All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Amid an incredibly impressive transfer window on the incomings front, Aston Villa could be set to bid farewell to a wantaway defender alongside young striker Jhon Duran.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans were already left with little choice but to show Douglas Luiz the door earlier in the summer to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules – and may now have their hand forced once again. This time, however, there's no PSR involved. Instead, it is unhappy players seemingly pushing for exits, one of whom is Jhon Duran.

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Unai Emery could be about to sign a two time Champions League winner

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 26, 2024

The 20-year-old forward has been the subject of interest from West Ham United, who are considering a bid to match Aston Villa's £40m price tag before the transfer window slams shut at the end of next month. Duran made his feelings clear on social media, performing an 'Irons' gesture in an Instagram video, despite still being an Aston Villa player.

Duran is reportedly not the only player currently unhappy in the Midlands. According to Football Insider, Alex Moreno wants to return to Spain this summer following interest from three La Liga clubs. Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia have all reportedly registered their interest in the wantaway left-back, who may find himself surplus to requirements at Villa Park following Ian Maatsen's arrival.

A deal to sell Moreno is likely to be far simpler and cheaper than the one to sell Duran given that Unai Emery has more than enough cover down the left-hand side, with both Maatsen and Lucas Digne to call on. Therefore, it would come as little shock if the 31-year-old did complete a move away from the Midlands this summer.

Aston Villa no longer need Moreno

Now 31 years old and likely falling down the pecking order after the arrival of Maatsen, it makes sense for all parties that Moreno is granted his wish of a move away from Villa Park this summer. Maatsen more than proved his worth on loan from Chelsea at Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund last season and must now emerge ahead of both Digne and Moreno as Emery's first-choice left-back.

Progressive Passes

5.37

2.09

Key Passes

0.61

0.96

Ball Recoveries

5.49

3.48

Assists (overall)

2

0

Of course, Moreno's potential exit won't take away the praise he initially received from Emery, with the Spaniard saying via BBC Sport when the left-back first arrived: "Alex is a good player that can help our squad. He has been one of the top left-backs in La Liga over the past few seasons and we are delighted to have him here."

And now, return to Spain and the chance to reclaim his place as one of the Spanish top flight's best left-backs may await, with Moreno in need of game time – and therefore a summer departure. With the season fast approaching, he will hope for it to come his way sooner rather than later.

Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement for their sixth signing of the summer as they gear up for the upcoming Premier League season, with a medical booked for their latest addition.

Nottingham Forest expected to do late business

So far, Nuno Espírito Santo's side have added just five new faces to their ranks this summer. Led by the £35m addition of Elliot Anderson from Newcastle United, they have also signed highly-rated Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic to replace Moussa Niakhate, who completed a move to Lyon.

They have also added goalkeeper Carlos Miguel from Corinthians, as well as signing young pair Marko Stamenic and Eric da Silva Moreira from Red Star Belgrade and St Pauli repsectively.

Nottingham Forest's new signings

Player

Fee

Elliot Anderson

£35m

Nikola Milenkovic

£12m

Marko Stamenic

£4.6m

Carlos Miguel

£3.3m

Eric da Silva Moreira

£1m

But they are expected to remain busy for the coming month of the transfer window. As per reliable reporter John Percy, they are eyeing up at least five new faces.

"Forest will look to make further additions", he reports, with the "priority" being "two wingers, a forward, a left-back and another goalkeeper" between now and the end of the transfer window.

They have been linked with a shock loan move for Arsenal no.2 Aaron Ramsdale, while they are also thought to be set to submit an offer for impressive Brazilian teenager Wesley Gassova. And there is another deal that the club are on the verge of completing.

Winger set for Nottingham Forest medical

That comes in the shape of Portuguese attacker Jota Silva, who is set to fly to England to complete a medical with the Reds this week ahead of completing a move to the City Ground.

That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who reveals that the Midlands outfit have reached a "verbal agreement" over a deal with Vitoria, which will see Forest pay €7m up front plus a potential €6m in further add-ons.

Those add-ons consists of €3m if he plays 15 games, and a further €3m should he score 10 goals, while he is likely to be in for a major increase on his current £3,000 a week deal in Portugual.

Still just 24-years-old, Silva scored 11 goals and grabbed 7 assists from right wing last season, and will add more firepower to Nuno's attack.

It was a "top" season, according to analyst Ben Mattinson on X, who added that he "plays a lot like" Manchester City ace Jack Grealish, who once plied his trade across the Midlands with Aston Villa.

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ByBen Browning Jul 30, 2024

As such, it is no surprise that his nickname has become the "Portuguese Jack Grealish" within Vitoria, in part thanks to his low socks and low gravity shifts and turns when dribbling with the ball, though he himself reveals that it is another Premier League player who he sees similarities with,

"I can see a bit of myself in Diogo Jota’s style", he told the Guardian. Now, he will have the chance to play against both players this season should a deal get over the line.

With the beginning of the new Premier League campaign now just one week away, Kevin Thelwell and Everton have the chance to hijack an already agreed deal to sign his top striker target.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees have done well to improve Sean Dyche's side this summer even without a solution to their ownership problems. They've managed to sign the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O'Brien and Jesper Lindstrom, who scored a stunning free kick on his unofficial debut in a recent friendly against Preston North End.

Whilst welcoming the impressive trio too, those at Goodison Park have so far managed to keep hold of Jarrad Branthwaite, losing Amadou Onana to Aston Villa but standing firm when it comes to their rising star.

Their transfer window may not be done there, either. Recent reports have linked the Merseyside club to more attacking reinforcements. The likes of Armando Broja have been mentioned, with his future likely to be away from Chelsea, but is may be another option in London who emerges to hand Sean Dyche an offensive boost this month.

According to Sebastien Vidal, director of football Thelwell has expressed his admiration for Eddie Nketiah and is the one pushing Everton's pursuit of the Englishman. The Arsenal forward, who earns a reported £100,000-a-week in North London, has agreed to join Marseille in a loan-to-buy deal that would eventually cost €30m (£26m), as per David Ornstein.

However, despite both Arsenal and Nketiah himself agreeing to the move, the Ligue 1 club have yet to go ahead with it, with the "ball now in Marseille's court" according to Ornstein.

Everton swap deal to get rid of Beto for "lethal" forward may take off soon

The Toffees could finally get their man…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 7, 2024

It must be said that, given their financial concerns, it remains to be seen whether Everton are even in a position to seal such a deal this month. Splashing out £26m in itself could be a stumbling block and that's before even mentioning Nketiah's hefty wages. But with Marseille stalling, the opportunity to hijack is there if Thelwell pushes the club to go after his top target, who is currently waiting in limbo after Arsenal sanctioned his exit.

"Terrific" Nketiah needs Everton move

Even throughout Gabriel Jesus' injury struggles and disappointing form last season, Nketiah never quite looked like the out-and-out number nine at Arsenal. He never seemed to be viewed as the solution to the Gunners' striker problems and, with that, should head for the exit door and Everton this summer. At 25 years old, he should be at the top of his game too, making weekly starts crucial.

Nketiah is no longer the fresh-faced forward in the Premier League, either. This is a player with a fair amount of experience, who has shown glimpses of his ability in front of goal, scoring five goals in 10 league starts last season.

Earning the praise of Mikel Arteta as a result, the Arsenal boss said via Football London: "When you see Eddie training the way he trains, he doesn’t even need to play. You know you have a player there who is going to help you and he’s done that – look at his numbers with the amount of games he’s played. It’s terrific."

A consistent opportunity at Everton should only increase his output, but first Nketiah must hope that those at Goodison Park decide to match his price tag and potential wage demands.

There are less than two weeks until the Premier League returns, and while it's sure to be an important season for every club, that's probably truer for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping they can get over the line and end their two-decade title drought at the third time of asking after coming so close for the last two campaigns.

However, to do that, the Gunners need to bring in some more stars. While there are a plethora of super-talented players that Edu Gaspar and Co could bring in to supercharge the team, one in particular would be an incredible pickup.

The superstar in question has been heavily linked with the Gunners in the past, and while signing him could prove exceptionally challenging, he'd be an incredible addition to the midfield and form an unreal partnership with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

Arsenal transfer news

The player in question is Newcastle United's midfield general Bruno Guimarães, who, according to a recent report from The Mirror, remains a long-term target for Arsenal despite reaffirming his commitment to the Magpies in recent days.

However, as fans are well aware nowadays, a player's platitudes mean very little in modern football, and so, while it might be unlikely, the Gunners should push to bring the former Lyon ace to the Emirates this summer.

If Edu and Co could work their magic and convince the 26-year-old to up sticks and move to North London, the club would have to stump up a massive fee, as reports this summer have claimed that the Toon value him at around £100m.

It would require a serious effort from Arsenal to get this transfer over the line, but if they have a chance, they have to take it, as a midfield three of Rice, Odegaard, and Guimarães would be incredible.

Why Guimarães would be an incredible signing for Arsenal

Okay, so let's entertain this hopeful optimism for a little bit longer and examine a few of the reasons why Guimarães would be such an incredible signing for Arsenal, particularly for Rice and Odegaard.

The first is that, like the two Arsenal stars, the Toon ace has an extraordinarily clean injury record, with just eight games missed for club and country across his entire career thus far.

This resilience and ability to remain fit for entire seasons would make it much easier for him to form effective partnerships with those around him. Unlike Thomas Partey, for example, the 26-year-old could be relied upon to be there day in and day out.

The second reason the Rio de Janeiro-born ace would be great for Arteta's midfield stars is his raw output.

In 50 games for the Magpies last season, he scored seven goals and provided ten assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.9 games.

Appearances

50

Goals

7

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per match

0.34

This means he'd be able to either get on the end of killer passes and score himself to boost his teammates' assist tallies or play that killer ball himself, potentially helping Odegaard improve his goalscoring numbers from their already impressive level.

The final reason the "world-class" midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would be such a great signing is his ability to play in either central or defensive midfield.

Across his career, he has played 160 games as a six and 63 as an eight, although when you look at his heatmap from last season, when he started more games as a six, you can see that his natural game is to venture forward.

This ability to do both would make him the perfect player to connect play between Rice and Odegaard in the middle of the park. He would help the former out with some defensive work when needed before flying forward to help the latter by either creating space or playing the ball himself.

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4 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 9, 2024

Ultimately, this is a move that seems unlikely this summer and there is no getting away from that, but if Guimarães really is still a long-term target for Arsenal, then going all out to bring him in would be a bold statement and the perfect way to complete the team's midfield at the same time.

Leeds United are believed to be in pole position to sign a Premier League defender in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Leeds transfer rumours

It is set to be a busy end to the transfer window at Elland Road, as the 49ers Enterprises look to seal a plethora of new signings following a number of exits.

In the last seven days, Largie Ramazani has put pen to paper on a permanent Leeds contract, joining from Almeria, whereas Manor Solomon has signed on loan from Tottenham. The duo will look to fill the void left by Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, with Solomon admitting he is fit and ready to go following an injury-hit campaign with Spurs last time out.

“As soon as the interest from Leeds came, I started to look for the players, for the coach and I've spoken with the manager and he explained to me about the style of playing, about the players that there are in Leeds.

“I know there is a group of great lads, young people with great desire, with great techniques and I'm looking forward to playing with them and to help them in the best way I can. I just want to get going.

“Obviously I had a really tough season last season. I had an injury that happened in the beginning of the season and then for the majority of the season, I couldn't play football. But now I am fit and I'm ready to go, I'm ready to show myself again.

“I'm ready to go back to the biggest levels again and hopefully we'll have a great season here at Leeds. We have one goal and everyone knows our goal, hopefully we'll do it together."

Sky Sports: Leeds now also in talks to sign new £7m+ forward after Solomon

Three more signings could be made.

ByCharlie Smith Aug 28, 2024

Now, at least another midfielder and a full-back are on the to-do list, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, and it looks as if the club are revisiting previous targets.

In midfield, the Whites are in advanced talks to sign Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf, whereas AFC Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons is also of interest. A surprise loan approach was made for Aarons last week, and a new update has emerged in the last 48 hours.

Leeds favourites to sign Max Aarons

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds appear to be leading the race to sign Aarons before the deadline as they are ‘emerging as favourites’ for his services.

Aarons made 23 appearances for Bournemouth last season but was left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, with Andoni Iraola recently saying on his situation: “He's trying to get more minutes like the others. I think you can be out of the squad and next day you start.”

TEAMtalk add that the Whites are ‘confident’ of landing the £35,000-a-week defender, who actually pulled the plug on a move to Leeds last year in favour of the Cherries.

That could soon change, though, with Aarons potentially on his way to Yorkshire this time around to rival Jayden Bogle and Junior Firpo at both right-back and left-back.

Southampton fans will hope that, after a rocky start to the season, the newly promoted side's form does pick up after the international break is over.

Only netting one goal so far, with three defeats from three also making for grim reading, Russell Martin now has the lengthy break to try and get more out of his group on the training pitch to try to positively impact their worrying early Premier League form.

He could well even end up experimenting with what he at his disposal to try and get points on the board, but it looks very unlikely that Kamaldeen Sulemana will get a chance to impress in the first-team picture.

Sulemana's time at Southampton

Once costing the Saints a club record £22m, it's fair to say Sulemana has never quite lived up to this bumper price tag when playing on the South Coast.

From 44 appearances to date donning a Saints strip, the ex-Rennes winger has only managed to grab two goals and four assists, with zero strikes coming his way during Southampton's promotion-winning campaign.

Only averaging 39 minutes per clash that same season, it hasn't been a great shock to see Sulemana's standing in the St. Mary's pecking order take a battering moving up a league, with no games being handed to him so far in the Premier League.

A move to Ajax was meant to be the confidence-boosting switch Sulemana needed on deadline day, but that loan adventure was initially put on hold, owing to the fact it was unclear whether or not all of the paperwork involving the move took place before or after the Dutch window slammed shut.

There had even been the potential for him to move permanently to the Eredivisie giants for £17m as part of the temporary deal, although journalist Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that the deal is now off.

Martin and Co likely wouldn't have been too gutted to see the back of their £22m flop if he had departed, owing to his hefty salary in the Saints camp which sees him earn double the salary that key first-teamer Kyle Walker-Peters finds himself on.

Sulemana's wage at Southampton

As per Capology, Sulemana's wage for the season ahead comes in at an extortionate £40k-per-week, a wild amount for a player who is yet to taste any action for Martin's men in either the league or even the EFL Cup.

On the contrary, Walker-Peters remains a key cog in the Saints machine, with the South Coast outfit relieved that the former Tottenham Hotspur man didn't move to new pastures this window just gone.

Regardless of goals like the one above from the attack-minded defender helping Southampton achieve promotion last season, and Walker-Peters averaging 87 minutes per clash in the Premier League so far, the popular 27-year-old only earns a lesser £20k-per-week pay packet.

Walker-Peters won't be the only aggrieved member of the Saints camp when it comes to Sulemana earning more, with the likes of Will Smallbone and other fixed first-teamers also earning less.

Player

Wage

First-team appearances last season

Kamaldeen Sulemana

£40k-per-week

25

Will Smallbone

£25k-per-week

46

Gavin Bazunu

£20k-per-week

41

Kyle Walker-Peters

£20k-per-week

46

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

£7.5k-per-week

43

Looking at the table above, it's not a shock to see that Southampton do want to balance the books and get rid of their £40k-per-week man, with first-team stalwart at the back from last season in Taylor Harwood-Bellis even earning significantly less at £7.5k-per-week.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Southampton have been prone to many blunders in the transfer market over the years, with Sulemana another one now added to the list.

While Martin and Co will likely now be forced to wait until January to offload the costly forgotten man, the hope will be that a last-gasp deal can be struck with a handful of markets still open across the globe.

Walcott 2.0: Southampton could soon unleash "flamboyant" teenager

Southampton could discover their next Theo Walcott with this young ace.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 3, 2024

Leeds United tasted defeat for the first time in the Championship during the 2024/25 campaign as they were beaten 1-0 by Burnley at Elland Road on Saturday.

Luca Koleosho scored the only goal of the game in the first half, after Manor Solomon’s slip, by running down the right flank before firing into the bottom corner of Illan Meslier’s net.

It was a bitterly disappointing afternoon in West Yorkshire for Daniel Farke because his side created enough chances and had enough of the ball to win the match.

They ended the game with 71% of the ball and two ‘big chances’ created, to Burnley’s zero, but were not clinical enough with the opportunities that they created, whilst the Clarets were ruthless with the one decent chance that came their way.

Leeds have only won two of their first five matches in the Championship and their wasteful finishing has played a part in that, as they have only scored seven goals from 8.77 xG in the division so far.

This was also an issue for the Whites in the 2023/24 campaign, as their strikers spurned too many chances, and it was not an issue that was resolved in the summer transfer window.

Leeds United's striker woes

Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter, who has since moved on to join Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, were the main centre-forward options for the bulk of last season for Farke.

The former did not cover himself in glory in front of goal, with a return of eight goals from 9.52 xG in 33 appearances in the Championship, and did not prove that he still has what it takes to be the starting number nine for Leeds.

Rutter, meanwhile, missed a staggering 17 ‘big chances’ and only scored six goals from 12.34 xG across 45 outings during the regular season for the Whites.

This shows that Farke’s first-choice number nines were both incredibly wasteful in front of goal last season as they underperformed their xG by a whopping 7.86 goals combined.

Mateo Joseph has started the current campaign as the main centre-forward but the 20-year-old starlet has not been at his prolific best so far, missing a ‘big chance’ against Burnley with an early one-on-one opportunity that went wide of the post.

Mateo Joseph

1.88

1

-0.88

Wilfried Gnonto

1.35

1

-0.35

Joel Piroe

0.93

1

+0.07

Patrick Bamford

0.11

0

-0.11

Combined

4.27

3

-1.27

As you can see in the table above, Joseph, Gnonto, Piroe, and Bamford have underperformed their xG by 1.27 goals combined, with Piroe the only player overperforming/on par with his expected tally.

Joseph’s return of one goal from 1.88 xG, with two ‘big chances’ missed, suggests that Farke still has not solved his striker woes from the 2023/24 campaign.

The German head coach could solve that problem, however, by dipping into the market to find a free agent centre-forward who could provide his team with a boost in the final third.

Free agent striker options

There are a number of free agent strikers currently waiting to find new clubs after leaving their former teams ahead of the summer transfer window.

The most notable free agent number nine on the market is former Manchester United and Monaco star Anthony Martial, but he was reportedly on £247k-per-week at Old Trafford and played over 200 Premier League matches for the Red Devils.

This suggests that the France international is not a realistic target for a team in the Championship, with a Championship-sized budget, even as a free agent.

Anthony Martial

€10m

Wissam Ben Yedder

€8m

Joao Pedro

€3m

Robin Quaison

€2.8m

Aaron Connolly

€2.5m

As you can see in the table above, Martial and Aaron Connolly are the only two strikers in the top-five most valuable free agent forwards with previous experience in England.

Given the obvious reasons why the former Manchester United man is not a viable target, Farke should consider a swoop to sign Connolly on a free transfer to solve Leeds’ striker woes in the coming weeks and months.

Why Leeds should sign Aaron Connolly

The Ireland international left Hull City at the end of last season and is yet to find a new club, which means that he is available to sign and play straight away.

At the age of 24, Connolly would not come in as a veteran free agent looking for a final payday with minimal availability and declining performances.

He is heading into, what should be, the peak years of his career and Leeds could unearth a gem by bringing him in and offering the forward a chance to shine in a team chasing promotion to the Premier League.

The right-footed whiz, whose movement was hailed as “top level” by former Tigers boss Liam Rosenior, joined Hull from Brighton after scoring five goals in 45 matches in the top-flight.

Connolly, who had plundered 31 goals in 42 matches for Brighton at U21 level, played 28 times for Hull in the Championship last term and showcased his finishing ability.

Appearances

28

Starts

13

xG

6.62

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

As you can see in the table above, the free agent forward racked up eight goals from 6.62 xG, outperforming his expected tally, and only started 13 games.

His exceptional record at youth level for Brighton and his return of five goals in the Premier League suggests that the potential is there for him to be a top level forward, which was backed up by his impressive return in limited game time for the Tigers.

Connolly has shown that he has the ability to make the most of the chances that come his way at Championship level, as shown by his xG last term, and that is why he could solve Leeds’ striker woes.

Leeds forward who made 0 key passes was worse than Solomon

The Whites attacker endured a difficult afternoon at Elland Road against Burnley.

3 ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2024

Whilst the likes of Joseph and Bamford have struggled with the quality of chances that have come their way, the Irishman could come in and provide a boost in the final third with his ability in front of goal as a free agent signing for Farke.

Do you have that itch too? Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been out of the limelight for the past two weeks with the international break following the thrashing that the Reds gave Manchester United at the start of the month.

The first international pause of the 2024/25 campaign has worked its injury-hitting magic on Liverpool’s squad, who welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield in the Premier League as they look to keep pace with imperious Manchester City, with Saturday’s opponents yet to lose in the top flight (one win, two draws).

Alexis Mac Allister’s precautionary withdrawal from Argentina’s starting lineup against Chile earlier this week shouldn’t spell doom for the influential midfielder, but Harvey Elliott is sentenced to six weeks on the sidelines after fracturing his foot.

Federico Chiesa will certainly have an itch: he’ll hope to make his first appearance since signing from Juventus in a deal worth £12.5m in the summer, but it’s unlikely that Slot will throw him straight into the starting line-up.

14/09/24

Nott’m Forest (H)

Premier League

17/09/24

AC Milan (A)

Champions League

21/09/24

Bournemouth (H)

Premier League

25/09/24

West Ham (H)

Carabao Cup

28/09/24

Wolves (A)

Premier League

The Dutch tactician could make three changes though, with the action coming thick and fast over the coming weeks. Here’s what we think…

1 GK – Alisson Becker

Alisson starts. Liverpool’s steely shot-stopper recently revealed that he rejected interest from the Saudi Pro League this summer and looks forward to challenging for more success at the club.

He’s one of the best in the business, if not the best, and he’s kept three clean sheets from three matches this year. It took him ten games to achieve that last term.

2 RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold

The English national team appears to be waking up, finally, and recognising the talent of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is more than capable of performing at right-back, since he is arguably the best right-back in the world.

He’s been excellent to start the season off, displaying prodigious passing and unmatched influence. But wait, what’s this? Alexander-Arnold has also won 60% of his ground duels this season, as per Sofascore – perhaps he’s actually alright, Liverpool’s vice-captain.

3 CB – Jarell Quansah

Jarell Quansah has been sat on the bench since he was hooked at half-time against Ipswich Town on the opening day. The newly-promoted side attempts to put the Reds to the sword on the opening day and Slot felt change was necessary. He was right, for Liverpool won 2-0.

Ibrahima Konate will step back for this one though, with AC Milan looming on Tuesday night. Quansah, hailed as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, will be more than up to the task.

4 CB – Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool’s captain still start, and barring anything dreadful, will continue to do so throughout the club’s upcoming glut of games.

Virgil van Dijk is the best, and his aerial dominance will be vital against a meaty Nottingham Forest outfit.

5 LB – Andy Robertson

Andy Robertson did have his detractors last season but he was struggling to shake a shoulder injury that ruled him out through the later months of 2023.

The Scotland captain has started well this term and ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions (5.11), the top 2% for passes attempted (85.75) and the top 3% for progressive passes (7.06) per 90, as per FBref, so he’s well suited to Slot’s style.

6 CM – Ryan Gravenberch

Liverpool did get themselves a new number six this summer, actually, and his name is Ryan Gravenberch. The Netherlands international has been a revelation in the deep-lying role, so press-resistant and sharp.

He blew Old Trafford away, silenced the devils. Gravenberch, 22, has long been recognised as a player with the trappings of elite-level quality, but he lacked discipline, roundedness. He’s batting away his detractors and will reprise his anchoring role against Forest.

7 CM – Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones hasn’t featured yet under Slot’s wing, though he did play a prominent role throughout pre-season. The Scouser is criminally underrated and boasts one of Liverpool’s finest passing games, an adept retentor.

He’ll step in for Mac Allister, who must be handled with care after his knock, lest Liverpool lose another star for a gruelling period of unceasing action.

8 RW – Mohamed Salah

He’ll be hoping to strike an early arrow into the Tricky Trees’ net, severing hopes from the off. Mohamed Salah fizzled out somewhat under Jurgen Klopp but appears restive after a summer of recuperation.

We’re not doing him justice: he’s been sublime. The 32-year-old talisman has scored three goals and supplied three assists across just three matches this term, and you wouldn’t bet against him adding to that tally tomorrow.

9 AM – Dominik Szoboszlai

Dominik Szoboszlai looks reborn in a looser attacking midfield role, having spent most of his time under Klopp’s leadership in a more industrious machine-like midfield position.

The Hungary skipper is an absolute workhorse, and he is so important to the success of the frontline. Keep an eye on him against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

10 LW – Luis Diaz

The Theatre of Dreams endured a nightmare in the face of Luis Diaz last time out, with the Colombian wreaking devastation as he netted twice and condemned Erik ten Hag’s side to a successive Premier League defeat.

With three goals and an assist across his opening three games, Diaz is in fine form, and must now sustain it to aid Liverpool in their quest for prominence.

The games continue to come thick and fast for Chris Davies’ Birmingham City in League One, with a home clash against Peterborough United up next for the buoyed-on Blues.

After an underwhelming 1-1 draw kicked off their League One season against Reading, the ambitious West Midlands side have been near faultless since, with five wins managed now on the bounce which included a recent terrific 3-1 takedown of promotion rivals Wrexham at St. Andrew’s.

Winning with swagger last match too away at Rotherham United, it does feel harsh to speculate that Davies could tinker with his lineup for today’s game, but one defender could miss out.

Gardner-Hickman's performance vs Rotherham

That defender could end up being former West Bromwich Albion man Taylor Gardner-Hickman, who joined the ever-growing ranks at the Blues this summer on loan from Bristol City.

The versatile 22-year-old, who can also line up in midfield if required, has made three starts for his employers to date in League One since joining, with his last start seeing him slot into the right-back spot against the Millers.

Although his display was anything but a car crash – with Gardner-Hickman never leaving his side short to the point where the hosts managed to find a way back into the contest – he could be seen as an arguable weak link, having squandered possession 13 times in total at the New York Stadium.

The new Blues recruit did also run his heart out for the cause, but was poor when it came to asserting himself into duels in South Yorkshire all the same, with only two successful duels won from nine attempted in the away match.

There might also be an argument that Davies is currently shoehorning the Bristol City loanee into his starting eleven, with Gardner-Hickman only making four appearances from 40 for the Robins to date in this right-back position, whilst other more naturally suited full-backs sit on the bench.

With Birmingham Live journalist Alex Dicken also stating that the 22-year-old looked ‘leggy’ at full-time, despite gifting him a high 7/10 rating in his post-match thoughts, the time could be right to freshen the lineup against Darren Ferguson’s challengers today, as another new signing strives to start in Gardner-Hickman’s place.

The player who could replace Gardner-Hickman

Alfons Sampsted might well be the lucky defender that starts over Gardner-Hickman as Posh come to town, with the 26-year-old yet to be unleashed from the get-go in any game so far this season.

He has shown in flashes why the Blues decided to pick him up on loan from FC Twente this summer, however, with his brief cameo against Rotherham standing out.

Stat

Sampsted

Minutes played

11

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Accurate passes

7/10 (70%)

Key passes

1

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Total duels won

2/2

Whilst Gardner-Hickman failed to win a single duel when he was on the pitch versus the Millers, Sampsted would enter the fray for just 11 minutes and successfully win all of his own, whilst also creating a big chance late on to try and make his side’s 2-0 lead in the game even more convincing.

Unfortunately for Sampsted, who would have loved an assist to show for his late efforts, fellow second-half substitute Keshi Anderson would fluff his lines after being found in space by the Iceland international.

Ethan Laird will also be back soon and raring to go in this right-back spot, after finding himself sidelined with an injury of late, as Davies’ options all over the pitch seem to be plentiful.

That was the case last match for sure, as Alfie May was surprisingly demoted to the bench, with Davies perhaps wanting to change things up in defence this time around by boldly omitting Gardner-Hickman.

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Maresca was up front to the press about England international duo Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell over the summer transfer window, admitting at the time that they may be forced to find a new club, as their game-time would be limited under him.

“Brutal? I don’t think so. I try to be honest,” said Maresca on Sterling and Chilwell’s futures at Chelsea in August.

“I can repeat again if it’s not clear: I spoke with Raheem before the City game. I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason why he is out of the squad. With Chilly, I said he is a lovely guy, but he is going to struggle because of his position. He is going to struggle. If you define this as brutal, it’s up to you to decide. For me, it’s not brutal, it’s just honest.”

Nottingham Forest (home)

October 6

Liverpool (away)

October 20

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Since then, Sterling has sealed a season-long loan move to Arsenal, with Chilwell still at Chelsea but likely to leave in January. Elsewhere in the squad, a trio of other players have been linked with the Stamford Bridge exit door in 2025.

Chelsea are ready to sell Benoit Badiashile, who is yet to make a single appearance this season, with fellow Frenchman Axel Disasi also not part of Maresca’s plans.

Mykhailo Mudryk could be forced to quit Chelsea in the winter too, as uncertainty surrounds the Ukraine star’s future and BlueCo weigh up potential replacements like Veliz Sarsfield winger Thiago Fernandez.

These names don’t come as much of a surprise given their lack of inclusion so far this season, but Chelsea have since adopted a head-turning stance on one of their mainstay players.

Marc Cucurella no longer part of Chelsea's long-term plans

According to a report in The Boot Room this week, £175,000-per-week defender Marc Cucurella could be shown the door as well.

Indeed, it is believed Cucurella is no longer part of Chelsea’s long-term plans, with the indication being he could eventually be sold alongside the likes of Chilwell and Badiashile as Maresca’s side eye up a move for AC Milan star Theo Hernandez.

The Spain international, who impressed at Euro 2024 for the eventual champions, has started every single Premier League match so far and put in some solid displays at full-back in place of Chilwell.

This report therefore comes as quite a shock when factoring in just how often he’s been utilised by Maresca so far, not to mention how the Italian has praised his left-back as a key asset.

“Marc [Cucurella] is very important,” said Maresca on Cucurella very recently.

“Marc has something that you sometimes struggle to find in players. He is good and he is making the players around him good because he is a guy who is always talking, always demanding. If you can have five, six or seven players like Marc in your team, who are always talking about improving the rest, it’s very important. So I’m very happy with Marc.”