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Rangers are thought to have a “very good communicator” on their list to potentially replace Philippe Clement as manager, according to a fresh managerial update.

Clement fighting to keep job at Rangers

Clement has been under constant pressure to keep his job for a while now, with supporters left disgruntled at a lack of positive performances being picked up in the Scottish Premiership title race.

Granted, the Belgian inspired his Rangers side to a thrilling 3-0 win at home to rivals Celtic on Thursday afternoon, easing some of the heat on him, but there is no question that he still needs to do a lot more to fully convince the masses.

Clement’s current struggles mean that other managers are naturally being linked with replacing him at Ibrox, with a host of individuals thrown into the mix, including former player Kevin Muscat, Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes and former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

On the plus side for the current Rangers boss, the club’s financial situation is arguably making it hard for them to sack him, which could be giving him more time to turn things around than he could have been in a different scenario.

Rangers eyeing 45 y/o to replace Clement

According to Football Insider, Steve Cooper is among the frontrunners to replace Clement as Rangers manager and is keen on the job, with the 45-year-old most recently in charge of Leicester City, prior to his sacking.

He sees the Gers job as an “attractive opportunity despite the off-field issues” happening at the club and is keen on a move, but he isn’t the only target. McInnes, Muscat and Russell Martin are also believed to be among the four leading contenders.

Cooper would be an interesting appointment by Rangers, even though some fans may be put off by a failed stint at Leicester – one that saw him last only 14 matches in charge at the King Power Stadium.

Not just Hagi: 30-touch star showed he's 'not staying at Rangers for long'

Rangers secured a stunning 3-0 Old Firm win on Thursday

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 3, 2025

The Englishman largely did a superb job in charge of Nottingham Forest, guiding them from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021/22, with Keith Andrews saying of him back in 2021:

“So when you look at what they’ve done now over the last few weeks and the type of person Steve Cooper is, he strikes me is he’s a very good communicator, he’s very good one to one with players, even the players who are out of the team, always easy to deal with the players that are not playing when you’re winning, it’s when you’re not winning when the real pressure is on because that’s when players seriously go and knock on the door and ask tougher questions.”

Leicester City

14

1.07

Nottingham Forest

108

1.44

Swansea City

105

1.61

Cooper also famously won the Under-17 World Cup with England back in 2017, managing a team featuring the likes of Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, further outlining his pedigree and his ball-playing style and preferred 4-2-3-1 formation could appeal to Rangers supporters.

Manchester City have struggled so far this season, finding themselves in an unfamiliar position, not only 12 points off top, but also two points outside the top four in the Premier League. The Citizens have only won 10 of their opening 20 games, drawing four and losing six, which is double the three losses they were dealt in the entirety of last season.

Despite conceding just 9.7 shots per game on average (the fewest in the Premier League), the xG being conceded per shot is extremely high, with each shot they conceded averaging a 0.17 xG value (the highest in the division).

Much of this can be whittled down to the injury of Rodri, who has been an ever-present piece for Pep Guardiola since joining in 2019, not only setting the tempo on the ball, but protecting the side in transition (an area they have struggled in so far this campaign).

With these troubles persisting, Manchester City look ready to attack the January transfer market, plugging gaps to improve their defensive record (especially their ability to defend in transition), and put things right with a strong second half of the season.

Manchester City close in on first January signing

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis. The package would reportedly be around €40m (£33m) with a deal now ‘advancing fast’ between all parties.

The 18-year-old has been subject to interest from plenty of other clubs (including Brighton) but City look like they are set to steam ahead of the pack, getting ahead of their rivals for the young defender’s signature.

City have done well to lure some of South America’s best young talent away from their homeland in years gone by with Gabriel Jesus one prominent example.

Perhaps the best business they did from that part of the world was Julian Alvarez. Lured from River Plate before selling him on for a huge profit (£81m), this could be a move that goes down equally as well at the Etihad.

How Reis compares to John Stones

Reis is considered to be one of the biggest talents in Brazil, with data analyst Ben Mattinson labeling the defender a “John Stones type” due to his passing quality, “pausa” on the ball and intelligence both in and out of possession.

Transfer Focus

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

Stones has only made 12 appearances for City so far this season, scoring three goals and contributing to three clean sheets in his 673 minutes so far.

But City’s poor run of form started with Stones being out injured, and has continued in his absence, signaling the need for defensive reinforcement.

Goals

0.05

0.29

Progressive Carries

0.16

2.55

Progressive Passes

3.02

6.55

Passes Attempted

49.8

80.9

Pass Completion %

88.0%

93.5%

Tackles

1.87

1.27

Blocks

0.77

0.55

Interceptions

0.88

0.58

Aerial Duels Won

3.08

2.00

Reis stands at a similar 6 foot 1 to Stones, but currently has a far leaner frame. However, this doesn’t deter him from getting stuck in, having a brilliant understanding at such a young age of how to use his body in duels, when to be aggressive and when he has to retreat. His defensive actions per 90 highlight this, making 1.87 tackles and winning 3.08 aerial duels per 90.

Whilst Stones currently ranks quite far ahead in passing and progressive metrics, you can identify the skill set of Reis, which could see monumental improvements to his underlying numbers, playing in an elite team who circulate possession more regularly, given he would be getting nearly double the touches/passes attempted per 90 (see Stones for reference).

Whilst the Brazilian centre-back is by no means the finished article, he has all the attributes of an elite-level central defender. Given time to fill out his upper body and coaching under one of/if not the best manager in the world, Reis could become one of the best defenders in the Premier League in years to come.

Big upgrade on Grealish: Man City plotting to re-sign "electric" £37m star

Manchester City could shock the Premier League by re-signing an old winger.

ByBen Gray Jan 8, 2025

Manchester City have certainly meant business during the current January transfer window, making three signings over the last few weeks.

Pep Guardiola may be going through the worst run of form during his 16-year managerial career, but it looks as though he is planning ahead for the future with regard to his new arrivals.

While the Premier League title may be out of reach this term, the Spaniard signed a new two-year extension late last year, signalling his intent to get the club back to where they belong.

There is just over a week left of the transfer window, but will City make another signing in that time?

It is no coincidence that City’s form has dropped off a cliff since Rodri suffered his season ending injury back in September. Will the club seek to sign a player who could turn out be to a younger version of the Spanish gem?

Manchester City's search for a midfielder

So far, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov have all arrived in Manchester this month, bolstering Guardiola’s attacking and defensive options.

Transfer Focus

Two areas that needed some reinforcements have now been strengthened. Will City’s midfield be next?

According to reports in Spain, City are showing interest in midfielder Mikel Jauregizar, who plays for Athletic Bilbao.

Having scoured the transfer markets for midfield candidates, it appears as though Guardiola has found his man and is prepared to launch an opening bid of €25m (£21m) to secure his signature.

The report does on to say that any deal will likely take place in the summer, but having a plan in place will see another young talent arrive at the Etihad.

Douglas Luiz has also been targeted by City as a potential signing, but Juventus don’t want to sell which means any move would only be temporary between now and the end of the season.

Jauregizar has all the qualities in his armoury to become Rodri 2.0 for Guardiola in Manchester, that’s for sure.

Rodri’s Manchester City statistics

In the summer of 2019, having just won their second Premier League title in a row, City broke their club record by spending £62.8m to sign Rodri from Atlético Madrid.

“Rodri has proven himself as a hugely talented, young midfielder,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain. “He has as all the attributes we are looking for.”

The midfielder has since proved to be one of Guardiola’s finest signings of his career.

Across his first three seasons, Rodri missed just 12 Premier League matches, but the 2022/23 campaign saw the midfielder establish himself as one of the best in the world.

The Etihad side won the treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League that term, but Rodri conducted the orchestra.

Across the league campaign, the Spaniard averaged a 91% pass success rate, while creating nine big chances, making 1.9 tackles and winning an impressive 59% of his total duels per match.

If this season proved Rodri belonged among the best players in the world, his 2023/24 displays proved he wasn’t a one-season wonder.

He helped his club win another league title, before starring for Spain at Euro 2024, as his nation won every game to win their fourth continental crown.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2023/24

50

9

14

2022/23

56

4

7

2021/22

46

7

2

2020/21

53

2

5

2019/20

52

4

2

The 28-year-old subsequently won the Ballon d’Or for playing a key role in the success of his club and country.

His injury this season has hampered the club’s chances of winning five league titles in a row. By signing Jauregizar – whether in the summer or this month – the Manchester side could be bringing an ideal long-term heir to Rodri. That’s a certainty.

Why Mikel Jauregizar could be Rodri 2.0

Like Rodri, Jauregizar emerged from a Spanish side’s youth system as a talented young midfielder with plenty to prove.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut for Bilbao last season, having featured 23 times for the youth team. He showed vast potential to succeed in the club’s top flight.

This season, the youngster has missed just three La Liga matches. During his time on the pitch, he averages 2.1 tackles per game, along with losing possession just 7.5 times per game while winning 50% of his ground duels.

The Spaniard is certainly raw, but his potential is vast, and there is no reason why he can’t be a success in the Premier League.

When compared to his positional peers in La Liga, the Bilbao starlet ranks in the top 3% for tackles (3.1) per 90, the top 21% for ball recoveries (5.67) per 90 and in the top 15% for goal-creating actions (0.44) per 90, proving he is effective whether or not his team have the ball.

Moving to City could be the ideal place for Jauregizar to develop, especially considering he can learn from Rodri, which would allow him to become a better player.

Amid the links to the player, writer David Walker praised the youngster, saying: “Athletic Bilbao’s young talent Mikel Jauregizar has also been mentioned as a possibility. City are very active in the transfer market this month – which is great – but the key position, that of DM. and future cover for Rodri, is the one glaring omission thus far.”

Unfortunately, as much as the City faithful would like him to stay, Rodri won’t be around forever. This means signing a player who could develop into his heir will be Guardiola’s next major priority.

If he can strike a deal to sign the current Bilbao star, especially for a measly £21m, then it could be a wise move in the transfer market.

City may not be at the level that has been demonstrated over the previous few years, but with the club’s business in the transfer market recently, they could return to their former glories next season.

Adding Jauregizar to his ranks, Guardiola will be set on returning City to the summit of English football.

Man City have hit gold on "huge talent" who is worth way more than Marmoush

Man City have hit the jackpot on a certain player who is bouncing back into form.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jan 25, 2025

As they look to claw their way to Premier League safety, Leicester City have reportedly made their first enquiry over signing a towering central defender for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Leicester transfer news

The Foxes have already dipped into the transfer market once this month to welcome Woyo Coulibaly from Serie A side Parma and will hope that the right-back plays a pivotal part in keeping Van Nistelrooy’s side afloat in the Premier League. After losing their last seven Premier League games, however, those at The King Power still desperately need further reinforcements.

The new arrival was quick to express his delight over completing the move, telling Leicester’s official website: “It’s an honour to be here. I feel very good, very welcomed and the training ground is very impressive. There’s been a lot of impressive players at the Club. It’s going to be a challenge in the Premier League but one that I’m very much looking forward to.”

Leicester looking to sign LaLiga rock who could save Van Nistelrooy's job

Ruud Van Nistelrooy needs to steer his Leicester City ship back on course with some positive new additions.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 21, 2025

In need of those aforementioned further additions, meanwhile, the Foxes have reportedly already turned their attention towards another defender. According to Gazzetta, via Leicester City News, Leicester have now enquired about signing Strahinja Pavlovic from AC Milan this month.

The 6 foot 4 defender has struggled since completing a £15m move from RB Salzburg last summer and could now get the chance to turn things around courtesy of Leicester this month.

Van Nistelrooy could certainly do with another defensive addition, especially one with such physical presence and high level experience, but it remains to be seen whether Leicester’s enquiry will quickly turn into an official offer for his signature this month.

"Warrior" Pavlovic needs Milan exit

Whilst Leicester are yet to find out just how much Milan are demanding for their defender this month, there’s no doubt that he could at least do with a loan move away to rediscover his best form and the Foxes should take full advantage. Having made just seven starts in Serie A this season, the 23-year-old should look at Leicester as his chance to steal the headlines and help Van Nistelrooy’s side to shock survival.

At his best, Pavlovic is a defender who has been at the centre of praise from the likes of Jacek Kulig. Just last summer, the football talent scout dubbed the 6 foot 4 ace the “Serbian Warrior” following an excellent display against England.

If Leicester can now push on and secure Pavlovic’s signature, the task will be to get him back to that level and reap the rewards as a result this season.

The January transfer window officially slams shut on Monday of next week and Everton manager David Moyes could look to bolster his squad before the deadline.

He came in to replace Sean Dyche in the Goodison Park dugout earlier this month and has won two of his three Premier League matches in charge so far, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Scottish boss, who is in his second spell at the club, is yet to make his first splash in the market since making his return to Merseyside, but still has a few days left to do so.

In fact, the Toffees are reportedly looking to bolster their squad before the end of the window and they have a Premier League player in their sights.

Everton's interest in Premier League defender

According to Turkish outlet Star, Everton are one of the teams plotting a deal to sign Kyle Walker-Peters from relegation-threatened Southampton.

Transfer Focus

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and the Star claims that the English right-back does not want to stay at St. Mary’s beyond the end of that deal.

It states that the Toffees are already in contact over a possible swoop for the former Tottenham Hotspur man, who would be available on a free transfer in the summer.

The report claims that Super Lig side Galatasaray are also interested in the defender and have already submitted an offer to sign him for a fee of £5m.

This suggests that Everton may have to push to sign the 27-year-old star in the current window, to avoid losing out to the Turkish giants, and they should do exactly that because he could come in as a big upgrade on Ashley Young.

Why Walker-Peters is an upgrade on Young

The Southampton defender, who can operate at right-back or left-back, has been a star for the strugglers in the Premier League this season, after he created 12 ‘big chances’ in 43 outings in the Championship during their promotion campaign last term.

Young has started 17 of his 19 appearances in the top-flight for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign and the former England international turns 40 in the summer.

Everton and Moyes could land his long-term successor by signing Walker-Peters, who is 12 years younger, either this month or in the summer window on a free transfer.

Appearances

21

19

Big chances created

4

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

0.2

Assists

2

3

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

0.9x

Duels won per game

4.4

3.8

Possession lost per game

9.9x

12.9x

As you can see in the table above, the Saints full-back has outperformed Young in a host of defensive and attacking metrics, despite playing for a team that has amassed just six points.

Walker-Peters, who was described as a “beautiful” footballer by ex-boss Russell Martin, has the dynamism and ability to offer more in transition, as shown by his dribbling numbers, whilst also being harder for opposition players to get past.

Duncan Ferguson 2.0: Everton keen on signing "outrageous" new striker

Everton are showing interest in a striker who is shining in Scotland

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 28, 2025

He could come in as a big upgrade on Young, by winning more duels and being dribbled past less frequently, whilst also providing more quality offensively and as a ball carrier, which is why Moyes should push to bring him in as soon as possible.

Chris Wilder will hope Sheffield United’s well-known spending habits across the last few transfer windows end up paying off instead of looking like a rash waste of cash.

Amazingly – since being relegated back down to the Championship – the Blades have purchased a ridiculous 18 new players in a bid to rebuild and go again, with the considerable churn seeing them pick up seven fresh faces in the window that has just slammed shut.

The busy winter window did see them only fork out for some permanent purchase, however, but it was a costly one at that, with former Leicester City man Tom Cannon joining the ever-expanding group for a whopping £10m.

Sheffield United's statement buy of Cannon

The promotion chasers clearly wanted to send out a statement to the rest of the division that they won’t be easily toppled in the ongoing race for the top two spots, with Cannon also a wanted figure by fellow Premier League hopefuls in Sunderland.

In the end, Cannon would choose South Yorkshire over the Stadium of Light, with the Blades confident that the 22-year-old poacher can fire in the goals to make an instant return to the top flight happen.

After all, when on the books of Stoke City earlier in the season as an on-fire loanee, Cannon would help himself to a mightily impressive 11 strikes from 25 games.

Therefore, parent employers Leicester would have been compelled to bump up his price tag to cash in on his red-hot form, as the Blades then coughed up a hefty £10m to land the Championship’s flavour of the month.

He hasn’t opened his goalscoring account yet for his new employers, but everyone at the club will hope the goals start flowing soon, considering he is only two games down in his fresh surroundings.

Whilst Cannon has stolen most of the United headlines in recent weeks, there are stars already at Bramall Lane worth more than the 22-year-old hotshot, with this one ace definitely a firm favourite of Wilder’s.

The Sheffield United "leader" who's worth more than Cannon

Joining the top-flight ranks last season as a surprise buy from Belgian outfit Lommel S.K., Vinicius Souza has slowly but surely become an integral part of the Blades machine since his arrival in England.

Market Movers

Whilst his lowly team did eventually accept their grim relegation fate last campaign, the Brazilian would still stick out as a valiant battler in the middle of the park.

Indeed, the Rio De Janeiro-born star won a punchy 6. duels on average that season to try and gift his side some desperately needed grit.

Wilder has regularly waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old off the back of these constantly committed displays, with the 57-year-old notably stating in November last year that Souza was a “real leader” and an “outstanding” individual to have around the place.

He has excelled in the drop-down a division too, with the occasional Blades captain’s average duels won count increasing to 6.8 in the often full-blooded Championship, leading to his transfer value also going up.

Date

Value

Now

£11.6m

October 2023

£10m

June 2023

£5m

May 2022

£3.7m

February 2021

£416k

Year on year, ever since emerging onto the scene at Lommel, Souza has seen his valuation steadily increase, with his price tag coming in now at £11.6m – according to Transfermarkt – which actually makes him an even more prized asset than the £10m Cannon.

Reports before the new second-tier season started even suggested that Wilder’s men wanted Fulham to fork out £30m to win his services, with Marco Silva’s Cottagers perhaps trying to exploit the Blades’ fragile nature after relegation.

But, Wilder and Co managed to thankfully keep a firm grip on their star, with the 25-year-old no doubt keen to continue to put in some top displays, alongside the wave of new signings, to help his defiant side leap straight back up to the Premier League.

After Holding's arrival: Wilder could axe "excellent" Sheffield United ace

Chris Wilder could now drop this Sheffield United star to start this new purchase.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 5, 2025

It will be a struggle for Manchester United for the next few weeks after losing several key players in attacking areas to injury. Ruben Amorim confirmed the Red Devils will be without Amad until the end of the season after he picked up an ankle injury in training.

They are also set to be without Kobbie Mainoo for some time, after the Englishman picked up a muscular injury, although his estimated return date is unknown, according to the Manchester Evening News.

United will no doubt hope to see him and Mason Mount back soon. The former Chelsea midfielder was initially meant to be out over the festive period but he is yet to return.

It means Bruno Fernandes will have to do a lot of heavy lifting for United in attack.

Bruno Fernandes’ season so far

Over the last five years, the man whom United have been able to turn to in a crisis has been Fernandes. The Portuguese star has pulled on that famous Red shirt 270 times, scoring 88 goals and grabbing 78 assists.

Now, in the midst of their number ten shortage, Amorim will once again be hoping his captain can stand up for the count and help the club through this difficult period on the pitch. There are options there, including the impressive Joshua Zirkzee, but Fernandes’ creative influence will be key.

This season, the 30-year-old has scored nine goals and grabbed 12 assists in 37 games. He has been the man for the big occasion several times and has scored key goals against Rangers in the Europa League and Arsenal in the FA Cup, a game which United went on to win on penalties.

Fernandes’ importance at Old Trafford is certainly reflected in his transfer value, as unlikely as it seems that United might sell him. As per Transfermarkt, he is worth £45.6m, the joint second-highest in the squad alongside Mainoo and Leny Yoro.

However, the only player valued higher than the United captain has actually struggled this season, and could well be dropped by Amorim sooner rather than later.

The Man Utd player valued higher than Fernandes

It has been a tough season in front of goal for United in 2024/25. Excluding players who are out on loan or injured for the rest of the season, Fernandes is the top goalscorer in the Premier League with five goals, Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho are second with three goals and Rasmus Hojlund is third with just two, per Statman Dave.

For the number nine of United, that is underwhelming, to say the least. Hojlund has been in really disappointing form this term and has seven goals and one assist in 32 games.

However, just two of those goals have been scored in 1206 Premier League minutes.

Stat

Premier League

Europa League

Carabao Cup

FA Cup

Games

20

8

2

2

Minutes

1206

416

171

73

Goals

2

5

0

0

Assists

0

1

0

0

Mins per G/A

603

69

N/A

N/A

Last season, the 22-year-old Denmark international showed “big potential”, according to Statman Dave.

He has 23 goals and three assists in 75 games for the Old Trafford club, and became the youngest player to score in six‪ consecutive Premier League‬ games last season, with a run of seven goals in six appearances. However, he only scored ten top-flight goals last term.

The Dane clearly has talent, but his form this season has been far from impressive. It remains to be seen how long Amorim will keep the faith in Hojlund, but the form he is in and the lack of goals United are scoring could coincide soon, and the Red Devils’ number nine might be dropped sooner rather than later.

Despite his form, the 22-year-old’s transfer value has surprisingly held up well. He is worth £49.8m, more than Fernandes, whose contributions have been much better than Hojlund’s this term. That is a big drop in the original fee United paid for Hojlund, reported to be £72m.

Whatever decision Amorim takes on Hojlund’s place in the team, it would not be hard to criticise him if he did drop the Dane for a bit.

Perhaps time out of the team and away from the spotlight would do him good, so he can find his best form in front of goal and come back firing.

Man Utd had Roy Keane 2.0, now Goldbridge thinks he's a “waste of time”

Man Utd’s Roy Keane 2.0 has turned out to be a “waste of time”, according to Goldbridge

ByConnor Holden Feb 18, 2025

A frustrating week for Manchester City came to an end on Sunday as they were beaten 2-0 by Premier League leaders Liverpool at The Etihad.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai secured all three points for Arne Slot’s men, who are now 11 points clear at the top of the division.

This came off the back of a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League, resulting in their exit from the competition, on Wednesday night, thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.

There were some positives for Pep Guardiola and his team to take from the defeat to the Reds, though, and one was the performance of Abdukodir Khusanov at the heart of the defence.

Abdukodir Khusanov's performance against Liverpool

The January signing from Ligue 1 side Rennes was selected alongside Nathan Ake at centre-back, with Ruben Dias left on the bench, and stepped up with an excellent showing for the Cityzens.

Khusanov had a nightmare debut against Chelsea, making an error for Noni Madueke’s goal after just three minutes, but the 20-year-old titan appears to have settled into Premier League life now.

The talented youngster made a terrific last-man challenge on Szoboszlai towards the end of the game and halted Salah, when the score was 0-0, in the first half when the forward appeared set to test Ederson unchallenged.

Chalkboard

In total, he made six clearances, one block, one tackle, and one interception, whilst the centre-back also won two of his three duels and completed 99% (87/88) of his attempted passes.

Khusanov made some vital defensive interventions and produced some excellent moments to keep Liverpool at bay, whilst Ake struggled in the left-sided centre-back role.

Why Nathan Ake should be dropped

Guardiola must instantly drop the Netherlands international from the starting line-up for the next game against Tottenham Hotspur after he put in a dismal display against Liverpool.

As you can see in the clip above, Salah’s goal to open the scoring at The Etihad came via a deflection off Ake, as the left-footed flop dangled a leg out and deflected the effort past Ederson.

The former Chelsea and Bournemouth star offered very little from a defensive perspective, as Salah also burst past him with ease in the left channel and Khusanov had to sweep up and win possession back before the forward could get a shot away in the first half.

Clearances

2

Blocks

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Duels won

0/1

Touches

77

Accurate passes

70/73 (96%)

Key passes

1

As you can see in the table above, Ake lost 100% of his duels in the match and did not make a single tackle, interception, or block to help his side out.

Whereas, Khusanov, as aforementioned won two of his three ground duels and made six clearances, tackles, blocks, and interceptions combined, which means that he showed up the Dutch dud – who is ten years his senior – on Sunday.

Guardiola must, now, instantly drop Ake from the XI and bring Dias, who has won 54% of his duels in the Premier League this season, back into the side to provide a dominant presence alongside Khusanov against Spurs.

Man City now poised to chase "great" £100m ace in blockbuster summer deal

He could replace Kevin De Bruyne…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 22, 2025

It will then be down to the Dutchman to show, in training or off the bench, that he can bounce back with an improved display when he next gets an opportunity to start.

With new England boss Thomas Tuchel set to name his first squad since replacing interim coach, Lee Carsley, next week, there may well be a raft of Manchester City connections running through the Three Lions roster.

Indeed, the German tactician could once again call upon the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis, while ex-Etihad star, Kyle Walker, will also be looking to maintain his regular role as he targets 100 caps for his country. Jack Grealish and John Stones will, however, likely miss out through injury.

Perhaps more interestingly, there may also be a wave of one-time City academy stars involved for the March internationals, with Cole Palmer the headline name, while the likes of Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers – who have scored 17 Premier League goals between them season – may also have an outside chance of inclusion after starring for Ipswich Town and Aston Villa, respectively.

There could even be a wildcard opportunity for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to shine after his return of 15 goals and assists in Germany in 2024/25 to date, with the dazzling winger having departed City on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

That handful of names may well be joined by another former Man City asset, with Pep Guardiola having perhaps been left to regret another notable sale of recent times…

Man City's goalkeeping dilemma

Among the number of issues for Guardiola and co to resolve this season is in the goalkeeping department, with the time perhaps having come to acquire a suitable, long-term replacement for Ederson in the sticks.

The unique Brazilian – who has remarkably recorded three Premier League assists this season – had lost his place to teammate Stefan Ortega earlier in the campaign, although has managed to wrestle back his starting berth of late, having started five of the last six top-flight games.

That said, the former Benfica man hasn’t exactly enjoyed a smooth recall to the side, having notably been branded “nowhere near enough” by CBS pundit Jamie Carragher, following the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid last month.

As Carragher stated following the 31-year-old’s costly errors in that Etihad loss, it is now “at the stage with Man City where they need a new goalkeeper”, particularly with Ederson’s contract set to expire next year.

Ortega has largely been an able deputy, yet the German ‘keeper is even older than his teammate at 32, while having also endured a mixed spell of his own, after scoring an own goal in the narrow victory over Leyton Orient.

With all that in mind – and with reports in recent weeks suggesting that City may splash the cash to sign £62m-rated Porto stopper, Diogo Costa – Guardiola may well regret selling another bright young English talent who could well have walked into the current team.

Man City already sold the perfect Ederson replacement

Ederson may have been off the boil of late, yet it is worth remembering that this is a player who has helped Guardiola’s side sweep all before them over the past eight years or so, with the Citizens having undoubtedly struck a bargain with their £35m capture of the left-footer.

Market Movers

That said, there may be a tinge of frustration that a better succession plan has not been put in place at the Etihad, outside of signing an ageing Ortega as a backup.

Indeed, there may be those – with hindsight on side – who believe that Burnley number one, James Trafford, should have been kept on board, with the 22-year-old now shining in England’s second tier.

Stat (per 90)

Ederson

Trafford

Goals against

1.22

0.27

Shots on target against

3.61

2.24

Save percentage

69.2%

87.8%

Clean sheets

0.28

0.73

Clean sheet percentage

27.8%

72.7%

Save percentage (penalties)

N/A

100%

Passes attempted

34.5

34.5

Passes completed (launched)

3.22

3.39

Pass completion

86.6%

73.6%

Crosses stopped

0.50

0.52

Tipped to potentially join the likes of Palmer in Tuchel’s England set-up, the former City academy graduate – who joined the Clarets on a £15m deal in 2023 – has been integral to Scott Parker’s promotion-chasing side this season.

The 6 foot 6 stopper has racked up a ridiculous haul of 12 successive clean sheets in the Championship, while conceding just nine times in total in the division in 2024/25.

Such form has led to notable praise from his manager, with Parker stating back in January:

Also tipped to be “world-class” by ex-teammate, Palmer, Trafford was memorably the hero at the U21 European Championship in 2023, having saved a 96th minute penalty to steer the Young Lions to victory.

Of course, the Burnley ace did endure a difficult season last term in the top-flight, after conceding 62 goals in just 28 outings, yet his form this time around has not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United seemingly showing serious interest.

Amid those links with the Magpies, the belief is that Trafford is worth around £30m, thus marking a 100% increase in relation to his £15m fee from almost two years ago.

If recent signs are anything to go by, that valuation will soar even higher, with City left to regret not holding on to yet another big English talent would could well have walked into the current starting lineup.

Savio upgrade: Man City may regret selling 'the best winger in the world'

Man City might rue selling a player who has shone for his current club since leaving.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 3, 2025

Arsenal are planning talks with a high-profile striker and his agents, with Mikel Arteta’s side considering a summer move for the forward alongside the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and other targets.

The strikers Andrea Berta could target for Arsenal this summer

Former Atlético Madrid chief Andrea Berta is believed to be on the verge of becoming Arsenal’s new sporting director, and many Gunners supporters are already wondering what the Italian could be planning this summer if he is appointed to replace ex-transfer chief Edu.

Arsenal plan talks for £80m striker who Berta tried to sign for Atletico

The Gunners are targeting a new centre-forward this summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Mar 8, 2025

Berta spent 12 successful years at Atlético before departing the La Liga side in January, and an opportunity to hone his craft in the Premier League is now emerging with Arsenal, who are also on the look-out for a new striker.

Man Utd (away)

Today

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

If Berta’s move to the Emirates is confirmed, the 53-year-old will be pivotal in orchestrating Arsenal’s pursuits of striker targets. RB Leipzig starlet Sesko is believed to be a top target for Arsenal, with links also surrounding both Gyokeres and Isak, although the latter will be a very difficult capture from Newcastle.

Matheus Cunha’s new contract includes a £62.5 million release clause, with Arsenal monitoring the Brazilian as a result, so he could also be one to watch for Berta and the Gunners this summer.

A more left-field option like Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Hugo Ektike is also on Arsenal’s radar heading into the summer window, following his absolutely excellent Bundesliga campaign, although he’ll cost around £67 million.

Even Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is thought to be a target for Arsenal, with Berta known to be a huge fan of the Argentine, and he even tried to land his signature while at Atlético Madrid (Pete O’Rourke).

Many names are being leaked to the press ahead of the 2025/2026 season, with Arteta reportedly keen to bring in a prolific goalscorer who can fill the void up front.

Arsenal plan talks with the agents of Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen

Now, Galatasaray loanee Victor Osimhen is believed to be back on Arsenal’s transfer shortlist, according to CaughtOffside.

The £162,000-per-week striker is currently enjoying a fruitful temporary stint in the Turkish Süper Lig, but he is set to return to Napoli this summer, where he’ll once again be up for sale.

Arsenal are set to meet with Osimhen’s agents for transfer talks before the next transfer window opens, ahead of a potential swoop for the 26-year-old, but they face competition from Chelsea, Man United and PSG in pursuit of the Nigerian.

While both Gyokeres and Sesko are thought to be higher on Arsenal’s priority list right now, they’re still set to meet with Osimhen’s representatives to discuss the conditions of a potential move for the ex-Lille star.

A tantalising aspect of this story is that Osimhen’s Napoli deal will include a £63 million release clause which becomes active this summer, making him a pretty astute option when factoring in the marquee price tags of world-class centre-forwards in today’s market.