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Chelsea chiefs are expected to undergo a busy end to the summer window, with many deals being lined up through to deadline day on September 1.

Enzo Maresca’s side secured their first win of the new Premier League season on Friday with a thumping 5-1 win away to West Ham, with goals from Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah cancelling out Lucas Paqueta’s opening goal.

The only real downside to this game was Cole Palmer’s injury, who suffered a groin problem warming up.

A dismal Hammers side simply couldn’t cope with Chelsea’s serious attacking flair in the final third, but given just how early doors it is, there is no real indication whether the Blues are that good or West Ham are simply that poor.

Considering Graham Potter’s side have conceded eight goals in just two Premier League games, it is more likely the latter point as things stand.

Chelsea still have some upgrading to do in terms of recruitment, with BlueCo currently attempting to round-off deals for Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.

Both Simons and Garnacho have agreed personal terms to join Chelsea, but the club’s pact with UEFA means that they must wait patiently for Maresca’s side to sell off certain players before officially moving to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are under pressure to produce a ‘positive transfer balance’, or risk being unable to register new signings in their Champions League squad this season.

They’ll also be registering Andrey Santos, who’s set to be integrated into Chelsea’s first team after a stellar season on loan at sister club Strasbourg in 2024/2025.

Chelsea tip Andrey Santos for "important" role

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are “very happy” with Santos, who notched his first assist for the club on his debut in the Club World Cup earlier this summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano states that those within the west London club are convinced that Santos can become an “important” player for Maresca, and are set to reject any and all approaches for the Brazilian.

Maresca has also confirmed that the 21-year-old, who bagged a brilliant 11 goals and six assists for Strasbourg from midfield in 2024/2025, won’t be going anywhere, despite reports of an approach from Man United.

Manchester United are now accelerating a deal to sign a “magnificent” midfielder, who has been identified as one of their priority targets ahead of the transfer deadline, according to a report.

Man Utd looking to sign midfielder after pulling plug on Baleba

Carlos Baleba emerged as one of Ruben Amorim’s top targets in central midfield, but Man United have now pulled the plug on a deal, given that it was set to be an extremely costly operation, and Brighton & Hove Albion are very reluctant to sell.

It is a shame that Baleba now seemingly won’t be heading to Old Trafford this summer, given that the 21-year-old is at a good age to be a long-term replacement for Casemiro, and received high praise from Alan Shearer last season.

Speaking after Baleba impressed against Manchester City, Shearer said: “He was absolutely wonderful. He changed the tempo and performance on the front foot and defensively. They got the three points which they deserved.”

That said, there are still a number of other potential options on the shortlist, with INEOS believed to be particularly big fans of Adam Wharton.

Target	Current club	Potential price tag
Adam Wharton	Crystal Palace	£40m+
Eduardo Camavinga	Real Madrid	£69m
Morten Hjulmand	Sporting CP	£68m
Angelo Stiller	VfB Stuttgart	£50m

However, according to a report from Spain, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s priority target ahead of the transfer deadline, namely Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume, who is set to be available for the affordable fee of €25m to €35m (£22m – £30m).

Crucially, Agoume is said to be interested in a move to the Premier League, and United are now accelerating the deal, to ensure they secure his signature before another big European club enters the race.

The 23-year-old is emerging as the ideal addition to Amorim’s midfield, as his physicality and tactical awareness mean he should be able to adapt to life in the Premier League comfortably.

New Pogba: INEOS offered bargain deal to sign "world-class" CM for Man Utd

Manchester United could finally end their midfielder pursuit with a player just like Paul Pogba.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 21, 2025

"Magnificent" Agoume could be ideal Baleba alternative

Former Sevilla boss Enrique Sanchez Flores has hailed the central midfielder in the past, describing him as “magnificent”, and there is every indication the Cameroon-born maestro could be an ideal alternative option to Baleba.

Most notably, the Sevilla star has outperformed the Brighton youngster across a range of key defensive metrics over the course of the past year.

Average per 90	Lucien Agoume	Carlos Baleba
Tackles	2.90	2.64
Interceptions	1.83	1.62
Clearances	1.96	1.48
Aerials won	1.66	1.29

Importantly, a deal for the 13-time France U21 international also wouldn’t break the bank, at around £30m, while there were suggestions that Brighton were looking to receive £115m for Baleba.

Should Man United pursue a move for Agoume, rather than the Brighton star, they should have money left over to strengthen other areas of the squad, and Amorim may be keen to sign a new goalkeeper, with Altay Bayindir receiving widespread criticism after the Arsenal defeat.

حقق مانشستر سيتي فوزاً مهماً خارج ملعبه ضد برينتفورد بهدف نظيف، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاء هدف مانشستر سيتي الوحيد في المباراة عن طريق الهداف النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند في الدقيقة 9 من أحداث الشوط الأول.

وبهذا الفوز الصعب ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي للنقطة 13 في المركز الخامس خلف آرسنال صاحب المركز الأول والذي يملك 16 نقطة وكذلك ليفربول وتوتنهام وبورنموث.

ووفقاً لشبكة “أوبتا” للإحصائيات فقد حقق بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي 250 فوزًا من أصل 349 مباراة خاضها في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وكان جوارديولا قد تعادل في 50 مباراة وخسر في 49 مباراة وهو أسرع رقم يحققه أي مدرب على الإطلاق في تاريخه مع نادي إنجليزي من مستوى عال.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد في الدوري الإنجليزي

وجاء هذا الإنجاز من جانب بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي بتحقيق 250 فوز خلال 349 مباراة، ويأتي فيرجسون في المركز الثاني خلال 404 مباراة وأرسين فينجر في المركز الثالث خلال 423 مباراة.

وإلى جانب جوارديولا، فقد حقق هالاند إحصائية رائعة بتسجيله في 22 من أصل 23 ملعب لعب فيه في الدوري الإنجليزي، ووصل لأعلى نسبة أهداف لأي لاعب في تاريخ البريميرليج 96&.

وسجل هالاند أيضاً 21 هدف خلال 22 مباراة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في لندن، وأحرز النرويجي 54 هدف في مانشستر كذلك، ووصل اللاعب لهدفه التاسع في البريميرليج.

وسجل هالاند 15 هدف في جميع المسابقات في موسم 2025-2026 أي أكثر بتسعة أهداف من أي لاعب آخر في الدوري الإنجليزي، ويتفوق عى 12 نادي آخر في الدوري الإنجليزي حتى الآن هذا الموسم.

وأحرز هالاند الآن في تسع مباريات متتالية مع ناديه ومنتخب بلاده، 6 في مباراتين مع النرويج و10 في 7 مع مانشستر سيتي وهي أطول سلسلة تهديفية في مسيرته الكروية.

وسجل هالاند 94 هدف في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا ليصبح عاشر أكثر لاعب يسجل أهداف لمدرب في تاريخ المسابقة رغم أنه لم يشارك سوى في 104 مباريات تحت قيادته.

Tottenham could turn to London rivals Chelsea in search of reinforcements this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, with contact made over signing one Blues player who’s set to leave Stamford Bridge.

Spurs’ need for reinforcements before the transfer deadline on September 1 is indisputable.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Having lost club legend Son Heung-min to LAFC and James Maddison to a serious knee injury this week, with Dejan Kulusevski also still out for a “long time” too, manager Thomas Frank is in danger of entering the 2025/2026 campaign desperately short of attacking outlets.

Their need for a new forward signing has dramatically escalated in the last few days, especially following confirmation that Maddison has ruptured his ACL and requires surgery, with the Englishman now expected to miss most of the campaign.

“I think we are definitely in the market in general,” Frank said about summer transfers, in the aftermath of their 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

“Of course, when players get a long-term injury we need to look into that, but generally we are in the market, yes. Nobody feels close or far away. I’m not saying anything before there’s anything that is completely 100%.”

There isn’t exactly much urgency from Frank here as the Dane attempts to quell panic and let technical director Johan Lange do his work behind-the-scenes, but Spurs need a new attacker desperately – something he’ll be acutely aware of.

Since the announcement of Maddison’s lengthy injury lay-off, a flurry of reports have linked Spurs with a wide array of attacking options.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Tottenham have already had a bid rejected for Como forward Nico Paz, while it is also believed that contact was made for Man City star Jack Grealish earlier this week amid Everton’s talks for the 29-year-old (Fabrizio Romano).

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott is another candidate to reinforce Spurs’ attacking line, but he may not be for much longer as RB Leipzig advance a move for the 22-year-old, so Lange will need to formalise the club’s interest soon.

According to Romano, Spurs are also making contingency plans in the event Richarlison leaves.

Tottenham make contact over signing Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson

The reliable reporter, via X, now claims that Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is on their shortlist of potential replacements for the Brazilian.

It isn’t just interest, either, with Romano revealing that Tottenham have made contact over signing Jackson – who’s set to be one of the next “big players” moving on in this summer’s striker domino.

The Senegalese commands a rumoured valuation of £80-£100 million, according to Sky Sports, and Daniel Levy is very unlikely at best to green-light what would be a club-record deal for Jackson considering Chelsea’s need to sell.

The Lilywhites will almost certainly look to negotiate a lower fee for him, should Richarlison leave, and they decide to move.

Jackson was actually called one of Chelsea’s most important players last season by Joe Cole, but the arrival of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap means he’ll struggle for game time next season – making a move away the best option for all parties.

Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has told Football FanCast that the Gunners should be prioritising the signing of another high-profile forward, if a deal for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres falls flat.

Latest on Arsenal's pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres

Will he, won’t he? There’s been more twists and turns in this transfer saga than a Formula 1 race.

At one stage having seemingly been behind RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko on the north Londoners’ striker shortlist, Gyokeres has emerged as the leading target for Andrea Berta and co in recent weeks, amid the need to end the club’s lengthy wait for a new number nine.

After netting 97 goals in just 102 games in Lisbon, the 27-year-old Swede appears to be edging ever closer to moving to the Emirates, albeit with the situation having dragged on of late.

Indeed, while a £63.5m agreement with the Portuguese outfit is nearing completion, following Gyokeres’ public dispute with his current side, the final details have yet to be resolved.

There had even been whispers in Portugal that rival suitors Manchester United were keen to hijack the deal, amid Ruben Amorim’s desire for a reunion, although that reported interest from the Red Devils has seemingly been overblown.

Regardless, those of an Arsenal persuasion won’t rest until the former Coventry City man is signed, sealed and delivered, with it perhaps wise to still be considering alternatives – as Pennant suggested…

Pennant suggests "big-money" alternative to Gyokeres

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Adventure Gamers, the one-time Gunners academy graduate outlined that if his former club can’t get a deal done for Gyokeres, then a more fluid forward – in the mould of Gabriel Jesus – should well be considered, namely Real Madrid’s wantaway star, Rodrygo:

The 24-year-old wideman has been heavily linked with an exit from the Bernabeu this summer, having played a limited role at the recent Club World Cup under new boss Xabi Alonso, with Arsenal believed to be one of the clubs interested in capitalising on the uncertainty surrounding the £85m-rated talent.

Rodrygo’s LaLiga record so far

Season

Games

Goals & Assists

2024/25

30

12

2023/24

34

15

2022/23

34

18

2021/22

33

8

2020/21

22

7

2019/20

19

2

Stats via Transfermarkt

Rodrygo wouldn’t be the only option to consider, however, with Pennant also tipping the Emirates hierarchy to renew their approach for the aforementioned Sesko:

The Slovenian is fresh off the back of the campaign in which he scored 21 times in all competitions for Leipzig, while Rodrygo scored 14 times across all fronts for Los Blancos.

Those returns fall shy of Gyokeres’ mammoth 54-goal haul in 2024/25, although as Pennant suggested, any of that trio would be a worthy addition to Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

Related 50% duels won, only 6 passes: 5/10 Arsenal star must now be axed for Eze

Arsenal started their pre-season with a 1-0 win over AC Milan.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Jul 23, 2025

وافق الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” على تأجيل تصفيات شمال أفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس الأمم الأفريقية تحت 17 عامًا.

ومن المقرر أن تشارك مصر في التصفيات لـ منتخب مصر من مواليد 2009.

وتقرر تأجيل إقامة منافسات تصفيات شمال إفريقيا من نوفمبر 2025 إلى مارس 2026، نظرًا لتعارض الموعد السابق مع النسخة المقبلة لكأس العالم تحت 17 سنة في قطر.

طالع | منتخب مصر للشباب يواجه بنما وديًا اليوم استعدادًا لـ كأس العالم

كما تقرر منح مقعد إضافي لمنطقة شمال أفريقيا في النسخة المقبلة لكأس الأمم الأفريقية تحت 17 سنة، لتتأهل 3 منتخبات من التصفيات بدلًا من منتخبين، نظرًا لانتماء حامل اللقب “منتخب المغرب” للمنطقة، على أن يشارك حامل اللقب في التصفيات.

وكان المديرون الفنيون لاتحادات شمال أفريقيا قد أجمعوا على الموعد الجديد خلال اجتماعهم الذي تم عن بعد عبر منصة “Zoom” وحضره الكابتن علاء نبيل المدير الفني لـ اتحاد الكرة.

West Ham United find themselves ready to move on from the dissapointment of last campaign under Graham Potter and have now turned their attention to an England cap also desires by their rivals, according to a report.

West Ham look to kickstart slow transfer window

Without putting too fine a point on it, the Hammers have endured a slow transfer window so far as they weigh up what direction to go down at the London Stadium. Despite a lack of notable links, former scout Mick Brown has detailed that West Ham are set to make a ‘formal approach’ for Rangers striker Hamza Igamane following his debut campaign in Scotland.

He stated: “West Ham are about make a formal move for Igamane. They’ve had scouts up there watching him and he’s one of the names on their radar.

“But I’m told they’re not convinced he’s ready to make the step up to the Premier League. He’s looked impressive for Rangers at times, but he’s playing in a side which finished 17 points short of Celtic, so it’s a difficult one to judge.”

Talks have also been held between the Hammers and Adama Bojang, so there is a clear appetite there for Graham Potter to add attacking reinforcements.

Free transfer: West Ham in contact to sign £100k-p/w star who Potter loves

The Hammers could land themselves a bargain.

2

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jun 15, 2025

However, the forward line won’t be the only place strengthened by those in the corridors of power. Vladimir Coufal has left West Ham on a free transfer, signalling that a right-back will be on the agenda to replace the experienced Czechia international.

With that in mind, the Londoners could now look to beat one of their city rivals in pursuit of a defender who has been capped by England and is available for free.

West Ham line up Kyle Walker-Peters move

According to CaughtOffside, West Ham have positioned themselves to sign Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, though he is also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Crystal Palace.

The 28-year-old has been identified by Thomas Frank as a sensible signing and Spurs are front of the queue, but the Hammers are ‘closely monitoring’ his situation and could launch a counter to any attempts from their London rivals to win the race for his signature.

Kyle Walker-Peters’ Premier League campaign in numbers (Fotmob)
Chances created	24
Successful dribbles	38
Recoveries	135
Duels won	145
Fouls won	52

Intriguingly, the former Spurs man has featured in a variety of different positions this campaign, including both flanks, either full-back berth and even as a central defender.

His availability on a free transfer is majorly appealing to top-flight clubs alongside Walker-Peters’ homegrown status, though he has the monopoly of choosing his next destination and will likely take his time to do so.

Labelled “brilliant” by Russell Martin, Everton were also in the running before they opted to sign Kenny Tete on a free transfer from Fulham.

Attracting a significant level of interest, Walker-Peters, who earns £20,000 a week at St Mary’s, is an intriguing proposition on the market this summer and whoever lands him will be laying claim to a wealth of experience and quality.

After announcing the return of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer, Celtic and Brendan Rodgers are now reportedly plotting another bargain move to sign an impressive playmaker.

Celtic seal first major summer signing

Six years on from swapping Glasgow for North London and Arsenal, Tierney is officially a Celtic player for the second time. The Scotland left-back initially got off to an excellent start in the Premier League, but injuries soon struck and eventually controlled the narrative of what was ultimately a frustrating six-year period at The Emirates. Now back where he burst onto the scene, however, Tierney will be desperate to put those problems behind him.

After putting pen to paper to officially seal his return, Tierney told Celtic’s media channels: “Everybody’s known for a few months and just to be here with the Celtic strip on again just feels amazing.

“I spoke with the manager, and obviously I had worked with the gaffer before and I’ve always kept in touch with him. He’s one of the best so I’m so lucky and grateful that he’s given me the chance to come back again.

“He never had to convince me much but it’s just a huge bonus that he’s the manager because I loved working with him. He knows how to get the best out of me, and I just loved my time under him.

“He’s a great person that I’ve always kept in touch with, John Kennedy as well, who is also someone I’ve kept in touch with and who I still meet regularly when I’m back, and Cal and Jamesy, who I’ve been close with now since I was 17.”

Even after Tierney, though, Celtic could just be getting started with their summer business, having also reportedly set their sights on an impressive 16-goal playmaker.

Rodgers personally plotting Nygren move

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Brendan Rodgers is now personally plotting a Celtic move to sign Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjaelland this summer. The winger has just six months left on his current deal and is not set to put pen to paper on fresh terms, meaning a departure from the Danish club is likely in the coming months.

Celtic begin negotiating personal terms with £4.2m target who Rodgers loves

The Bhoys could reignite their interest…

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 11, 2025

Celtic could land their target for a bargain price as a result of his contract situation too. Reports suggest that Nygren could leave Nordsjaelland for just £2m this summer in what would be an excellent deal for a player who scored 16 goals in the 2024/25 campaign.

After already signing Tierney on a free, signing a player who has been praised for an “incredible” season by a Danish scout for just £2m would represent another piece of excellent business from Celtic this summer.

Glasgow Rangers’ wait for a win at Ibrox is finally over. On Sunday, after a goalless first half, the Gers ultimately demolished their battered opponents 4-0, thanks to goals from Václav Černý, Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and then, rather fortuitously, Jefté; Černý’s shot deflecting in via his back-side.

This was Rangers’ first home win since 2 February, ending a streak of seven matches, and a first victory at Ibrox for Barry Ferguson in interim charge.

The Light Blues, guaranteed to finish second in the Scottish Premiership, host Dundee United on Wednesday night, before concluding a very disappointing campaign with a trip to Easter Road on Saturday lunchtime.

With the on-field results mattering very little at this stage, the main question Rangers supporters are pondering is who will be their next manager?

Well, could that mystery be about to be solved?

The latest on Ancelotti to Rangers

According to a report by Madrid-based outlet AS, Rangers are interested in appointing Davide Ancelotti as their new manager.

It was confirmed on Monday that Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season to take over as the new Brazil manager, thereby becoming the Seleção’s first permanent foreign head coach since Ramón Platero exactly a century ago.

So, as noted by the aforementioned AS report, Carlo’s son Davide is now looking to pursue his own managerial career, having received ‘several offers’, including from Saudi Pro League clubs, but the ‘project’ that appeals to him most is Rangers, given the incoming 49ers takeover and the potential of Champions League football.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Davide, who is 35-years-old, has been his father’s assistant at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and now Real Madrid, and is known for being a master tactician and an excellent communicator, as outlined by Mina Rzouki of BBC Sport.

Also, as documented by Ben Banks of Glasgow World, during Ancelotti’s time at Goodison, he worked alongside fellow assistant-coach Duncan Ferguson, who is an ex-Rangers player of course, intimating the duo could link-up once again.

So, would a rookie coach be the best way to go, or should the 49ers appoint a more-experienced manager?

Who Rangers should appoint instead of Ancelotti

According to a report from TEAMtalk earlier this month, Rangers were said to be ‘hoping to appoint’ Danny Röhl as their new manager, with Southampton also interested.

As documented by Football Insider, Röhl – who favours a 4-2-3-1 system – is likely to ‘walk away from Sheffield Wednesday’, having been required to juggle several off-field issues since arriving at Hillsborough in October 2023, leading to a’strained relationship with Dejphon Chansiri, who is the owner and chairman.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Deutschland has previously claimed that Röhl is one of the candidates to become the new RB Leipzig manager, stating in an interview with Kicker that he’d “like to work at the highest possible level… in the near future”, so could this see him take over at Ibrox?

Let’s assess Röhl’s managerial credentials from his time in Yorkshire.

Matches

89

Wins

34

Win %

38%

Championship finish 2023/24

20th

Championship finish 2024/25

12th

Preferred formation

4-2-3-1

Sheffield Wednesday’s EFL Championship survival in the 2023/24 is known as a great escape, given that they looked dead and buried when Röhl was appointed, only to win eight of their last 14 fixtures, concluding the campaign unbeaten in six, thereby surviving on the final day.

The Owls then finished 12th this time round, a more than commendable achievement given all their off-field issues and low budget.

Röhl has therefore earned widespread praise, described as “unbelievable” by Owls forward Josh Windass, while Toby Gavelle of Breaking the Lines praised the ‘outstanding job’ he’s done at Hillsborough, adding there will be no shortage of suitors.

So, rather than going for the headline-grabbing gamble that appointing Ancelotti would be, the 49ers should be a lot more sensible and secure a manager who has already proved he is capable of getting a team to punch above their weight.

Their new Morelos: Rangers eyeing "top striker" who'd cost just £8,000

Rangers have their eyes on a talented young striker

ByRoss Kilvington May 12, 2025

Can Manchester City move three points closer to securing Champions League qualification?

Last Sunday’s goalless Manchester derby, described by Richard Jolly of the Independent as ‘one of the worst games in Premier League history’, leaves the Sky Blues sixth in the table, a point below both Chelsea and Newcastle, the current occupants of the final two Champions League spots.

Pep Guardiola’s team have a pretty kind fixture list between now and the end of the season, but one of their toughest remaining games is Saturday’s early kick-off, with in-form Crystal Palace the visitors to the Etihad.

If Man City are to collect three precious points, Guardiola must leave out one of his favourite players and unleash the Citizens’ ‘electric’ attacker.

Why Phil Foden should be dropped

Phil Foden was substituted after just 57 minutes at Old Trafford last Sunday, having registered only 27 touches, completed a mere 61% of his 18 passes, missing one big chance and creating zero for others; all statistics courtesy of SofaScore.

This, though, is no outlier, as outlined in the table below.

Appearances

48

53

40

Minutes

2,660

4,276

2,732

Goals

15

27

10

Assists

8

13

6

Goals – xG

+5.1

+10.5

+3.2

Shots on target %

52.3%

42.9%

32.3%

Chances created

59

93

71

Pass completion %

81.5%

85.9%

84.4%

Shot-creating actions

119

182

121

Progressive passes

110

221

142

Touches per 90

69

72

61

As the table above demonstrates, Foden’s form has massively dipped, compared to last season, especially, when he was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year.

James Westwood of Goal believes the England international has ‘regressed’ this season, going from talismanic ‘dazzling performances’ to now where his performances range from ‘mediocre to downright poor’.

Speaking on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, Nooruddean Choudry believes Guardiola has been ‘too loyal’ to out-of-form players who have served him well in the past, so should he bench Foden against Crystal Palace and unleash a fresher face?

Who should Man City start instead of Foden?

Jérémy Doku is certainly an enigmatic player, with Thom Harris of the Athletic describing him as ‘unique’ and a ‘star dribbler’, while adding that his ‘final pass can sometimes be poor’.

The statistics in the table below crystallize why.

Goals

3

79th

Assists

4

48th

Expected assists

3.5

39th

Shot-creating actions

60

73rd

Goal-creating actions

9

47th

Shots on target %

39.1%

59th

Progressive carries

166

1st

Take-ons attempted

166

2nd

Take-on success %

55.4%

26th

Carries into the final third

77

3rd

Carries into the penalty area

77

1st

The table certainly backs up the claim that Doku is an excellent dribbler, ranked first for progressive carries and carries into the opposition area, while only Mohammed Kudus of West Ham has attempted more take-ons.

However, the fact Doku ranks in the 26th percentile when it comes to take-on success percentage suggests he could still improve.

Meantime, the Belgian has scored just six goals across all competitions this season, two of which came against fourth-tier Salford, ranked significantly lower for goals, assists, expected assists, shooting, and chance creation.

Nevertheless, Guardiola himself named Doku, as well as Savinho, as key figures in the “new look” Manchester City, making it even more curious that both began the derby on the bench.

So, against a Crystal Palace team who will be without the suspended captain Marc Guéhi, as well as, potentially, fellow centre-backs Maxence Lacroix and Chadi Riad too due to injury, Doku’s ‘electric’ pace, as described by David O’Brien, should be unleashed as Man City seek victory on Saturday.

Pep identifies "world class" star as Man City's dream De Bruyne replacement

After Kevin De Bruyne announced he will be leaving Manchester City, Pep Guardiola is targeting a “world-class” Premier League star to replace him.

ByBen Gray Apr 11, 2025