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Enzo Maresca has claimed that he told Reece James he would play him in midfield from "day one" after his fine performance against Copenhagen.

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• James played as a No.6
• Scored a brilliant long-range goal
• Maresca hails his abilities

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  James scored a superb long-range goal against Copenhagen in the Conference League as the Blues won 2-1 in the first leg of their last-16 clash. He played as a number six throughout the 90 minutes, instead of his usual right-back position.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now Maresca has claimed that he told James he saw him as a midfielder as soon as he was appointed Chelsea manager, and has revealed his delight at seeing a long-term plan come to fruition.

• WHAT ENZO MARESCA SAID

  Maresca told reporters: "So, you can ask Reece; when I signed with Chelsea, probably the day after, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder. I see Reece as a midfielder, not now – since day one, before I met him for the first time, he was on holiday. I sent him a clip about him playing as a midfielder.

  "I mentioned Reece playing as a midfielder a long time ago. He is playing there now but the good thing is he played this year already as a full-back, as a centre-back and in the central midfielder. The main target for us is to help him be fit all season."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea play Leicester on Sunday in the Premier League before the second leg against Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge next week.

Looking to defeat their Premier League rivals on and off the pitch, Aston Villa and sporting director Monchi are now reportedly battling to sign an in-demand defender for Unai Emery’s side.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans are once again competing for a place in the Premier League’s top four, hoping to make it back-to-back qualification for the Champions League. Meanwhile, they’ve already secured one impressive upset among Europe’s elite this season, defeating Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich at Villa Park. Emery’s project is one of the most attractive around, sparking several transfer rumours before 2025 is even underway.

Aston Villa's "outstanding" loan ace is worth more than Rogers after exit

The Villa striker has excelled this season

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 8, 2024

Names such as Pedro Goncalves and Tyler Dibling have already been linked to the Midlands club in two deals that would add instant depth within Emery’s frontline next year. Dibling is especially one to watch. Amid Southampton’s struggles, the young winger has been a real standout to light a spark in an otherwise dim season for the Saints.

The Midlands would certainly be wise route to take for such a young player and, more specifically, Villa Park whilst Emery’s side continue to thrive. And Dibling’s not the only one who could take that path next year.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi is now battling to sign Bright Osayi-Samuel ahead of both Everton and Crystal Palace for Aston Villa. The Fenerbahce right-back is out of contract at the end of the season and is set to depart despite Jose Mourinho’s attempts to tie him down to a fresh deal in Turkey.

Potentially returning to English football for the first time since leaving Queens Park Rangers in 2021, Osayi-Samuel would offer Emery instant competition for Matty Cash down the right-hand side to match the depth that the Spaniard has on the opposite flank courtesy of Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen.

"Blistering" Osayi-Samuel has unfinished business in English football

Since swapping QPR for Fenerbahce three years ago, Osayi-Samuel has risen up the ranks to become an important player for the Turkish giants – starting the four Super Lig games that he’s been available for this season. Whilst injury has disrupted his current campaign, the 26-year-old is now back to full fitness and ready to take Mourinho’s side by storm again.

The Premier League was given a taste of what the full-back is capable of earlier this season thanks to Manchester United’s Europa League exploits, which saw the Red Devils earn a point against Fenerbahce. Now, Osayi-Samuel, himself, could get the chance to complete unfinished business in English football courtesy of a free move to Aston Villa.

Last time he was in England, the defender earned high praise from former QPR boss Mark Warburton, who told the Brent & Kilburn Times after victory over Cardiff City in 2020: “I thought he was very, very good. If you remember Bristol City away earlier in the season he gave the full-back a torrid time.

“He’s been very good in spells in games but today he was consistent from the first whistle to the 75th minute. I’m not sure many teams have that blistering pace. As long as he knows how to use it and that’s the key for him learning the game.”

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim claimed that the Europa League is "so much harder" than the Champions League for a key reason.

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• Man Utd played 1-1 draw against Sociedad
• Face Arsenal in the Premier League next
• Amorim moaned about shorter recovery time

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  His comments came after United's 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the Europa League, leaving his squad with just three days to recover before facing Arsenal in the Premier League. In contrast, Arsenal, who demolished PSV 7-1 in their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, have had two additional days to prepare for the crucial domestic fixture.

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  WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Acknowledging the impact of a packed fixture schedule, Amorim admitted that his players struggled with fatigue in the closing stages of their match against Real Sociedad.

  "We need to survive Sunday. The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes," said Amorim.

  One of the biggest hurdles for United this season has been squad depth. Amorim acknowledged that his frequent squad rotations – particularly in Europe – have been necessary to cope with the physical demands of the season.

  He added: "I think the biggest problem is to not have all of the players because, in the beginning, people talk about our rotation – especially in Europe, we are changing all the time. It’s because of this, because it’s really hard, and the Europa League is so much harder, in my opinion, than the Champions League. Not the games but the recovery to play Premier League on the weekend, so we have to deal with that.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since making the switch from Sporting CP, Amorim has faced an uphill battle adapting to the intensity of English football. His tenure has been marred by inconsistent performances, with United losing eight of their first 16 league games under his watch. Their recent FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham added to their woes, compounding the frustration of a season that has fallen far below expectations.

  "In the Premier League, every game is really important," Amorim said. "In our moment, we need to win. It’s always a problem when we don’t win so we have to focus on everything at the same time."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

  With a relentless fixture list ahead, Amorim and his squad will need to find a way to manage fatigue and maintain consistency if they are to salvage their season. And defeating the title-chasing Gunners would serve as a much-needed boost as United attempt to climb back into the top half of the table.

After a painful start to the season, it’s a new era at Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag’s successor, Ruben Amorim, is now in the hot seat, and while his side got off to a flying start against Ipswich Town on Sunday evening, they were eventually pegged back, and had to settle for a somewhat underwhelming draw.

It was a disappointing reminder of how much work there is to do at the club to get them back to the pinnacle of English football, but based on his work in Lisbon, the Portuguese manager may well be the man to do it.

With that said, he might want to look into signing a new forward or two, as at the moment Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford are being outscored by a former United ace sold by Louis Van Gaal.

Van Gaal's poor sales

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s take a look at another attacker sold by Van Gaal who went on to enjoy a stellar career: Ángel Di María.

The Argentine international joined United in the summer of 2014 for a then British record fee of £59.7m, and while many now look at his one season in the country as a failure, he did manage to rack up a reasonable tally of four goals and 11 assists in 32 appearances, which works out to a goal involvement on average every 2.13 games.

However, this was still slightly underwhelming considering his fee, and following a year in which his house was broken into, he fell out with the manager and his family was supposedly unhappy with the weather, the former Real Madrid ace left Old Trafford to join Paris Saint-Germain for £44.3m.

Over the following seven seasons, the 145-capped international would rack up 93 goals and 119 assists in 295 appearances for the Parisians before joining Juventus for the 22/23 season and then finally moving to Benfica in July last year, where he is today.

However, even though the 36-year-old is approaching the end of his career, he’s still showing the world how talented he really is, as last season he racked up 17 goals and 15 assists in 48 appearances, and this year he’s currently on eight goals and three assists in just 15 games.

It’s clear that the veteran forward still has plenty to offer, and he’s not the only former United forward to be outscoring the club’s current crop of attackers.

The ex-United ace still starring in the Premier League

The forward in question is Danny Welbeck, who joined United as a child and made 142 appearances for the club, in which he scored 29 goals and provided 17 assists before Van Gaal sold him to Arsenal for just £16m in September 2014.

The decision would come back to bite the Dutchman almost immediately, as in an FA Cup quarter-final at home to the Gunners, the Englishman scored the visitor’s winner, in a game which paved the way for the North Londoners’ eventual triumph in the competition.

However, over the following years, the Manchester-born ace would fall down the pecking order at the Emirates before joining Watford for free in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately, another poor campaign, which eventually resulted in the Hornets being relegated, saw the striker once again have his contract terminated by mutual consent.

However, in October 2020, the 33-year-old joined Brighton & Hove Albion, and four years later, he remains a vitally important player for the Seagulls and is arguably in the best form of his career.

In fact, the 6 foot 1 marksman has been so good this season that United legend Gary Neville recently claimed he is “better than any current [Manchester] United front player,” and based on the numbers, it would be hard to disagree.

For example, in 12 league appearances, the 42-capped international has scored six goals and provided two assists. In contrast, Rashford has scored just two goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances; Zirkzee has scored one goal and provided one assist in 18 appearances; and Hojlund has scored one goal in eight appearances.

Ultimately, it would be silly to claim that the former United ace has a brighter future than any of the club’s current crop of forwards, but given his red-hot form and Amorim’s need to hit the ground running, we can’t help but wonder how effective Welbeck would be under the exciting Portuguese manager.

Amorim's next Gyokeres: Man Utd make contact to sign £203k-p/w marksman

Ruben Amorim is looking for his first signing as Manchester United manager.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 22, 2024

That trio, along with Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman and Utah Royals' Ally Sentnor, among top NWSL stars

Last season the NWSL turned heads with international players taking center stage, with Barbra Banda to Temwa Chawinga seemingly scoring almost every time they touched the ball. And then there were Brazilian stars such as Marta, Adriana and Angelina putting the Orlando Pride on the map.

This year, there are plenty of players to watch, and INDIVISA is here to break it down.

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  10Alyssa Thompson: Angel City

  Alyssa Thompson was selected first by Angel City in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Thompson was still in high school and has already made a name for herself beyond her years.

  In 2024 she scored four goals and added seven assists, and 2025 is looking even brighter for her after announcing her contract extension with the club through 2028.

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  9Ally Sentnor: Utah Royals

  The 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year and 2023 NWSL first-overall draft pick, Ally Sentnor returns to Utah for her second season in the league.

  While her first year didn't see the Royals go past the regular season, she still put up some good numbers in her own right scoring four goals and adding three assists.

  Sentnor has a big task in front of adding some goals and wins to the Royals' resume, but after her performances with the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup, she is more than ready.

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  8Rose Lavelle: NJ/NY Gotham FC

  Rose Lavelle has been out of commission for far too long, so the hope is that this season she'll return in full health and be Gotham's pulse in the midfield.

  Lavelle joined the NWSL in 2017 after being drafted first overall by the Washington Spirit. In 2024, Lavelle joined Gotham as part of a three-year deal alongside fellow USWNT teammates Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett.

  Assuming Lavelle is back and healthy, she will absolutely be crucial to Gotham making another playoff run.

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  7Yazmeen Ryan: Houston Dash

  Yazmeen Ryan is a two-time NWSL Champion and is poised for a big season after joining the Houston Dash from Gotham. Ryan is a midfielder on the U.S. women's national team and joined the Dash for a reported $400,000 fee, an historic number for an intra-league transfer.

  Ryan will offer the Dash all kinds of options both attacking wise and defensively. She's innovative going forward, but also tracks back and takes pride in her defense.

Borussia Dortmund could look to bring a familiar name back to Germany this summer in a blockbuster transfer.

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• Bellingham wanted by Dortmund
• Jobe to follow in his brother's footsteps
• Sunderland resigned to losing youngster

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German side are interested in signing Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham in the summer. The younger brother of former star Jude has impressed in the North East and looks set to move to a new club in the summer should the Black Cats miss out on promotion to the Premier League. Dortmund believe they will be able to convince the youngster to follow in his brother’s footsteps and move to the Bundesliga.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Whether Bellingham wants to make that switch remains to be seen. He has shone in a young Sunderland side and may wish to continue this development alongside a core group performing well above its years. Dortmund will also face stiff competition for his signature with a number of Premier League clubs chasing his services.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bellingham was wanted by Dortmund before he joined Sunderland from Birmingham. The German side have been monitoring the progress of the midfielder for years and believe he could have as much potential as his older brother. A fee of £21 million (€25 m) has been reported as the potential cost to bring the 19-year-old to the Bundesliga.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

  Cut adrift from the automatic promotion spots and comfortably clear of seventh place, Sunderland are shoo-ins for the play-offs. The Black Cats will then need to win a two-legged semi-final and a final at Wembley if they want to be promoted to the Premier League. Only then will retaining Bellingham and a number of their highly-rated youngsters remain a possibility.

Ruben Amorim has made an unbeaten start to life at Manchester United, yet the Portuguese’s toughest test lies in store this evening, with the Red Devils travelling to north London to face a resurgent Arsenal side.

In truth, the Emirates has not been a happy hunting ground for the Old Trafford outfit in recent times, having last tasted victory at the stadium back in January 2019, following a 3-1 win in the FA Cup. Their last Premier League victory at the Emirates came even further back, in December 2017, under a certain Jose Mourinho.

It is still early days in the Amorim tenure, but a win away against the Gunners could well be a season-defining one. The Manchester side had come agonisingly close to beating Mikel Arteta’s men last season, only for Alejandro Garnacho to be deemed narrowly offside.

While it may have been a VAR call at the London Stadium which proved the ultimate undoing for Erik ten Hag, the Dutchman – as he so often did – perhaps looks back to that offside call as a pivotal turning point in his reign. What might have been.

Alas, in the here and now, United need to get points on the board to bolster their charge for the top four, although Amorim – like Ten Hag before him – may find his task has become far tougher due to notable absentees.

Man Utd team news vs Arsenal

The Red Devils suffered two significant setbacks during the convincing win over Everton last time out, with both Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez picking up yellow cards to ensure they will miss the trip to the capital due to suspension.

In the case of Martinez, Amorim seemingly had a ready-made replacement in the form of the returning Luke Shaw, although after three successive substitute appearances for the Englishman, he has once again broken down with injury.

The 29-year-old revealed he was ‘devastated’ to once again be absent, although patience is perhaps wearing thin with the long-serving asset, having last started a game for the club back in February.

On a positive note, Leny Yoro is included in the matchday squad for the first time since sustaining a metatarsal injury against the Gunners, ironically, during pre-season, although there is concern over the availability of the club’s Player of the Month, Noussair Mazraoui.

As per the Manchester Evening News, the Moroccan sensation ‘wasn’t spotted travelling down to London’, ensuring that doubt has been cast over his involvement.

That potential scare – alongside the confirmed absence of Shaw and Martinez – has left Amorim with a problem to be solved at the heart of the defence.

Man Utd's defensive set-up vs Arsenal

Up against a side who have scored 13 goals in just their last three games in all competitions, it is far from ideal for United to have to deploy what looks set to be something of a makeshift or untested backline. The loss of Mazraoui – who has been a “10/10 every game” of late – would be devastating.

Chalkboard

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

While the aforementioned Yoro is now back in the squad, it would be a surprise to see the Frenchman – who arrived from Lille over the summer – thrust straight into the starting lineup, with the teenager’s return needing to be carefully managed.

In truth, the only guaranteed starter is likely to be fellow new arrival, Matthijs de Ligt, although there is a chance that Harry Maguire could well join him in the back three, following the England star’s own injury return against the Toffees.

With an ageing Jonny Evans also not seemingly involved and with Amorim’s former Benfica teammate, Victor Lindelof, still likely to be sidelined, senior options are slim.

A back three involving Maguire and De Ligt may have supporters wincing, although there is an outside chance that the new boss could spring a surprise, with 16-year-old Godwill Kukonki having been included in the travelling matchday squad for the first time.

Throwing the 6 foot 5 sensation into the fray would be a brave call, yet with options limited, it could be a chance for the academy starlet to shine, having evidently impressed his manager in first-team training.

There are alternative options, such as throwing Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro into the backline, but with Mainoo sidelined – and Christian Eriksen not even making the bench at the weekend – that pairing will likely be needed to start in central midfield.

Not ideal then for a game such as this, with an already tough task for Amorim having been made even tougher. This really will be a test of just what this United side is made of…

Amorim must unleash "unbelievable" Man Utd star who's their very own Saka

Manchester United are looking to maintian their unbeaten run under new boss Ruben Amorim.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 4, 2024

Ed Sheeran, who is a minority stakeholder at Ipswich, has blamed his awkward stand-off with Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on "10 pints".

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• Pop star owns a stake in the Tractor Boys
• Boasts his own box at Portman Road
• Interrupted Portuguese coach's interview

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Singer-songwriter Sheeran owns 1.4 per cent of the Tractor Boys, having grown up supporting the club after seeing his family relocate to Suffolk. He is the front of shirt sponsor on Ipswich’s kit and has been treated to his own VIP suite at Portman Road.

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  THE GOSSIP

  Sheeran likes to make the most of that hospitality when attending Premier League games. He can, however, take things too far occasionally – such as when he drunkenly interrupted Sky Sports’ post-match discussion with Amorim following a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in the Portuguese coach’s first game as United boss.

• WHAT ED SHEERAN SAID

  Discussing that incident on the podcast, Sheeran said of why his alcohol-filled executive box was to blame: "I had it gutted and turned into a pub, you don't need to go for pre-drinks anywhere else. And it's definitely got me in trouble sometimes.

  "Like that United game where I didn't realise Amorim was getting interviewed. I honestly didn't. Jamie [Redknapp] said come and see me afterwards and I was wandering out afterwards. I'd had about 10 pints, saw Jamie, so I was like ‘Oh, I'll go up and say hi to Jamie’. It was the wrong time – very clearly the wrong time – but I have learned my lesson and it won't happen again."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Sheeran has also urged supporters to come up with better songs when poking fun at him during top-flight fixtures. The Brit Award winner added: "The chants haven't been funny enough. I need better chants when we go away. I see so much thought and preparation go into some of the rude chants, and I just feel like I haven’t got the humour.

  "We were at Wolves and there was a chant saying ‘Ed Sheeran’s a c***’, and I was like ‘at least have a bit of imagination’. You go to Spurs and they’re singing ‘gimme, gimme, gimme a ginger from Sweden’ (to the tune of Abba’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! for their midfielder Dejan Kulusevski), and you’re like, someone has put some thought into that, someone has really taken their time, I want that.

  "I want someone in the home fans’ pub beforehand being like, ‘lads, we’ve got it, we’ve got something to rip Sheeran apart and it’s this’. I want time spent on it."

And breathe. That was all rather nerve-wracking, wasn’t it? You will have to go a long way to find a better final than that this season but Celtic are once again the jubilant winners, taking home the League Cup.

It was a frantic affair at Hampden that saw the game to and fro with both sides trailing and both sides holding the lead at some point or another.

It started disastrously for Celtic against their Old Firm rivals with Nadim Bajrami finding the back of the net but Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda gave Brendan Rodgers’ side hope in the second half.

But, but…cueutter carnage in the final quarter of the game. Mohamed Diomande equalised with 15 minutes to go for Rangers before Hoops winger Nicolas Kuhn looked to have won it with three games. Just minutes later Danilo popped up to send the game to extra-time.

Nothing could separate the two teams at the end of 90 minutes and nothing could separate them at the end of extra time. What did separate them, however, was Ridvan Yilmaz missing from the spot.

A jubilant Celtic side won an epic final 5-4 on penalties and it certainly wasn’t all plain sailing, as left-back Taylor will certainly testify.

Greg Taylor's performance in numbers

What a roller-coaster of an afternoon this was for the left-back in a true villain-to-hero performance at Hampden.

With the emergence of Alex Valle this season, the Scot’s game time in a Hoops jersey has diminished somewhat and on his first-half display in the cup final, it was clear to see why he hasn’t played every single 90 minutes.

In the words of Martin Dowden on BBC Sport, it was a “mindless moment” from the defender that led to Rangers opening the scoring.

Taylor attempted a simple ball towards Cameron Carter-Vickers but Bajrami intercepted it and then raced towards goal before playing it towards Hamza Igamane. His effort was initially denied by Kasper Schmeichel but Bajrami was there on the follow-up to fire home an easy finish.

Fortunately for the Bhoys, the Scotland international atoned for his disastrous error in the second half by finding a goal himself.

Kuhn’s corner came out to the full-back on the edge of the area before he struck it home via quite a hefty deflection from Nicolas Raskin’s outstretched leg.

So, with that moment of fortune, it was certainly hard to argue that Taylor was the worst player in green and white on Sunday. Instead, that honour should probably go to midfielder Reo Hatate.

Chalkboard

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

Reo Hatate's performance against Rangers

The Japanese star on his day can be a truly wonderful player to watch, notably scoring nine goals and assisting 11 during the 2022/23 campaign.

Injury-plagued the 2023/24 season and in the current term, it feels like he’s still struggling to get up to speed when you consider his performance against Rangers on Sunday.

After Daizen Maeda put the Celts 2-1 in front in the second half, Neil Lennon exclaimed on commentary that big moments call for big players and while one Japanese sensation found some form at a pivotal moment, his fellow countryman in Hatate really failed to do a job in the centre of the park.

He was particularly guilty of ceding possession on an all too regular basis and was subsequently handed a 6/10 player rating by the Daily Record who noted that he ‘struggled to exert himself’ on the contest.

Auston Trusty was withdrawn at half-time, but in truth, Hatate should not have been coming back out for the second half either.

The 27-year-old set the tone for a shoddy performance with what he did after just five minutes on the clock. Cup final nerves? Perhaps. Either way, it wasn’t the class and quality we expect from the midfielder who was handed the ball by the aforementioned Taylor but he let it slip under his foot and straight out of play.

That typified his performance and indeed Celtic’s first half, really. They were a great deal better in the second 45 minutes but Hatate didn’t do much to really spur his team on and will find himself fortunate to start the next game with Arne Engels – who supplied Kuhn’s goal – waiting in the wings.

He did, at least, find the net from the penalty spot but the Hoops will count their lucky stars that Hatate’s overall performance didn’t come back to bite them this evening. They will leave as trophy winners, yet again.

Rangers v Celtic: 8 of the best Old Firm League Cup finals

The Glasgow rivals have shared a few cup final classics over the years.

By
Ross Kilvington

Dec 8, 2024

It might not even be halfway through the Premier League season, but it already feels like Arsenal have endured a campaign worth of setbacks.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to cope with silly suspensions, an injury to club captain Martin Odegaard, a drop in form and then, on Saturday evening, things took another turn as Bukayo Saka was forced off with a hamstring injury.

According to the manager, the Gunners are set to be without their talismanic academy gem for “many weeks,” so January reinforcements are desperately needed.

Fortunately, it was only last week that the club were linked with someone who could be the perfect addition, a player who’s like a hybrid of Saka and Odegaard.

Saka & Odegaard's seasons so far

Before suffering his hamstring injury on the weekend, this season was shaping up to be Saka’s best yet.

For example, in just 16 Premier League appearances, he’s scored five goals and provided ten assists; in five Champions League games, he’s scored four goals and two assists and even provided an assist in his three League Cup cameos.

It’s fair to say that prior to going down on Saturday, it felt more like a matter of when and not if he would break the league’s assist record.

On the other hand, Odegaard’s season hasn’t been quite as spectacular just yet, although he’s already missed 12 games through an ankle injury.

In the 14 appearances he has made this season, the Drammen-born maestro has still produced six goal involvements.

Overall, Saka and Odegaard are incredibly important to Arteta’s project, so reports suggesting the club could land a hybrid of the pair for nothing next month should excite fans.

The Saka & Odegaard hybrid Arsenal should sign

So, to get right to the point, the player in question is Barcelona star Dani Olmo, who, according to reports from Spain last week, is someone Arsenal are interested in signing.

According to the report, the Catalan club is struggling to register the Spaniard ahead of the deadline on the 31st of this month.

If missed, the £52m signing could leave for free in January, and the Gunners are one of several clubs who have already ‘put very attractive financial offers on the table.’

Reports from Sky in recent days also suggest that talks have been going on behind the scenes between Arsenal and the player’s agents.

With that said, what makes the attacking dynamo a hybrid of Saka and Odegaard and someone worth signing next month?

Well, the comparison to the Gunners’ injured number seven primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spaniard.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, passes into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Okay, so with his similarities to the Hale Ender being apparent, how is he also like the North Londoners’ captain?

This comparison essentially comes down to the fact that, like the former Real Madrid gem, the Barça ace has the ability and sometimes does play out wide, but more often than not, tends to start in central areas and drift in and out of space.

For example, so far this season, 13 of his 15 appearances have come from attacking midfield, with the other two coming off the left.

Lastly, like the two Arsenal stars, the former RB Leipzig “genius,” as dubbed by journalist Josh Buntng, is an effective attacker, and has a haul of six goals and one assist to his name already this season.

Ultimatley, even if he still costs £52m, signing Olmo would be an excellent idea for Arsenal, but the fact that he could be available for nothing next month makes this potential transfer a no-brainer.

Arsenal target incredible £115m "nightmare" who's a bit like Mbappe & Kane

The sensational striker would supercharge Arsenal’s attack.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 20, 2024