All posts by z3u9t.icu

Next season feels like it’s set to be a massive one for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side will be going into it as Conference League and World Champions, and while they won’t be the favourites to win the Premier League, there will undoubtedly be an expectation that they will challenge for the title.

Fortunately, the board are properly backing the team so far this summer, with exciting signings like Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.

Moreover, the Blues have even been linked with Eberechi Eze, although, based on reports, it now appears they’re turning their attention to someone who’d be a far better signing.

Chelsea target big Eze upgrade

It’s been a busy summer of business for Chelsea so far, and one of the players who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge has been Eze.

Transfer Focus

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

The Crystal Palace star has also been heavily touted for a move to London rivals Arsenal, but reports from earlier this month revealed that the Blues have been in contact with the player’s representatives.

The England international has a release clause worth £68m in his current deal and would undoubtedly bring some real quality and flair to Maresca’s squad, but it now looks like BlueCo are rapidly advancing towards a deal for another attacker, who’d be an even better signing.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who claims that Chelsea are incredibly keen on signing Xavi Simons.

In fact, Plettenberg has revealed that personal terms are not an issue as the player is “open to the Chelsea project” and that “very good talks also took place with RB Leipzig yesterday.”

The German journalist claims that the Bundesliga side are now just “waiting for an offer” for the player they value at around £52m, per other reports.

While that’s still a lot of money to spend on one player, Simons has proven he’d be worth it over the last couple of seasons, and a better signing than Eze to boot.

Why Simons would be a better signing than Eze

So, while both players are brilliant, there are several reasons why Simons would be the better signing for Chelsea this summer, and the first is their output in the league, which is ultimately their bread and butter.

Appearances

25

34

Minutes

2157′

2603′

Goals

10

8

Assists

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvement

126.88′

162.68′

In his 25 Bundesliga appearances last season, totalling 2157 minutes, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem scored ten goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.47 league games, or every 126.88 minutes.

In contrast, the Eagles star scored eight goals and provided as many assists in 34 Premier League appearances last season, totalling 2603 minutes, which comes out to a lacklustre average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 162.68 minutes.

In addition to performing better in the league, the Flying Dutchman also shares some statistical similarities with the incredible Cole Palmer, which can only be a good thing.

For example, Squawka ranks them very closely for key metrics such as goals, assists, chances created, take-ons completed and more, all per 90.

These numbers help convey that the Amsterdam-born “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is someone capable of impacting the game in more ways than just goals and assists, as evident in some of his highlight reels.

Finally, and this is especially important when it comes to the Blues, the former PSV Eindhoven monster is still just 22 years old, and therefore, he’d be able to develop and continue improving alongside the likes of Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Joao Pedro and then hit his peak around the same time as them.

Ultimately, while Eze would be a good signing for Chelsea, Simons would simply be the smarter one with more upside a few years from now, and therefore, they should do all they can to get him to West London this summer.

Chelsea star says yes to joining Madrid; his exit can fund Simons & Rodrygo

Losing the international star would be far from ideal for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 23, 2025

As Celtic gear up for yet another title defence, Brendan Rodgers now reportedly believes that they hold a key advantage in the race to sign an impressive midfield star.

Rodgers still aiming to "push" for arrivals

Despite welcoming as many as six fresh faces following another dominant Scottish Premiership campaign last time out, Rodgers admitted that he’s still pushing the Celtic board to secure more additions.

He told reporters: “We have gaps in the squad that are very clear. I have to convince the board to really push to get the players in that we really need. Clearly, I’m not doing that job well enough, but I will continue to push and hopefully we can get the players in by the end of the transfer window.”

Celtic make approach to agent of "very offensive" 20 y/o rising talent

Rangers also want to sign him this summer.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 1, 2025

“When you lose important players, you want to fill those gaps. That attacking department is the strength of my team. It always will be. We were very, very good last year in that front in terms of both the score and both the creativity.

“I’m fairly confident that we will do the business that will fill those gaps and with the necessary quality that’s needed to keep the team moving forward, because that’s what we all want. That’s what the supporters want. They want to see a team that’s exciting and that can dominate games and really attack games and that’s our goal.”

Just who those additions will be is the question. It looks as though the Bhoys are at least set to welcome Manchester City youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan, but that’s not to say other targets have fallen away from their radar.

Those at Celtic Park have also reportedly set their sights on winning the race to land a bargain deal in the next month and Rodgers believes that they hold one key advantage over the rest of the chasing pack.

Rodgers believes Celtic have advantage in Brownhill race

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Rodgers believes that Celtic have the advantage in the race to sign Josh Brownhill this summer thanks to their Champions League place. Whilst the likes of West Ham United and Everton chase his signature, the Bhoys will be able to offer the 29-year-old his first taste of Europe’s elite.

Dubbed “brilliant” by Burnley boss Scott Parker, Brownhill represents one of the few bargain deals still on the market and one that Celtic should go all out to snap up this month.

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin is still looking to add more players to his squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of next month.

Prior to the draw with Dundee at Ibrox last weekend, the Light Blues head coach confirmed that the club are not finished in the transfer market yet.

The Gers have already brought in the likes of Oliver Antman, Djeidi Gassama, Thelo Aasgaard, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga, among others, to bolster their options across the pitch.

But a return of two points in two games in the Scottish Premiership so far shows that there is still more work for the Ibrox giants to do to build a team that can compete for trophies.

Rangers exploring deal for Premier League midfielder

Despite already signing Rothwell, Lyall Cameron, and Aasgaard to add to their options in the middle of the park, the Gers are reportedly keen on a Premier League talent in that area of the pitch.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the Scotsman, Rangers are exploring a deal to sign Andy Irving from West Ham United because they feel that he would be a ‘worthwhile’ addition.

The report claims that Celtic, Sturm Graz, Stuttgart, and Borussia Monchengladbach are also interested in the Scotland international, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

Meanwhile, Claret & Hugh backs up that claim that Rangers and Celtic are exploring a possible move for the central midfielder, and adds that it would take a fee of around £3m to get a deal done for him.

Why Rangers should sign Andy Irving

The Gers should swoop to sign the Scotland international because he is a midfielder with the potential to be Barry Ferguson 2.0 at Ibrox with his attacking qualities.

Way before he was the interim head coach in Glasgow last season, Ferguson was a terrific central midfielder for the Light Blues. He scored 59 goals and provided 29 assists in 420 matches in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Irving only started one Premier League game for West Ham last season, but his form on loan at SK Austria Klagenfurt in the previous two campaigns suggests that he could be a fantastic signing for Rangers.

The left-footed maestro, whose football journey was described as “fascinating” by reporter Barry Anderson, showcased his ability to both score and assist goals at an impressive rate from a central midfield position.

Appearances

31

28

Goals

5

9

Big chances missed

0

1

Big chances created

10

7

Key passes per game

1.4

1.2

Assists

6

4

As you can see in the table above, Irving caught the eye with 14 goals and 17 ‘big chances’ created in two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga before his lack of minutes in the English top-flight last term.

These statistics suggest that the 25-year-old star could follow in Ferguson’s footsteps as a central midfielder and Scotland international who could make a big impact in the final third with goals and assists at Ibrox.

Whether Irving, who has not played in the Premiership since he was at Hearts in the 2019/20 campaign, can translate those performances over to Scotland with Rangers does remain to be seen, though.

At a potential fee of £3m, however, it appears to be a deal that could be worthwhile for the Gers, because they would be bringing in a homegrown, Scotland international, talent who has Premier League experience and the form in Austria to suggest that he could be Ferguson 2.0.

Better signing than Mendy: Rangers line up move to bring £8m star to Ibrox

Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal for a star who would be an even better signing than Nobel Mendy.

ByDan Emery Aug 12, 2025

Therefore, Rangers should be pushing to beat Celtic to the signing of the former Jam Tarts man because he could be the next goalscoring Scottish midfield star to grace the pitch at Ibrox.

Birmingham City are believed to be targeting a shock move for a “great player” in the summer transfer window, in what would be a major statement of intent.

Birmingham buoyant after strong start to season

Chris Davies’ side went into the new Championship season as something of an unknown, with some predicting them to seal back-to-back promotions and others wondering if they would struggle with the step up from League One.

It has been a positive opening two league matches for Birmingham, though, who came agonisingly close to beating Ipswich Town at home on the opening weekend, before producing a stunning late comeback to win 2-1 away to Blackburn Rovers last Saturday.

The early signs are extremely promising for the Blues, but Davies will know the importance of completing more transfer business between now and the end of the month, having missed out on rumoured target Danny Namasa, who has instead joined Auxerre on loan from Porto.

Added depth can be priceless for Birmingham as the season goes on, with legs tiring and squad depth worth their worth in gold, and now a hugely renowned player has been linked with a move to St Andrew’s.

Birmingham keen on signing Premier League champion

According to a fresh report from The Mirror, Birmingham “have made an ambitious move” for former England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

The 32-year-old wants to leave current club Besiktas and return to English football after a forgettable spell in Turkey, and the Blues “hope they can convince him because of the ownership and direction”, during an exciting period in the club’s history.

At 32, Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t the force he was prior to a serious knee injury at Liverpool in 2018, but he could still be a statement signing by Birmingham.

The Englishman would add box-to-box quality to the heart of Davies’ midfield, having registered 44 goals/assists in the Premier League in his career, as well as once being lauded by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

“We could all see the potential of Alex and where he could develop. He picked an incredible club to move to and he wanted a challenge probably after so many years here. We have to accept that and I think we all wish him the best because as well as being a great player, I think he was someone who was really, really like here among the fans, the staff and the players.”

Birmingham have the financial clout to entice a player like Oxlade-Chamberlain to the club this summer, and if he feels they are genuine promotion contenders in the Championship, he could jump at the opportunity to come in as a star man, helping them return to the Premier League.

For a team that can boast a 75-time Premier League goalscorer in Ollie Watkins and a £100m-rated Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa have looked rather limp in attack during the infancy of this new season.

Unai Emery’s men are yet to get off the board in terms of goals, and unfortunately, also wins, as Crystal Palace now await the out-of-sorts Villans before the early international break comes into view.

It could well be that the Spaniard has to dip his toes into the hectic transfer market to add some last-minute firepower to his unusually weary attack, with Villa still noted as being in the race for this £60m forward.

Aston Villa remain in race for £60m talent

Emery will certainly be pushed into making some last-ditch additions if more movement occurs out of the door at Villa Park.

Indeed, it has been rumbling away in the background that Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to splash the cash to land the aforementioned Rogers, with Villa perhaps needing this cash boost to make some standout purchases of their own.

Having recently received the prize of being the PFA Young Player of the Year, Rogers exiting the building would be an almighty blow, but Villa do have a high-profile attacking move up their sleeve, as well.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has offered up a welcome development for fans of the West Midlands side, with the German journalist revealing that no agreement has yet been struck between Bayern Munich and Chelsea for the services of long-term Villa target Nicolas Jackson.

This means that Premier League sides are still in the mix, including Villa, with it yet to be seen if the striker would prefer move to Bavaria or the Midlands, to link up with his former Villarreal boss in Emery.

The ex-Arsenal manager will be hoping he can work his magic on another top-flight attacking misfit, having briefly breathed life back into Marcus Rashford’s bumpy playing days when he pulled on Villa claret and blue last season.

Why Jackson can be Emery's next Rashford

Rashford desperately needed an escape from the shackles of Manchester United last campaign.

The 27-year-old’s stay at his boyhood club had turned sour, to say the least, but while his working relationship with Ruben Amorim had broken down at Old Trafford, he managed to strike up a healthy connection to Emery on his Villans arrival.

In tow, Rashford – who is now on loan at Barcelona – would tally up an impressive four goals and six assists from just 17 outings at Villa Park.

Jackson will be praying he can be as blistering from the get-go if he makes the move to Villa, with his £60m price tag making a loan switch to the West Midlands look more likely – as opposed to a permanent move – owing to Emery and Co’s worrying PSR predicament.

The often scapegoated 24-year-old has flattered to deceive at points at Stamford Bridge, with a costly 43 big chances spurned across two Premier League seasons, but he has also shown a red-hot streak in spurts that could see him instantly explode into life away from Enzo Maresca’s men, in a similar fashion to Rashford’s reinvigorated displays under Emery’s wing.

After only bagging a mere one goal from his first seven Chelsea matches during his debut season, Jackson would then go on to light up West London with a clinical six strikes from his next eight matches.

His former Yellow Submarine head coach now needs to get this “special” – as he was once labelled by journalist Rahman Osman – side out of the Senegalese attacker more regularly.

The hit-and-miss Blues number 15 could well see his 24-goal tally in the Premier League rise under the Spaniard’s expertise, having already seen the heights Rashford managed to hit during his short stint.

After all, the Manchester-born star has been prone to being streaky himself, even during his United peak, with Erik ten Hag even declaring that Rashford was “unstoppable when he is in the mood”, as seen in him bagging a hefty 17 league goals under the Dutchman during the 2022/23 season, only to then follow that up with a slender seven strikes the next campaign.

Emery will be keeping his fingers crossed that Jackson moves on from his inconsistent form when lining up for Villa, with another stellar loan move perhaps in the making if he goes on to be a dangerous option up top that pushes the top-flight strugglers out of their early-season slump.

Aston Villa send late bid to seal a better signing than Nkunku & Jackson

Aston Villa could win a better signing than both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson joining with this last-ditch move.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 26, 2025

West Ham United were planning to sign an “outrageous” player, before he ended up signing for Aston Villa in a deadline-busting move.

West Ham miss out on "outrageous" star to Aston Villa

Ultimately, West Ham did what they needed to do on deadline day, bringing in Igor Julio on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to provide cover in defence, but there are question marks over whether it was a successful window on the whole.

Former player Dean Ashton has been left unconvinced by the recruitment team’s summer transfer strategy, saying: “The recruitment’s been so shoddy, especially when you change managers and style of football.

“You have to be so aligned at board level to make sure that recruitment is absolutely spot-on for the manager that you’ve got in place.”

Things picked up in the latter stages of the window, bringing in 21-year-old midfielder Soungouto Magassa from AS Monaco, while Mateus Fernandes also arrived from Southampton.

However, there are arguably some doubts over the signing of Fernandes, given that the attacking midfielder is yet to really prove himself at Premier League level, having been part of the Southampton side that picked up just 12 points last season.

Instead, West Ham may have been better off signing a more established Premier League midfielder, and that is exactly what they tried to do, having planned to push for the signing of Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott in August.

However, Elliott ultimately ended up completing a deadline-busting move to Aston Villa, with the 22-year-old joining on a loan deal for the remainder of the season, which includes an obligation to buy for £35m.

"Outstanding" manager is "leading" West Ham candidate to replace Potter

The Hammers have set their sights on a Graham Potter replacement.

ByDominic Lund Aug 31, 2025 Elliott could have been "outrageous" signing for West Ham

It is perhaps unsurprising the Hammers missed out on the England U21 international, given that the option to join a club competing in the Europa League was on the table, but it is still disappointing they were unable to get a deal done.

The former Fulham man has been lauded as “outrageous” by scout Jacek Kulig in the past, and he is much more established than Fernandes at the top level, most notably scoring a late winner against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last season.

That’s not to say Fernandes isn’t a strong addition to Potter’s squad, however, with the Portuguese youngster impressing after being thrown straight in on the left-wing against Nottingham Forest last time out.

The starlet won six duels, the joint-second highest number of any West Ham player on the pitch, while he has also received high praise for his attitude from former Saints man Jo Tessem in the past, who said: “Every week he plays his heart out, he is by far the best player on the football pitch from a Saints perspective.”

West Ham United have just been handed a boost in their reported pursuit of former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo, as pressure also grows on under-fire Hammers boss Graham Potter.

Potter has made one of the worst starts to a new season by any Hammers boss in Premier League history, and only Avram Grant’s relegated Hammers team from the 2010/2011 season conceded more goals at this stage of the campaign.

Grant’s dismal West Ham are also the only Irons side to record a lower win percentage in the competition than Potter’s men — which makes for incredibly worrying reading.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12, Graham Potter

27.3%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

After the east Londoners lost all three of their opening matches in all competitions, the pressure was already on Potter, but an excellent 3-0 win over Nuno’s Forest at the City Ground actually restored some degree of faith that things could turn a corner.

That turned out to be Nuno’s final game in charge of Forest, despite guiding them back to Europe for the first time since 1995 last term, owing to a public fallout with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis which ultimately cost the Portuguese his job.

Since then, West Ham have swiftly been brought right back down to Earth after the international break following a 3-0 slump at home to Tottenham in the London derby last Saturday, and Nuno could now replace Potter.

Reports suggest that West Ham chair David Sullivan is a fan of Nuno (Alan Nixon), and the fact he is readily available makes the prospect of his potential appointment a fairly doable one if they do decide to sack Potter.

Nuno Espírito Santo stance on next job as West Ham eye move

A lot will depend on Nuno’s wishes and his stance on joining West Ham, with journalist Neil Goulding sharing a significant boost for Sullivan in this regard.

According to Goulding, Nuno’s “priority” is to remain in the Premier League after leaving Forest, and he’s extremely keen to jump right back into management — which will suit West Ham down to the ground.

He’s apparently hungry for his next role as soon as possible, so West Ham may need to make a decision on Potter’s future fairly quickly.

West Ham should consider Nuno to replace Potter

West Ham’s next three league games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal will likely go a long way in determining Potter’s long-term future, but if they elect to part company, Nuno is arguably their best replacement choice.

José Mourinho is also a free agent, though his last job in England was a lacklustre spell at Tottenham, while Nuno made history by seriously overachieving at Forest last term on limited resources.

This arguably makes him a standout candidate, and Nuno is known for promoting defensive discipline in his setup — something which West Ham have lacked for a very long time.

He also significantly improved Forest’s set-piece weaknesses, which were a major achilles heel for them prior to his arrival, not to mention an aspect of play that West Ham have seriously struggled with under Potter.

Perhaps Nuno could be a David Moyes 2.0, with the potential to bring back serious solidarity to an otherwise very fragile side.

Newcastle United and Eddie Howe have inched closer to a successful Carabao Cup title defence, beating Bradford City in the third round and then drawing Tottenham Hotspur.

There’s a tough test, but Newcastle have a fine recent record against the Lilywhites, and the fluency of Howe’s side is building by the day.

It’s quite understandable in hindsight that the sale of Alexander Isak would disrupt the harmony and snap of United’s frontline, with goals scored in only two of their five Premier League games so far.

Isak left for Liverpool on deadline day, and Newcastle banked a record-breaking £125m fee. They lost one of the world’s finest strikers, who scored 27 times in black and white last season and who bagged against Arne Slot’s Reds at Wembley.

Newcastle did replace the Sweden striker with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, but William Osula is also staking his claim for a big role this term.

William Osula's early-season form

Howe issued rotation as the top-flight and European action took a breath. Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and brace-scoring Joelinton all featured, but so too did the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley get some more minutes under their belt.

However, Osula might feel he was the biggest winner, scoring twice against the high-flying League One side to take his haul to three goals this season, also scoring in that frantic game against Liverpool in August.

Having signed from Sheffield United for £15m last summer, Osula scarcely played across his debut campaign at St. James’ Park, scoring once in the league.

But he’s making headway now.

Osula got himself on the scoresheet before 20 minutes had been played, and then again in the closing stages, sealing his side’s 4-1 victory.

He might have had a hat-trick save for some poor finishing after neat work from Gordon, but, as Howe noted during his post-match press conference, the Danish forward offered more than just goals, holding up well and linking up with his teammates. He looked dangerous and dynamic when playing down the wing.

“He’s done his chances no harm,” Howe said, discussing the potential of the 22-year-old starting in the Premier League once again.

However, Newcastle turned down a £30m approach from Eintracht Frankfurt for the fringe forward this summer, and Howe may come to regret rejecting such a hefty sum, especially when the Magpies have an academy talent who might be even better than his peer.

Newcastle have a bigger talent than Osula

The word on the street is that Newcastle still expect to sell Osula, perhaps next summer. There’s a player in there, but Osula is very much unrefined, and after what Howe described as a “turbulent” summer for the number nine, he finds himself third-fiddle on Tyneside.

Wissa is currently sidelined with a knee injury and has yet to make his debut after joining from Brentford, but Woltemade has shown plenty of promise after completing a club-record £69m move from Stuttgart, scoring on his debut and showcasing his talent thereafter.

Osula has been left somewhat in the lurch, even after scoring against Liverpool.

And with an up-and-coming talent like Sean Neave knocking on his door, Osula may well find himself completing that transfer away next summer.

A natural-born finisher, Neave, 18, has been riding the crest of a wave in Newcastle’s academy. He has always been a reliable goalscorer, but the youth’s ability to carry his form up the levels with relative ease suggests he may soon be knocking on Howe’s door. In fact, he might already be.

Six games into the season for Newcastle’s development side, Neave has scored three goals and provided one assist. No longer playing for the U18s, he is a regular starter in the Premier League 2, despite having reached adulthood only at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Newcastle U18

37

21 (7)

Newcastle U21

15

7 (3)

Newcastle YL

6

1 (1)

Newcastle

–

–

Neave is a “good finisher”, all right, as has been said by Newcastle blogger TomTalksToon, and he already stands at 6 foot 1. A gangly frame that does not inhibit his pace and athleticism, the teenager is akin to Isak, but let’s just wait and see if he can match the former Toon man’s almighty scoring record in the English top flight.

Perhaps Neave was somewhat frustrated to have been left out of the matchday squad against Bradford. However, his professional debut is sure to be right around the corner, with his electric pace and threat in the final third sure-fire ingredients for success in the Premier League.

Osula is more refined physically, but Neave is on a programme that is giving rise to his strength and athletic focus on the field. It’s only a matter of time.

And when that time comes, might Howe and co not regret cashing in on Osula when they had the chance? If Neave continues his meteoric rise with such speed, he may well overtake his goalscoring rival, which would do United’s chances of shipping him out for a big fee no favours.

Newcastle’s 4.6 xG (expected goals) total in the Premier League this season puts them 16th. Not great, but neither is it an accurate representation of the talent and the creativity coursing through Howe’s team.

Instead, Newcastle will continue to go from strength to strength, and Wissa and Woltemade will too.

It’s difficult to see how Osula surpasses either, so unpolished is the Denmark U21 international. And when considering Neave is waiting in the wings and bound to make his senior debut sooner rather than later, Howe may come to wish he had taken the £30m and ran.

Howe could unleash Newcastle's own Yamal in 18-year-old "elite talent"

Newcastle’s academy setting has changed for the better in recent years.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 24, 2025

Manchester City have made a promising start to the season, following some early concerns, and could now be set to make further progress in the January transfer window.

Manchester City gain ground on Liverpool in Premier League race

Pep Guardiola led his side to a convincing victory over Burnley last weekend and would’ve been delighted to hear that Liverpool lost ground in the Premier League title race after a surprise loss to Crystal Palace.

Of course, Arsenal’s last-gasp triumph at Newcastle United has left Mikel Arteta’s side only two points off the top, though the Citizens being five points off the summit is a scenario they would’ve taken after losing back-to-back matches against Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur earlier this term.

Furthering the positive feeling at the Etihad Stadium, Savinho is close to signing a contract extension at Manchester City, closing the curtain on uncertainty surrounding his future after Spurs attempted to bring him in during the summer window.

After a window of upheaval that saw several new arrivals and some key departures, Guardiola told NBC Sports after his side crushed Burnley that he was delighted with his squad’s ‘extraordinary’ solidarity after a statement win on home soil.

He stated: “I didn’t expect otherwise or differently (than to have to work hard to beat Burnley). Premier League is always tough, but since the Manchester United game our spirit is much, much better. We defend as a group, the solidarity is beyond extraordinary, and that is the path.”

After succumbing to Liverpool’s excellent season last term, Manchester City appear to be slowly putting together a run of results and will hope to strengthen in January to heighten the possibility of claiming another Premier League crown.

Now, they look to have set eyes on a potential new recruit who could be pivotal to achieving that mission if they can push a deal over the line.

Manchester City preparing Aleksandar Pavlovic bid

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City are preparing a £43.5 million bid to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is viewed as one of Europe’s brightest midfield talents. Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on the Germany international, and it is suggested that the Bundesliga holders could be open to sanctioning his exit once the January transfer window opens.

Pep's own Isak: Man City must regret selling "best forward in the world"

Man City could have been even more deadly in front of goal with this star

1 ByJoe Nuttall Sep 26, 2025

Labelled “very dominant” by Julian Nagelsmann, Pavlovic has scored once in six appearances across all competitions, and he has also made 13 recoveries on league duty, per Fotmob.

Similarities with Rodri have made him a potential successor to the Spaniard, who has had his fair share of injury issues to deal with over recent times.

Nevertheless, all focus now will be on whether Manchester City can convince Pavlovic that moving to the Etihad Stadium would be the best move for his career at 21 years of age.

It was very much smooth sailing for Liverpool when Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout. Overlooked by critics, the Reds dominantly won the Premier League despite minimal transfer investment.

Now, the defending champions have spent liberally across the summer but have lost their finely-woven fluency, lacking control and coherence across the opening weeks of the season.

The winning, never-quit mentality is still intact, but that alone will not carry the Anfield side through the campaign and to glory. Back-to-back defeats within the past week make a firm comment on that.

Tactically imbalanced and struggling through a bedding-in period, Liverpool have it all to do, with Slot dealing with a number of underperforming stars right now.

Liverpool's biggest strugglers this season

Where to start if not with Florian Wirtz? The German playmaker joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, billed as a world-class talent with unrivalled game-changing quality.

But, since playing a neat assist for Hugo Ekitike (who is certainly not an underperformer), Wirtz has blanked across nine fixtures in all competitions, with his performances leaving so much to be desired.

There is hope and expectation that the 22-year-old will hit his stride soon, but there may be more consternation over the form and future of Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the year, and with Real Madrid lurking, that’s not a good sign.

So far, the French centre-back’s campaign has been littered with mistakes. With Giovanni Leoni sidelined for the long term, this is ominous, with the durability of Liverpool’s starting defensive partnership essential to the success of the team.

Mohamed Salah has also endured a quiet start to the season, and he has received criticism for his toils. However, there’s another Redman who has struggled to get going so far, and he is quietly one of the most important cogs in the Slot machine.

Liverpool's quiet underperformer

Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation since joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in 2023. The Argentine World Cup winner has played influential and contrasting midfield roles across his two years on Merseyside, and has been hailed as a “superstar” by pundit Joe Cole for his efforts.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

5 (5)

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

55.8

48.4

Pass completion

87%

87%

Key passes*

1.3

0.8

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Ball recoveries*

4.2

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

1.8

Ground duels (won)*

4.3 (50%)

1.8 (43%)

But there’s no denying that he hasn’t been right since the off-season. The 26-year-old star has lacked his energy and incisiveness, his hunger to win the ball back and progress play into the final third.

Given the importance of his form in the middle of the park, making everything tick for the Reds, it’s not outrageous to suggest that Mac Allister has been one of Liverpool’s worst performers this season, rarely offering any significant positivity.

Even Wirtz and Konate have enjoyed flashes of promise this term, but Mac Allister has yet to get going at all; he’s not protecting the defence, and neither is he carving out chances with slick passing.

Wirtz, after all, has created 21 chances across all competitions for Liverpool, and no Premier League player has created more since the summer. Clearly, there is a world-class player in there, and he will bloom before long.

It might even be that Slot needs to take his trusted lieutenant out of the firing line, with Curtis Jones producing an impressive, industrious performance in Istanbul.

In any case, there is plenty for Slot to sort out at Liverpool right now, and the changes need to happen sooner rather than later.

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ByAngus Sinclair Sep 30, 2025