All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton will be looking to make it three Premier League wins in a row when they host Brentford at Goodison Park this evening.

Sean Dyche's side claimed three vital points in their hunt for survival last time out, beating local rivals Liverpool 2-0 just days after emerging victorious against fellow relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin secured the Toffees' first Merseyside derby win on home soil in nearly 14 years, moving the club eight points clear of the relegation zone with just four games left this season.

The Toffees can secure their top-flight safety this weekend if they emerge victorious and Luton Town fail to win away at Gary O'Neil's Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite the fantastic team display against Jürgen Klopp's side in midweek, Dyche should boldly drop one player to give his side the best opportunity of maintaining their ever-present Premier League record.

Why Doucoure could make way vs Brentford

Although midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has been impressive for the Toffees this season – scoring six goals, the joint most of any player in the Everton squad – he's failed to find the back of the net once in 2024.

During his 90-minute performance against the Reds, Doucoure only managed a 59% pass accuracy, completing just 13 out of the 22 passes he attempted that night.

The one-time Mali international also only won 50% of the duels he contested and gave possession away on nine separate occasions – an average of once every ten minutes he was on the pitch.

However, the 31-year-old did complete 100% of the dribbles he attempted against Klopp's side, but unfortunately, it might not be enough to keep his place in Dyche's starting lineup this weekend.

Doucoure was awarded a 9/10 rating by Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley, with the writer claiming he 'ran his heart out' during the victory, but Dyche may be tempted to reinstate a player with more technical ability for the clash against Thomas Frank's side.

The man to replace Doucoure against Brentford

After replacing Idrissa Gueye in the 75th minute against the Reds, Amadou Onana could have tempted the Toffees boss into starting him against the Bees this evening.

The "dominant" ace, as described by football scout Jacek Kulig, has started 21 times in the Premier League this season, scoring twice in the meetings with Crystal Palace and Burnley.

The Belgian has been brilliant defensively this season, winning 33 tackles in the league and winning 64% of the duels that he has contested.

Games started

21

Passes

775

Pass accuracy

84%

Tackles won

33

Duels won

157

Duel win percentage

64%

In possession, he's been just as impressive, completing 775 passes at a completion rate of 84% – with Onana showcasing his ability in and out of possession.

There is a reason that the 21-year-old has been linked with a big-money move from Everton this season, with his qualities not going unnoticed by multiple clubs in Europe.

However, Dyche seems to have neglected his talent in recent weeks, not starting the youngster in any of the club's last two Premier League outings.

The Toffees boss should look to recall the Belgian for the clash this evening, with Onana deserving of another opportunity to prove his talents from the start, replacing Doucoure, who despite his best efforts, hasn't been able to replicate his early season form.

Everton stand firm in new Amadou Onana update amid Barcelona swap offer

The Toffees are determined not to be sold short this summer.

ByBen Browning Apr 25, 2024

Tottenham scouts have been working overtime as they look to add quality to Ange Postecoglou's squad, and were spotted keeping a keen eye on a free-scoring striker ahead of the summer.

Spurs need depth in summer window

With their Premier League season threatening to fizzle out after a bright start, attentions have turned even more to the surgery required in north London this summer.

They made a good start to proceedings in Ange Postecoglou's first two transfer windows in charge, signing Gianluca Vicario, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Manor Solomon and Brennan Johnson to bolster their ranks in the summer before signing Radu Dragusin from Genoa and Timo Werner on loan in January.

Spurs leading race for "extraordinary" defender available for just £21m

He could be the perfect new addition in north London.

ByBen Browning Apr 29, 2024

They also confirmed permanent deals for Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski, taking their season spend over £200m. There is still plenty of work to do though, with plenty of squad players expected to leave this summer.

A new attacker is a must, though it remains to be seen whether Werner's loan move is made permanent. Though Heung Min-Son remains clinical, there is certainly a vacant spot at no.9 in north London should the right man become available, which has seen Spurs linked with Ivan Toney already this season.

Cover is also required at left back, with Ben Davies likely to leave in the summer and no obvious alternative to young defender Destiny Udogie. The same can be said at right back, with Emerson Royal's future again unclear.

Another key area is in midfield; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg started the north London derby but has fallen out of favour with Postecoglou, while Oliver Skipp is clearly surplus to requirements.

Tottenham's current midfield options

Player

Premier League starts

Yves Bissouma

23

Pape Sarr

22

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

7

Rodrigo Bentancur

10

Oliver Skipp

4

With that in mind, Tottenham's scouts have been keeping a close eye on one player in particular.

Spurs scout Gyokeres and teammate

Now, reports from Portugual [via Sport Witness] detail that Spurs had a representative at Sporting CP's most recent clash with Porto on Sunday, in order to keep an eye on two targets.

It is claimed that one of the players that Spurs were among the interested parties for is red hot striker Viktor Gyokeres, who helped his side fight back from 2-0 down with his 39th and 40th goals of the season.

The Swede only joined Sporting from Coventry City 12 months ago, but is already set to be on the move this summer and has an £86m release clause in his contract in Lisbon.

But he wasn't the only one Spurs were keeping an eye on, with previous reports having linked them with a move for midfielder Morten Hjulmand. In fact, this latest update even suggests the Lilywhites were there more so for the tough tackling midfielder than his free-scoring teammate.

Were they true, they would have been impressed with what they saw, as the 24-year-old turned in a top performance, wining six tackles, making eight recoveries and maintaining an 88% pass accuracy in the Sporting engine room.

On just £33k per week at Sporting, there is no indication of any release clause in his deal, but he is valued at 30m euros by transfer site Transfermarkt. Could the Dane come in as an upgrade on compatriot Hojbjerg this summer?

Sporting director Edu and the Arsenal board are ready to green-light three senior players' exits this summer in an effort to fund the major signing of a £100 million star.

Arsenal draw up plans to sign striker, midfielder and winger

The north Londoners are preparing for what will be another crucial summer window, regardless of whether or not they pip Man City to the Premier League title.

Clubs fear £51m striker is certain to join Arteta with Arsenal impressed

The Gunners also think he’s affordable.

ByEmilio Galantini May 2, 2024

Arsenal have scored more goals and conceded the fewest of any other side in the top flight, but City are usually near-unstoppable at this point of the season and currently hold all the cards with a game in hand on Mikel Arteta's side – who currently top the league by one point.

Following what has been an excellent campaign in terms of form, it will be a real disappointment if Arsenal miss out on the title again after also coming close last season. However, if that is to be the case, Edu and co will soon have an opportunity to shore up the squad and come back stronger next campaign.

The Brazilian and Arsenal chiefs are thought to be eyeing a new striker, midfielder and potentially another winger – according to reliable journalist Charles Watts.

"It's no great secret that Arsenal want to sign a striker this summer. When the window opens it will be the priority, along with a midfielder and potentially another wide attacker," Watts said to CaughtOffside recently.

Bukayo Saka

19

Leandro Trossard

15

Kai Havertz

13

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

"It will be interesting to see whether they move for Victor Osimhen. He, like Toney, is a player they like and I know that his representatives have visited Arsenal's training ground for talks with Edu. Those talks took place in the summer when Arsenal eventually signed Gabriel Jesus. Jesus was always the priority that year, but Osimhen was definitely a player they viewed as a serious alternative.

"That interest will remain, but the Nigerian could prove to be too costly an option in a summer given Arsenal want to spread their budget around as they look to take the squad to the next level."

In terms of the midfield players attracting Arsenal interest, one big name who's been repeatedly linked is Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes.

The Magpies midfielder has continued to star under Eddie Howe this season, leading to big clubs targeting a summer move for him, but sides will have a limited time to pay the £100 million release clause in his contract – which is only valid from the last week of May to the beginning of the last week of June (Fabrizio Romano).

Arsenal are considering a summer bid for Guimaraes alongside Man City, and a new report has shed light on how they plan to move for him.

Edu ready to sanction triple Arsenal exit to afford Guimaraes deal

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are ready to offload Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah to fund a move for Guimaraes this summer – as all three don't feature in Arteta's long-term plans.

All three are also homegrown and will count as pure profit, as Arsenal look to try and afford a move for Guimaraes without sailing too close to the wind in terms of potentially breaching Profit and Sustainability rules.

It's added that the Gunners face a race against time to raise the funds needed to sign the £160,000-per-week Guimaraes, due to his release clause only being valid until the end of next month.

Everton have had a turbulent 2023/24 campaign, but following some fine form, they have guaranteed their Premier League place for another season. The Toffees were sunk by two separate points deductions for FFP breaches, but have since battled their way to safety.

The Merseyside club will still want to keep their players fit ahead of the summer, and with that in mind, Football FanCast is here to keep you updated with the latest injury news coming out of Goodison Park.

Latest Everton injury news

Sean Dyche gave a mixed injury update ahead of their Goodison Park meeting with Sheffield United this weekend. The good news is that Dyche confirmed that Everton have no one "seriously injured" at the moment and that "most of the group are ready to go again", except for players we already know who are out injured.

Vitalii Mykolenko

Ankle

24th April

Next season

Nathan Patterson

Hamstring

15th April

Next season

Dele Alli

Hip

Summer

Unknown

Vitalii Mykolenko – ankle

Defender Vitalii Mykolenko's season is over after he damaged ankle ligaments during the Merseyside derby in late April. The Ukrainian appeared to twist his leg awkwardly and saw out the rest of the first period at Goodison Park before being replaced at half-time.

Having suffered ligament damage, his recovery period will see him miss the Toffees' remaining games.

Nathan Patterson – hamstring

The reliable Nathan Patterson is also out for the remainder of the season after picking up a hamstring injury against Chelsea.

Dyche had this to say: "Patto will be out for the season – he will need surgery. Very unfortunate injury. We're disappointed on that one for him as much as us."

Dele Alli – groin

Dele Alli is yet to play for Dyche, as he was on loan with Besiktas when the former Burnley boss was appointed manager. And things have gone from bad to worse for the recovering midfielder, as he's set to be out for even longer after going under the knife recently.

Dyche provided an update recently on Dele as well, stating: "Dele's focus is just getting fit. Obviously, he's got a period [to go] yet but he's just focusing on that. We're not worrying about when, just, first things first, get fit. That's all we're looking for him to do and that's all he's looking to do."

Latest Everton suspension news

The Toffees have no players missing through suspension.

Manchester United have decided to say “goodbye” to Erik ten Hag and have already held talks with their new top managerial target, according to Sky Sports' international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

Man Utd manager rumours

The Red Devils are currently preparing for the FA Cup final in what is looking increasingly likely to be Ten Hag’s final game in charge. The Dutchman and United have had their struggles this season, and defeat at Wembley to Manchester City would see the club finish trophyless and with no European football next season.

Man Utd hold talks to sign £85m star to replace Harry Maguire

The Englishman is up for sale.

ByCharlie Smith May 22, 2024

Should Ten Hag depart, then Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS may need to make a quick decision on who will replace the current manager. A number of names have been linked, including Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino. Both bosses are seemingly keen on the idea of replacing Ten Hag, however, neither Tuchel nor Pochettino appear to be the main Old Trafford candidate.

Man Utd have “spoken to” Kieran McKenna

Sky Sports reporter Di Marzio provided a Man Utd manager update in the last 24 hours, claiming that a decision has been made to say “goodbye to Ten Hag”.

Talking to Soccernews, Di Marzio also revealed that the Red Devils' top target as they “are mainly hoping for McKenna”, and have even spoken to the Ipswich Town boss already over a possible move.

McKenna, who was previously the assistant at Old Trafford to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (168 games), Jose Mourinho (24 games), Ralf Rangnick (3 games) and even Michael Carrick (3 games), has worked wonders at Portman Road.

The 38-year-old has taken the Tractor Boys from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons, so you can see why he is also attracting interest from Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea.

Days in charge

885

Games

131

Wins

76

Draws

35

Losses

20

Goals scored per game

1.96

Goals conceded per game

0.93

Promotions

2

Therefore, United and Ratcliffe may have to act quickly if they want to seal a deal for their main candidate, but if not, it looks as if Pochettino is a back up option, according to Di Marzio.

With Anthony Martial's contract up and the Frenchman leaving Old Trafford this summer, Manchester United have reportedly turned their attention to landing an impressive replacement for the forward.

Man Utd transfer rumours

The Red Devils are in for a busy summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to help the club finally turn a corner and into the direction of success once and for all. The minority owner has quite the task on his hands on that front, however, following United's eight-place finish in the Premier League. That said, a shock victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final highlighted the bright sparks that United have to build from this summer in a transfer window they must get right.

Despite that FA Cup win, which made it two trophies in two seasons under Erik ten Hag, the Dutchman's Old Trafford future is still in doubt, with the likes of Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel, among others, linked with the Manchester United job. And whoever is in charge next season could finally be handed an upgrade on Martial.

INEOS eyeing Man Utd swoop for "crazy" Luke Shaw clone

He had a “hell of a game” vs United this season…

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 2, 2024

According to Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United have enquired about Benjamin Sesko and have a concrete interest in the RB Leipzig forward as they look to beat Chelsea and Arsenal to his signature. Any deal won't come cheap, however, given that Sesko's current release clause reportedly sits at as much as €65m (£55m) until the end of June and he earns a reported £58k-a-week.

As many wonder what might have been for Martial though, United may well find themselves splashing the cash once more to land a player who can become the striker they once believed the Frenchman would evolve into.

"Strong" Sesko scored more than Rashford last season

After a frustrating campaign which cost him his place in Southgate's England squad for the Euros this summer, Marcus Rashford will be desperate to return to his best form next season. And that's something Sesko can play a part in given just how clinical he is in front of goal.

Goals

14

7

Assists

2

2

Expected Goals

7.7

7.3

Key Passes

12

23

The Leipzig man already has some fans in the Premier League too with Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic telling Nogomania via The Metro: "I know [about the rumours] and have been following him. He’s having a good half-season, he’s in great scoring form.

"I read that he’s scored in his last seven matches in a row. He seems to have gained strong momentum for the Euros. He’s a forward who has everything a modern player needs. He’s tall, strong, fast and intelligent."

Arsenal sporting director Edu is personally pushing for the club to sign a £70 million player, with the help of his close advisor and chief scout Paulo Xavier.

Edu identifies Arsenal targets for summer transfer window

The Brazilian, who works in tandem with manager Mikel Arteta, has long identified their possible signings for this looming summer window – which is set to open on June 14, the same day Euro 2024 kicks off.

Arsenal starlet now set to leave as Bayern Munich enter advanced talks

He was “on fire” last season.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 12, 2024

Friday is set to be a very significant day in the footballing calendar as a result, and it's a date which Edu has firmly had in mind since January.

The transfer chief admitted to TNT Sports that he's been working on Arsenal's summer plans for that length of time, and also claimed in a later interview with Estadao (via football.london) that he often works his way through 180-page reports on potential targets.

"You can’t sign players for the sake of signing," said Edu.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

"This has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. There on my desk, I have reports with more than 180 pages on a player.

"It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, if you have Premier League experience, if you will be able to adapt. It has everything. We analyse our weaknesses, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. What I am going to do now, we have been discussing since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s alone. It belongs to a whole group."

A significant member of Edu's recruitment staff is Xavier, who formerly worked at Real Madrid. He joined Arsenal last year, arriving in north London with a glowing reputation, and has already recommended some interesting players.

Xavier is one of Edu's closest advisors at Arsenal, and even told the club to make a potential move for young Brazil full-back Yan Couto following an excellent campaign at Girona. Now, it appears both Edu and Xavier have another Brazilian on their radar, in the form of Nottingham Forest defender Murillo.

Edu pushing to sign Murillo for Arsenal

That is according to Football Transfers, who claim Edu is pushing to sign Murillo for Arsenal, with the 21-year-old thought to be on Xavier's radar for a long time. That bodes well for the Gunners, considering Real's ex-scout was responsible for bringing in the likes of Vinicius Jr and Endrick to the Bernabeu.

Murillo, who could cost as much as £70 million to prise away from the City Ground, was a key player under both Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo last season – starting 32 Premier League games and helping to steer Forest away from the drop zone.

"You can just see the quality that he possesses. He’s going to be a real fan favourite," said Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp.

“He possesses a lot of weapons in his armoury – he’s got a lovely left foot which I think gives you a massive advantage."

Wolves could lose one of their stars this summer after it emerged that he was a target for another Premier League club ahead of the new season.

O'Neil realistic about transfers

After guiding them to Premier League midtable last season, Gary O'Neil has been realistic about Wolves' transfer plans this summer.

“I don’t think there will be money available to us if nobody leaves so, if we decided not to sell a big player, then there is maybe some little bits or pieces we can do," he explained.

Wolves could seal a "huge" Ait-Nouri replacement for nothing

Wolves could secure a wonderful player on a free transfer should Rayan Ait-Nouri leave

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 17, 2024

“There are some players out on loan that have value as well that we might be able to do some bits with. The club is expected in the foreseeable future to be able to fund itself, so we need to be able to work with what we have, whether we can move things out and improve it by bringing things in".

They have already announced the signing of versatile Portuguese youngster Rodrigo Gomes from Braga, and are hoping that this isn't the last of their business, but they may have to sell first.

That has led to speculation that their stars could depart this summer in a bid to boost their finances and allow O'Neil to build the squad as he sees fit, with another striker high up on his list of priorities.

The likes of Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait Nouri have both been linked with big-money moves away, but it could be another player that is ultimately sacrificed this summer.

Kilman wanted by West Ham

That comes in the shape of defender and captain Max Kilman, who is reportedly in the sights of West Ham United. Now under the management of ex-Wolves man Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers are keen to strengthen their backline ahead of the new season and have identified Kilman as the solution to their problem.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the London side have a "concrete interest" in the centre-back, and the Wolves man is "highly rated" by Lopetegui, for whom he played 24 times with the Old Gold.

However, though there has been contact between the sides, O'Neil and Wolves "want to keep" their stalwart, who has missed just one Premier League game across the last two seasons, which will make a deal difficult to complete unless a massive offer were to come in.

Max Kilman's Wolves career

Appearances

151

Goals

3

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

22

The left-footed defender still has four years left to run on his £50,000 a week deal at Molineux, and there has been no mention of a potential price tag, suggesting that talks perhaps remain at a relatively early stage.

Nonetheless, the news will come as a concern to Wolves fans, who would undoubtedly be hoping to keep the Englishman and build the rest of their side around him. They have been linked with another left-footed centre back in the form of FC Porto defender David Carmo, which could potentially suggest the club are already scouting for replacements in the fear that Kilman does indeed depart.

Last season was one full of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur as they went from looking unbeatable at one point to missing out on a top four finish the next.

However, considering Harry Kane's departure last summer and the appointment of a new manager in Ange Postecoglu, qualifying for the Europa League has to be seen as a success.

Now that the transfer window is open, Daniel Levy and Co have the opportunity to provide the Australian with the right players to push on, and based on recent reports, they seem to be doing exactly that.

The latest player touted for a move to N17 could be the perfect rival for Yves Bissouma and is someone a little too familiar to England fans following the Three Lions draw with Denmark on Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in signing Sporting CP's Danish midfielder, Morten Hjulmand.

Alongside Spurs, Jacobs names Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona as the other teams tracking the talented midfielder.

Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, Jacobs has confirmed that the Lisbon-based side won't entertain offers for their star six under his €80m release clause, which converts to around £68m.

However, considering his performance last season and his fantastic display against England during the week, this may well be a transfer worth splashing the cash on, especially as he could be a brilliant rival for Bissouma.

How Hjulmand compares to Bissouma

Now, if Spurs were able to sign Hjulmand this summer, he would be in direct competition with Bissouma for a place in the lineup, as they both operate primarily at the base of midfield. So, how do they compare to one another?

Well, it shouldn't surprise England fans following Thursday's result that, despite playing as a six, the Dane is more than capable of influencing things at the sharp end of the pitch.

In his 49 appearances last season, the "real threat," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, scored four goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 6.12 games.

In contrast, Spurs' Malian international could not provide a single goal or assist in his 28 outings in 2023/24.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the former Brighton & Hove man hold up better when we look under the hood?

Fortunately for him, he does indeed, as he comes out on top in several important metrics, such as progressive passes, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, tackles, passes blocked, clearances and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.12

0.08

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.16

0.00

Progressive Passes

4.29

7.35

Progressive Passes Received

0.99

0.57

Shots

0.77

1.04

Goals per Shot

0.13

0.00

Shots on Target

0.16

0.22

Goals per Shot on Target

0.60

0.00

Passing Accuracy

85.3%

91.7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.99

1.91

Goal-Creating Actions

0.13

0.13

Tackles

2.44

3.48

Shots Blocked

0.26

0.22

Passes Blocked

0.80

1.00

Clearances

1.15

1.87

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.00

0.13

Ball Recoveries

6.54

5.57

Aerial Duels Won

0.58

0.61

However, the "defensively intelligent" Dane, as Mattinson dubbed him, comes out looking just as good.

He edges it in several other metrics, like ball recoveries, progressive passes received, non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, shot and goal-creating actions, and shots blocked, and he makes considerably fewer costly errors as well, all per 90.

Ultimately, while the transfer fee may prove too significant a stumbling block for Levy and Co, they should at the very least continue to track Hjulmand and test Sporting's resolve over his availability.

He looks like the perfect player to bring in as genuine competition for Bissouma and someone who could step in to replace the Malian if his form doesn't improve next season.

He's like Isak: Spurs eye "insane" £25m Richarlison upgrade

The prolific striker could supercharge the Lilywhites’ attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 21, 2024

Ipswich Town have shown with their early transfer window business that they won't be content with just making up the numbers in the Premier League, already breaking their transfer record to make a major statement.

Omari Hutchinson entering through the door for a bumper £22m would have rightly excited Tractor Boys supporters, whilst the more shrewd free transfer capture of Ben Johnson from West Ham United to shore up the defence in Suffolk would have been equally greeted with applause.

Kieran McKenna and Co could opt to move back to flashy purchases, as opposed to operating frugally, with this next potential addition, who could take the Premier League by storm if he joins.

Ipswich in talks with in-demand Hull City star

According to football journalist Nick Mashiter, via BBC Sport, Ipswich are edging closer to signing entertaining Hull City winger Jaden Philogene-Bidace this window, as McKenna looks to make an already entertaining attack at Portman even stronger for the challenge of the top-flight.

The report states that Ipswich and Hull are in 'advanced talks' over a move getting over the line, with Philogene wanting to test himself in the Premier League, despite interest coming from the likes of Barcelona from La Liga.

Even with more established Premier League outfits in the form of Everton and West Ham United also being noted as interested parties, Philogene believes Ipswich to be his best onward destination away from the MKM Stadium as per BBC Sport, with McKenna over the moon at landing another statement signing if all goes to plan.

Hutchinson & £20m+ star join: Ipswich's dream XI after the transfer window

Kieran McKenna would love to have this Ipswich Town starting eleven next season.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 30, 2024 What Philogene can offer Ipswich

The unpredictable Hull number 23, who was previously on the books at Aston Villa before making a name for himself on Humberside, will want to take Nathan Broadhead's concrete first-team spot off him if he does relocate to Suffolk, keeping the ex-Everton man very much on his toes.

Ipswich succeeded in the Championship in the manner they did by playing gung-ho football, which saw them net a division-best of 92 goals last season, and that approach doesn't look like it'll be completely abandoned even in such a daunting league.

Philogene loved an audacious strike last campaign for the Tigers, as can be seen with his outrageous solo strike against Rotherham United above, with 12 goals tallied up from 32 league games in total, on top of six assists also being registered by the stand-out 22-year-old.

Games played

32

38

Goals scored

12

13

Assists

6

3

Shots*

3.6

2.0

Touches*

56.6

29.5

Big chances missed

6

9

Big chances created

7

9

Comparing both Philogene and Broadhead side-by-side, when looking at their comparative Championship numbers, this could be a real closely fought battle for that starting left wing spot.

This will be a healthy conundrum for McKenna to have on his plate, having so much quality at his disposal making the step-up, to try and make survival happen.

Philogene's daring nature when striding forward, seen in his 3.6 shots per game bettering Broadhead's 2.0 last campaign, even saw former Hull manager Liam Rosenior describe the slick 5 foot 11 attacker as "ridiculous", with his trademark mazey runs bamboozling many a second-tier defender.

The in-demand forward would fit in well at Portman Road, therefore, with the likes of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst no doubt excited about the prospect of linking up with such an enigmatic attacker, as Ipswich look to be a feared attacking team even in the Premier League.

He more than deserves a crack at the top flight now, having been discarded by Villa without ever being given a fair shot in the West Midlands in the top league, with Ipswich looking likely to be the club to give him the platform to do so.

Ipswich could drop Morsy by signing "monstrous" £15m gem

Kieran McKenna could shake up his Ipswich Town starting line-up with this summer buy.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2024