All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Ipswich Town appear to have their eyes on an “exciting” EFL star who “scores and creates goals”, according to one Sky Sports pundit.

Ipswich Town transfer rumours with McKenna’s side in relegation zone

The Tractor Boys’ return to the Premier League looks like it may only last one season, with Kieran McKenna’s side nine points adrift of safety with nine games remaining.

A defeat at Portman Road last time out was coupled with Wolves’ win at Southampton and has left Ipswich with plenty of work to do in the final months of the season.

Best signing since Davis: Ipswich struck gold with "wrecking ball" star

Leif Davis has been one of Ipswich’s finest signings during the Kieran McKenna era.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 20, 2025

Should Ipswich suffer relegation, there could be a number of exits, including star striker Liam Delap, with several top-flight giants eyeing a move for the impressive forward, including Man Utd and Chelsea.

Hearts striker and captain Lawrence Shankland, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has seemingly been identified as a possible replacement for Delap at Portman Road.

Loanee Kalvin Phillips is also unlikely to make his move permanent, and his replacement could be 6ft 6 midfielder Kalidou Sidibe, who currently plies his trade with French side En Avant Guingamp.

Towards the end of 2024, Ipswich were also linked with Peterborough United star Kwame Poku, alongside Southampton, Championship side Burnley and Scottish giants Rangers.

Ipswich Town told they can sign “exciting” EFL star if relegated

Now, talking to Football League World, Sky Sports co-commentator and pundit Don Goodman has labelled Ipswich target Poku as an “exciting” potential signing in the Championship, appearing to urge the Tractor Boys to make a move if they’re relegated.

“Well, Peterborough have finally found their mojo, haven’t they? They’ve just put a seven-game unbeaten run together, far and away their best run of the season. It took way too long.

“Kwame Poku, 10 goals and six assists this season from just 20 games, 19 starts, is very impressive. It’s on the back of 11 goals and seven assists last season.

“He’s been on my radar for a couple of seasons now, along with Ephron Mason-Clarke, who is now doing really, really well at Coventry.

“If you’re Burnley, Southampton or Ipswich, it’s obviously going to depend on which players stay and which players leave. That’s assuming Southampton and Ipswich will be in the Championship, Burnley will hope to be in the Premier League.

“So whether he’s ready for the Premier League just yet is a debate to be had, but certainly if I was a Championship club and I needed an exciting, ball-carrying winger that both scores and creates goals, he would be on my radar.”

Games

139

Goals

28

Assists

28

Minutes played

9,828

It could well be one to keep an eye on, and with Ipswich at this stage likely to come straight back down, someone like Poku could help in the final third as they aim to bounce back up.

Ipswich Town are now interested in signing an “absolutely insane” midfielder, who is ready to leave his club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Ipswich's summer transfer plans taking shape

Unforutnately, it is now looking increasingly likely that Ipswich will be unable to avoid relegation in their first season back in the Premier League, with 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers opening up a nine-point gap near the bottom of the table.

As such, Kieran McKenna may be tasked with building a squad capable of mounting another Championship promotion push next season, and Peterborough United forward Kwame Poku could be of interest, having enjoyed an impressive campaign with the Posh.

McKenna may have to bring in players capable of pitching in with goals, amid major doubts over striker Liam Delap’s future, who has been linked with a whole host of Premier League clubs, while Jaden Philogene may also have to be sold.

Ipswich let gem leave for nothing, now he's worth more than Muric & Chaplin

Kieran McKenna would love to have this star back in his Ipswich Town ranks.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 30, 2025

Besiktas are lining up a move for Philogene, who was brought in from Aston Villa for £20m during the January transfer window, although the winger’s arrival has done little to alleviate relegation fears.

Ipswich may have to brace for a couple of key departures this summer, but their own transfer plans are also now taking shape, with a report from Caught Offside revealing they are interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo.

Endo has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield, meaning he is now ready to move on this summer, and the Reds could be more open to bids than they have been in the past.

AC Milan, Celtic, Fulham and Wolves are also interested in the midfielder, so there could be stiff competition for his signature, with Arne Slot’s side willing to consider offers of around €15m -€20m (£13m – £17m).

"Insane" Endo could be excellent addition for Ipswich

Ipswich’s hopes of avoiding the drop appear to be fading, which may make it difficult to attract quality players this summer, but if they are able to tempt the Japan international into a move, there are signs he could be an excellent signing.

While the Yokohama-born midfielder has mostly been utilised as a utility player for Liverpool, he has performed very well on some key metrics for midfielders over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

67.79 (89th percentile)

Pass competion %

89.2% (89th percentile)

Tackles

2.90 (84th percentile)

Clearances

2.08 (83rd percentile)

Jurgen Klopp was the man who brought the central midfielder to England, and he was left very impressed by some of his performances for the Reds, saying: “I’m not sure people think that’s spectacular or whatever, but the forward passes he played tonight were absolutely incredible.

“And how often he broke lines with one touch, that was absolutely insane.”

This season, the former Stuttgart man has played a very sporadic role, so it is clear to see why he is looking to leave this summer, but Ipswich may find it difficult to win the race, amid rival interest from the likes of AC Milan and Celtic.

It would be fair to say that it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for Mikel Arteta since taking the Arsenal job in December 2019.

However, with three Premier League title races in the last three years and a second Champions League quarter-final to look forward to in as many seasons, the Spaniard has gotten more things right than he has wrong.

A good example of this would be the club’s transfers under his tenure, as Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya have dramatically improved the starting lineup.

However, the former captain has also signed his fair share of flops, including one who’s playing well enough out on loan that the club may be able to shift him in the summer for less of a loss.

How Arsenal's players are faring out on loan

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at other players who have found their feet out on loan this season, such as Nuno Tavares.

The Portuguese star joined Lazio on a season-long deal, which includes a clause that will see his move made permanent for around £7.6m, should certain conditions be met, and while he struggled on loan with Nottingham Forest last term, he’s been exceptional this year.

In all, the “unstoppable” full-back, as dubbed by Italian football expert James Horncastle, has made 26 appearances for the Roman side, in which he’s provided nine assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.88 games.

Appearances

26

Minutes

1834′

Goals

0

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

Minutes per Goal Involvement

203.77′

Another Arteta signing who failed to make it in the Gunners’ first team but is enjoying a great campaign out on loan is Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The Belgian midfielder joined La Liga giants Sevilla on a season-long loan with a £10m option to buy in the summer, and despite dealing with hamstring injuries, has made 18 appearances so far, of which 13 have been starts.

The 25-year-old has been impressive enough that Atlético Madrid are now reportedly interested in signing him on a permanent deal in the summer and could be set to battle Sevilla for his signature.

However, the Verviers-born star isn’t the only midfielder out on loan who Arsenal could sell at the end of the season.

Chalkboard

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

The Arsenal loanee that Berta has to sell

While a few other players are out on loan this season, such as Reiss Nelson, Karl Hein and Marquinhos, none of them have played well enough to potentially boost their valuations.

On the other hand, Fabio Vieira has started doing just that.

The Portuguese midfielder made a surprise £34m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022, and while there was a fair amount of excitement about what he might be able to bring to Arteta’s side, it would be fair to describe his time in the capital as a bit of a failure.

For example, while the Santa Maria da Feira-born dynamo was able to produce 23 goal involvements in just 39 games in the 21/22 campaign, he amassed a lacklustre tally of three goals and nine assists in 49 appearances across his two full seasons in North London.

So, with it becoming increasingly clear that the £45k-per-week flop was not going to make much of a difference heading into this season, he was sent back to Porto on loan in a bid to get him back on track.

Season

21/22

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

39

33

16

31

Goals

7

2

1

5

Assists

16

6

3

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.24

0.25

0.29

While he endured a slow start back at his former club, he’s since started to look like his old self.

In his last four league games, the 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided one assist, lending credence to Arsenal content creator Harvey Diamonds’ claim that “he’s hit some incredible form as of late.”

However, while some may be tempted to bring him back to the Emirates in the summer and give him another shot next season, it might be far smarter for Arteta and Co to try and recoup as much money as they can for him while he’s playing well.

After all, he did very little in two years to suggest he has what it takes to make it in English football, and he is still just as slight as ever, which was one of the biggest issues with playing him before.

Ultimately, while Vieira is an undeniably talented footballer, Arsenal would be far better off cashing in on his recent rejuvenation this summer and reinvesting the money into more of a sure thing instead.

Arsenal sold "crazy" Havertz upgrade for just £4m, now he's worth 213% more

The incredible youngster could have solved Arsenal’s biggest problem this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 19, 2025

Leeds United are flying high in the Championship this season, and seem destined for promotion. The Whites are level on points with second-place Sheffield United, who are vying with them for the league title in the second tier. The gap between Yorkshire club Leeds and their Lancashire rivals Burnley currently stands at just two points, however.

Some of Leeds’ biggest attacking threats have been on fire this season. Daniel James is in sensational form, and has ten goals and nine assists so far this term. Striker Joel Piroe has also been playing superbly, and has 15 goals and six assists.

At the opposite end of the pitch, it has been a slightly tougher season for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Meslier’s 2024/25 season

It has been a rough campaign for Leeds number one Meslier. The Frenchman, who has been capped at under-21 level for his country, has been an ever-present for the Whites in goal this season.

He has played all 35 of their games in the Championship, conceding 22 times and keeping an impressive 20 clean sheets. However, he has made some crucial mistakes, which have cost Leeds points.

Perhaps the worst of the lot came against Sunderland, a side pushing for the playoffs, back in October. In a bizarre moment with Leeds 2-1 up in stoppage time, he failed to catch the flick-on from a Black Cats attacker, simply letting the ball shoot under his body and roll into the back of the net.

Described as a “hindrance” by Lewis Deighton, a fan writer for BBC Sport, the Frenchman has statistically been one of the worst shot-stoppers in the Championship this season.

As per Sofascore, he has prevented -1.33 goals, better than only 13 goalkeepers. For context, Blades’ number one Michael Cooper has prevented 4.92 goals.

Meslier’s form has been an issue for Leeds at times this season, despite their good performances across the board. They once had someone at the club who could have been a big upgrade on him, but left Elland Road on a cheap deal.

Leeds already sold a dream Meslier upgrade

It might be frustrating for Leeds fans to see what Kasper Schmeichel has achieved since leaving the club. He spent one season in Yorkshire in the 2010/11 campaign, before departing the club and going on to achieve great things.

Where Are They Now

Indeed, the Dane, son of former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, made 40 appearances across all competitions in a Leeds shirt 15 years ago. Admittedly, his record was not astounding. He conceded 55 goals and kept just ten clean sheets in that time.

In June 2011, the Denmark international, who now plies his trade at Scottish giants Celtic, made the move from Elland Road to the East Midlands to join Leicester City for a reported £1m fee. The rest, as they say, is history.

Schmeichel played 479 times for the Foxes, conceding 586 goals in that time, and managing to keep an impressive 187 clean sheets.

The highlight of his time at the club was surely winning the Premier League in 2015/16, in the most unlikely of circumstances. He also lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021.

The stats on Squawka suggest that the legendary Danish goalkeeper has been outperforming Meslier in many areas this season.

For example, Schmeichel makes 2.3 saves and concedes 0.6 goals per game, compared to 1.7 saves made and 0.7 goals conceded each game by Meslier.

Stat (per 90)

Schmeichel

Meslier

Saves

2.3

1.7

Goals conceded

0.6

0.7

Clean sheets

0.7

0.6

Save percentage

79.27%

72.15%

Pass accuracy

94.55%

78.42%

Former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers described Schmeichel as one of the “top keepers” in the Premier League back in March 2021, and it is not hard to see why. The qualities he possessed then, and still does, could have served Leeds well.

Perhaps they wish they had kept Schmeichel around at the club beyond the 2010/11 season. They could have had a brilliant goalkeeper who would have been a long-term fit in the sticks for the club.

Not just Kristensen: 49ers must sell Leeds flop who's cost £525k-per-game

Rasmus Kristensen looks to be on his way out of Leeds United, with another player needing to follow him.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 6, 2025

Over the years, Chelsea Football Club has been the home to countless centre-forwards who have captured the hearts of the fanbase with their impressive displays on the pitch.

Eidur Gudjohnsen featured for the Blues over a six-year period, amassing over 250 appearances, but catching the eye with his finishing ability in the final third.

The former Iceland international netted 78 times during his time at Stamford Bridge, helping the club win multiple Premier League titles along the way.

He wasn’t the only talisman to impress during his time as a player, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scoring 87 times in 177 games in West London, cementing his own place in the club’s history books.

However, fast-forward to 2025, the club have lacked that focal point under Enzo Maresca, with the Italian yet to make his own stamp on the forward line since his summer appointment.

Christopher Nkunku’s stats for Chelsea in 2024/25

With Nicolas Jackson currently on the treatment table, Maresca has relied upon Frenchman Christopher Nkunku to lead the line for Chelsea over the past couple of weeks.

The 27-year-old has struggled for regular minutes after his £52m move from RB Leipzig in 2023, with an ACL injury halting his progress for the majority of last season.

However, he’s been handed multiple starts over the last couple of weeks, looking to fill the void left by the Senegalese international after his recent injury setback.

Nkunku has started each of the last four outings across all competitions, registering one goal and one assist, with both of his contributions coming in the recent 4-0 thrashing of Southampton.

He’s offered a temporary solution to the forward position, which the manager has desperately tried to bolster during his two transfer windows since his appointment.

However, the club may have been better off keeping hold of one player who certainly would’ve offered the focal point the Italian has craved in recent months.

The Nkunku upgrade that Chelsea sold back in 2021

Off the back of winning the Champions League back in 2020/21, Chelsea made some big-money investments, which saw numerous players depart from the Bridge.

Romelu Lukaku arrived in a £97.5m deal from Inter Milan, which resulted in Tammy Abraham leaving in a £34m deal to join Serie A side Roma, ending his long-standing affiliation with his boyhood club.

Whilst it was a superb fee to receive for an academy graduate, they parted ways with an impressive talent who has continued his goal-scoring form away from West London.

Abraham, who’s currently spending the season on loan at AC Milan, has registered 45 goals since his big-money departure, with eight of which coming during the ongoing campaign.

When comparing his underlying stats to those of Nkunku, the Englishman has outperformed the current first-team star, highlighting the mistake the Blues made in allowing him to leave the club.

Games played

21

23

Goals & assists

4

5

Shot-on-target accuracy

47%

45%

Aerials won

2.4

1.4

Aerial success rate

48%

41%

Tackles won

1

0.5

Expected goals

0.6

0.5

Abraham, who’s previously been labelled “sensational” by commentator Matteo Bonetti, has achieved a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate this season whilst also winning more of the aerials he’s entered.

He’s also registered a higher xG to date, finding himself in better opportunities to score than the Frenchman, offering that out and out presence they’ve desired over the past couple of months.

Given his form in Italy, the club certainly may have offloaded the 27-year-old too prematurely, having the tools to offer the needed focal point Maresca craves in West London.

However, unfortunately for the Blues, he will remain a case of what could’ve been had they kept hold of him, with Abraham thriving away from his boyhood with the added minutes he’s received after departing in 2021.

Not just Nkunku: Another "top talent" saved their Chelsea career this week

Another “top talent” has saved their Chelsea career this week after performance against Southampton

ByConnor Holden Feb 27, 2025

It wouldn’t be over the top to suggest that next season is Mikel Arteta’s most important since taking charge of Arsenal in 2019.

The Spaniard has helped to utterly transform the club since he was appointed, but after three second-placed Premier League finishes in a row, the expectation from many is that he will finally lead the team to glory next year.

Fortunately, the board and sporting director Andrea Berta seem intent on giving him the tools to do so this summer, with the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard already through the door, and a deal for Viktor Gyokeres in the works.

Furthermore, the links to Eberechi Eze continue to heat up, and now it looks like the Gunners are looking at someone who’d be the midfielder’s dream forward.

Arsenal target Eze's perfect forward

Eze has long been a player on Arsenal’s radar, as stories linking him with a return to the club that released him as a child started to pop up as far back as last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

However, it’s really been in the last couple of weeks that the reports have become far more serious.

It now looks like the 27-year-old, who has a £68m release clause in his contract, has agreed personal terms with the Gunners and that talks between the two clubs are ongoing.

The Englishman would be an expensive but exciting addition to Arteta’s side, and now it looks like Berta and co are interested in adding another attacker who’d be his perfect forward: Ademola Lookman.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in the Atalanta star this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Napoli are all keen on the Nigerian international.

On top of having to deal with the competition, the Premier League runners-up will have to stump up a fee of around £50m for the former Everton ace.

It’s a lot of money to spend on another attacking player, but Lookman has been incredible for several years now, and would be a dream forward signing for Eze.

Why Lookman would be a dream forward for Eze

There are several reasons why Lookman could end up being a dream teammate for Eze at Arsenal, but the first and most crucial is unsurprisingly related to his output.

While the former Everton and Fulham ace struggled to show how good he really was during his time in England, he has had no such trouble since making his way to Italy.

Across his 118 games for the Bergamo outfit, totalling 7538 minutes, the “world-class” attacker has scored 52 goals and provided 25 assists.

Appearances

33

45

40

Minutes

1858′

2809′

2871′

Goals

15

17

20

Assists

8

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.60

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.78′

104.03′

106.33

In other words, the 29-capped international has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since joining the Serie A side.

Just imagine the numbers the Palace ace could produce playing behind or alongside someone as dangerous as the Wandsworth-born star.

That brings us to the second reason the former RB Leipzig ace would be a great teammate: his positional versatility.

Due to the 27-year-old’s ability to play across the entire frontline, there will be plenty of minutes available to him at the Emirates next season, and as such, he’d have plenty of time to form a real connection with Eze and learn his game.

Moreover, he’s also able to play in attacking midfield and could therefore offer cover for the Englishman and make sure he is not overplayed.

Finally, Lookman has also proven to be a big game player, someone who can get his team over the line all by himself and is totally unfazed by the big occasion.

You only need to look at the 2024 Europa League final to see this, as he scored a hat-trick and won the final for Atlanta despite them being the clear underdogs.

With one of Eze’s motivations for joining the Gunners likely being the chance to win the biggest competitions, this is especially important.

Ultimately, Arteta and Co need to improve Arsenal’s attacking options ahead of next season, and signing both the Palace and Atalanta stars would be an excellent way to do that.

Saka's dream CAM: Arsenal submit bid for £45m superstar & it's not Madueke

The experienced international could be a game-changer for Arsenal and Bukayo Saka.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 10, 2025

West Brom are “finalising” a move for a “tremendous” international defender in the summer transfer window, according to a new claim regarding their upcoming business.

Mason eyeing "positive future" at West Brom

Ryan Mason took charge at The Hawthorns earlier this summer, with the former Tottenham midfielder tasked with guiding the Baggies back into the Premier League as soon as possible.

The 34-year-old has certainly spoken well about what he hopes to see West Brom achieve under him, focusing on a “positive future” with plenty of success.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed Head Coach of West Bromwich Albion. This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fan base and I am excited about what we can achieve together. Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started. I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Mason will know that new signings are required in order to aid their Championship promotion push in 2025/26 and have already brought in centre-back Nat Phillips and centre-forward Aune Heggeb. Now, they are closing in on a new international defender.

West Brom "finalising" move for centre-back

According to journalist Ben Jacobs on X, West Brom are now “finalising” a move for CF Montreal and USA centre-back George Campbell.

“George Campbell is finalising a move from Montreal to West Bromwich Albion. American centre-back left out of Montreal’s draw with Orlando yesterday ahead of formalising the transfer.”

Campbell could be an impressive signing by West Brom, even though some supporters may have reservations because he has never played in Europe before, only representing Montreal, Atalanta United and Atlanta United 2 in his club career.

Granted, that is a fair concern to have, but the 24-year-old is now a one-cap USA international who will hope to feature prominently at his home World Cup next summer, and Gonzalo Pineda has heaped praise on his abilities as a player.

"I can see a center back with tremendous potential. He’s a center back that is physically gifted. His aggression when he presses between the lines was fantastic today, so I was pleased with his performance before he scored the goal. He did a couple tackles on the ground, and we gained a couple important balls in transition that helped us to continue the attacking. I am very happy with his performance."smallRelatedWest Brom plot move to sign "fantastic" free agent Mason thinks will be keyHe played in the Champions League last season.Hopefully, Campbell takes to the English game seamlessly, assuming he does join West Brom, coming straight in as an influential starter who can inspire the Baggies back into the Premier League.

Newcastle United supporters are starting to get excited ahead of next season.

On Friday, Anthony Elanga was unveiled as the Magpies’ first summer signing, arriving from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £55m.

Now, will Eddie Howe add more attacking firepower to his front line?

Newcastle's search for a new striker

Elanga’s arrival makes him the second-most expensive signing in Newcastle United history, behind only compatriot Alexander Isak.

Alexander Isak

2022

Real Sociedad

£63m

Anthony Elanga

2025

Nottingham Forest

£55m

Sandro Tonali

2023

AC Milan

£55m

Anthony Gordon

2023

Everton

£45m

Joelinton

2019

Hoffenheim

£40m

Harvey Banres

2023

Leicester City

£38m

Sven Botman

2022

LOSC Lille

£35m

Bruno Guimarães

2022

Olympique Lyonnais

£33.5m

Tino Livramento

2023

Southampton

£32m

Now though, the Toon Army could be about to spend big again because, as reported by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Newcastle are exploring a move to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international is also reportedly a target for Tottenham, with Sam Tabuteau and Dom Smith of the Evening Standard noting that the Bees value him at around £50m.

The other striker on the Magpies’ list is Hugo Ekitiké but, as documented by Luke Edwards of the Telegraph, Eintracht Frankfurt are only prepared to sell the Frenchman for his £86m release clause, so could Wissa become Newcastle’s primary target?

Why Yoane Wissa would improve Newcastle

Wissa joined Brentford from Lorient in the summer of 2021, following the Bees’ promotion to the Premier League, for a reported fee of £8.5m and, fair to say, this has proved to be money well spent.

He has scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the West London-based club, bagging 19 in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Haaland, Chris Wood and teammate Bryan Mbeumo.

Then-Brentford manager Thomas Frank described Wissa as a “super player”, adding “he’s got that nose for goals”.

Meantime, Mark Bruce of Breaking the Lines believes he is the most underrated forward in the Premier League, outlining his threat as a penalty box poacher.

So, let’s take a deeper dive into his statistics.

Minutes

2,919

53rd

Goals

19

6th

Non-penalty goals

19

=2nd

Expected goals

18.5

4th

Shots

90

10th

Shots on target

41

5th

Touches in the box

163

14th

As the table outlines, Wissa is a top-level penalty-box striker, ranked joint-second in the Premier League for non-penalty goals last season, despite being down in tenth in terms of shots, underlining his clinical edge.

This would make him a dream signing for new man Elanga, given his proficiency when it comes to chance-creation, as documented in the table below.

Assists

11

3rd

Completed crosses

8

52nd

Shot-creating actions

102

30th

Goal-creating actions

18

6th

Big chances created

9

38th

Progressive carries

102

25th

As emphasised by the numbers, only two players, namely Salah and new teammate Jacob Murphy, registered more assists than Elanga in the Premier League last season, while the Swede also ranked very highly when it comes to chances created and progressive carries.

He formed an exceptional partnership with a former Magpie, the aforementioned Wood, firing Nottingham Forest into Europe, so he could do the same with Wissa in the North East.

Thus, should Newcastle get a deal over the line to sign the DR Congo international striker, he and fellow new recruit Elanga could form an unstoppable partnership.

Agent of £70m+ striker contacts Newcastle, scored 50+ more goals than Ekitike

The Magpies could face an intriguing proposal.

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 13, 2025

While the transfer window is of secondary importance to everyone connected with Liverpool, they have made significant progress on that front courtesy of Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong’s arrivals.

Arne Slot has committed himself to creating a club culture where elite talent can thrive under his stewardship. Their Premier League title victory last season was an example of what can happen when astute tactical ideas and togetherness are mired together with significant on-field talent.

Despite the Reds claiming glory last term, they last made a central midfield signing in 2023, but that could be about to change after Liverpool submitted an official offer for Barcelona star Marc Casado.

Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen are also in the hunt for his signature. Either way, he may be allowed to leave the La Liga giants due to their need to ease their ongoing financial situation.

Marc Guehi and Castello Lukeba are candidates to strengthen Liverpool’s defence, with the former being a well-documented target since the arrival of Wirtz, Frimpong, and Kerkez.

A Wirtz repeat: Liverpool enter race for £77m star with a "freak profile"

Liverpool are hoping to sign a new centre-back this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2025

The spine of the Reds’ side is already impressive by anybody’s standard. Still, there may come a time when the likes of Wataru Endo move on to make way for reinforcements of a more youthful complexion to carry the torch forward.

Slot didn’t feel the need to raid the transfer market in his first campaign, other than Federico Chiesa’s arrival. He may now have an opportunity to bring a trusted lieutenant to Anfield if reports are to be believed.

Liverpool leading race to sign Orkun Kokcu

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool want to sign Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu and are the frontrunners, with the Turkey international prefering a move to Anfield despite interest from Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan.

The 24-year-old has previously worked under Slot at Feyenoord and called him “the best coach in the world” in 2024. Intriguingly, his current employers would be willing to let him take on a new challenge if their £35 million valuation is met, and Slot is also keen on a reunion.

Five similar players to Orkun Kokcu (FBRef)

Jack McGlynn

Houston Dynamo

Pedro Vite

Vancouver Whitecaps

Ryotaro Ito

Sint-Truiden

Simone Pontisso

Catanzaro

Alvaro Fidalgo

Club America

Enjoying a productive campaign last term, Kokcu registered 12 goals and 11 assists in 55 appearances for Benfica across all competitions, featuring primarily in centre midfield.

He is also capable of featuring as an attacking midfielder and has a knack for laying opportunities on a plate for his teammates, illustrated by the fact he created 76 chances in the Primeira Liga.

Should Slot look to open the Reds’ chequebook for a midfielder, it makes sense that Kokcu is said to be high on Liverpool’s list given the positive relationship that exists between both parties.