All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Manchester City may have one eye on the Club World Cup this summer, though they are refusing to relent in their pursuit of additions and could now be in a position to land one of PSG’s leading stars.

Man City's changing dynamics this summer

The end of a trophyless campaign for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City appears to have only fueled his desire to ensure his side doesn’t end up empty-handed next time out.

Fortunately, the Club World Cup will offer a quickfire chance to atone for a year without silverware alongside a bounty of nearly £100 million for the eventual winners of the competition.

Of course, Manchester City are hardly struggling for cash. Still, a sizeable extra windfall would allow more room for manoeuvre in their quest to rejuvenate a squad that will see some experienced figures depart over the summer.

Kevin De Bruyne appears to be on his way to Napoli and bows out as possibly the Citizens’ greatest ever player, leaving a void to be filled not only in the engine room but in terms of leadership.

Jack Grealish could be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur after becoming a spare part. Although his influence has waned in recent times, there is no doubt that his experience has helped to set a culture of success inside the Manchester City dressing room.

Hugo Viana makes £40m+ Man City offer to sign Brazilian ahead of Man Utd

The Citizens are looking to steal a march on their rivals…

BySean Markus Clifford May 30, 2025

AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri could arrive to work under Guardiola. Nevertheless, their prospective moves don’t undermine the need for stars capable of producing match-winning moments to arrive, no matter where they may feature on the pitch.

Man City eye surprise Gianluigi Donnarumma move

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have made contact over a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma if number one Ederson is sold this summer.

The Brazil international is attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League and could be allowed to leave for just over £25 million if appropriate offers come in.

Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

40

Clean sheets

12

Goals conceded

39

On the other hand, former AC Milan star Donnarumma is in the middle of a contract wrangle with Paris Saint-Germain and is also being tracked by Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Juventus, with City also registering their interest.

Intriguingly, he has been labelled a “top goalkeeper” by Guardiola back in 2017 and won’t have done himself any harm after picking up the Champions League trophy last weekend.

Speaking about his future at the French giants, Donnarumma stated: “New deal or leaving? We will see what happens… I don’t know.

‘It’s time to enjoy this magic season now. I will go on holiday and then we will see.”

From a Manchester City standpoint, that doesn’t sound like a man who has completely ruled out the prospect of playing elsewhere next term. Now, it is over to their recruitment staff to try and tempt the £205,000 per week earner to English shores.

It is perhaps the worst-kept secret in football that Arsenal are trying to sign a new striker for Mikel Arteta this summer, following a 2024/2025 campaign marred by the struggle to break sides down as often as they should.

Arsenal search for new striker after disappointing 2024/2025

Arteta watched on from the sidelines as his Gunners side drew more Premier League games than any other side in the top half whilst scoring just 69 goals in the top flight, a far cry from the 91 and 88 they’d scored in the previous two seasons.

Arsenal eye bid to sign £35m Premier League ace who can "reach" Mane level

The Gunners have now identified a new wide target, who could go on to reach the level of Liverpool legend Sadio Mane.

ByDominic Lund Jun 2, 2025

Major factors at play were the long-term injuries sustained by Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who were both sidelined for extended periods midway through the campaign, prompting Arteta to deploy Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal’s lack of potency in the final third saw them surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool by a seismic 10 points, and sporting director Andrea Berta appears determined to ensure they don’t repeat that scenario next term.

According to reliable media sources, Berta’s two top striker targets for Arsenal are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal began “concrete” talks for Sesko last week, and some reports in Portugal claimed that Gyokeres received a contract offer from Arsenal. The north Londoners appear to be laying groundwork over both deals before they formally move towards their best option, and the two frontmen have very enticing credentials.

That being said, there are alternative options under consideration, and one of them was Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.

Last month, Arsenal were reported to have made contact over a deal for Jesus, who actually has an £84 million release clause in his contract.

Igor Jesus "set to join" Nottingham Forest with Arsenal snubbed

However, according to journalist Graeme Bailey in a piece for The Boot Room, Arsenal appear set to miss out on a move for the highly-rated Brazilian.

It is reported that Jesus is “now set to join” Nottingham Forest instead, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side closing in on a £30 million deal for the 24-year-old after opening talks. The striker was also attracting interest from Brentford, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle, and West Ham, but Forest are now far out in pole position to secure his signature.

Arsenal have one less option to turn towards in the event they cannot strike deals for Sesko or Gyokeres, which comes as a minor setback for Berta considering Jesus’ glowing reputation.

“Igor Jesus has had an incredible year,” said journalist Zach Lowy in late 2024. “Started 2024 off on fire in the UAE, went back home after four years abroad, made his Brazil debut, started in each of their last four matches, led Botafogo to the greatest year in their entire history.

“He’s only just getting started.”

This summer’s mini-transfer window, open from June 1 to June 10, presents an opportunity for Premier League sides to get deals done very early ahead of pre-season, and Arsenal could take full advantage.

Arsenal urged to invest in new signings up front

Mikel Arteta ended yet another season with no trophies to show for his side’s efforts at N5, and discounting the Community Shield, Arsenal haven’t won any piece of major silverware since their FA Cup triumph in 2020.

Fabrizio Romano: £63m star will talk to agents this week about joining Arsenal

He’s set to assess his options.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 27, 2025

Considering the Gunners have registered a net spend of around £487 million on transfers since Arteta took over from Unai Emery in 2019, some questions are starting to be asked about the Arsenal manager when it comes to their lack of silverware return.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville, speaking after Arsenal were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United earlier this year, drew particular attention to their “toothlessness” in the forward areas – going on to state that they simply must spend big again this summer.

“This has shown a massive spotlight on the toothlessness of Arsenal’s forward players compared to what we’re seeing at the other end of the pitch,” said Neville.

“That’s a given. They have to [spend this summer].

“I was supportive of them not panicking in the window, finding the player they want, I get that. But when the bid went in for Ollie Watkins, they are sending a message to the rest of the squad, the ones up front aren’t good enough, this game confirms it.”

The arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta is set to play a pivotal role in their pursuit of attacking upgrades for the squad, and reliable media sources are already claiming that the Italian has got to work.

The north Londoners recently opened talks over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, which has since stalled due to wage demands (Florian Plettenberg), with Arsenal also holding “concrete” negotiations to sign striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

Arsenal offer Viktor Gyokeres a five-year contract worth nearly £30m

Sesko isn’t their only option to reinforce the centre-forward area, though, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres also heavily linked in the last month.

Portuguese news outlets in particular have reported in the last fortnight that Arsenal are making serious progress on a move for Gyokeres, with newspaper O Jogo even claiming that they’ve agreed a fee.

While that rumour is yet to gain traction, another Portuguese media source, Correio de Manha, has come forward with a significant update of their own.

The newspaper states Arsenal have offered Gyokeres a five-year contract worth nearly £30 million, with the Swede handed an annual salary worth £5.9 million-per-year.

They’ve also apparently offered Sporting around £59 million for his signature, which is still slightly below his reported asking price of around £63 million, so it will be intriguing to see if this proposal gets off the ground.

Gyokeres’ 54 goals in all competitions this season indicates that he’s a fine candidate to resolve Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge in the attacking areas, and Sporting boss Rui Borges certainly has little doubt about the 26-year-old, even if there’s a case to be made that the Primeria Liga is inferior to English top flight football.

“I have said this before, and I will continue to say it: he brings a lot to the team, and his teammates are aware of what he contributes, which is why they look for him during games,” said Borges about Gyokeres.

“The collective effort also plays a role, as no one can succeed alone. Viktor is a game-changer, and he will continue to be, whether with us or elsewhere. His quality is undeniable; it is phenomenal.”

Looking ahead to their first attempt to get back into the Premier League next season, Southampton are now reportedly in advanced talks to hire an impressive 32-year-old manager.

Southampton's search for a new manager

The Southampton job isn’t exactly one that every manager will be jumping towards this summer after the Saints suffered relegation from the Premier League. Having opened their season with Russell Martin in the dugout, the Saints were ready to take on the Premier League their way and opt out of simply sitting in a deep defensive block.

Sky Sports: Southampton eye "secret weapon" coach who knows Kieran McKenna

The Saints need to make a new appointment.

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 27, 2025

As attractive as that approach looked, however, it did not result in much-needed points and those at St Mary’s soon switched their mindsets towards survival, sacking Martin in the process.

Their next decision was always going to be crucial, even if some were already convinced that relegation was looming. Following Martin’s tenure, it wouldn’t have been absurd to suggest that a pragmatic, experienced Premier League manager should have been the way forward, but Southampton took an alternative approach once again – this time hiring Ivan Juric in December.

Having enjoyed experience at AS Roma, Torino, Genoa and others in Italy, Juric stepped into the Premier League for the first time before enduring a nightmare spell. With one game remaining, the manager has already been sacked and Southampton have their place in history as the second-worst Premier League side in history, with one more point than the historic 2008 Derby County team.

Back at square one ahead of their return to the Championship, names such as Danny Rohl and even Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard have reportedly been among the candidates in the running for the job, but Southampton’s search has continued.

Whilst it could be neither of those young managers, the Saints have since reportedly turned towards an impressive 32-year-old who now looks the likeliest to commence a new era at St Mary’s.

Southampton in advanced talks to hire Will Still

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Southampton have now approached Will Still and are in advanced talks to hire the 32-year-old manager, who just left Ligue 1 side RC Lens to be closer to his family.

The manager told reporters after his side defeated AS Monaco on the final day of the Ligue 1 season: “I will not be the coach of Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season at Bollaert. For multiple reasons, the main reason behind my decision is that I need to go back home. It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife, for her well-being.”

Back in England, Southampton are now reportedly confident that they will secure Still ahead of next season. The interest of the Saints should come as little surprise, either, given just how successful Still, who plays an attacking 4-3-3 system, has been in France at both Reims and Lens.

For Southampton, should they be successful in their pursuit of Still, they’ll be hiring another young coach to follow on from Martin’s previous spell in charge.

This summer is another opportunity for boss Enzo Maresca to make the desired changes he wants to his Chelsea squad to help in their ambitions of edging closer to a Premier League title.

The Italian took the reins last summer and has so far done a commendable job at the helm, still having the opportunity to claim a Champions League place for 2025/26.

He could also secure the club another European title in the coming months, currently in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League, with a clash with Djurgarden on the horizon.

However, regardless of whether they achieve their goals between now and the end of the campaign, the 45-year-old will want new additions to help strengthen his first-team squad.

The hierarchy have already been laying the foundations for the summer transfer window, undoubtedly looking to back the manager in his quest to take the Blues back to their glory days.

An update on Chelsea’s hunt for new attackers this summer

Over the last couple of weeks, endless names have been thrown into the mix over a summer move to Stamford Bridge, but as of yet, no deals have yet been completed.

The likes of Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Benjamin Sesko have all been high up on their shortlist as Maresca desperately craves added quality within the final third.

However, another name has now been linked with a switch to West London in the form of Morgan Rogers, with The Independent reporting the club’s interest in the Aston Villa sensation.

They claim that Unai Emery’s side are reluctant to part ways with the 22-year-old, but could be forced to sell to maintain their current PSR standing and avoid a potential points deduction.

The report goes on to state the club’s keen desire to increase firepower, with Rogers doing just that given his record of 14 goals and 11 assists across all competitions in 2024/25.

Why Morgan Rogers would revive Palmer at Chelsea

Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s go-to attacker in the final over the last couple of seasons, thriving beyond all imagination after the hierarchy forked out £40m for his signature in 2023.

The England international has notched a staggering 62 combined goals and assists in his 85 appearances for the Blues – with no other first-team member getting near such a record.

However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the 22-year-old in recent months, certainly enduring his trickiest period since moving to the Bridge, undoubtedly having an effect on the club’s form.

He’s now gone 16 matches without a goal in all competitions, dating back to the middle of January – by far and away his biggest drought since arriving in West London.

A move for Rogers in the summer window could allow the former Manchester City star to recapture his previous form, linking up with one of his former academy teammates.

His stats at Villa Park this campaign have been nothing short of sensational, undoubtedly enabling Palmer to hit the heights he’s previously demonstrated under Maresca.

Rogers, who’s been labelled as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” by podcaster and content creator Jamie Kent, has registered 1.5 chances created per 90, along with 3.7 progressive passes per 90 – handing his compatriot the chance to thrive in the final third.

Games played

33

Goals & assists

16

Chances created

1.5

Progressive passes

3.7

Successful take-ons

2

Progressive carries

3.3

Shot-on-target accuracy

37%

Goal per shot-on-target rate

0.5

He’s also completed two successful take-ons per 90, whilst posting a staggering 3.3 progressive carries, showcasing his excellent ball-carrying ability in moving into attacking areas.

However, the Villa star has also thrived in front of goal, getting 37% of his shots on target, along with a 0.5 goal per shot-on target rate, subsequently allowing Palmer to increase his own assist tally.

Palmer’s lack of form in recent weeks will be a concern for many, with their chances of success between now and the end of the season potentially falling onto his shoulders.

If he is to recapture his best form in 2025/26, a move for Rogers would be the perfect solution, with a familiar face allowing the England international to resurrect his recent slump.

It’s unclear how much a deal for Emery’s star man would set the hierarchy back, but given his form this campaign, it’s a deal they have to pursue – having the opportunity to develop further given his tender age.

Big upgrade on Gittens: Chelsea plan to enter talks to sign £55m winger

Chelsea could seriously boost their attacking options with this statement buy.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 29, 2025

Aston Villa were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2, only to go out 5-4 on aggregate.

The Villans went 2-0 down early on but brilliantly battled back to put themselves 3-2 ahead on the night, only to fail to find a late equaliser to take the tie to extra time.

Irrespective of the final outcome, it was a sensational effort from Unai Emery’s team as they fought to the very last second to save their campaign, with impressive performers across the board – including Marcus Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford is now undroppable

After a difficult start to the match, losing possession in the build-up to PSG’s first goal, the Manchester United loanee went on to play a key role in the spirited attempted comeback.

The England international completed four dribbles on the night and two of those came in the build-up to Ezri Konsa’s goal, as he impressively beat two defenders before putting the ball on a plate for the defender to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Rashford, who also had two shots on target on the night, was constantly trying to make things happen for the Villans – attempting nine dribbles – and provided the PSG defence with plenty of problems.

The United loanee has now produced three goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Villa and should be undroppable at this point, due to his form in front of goal, but he is not the only player who should now be considered undroppable.

Chalkboard

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

Why John McGinn is undroppable

John McGinn stepped up with a phenomenal display for the Villans against PSG on Tuesday and should now be as undroppable as Rashford for Emery.

The Scotland international has not been a guaranteed starter at times this season, coming off the bench in each of the last two Premier League matches, but his showing against PSG should change that, as it was one that was rewarded with a 9/10 player rating by the Birmingham Mail.

McGinn, who also scored off the bench against Southampton last time out in the top-flight, was a constant nuisance to the PSG team with his all-action performance in midfield, getting stuck in as well as providing quality on the ball.

Minutes

66

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

4

Fouls

3

The Villa star, as you can see in the table above, made three fouls and won four duels to break up play, but he also scored a deflected strike from distance and teed up Youri Tielemans for his goal.

McGinn also had more touches (40) than the Belgian wizard (31), which shows that he was constantly taking responsibility in possession to make things happen, and lost the ball 15 times.

It was a terrific captain’s performance by the Scottish midfielder and one that should convince Emery to make him an undroppable figure in the team for the weeks to come.

Aston Villa working to seal deal for £12.5m player keen on Villa Park move

The Villans are working on a move for a midfielder, who is interested in a move to Villa Park.

ByDominic Lund Apr 15, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now determined to win the race for a “fantastic” Premier League forward, and they are willing to fork out £43m to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Spurs return to winning ways against Saints

Tottenham’s four-game winless run in the Premier League came to an end yesterday afternoon, securing a 3-1 victory against Southampton at home, which meant the visitors’ relegation was confirmed at the earliest stage in history.

It was a game Spurs were expected to win, despite their poor form, and they got the job done in relatively comfortable fashion, with Brennan Johnson bagging a brace and Mathys Tel picking up his first Premier League goal.

Ange Postecoglou is likely to be happy with the performances of his forwards, but there are signs the Australian could look to bolster his attacking options in the summer, should he manage to retain his job.

Tottenham may green light move for "Levy character" to replace Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou’s time in north London could be coming to an end…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the most recent striker to be linked with a move to north London, while the Lilywhites are also keen to strengthen in wide areas, and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is among the potential targets.

Eze is not the only Premier League winger they have their eye on, however, with a report from Spain revealing Tottenham are now determined to win the race for AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

Manchester United are also interested in the Bournemouth winger, with the two clubs set to battle it out for his services this summer, and they are willing to shell out €50m (£43m) to get a deal over the line.

The Cherries aren’t completely against cashing-in on the Ghanaian, should they receive a suitable offer, despite his importance to Andoni Iraola’s side.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (h)

April 21st

Liverpool (a)

April 27th

West Ham United (a)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (h)

May 10th

"Fantastic" Semenyo impressing for the Cherries

It would be fair to say Bournemouth have surpassed expectations this season, given that they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, and the 25-year-old has been one of their key players.

The London-born winger almost always plays the full 90 minutes, and he has regularly provided goals and assists in the Premier League, with 12 goal contributions to his name in 30 appearances.

Journalist Thomas Hammond has also been left impressed by the Ghana international this season, lauding him as “fantastic” after an impressive performance against Newcastle United back in January.

That said, Semenyo hasn’t been in the best form in recent weeks, having now gone six games without a goal or assist in the Premier League, so Tottenham should continue to monitor his performances between now and the end of the season.

Manchester United are boosted by the return of two players ahead of their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Ineed, tThe Red Devils will see defensive pair Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro return to the squad for the trip to the high-flying East Midlands outfit.

However, left-back Luke Shaw, who has been out for several months, is still not ready to return, despite making progress with overcoming his injury. Youngster Ayden Heaven will also miss the trip to Forest due to injury and Kobbie Mainoo is also making progress but isn’t ready for a return to the squad.

Another player who won’t be available for the trip to the City Ground is young Bendito Mantato, due to his involvement in United’s FA Youth Cup tie.

Bendito Mantato's progress this season

17-year-old Mantato has been tipped for big things in a United shirt. According to a report from Academy Scoop, he ‘is set to sign his first professional contract’ at Old Trafford in the coming days.

The report goes on to state that the England U17 attacker is ‘held in high regard by the club’ before explaining that Ruben Amorim wants to give him a first-team debut before the season is out.

Well, that is certainly exciting for United fans. The wing-back has been a key player for the Red Devils in the U18s Premier League this term, scoring six times, all of which have come from the right wing, across ten appearances.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

However, there is evidence to suggest that the youngster could break into the first team as a wing-back. He has played as a left-back for England U17s, with Statman Dave suggesting that his “profile is perfect for Amorim’s wing-back role”.

Well, whatever the case, he won’t be involved for United against Forest after playing in the FA Youth Cup. However, there is another youngster whom Amoirm could unleash at wing-back.

Man United's Mantato alternative

Few things are as important in a footballer’s career than their first-team debut, especially when that comes on your 18th birthday.

That was the case for London-born Harry Amass, who made his first senior appearance in United’s last game before the international break away to Leicester City.

Against the Foxes, the youngster was impressive in his 21-minute cameo. One of the key features of his game was his “phenomenal” technical ability, something United fan and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown H described.

His stats from the game, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how well he performed in that demanding wing-back role. Amass had 30 touches of the ball, completed 91% of his passes, and won two from three attempted tackles.

Minutes played

21

Touches

30

Pass accuracy

91%

Passes completed

10/11

Duels won

3/7

Tackles won

2/3

Interceptions

1

This term, Amass has featured 21 times for United’s academy, a total of 1756 minutes. In that time, he’s grabbed four assists, mainly playing in a more orthodox left-back role rather than as a wing-back like he did for the first team.

The youngster can certainly play a big role for the Red Devils going forward, having already impressed at wing-back in a short space of time.

If given more minutes, he could grab that chance with both hands and become a serious challenger for United’s first choice on that side, Patrick Dorgu.

Dream Gyokeres alternative: Amorim pushing Man Utd to sign £84m "monster"

Man Utd boss Amorim is pushing for the signing

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 31, 2025

David Moyes returned to Everton to take on the job at Goodison Park for the second time in his career when he replaced Sean Dyche back in January.

The Scottish manager has hit the ground running on Merseyside with just one defeat in his ten Premier League matches in charge of the club to date, with that coming in his first game against Aston Villa before a nine-match unbeaten run.

Moyes got an instant reaction out of Portuguese centre-forward Beto, who scored five goals in the manager’s first seven games back at the club, but his powers do have their limits.

Everton’s wingers have struggled throughout this season, under Dyche and Moyes, and the Scottish head coach may have just found his new Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Why Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was a flop at Everton

The Toffees signed the winger from Lokomotiv Moscow for a reported fee of £9m in the summer of 2009, with the current Everton manager seemingly hoping that he would have a big impact on the flanks.

Unfortunately, however, that was not the case as Bilyaletdinov only went on to score eight goals in 59 appearances for the club in the Premier League before his exit at the start of 2012.

Six of those eight goals came in his debut season for the Toffees. He followed that up with two goals in 26 top-flight matches in the 2010/11 campaign and zero goals in ten league games in the first half of the following season.

Chalkboard

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

Bilyaletdinov then signed for Spartak Moscow for a fee of just £5m in January 2012, which further emphasises how much of a flop the forward was as he struggled on the pitch and the club made a loss on him.

Everton have their new Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

Some may want to point to Jack Harrison, who is on loan from Leeds, as the biggest flop out wide and, therefore, label him as the new Bilyaletdinov.

However, it is Jesper Lindstrom who has emerged as Moyes’ next version of the Russian wide man, as he has been even worse than the Englishman this season.

Everton signed the Danish winger on loan from Napoli last summer with an option to make the deal permanent for £19m, but his form this term suggests that the club should avoid exercising that option.

Appearances

25

25

Starts

17

15

Goals

1

0

xA

2.35

1.95

Assists

0

1

Key passes per game

1.1

0.8

Duels won per game

2.8

2.0

As you can see in the table above, Harrison has managed to score a goal and has created more chances with more xA, but has been unfortunate not to register an assist.

The English forward has also won more duels per game to help his team out defensively, as Lindstrom has left a lot to be desired with his play both in and out of possession on the right flank.

Everton’s Napoli loanee, who Michael Ball claimed has been “frustrated” by his lack of service on the wing, has produced zero goals and two assists in 30 matches in all competitions this season.

That return is, quite simply, not good enough, and is not good enough to warrant a fee of £19m being splashed on his services this summer, as the £50k-per-week forward has flopped hard at Goodison Park by failing to influence matches with goals and assists on an even semi-regular basis.

Best signing since Branthwaite: Everton have hit gold on "dynamite" star

He may be Everton’s best player.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 23, 2025

Therefore, Lindstrom has become the new Bilyaletdinov at Everton for Moyes as a winger who has flopped because of their lack of contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Mikel Arteta opted to play what was effectively a b side for Arsenal’s Champions League second-leg game against PSV Eindhoven and got the sort of result and performance you’d expect from such a decision.

The Gunners were already 7-1 up on aggregate going into the match and all but through the quarter-finals, so it would be hard to describe the display as all that surprising.

The 2-2 scoreline was probably just about a fair enough reflection of the encounter, as both sides had chances to claim victory.

Moreover, while some squad players made a good account of themselves, like Raheem Sterling, others probably played themselves out of the lineup for Sunday.

Sterling's performance vs PSV

It’s no secret that this season has been something of a disaster for Sterling, and so going into last night, it was potentially the last chance he’d had to show Arteta that he still has something about him, and while the circumstances made it a bit of a nothing match, that’s what he did.

For what felt like the first time in months, if not the entire campaign, the Chelsea loanee looked full of life, and even though it didn’t pay off every time, he was trying to make things happen whenever he got the ball.

The Kingston-born star provided the assists for both goals and could have scored two of his own thanks to a well-timed run in the first half that left him one-on-one with the keeper and then a determined drive late in the second half that saw his close-range effort saved by the keeper once again.

The 30-year-old left an impression on GOAL’s Sean Walsh, who awarded him an 8/10 at full-time, writing that he worked ‘extremely hard’ for his two assists.

On top of the praise from the press, the experienced dynamo’s statistics also make for great reading, as in 94 minutes of action he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.80, provided two assists, took two shots on target, played three key passes, created one big chance, took 47 touches and made one interception.

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.57

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.23

Assists

2

Shots on Target

2

Touches

47

Key Passes

3

Big Chances Created

1

Interceptions

1

Overall, while Sterling almost certainly won’t feature in the lineup at the weekend, that won’t be because of his display last night, which might not be the case for one of his teammates.

The Arsenal starter who's played themselves out the team

Unfortunately, while the game wasn’t all that bad, and the result was ultimately meaningless, a few starters likely played themselves out of contention to start on the weekend.

One of those players was Jorginho, who had an uncharacteristically poor night in the middle of the park for the hosts.

The Italian ace was entirely ineffective in attack and utterly hopeless when it came to the more important defensive side of his game, switching off and losing his runner for Ivan Perišić’s goal and then losing the ball entirely for Couhaib Driouech’s impressive lob.

Unsurprisingly, Sean Walsh was equally unimpressed with the former Chelsea man, awarding him just a 3/10 on the night, a rating more than validated by his statistics.

In 94 minutes of football, the 33-year-old amassed an expected assists figure of just 0.04, completed just 86% of his passes, made no key passes, failed to take a single shot, failed 100% of his dribbles, lost 100% of his ground duels, lost the ball 11 times, committed one foul and made one mistake that led directly to a goal.

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.00

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

0

Shots

0

Passing Accuracy

48/56 (86%)

Key Passes

0

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

11

Fouls

1

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Ultimately, while Sterling put in arguably his best performance in an Arsenal shirt last night, Jorginho put in one of his worst in some time, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t start a game again for a while.

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