Tag Futebol

Arsenal are flying of late, with a team full to the brim with talented youngsters who are already starring on the biggest stage and at the highest level.

However, it is Mikel Arteta's older and more experienced core that truly ties the squad together. Without the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, none of the success they are currently enjoying would be possible.

Both of these midfield maestros have been imperative in their unlikely title charge, missing few games between them to maintain stability in the engine room.

However, they will not be around forever.

The latter in particular, who turns 31 in September, is entering the twilight years of his tumultuous career that could end with the most unlikely of Premier League winners medal.

As such, his role is one that needs filling with immediacy.

Fortunately for Gunners fans, and even Arteta himself, Feyenoord's Orkun Kokcu marks an incredibly viable option.

Who is Orkun Kokcu?

As noted by The Sun late last week, the Turkish midfielder has emerged as a target for both the north London outfit and Brighton and Hove Albion. To be involved in a transfer battle with a side boasting such a commendable transfer policy suggests that they are certainly looking in the right places.

Rated at £30m however, it is expected that the Seagulls could be priced out of a move, given that their record transfer stands at just £18m.

As such, it gives Arteta free rein to swoop in on the high-flying 22-year-old who too is masterminding his side to an unlikely title charge.

His goalscoring exploits in the engine room have proven vital for Arne Slot's outfit, with his role as club captain marking him out as a truly immeasurable figure for his age.

The 5 foot 9 magician has recorded 12 goals and eight assists in all competitions this season, not too dissimilar from Xhaka's seven goals and five assists with both proving themselves to be well-rounded attacking assets.

However, what sets Kokcu apart from the rest is when he is compared to other midfielders across Europe's 'next 8 best competitions'. Within this sphere, he ranks in the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 4% for progressive carries, and the top 2% for total shots, via FBref.

It is no wonder that former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko, when asked about his style of play, said the following: "I get unbalanced and answer Modric, for me he has the same quality of play. He has the potential to reach his level."

This outstanding praise is just a mere testament to the huge potential of the Feyenoord star, who clearly already boasts that attacking impetus that Xhaka has found of late.

His signing could prove to be the perfect acquisition to phase out the Swiss cult hero in favour of a younger, more dynamic model for whom the sky really is the limit.

Chelsea have an illustrious recent history, boasting some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League.

Enjoying countless domestic honours including six league titles and further two Champions Leagues, it is no surprise that they have attracted some true star power to Stamford Bridge.

However, it is not just the allure of the club alone that has convinced players to join over the years, as the immeasurable quality of managers has served to match the playing staff.

They too boast the pulling power needed to succeed at a club as unique as the west London outfit, with few personifying it better than Antonio Conte (Jose Mourinho excluded, for obvious reasons).

His tactical ideals revolutionised the Premier League, but it was buoyed up by the players he had at his disposal within the system, most notably the fearsome forward Diego Costa.

How long did Diego Costa play for Chelsea?

Having signed for the aforementioned Portuguese legend in 2014, the Brazil-born striker had starred at Atletico Madrid and came ready to use his aggression to take England by storm.

Hitting 20 goals in his debut season in the league as they won the title, the 6 foot 2 marksman would follow that up with the same tally during the 2016/17 campaign, adding eight assists as he then led Conte’s team to the same honour.

The Spaniard was feared by all across the division, with his penchant for the reckless and the dark arts often leaving defenders in a constant state of unease around him.

Journalist Alex Brotherton even suggested he was an “absolute animal” during that first year in the country.

With a desire to win at all costs, he typified a polarising club that had upset the apple cart for years now, and fans loved him for it.

Given their current struggles of late in the striker department, with Kai Havertz having deputised there, it is worth wondering just how impressive Graham Potter’s side would be with a prime Costa up front.

Six league goals this season is admirable for the German playing out of position, but he pales in comparison to the lethal finisher who would score, create and forge bedlam throughout.

For all his control, Potter craves an agent of chaos like the 34-year-old, to create space for the wealth of tricky talent that would surround him.

Although purely hypothetical, it remains a comforting thought to reimagine Costa tearing it up for Chelsea. Indeed, the brutish striker would now be perfect for their current needs.

Leeds United are thought to be leading the race to sign Barcelona teenager Ilias Akhomach. 

The Lowdown: Akhomach profiled

The 18-year-old and is primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle. The left-footed forward is valued at €3m (£2.7m) by Transfermarkt and is out of contract at the end of the season.

He made three first-team appearances at the Nou Camp last season, and it looks as if a move to Elland Road could be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Akhomach

LUFCFANZONE took to Twitter on Monday evening to share what they’ve heard on Leeds and Akhomach. They claim that the Whites are leading AC Milan in the race for the Barcelona gem.

The tweet added some more details about a potential move, stating: “A source close to the player has told us Victor Orta has met the player’s representatives on multiple occasions, however ‘the deal is looking good but not 100% complete yet’.”

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The Verdict: Next Gnonto?

The Whites struck gold by signing a teenage attacker last year in Wilfried Gnonto, who has gone on to become a regular in the first team in recent months. While the Italy international arrived in Yorkshire with more first-team experience under his belt than Akhomach, this could still be an exciting addition in the long run.

The Spaniard could well be a star in the making considering that he has captained his country at under-19 level, alongside the apparent interest from AC Milan.

You’d expect that Leeds will need to remain a Premier League club to persuade Akhomach to make the move to Yorkshire, so his name will be one to monitor heading into the summer.

Tottenham may well take on Manchester City this afternoon without Antonio Conte in the dugout after the Italian underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder in the week.

As a result, Cristian Stellini could earn a rare opportunity to take charge of the team and he’ll certainly have his work cut out as they welcome the champions to the capital.

Spurs looked fantastic in the first half against the Citizens a few weeks ago, scoring two goals, but they were eventually undone in the second period as they succumbed to a 4-2 defeat.

It was damaging for Conte and co but they have the perfect opportunity to get revenge on Sunday.

It’ll be a game of change for Spurs who could make a host of alterations to the side that beat Preston North End in the FA Cup last week, with Football FanCast predicting the following side to take to the field:

Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Porro, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessengon, Kulusevski, Kane, Son.

Our XI features seven changes from the side that took to the field last weekend with the most notable one coming at right wing-back.

Pedro Porro, signed from Sporting Lisbon on the deadline day, could earn a debut against his former employers with the Spaniard potentially starting ahead of £40k-per-week Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian has been a “liability” at times – in the words of Jamie O’Hara – and his run in the team must soon come to an end.

There are a wealth of changes to the backline as a whole with skipper Hugo Lloris coming back in for cup ‘keeper Fraser Forster, while Clement Lenglet, Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga all step out for Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero who have been regular starters throughout 2022/23.

Rodrigo Bentancur is set to keep his place but he is likely to be beside Pierre-Emile Hojgjberg with the £63m-rated midfielder “monster” – as dubbed by Morten Bisgaard coming in for Yves Bissouma. The Dane has been one of the first names on the team sheet this term, having featured for 90 minutes in all but one of the league games he’s played in.

The final change comes in attack where Harry Kane will come in for Ivan Perisic having been rested last weekend.

He has been nothing short of sublime of late, scoring five in his last seven outings.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay wants Robin Koch to be starting at centre-back so that Maximilian Wober can play on the left for Leeds United moving forward.

The Lowdown: On-field changes now needed

Leeds have taken the first step to make changes at Elland Road to ensure they secure their spot in the Premier League for next season by sacking Jesse Marsch.

However, things on the pitch have to be addressed by whoever the next manager to walk through the door is to replace the American. This includes the defence, which is performing much worse than they should be compared to their expected goals against (xGA) total (as per FBref).

One thing that looked to have been addressed last month was the left-back situation, with Pascal Struijk deployed there until the January signing of Wober.

However, his arrival has done little to improve their fortunes at the back. Indeed, he has been slotted into centre-back instead of left-back – where he had been playing for RB Salzburg this campaign.

The Latest: Koch has to return

Something Hay wants to see addressed quickly is getting Germany international Koch back in at centre-back in order for Wober to take up a role at left-back.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he said: “They’ll be helped by Robin Koch coming back, which might allow Wober to play at left-back – which to my mind, would be no bad thing and probably needs to be done.”

The Verdict: Round pegs have to go in round holes

If Leeds want to have a fighting chance against the drop this season, they have to be playing players in their most-suited positions – even if that means dropping others from the side.

Therefore, if Koch is available, he should go straight in at centre-back alongside either Liam Cooper or Struijk and take the Dutch youngster out of the firing line, as it has been an experiment that’s failed miserably.

Leeds currently have two more conventional left-backs on their books in the form of Wober and Junior Firpo, so there is no need to be playing a 6ft 3in centre-back there and making the team unnecessarily lopsided.

Glasgow Rangers have received a boost on one of their transfer targets…

What’s the news?

Morgan Whittaker failed to make the Swansea City bench for this afternoon’s tie against QPR, meaning he still has a chance of joining the Ibrox side this month.

The Daily Record reported the news and due to the winger already playing for Plymouth Argyle this season, if he made an appearance for the Championship side today, he wouldn’t have been able to play for Rangers due to FIFA rules.

Swansea now don’t play a match until after the transfer window has shut, providing Michael Beale with a big boost as he looks to strengthen his squad.

Arfield upgrade

Swansea have priced Whittaker at £2m and despite the Light Blues already having a bid rejected for the 22-year-old, there is still time for Beale to secure his signature.

With Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack out of contract at the end of the season, the 42-year-old will be hoping to bring a few new players to the club this month, and Whittaker could be an ideal upgrade for Arfield.

The 34-year-old has been deployed on the right wing numerous times this season, despite usually operating as an attacking midfielder, and while he has scored seven goals all season, this has masked some pretty average performances, especially in the Champions League.

He averaged a 6.5/10 rating via Sofascore for his displays on the continent and it’s clear that his influence is waning, with Beale keen to bring younger talent to the club.

Whittaker can also operate through the middle in an advanced midfield role or on the right wing and he has been in wonderful form this term, scoring nine goals and registering seven assists for League One side Plymouth in a loan spell during the first half of the campaign – highlighting how he could thrive under Beale.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him a “flamboyant winger” while his other strengths include “pace” and “crossing” which is something that could secure him a regular spot on the Rangers flank.

The Englishman is trying to reinvigorate Rangers and by luring talents such as Whittaker north of the border, he can build for the future while also releasing some members of the squad who haven’t quite contributed enough without worrying about their potential replacements.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min put in another disappointing display during the FA Cup win over Portsmouth.

The Lowdown: FA Cup victory

Spurs kicked off their FA Cup journey as an improved second-half performance was enough to see them over the line against their League One opponents in the third round.

The tie was decided by a Harry Kane classic as he whipped home a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in typically unerring fashion.

Spurs certainly didn’t pick up from where they left off following a rampant second-half display at Crystal Palace in the 4-0 win just days before, but nonetheless, the Premier League side got the job done.

The Latest: Son’s performance panned

Despite bagging in the win over Palace to break his domestic duck, having last scored in September, Son’s chase to grab more goals and get on a good run of form was wasted against Pompey.

London World’s Rahman Osman gave the player ratings from the FA Cup clash and expressed his dismay in his review of the South Korean, handing him a 5/10 rating.

He wrote: “Still not just himself in a season that has been so frustrating for one of Tottenham’s best players.

The Verdict: Struggling season

Son has been miles off the level he was at last season when he bagged joint-top goalscorer with Mohamed Salah.

The Eagles clash marked only the third game in 23 that he’d scored in all season, showing just how significant of a drop-off he’s had this campaign.

According to Sofascore, the South Korean failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles, alongside only five out of 13 successful crosses, with his wastefulness summed up in losing possession 20 times – the second-highest of any Spurs player.

Therefore, Osman’s low rating for Son appears to be more than fair.

The January transfer window is only a matter of days away from opening for business and Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray could be in the market to improve his squad.

He arrived at the Stadium of Light towards the end of the summer transfer window and that meant that he was unable to have a big say in the recruitment that took place ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The former Blackburn Rovers coach will now be able to work hand-in-hand with Kristjaan Speakman to identify targets to bolster the team heading into the second half of the season.

One position that the club could need to recruit a player in is central midfield after Elliot Embleton suffered an ankle fracture and ligament damage, which is set to keep him out in the ‘long term’.

The academy graduate had featured in all 23 league matches, starting 13, this season before picking up his injury and this shows that he has been an important player for Mowbray.

Embleton, who was once described as a “nightmare” to play against by Lee Cattermole, has chipped in with two goals and two assists from the middle of the park in the Championship and Sunderland could use the January window to sign a replacement for the gem.

The Sun reported, back in November, that the Black Cats are interested in a deal to snap Bradley Dack up from Blackburn and he could come in to fill the void left by this latest injury blow.

He is a similar player to Embleton, positionally, as he can play as a number eight, as a 10, or out wide and this means that he could slot straight into the squad as a like-for-like replacement.

Mowbray, who once dubbed the 28-year-old’s love for the game as “amazing to watch”, worked with the gem at Ewood Park and managed to get the best out of the playmaker.

In 150 games under the current Sunderland manager, Dack produced 50 goals and 26 assists from midfield and this shows that he has the quality to be a match-winner from the middle of the park as he is capable of scoring and creating goals.

The Blackburn maestro is a proven Championship performer, with over 100 appearances in the competition, and his pre-existing relationship with Mowbray indicates that he could hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light.

This means that he could be the perfect signing to replace Embleton as he would not need time to adjust to the standard of football or the manager’s tactics, which is why Speakman must now work hard to get a deal over the line for the ex-Gillingham man.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will have been watching the World Cup in the hope that none of his players suffer any injuries which could jeopardise the second half of the season.

Of the Reds’ squad, only Virgil van Dijk has played in every minute of the tournament so far, impressing as the Netherlands topped their group and qualified for the quarter-finals with thanks to a 3-1 victory over the USA on Saturday.

One of the bigger disappointments, however, have been the performances of Darwin Nunez, as Uruguay crashed out at the group stages for the first time since 2002, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final match.

Heading into the tournament, Nunez was arguably one to watch, especially having sealed a record £85m move to the Anfield side in the summer, yet he massively underperformed in Qatar.

He played in all three matches, yet averaged a Sofascore rating of just 6.37/10 and failed to contribute anything like he has done for Liverpool this season, averaging just 0.7 shots on target per game, missing two big chances and making only 0.3 key passes across the three matches.

The 23-year-old was mainly deployed on the left of a front three to make way for Luis Suarez, but he struggled throughout. He lost possession 41 times in just three matches, won just 35% of his total duels, and failed to succeed with any of his dribble attempts.

The £140k-per-week ace was even dubbed “so bad” by popular Twitch Partner, FG, and this experience will only make him better for future tournaments.

Klopp, although likely disappointed at Nunez’s performances in Qatar, will at least be happy with the fact he won’t have exerted himself too much and be fit and firing ahead of the second half of the league season resuming on Boxing Day.

With just six Premier League victories all season, Klopp’s men know they will have to improve after Christmas to stand any realistic chance of challenging Arsenal for the league title. Having everyone returning from the World Cup injury-free and raring to go will be a big bonus for the German.

Leeds United were linked with a move for Flamengo centre-forward Pedro in the summer transfer window, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Victor Orta’s interest in the 25-year-old in an interview with GIVEMESPORT back in August.

Regarding the Whites’ fondness for the Brazil international, the transfer insider said: “I’m told that the player they have been monitoring for a long time is Pedro from Flamengo, the Brazilian striker.

“But the problem with South American transfers is the timing. Of course, now we’re close to the end of the window, so they need to be fast if they want to do a South American deal.”

However, with the Brazilian Série A season now at an end, and with Pedro having made Tite’s 26-man squad for the Qatar World Cup, Orta and his transfer team at Elland Road will have a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the striker this winter.

BBC Sport commentator Guy Mowbray singled the Flamengo forward out as one of his players to watch in the tournament, labelling the 25-year-old as “something special” and stating his belief that Pedro is set to play a “starring substitute role” for when the Seleção “need something different.”

And, considering just how impressive the two-cap international was in Brazil this season, it would not be hard to imagine that Orta will once again be tempted into launching a move for the centre-forward in the January market.

Indeed, over his 24 Série A appearances – only 12 of which came as starts – in 2022, the £17.5m-rated talent was in devastating form, scoring 11 goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances, in addition to taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 0.7 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

The 25-year-old also caught the eye over his 13 Copa Libertadores fixtures, bagging 12 goals, providing two assists and creating six big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making one key pass and completing 0.6 dribbles per game – playing a starring role in Flamengo going on to win the competition.

As such, should the player who boasts a £110m release clause go on to explode for Brazil in Qatar, it would indeed appear extremely wise for Orta to launch a move for Pedro this winter, as the striker’s goals would look to make a very welcome addition to Jesse Marsch’s current attacking options at Elland Road.