.

It remains to be seen just how much Al-Ittihad demand for their centre-back this summer, but his price tag would likely be cheaper than that of Guehi's, who's reportedly worth upwards of £60m this month.

With the Premier League campaign just a week away and two centre-backs still on the treatment table for the forseeable future, the Magpies would be wise to add experience and depth to go with Guehi in the coming days.

فيديو | علي جبر يُسجل هدف بيراميدز الأول أمام غزل المحلة

افتتح فريق بيراميدز التسجيل في مباراته أمام غزل المحلة، المُقامة حاليًا على ملعب الدفاع الجوي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2024-2025.

ويستضيف بيراميدز المباراة على ملعبه، وهو يسعى لتحقيق الفوز لمواصلة المنافسة على المراكز المتقدمة في جدول ترتيب الدوري.

جاء الهدف الأول لبيراميدز في الدقيقة 34 من زمن الشوط الأول، عن طريق المدافع علي جبر.

بدأ الهدف من ركلة ركنية نفذها محمد الشيبي بإتقان من الجانب الأيمن، ليُرسل كرة عرضية متقنة داخل منطقة الجزاء، ارتقى لها علي جبر برأسية قوية سكنت شباك مرمى غزل المحلة.

طالع أيضًا | محمد عبد الجليل: يجب أن يسامح الأهلي لاعبه ويُعيده.. وجماهير الزمالك لم تعامل حسن شحاتة مثل زيزو

قبل هذه المباراة، يحتل بيراميدز المركز الرابع برصيد 14 نقطة، جمعها من 7 مباريات، حيث حقق الفوز في 4 مباريات، وتعادل في مباراتين، وتلقى هزيمة واحدة، وسجل 11 هدفًا واستقبل 5.

أما غزل المحلة، فيدخل المباراة وهو يطمح في تحقيق الفوز الثالث له هذا الموسم، وتحسين موقعه في جدول الترتيب.

ويقع غزل المحلة قبل هذه المباراة في المركز الثاني عشر برصيد 8 نقاط، فاز في مباراتين وتعادل في مثلهما وخسر في 3، وسجل 7 أهداف واستقبل 10. هدف علي جبر في مباراة بيراميدز وغزل المحلة اليوم بالدوري المصري

Luke Shaw suffers another injury 'setback' at Man Utd as Erik ten Hag's bleak final update on full-back comes to light

Manchester United have been hit with another injury blow as it has emerged Luke Shaw has suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf problem.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

  • Shaw yet to feature for Man Utd this season
  • Currently out with a calf injury
  • Has now suffered fresh setback
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Shaw has endured a nightmare 2024 on the injury front and has not played for Manchester United since February. The left-back did play three times for England at Euro 2024 but was then subsequently ruled out of the start of the Premier League season with a calf injury. Shaw had been expected back in October but it has now emerged that the England defender is still some way off a comeback after suffering another setback in his recovery. Erik ten Hag offered a bleak update on the defender before he was sacked by Manchester United after defeat to West Ham.

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  • WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

    Ten Hag said: "The process is not going as we expected. That's the truth. The setback, if you want to call it like this, we want also to do it very careful. When he is now dropping again, we want to be very careful. We know his past, we have to do this right, because we want him to be available, because he will have a big impact on our performances and also on our levels. We can't have him playing for some games and then drop out again. So, we will do it very carefully."

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Shaw's injury problems have already angered fans who called for United to rip up his contract back in August. Club legend Peter Schmeichel has also been critical of Shaw for "not prioritising" his club side after seeing him play at the Euros and then be sidelined once more. Manchester United have been plagued by injury issues throughout Ten Hag's time in charge, with the Dutchman having complained such problems were "holding back" his team after another disappointing start to the season.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD

    Manchester United will have to continue without Shaw for the foreseeable future with Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez having all filled in at left-back this season. Yet the England star will be eager to return to action soon and try to impress United's next manager. Ruud van Nistelrooy has taken interim charge after Ten Hag's departure, while Sporting boss Ruben Amorim is the current favourite to be appointed the next permanent Manchester United boss.

11 goals vs West Ham: Irons could seal their biggest signing since Paqueta

More than a measure of trepidation fizzled away after Julen Lopetegui wrapped up his opening press conference as West Ham United head coach, having conversed with hungry reporters with passion, eloquence and clarity.

There have been fears over these past few weeks that the Hammers sit bereft of funds at the predawn of a new era, sapped of means to improve a talented squad left by David Moyes, but a squad in need of reinforcing nonetheless.

New West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui

But technical director Tim Steidten has allayed concerns and stated that West Ham are poised to spend over the next two months, having already secured an exciting signing in 18-year-old winger Luis Guilherme, who joined from Palmeiras for £25.5m.

Crucially, Steidten said "we’re looking at all areas" despite the pressing need to sign a centre-forward. This is pleasing, but the fact remains that signing a focal frontman is paramount.

West Ham transfer news

According to Sky Sports' Dan Bardell, West Ham should consider signing Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku if the outfit fails to sign the sought-after Jonathan David from Lille this summer.

But interest in the Canadian is fierce and if Steidten's worth his salt, he'll start to draw up alternatives, which, if the report is to be believed, he has done already.

Last week, GIVEMESPORT revealed that West Ham could move to sign Lukaku if they do fail to sign David, even claiming that they are fully aware of Chelsea – and the striker's – conditions, which suggests that there is optimism a deal can be struck.

Why Romelu Lukaku could thrive at West Ham

Lukaku bowed out of the ongoing European Championship without a goal across four appearances, having missed six big chances and averaged 2.8 shots per match.

In fairness, that's without considering three disallowed strikes for the minutest of breaches, VAR condemning the 31-year-old goalscorer to further misery on the international stage.

It's almost easy to forget that this is one of the finest strikers of his generation, with 85 goals from 119 Belgium caps and hordes more throughout his wandering club career.

Everton

166

87

27

0.69

Inter Milan

132

78

23

0.77

Belgium

119

85

18

0.87

RSC Anderlecht

98

41

17

0.59

Manchester United

96

42

12

0.56

Chelsea

59

15

2

0.29

AS Roma

47

21

4

0.61

West Brom

38

17

4

0.55

Lukaku is a hulking, barrelling type of striker with a fear-inducing potency in the box, driving into space and using his power to insinuate himself past gaps in the opposing backline.

It's something that those at West Ham know well: across his lengthy career, Lukaku has never scored more goals against an opponent than he has against the Irons, bagging 11 in 17 fixtures.

He might have finished his loan spell with Roma last season having endured one of his more testing campaigns, scoring only 13 Serie A goals across 30 starting appearances – albeit thriving in the Europa League – but he ranked among the top 10% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues last year for goals compared to shots taken – bespeaking his high-level prolificness – and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, showcasing his bullish gait.

He might have entered his 30s but Lukaku simply scores wherever he goes, an invariably efficient marksman and perhaps the perfect addition to a West Ham side that will seek to create enough opportunities to maximise that above-noted sharpness.

Their best move since Paqueta

Lukaku scores goals. He was placed on this planet by the earthly powers that be with one purpose: to strike past the opposing goalkeeper on a football field and raise the ire of the enemy support, all pursed lips and shaking heads. He's done it again, that Lukaku.

Painted as a lumbering oaf by some, Lukaku is a masterful forward and is the fifth-highest active Premier League scorer with 121 goals from 278 appearances. It's hardly surprising that he's been hailed for his "world-class" chance conversion rate by former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

His pay packet might prove to be an obstacle that requires a lot of work to overcome. Lukaku, who re-signed for Chelsea from Inter Milan for £97.5m in 2021, is understood to pocket some £325k-per-week at Stamford Bridge. Unless he fancies a trip to the Gulf – which, to be fair, reportedly he might – he'll need to whittle down such weekly earnings to try his luck in the Premier League once more.

Lucas Paqueta is West Ham's top earner with an income of £150k per week, as well as the Irons' record signing at £51m, arriving from French club Lyon in the summer of 2022.

Paqueta's future is shrouded in uncertainty as he awaits his fate, charged by the FA for betting breaches, but he has been nothing short of magical across his two campaigns, hailed for his "mind-boggling" talent by erstwhile teammate Declan Rice.

West Ham's Lucas Paqueta celebrates

Ranking among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 4% for tackles and the top 5% for aerial duels won per 90, Paqueta has been utterly breathtaking, the string puller, the architect.

As per Sofascore, he averaged 1.3 dribbles, 1.4 key passes, 6.3 ball recoveries, 2.3 tackles and 7.3 successful duels per Premier League match.

There's no question that Paqueta has been one of the most influential signings in recent years, playing the all-important pass to set Jarrod Bowen through on goal to win the Conference League in 2022/23.

West Ham now need an injection of such high-level attacking intent, and Lukaku could be the man for the job.

He's not the youngest centre-forward in the game but he's a brilliant goalscorer and could be the missing ingredient to fire Lopetegui's reign into the ascendancy. If the finances add up, West Ham must pounce.

West Ham could sign "monster" £90k-p/w Walker-Peters alternative

This talented right-back would be a dream behind Jarrod Bowen…

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 29, 2024

Cricket South Africa to unveil aggressive transformation plans

No suggestions of an increased quota, but focus on including more black African players in the national sides

Firdose Moonda12-Oct-2020Cricket South Africa (CSA) intends to outline the implementation of a more aggressive transformation policy to parliament, if they are allowed to present their plans to the sports portfolio committee on Tuesday. The meeting comes a week after CSA were hauled over the coals by the same committee for failure to present the forensic report they used to fire former CEO Thabang Moroe.At a two-hour meeting last week, in which no other matter was discussed, CSA committed to furnishing the committee with a copy of the report by Friday. The deadline was met, though the version of the report CSA sent contained redactions, and discussion over the report are expected to take up most of the meeting time tomorrow. However, if the meeting moves past the report, CSA may have the opportunity to unveil its Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) agenda.Among CSA’s proposals is an emphasis on ensuring “that more black players, particularly black African players are included in national teams on a sustainable basis,” and major changes to the way cricket is governed at franchise and provincial level, to ensure greater representation of black women. Beginning in December this year, CSA would like all its affiliates to make new appointments according to affirmative action requirements, and will fine those who do not.”It will become part of the membership requirements that the executive management teams of unions and the boards become predominantly black with a heavy focus on black female members in these critical positions. The intention is to identify at least 10 black female candidates. The onus will be placed on Affiliates to address the current status of non- transformed positions especially in CEO and Executive positions. Failure by the Unions to do this will result in financial penalties,” CSA’s presentation reads.Similarly, CSA have committed to filling the independent director vacancy on its board, which resulted from the resignation of Steve Cornelius in August “by a black female, preferably with skills in media and marketing”. The position is expected to be filled by the end of November, before the rescheduled AGM which will take place on December 5.On the playing field, the presentation notes that “the number of selections for whites’ dwarfs (54%) the numbers for any of the black demographic, with the players of Indian descent and Coloured players, making up an equal 12% selection in any of the 15 matches played,” over the last year. It notes that selection was particularly skewed in fifty-over cricket primarily because of the consistent inclusion of four players. “It is particularly within the ODI format where the selection frequency is predominantly in favour of white players. These numbers are boosted by the consistency in selection of (Quinton) de Kock, (Rassie) van der Dussen, (Faf) du Plessis and (David) Miller.”While the presentation does not say there will be an increased quota (currently the national team is required to field six players of colour, of which at least two must be black African, on average over the course of a season), it does state that there will be no target reduction and that the direction of cricket, the coaches and selectors will have to adhere to transformation key performance areas, which will be part of their contracts. CSA exceeded their 2018-19 transformation target, with the 2019-20 data yet to be released, but have also come under fire from the sports minister, Nathi Mthethwa, for failing to have people of colour in senior roles.Since then, CSA have committed to applying a preference for consultants of colour and now appear to be taking the policy further. The presentation also mentions addressing the salary difference between the men’s and women’s teams and confirms a cash injection of R10 million (US$604, 575) for the SJN project, which could offer reparations to players who were discriminated against in the past. In August CSA named Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza as their SJN ombudsman and they intend to begin hearing at provinces in January 2021. The ombudsman will also independently present to parliament and the sports minister.

No.1 target: Arsenal eyeing exciting 22-goal Isak & Jesus alternative

After an incredibly intense ten months of football that have seen Arsenal stage last-second comebacks, demolish their nearest rivals, and rack up the most wins they have ever had in the Premier League, it's another second-place finish for the north Londoners.

Mikel Arteta's side have been pretty much perfect for most of the season, but pretty much is not nearly enough when coming up against Pep Guardiola's freakishly resilient Manchester City, and while Arsenal took them to the final day, it's back to the drawing board over the summer.

However, with the Spaniard's team boasting the best defence in the league by five goals, it's clear that the attack must be the focus, and based on recent reports, the Gunners could be about to sign a forward who could replace Gabriel Jesus and make them forget about Alexander Isak.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from the Independent, Arsenal are intent on signing a new striker before the start of pre-season, and there are two names at the top of their list: Isak and Brian Brobbey.

brian-brobbey-ajax-premier-league-everton-transfers

The former has been a target for some time and remains their top choice over the latter, but according to the report, the Gunners believe the chance of Newcastle United selling the Swede this summer is low and, as they do not want to get drawn into a protracted saga, they have earmarked the Ajax ace as their secondary top choice.

A reliable price for the 22-year-old has not been reported at this point, but Football Transfers' Player Valuation Model has claimed he could be worth around €24m, or £21m, which, if true, would represent an absolute bargain, and one the Gunners' should jump on.

The Dutchman may not be a household name like Isak, but he has been in red-hot form this year and could be the perfect Jesus upgrade to boot, and if the price is anywhere close to £21m, Arsenal can't afford to miss out.

How Brobbey compares to Isak and Jesus

So, if Arteta and Edu Gaspar are looking to sign a striker who is going to help them bridge the gap to City next season, the most critical factor is their pure output.

In his 43 games this season, Brobbey has scored a whopping 22 goals and provided 12 assists to boot, giving him an average of a goal involvement every 1.2 games, which would be impressive for any player, let alone for one who turned 22 in February.

In comparison, Jesus has returned eight goals and eight assists in 36 games, giving him an average of 2.2 goal involvements per game, while Isak's 25 goals and two assists in 40 games mean he averaged 1.48 goal involvements per game last season.

Brobbey vs Isak vs Jesus

Players

Brobbey

Isak

Jesus

Appearances

43

36

40

Goals

22

8

25

Assists

12

8

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.79

0.44

0.67

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So, with it clear that the Amsterdam-born "powerhouse", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, comes out ahead for output, how do the trio's underlying numbers compare?

Well, it is once again advantage to the Dutchman as in almost every striker-relevant metric, he comes out on top, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, non-penalty goals, shots on target, goals per shot on target, goal-creating actions and especially aerial duels won, all per 90.

Brobbey vs Isak vs Jesus

Stats per 90

Brobbey

Isak

Jesus

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.95

0.77

0.62

Non-Penalty Goals

0.67

0.64

0.24

Assists

0.30

0.08

0.30

Shots on Target

1.50

1.44

1.16

Goals per Shot on Target

0.45

0.44

1.16

Passing Accuracy

78.2%

78.1%

78.6%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.44

2.87

3.55

Goal-Creating Actions

0.56

0.40

0.49

Aerial Duels Won

2.43

0.36

0.91

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

However, he does come out second best to the Gunners' number nine for shot-creating actions and passing accuracy while producing the same number of assists as the 27-year-old per 90.

Interestingly, Newcastle's star striker fails to come out ahead in any of the comparisons, suggesting that while Brobbrey is currently Arsenal's second choice, he should perhaps be their first.

Ultimately, Jesus and Isak are both incredibly talented strikers and the number of goals the latter scores would surely improve Arteta's side.

However, considering the potential price, output, and underlying numbers, the Spaniard should look to Ajax's star striker first this summer.

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By
Matt Dawson

May 19, 2024

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