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One Manchester United teenager who is yet to play for the club could soon make his debut after impressing Erik ten Hag in training.

Man Utd results and fixtures

The Red Devils haven’t had the best of starts to the new Premier League campaign and sit in the bottom half of the table after five games. Wins over Fulham and Southampton have been cancelled out by defeats to Brighton and Liverpool, and last time out, United couldn’t get past a stubborn Crystal Palace defence, drawing 0-0.

Speaking after the Selhurst Park stalemate, Ten Hag said: “The performance is good, but we are not happy with the score. We are disappointed with the score, it’s clear. But I know one thing for sure in football, it’s a long way to go and when you play in the quality we now deliver the points will come, the goals will come.

“Now we can work on the team, we can build structures, we can also bring out some consistency in selection, and that helps, of course, to bring the patterns and routines in, and then you play better. You can take more control of the game, and you can even, as we did in the first half, dominate the game.”

With just five goals in as many games, senior Man Utd figures are unhappy with Ten Hag for the lack of goals his side are producing and that “patience is beginning to wear thin”.

As can be seen, the games come thick and fast for the Red Devils, and by the looks of things, the Dutchman has been impressed by one teenager at Carrington and could soon give him the chance to shine in the first-team.

Ten Hag could hand Man Utd teenager his debut soon

As we know, the Red Devils were productive during the summer transfer window, bringing in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte all completing moves to Old Trafford.

However, another who made the move was teenager Sekou Kone, with the Mali midfielder’s switch to the academy going under the radar. It seems like he is making quite the impact at Carrington, though, and according to GiveMeSport sources, Kone could soon make his Man Utd debut.

The report states that the Red Devils want to fast track the 18-year-old, with his performances in training impressing Ten Hag and his coaching team, who are ‘considering giving the central midfielder a chance in the first-team setup’. Kone, who is primarily a holding midfielder, could get his chance in one of the cup competitions this season.

Aston Villa fans will be loving life at the moment supporting their side, as the jubilant Villa masses now get to watch their beloved side take on the likes of Bayern Munich in the esteemed Champions League.

Facing off against the Bavarian giants would have been a joy in itself for Unai Emery’s men, but unbelievably winning the contest understandably sent the West Midlands outfit into dreamland territory, as Jhon Duran’s clever strike caught out Manuel Neuer to win the enthralling clash 1-0.

Off the back of this now famous goal against Vincent Kompany’s men and his other stellar exploits in the Premier League, Villa’s star number nine has won himself a new deal at the club, and he more than warrants that lengthy extension.

Duran's form this season

The on-fire 20-year-old attacker will now be staying put at Villa Park until 2030 after agreeing terms to sign a new bumper deal on Monday.

The decision to give him a new and improved deal won’t have been done just off the back of his Bayern strike, however, with Duran popping up with a stunning total of six goals from ten contests this season.

His catalogue of goals is growing by the week. From that long-range howitzer against Everton the ridiculous lob over Manuel Neuer in the Champions League, it’s fair to say the Colombian is a pretty decent striker.

Now, with the young attacker winning an extension, it will bring into view other Villa players who are also deserving of a bumper pay rise as Emery’s men eye up another finish in the top four spaces in the Premier League.

Who else deserves a pay rise at Aston Villa?

Morgan Rogers may feel his name deserves to be thrown in the mix when it comes to a new and improved deal, having impressed for the top-flight outfit of late.

After occasionally being thrown into the deep end of the first team during his debut campaign at Villa Park last season, with only 11 Premier League appearances coming his way, the former Manchester City youth product has now blossomed into a top performer under Emery.

Chalkboard

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

Even when he wasn’t front and centre of lineups fielded by the Spaniard, he was still receiving praise, having been labelled as a “quality” talent by football journalist John Townley earlier this year.

The constantly improving 22-year-old might only have one goal and two assists next to his name from nine contests so far, but his overriding numbers in this season suggest he could be a force to be reckoned with moving forward when everything slots into place.

Missing three big chances in front of goal alongside creating four big chances of his own this campaign, Rogers will have been relieved to score against Ipswich to break his 2024/25 duck having often been “the best player on the pitch” for the Villans this term, in the words of Sue Smith.

Also showing off his energy with 4.4 ball recoveries averaged per clash, the ex-Man City attacking midfielder will want to just keep progressing at Villa Park under the watchful guidance of Emery, knowing he has more to give down the line.

The Villa number 27’s bright spurts in games could be enough for him to put forward a case for being worthy of a deal with a higher wage, as the 22-year-old only earns £20k-per-week currently, making him one of the lowest-paid players at Villa Park.

He will no doubt be clamouring for a wage increase, therefore, especially if he comes into his own more as the campaign wears on, knowing that Duran has just won himself a healthy salary boost.

Before he does win any new deal, Rogers will know he needs to continue his upward trajectory in Emery’s ranks, as Villa hunt down more big wins in the league and in Europe when the international break is up.

Aston Villa wanted to sign one of the 'world's best' but got Duran instead

Villa nearly signed goal-machine instead of Jhon Duran

By
Connor Holden

Oct 3, 2024

Manchester United have reportedly contacted Bayern Munich over a loan deal for Mathys Tel as the striker's deal with Tottenham Hotspur stalls.

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• Man Utd contact Bayern over Tel loan
• Tottenham see €60m deal stall
• Tel wants to leave Bayern on loan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tel has been linked with an exit from Bayern Munich as the striker struggles to get regular playing time with the Bavarians. The 19-year-old has been approached by Tottenham Hotspur and the two sides have reportedly agreed to a €60m (£50m) transfer fee, however, the deal is currently stalling.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Tel would prefer to leave Bayern Munich on a loan deal as he wants to make a final decision on his future in the summer. The stall in the talks between him and Tottenham has come as Tel would prefer to assess all his options before committing his future to the North London side. Additionally, iNews has reported that the 19-year-old would prefer to join Manchester United and is waiting to see if the Red Devils solidify their interest in him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  As per Plettenberg's report, Manchester United have now contacted Bayern Munich in regards to signing Tel on a loan deal this January, which would be the 19-year-old's preference. However, the Red Devils are looking to buy some time as they would need departures before signing Tel.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEL?

  At the moment, Tel's future remains uncertain with Manchester United also not in an advanced stage regarding their interest in the striker. However, a departure from the Bavarians remains highly likely with the destination being the uncertain aspect.

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy made an apparent 'Fergie time' dig after Manchester United's controversial FA Cup winner at Old Trafford.

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• Man Utd beat Leicester 2-1
• Maguire scores offside winner
• Van Nistelrooy fumes over FA Cup loss

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leicester looked to be heading to extra-time, only for Harry Maguire to score in the 93rd minute to send United into round five of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win on Friday night. After the match, Red Devils legend and current Foxes boss Van Nistelrooy said this loss was not down to 'Fergie time' – a term used by football fans to describe late United goals when Sir Alex Ferguson was manager – but it was because of "offside time". The Dutchman said Maguire's header was so clearly offside that VAR was "not necessary", with the technology not in use in the Old Trafford game.

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  WHAT RUUD VAN NISTELROOY SAID

  He told ITV Sport after the game: "We are not defeated in Fergie time, we are defeated in offside time. This wasn't necessary. VAR you have in a couple of centimetres, a couple of inches, this was half a metre, clear in line. That was a hard one to take because the team deserves to draw in the end. Then extra time, stay in the game you, never know what happens. We deserved to go into extra time, go for the battle in extra time, and maybe penalties. Decisions like these at our level are hard to swallow."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United's FA Cup title defence is still alive after this unconvincing victory against Premier League strugglers Leicester. Van Nistelrooy was only appointed as Leicester manager earlier this season and is already under pressure to keep his job. And results like these could prove the difference for the ex-striker.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Both sides return to Premier League action next weekend, with Leicester hosting Arsenal and United travelling to Tottenham.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers was able to move a number of players on from the fringes of his first-team squad during the summer transfer window.

Mikey Johnston, Hyeon-gyu Oh, Sead Haksabanovic, and Tomoki Iwata all left on permanent deals, to West Bromwich Albion, Genk, Malmo, and Birmingham respectively.

Those exits helped to allow the Hoops to bring in the likes of Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo, and Kasper Schmeichel, among others.

However, there was at least one player who Rodgers may have wanted to keep, and one dud who he would have wanted to move on, with the former being Matt O’Riley.

Matt O'Riley's exit from Celtic

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign the Denmark international for a Scottish record transfer fee of more than £25m.

That came after the left-footed magician enjoyed a terrific campaign in the middle of the park for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, as he showcased his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

As you can see in the table above, O’Riley was the manager’s biggest source of goals and assists in the league last season, which attracted interest from Brighton.

Rodgers would surely have preferred to have kept such a talent, who was reportedly on £14k-per-week in Glasgow, but the Hoops opted to accept the huge offer from the Seagulls.

Meanwhile, a player the Northern Irish manager would surely have wanted to have moved on from the squad – James McCarthy – remained at Parkhead.

James McCarthy's Celtic career in numbers

Ange Postecoglou signed the Ireland international on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, after his contract with Crystal Palace had come to an end that summer.

The Hoops reportedly handed the midfielder a wage of £14k-per-week, as much as O’Riley earned at the club, and it has not turned out to be great value for money thus far.

He has earned around £728k-per-season so far, £2.18m in total across his three full seasons at Parkhead – along with roughly £220k since the start of July this term. This means that Celtic have spent around £2.4m in wages on the Irishman since his arrival in 2021.

The veteran midfielder has only made 27 appearances in all competitions since his move to the club, and 22 of those came in the 2021/22 campaign.

McCarthy, who was described as “lost” on the pitch by pundit Frank McAvennie in 2022, has not featured in a matchday squad for the Hoops since November 2022 and has not made an appearance for Celtic since October 2022. There is even some confusion over whether he is actually still on the books, or not, having been removed from the squad list on the club’s official website.

Regardless, this means that the former Wigan star has earned over £1m in wages, at £14k-per-week, since his last outing in a competitive game for the Scottish giants, which speaks to how much of a flop the signing has been.

Celtic have not got value for money for the wages they have spent on the midfielder, as illustrated by the huge impact O’Riley had on the pitch for the club last season whilst earning the same weekly wage.

Celtic messed up with rarely-seen signing who's now worth less than Scales

The Hoops had a nightmare when they brought the central defender to Parkhead.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 10, 2024

Therefore, Postecoglou had a nightmare by bringing the Irishman to Glasgow in 2021 and the Bhoys have wasted £2.4m and counting on the dud, whose contract does not expire until next summer.

Glasgow Rangers looked to lower the average age of their playing squad in the recent summer transfer window, with plenty of movement in and out of Ibrox.

The Light Blues, firstly, allowed Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, and Borna Barisic to depart at the end of their respective contracts.

Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also sanctioned the exits of Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Ben Davies, either permanently or on loan.

Those exits freed up space for the Gers to bring in players to bolster the squad, with the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Robin Propper, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes coming through the door, albeit Cortes was on loan during the second half of last term.

This took the squad from an average age of 26.2 in the 2023/24 campaign to 25.2 this season, which suggests that Clement and Koppen did good work to bring down the age of the group.

The Light Blues now have a younger squad that is full of players with the potential to develop and grow in value, and they have recently been urged to go and sign another young player – Lyall Cameron.

Rangers told to sign Lyall Cameron

Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel, former Rangers ace Andy Halliday recently told the Gers to “go and sign” Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.

The retired Scottish defender has urged both the Light Blues and Glasgow rivals Celtic to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old dynamo in the upcoming transfer windows.

Halliday referenced Luke McCowan, who joined the Hoops from Dundee in the summer, and described his move as a ‘no-brainer’, and said that Cameron should be the next player to make the same transfer to one of the big teams in Scotland.

However, the pundit did add that the youngster may not be someone who makes an immediate and big impact at Ibrox, or Parkhead, but that he could arrive as a fantastic squad option for Clement to consider.

McCowan produced ten goals and five assists in 37 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but is more experienced than Cameron – at the age of 26.

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The current Dundee star turned 22 on Thursday and would arrive at Ibrox as a youngster with plenty of potential to develop and improve over the years to come, which could make him a dream for Connor Barron.

Connor Barron's start to life at Rangers

The Scotland U21 international joined Rangers in the summer transfer window after his contract with Aberdeen expired at the end of last season, with the Dons due a yet-to-be-agreed compensation.

He has already emerged as a key player in the engine room for Clement, starting six of his seven appearances in the Premiership so far, and has caught the eye with his displays.

The 22-year-old, like Cameron, is a young talent who still has plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player during his time in Glasgow, which means that the pair could improve alongside each other over the years to come.

Barron has provided a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield for Clement in the Premiership so far this season, completing 91% of his attempted passes.

However, the Scottish youngster has struggled to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, despite his efficiency in possession.

As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star has yet to contribute with a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created in the top-flight.

He has, though, averaged 5.6 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for the Scottish giants, which shows that he is adept at winning possession back for his side on a consistent basis.

Barron is excellent at breaking up opposition attacks and then keeping play ticking for his team with simple passes, hence his high pass completion rate, and that is another reason why Cameron would be a dream for him, as he has the quality on the ball to complement his compatriot.

Why Rangers should sign Lyall Cameron

The 22-year-old Dundee star is a central midfielder who likes to push forward to make things happen, with goals and assists, at the top end of the pitch.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Cameron contributed with an eye-catching 14 goals and five assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, to help his team to secure promotion from the Championship.

The Scotland U21 international, who was lauded as “terrific” by Gary Bowyer, followed that up with five goals in 28 appearances in the regular season in the Premiership last season for Dundee, in his first year at the top level.

These statistics show that the young whiz, who Rangers have been told to go and sign in the January transfer window, has the potential to offer a solid threat as a goalscorer from a central midfield position. Whereas, Barron has only scored two goals in the Premiership since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Cameron has yet to showcase his goalscoring ability for Dundee this season but has been in fantastic form as a creator of goals.

Only James Tavernier (2.6) has created more chances per game within the Rangers squad than the 22-year-old star’s 2.1 key passes per match in the Premiership this season, whilst no Gers player has registered more than two assists.

This suggests that Cameron would come in and be one of the biggest creative threats in Clement’s squad, if he can carry that form over to Ibrox.

After Sterling: Rangers should hand a pay rise to £22k-p/w star

The Light Blues attacking midfielder has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.

2

By
Dan Emery

Oct 9, 2024

Therefore, the SPFL dynamo could be a dream partner for Barron in midfield because he can offer a threat as a scorer and a creator, which the current Gers ace does not, and they can both develop and improve alongside each other at 22 years old.

GOAL takes a look at the five MLS coaches who have short leashes as the 2025 season nears kick

The 2025 MLS season is just over two weeks away, and those competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup will take the pitch competitively in less than a week.

Heading into this campaign, there are higher expectations than we have ever seen in MLS. The league sells parity and every team wants silverware. Ultimately, that means coaches are under a magnifying glass through the first months of the season — more than ever before. MLS saw just five coaches fired in 2010, it had 12 coaching departures. With those raised expectations, even well-known coaches could see their future with their current clubs at stake.

Sporting Kansas City's Peter Vermes and the New England Revolution's Caleb Porter are both proven winners in this league but had woeful domestic campaigns last year. Then, there's a newcomer like Nico Estevez at Austin FC, which has spent over $20M this offseason to rebuild the club's attack — results will be needed, immediately. Steve Cherundolo, meanwhile, is one of MLS' best head coaches — however, he made poor decisions on the touchline last year that ultimately cost LAFC in the postseason.

The Portland Timbers then enter the equation. Phil Neville has reportedly lost his superstar Evander, the individual who was the lone point of success for the club in 2024. Can he recover and still find a way to succeed without the Brazilian?

GOAL takes a look at all five managers' scenarios, offering some insight into where they stand heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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  5Steve Cherundolo, LAFC

  Cherundolo is an excellent manager. He led LAFC to an MLS Cup title in 2022 and a Supporters' Shield in the same season. He also won the U.S. Open Cup in 2024. All three are fantastic and incredible achievements; but by doing so, he's set expectations for both himself and the club's performances.

  All-in-all, despite their Open Cup win, 2024 was a disappointing season for LAFC. They were stagnant throughout the campaign, scraping by with narrow victories, despite securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference come the MLS Cup Playoffs. In the postseason, they were nearly shocked by the Whitecaps in Round 1 of the competition, where the Wildcard side took them to three games before bowing out in Game 3. Come the Conference semifinals, the were stunned by the Seattle Sounders in extra-time, after playing a cautious game that ultimately cost them their season.

  Cherundolo switched to a back-five midway throughout the season, playing with three central defenders and two wingbacks, and it's fair to say it worked because it secured them the top seed in the West come the regular season. However, against MLS' best teams, it cost them.

  Despite having loads of talent like Mateusz Bogusz, Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga, and Cristian Olivera, the former U.S. international deployed tactics that didn't play to the strengths of his roster. It was a forced game of caution and absorbing pressure, instead of playing the fluid attacking soccer that they had previously found success with.

  In 2025, Cherundolo will be expected to compete for a CONCACAF Champions Cup, a Leagues Cup, the Supporters' Shield, and MLS Cup — if he can't find himself lifting at least one of those trophies come the end of the campaign, it's tough to imagine their front office being patient for another season.

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  4Nico Estevez, Austin FC

  Estevez was appointed as Austin FC head coach this offseason in a relatively surprising hire. He was sacked by FC Dallas in 2024, and never truly impressed in the role there. With Austin, he has since been handed a war chest, which he's massively spent to overhaul their attack.

  U.S. international Brandon Vazquez was brought in for $10 million from Liga MX side Monterrey, while La Liga 2 ace Myrto Uzuni was signed for a club-record fee of $12.2 million from Granada. Together, they're set to form a new attacking tandem as look to finally become a competitive and formidable side in MLS.

  Estevez, meanwhile, needs to impress — and immediately.

  He only managed a 36 percent winning percentage at FCD, but Austin saw something in him to appoint him after the sacking of Josh Wolff in 2024.

  His best year with FCD came in 2022, when he led them to a third-place finish in the Western Conference and the No. 3 seed in the postseason. In 2023, they returned to the playoffs but exited in Round 1 of the competition. In 2024, he was sacked after a 3-8-5 start to the season.

  At Austin, there will be expectations to compete in both domestic competitions, as well as secure a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. They've missed the postseason for two consecutive years after making the Conference Semifinals in 2022.

• IMAGN
  

  3Phil Neville, Portland Timbers

  Neville is in make-or-break territory in 2025. He didn't impress in Miami, but with Portland, he's made small waves. Those small waves need to amount to something larger in 2025, or his time as a manager in MLS could be coming to an end.

  In 2024, the Timbers were MLS' most uneven team. They bagged goals like it was a training exercise, but had a naive approach defensively. During the regular season, they scored 65 but conceded 56 — the fifth-most in the Western Conference.

  Evander, of course, broke out with 15 goals and 19 assists. As did striker Jonathan Rodriguez, who arrived from Liga MX side Cruz Azul to bag 16 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances. However, for as brilliant as their attack was, Neville could never shore up his defense, despite trying multiple players. It ultimately led to them never being able to climb the Western Conference standings, only earning a playoff spot in a Wildcard Play-In game, where they were obliterated by the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 at home.

  Now, heading into 2025 without Evander, and nearly the same exact defense that struggled in 2024, Neville has a tall task ahead of him. If he can't figure out how to sort out his defense, while also getting his offense to click once again, his days could be numbered.

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  2Caleb Porter, New England Revolution

  The 2024 season was a disastrous one for both the Revolution and Porter.

  A two-time MLS Cup winner, the Revs manager underwhelmed in his debut season with the Eastern Conference side. Their defense was shambolic, their attack was equally poor. Off the pitch, he also got into hot water. He was fined just a few weeks into the season by the league for criticizing the during PRO's lockout of their pool of officials in March, and come May, he was heard on audio arguing and criticizing a media member for their question following a defeat.

  Then, in September, he was fined and suspended by the league for criticizing refereeing, as well.

  It was a genuine mess.

  However, 2025 is a new year, and the club has essentially cleaned house — allowing Porter to start fresh with a nearly completely new starting XI and some top players to build around. He has shown he knows how to be successful in this league and take a cub to the top. However, his leash is tighter than ever as the 2025 season begins.

  Since the end of the 2024 season the Revs, 11 players have departed, while big signings like Leonardo Campana from Inter Miami have arrived as they revamp their roster. Wyatt Omsberg, Jackson Yeuill, and Maxi Urruti all joined through free agency, as well, giving Porter some veteran experience from within the league on his roster.

  Porter was trusted by the front office to clean house, and he did. Now, he's brought in a group of players he thinks will help turn things around — ultimately meaning, that's now an expectation.

  If he doesn't start off hot, though, things could turn sour fast.

Mohamed Salah is rewriting the Premier League history books, with the Liverpool star achieving something Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry didn’t.

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• Superstar forward continues to shine
• Reached 40 goal involvements this season
• Bettering achievements of other greats

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Egyptian superstar has been a revelation for the Reds since signing for them in the summer of 2017. He has hit at least 20 goals in each of his eight seasons at Anfield. Remarkable standards have been maintained in the 2024-25 campaign.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alongside his efforts that hit the net, Salah also boasts a useful knack of teeing up team-mates. He delivered on both counts when it comes to end product during a Premier League clash with defending champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Salah opened the scoring in that contest, before setting up Dominik Szoboszlai to double the Reds’ lead. Those exploits took him to 40 goal contributions for the season, becoming the first man to be involved in 40-plus goals across two different campaigns – having previously scored 32 and assisted 10 in 2017-18.

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  TELL ME MORE

  Salah has also set a new Premier League high when it comes to registering a goal and assist in multiple top-flight fixtures across any given season. He took his tally on that front to 11 against City, with the previous best being seven.

Ipswich Town could now sell star striker Liam Delap in the January transfer window to a Premier League rival, according to a new report.

Delap a shining light in Ipswich Town's start to Premier League season

The Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna are still searching for their first Premier League win of the 2024/25 season, with the latest setback coming at Portman Road against Everton. McKenna’s side fell to a frustrating 2-0 defeat to the Toffees, with first-half goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane enough to earn the visitors three points.

Ipswich let youth star leave for £0, now he’s outperforming Hutchinson

Ipswich Town must have some regrets when it comes to letting this youth player go.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 21, 2024

It has been a disappointing start to the campaign, but one shining light has been the form of forward Delap after his permanent move from Manchester City in the summer.

Delap netted his first goal for the club against Fulham and followed that up with a brace against Aston Villa and another in the loss to West Ham before the international break.

McKenna has praised Delap’s start to life at Portman Road, saying: “Liam has had a very good start. He is a young striker who has had three loans in the Championship and he is still finding his way in the game.

“His body has developed a lot over the last 12 months, which I think is important for a forward player playing in the physicality of the Premier League and even in the Championship. He is developing well.

“For 21 years of age, the start he has had in the Premier League is really promising. But it is a handful of games and he knows there is still a long road ahead of him and lots of things to still improve on. He has made some really good first strides though.”

However, his impressive form has caught the eye of a number of Premier League rivals, with a concerning transfer update now emerging.

Tottenham leading race to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are considering a move to sign Delap from Ipswich Town in January. The report states that Ipswich have an asking price of €40m (£33.3m) when it comes to the £20,000-a-week forward, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and former club Manchester City also keen.

Ipswich are prepared to evaluate offers for Delap in the New Year and would make a huge profit on the initial £15m they spent in the summer, should they accept a £33m+ offer.

It is Spurs who are leading the race for Delap’s services, though, and any exit over £30m would smash the club’s current transfer sale. For now, Delap will be looking to continue his solid start to the campaign, hoping that more goals in the top flight will translate into Premier League wins for the Tractor Boys.

Nuno Espirito Santo's honest assessment of Arsenal left Martin Keown with egg on his face after the Gunners drew against Nottingham Forest.

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• Arsenal forced to share the spoils with Forest
• Gunners fell 13 points behind table toppers Liverpool
• Santo silenced Keown while explaining why he opted a back four

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The North London side were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Forest at the City Ground – a result that saw Arsenal fall further behind in the Premier League title race, trailing leaders Liverpool by 13 points.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka were all sidelined, leaving Arteta with limited options up front. In response, midfielder Mikel Merino continued to slot in as a makeshift striker, especially after scoring two goals in a win over Leicester City. However, the Spaniard did little to inspire confidence in the forward line as the Gunners could muster just one shot on target in the 90 minutes.

• WHAT NUNO SAID

  Santo's decision to field a back four against Arsenal was a striking choice, especially after his side had employed a more defensive back five formation in their previous outing against Fulham. In a post-match show, when Keown asked why he shifted to a back-four, Nuno revealed that he felt no extra defensive cover was needed due to Arsenal’s lack of a recognized striker.

  "As Arsenal doesn't have a striker… they didn't play in those positions," Santo replied bluntly. "There's no need for an extra body, so the overload will be in the midfield, it's about containing the midfield."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  With just two wins in their last five games, Arteta's side appears to be losing momentum, and their title challenge is slipping further away. Moreover, with Liverpool showing no signs of slowing down in their pursuit of a record-equalling 20th title, the margin for error is rapidly shrinking. Arsenal will travel to Old Trafford next to face Manchester United in the league on March 9. Before that, they have to deal with PSV in the first leg of a Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday evening.