All posts by n8rngtd.top

Newcastle United are believed to be in pole position to complete the signing of an "elite" player in a potential big-money deal, a new transfer report has claimed.

Newcastle linked with Ousmane Diomande

The Magpies have suffered huge problems with injuries this season, with a host of important players missing for big chunks of action at different times.

One of the biggest losses for much of the campaign has been Sven Botman, with the Dutchman one of the first names on Eddie Howe's team sheet when he is fit and firing, playing a big role in them finishing fourth in the Premier League last season. This term, however, the centre-back has been limited to just seven starts in the league, and only one in the Champions League, and he has been a huge miss.

With Botman struggling with injuries and the likes of Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles both in their 30s now, Newcastle could target a new central defender this month, and Sporting CP ace Ousmane Diomande has emerged as a primary target for the Magpies.

The 20-year-old has already become a key man for his current club, despite being so young, and Newcastle have reportedly made contact with him over a move to St James' Park. Now, a fresh update has emerged – one that further suggests he could be heading to the Magpies in the near future.

Newcastle favourites to sign Ousmane Diomande

According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are now the front-runners to complete the signing of Diomande, with the Magpies ready to pay his €80m (£68.8m) release clause.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid are all mentioned as possible suitors in the report, highlighting his quality as a player, but it looks as though Howe's men are in pole position to snap him up, with the player one step away from Newcastle.

Diomande looks like a fantastic young prospect with most of his career ahead of him still, so for Newcastle to be in such a strong position has to be considered exciting.

While they have struggled so far this season, the fact that they are seemingly ahead of some huge club in the race to sign the Ivorian says so much about the strides the club have made in recent years. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig is someone who has been left hugely impressed with the Sporting CP ace, saying of him:

"Ousmane Diomande. You rarely see a player with such high ball-playing and pure defender skills. There are some tactical improvements but I'm quite sure this kid will play for the best teams in the world. The signs of elite talent."

Bringing in a long-term centre-back partner for Botman could be high on Howe's agenda, and Diomande ticks so many boxes when it comes to suiting Newcastle, completing 91.2% of his passes in the Primeira Liga this season, as well as winning an average of 1.9 aerial duels per game.

Rasmus Hojlund cracked a joke on Christian Eriksen after the Manchester United midfielder scored a stunner for Denmark in a 2-1 win over Sweden.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Denmark beat Sweden 2-1
• Eriksen scored the winner
• Hojlund takes a cheeky jibe at Eriksen

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eriksen showcased his brilliance once again, scoring a late winner to seal a narrow victory for Denmark against Sweden at a sold-out Parken Stadium on Wednesday. He had earlier set up Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the near post from a corner to give Denmark an early advantage.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At 32 years of age, Eriksen remains a vital creative force for Denmark, orchestrating plays and maintaining control in the midfield. His presence was acutely felt in attack and his influence was crucial in keeping the Danish side composed and focused.

• WHAT HOJLUND SAID

  Hojlund, who has been in top form and is expected to be Denmark's leading striker at Euro 2024, couldn't resist making a playful remark about Eriksen's performance. Taking to Instagram, Hojlund joked, "When it’s 'take your dad to work day' and he outclassed you. Always nice to beat Sweden."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Denmark will conclude their Euro 2024 preparations with a home game against Norway on Saturday. This match will serve as the final opportunity for the team to fine-tune their strategies and build cohesion before heading to Germany. In Euro 2024, Denmark will face tough competition in Group C, which includes Slovenia, England, and Serbia.

Leeds United kept up the pressure on both Ipswich Town and Southampton with a convincing 3-0 win away to Cardiff City this afternoon, with Daniel Farke's men powering to a third successive win in all competitions – having scored three goals without reply in each of those triumphs.

Defeats to both Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion had somewhat stopped the Whites in their tracks, yet the promotion hopefuls have recovered emphatically after seeing off Birmingham City, Peterborough and now the Bluebirds, with the returning Patrick Bamford notably finding the net in each of those victories.

Seemingly looking back to his best following what has been an underwhelming last couple of years for the Englishman, Bamford spearheaded an attack that simply ran riot at the Cardiff City Stadium, in what The Athletic's Phil Hay described as a "demolition job" by the visitors.

The scoreline could have been even more emphatic had Crysencio Summerville not struck the woodwork late on, although Farke will be more than content following a routine win in which a host of his stars came to the party.

Leeds' star performers vs Cardiff

As mentioned above, it was another fine outing for that man Bamford as he struck the early blow to give the away side control, albeit while not finishing quite as spectacularly as he did against Posh in the FA Cup last week.

Even so, the experienced marksman now has four goal involvements from just his last three outings, with summer signing Joel Piroe – who started on the bench earlier today – no doubt fearing for his place in the starting lineup.

With Bamford taking command as the focal point in attack, it gave another opportunity for Georginio Rutter to sparkle in that number ten berth, with the young Frenchman – who won ten duels and provided two key passes – capping his fine afternoon after producing a composed finish late on.

There was also an "imperious" showing from Glen Kamara in the centre of the park – as per journalist Adam Pope – while the aforementioned Summerville also sparkled once again despite his penalty miss, notably laying on the assist for Rutter's 88th-minute strike.

It was Daniel James on the other flank who particularly sparkled, however, with Pope writing on Twitter that the Wales international "going forward and defending was superb", having been integral to all that was good about Leeds' dominant showing.

Daniel James' game in numbers vs Cardiff

On the face of it, it may not appear that the former Manchester United man was too heavily involved in proceedings, having actually made just 39 touches in total, prior to being withdrawn at the death – with even Illan Meslier (48) earning more touches of the ball in the sticks.

That being said, James certainly made his presence felt when he was in possession, notably playing his part in the breakaway final goal after surging into the Cardiff half before unselfishly squaring the ball to Summerville at the back post.

The wing wizard had earlier also been in the right place at the right time to poke home into an empty net on the half-hour mark, taking his season tally to nine goals and five assists in 25 Championship games – already the most productive campaign of his career to date.

So often maligned for his wasteful nature in the final third – having been described as "headless" in the past by pundit Darren Bent – the diminutive speedster is, to his credit, proving the doubters wrong, having also registered two key passes in the Welsh capital.

Although the one-time Swansea City man did lose possession on ten occasions, he also came close to adding a second for himself after seeing an effort strike the crossbar, having been deserving of his 7/10 match rating, as per LeedsLive's Beren Cross.

Leeds can forget Carvalho snub by signing "creative" PL attacker

Leeds United could forget about Fabio Carvalho by signing this skilful star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 10, 2024

While such an outing may have come against a frankly dismal opposition, that display will now be the benchmark for both James and his teammates, heading into an undoubtedly crucial next few months for the West Yorkshire side.

The future at Liverpool has suddenly been thrown into uncertainty following the shock announcement that Jurgen Klopp will step down from his role at the end of the season.

Now forced to complete the impossible task of finding a replacement for the German, FSG have already reportedly turned their attention to handing the next man in charge a boost in the form of reinforcements.

Liverpool eyeing a true "genius" manager to replace Jurgen Klopp

FSG have their work cut out in identifying a successor to lead ‘Liverpool 2.0’

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 30, 2024

Why is Klopp leaving Liverpool?

Announcing the news of his departure, Klopp told the club's official media channels via Liverpool.com: “I can understand that that’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it — or at least try to explain it.

"I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take. It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy.

"I am OK. I am healthy, as much as you can [be] at my age. Little bits and bobs, stuff like that, but nothing anybody has to be concerned about, so that’s absolutely fine. I told the club already in November.”

Now forced to plan for life without Klopp, FSG have reportedly shifted their focus to helping their next manager get off to the perfect start. According to The Mirror, FSG and Liverpool are plotting a move to sign Tosin Adarabioyo after being left hugely impressed by the defender in the Reds' recent Carabao Cup victory over Fulham. The defender is set to be out of contract this summer, which could see Liverpool land a free deal in what they hope will be an underrated bargain.

"Special" Adarabioyo can replace Matip

With Joel Matip set to leave Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, the Reds will be in need of a replacement. And that's when Adarabioyo could make his mark, signing on a free in a similar fashion to the then understated Matip.

The Fulham man, still only 26-years-old, would arrive with plenty of room for improvement whilst also having enough Premier League experience to step into the Liverpool side. Here's how Adarabioyo's stats compare to Matip's this season…

A player who shoots more than 92% of defenders too, Adarabioyo can offer Liverpool an unexpected threat going forward and at set pieces, standing at 6 foot 5. The numbers make Marco Silva's previous praise little surprise, with the Fulham boss saying, via Irish News: “He is a key player for us. He is one of the leaders in our dressing room and we need these guys to step in in the right moments and he did it.

"We missed him a lot, we missed him because he didn’t play the first three months of the season. Tosin is a special player for us, I can’t hide that situation."

Spain's Lamine Yamal is lighting up the Euros and he has revealed that he will not complete his schooling if Spain win the tournament.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Lamine Yamal stars for Spain at age of 16
• Has brought school homework to Euros
• Will not return to school if Spain reach final

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The humble 16-year-old sensation from Barcelona has slowly become one of the best wingers in the world in just his first senior season for the Blaugrana. As such, he was inevitably called up to the Spanish national team by Luis de la Fuente for the Euros. Yamal, who is still a school student, revealed that his school had assigned him homework and assignments for the duration of the European Championship in Germany. He has now revealed that he will not return to school this summer if La Roja become the European Champions.

Advertisement

• WHAT YAMAL SAID

  Speaking to Cope, Yamal said: "How many hours do I study? Well, since we have a lot of free time, it's not something that I put in and say: 'Today at least two hours', when I'm in the room with nothing to do, I take the iPad and do a couple of homework, and when Nico or Fermín call me to play PlayStation, I go down with them.

  "Do I have to take exams? No, with the iPad, I see what they send me, I print it and do it

  "What about my grades? I guess they will send them to me online because it depends on how far we go in the Euro Cup, which I hope will be very far away because I won't be going back to class anymore. So, if we reach the final, I won't come back, I'll go directly on vacation."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal's Euros debut against Croatia made him the youngest-ever player to play in the tournament, and against Italy, he almost became the youngest goalscorer in the European Championship when he came close to beating Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal with a curling shot.

  When asked about being the youngest player ever in the tournament, Yamal said: "Does it scare me? No, in the end, it's one more piece of information. It doesn't scare me, I play the same. I try to focus on playing well and I think in the end it only helps me because when I do something well it will be magnified because of my age, obviously. I think it only helps me."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

  The 16-year-old forward will be in action again on June 24 when De la Fuente's Spain take on Albania. If Spain does make it to the final of the tournament, Yamal will remain unable to return to school until after the summer break ends.

Aston Villa are keeping tabs on a Serie A sensation after having a January bid knocked back, according to reports coming out of Italy, as Unai Emery looks to strengthen his squad further after an electric campaign so far.

Impressive Emery eyeing European success

It appeared a major coup when Aston Villa announced the capture of veteran trophy winner Unai Emery last season, and so it has proved. The former Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and Villareal boss has overseen a massive upturn in the fortunes of the Villa Park outfit since his arrival, with the club currently sitting fourth in the Premier League and just five points behind league leaders Liverpool.

Though they have won just one of their last five games and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea, the Villans remain in a fantastic position to make the campaign a memorable one, and end it with a European trophy in the form of the Europa Conference League.

To improve their chances of doing just that, the Midlands outfit were one of just nine Premier League clubs to make a permanent transfer in the January window, with the impressive Middlesbrough youngster Morgan Rodgers joining the club in a deal worth around £8m, rising to £15m. They also snapped up Arsenal youngster Lino Sousa, though the Brazilian fullback is not expected to feature heavily in the first team this season amid the impressive performances from Alex Moreno and the continued support of Lucas Digne.

Aston Villa now reach “agreement” over new deal for “scintillating” star

Villa are rewarding the player for the best form of his career in the Midlands.

By
David Comerford

Feb 6, 2024

Villa approach for Serie A star rejected

Now, reports coming out of Italy suggest that Emery would have spent further had he got his way, with the Spanish coach keen on signing Torino's Raoul Bellanova in January. NSWE's approach was knocked back thanks to the €20m (£17m) asking price.

That has not ended the interest in the Italian though, with Tutto Mercato reporting that the Villans remain keen on a potential summer move for one of the Italian top flight's breakout stars. However, they will face plenty of competition for the 23-year-old, with several clubs thought to be keen on bolstering their ranks with the full-back.

Used as a wing-back for Torino, it is easy to see where he would fit into Unai Emery's system. After an excellent start to the season, Matty Cash appears to have fallen down the Spaniard's pecking order, which has forced him to use Ezri Konsa at full-back with John McGinn ahead of him.

Bellanova could operate in either of those positions, and would give Villa another option on the right hand side of the pitch. With three assists to his name this season, he is clearly capable of providing a killer ball when required.

Though the 23-year-old only made the switch to Turin in the summer, the Italians could already cash in on him should an offer come in, with a deal at the reported asking price turning quite a profit from the €7m (£6m) they spent last year.

Arsenal reannounced themselves as genuine Premier League title contenders last night with a comprehensive 3-1 home win over rivals Liverpool.

The entire team were excellent from the first whistle – bar a comedy of errors in the 45th minute – but two players who have perhaps not received the praise they deserved are Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White.

Both full-backs – and White in particular – were electric in the first half, but a minor injury to Zinchenko and a lack of depth at right-back in the absence of Takehiro Tomyasu and Jurrien Timber is a genuine concern.

With this in mind, it makes sense to see links to Jeremie Frimpong in recent months, but Mikel Arteta might be able to save the club a lot of money by promoting one of Hale End's most exciting youngsters, someone who has been compared to Reece James.

Arsenal's pursuit of Jeremie Frimpong

Like most of their rivals in England, the Gunners endured a rather barren transfer window last month in which they made no new signings and either sent players out on loan or authorised permanent exits.

However, that didn't stop numerous high-profile players being touted for a move to N5, and while many of said rumours would have been baseless, the links to Bayer Leverkusen's Frimpong looked genuine.

According to German publication BILD (via TEAMtalk), the north Londoners plan to sign the young full-back in the summer by activating his £34m release clause, which only comes into effect in the summer.

Now, while that might not seem like an awful lot of money in the modern game, last month's lack of spending suggests that it might once again be viewed as a significant investment, and if that's true, it might be wiser to promote from within and save those funds for a more pressing matter; a clinical forward.

And it should be easier for Arteta to do that with Brooke Norton-Cuffy waiting in the wings at Arsenal.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy's promising career so far

Described as a 'marauding right back with bags of pace and superb technical ability' on the Arsenal website, Norton-Cuffy is easily one of the most exciting young prospects to come out of Hale End in quite some time, and unlike a lot of young academy players, he has quite a bit of senior football under his belt already.

Described as Arsenal's "own Reece James" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Norton-Cuffy – like James – has spent a significant amount of time away from north London already, with loan spells to League One side Lincoln City and Championship sides Rotherham United, Coventry City and Millwall.

He has been able to make an impact at each club he has played for, and has already made 27 appearances for Millwall in the second tier this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and being described as "an exciting player with a lot of potential" by manager Joe Edwards.

In James' 45 Championship appearances, he managed to score just three goals and provide three assists, so while the "insane" Arsenal youngster, as described by Mattinson, still has a long way to reach the level the Chelsea man has, he's almost certainly going to beat his tally, considering he has another 18 games in which to do so.

Moreover, while his attacking output still lags behind Frimpong's, his defensive abilities are already more impressive.

For example, his non-penalty expected goal and assists number is just 0.18 to Frimpong's 0.53, but he wins significantly more tackles, makes more interceptions, more clearances, more ball recoveries and wins more aerial duels per 90.

Meet the academy star who could be Arsenal's next Jorginho

The 20-year-old midfielder could eventually fill the Italian’s shoes in the centre of the park.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 5, 2024

Ultimately, with money potentially at more of a premium in the future and a striker being an area of need, it would make far more sense to promote Norton-Cuffy next season over signing Frimpong, and if Mattinson is correct, that he could end up emulating James, then Arteta will have an imposing array of full-backs to chose from going forward.

Cristiano Ronaldo achieved another piece of history during Portugal's 3-0 victory over Turkey at Euro 2024.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Veteran Ronaldo in record sixth Euros
• Stars in Portugal's win over Turkey
• Achieves another milestone in victory

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Goals from Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, either side of Samet Akaydin's horrendous own goal, secured Portugal an easy win over Turkey in their second match of the European Championship. For the Portuguese side's third and final goal, Al-Nassr star Ronaldo perfectly set up Manchester United's Fernandes to tap into an empty net. That was his seventh assist in the competition – another record to add to his burgeoning collection.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The result ensured Roberto Martinez's men advanced to the last-16 of the Euros as group winners. For Ronaldo, he made history earlier this month by appearing at a record sixth Euros. The 39-year-old helped Portugal win the 2016 edition of this tournament and he would love to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet.

• beIN Sports
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo made his European Championship debut in 2004 when he was 19. Since then, he has scored a record 14 goals in the competition and made the most appearances (27), too. The former Real Madrid man is a couple of years behind team-mate Pepe (41) in the race to become the oldest player in Euros history, however.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo's Portugal side round off their Euro 2024 group stage campaign on Wednesday night when they take on Georgia. They will then await their last 16 opponent – which will be one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament – in Frankfurt on July 1.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has dropped a double Everton exit update ahead of the summer transfer window, with "huge fees" potentially seeing them leave.

Everton transfer news

The Blues continue to battle for their survival in the Premier League this season, with Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester City a predictable result, but still another loss that doesn't help their current situation. They are still one point adrift of safety, sitting 18th in the table, so there is understandable concern.

Should Everton head to the Championship for the first time this summer, it is clear that a number of key players could move on, possibly refusing to ply their trade in the second tier of English football. The likes of Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are just a few examples, and it would be hard to begrudge them a move away.

On the flip side, incoming transfer business could be expected, regardless of whether Everton have been relegated or not, and they have been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder, ultimately missing out on signing him during the January window. Their interest could potentially return at the end of the season, however, so it could be one to watch.

Onana and Branthwaite could leave Everton

According to a fresh update from Football Insider's O'Rourke, Everton could sell both Onana and Branthwaite for "huge fees" this summer.

"Everton duo Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite are in line to be sold in the summer, sources have told Football Insider. The Toffees need to raise funds amid their financial woes, and the pair have emerged as the obvious candidates for the club to sell. The club remain in financial turmoil amid their fight to remain in the Premier League, their pending takeover by 777 Partners and their 10-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability rules in November.

"Both Branthwaite and Onana have been the subject of widespread interest in recent months following their standout displays this season and are expected to fetch “huge fees”, sources say."

Losing both Onana and Branthwaite would be a massive blow for Everton, considering they are not only among the most important players at the club currently, but also youngsters who could only get better in the coming years.

It is easy to see their heads being turned by switches over better teams, sadly, and as mentioned, if Sean Dyche's side fail to beat the drop come May, it is impossible to see either staying put.

Onana has been linked with a move to Newcastle United, the Magpies are reportedly in pole position to seal a £60m move for him, while Branthwaite is thought to be a big target for Manchester United, with the Red Devils seeing him as a long-term option at the heart of their defence. One report has even claimed that Everton could want as much as £75m for his signature.

The only positive would be the "huge fees" that O'Rourke mentions, with Everton understandably demanding big money for two of their prized assets, meaning the club could use the funds to rebuild their squad, hopefully seeing it pay off for the better in the long run.

Blow for Everton with "very good" player set to miss next two games

There’s a growing list of injuries at Goodison Park.

By
Tom Coates

Feb 11, 2024

All this does is highlight the Blues' current financial plight, however, and in an ideal world, they wouldn't have to entertain the idea of selling two stars.

The 18-year-old netted the winner on his Blaugrana debut just seconds after coming off the bench, but has now taken his talents to Stamford Bridge

Spanish publication called him "a striker in the shadows." A former coach admitted he was "unstoppable with space." But in October 2023, Marc Guiu became a Barcelona cult hero overnight, a 17-year-old who had salvaged a result for his team within seconds of emerging into their consciousness and was being tipped to become a crucial part of the Blaugrana set-up for years to come.

Guiu wasted little time in introducing himself to the world that night against Athletic Club. Around 23 seconds, in fact. Where Ferran Torres and Joao Felix had failed, he succeeded, darting in behind the visitors' defence, taking one touch, before steering his shot off the leg of Unai Simon and into the net.

It was a goal that demonstrated everything Guiu is about. He is a player unlike modern La Liga strikers, an archetype that Spanish football rarely churns out. Guiu is strong, fast and direct, a physically gifted and ruthless No.9. This is not a link-up striker or false nine. Rather, Guiu is a potentially game-changing goal-scorer — something he showed in his Barca debut.

However, the chances of him becoming part of the furniture in Cataluyna are now over after Chelsea secured the signing of the Spanish striker after beating off competition from Bayern Munich and paying Guiu's €6 million (£5m/$6m) release clause.

With that in mind, GOAL takes a look at the potentially ruthless No.9 who could well now be seen as one who got away from Barca…

• Getty Images
  

  Where it all began

  There is nothing overtly unique about Guiu's Barcelona story. Born in 2006, less than an hour's drive from Camp Nou, he grew up a massive Barcelona fan. At the age of seven, he got the opportunity to join his boyhood club, establishing a foothold in La Masia's set-up by 2014.

  His age-group is one of the most talented crops of Barca talent in recent memory. Top prospects Alexis Olmedo, Pau Prim, Hector Fort and Arnau Pradas have all grown up together, and were all tipped to work their way into the first team before long.

  Still, Guiu wasn't as highly regarded as fellow recent graduates Lamine Yamal, Gavi or Alejandro Balde. His talent was clear to all, but how he might fit into a modern Barcelona side was up for debate.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  The big break

  That changed in late 2023. While Yamal was the biggest name in Spain's Under-17 side at the European Championship that summer, Guiu had a decent claim to be their best player. The striker scored four goals as Spain made a run to the semi-finals, equalling Yamal's tally for the tournament.

  That proved to be enough to earn a spot in the Barca Athletic squad, who play in the Spanish third tier. And he has starred early on, scoring five goals in the first two months of the season.

  Xavi took notice in early October, naming the 17-year-old to his matchday squad for Barca's Liga clash against Granada. That time, he didn't make it off the bench. A fortnight later, though, he did. The rest has gone down in Blaugrana folklore.

• Getty Images
  

  How it's going

  Guiu's remarkable first-team debut may have stunned the rest of Europe, but not then-Barca coach Xavi, who admitted that he could tell Guiu was ready, saying: "I saw it in Gavi, Balde, Lamine, Fermin Lopez… and I saw it in Marc. There was no fear in his face. I told him he would get one chance. He gets one chance and he took it. I felt he was ready. I am really happy for Marc, he is a good kid who works hard."

  The teenager's wild introduction meant he was able to remain around the first-team squad for much of the campaign, though he only made six further appearances in all competitions. He did, however, manage to open his Champions League account with a goal against Royal Antwerp in December, while he played his part in Barca Athletic reaching the promotion play-offs, too.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Biggest strengths

  Guiu's most obvious strengths are clear to see from when he steps on the pitch. He is an immensely strong, quick and powerful player. He has a long stride, bruising physique, and arrowed running style that makes him a real handful for defenders.

  The 18-year-old isn't necessarily a deadly finisher. Still, he's instinctive around the box, and has a solid right foot. He's also good in the air — something La Masia coach Ivan Carrasco described as his "best attribute."

  Coaches have also lauded his intensity and work rate, praising the striker's willingness to press off the ball, sacrificing his own legs for the betterment of the team.