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They have made more than their fair share of poor signings over the last few years, but Chelsea have also got their hands on some incredible players.

One of those who falls into the latter category has to be Moises Caicedo, who has gone from up-and-coming gem to arguably the best six in the Premier League.

The Ecuadorian monster is almost unmatched when it comes to breaking up play, and with every passing game, seems to get better and better in attacking phases of play.

Therefore, Chelsea fans should be delighted about their most recent signing, as the youngster could well be their next Caicedo.

The exciting youngsters set to join up with Chelsea

Chelsea already have a squad full of exciting talents, and they are set to add even more talented youngsters in the summer.

In The Pipeline

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

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For example, Brazilian left-back Denner put pen to paper on a contract with the club back in March, but due to rules regarding under-18s, he must wait until the summer to join the senior squad.

He looks like a player worth waiting for, though, as, on top of being more than capable at the defensive side of the game, he is also a “marauding LB with so much quality in the final third,” per respected analyst Ben Mattinson.

Further up the pitch, someone who could cause havoc on the opposite flank for the Blues is Portuguese wonderkid Geovany Quenda.

The Sporting CP gem cost around £44m in March, and while that is an enormous sum of money, it looks like he will be more than worth it.

For example, despite still being just 18 years old, the Bissau-born dynamo has scored four goals and provided six assists, with two of those goal involvements coming against Kaira Almaty in the Champions League.

Speaking of the Kazakh side, their most exciting prospect, Dastan Satpayev, will make his way to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Described as “a future Ballon d’Or winner” and “a future rival to Lamine Yamal” by one analyst, to say there is some hype around the 17-year-old would be an understatement.

It’s easy to see why, though, as in 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

Satpaev’s 24/25

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of that, he also became the youngest player to score a senior goal for the Kazakh national team last week, scoring the side’s only goal in their 1-1 draw with Belgium.

With all that said, potentially the most exciting prospect of them all isn’t going to join Chelsea next year, but could still be their next Caicedo.

Chelsea's next Caicedo

What makes Caicedo such an incredible player? Most would agree that it is a combination of his excellent reading of the game, anticipation and technique.

These three things make him exceptional at shielding the back four and brilliant at kick-starting attacking moves.

Fortunately, based on the sentiment of those in the know, those appear to be traits shared by Deinner Ordonez, who just signed a pre-agreement with the Blues.

For example, Como scout Felix Johnstone has described the youngster as “an absolute alien of a talent” who is “physically top, so good in the air” and capable of producing “excellent carries.”

Likewise, Mattinson has described him as a “pacy aggressive defender off the ball who’s able to defend big spaces with a level of dominance rare for his age.”

He’s not just a defensive powerhouse, though, as Mattinson also points out his “outstanding range of passing” and the fact that he is “completely both-footed.”

With all that, it’s not hard to see why Johnston has dubbed the teenager a future “world-beater,” nor is it hard to see the technical traits he shares with Caicedo.

In addition to these physical and technical similarities, the youngster is also Ecuadorian, becoming the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year.

Moreover, while he is yet to make a first-team appearance, he is also at the midfielder’s old club, Independiente del Valle.

Ultimately, he might play in a different position, but Ordonez shares plenty of traits with Caicedo and is certainly looked at as someone who could become as important for Chelsea in the future.

Related Chelsea ready club-record £133m bid for "monster", Enzo Fernandez may be key

The Blues are readying an offer for a new forward.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now personally wants to hijack Real Madrid and sign a “phenomenal” midfielder, who is valued at £87m.

Pep sets out to sign new midfielder amid Rodri concerns

After spending the majority of the 2024-25 season on the treatment table due to an ACL injury, Rodri has been eased back into the team by Pep, but the Spaniard suffered yet another setback in the 1-0 triumph at Brentford prior to the international break.

The central midfielder was ruled out of contention for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers, with Pep going on to express hope that it will be a matter of weeks, not months, before the 29-year-old returns.

He's perfect for Pep: Man City now rivalling Real Madrid for "pacy" £52m star

City are set to battle it out for a new defender, who is regarded as ideal for Pep Guardiola.

ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025

The City boss also went on to add: “You asked me why I don’t play him 90 minutes all the time. The journalists always ask me why I substitute him. This is why we tried to be gentle and play [him] for 60-65 minutes.”

Amid concerns over Rodri, the Blues have set out to bolster his options in the engine room, submitting offers for two up-and-coming English midfielders earlier this week, and a Premier League star has also now emerged as a target.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Pep now personally wants to hijack Real Madrid and sign Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, with Man City expressing serious interest in securing his signature.

Manchester United have also set out to sign Wharton, off the back of the midfielder’s impressive performances for the Eagles, and sources suggest the south Londoners could hold out for a fee of around €100m (£87m).

However, with the Englishman contracted until 2029, and happy at Selhurst Park, Palace currently have no pressing need to cash-in, with a move more likely to transpire next summer than in January.

"Phenomenal" Wharton has earned move to top club

In many ways, it is a real surprise the 21-year-old has just one England cap to his name, given the impact the central midfielder has made ever since arriving at Palace, with Dan Cook of HLTCO being left particularly impressed.

In his only appearance for England, which came against Bosnia & Herzegovina just over a year ago, the youngster became the only midfielder to attempt 30+ passes on his Three Lions debut and complete each one, in what was an assured performance.

Given Wharton’s passing ability, he could flourish in a Pep system, and Man City should undoubtedly make a move in 2026.

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Zagueiro do Botafogo, líder do Campeonato Brasileiro, Adryelson foi convocado pelo técnico Fernando Diniz para defender a Seleção Brasileira no jogo contra o Uruguai, na terça-feira (17), pelas Eliminatórias Sul-Americanas para a Copa do Mundo de 2026.

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O defensor foi chamado para o lugar de Nino, do Fluminense. O jogador sofreu uma entorse no joelho esquerdo no treinamento deste sábado (17), em Montevidéu. O departamento médico da CBF monitora a situação do atleta, que também está em contato com o Flu.

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Existe uma preocupação da equipe carioca quanto ao estado do zagueiro, já que em menos de um mês o Tricolor enfrenta o Boca Juniors (ARG), pela final da Libertadores. O confronto está marcado para o dia 4 de novembro e será realizado no estádio do Maracanã. 

Foi a primeira vez que Adryelson foi convocado pela Seleção na carreira. Contratado pelo Botafogoem 2022, ele já fez 65 partidas com a camisa botafoguense.

A legendary figure within football has revealed he instructed his agent to get him to Rangers even if a “massive drop in wages” was required to get him to Ibrox.

Rangers manager search rumbles on

The Gers are back to square one in their manager search after Steven Gerrard ruled himself out of contention to return to Ibrox.

The 45-year-old had been the front-runner to replace the sacked Russell Martin as head coach, but it is understood that after holding constructive discussions with the club, he felt the timing was not right for a return to Glasgow.

PA News Agency reports the conversations were positive and both sides agreed to leave the door open for the future, but for now 49ers Enterprises’ first major test in charge at Ibrox just got a whole lot tougher.

Danny Rohl appears to be the front runner for the job at the moment, even if reports suggest one of the Gers’ top transfer targets, Pierce Charles, would be less likely join the club if his former Sheffield Wednesday boss is in situ.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe promised fans a “rigorous, thoughtful recruitment process” which they were both “deeply involved” with and would give their “full attention” to, but the appointment of a young, maverick coach like Rohl would feel eerily similar to the risk that was taken appointing Martin back in June.

While the club struggle to get a managerial candidate who fans can rally behind over the line, one man the Ibrox faithful will never run out of love for has revealed that feeling is mutual.

Gascoigne: I told my agent I'd drop my wages to join Rangers

Speaking to talkSPORT on Monday, former England superstar Paul Gascgoine, who won the league twice during his time at Rangers, said he nearly missed out on his move to Ibrox over a name mix-up, but then jumped at the chance to join up with Walter Smith.

‘Gazza’ is one of Rangers’ greatest players of all time and was already a Ballon d’Or candidate before he joined, finishing fourth in the famous award ceremony back in 1990, proving the allure of both the club and Smith, who himself won 21 major trophies as Rangers boss.

Whether Rohl or anyone else can return the club to that level given the growing financial gap between Scotland and Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, fans are desperate for Cavenagh and Marathe to find a leader like Smith who can once again turn Ibrox into a stage that appeals to the finest talents in world football.

Celtic have failed to win three of their last five matches in all competitions and have been held to drab scoreless draws in two of those matches.

The Hoops failed to make the breakthrough against Hibernian at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon, despite creating seven ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, per Sofascore.

Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed that his team were unable to score from 26 shots and seven ‘big chances’ at home in front of their own supporters, particularly as the result has left them second in the table.

It will be doubly frustrating because the Scottish giants also had six ‘big chances’ to score against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but only scored once.

This means that Celtic have scored one goal from 13 ‘big chances’ created in the last two matches against Red Star Belgrade and Hibernian, which does not paint their attack in the best light.

Kelechi Iheanacho was the player who scored in the draw against the Serbian side in midweek, with a terrific finish into the top corner, but he lost his mojo for the clash with Hibernian.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho let Celtic down against Hibernian

The left-footed marksman made a terrific start to his career at Parkhead with a debut goal, from the penalty spot, against Kilmarnock to win the game in the 96th minute.

Iheanacho then registered an assist for Sebastian Tounekti against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in his second outing, before scoring an excellent goal against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League.

His contributions across those three matches earned him a start in the number nine position against Hibernian, having come off the bench in the matches to score against Kilmarnock and Red Star Belgrade.

Iheanacho was unable to build on those promising cameos, though, as his performance against Hibernian left a bit too much to be desired, particularly with his play in front of goal in the 0-0 draw.

The Nigeria international played the opening 67 minutes of the match against Hibs and was unable to make the breakthough in front of goal, despite the team creating enough chances for him to do so.

Minutes

67

Shots

4

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

2

Passes completed

9/10

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

As you can see in the table above, his teammates helped him to take four shots at goal and have two ‘big chances’, but he squandered his opportunities, including one from close-range that smacked the crossbar.

The former Sevilla marksman, who arrived at Parkhead as a free agent, will be hoping that he can improve his efficiency in front of goal as he gets back up to full match sharpness, given that the clash with Hibernian was just his second start of the season.

Iheanacho lost his goalscoring touch for the weekend’s clash, having scored in two of his first three games, but there is another player in the squad whose decline in form in front of goal is even more concerning.

Chalkboard

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

Rodgers unleashed Daizen Maeda on the right flank against Hibernian, with Iheanacho through the middle and Sebastian Tounekti on the left flank, and the Japan international produced an underwhelming display.

Daizen Maeda has lost his Midas touch for Celtic

In the 2024/25 campaign, it seemed like everything Maeda touched turned to goals. He ended the season with a return of 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The Japanese marksman, who scored 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership, earned the Player of the Year award in Scotland, thanks to his prolific form in front of goal.

Unfortunately, it currently looks like last season’s exploits were a flash in the pan for the 27-year-old attacker, whose output in front of goal has declined since the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

As explained in the clip below from the Daily Record’s show, Maeda has “lost his Midas touch” for Rodgers at the top end of the pitch on this season’s evidence so far.

The Celtic forward missed two ‘big chances’, as many as Iheanacho, whilst playing on the right wing against Hibernian, per Sofascore, and earned a player rating of 6/10 from 67HailHail.

Unfortunately, missing ‘big chances’ has become a theme for the Japan international this season in the Premiership, as he has failed to kick on from his 33-goal campaign last term.

Appearances

34

6

Goals

16

1

Minutes per goal

160

446

Conversion rate

28%

13%

Big chances missed

17

4

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s conversion rate has plummeted by 15% in the Premiership, which shows that he has been far too wasteful with his shots in the current season.

One possible explanation for his decline in form is the fact that he missed out on a summer move away from Parkhead. In his pre-Hibernian press conference, Rodgers suggested that the attacker may have a “subconscious” thing holding his performances back because of that failed move.

Maeda scored 33 goals last season and may have been excited to get a move to a major European league, but the Hoops were unable to source a replacement for him late on in the window, and staying at Parkhead may have been tough to take.

This is, of course, just speculation, but Rodgers’ comment about it being a “subconscious” issue does point towards that being a possible reason for the forward losing his Midas touch in front of goal.

"Phenomenal" Celtic star looks like the biggest loser from Tounekti's rise

This Celtic star may end up being the biggest loser from Sebastian Tounekti’s form.

ByDan Emery Sep 23, 2025

Hopefully, Maeda can get back on track and start to show the lethal efficiency in the final third that resulted in him winning the Premiership Player of the Year award last season.

DC have lost two of the three games in Delhi and defending champs KKR will look to take advantage of their inconsistency

Abhimanyu Bose28-Apr-20253:53

DC’s bowling a concern at Kotla?

Big picture: DC’s home form a concernUnder first-time captain Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals (DC) got off to an flier, IPL 2025 winning their first four matches. But their fortunes took a tumble since their return to Delhi. In their three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium so far, they have lost two and their only win came via a Super Over.Against Mumbai Indians, they collapsed in a 206 chase despite being in the driving seat until Karun Nair fell in the 12th over. Against Rajasthan Royals, they looked like they were headed for defeat until Mitchell Starc defended nine runs in the final over to take the game to a one-over shootout. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their bowlers couldn’t capitalise on an early collapse.Related

Sai Sudharsan takes back IPL 2025 Orange Cap from Kohli

Harshit Rana missing Gambhir's 'aura' at KKR

A drop-off in the form of some of their key players has played a part. KL Rahul scored 185 runs in his first three games (he missed DC’s season opener), averaging 92.50 and striking at 169.72. However, since their first game in Delhi, he has only managed 179 runs in five innings, with his strike rate also dropping to 127.85.In DC’s first four games, Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets, conceding at less than a run a ball. In the next five matches, his number of wickets have halved, his economy rate has gone up to 7.35 and his strike rate has jumped from 12 to 30. Similarly, Mitchell Starc took nine wickets from his first four outings, but he has only picked up two wickets from the next five games.KL Rahul’s top score in Delhi has been 41 so far, while he has three half-centuries in four away outings in IPL 2025•BCCI

Until now, DC have been in the top half of the points table, but now they need to regroup and rediscover consistency as the battle for the playoffs heats up.Form guideDelhi Capitals LWLWL(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders LLWLWTeam news and likely XIIsIt’s a very short turnaround time for DC after their last game against RCB, but they are likely to continue with the same combination. They could continue with their tactic of starting with just six batters even if they bat first, as even then they have six bowling options.Delhi Capitals XII (likely): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Ashutosh Sharma/Mohit SharmaKKR made a couple of changes in their last game, bringing in Rovman Powell and Chetan Sakariya in place of Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali, and are unlikely to tinker with their combination after the washout against Punjab Kings.Kolkata Knight Riders XII (likely): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Chetan SakariyaIn the spotlightWith Jake Fraser-McGurk woefully out of form, the expectations will be high on Faf du Plessis to deliver at the top for DC. He played in three of the first four matches of the season, before missing four games with a niggle. He struggled on his return against RCB, and has failed to cross 30 in any of the four matches he played except his half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.2:51

Bishop: Need to give Powell, Russell ‘time to tee off’

In his third season with KKR, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has a chance to get an extended run of games, having replaced Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. The opening partnership has been an area of concern for KKR and they will hope that Gurbaz can form a strong alliance with Sunil Narine. Gurbaz was out for just one run in his first game of the season and scored 1 not out in the washout against PBKS, so he will hope for a good outing in Delhi.The big questionPitch and conditionsDC mentor Kevin Pietersen said after the RCB game that they had gone for a slow and low surface to counter their opponents’ strength but they will hope for a better batting surface on Tuesday night. The match will be played on pitch No. 5, which is in the centre, so there won’t be a shorter side for the batters to target.Stats and trivia Kuldeep Yadav has bowled three deliveries to Sunil Narine in two innings and dismissed him twice. Only R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla (27 each) have more wickets against DC than Sunil Narine, who has 24. Only Chennai Super Kings (19.77) have a lower average for the opening partnership this season than KKR (19.87) and DC (24.22)Quotes”He’s bowling really good, the lengths he is hitting. And he is mixing it up well. I won’t take any names, but we should keep learning watching other teams play.”

Manchester City enter the 2025/26 season in transition.

After a challenging 2024/25 campaign that saw Pep Guardiola’s side finish third – 13 points behind champions Liverpool – the Etihad dressing room has experienced significant change.

Key figures including Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and İlkay Gündoğan departed, leaving gaps both on and off the pitch.

To counter this, City acted quickly and decisively in the transfer market.

James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived in goal, while reinforcements Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki all added depth outfield.

However, much of this summer’s wider transfer news has undoubtedly revolved around Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool.

Now, all eyes will be on Erling Haaland to see if he can match his Scandinavian counterpart.

After the international break, City prepare to host Manchester United before a trip to Arsenal. Two matches that will test Guardiola’s revamped squad.

Comparing Isak & Haaland

Isak, now at Liverpool following his British-record £125m transfer, leaves behind a remarkable – yet somewhat controversial – Newcastle legacy.

In 86 Premier League appearances, the 25-year-old scored 54 goals and registered ten assists.

Standing 1.92m, Isak is a modern striker who blends physical presence with pace, skill, and composure.

He scores with both feet, links up effectively with teammates, and moves intelligently in the attacking third to create space for others.

His versatility allows him to operate as a lone striker, part of a two-man setup, or even on the wing, while his work rate and defensive awareness make him a complete attacking contributor.

Haaland, Manchester City’s record-breaking forward since his 2022 arrival from Dortmund, shares some of these traits.

At 25 and 1.95m, the Norwegian has scored 88 Premier League goals with 17 assists in 100 appearances.

His record includes the most goals in a Premier League season (36 in 2022/23) and 42 goals in 43 games for Norway.

Haaland is a complete centre forward, using his strength, pace, and clever movement to score with either foot or his head. While he is effective at holding up the ball, concerns remain about his technical ability to link play.

Nonetheless, both strikers deliver elite statistical output.

Matches Played

34

31

Goals

23

22

Assists

6

3

Shots

95

104

Shots on Target

41

55

In 2024/25, Isak recorded 29 goal involvements, 17.2 non-penalty expected goals, 19 non-penalty goals, 2.71 progressive carries per 90, and 2.88 progressive passes per 90.

Haaland produced 25 goal involvements, 18.8 non-penalty expected goals, 19 non-penalty goals, 0.79 progressive carries per 90, and 0.66 progressive passes per 90.

Their differences reflect style: Isak’s mobility and link-up play contrasts with Haaland’s dominant presence and finishing efficiency.

Both have been pivotal in modern Premier League systems, but the question remains whether other forwards elsewhere can offer more versatility than the pair, particularly in linking play and contributing across the front line.

How Julian Alvarez compares to Isak & Haaland

One forward who has demonstrated that versatility is just as important as raw scoring is Julian Alvarez.

The Argentine left Manchester City in search of regular first-team football, joining Atlético Madrid, and has thrived since.

Last season, he scored 29 goals and registered seven assists in all competitions, drawing praise from Argentine journalist Roy Nemer, who called him “the best forward in the world.”

Alvarez, 25, combines pace, strength, and composure, like Isak and Haaland, but offers additional dimensions. He can drop deep to link play, manoeuvre in tight spaces, and use his vision to create opportunities for teammates.

His dribbling and one-touch passing make him effective across the front line, while his tenacity off the ball enhances pressing and counter-pressing phases.

Statistically, Alvarez compares impressively with Isak and Haaland, as per FBref. Last season, he recorded 21 goal involvements, 13 non-penalty goals, 2.83 progressive carries per 90, and 3.30 progressive passes per 90.

His shot-creating actions per 90 (3.87) exceeded both Isak (3.01) and Haaland (2.34), while his progressive passing distance (95.1) highlighted his ability to link midfield and attack.

He also completed 25.7 passes per 90 at 74.2% accuracy, combining creative contribution with finishing. Unlike Isak and Haaland, Alvarez thrives in multiple attacking roles.

He can operate in a two-striker system, drop into the midfield to orchestrate play, or act as a wide forward capable of cutting inside.

This adaptability has helped him shine at Atlético Madrid and with Argentina, where he has scored 13 goals in 47 appearances.

In many ways, Alvarez illustrates the evolving profile of elite forwards: one who is not only a finisher but also a team player, capable of creating, linking, and defending.

While Isak’s and Haaland’s output in the Premier League has been exceptional, Alvarez offers a reminder that versatility and movement can sometimes be as valuable as raw goalscoring.

Isak can do the one thing for Liverpool that Haaland never did at Man City

The Swede could already hand the Reds one key advantage.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 2, 2025

We are only one week into the new Premier League season, and alarm bells are already going off at West Ham United.

Graham Potter travelled to the North East to take on newly-promoted Sunderland for their season opener, but instead of banking three points, they were played off the park, shipped three goals and returned to East London empty-handed.

It was the sort of performance that should scare the board into action and lead to some more arrivals before the transfer window slams shut in two weeks.

Fortunately, the club do seem intent on making more signings, and have now been linked with someone who’d be an upgrade on another target: Mateus Fernandes.

West Ham target Fernandes upgrade

While West Ham have made a few reasonable additions to the squad this summer in Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hajdu Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen, they’ve not done enough, which might explain their interest in Fernandes.

Transfer Focus

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

It was reported that the club had made a £30m offer for the Southampton star last week, but it was quickly rejected, only for the Saints to demand in excess of £50m for the 21-year-old talent.

Fortunately, it looks like the Hammers are now targeting another midfielder who’d likely be more affordable and could even be an upgrade on the Portuguese gem.

At least that is according to a recent report from Marco Conterio, who has claimed that West Ham are one of several teams interested in Eljif Elmas.

More than that, the journalist has revealed that the Irons have already made “an important inquiry” about the RB Leipzig ace, who has already turned down an offer from Süper Lig outfit Besiktas.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but as Leipzig paid €25m – £22m – for the midfielder in January 2024 and then loaned him out this January, we don’t imagine he’d cost much more than what they paid.

If so, West Ham could get their hands on a cheaper upgrade to Fernandes.

How Elmas compares to Fernandes

One of the advantages some might argue Fernandes has over Elmas is his Premier League experience, and while that is certainly a fair point, it fails to take into account the fact that the Macedonian international has far more experience playing in other top-five leagues.

For example, despite still being just 25 years old, he has made 156 appearances in Serie A and 16 in the Bundesliga, and then on top of that, he has also played 25 games in the Champions League and 21 in the Europa League.

Another area where the former Napoli ace excels is output. In just 19 appearances last season, totalling 1115 minutes, he scored four goals and provided five assists, averaging a goal involvement every 3.8 games or every 223 minutes.

For his efforts, the former Sporting CP gem was able to score three goals and provide six assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3409 minutes last season, which comes out to a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.88 games, or 378.77 minutes.

Finally, we can really see how much more of a complete player the Skopje-born dynamo is when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Elmas vs Fernandes
Statistics per 90	Elmas	Fernandes
Non-Penalty G+As	0.34	0.18
Progressive Carries	3.56	2.45
Progressive Passes	3.05	4.51
Progressive Passes Received	5.08	3.37
Shots	1.77	1.32
Shots on Target	0.76	0.43
Passing Accuracy	80.4%	80.1%
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.36	0.86
Shot-Creating Actions	2.54	2.48
Goal-Creating Actions	0.25	0.21
Tackles	1.10	2.76
Blocks	0.85	1.32
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Leage Season

For example, the goalscoring “jewel,” as he was dubbed by his agent George Gardi, comes out ahead in almost every metric, including things like non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shot and goal-creating actions, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

In other words, the Macedonian game-changer is a far more dangerous player than the Portuguese ace and could end up having a significant impact on Potter’s squad this season.

Therefore, while it might be complicated, West Ham should do all they can to sign Elmas over Fernandes this season.

West Ham step up move for £20m-plus attacker who gave Wan-Bissaka nightmares

He’s a man in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 16, 2025

With two Big Six clashes and a Merseyside derby, there was a lot to get excited about in the Premier League this weekend. And with last-minute goals, red cards aplenty and a couple of narrative shifts, it sure did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola did his best Jose Mourinho impression and took his Manchester City side to Arsenal to defend deep and play on the counterattack.

And the coach renowned around the world for his attacking style would have gotten away with his negative tactics had it not been for that pesky Gabriel Martinelli.

Elsewhere in the things you don't expect to happen category, Tottenham pulled off a comeback draw after falling two goals behind, another sign that they are doing their best to shed their 'Spursy' tag under Thomas Frank.

And Manchester United won a match, actually managing to beat a top side at Old Trafford, albeit with every single thing going in their favour.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from matchday five in the English top flight…

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  WINNER: Gabriel Martinelli

  Gabriel Martinelli would have been entitled to feel slighted by Arsenal's summer transfer activities as they added two extra wide forwards to compete with him in Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. He has had to get used to a different type of role after starting only two of the Gunners' first six games but on Sunday he showed he has a unique ability to make the difference when it matters most with a moment of genius.

  That was what he conjured to snatch a 93rd minute equaliser against City, a delightful chip under pressure to finally beat the seemingly unbeatable Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the second decisive goal Martinelli has scored against City in the last three seasons, his contributions stripping City of four points in the process. It was also Martinelli's second decisive appearance off the bench in a week, after scoring and assisting against Athletic Club.

  Arteta described the forward as a "finisher" after the game although Martinelli has done more than enough to earn himself a spot in the starting line-up next week at Newcastle.

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  LOSER: Unai Emery

  Aston Villa must have thought they were finally going to win their first game of the season when Matty Cash's piledriver gave them the lead at Sunderland. But once more Unai Emery's side were denied and they have a measly three points from their opening five matches of the season, a shocking start considering they finished sixth last season and fifth the year before.

  Not only could Villa not beat a promoted team that many expect to go down, they could not do so even with an extra man advantage for an hour after Reinildo had been sent off. There was something galling about the manner in which they conceded the equaliser, too, with three defenders failing to stop Wilson Isidor getting on the end of Granit Xhaka's cushioned header and scoring.

  Emery is not usually known for revealing too much in his interviews but he could not contain his fury this time, blasting his team as "lazy" and "not playing with our identity". The manager said he was "frustrated and disappointed" with the result and fans must be feeling that way too, especially as the draw followed their mid-week exit from the Carabao Cup against Brentford.

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  WINNER: Ruben Amorim

  Ruben Amorim said before facing Chelsea that not even the Pope could convince him to change formations from his much derided 3-4-2-1 so something else had to change to prevent the coach being put under yet more pressure after defeat by Manchester City last week had compounded their worrying start to the season. The thing that changed was their luck.

  Robert Sanchez's fifth-minute red card for coming flying out of his area and clattering into Bryan Mbeumo was exactly what United needed and Cole Palmer then being withdrawn with injury made things even more straightforward. They took full advantage by marching into a 2-0 lead. That is, until Casemiro got himself sent off and evened things up. 

  When Trevoh Chalobah headed home from a corner to halve the deficit the stage looked set for another spectacular United collapse. But United then displayed something rarely seen in the Amorim era: a backbone. Luke Shaw and Matthijs de Ligt dived in to halt dangerous counters and block shots and even Altay Bayindir managed to go without his customary blunder. 

  The challenge now is to do it again and beat Brentford and Sunderland, in theory much easier opponents than Chelsea, in their next two games before the international break. If his team can do that then it will be a little easier to believe in Amorim's project.

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  LOSER: Graham Potter

  It is never a good sign of a manager's work when thousands of fans come out before a game to stage protests. And even though the West Ham supporters who gathered before the Crystal Palace match were specifically targetting chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karen Brady rather than Graham Potter, the hapless coach is the one whose job is at far bigger risk.

  The defeat by Palace was their fifth defeat in six matches this season in all competitions while no team has a worse defensive record than the Hammers. And when Potter withdrew West Ham's best-performing players Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes during the game he was quickly subjected to chants of "You don't know what you're doing" and "You're getting sacked in the morning".

  It was little wonder, then, that on Saturday it was being reported that West Ham had already begun searching for a new coach, with Nuno Espirito Santo leading the candidates along with much-loved former Irons boss and player Slaven Bilic.

  It seems to be a question of when rather than if Potter gets his marching orders. And given his dismal record in charge, which reads six wins in 25 games, it is difficult to imagine any other Premier League club wanting to hire him in the near future.

Not much can often be taken away from pre-season friendlies, but Sunderland’s winless streak continued this summer against Hull City last time out.

The Tigers hosting the pre-season affair would come away from the contest as slim 2-1 victors, with Simon Adingra’s opener for the Black Cats not enough to sway the tie in their favour.

The alarm bells aren’t being sounded just yet, however, as it’s to be expected that Regis Le Bris’ troops will look somewhat disjointed, especially as the barrage of new signings through the door attempt to become more and more used to each other on the pitch.

More fresh buys will soon be chucked into the mix, as well, as Sunderland’s flash summer spending shows no sign of stopping.

Sunderland consider deal for £26m star

Reports are now even suggesting that the Premier League newcomers are closing in on an Anthony Patterson replacement in goal.

Indeed, NEC Nijmegen goalkeeper Robin Roefs is set to leave the Netherlands behind for pastures new on Wearside, following in the footsteps of Granit Xhaka, who has finally sealed a switch from Bayer Leverkusen to Le Bris and Co. after tonnes of rampant speculation.

Sunderland could soon make it a hat-trick of exciting purchases by landing Galatasaray star Barış Alper Yılmaz, with a development by Turkish outlet Sabah Spor via X revealing that the Black Cats have made contact regarding a move, having been knocking on the Super Lig outfit’s door over a potential £26m deal.

Gabriel Sara is also allegedly on the Premier League side’s radar from the Turkish giants, but if Sunderland were to press on and snap up Yilmaz’s signature, they might well be about to pick up their next version of Amad Diallo, as another direct and entertaining attacker, like the Ivorian, calls the Stadium of Light home.

Why Yilmaz can be Sunderland's next Amad

Of course, Sunderland would be able to win Yilmaz outright, with Amad slipping through their fingers, unfortunately, after a breakneck loan stint at the club.

In total for the Black Cats, during the 2022/23 season, the now Manchester United first-teamer would collect a sublime 14 goals and four assists from 42 appearances, as his short-term heroics nearly saw promotion to the Premier League become a reality.

Often, the goals put away by Amad during his loan spell on Wearside were audacious, with Yilmaz also prone to an eye-catching strike himself, if this link-up play above with the aforementioned Sara is anything to go by, alongside the skilful effort being hammered home.

Last season in Super Lig action, the Galatasaray number 53 would chip in with similar numbers to Amad’s Sunderland stay down the Ivorian’s trusty right flank, with 12 goals and three assists registered just in the league, as well as showing off his class in the Europa League with a further goal and two assists tallied up.

Yilmaz’s numbers vs Amad’s (over the last year)
Stat – per 90 mins	Yilmaz	Amad
Shots	3.70	2.34
Shot-creating actions	4.86	4.61
Progressive passes	2.43	2.81
Progressive carries	5.09	5.44
Successful take-ons	1.50	1.98
Touches in attacking penalty area	6.71	6.16
Progressive passes received	14.11	10.31
Stats by FBref

This blistering form in Turkey means he’s on the same pedestal as Amad in the here and now, too, with more shots and shot-creating actions managed by Yilmaz over the last year, when weighed up next to his Red Devils counterpart.

Moreover, it’s clear from the table above that both players get a buzz out of being gung-ho attackers, with progressive carries a particular standout aspect of both of their enthusiastic games.

His impressive skillset when marauding forward has even seen Turkish journalist Uğur Karakullukçu label the 25-year-old as an “animal”, alongside being donned as a “very special” talent ready for the Premier League by ex-coach Selçuk İnan.

There is a risk involved, considering £26m is a lot to fork out on an attacker not used to the Premier League. But, Sunderland’s gamble on Amad once upon a time paid off tremendously, with the hope that this deal is similarly golden in helping the Black Cats comfortably avoid relegation.

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