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A new report has claimed that Everton are interested in signing an “insane” player in the summer transfer window, following an impressive season for his current club.

Everton feeling more "together" ahead of big summer

Goodison Park has now officially hosted its final game for the men’s team, following the Blues’ 2-0 win at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

It’s now all change at Everton this summer, ahead of the move to Bramley Moore Dock, and a big transfer window is needed, in order to avoid another relegation battle. David Moyes is certainly in bullish spirits about the next chapter in the club’s history, saying after the Saints game.

“I think more the feeling that there might be a club which is ­coming back together. Signs that before there was a real break-up, of a sort of love affair with the supporters, the ­players, the club, the owners. So we’re all trying to get back. We’re obviously all looking forward to it. If we can take what we had today to the new stadium, it’ll be something.”

It is clear that plenty of surgery is required in Everton’s squad ahead of the summer, with several players leaving, and top-quality options needed to come in. Now, a new transfer rumour has emerged regarding one such figure.

Everton want to sign "insane" Coventry defender

According to Football League World, Everton are “looking” at Coventry City right-back Milan van Ewijk, seeing him as a potential addition this summer. The 24-year-old is also thought to be wanted by Fulham, with a move to the Premier League possibly appealing after his side were beaten by Sunderland in the Championship playoffs last week.

Van Ewijk could be an ideal option for Everton ahead of next season, at a time when they need to bring in a new long-term right-back to replace the likes of Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman.

The Dutchman has been a key man for Coventry throughout this season, making an impressive 47 starts in the Championship, bagging six goal contributions (two goals and four assists) along the way.

Saved by Ndiaye: Everton flop who won 30% duels must be axed after Goodison

Everton gave Goodison Park a fitting farewell but this underperformer must be axed ahead of the move.

ByKelan Sarson May 18, 2025

Journalist Henk Spaan hailed Van Ewijk’s performances against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final last season, calling it “insane”, while Coventry manager Frank Lampard has admitted there is no surprise that top clubs are interested in him.

“He’s an attacking full-back and with all the natural attributes he’s got I think he can get even better as well because there will and are things we work on with him to improve all the time. So it’s no wonder when he’s playing this way that teams will look at him.”

This sums up why Van Eijk could be such an eye-catching addition for Everton, helping give Moyes’ team an extra attacking dimension next season.

Manchester City have been blessed with some incredible midfield gems over the years with the end of Kevin De Bruyne’s unbelievable journey with the Premier League giants now in sight.

With 108 goals and 177 assists next to his name, the Belgian will surely bow out as one of City’s modern day greats, with other stars that used to strut their stuff from the middle of the park in a similar dazzling way including David Silva and Yaya Toure among many others.

Now, it’s up to Pep Guardiola to find his next pool of exceptional midfield gems in the upcoming transfer window, with one target perhaps going down as a new take on Toure if everything aligns nicely.

Man City's pursuit of a new Toure

Before delving deeper into how City’s new target could go on to achieve greatness like the Ivorian, there are an extensive list of midfield names on Guardiola’s shopping list growing by the week.

Indeed, both German superstar Florian Wirtz and Nottingham Forest talent Morgan Gibbs-White have been incessantly linked with a big-money move to the Etihad, with Sporting CP winger Francisco Trincao also reportedly on City’s radar alongside arch rivals Manchester United.

Transfer Focus

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

But, their focus might now have switched to sealing the signature of West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta, with reports from Spain suggesting that Guardiola and Co have set their sights on landing the enigmatic Brazilian this summer.

The Irons midfielder has been on the club’s radar for a while now, notably seeing a £60m bid rejected back in 2023, before they registered further interest in 2024.

Paqueta has been embroiled in a whole host of controversies at the London Stadium, but when assessing his midfield capabilities in isolation, he has the potential to become the Spaniard’s next Toure, with the South American a skilful, but tough presence centrally much like the ex-City number 42.

How Paqueta could be Guardiola's next Toure

It will be extremely hard for the Hammers number 10 to ever become as beloved as the now-retired midfielder, considering Toure would end his esteemed stay at the club with three league titles next to his name after picking up 125 goal contributions in total.

But, Paqueta – now valued at £30m via Transfermarkt – could slot into Guardiola’s main XI as a similarly lively presence anyway.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has garnered a reputation for being an entertaining figure in the heart of the West Ham midfield ever since his move to the London Stadium in 2022.

After all, even with a betting scandal weighing heavily, Paqueta has still managed to chip in with five goals this season in all competitions for Graham Potter’s lowly Hammers, which included a nicely-worked move being finished off by the 55-time Brazil international during Potter’s debut match from the dug-out.

Toure’s goal tally was always grander than just five for Guardiola’s men – with his lowest for a season coming in at the heftier seven – but Paqueta’s 18 goals and 14 assists overall for his current employers definitely makes him stick out as a tenacious yet attacking presence in the centre of the park akin to the former City icon.

CM

Toure

231

58

32

DM

Toure

210

24

20

AM

Toure

75

11

13

DM

Paqueta

5

0

0

AM

Paqueta

134

27

19

Much like the ex-Barcelona man before him too, Paqueta can either be unleashed as an attacking “maverick” – as he was once labelled by David Moyes – or slot into the side as a more defensively-minded midfielder, with his high tally of 6.3 duels won per game this season in the league sticking out in this regard.

City will just have to hope any scandals next to the Brazilian’s name begin to dissipate on his arrival to Manchester, with the serial trophy winners finding themselves burnt here in the past when Toure exited the club in 2018 after being reportedly shunned on his birthday.

Whilst it’s obvious the 27-year-old is a similarly flamboyant character, everyone at City will just pray the “incredible” talent – as he was also lauded by Moyes – lets his football do the talking like Toure also successfully managed.

Their answer to Wirtz: Man City preparing bid for "world-class" £85m star

Manchester City could still win their answer to Florian Wirtz by signing this superstar instead.

ByKelan Sarson May 8, 2025

Leeds United are said to be interested in completing the signing of a “brilliant” Celtic player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Leeds eyeing signings amid title push

The Whites have secured promotion back to the Premier League, following a scintillating run of form in the Championship that included a 4-0 win at home to Bristol City on Monday evening.

Daniel Farke’s Leeds side know that victory away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday will seal the title, too, with their superior goal difference over Burnley meaning the Clarets’ result at home to Millwall will ultimately be meaningless.

Amid all the promotion positivity at Elland Road, the club continue to work on new signings for when the Whites are back in the top flight, with Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone mentioned as a potential upgrade to Illan Meslier and Manor Solomon expected to join permanently.

Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons is another rumoured target for Leeds ahead of next season, with the Englishman spending the second half of the current campaign on loan at Valencia, and possibly not having a long-term future with the Cherries.

Leeds keen on signing "brilliant" attacker

According to an update from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is a summer target for Leeds, as they look to strengthen in the final third. He is valued at £25m.

It is claimed that the Whites have “watched” the Japanese star in action, but they are far from alone in that respect, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham all getting a mention.

Maeda would be an interesting option for Leeds, possessing blistering pace and end product, having scored 62 goals in 154 appearances for Celtic, as well as registering 27 assists. The 27-year-old is also a five-time league champion, winning four Scottish Premiership titles with the Hoops and one with Matsumoto Yamaga in his homeland, and Brendan Rodgers is a big admirer.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant wherever he’s played, however he’s played, he’s had an amazing season. He earns every penny and we feel as a club he deserves more. He doesn’t give away much, other than saying he’s very happy.”

The step up from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League is huge, so there would be a risk element in Leeds making a move for Maeda, but the level of interest in him from some of the biggest clubs in the country suggests many believe he is good enough to make the jump.

A sensational Meslier upgrade: PL player wants to join Leeds this summer

Leeds United could be about to land a star who can allow Daniel Farke to forget about Illan Meslier.

ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2025

Still only 27, the 23-cap and four-goal Japan international is at a great age to come in and be a key man for several years – he also knows Ao Tanaka well from international duty and he could help him settle – so it is a deal the Whites should look to strike.

Player ratings via Sofascore

Well, last night’s Premier League game just about summed up Tottenham Hotspur’s season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side came into the match against Nottingham Forest likely still ecstatic off the back of their Europa League quarter-final triumph away to Eintracht Frankfurt, but instead of building on that momentum, they fell back into old habits.

It took all of five minutes for the visitors to go one-nil up courtesy of a long-range effort from Elliot Anderson that rebounded off Rodrigo Bentancur.

Then, just 15 minutes later, Chris Wood doubled the Tricky Trees’ lead with a well-taken header helped by some terrible goalkeeping from Guglielmo Vicario.

While it wasn’t the worst performance of the Lilywhites’ season, there were still plenty of starters who left a lot to be desired, including Richarlison.

Richarlison's game vs Forest

Now, before the pitchforks come out, it’s only fair to commend Richarlison on the goal he scored in the 87th minute – a lovely header from a pinpoint Pedro Porro cross.

However, if we are being honest, that was pretty much the only good thing he did in the entire game, and had he been on song, he could and probably should have got, at the very least, a couple more.

In fact, aside from a few missed chances, he was practically anonymous for the majority of the game and offered very little in the way of build-up play or support for his teammates.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

It was a display in stark contrast to what we saw from Dominic Solanke on Thursday night.

It might sound harsh, but London World’s Toby Bryant shares this opinion, as he gave the Brazilian a 6/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘needs to be available to receive the ball so much more.’

Minutes

95′

Expected Goals

1.48

Goals

1

Expected Assists

0.00

Assists

0

Touches

21

Key Passes

0

Big Chances Missed

3

Passing Accuracy

3/6 (50%)

Dribbles (Successful)

4 (0)

Duels (Won)

9 (0)

Crosses

0

Fouls

2

Lost Possession

10

His statistics don’t make for pleasant reading either, as in 95 minutes of action, he scored just a single goal from an expected goals figure of 1.48, didn’t even register 0.01 expected assists, missed three big chances and failed in 100% of his dribbles.

Player ratings via Sofascore

In short, it wasn’t a great night for the former Everton star, although he did at least get on the scoresheet, which cannot be said about another of the starters who put in a terribly disappointing display.

The Spurs star worse than Richarlison

Unfortunately, you could name quite a few players here, from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr.

Still, when it comes down to it, Dejan Kulusevski was potentially the most disappointing of the lot.

Like Richarlison, the Swedish international was mostly a passenger last night, but unlike the Brazilian, he wasn’t able to pop up with a goal, as his effort in the second half was cleared off the line.

Moreover, apart from that one effort, it’s hard to think of a single positive thing the former Juventus star did, which is made all the worse by the fact the North Londoners had 70% of the possession.

Again, this is an opinion shared by Bryant, who awarded the midfielder just a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he was ‘generally sluggish,’ which is not what you want to hear about someone considered to be one of your very best players. Truth be told, it was perhaps one of his poorest nights of the campaign.

Minutes

67′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

38

Key Passes

1

Big Chances Missed

1

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (1)

Duels (Won)

11 (3)

Crosses

0

Long Balls

0

Unsurprisingly, his statistics from the night back up this assessment, as in 67 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.10 to rubberstamp how mediocre a night it was for one of their star men.

Furthermore, his touch count of only 38 meant he had 15 fewer than Van de Ven and six fewer than Romero, a stat that’s made worse by the fact the defensive duo left the field at the interval.

Ultimately, Richarlison and Kulusevski looked like players who were still getting back to full fitness, but with a must-win game coming up next Thursday, they need to get there quickly, especially the Swede.

Solanke upgrade: Spurs scout "one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga"

The goalscoring machine would be an excellent addition to Spurs’ squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 18, 2025

According to broadcast giant ESPN, Arsenal are demanding a major concession from Thomas Partey as talks continue over a new contract for the midfielder.

Thomas Partey could now stay at Arsenal with talks ongoing

The £200,000-per-week star has stayed relatively injury-free throughout an impressive 2024/2025 campaign which has seen him dazzle in multiple roles under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal deal "done" as Berta awaits Kroenkes green-light for £51m signing

The Gunners owners are currently holding up a move.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 24, 2025

Utilised at right-back during the absences of key players, as well as partnering the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield to great effect, Partey’s been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers throughout the season.

Last term, the Ghana international could barely get a look-in due to fitness issues and falling down Arteta’s pecking order, and was widely tipped to leave the club four years after his £45 million transfer from Atlético Madrid.

However, this campaign, Partey has made more appearances than in any of his previous seasons at the Emirates Stadium, now proving indispensable to Arteta.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Partey’s resurgence has now sparked the club into action, with Arsenal opening talks to extend the 31-year-old’s contract as his current terms are due to expire this summer.

Arteta has confirmed to the press that he wants to keep Partey at the club for next season, with sporting director Andrea Berta now handed the task of agreeing an extension.

“Yes, there is progress with all the players. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to decide and to talk about,” said Arteta when asked if there has been progress over a new deal for Partey.

“The intention is very clear. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to take a step forward.”

If contract talks go south, Barcelona are among the clubs eyeing a Bosman deal for Partey, so the African won’t be short of prestigious options.

Arsenal demand major concession from Thomas Partey in contract talks

As per ESPN, it is now believed that Arsenal will demand one major concession from Partey in “any” deal for a new contract, despite his exceptional form.

The suggestion is its pretty non-negotiable, with the concession being that the midfielder will need to take a pay cut to remain in north London.

This comes as Arsenal attempt to finalise a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and Berta is widely rumoured to also be negotiating fresh terms with the likes of Bukayo Saka, so it appears the club wish to trim their wage bill where possible.

Partey is keen to remain at Arsenal, according to credible news outlets like The Telegraph, but it remains to be seen whether he’s willing to be paid less than his illustrious teammates – especially considering he’s put in consistently outstanding performances throughout 2024/2025.

Chelsea have seen a huge improvement defensively in recent weeks, keeping five clean sheets in their last seven games, only conceding two goals and 16 shots on target across those seven games.

However, the attacking prowess does seem to have tailed off, with the Blues only scoring nine in their last seven games, with four of those goals coming against bottom of the Premier League, Southampton.

Enzo Maresca will be keen to add some extra firepower to his forward line this summer, with a new striker high on the wish list, alongside a new winger who suits the Italian’s system.

Chelsea battling for £64m "cheat code"

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards over recent months, from Newcastle superstar Alexander Isak to Ipswich forward Liam Delap.

However, they’re not just casting their net across the Premier League but across European football, too.

Indeed, according to reports from TBR Football, Chelsea are interested in signing AC Milan’s £150m-rated winger, Rafael Leao. The player’s camp are currently assessing the player’s options ahead of the summer.

Transfer Focus

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

That being said, the Blues could face competition from London rivals Arsenal, who are also now emerging as an option for the Portuguese winger.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal are keen to add a right-footed left-winger who offers a direct goal threat, speed in transition and creative qualities to unlock a game through their individual brilliance.

Leao has made 43 appearances for the Italian outfit this season, scoring ten goals, providing nine assists and totaling 2,997 minutes.

Chelsea are also reportedly in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, so just how do the pair compare?

How Leao compares to Gittens this season

Dortmund’s Gittens is another target emerging for Maresca’s side and it’s easy to see why.

The 20-year-old sensation – who is seen as the future of English football – has made 42 appearances for the German outfit this season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists.

He notably shone in the Champions League, scoring against Real Madrid, and would be a superb signing. Still, he’s not quite as good as Leao.

Both players fit the bill of a Maresca winger, looking to get into plenty of 1v1 isolations with the opposition fullback, capable of going both inside and outside and having the directness to drive towards the box themselves.

One factor that could be slightly more worrying surrounding Leao compared to Gittens is work rate, with Maresca often asking his wide players to work hard defensively.

Goals

0.28

0.43

Assists

0.26

0.11

xG

0.28

0.20

xAG

0.27

0.13

Progressive Carries

4.86

5.74

Progressive Passes

3.67

2.08

Shots Total

2.30

2.59

Key Passes

2.09

1.09

Shot-Creating Actions

4.37

3.77

Successful Take-Ons

2.99

3.81

Whilst Gittens has a slightly higher shot volume, manages more progressive carries and successful take-ons, Leao offers more through creative passing, with more key passes, more shot-creating actions and higher assist numbers.

Described as one of football’s “cheat codes” by analyst Raj Chohan, Milan’s Portuguese star has blistering pace, the persistence to be direct and attack the opposition full-backs. He always forces them into uncomfortable scenarios and has the ability to create something out of nothing in a split second.

Both players would be excellent signings for Chelsea, but with the Blues already having such a young and inexperienced side, an addition like Leao could provide more of an instant boost, with a big-name signing to raise morale and ready to play a significant part in a title challenge.

Aston Villa are now seriously considering a January move for an “incredible” striker, who has been in fantastic form this season.

Villa looking to sign new striker this winter

It is becoming increasingly clear that Villa want to bring in a new centre-forward in the upcoming transfer window, having identified a number of targets over the past week or so, namely Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Bologna’s Santiago Castro.

Target

League goals in 2025-26

Igor Thiago

11

Joshua Zirkzee

1

Santiago Castro

4

On the face of it, pursuing a move for Thiago would appear to make the most sense, given that the Brazilian has emerged as one of the best strikers in the Premier League this season, with only Manchester City star Erling Haaland scoring more goals.

However, Aston Villa have now joined the race for another striker who has been prolific in front of goal so far this season, according to a report from Spain, which states they are seriously considering a January move for Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

Unai Emery’s side are said to be closely monitoring the striker, and hold a genuine interest, off the back of Panichelli impressing in the first half of the Ligue 1 season, with Chelsea and West Ham United also joining the race for his signature.

With the Argentinian’s contract not due to expire until 2027, the French club should be in a strong negotiating position, which complicates a deal, and finalising a move in the January transfer window could be difficult.

Panichelli has made "incredible" start in Ligue 1

Given that Ollie Watkins has just three Premier League goals to his name this season, Emery could do with bringing in a more prolific striker next month, and the Cordoba-born marksman has regularly been amongst the goals for Strasbourg, scoring ten times in all competitions.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also praised the former CD Mirandes man for the start he’s made to life at the Ligue 1 side, having only arrived at Strasbourg from the Spanish side in the summer.

The one-time Argentina international is the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1, behind only Mason Greenwood, and at 23-years-old, he is at the right age to be a long-term replacement for Watkins.

Aston Villa could launch attack to sign £44m striker who's outscoring Watkins

The Villans are looking to bring in a new centre-forward.

ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

That said, with Panichelli tied down to a long-term contract and yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues over a sustained time period, it may be worth Villa continuing to monitor him, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer.

There’s no denying that Chelsea employed a scattergun spending approach in the early days of BlueCo’s ownership, but that has since been streamlined over the past few years, with Enzo Maresca proving the perfect man for the job.

Sunday’s Premier League clash is a big one, with Stamford Bridge playing host to a top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal. The second-place Blues will narrow the deficit to just three points with a win.

This is a team building toward a period of sustained success, and the tactical readings suggest that Chelsea are already one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the division, even if there is a sense that there are several levels still to be scaled.

Chelsea

2nd

22.1

Man City

3rd

21.8

Arsenal

1st

20.7

Crystal Palace

5th

20.2

Man Utd

10th

19.9

However, a question mark lingers over number nine, with Liam Delap yet to prove he is the answer. Could Chelsea be looking to sign an upgrade?

Why Chelsea are searching for a striker

In fairness, Delap has spent a sizeable portion of his first months in west London in the infirmary. Still, since returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for much of the autumn, the English striker has started twice in the Premier League and failed to break his duck on both counts.

That said, he did net his first goal of the campaign for the Blues against Barcelona in midweek, coming off the bench and coolly converting to seal the 3-0 win after neat interplay between Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

However, the £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town has yet to prove he has what it takes to nail down a berth at the front of Maresca’s system, and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are searching for a potential upgrade.

They may have found one. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea are among the outfits to have been informed that Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is worth about €50m (£44m), applicable for a number of top European outfits.

Chelsea are in the mix, and though Delap and Joao Pedro make up a dynamic central strike force in west London, Guirassy’s clinical record suggests he could add an interesting dimension to a title-challenging side.

What Guirassy would bring to Chelsea

Guirassy, 29, might not fit the age profile Chelsea have focused on targeting in recent years, but his experience and maturity in the final third would serve as a neat counterpoint to the younger generation.

Delap caught the eye for Ipswich last season, a shining light as he scored 12 goals across 37 Premier League outings. Kieran McKenna’s side were relegated, but so many teams swarmed for Delap’s signature, and Chelsea won the race.

The 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca’s side need someone in the now who can maintain a fight against Arsenal, while pushing deep into the Champions League too.

Guirassy is “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to German legend Lothar Matthaus, and he ranks among the top 11% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

25/26

10

5 + 1

24/25

30

21 + 2

23/24

28

28 + 2

22/23

22

11 + 0

He’s hardly just a mindless poacher, with silky footwork and intelligent positioning that allows him to roam around the attacking half and link up with teammates.

But, at his core, Guirassy is indeed a goalscorer, and Chelsea may find that Delap earns fewer minutes with the Guinean striker in the mix.

It’s a tough one, but given the promising position Maresca’s side have placed themselves into, it might just be the move to make.

Maresca must finally sell Chelsea "passenger" who was like Estevao at 18

The international superstar may have once played like Estevao, but he’s now a problem for Chelsea.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

Leeds United made it three defeats in succession in the Premier League when they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

The Whites had the lead at half-time thanks to a goal from Lukas Nmecha, who bundled the ball in from close range after Anton Stach competed with Emi Martinez for a high ball.

Unfortunately, though, the away side struck twice in the second half, both goals coming from Morgan Rogers, and walked away from West Yorkshire with all three points.

Daniel Farke only made one change to his starting line-up from the side that lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest before the break, and it backfired on the Leeds boss.

The Leeds change that backfired on Daniel Farke

The German head coach opted to take Jaka Bijol out of the team, after he won four of his six duels against Forest, and brought Pascal Struijk back into the side, possibly to have a natural left-footer in that position.

Whilst the Dutchman certainly opens up more passing angles as a left-footer on the left side of the defence, his defensive work left far too much to be desired against the Villans, and that is why the change backfired on the manager.

Per Sofascore, Struijk only won three of his eight duels, losing both of his ground duels, and did not complete a single tackle in the game, which shows that he struggled with the physicality of the match.

The one tackle that the former Ajax man did attempt was his late lunge on Ross Barkley, which resulted in the free-kick from which Rogers scored the winning goal.

Struijk was far from the only poor performer on the pitch, though, as Brenden Aaronson is another player who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up.

Why Leeds must drop Brenden Aaronson

The USA international had delivered a goal and an assist in the three Premier League matches prior to the international break, which made his inclusion in the side an understandable call from Farke.

However, the return to fitness of Dan James has thrown his place in the line-up into doubt, and their respective performances against Aston Villa on Sunday suggest that the Wales international deserves a chance from the start.

Aaronson, who was awarded a 4/10 player rating by LeedsUnitedNews, lower than Struijk’s 6/10 rating, failed to create a single chance for his teammates in 80 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, as he came inside and got crowded out all too often.

Minutes

80

19

Shots

3

3

xG on target

0.15

0.15

Crosses attempted

1

5

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

1/5

1/1

Possession lost

12x

6x

As you can see in the table above, James offered more to the team on the right flank in 19 minutes than the American lightweight did in his 80-minute outing against the Villans.

The fact that the Welshman attempted five times as many crosses as Aaronson, in roughly an hour less on the pitch, speaks to the difference Leeds could make to their attack by bringing him into the starting XI.

Aaronson, for all his hard work, is not a natural winger who is going to hug the byline and test teams consistently with runs in behind and crosses into the box.

James, however, is that player and almost made an instant impact when his brilliant run and ball across the box led to Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a handball by the striker.

Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds

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ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The Welshman deserved an assist for his play. Now, he deserves a place in the starting line-up because Aaronson was even worse than Struijk in the defeat to Villa, as he offered little to the team in or out of possession, whilst Struijk, at the very least, completed 95% of his passes and made five clearances, per Sofascore.

A week is a very long time in football, and West Ham United are the perfect example of that.

Heading into gameweek ten of the Premier League, there was little hope that the Hammers would be able to avoid relegation this year.

However, a thumping 3-1 win over Newcastle United, followed by a 3-2 win over Burnley seven days later, has rejuvenated Nuno Espírito Santo’s side and given the supporters a belief that something positive could still come out of this season.

With that said, it’ll still be a tough fight for the East Londoners, but fortunately, Nuno might have already found his new Morgan Gibbs-White, and no, it’s not Lucas Paqueta.

The West Ham players vital to Nuno's fight for survival

While it won’t be plain sailing to keep West Ham in the Premier League this season, Nuno does have a handful of players in his squad who should be good enough to help him to it.

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For example, while he made just his second start for the side on Saturday, Freddie Potts has already proven that he has what it takes to be a leader in the middle of the park.

Blessed with “supreme confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball,” per one analyst, the academy graduate is also just as happy and capable of getting stuck in with the less glamorous side of the game.

Moreover, with him playing deeper and mopping up opposition attacks, Paqueta should be able to focus more on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

The Brazilian international has been inconsistent for some time now, but his quality is undeniable, and with a goal to go with two stellar performances in the last week, it looks like the manager knows how to get the best out of him.

Someone who’ll be hugely important to the manager’s fight for survival and a player the fans never have to worry about putting in a shift is Jarrod Bowen.

The England international is Mr West Ham, and with a sensational tally of 24 goal involvements last season and five already this year, the 28-year-old is arguably the most important player of all.

Finally, the pairing of Crysencio Summerville and El Hadji Malick Diouf gives the Hammers some real pace, power, and quality on the left, while ensuring that opposition teams cannot focus their attention solely on Bowen.

With all that said, there is another player, a summer signing, who could prove vital for West Ham this season, someone who could be Nuno’s new Gibbs-White.

Nuno's new Gibbs-White

When examining the West Ham squad, the player who appears most likely to become Nuno’s new Gibbs-White is Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton gem joined the club in the summer for around £40m, and while he’s had a slow start to life in the capital, he is now starting to show his immense quality.

For example, against the Clarets on Saturday, he was utterly sensational, plying three key passes, maintaining a passing accuracy of 98%, taking 74 touches, winning 100% of his tackles, making two interceptions and blocking a shot.

Minutes

97′

Expected Assists

0.28

Key Passes

3

Accurate Passes

52/53 (98%)

Long Balls

1/1

Touches

74

Tackles

3/3

Interceptions

2

Clearances

2

Blocked Shots

1

Recoveries

3

It was the sort of performance that shows, like Gibbs-White, the Portuguese star is not only capable of doing the dirty work in the middle of the park, but is also more than able to play a quick one-two with his teammates or play a defence-splitting pass at a moment’s notice.

However, his ability with the ball at his feet shouldn’t be a surprise, as during his time in Portugal, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted the fact that he could play “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

Moreover, it was only in the summer, after his first season in England, that former Southampton captain Jo Tessem described the 21-year-old as someone who “is becoming an ultimate Premier League midfielder,” and, on a weekly basis “plays his heart out.”

It’s this combination of undeniable technical ability and tenacity that could help him become the manager’s new Gibbs-White.

After all, the Forest star is someone who leads his side through his raw skill and force of personality.

Ultimately, it’s going to be a long season for West Ham this year, but with the players at his disposal and a new Gibbs-White figure in Fernandes, Nuno should be able to avoid relegation.

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