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West Ham United boss Graham Potter is under mounting pressure after slumping to a dismal 3-0 derby defeat against Tottenham last Saturday, with the east Londoners losing four of their opening five games in all competitions thus far.

Potter has tough games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Premier League title-chasing Arsenal on the horizon, with more unconvincing performances threatening to oust the tactician just 10 months after he took over from Julen Lopetegui.

Only Avram Grant, who led the Hammers to relegation in 2011, boasts a worse West Ham win percentage than Potter since the Premier League’s inception — serving as a clear warning that things desperately need to improve.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12, Graham Potter

27.3%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

West Ham’s woeful defence, which has conceded 14 goals in all competitions already, is the top flight’s worst back line right now by far — having also leaked 11 league goals in just four top flight matches.

Their failure to deal with set pieces has been another major thorn in Potter’s side, and one key ingredient West Ham need more than anything else is solidarity if they’re to avoid a relegation dogfight.

David Sullivan and the Irons board may even decide to cut their losses with Potter, especially considering that out-of-work former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo is readily available for hire.

The Portuguese, who guided Forest back to Europe for the first time since 1995 after a fairytale 2024/2025, was unceremoniously sacked by Evangelos Marinakis after a public fallout — just months after Nuno signed a brand-new contract.

Reports suggest that Nuno will jump at the chance to get back into management and his priority is to remain in the Premier League — making the 51-year-old a potential match made in heaven for West Ham.

Nuno’s pragmatic approach and defensive style could also suit West Ham down to the ground amid their real fragility at the back, with the likes of Kieran McKenna, José Mourinho and Frank Lampard also named as managerial candidates at the London Stadium.

How West Ham's board really feel about Graham Potter after Tottenham defeat

However, before any approach is made to the aforementioned coaches, the club must first make a decision on Potter.

According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham’s board believe it is “too early” to sack Potter despite their lacklustre start to 2025/2026 — with the ex-Chelsea boss retaining their backing “for the time being”.

The key phrase here is “for the time being”, but should West Ham relieve the tactician sooner?

West Ham must make ruthless Graham Potter decision

The team looks disjointed right now, lacking both defensive organisation and attacking spark, which arguably reflects poorly on Potter’s tactical approach among other key concerns.

For a squad boasting proven talent, fans and pundits alike are in agreement that the side should be performing far better.

Potter’s track record at Chelsea also raises concerns. Despite heavy backing in the transfer market there, he failed to deliver results, and many critics feared West Ham were repeating the same mistake when he was appointed.

Those fears now appear to be realised, and with Nuno available, West Ham should bite the bullet, admit they made a mistake and bring the former Tottenham boss to east London.

Tottenham could soon wave goodbye to midfielder Yves Bissouma with a host of windows outside the UK still open for business, but he isn’t the only Spurs squad member potentially available.

Bissouma, who was left out of Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup side, has now also been omitted from their final 22-man Champions League A-list squad.

Frank has already criticised the African for his punctuality and discipline since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, explaining exactly why Bissouma, who’s currently out injured, didn’t travel with the squad for their Super Cup clash in August.

The writing appears on the wall for a potential out-of-window exit, amid reports that Tottenham are expecting proposals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey for Bissouma, with the 29-year-old likely to leave in the coming days as a result (GiveMeSport).

Villarreal (home)

September 16

Bodo/Glimt (away)

September 30

Monaco (away)

October 22

FC Copenhagen (home)

November 4

PSG (away)

November 26

Slavia Prague (home)

December 9

Borussia Dortmund (home)

January 20

Eintracht Frankfurt (away)

January 28

This is somewhat backed up by Sky Sports correspondent Micheal Bridge, who reported earlier this week that Bissouma’s exit is indeed a serious possibility after the UK transfer deadline passed at 7pm on Monday.

Bissouma could leave as a free agent next summer with his contract set to expire in 2026, meaning Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici need to find a new home for him quite quickly.

Clubs in Saudi can make new signings until September 23, whilst Portuguese sides have until September 15 and Turkish teams until September 12.

A move to any one of those divisions could be a good option for Bissouma, as it could also be for young forward Dane Scarlett.

Dane Scarlett could seal out-of-window Tottenham move with Bissouma

As per reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, Scarlett could leave Tottenham in an out-of-window move with Bissouma, after failing to secure an exit before the deadline on Monday.

The 21-year-old was recalled to the senior side by Postecoglou during Spurs’ injury crisis last season, bagging an assist during their 4-1 win at Ipswich, and got on the scoresheet in Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Elfsborg in the Europa League.

Scarlett missed the remainder of the season after picking up a groin problem which required surgery — an extremely unfortunate bit of bad luck for the attacker — but his form prior to that is perhaps a sign of things to come.

José Mourinho called the Englishman a “diamond” during his spell in charge of Spurs, likening Scarlett to Marcus Rashford, but the introduction of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani this summer means he’ll be hard-pressed to battle his way into the squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have spent big on a number of players over the years, with the Old Gold using their European links to full advantage.

The club have signed stars from the likes of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and FC Porto, but who is Wolves’ record arrival? Here, we’ve taken a look at Wolves’ 10 most expensive signings.

Rank

Player

Fee

Signed from

Year

Matheus Cunha

£44m

Atletico Madrid

2023

Matheus Nunes

£38m

Sporting CP

2022

Fabio Silva

£35.6m

FC Porto

2020

Raul Jimenez

£30m

Benfica

2019

Nelson Semedo

£28m

Barcelona

2020

Goncalo Guedes

£27.5m

Valencia

2022

Tolu Arokodare

£24m

Genk

2025

Jorgen Strand Larsen

£23m

Celta Vigo

2025

Nathan Collins

£20.5m

Burnley

2022

Fer Lopez

£19m

Celta Vigo

2025

Andre

£18.5m

Fluminense

2024

Jonny Otto

£18m

Atletico Madrid

2019

Adama Traore

£18m

Middlesbrough

2018

Daniel Podence

£17m

Olympiacos

2020

Emmanuel Agbadou

£16.6m

Reims

2025

Patrick Cutrone

£16m

AC Milan

2019

Rui Patricio

£16m

Sporting CP

2018

Joao Gomes

£15m

Flamengo

2023

Sasa Kalajdzic

£15m

Stuttgart

2022

Jhon Arias

£15m

Fluminense

2025

Here's a detailed look at Wolves' 10 most expensive signings… 10 Fer Lopez £19m from Celta Vigo

An attacking midfielder who can play out on the wing, Wolves won the race for Fer Lopez in 2025, spending £19m on his services from Celta Vigo.

Lopez, who was 21 when he put pen to paper on a five-year contract in the Midlands, will be looking to become a star at Molineux and the latest foreign star for the Old Gold.

9 Nathan Collins £20.5m from Burnley

Following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship in 2022, Wolves acted swiftly to secure the services of defender Nathan Collins in a transfer worth more than £20m.

However, Collins’ time at Molineux was short-lived, and 12 months after signing, the Irishman was sold to Brentford, at least for a small profit.

8 Jorgen Strand Larsen £23m from Celta Vigo

Jorgen Strand Larsen’s initial loan move at Wolves became permanent in 2025 for a reported fee of £23m.

The Old Gold quickly had the chance to make a huge profit on the Norwegian striker, with Newcastle making bids for his services the same summer. However, Wolves rejected those bids and kept hold of their star forward.

7 Tolu Arokodare £24m from Genk

Wolves’ deadline day signing in 2025 was forward Tolu Arokodare, who cost slightly more than Strand Larsen at £24m.

The 6ft 6in Nigeria international signed a four-year deal at Molineux after scoring freely in Belgium with Genk.

6 Goncalo Guedes £27.5m from Valencia

After coming through the books at Benfica, Goncalo Guedes played for PSG and Valencia before signing for Wolves in a £27.5m deal in 2022.

But as one of many Portuguese stars to arrive following the influence of super-agent Jorge Mendes, the versatile forward struggled to make an impact in the Midlands, and in 2025, was sold to Real Sociedad.

5 Nelson Semedo £28m from Barcelona

Right-back Nelson Semedo was a regular for Wolves after arriving from Barcelona in a £28m transfer in 2020.

The Portugal international was named club captain in December 2024, taking over from Mario Lemina. However, the defender left the club after his contract expired in 2025.

4 Raul Jimenez £30m from Benfica

Raul Jimenez was a big signing following Wolves’ promotion to the Premier League in 2018, and his loan move from Benfica was made permanent for £30m just 12 months later.

The Mexico international scored 57 goals for the club in 166 appearances before signing for Fulham in a £5.5m deal in 2023.

3 Fabio Silva £35.6m from FC Porto

A big-money signing that didn’t go to plan for Wolves was for forward Fabio Silva, who arrived for a then-club-record £35.6m fee at the age of just 18.

Silva’s time at Molineux saw him loaned out to Anderlecht, PSV, Rangers and Las Palmas, scoring just a handful of goals for the Old Gold before being sold to Borussia Dortmund.

2 Matheus Nunes £38m from Sporting CP

After starring with Sporting CP under Ruben Amorim and catching the eye of Pep Guardiola, it was Wolves who ended up signing Matheus Nunes for £38m in 2022.

The midfielder’s time at Molineux only lasted one season due to his impressive Premier League displays, with Guardiola and City taking him to the Etihad for more than £50m.

1 Matheus Cunha £44m from Atletico Madrid

Matheus Cunha is currently Wolves’ most expensive signing of all time, with the Brazilian striker costing £44m from Atletico Madrid.

He moved to Molineux initially on loan in January 2023 with a permanent deal being activated that summer. Cunha went on to star in a struggling Wolves side, and as a result, moved to Man Utd for more than £60m.

“There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay”

Andrew McGlashan04-Jan-2025

No love lost between Sam Konstas and Jasprit Bumrah•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has accused India of attempting to intimidate Sam Konstas with the way they celebrated the wicket of Usman Khawaja late on the opening day at the SCG.In a dramatic finish to play, Konstas got involved in a verbal exchange with Jasprit Bumrah over Khawaja’s attempts to ensure it was the final over, with the umpire stepping in. Two deliveries later, Khawaja nicked the last delivery of the day to slip with Bumrah turning and advancing towards Konstas with visible aggression.Related

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McDonald spoke with Konstas after the incident to make sure the 19-year-old had not been shaken by India’s reaction to him.”My conversation with him was around whether he’s okay. Clearly, the way India celebrated that was quite intimidating,” McDonald said. “It’s clearly within the laws of the game, the rules and regulations. There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay and in a headspace to go out there and perform.”Pressed on whether he felt India had gone too far, McDonald added, “It’s clear that’s acceptable because there was no fines or punishments, so I’ll leave that up the ICC – Andy Pycroft being the match referee – and the umpires out there. If they thought it was satisfactory then I suppose that’s the benchmark we are playing towards.”Konstas advanced to 23 on the second morning, which included using his feet to Bumrah to drive him down the ground and bringing out another scoop to deep third, before edging Mohammed Siraj into the slips. Bumrah, who was fielding at mid-on, did not immediately head towards the Indian huddle when the wicket fell and appeared instead to walk in Konstas’ direction.”We enjoy the way that he plays the game and we would also like to play the game aggressively,” Prasidh Krishna said after the second day’s play. “If we have somebody that comes up and says I can fight you, as a team we want to tell them we are here and you can’t take us for granted. We are all here, 11 of us versus you. If you can be as aggressive, that’s fine.”During his debut at the MCG, Konstas was shoulder-barged by Virat Kohli during his 60 off 65 balls in the first innings.Speaking before play on the second day in Sydney, Ricky Ponting said he did not like the way Konstas had inserted himself into the situation the previous evening.”I didn’t like Konstas getting involved,” he told . “That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah. So, for the young man there, I hope that there was some talking to from the Australian dressing room last night because he should have stayed out of it, let his senior player try and handle the last couple of balls. And of course, when you play with the game, the game has a way of coming back and biting. That happened to Khawaja last night.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been on the hunt for a new attacking midfielder throughout the summer transfer window, but so far, their quest has been to no avail.

Morgan Gibbs-White appeared to be Thomas Frank’s main target earlier in the transfer window, even triggering the England international’s £60m release clause.

However, the Nottingham Forest star was also set for a medical before Evangelos Marinakis intervened and put the deal on hold, before the 25-year-old signed a new contract at the City Ground.

After missing out on his signature, the Lilywhites hierarchy have been hunting for added reinforcements to help bolster their Premier League ambitions in 2025/26.

Multiple players have since appeared on their radar, which could see numerous top-level talents make the switch to North London ahead of the new campaign.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

After missing out on Gibbs-White, Spurs have targeted Liverpool star Harvey Elliott in recent weeks, with the Englishman available for a fee in the region of £40m this summer.

However, they could also be about to miss out on the 22-year-old, after Bundesliga side RB Leipzig entered the race to prise him away from Anfield in recent days.

He’s not the only attacking midfielder currently on their radar, with Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss a player the club are considering, according to Ben Jacobs.

He claims that the hierarchy are preparing an approach to land the Moroccan international, who made 32 appearances for the Foxes in the Premier League last season.

Jacobs also states that the 21-year-old has a £22m relegation release clause in his current contract, opening the door to a bargain deal for the Lilywhites this summer.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be their next Maddison

James Maddison has been Spurs’ main option in the number ten position over recent seasons, after he made a £40m transfer from Leicester City back in the summer of 2023.

The 28-year-old has registered 16 goals and 19 assists in his 75 appearances for the Lilywhites, with last campaign being his best since moving to North London.

However, his impact in 2025/26 could prove to be limited, after he suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the recent pre-season clash against Newcastle United.

Boss Frank confirmed that the injury could be a serious one, suffering another issue with the knee that caused him bother towards the back end of the previous season.

Their previous hunt for another talent in such a role showcases their ambitions of strengthening their squad, potentially turning to El Khannouss as a result of Maddison’s setback.

Any move for the Moroccan star would see a repeat of a deal for the Englishman, joining the Lilywhites from Leicester, before making a key impact in the first team.

He even managed to outperform Maddison in numerous key areas last season, undoubtedly one of the shining lights within the Foxes’ squad despite their relegation back to the Championship.

El Khannouss, who’s been labelled “exceptional” by analyst Ben Mattinson, posted a higher tally of progressive carries per 90, whilst completing more carries into the final third – handing Frank’s side an added threat with the ball at his feet.

He also managed to complete more key passes per 90, along with a higher tally of through balls per 90, subsequently able to register an end product to his mazy runs in attacking areas.

Games played

33

31

Goals & assists

6

16

Progressive carries

2.9

2.2

Key passes made

2.7

2.1

Take-on success

57%

42%

Carries into final third

2.1

1.9

Aerials won

47%

41%

Through balls completed

0.9

0.6

The 21-year-old further bettered Maddison in terms of aerials won, an asset that would make him a tremendous all-round option for the Lilywhites ahead of 2025/26.

If he can replicate such talents in North London, he would be another excellent addition to the squad, following in Maddison’s footsteps of being a fan favourite after moving from Leicester.

His £22m release clause would make him a bargain addition, such a move handing the Moroccan the platform to improve massively in the years ahead, given his tender age.

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This is the automatic next step after the ECB sanctioned him for his action two days ago. The BCB also said Shakib will soon appear for reassessment to have his action cleared

Mohammad Isam15-Dec-2024

Shakib Al Hasan needs to pass reassessment of his bowling action to be cleared once again•BCCI

Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in all competitions run by ICC-approved national federations, both domestic and international, the BCB said in a statement on Sunday. Shakib had been suspended from bowling by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for an illegal action, and this, the BCB said, was the automatic next step. The board also said Shakib will soon appear for reassessment at an accredited testing centre in an effort to have his action cleared and his suspension lifted.Shakib failed an independent assessment of his action at Loughborough University, an ICC-accredited testing centre in the UK, earlier this month, after being reported for a suspect action during an English county cricket match in September. This prompted the ECB’s action, and, in accordance with clause 11.3 of the ICC’s regulations for illegal bowling actions, when a national federation suspends a player from bowling in its domestic competitions, the suspension is automatically recognised and enforced by the ICC in international cricket and by all national cricket federations in their respective domestic competitions. This applies immediately, upon receipt of the official notice, without the need for further formalities.”The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been informed that national team allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in competitions under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). As a result, Shakib is also suspended from bowling in domestic cricket competitions outside Bangladesh and in international cricket,” the BCB statement said.Related

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“Should the results of this [reassessment] analysis clear his action, Shakib will be permitted to bowl in international cricket and in domestic cricket competitions under the jurisdiction of all national cricket federations.”For now Shakib can play as a batter in all forms of domestic and international cricket.This caps an extraordinary year for the feted Bangladesh allrounder, whose international career is already in a state of limbo stemming from his role as a Member of Parliament in the now-overturned Awami League government after protests in which several hundred civilians – mostly university students – were killed in July and August. He is effectively retired from Tests and T20Is; his wish of a farewell Test at home in Dhaka was thwarted by protesting students.Shakib is still an active player in ODIs but he wasn’t picked for the Afghanistan and West Indies series in the past four weeks. He is currently playing in the Lanka T10 competition. Shakib did not bowl in the last two matches for Galle Marvels, including the one played on Sunday evening.

اختارت جماهير فريق ليفربول أفضل لاعب في مباراة اليوم ضد خصمه إيفرتون، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

واستضاف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون، في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي لذلك الموسم، في ديربي ميرسيسايد.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق فوز على إيفرتون، بهدفين مقابل هدف، بفضل ريان جرافنبيرخ الذي سجل الأول بعد تمريرة رائعة من محمد صلاح، ثم أضاف هوجو إيكتيكي الثاني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. شبكة إنجليزية: محمد صلاح عانى من شيء معتاد في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون

وفتح ليفربول باب التصويت أمام جماهيره، من أجل اختيار أفضل لاعب في مباراة اليوم ضد إيفرتون، حيث حصل ريان جرافنبيرخ على أعلى نسبة تصويت من جانب المشجعين.

وتُعد تلك هي المرة الثالثة على التوالي التي يحصل فيها جرافنبيرخ على لقب أفضل لاعب في مباراة ليفربول من جانب الجماهير، بعد لقائي بيرنلي وأتلتيكو مدريد، في الدوري الإنجليزي ودوري أبطال أوروبا.

Lancashire bowled out for 204 with no one making fifty, Surrey reply at 83 without loss

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024

Rocky Flintoff scored 32 on debut•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Rocky Flintoff made a creditable 32 on debut, as Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer at the age of 16 years and 137 days, but it was champions Surrey who ruthlessly took first-day honours at the Kia Oval.Put in, Lancashire were bowled out for 204 inside 59 overs, with no one making it to 50, and Surrey then replied with 83 for no wicket before bad light ended play 15.4 overs early. Skipper Rory Burns was 44 not out, including straight driving George Balderson’s medium pace for successive fours, and Dom Sibley unbeaten on 37.Jordan Clark (4 for 57) and Dan Worrall (3 for 31) continued their fine red-ball seasons by spearheading a five-pronged seam attack in which Conor McKerr also took two wickets and Sam Curran one in what was, for both, their first Vitality County Championship appearance of the summer.Matty Hurst, with 46 from 64 balls, played Lancashire’s best and most assertive innings, while Balderson’s 33 and Josh Bohannon’s 26 were other worthy efforts in seam-friendly overhead and pitch conditions.But most eyes were on Flintoff, who made 167 runs in seven Metro Bank One-Day Cup innings after becoming his county’s youngest player in any format last month, and who came in at 33 for 2 in the 11th over after both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings had fallen to the new ball.Wells went in the fourth over for 9, dragging an attempted off drive into his stumps against Clark, while Jennings looked aggrieved to be given out leg-before for 12, pushing forward to an inswinger from Worrall.Off the mark first ball, clipping Worrall confidently for two off his pads, young Flintoff was soon living up to his reputation as one of the best players of his age to emerge in recent decades – on a day when most 16-year-olds around the country were more concerned about getting their GCSE results.Uncannily like his father Andrew in build and mannerisms – the former England captain and television celebrity was watching proudly from a hospitality box – the young Flintoff saw off Worrall’s fine opening spell of 7-3-9-1 and helped Bohannon to add 40 for Lancashire’s third wicket in tough, overcast conditions.He did have some moments of good fortune, being dropped at third slip on 13 when he edged Tom Lawes and later also flailing a returning Worrall just over the cordon for four as lunch approached, but otherwise he looked comfortable at the crease and mature beyond his years as Lancashire reached lunch on 98 for 3.Bohannon had gone by then, chopping on to McKerr for 26, and unfortunately for Flintoff he sliced a drive at the first ball after lunch, and his 64th – from Clark – and saw Sai Sudharsan dive forward at backward point to scoop up a brilliant catch.Jordan Clark celebrates a wicket•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Hurst played some superb shots but was dropped by Clark from a skier on 45 before McKerr dived to his right to hold a magnificent low catch at leg slip in Curran’s next over and from 155 for 4 the Lancashire first innings fizzled out as Worrall, McKerr and Clark combined to overpower the tail.Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, on his Championship debut, played one memorable cover drive before optimistically jumping down the pitch to swing at Worrall and edge behind while Balderson, playing defensively, nicked the same bowler to first slip.McKerr’s pace and lift did for Tom Hartley, caught at the wicket for 5, and only some defiance from Tom Aspinwall – who hooked McKerr for six and extra cover drove him for four in a bright 23 not out – took Lancashire past 200 before they lost both Josh Boyden, who lifted a simple catch to mid off on 5, and Will Williams, caught behind, from successive deliveries from Clark.

With the summer transfer window in full flow, Aston Villa have made just one signing so far – Yasin Ozcan.

The Turkish youngster might not be the most exciting of signings, but aged 19, he is certainly one for the future.

With Unai Emery keen on ending the club’s near 30-year wait for a major trophy next season, bringing in several high-profile players is a priority.

Players such as John McGinn and Morgan Rogers helped the club secure a place in the Europa League next season. Could Emery potentially sign someone who is a hybrid of the two this summer?

Aston Villa transfer news

Villa have been linked with their fair share of attacking players this summer. Indeed, the likes of Jack Grealish, Nicolas Jackson and even Malick Fofana have been targeted by Emery.

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

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Much will depend on the funds Villa have to spend, especially as they seek to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations throughout the summer.

According to reports in Brazil, however, the club have made contact regarding a move for Porto winger Pepe, with it said they have opened talks for the 28-year-old.

The Portuguese giants are willing to sell him this summer in order to sign other targets, and a price tag of €25m (£21m) has been set. A more than affordable figure by Emery’s standards.

Both McGinn and Rogers enjoyed plenty of success last season and by signing Pepe in the coming weeks, Villa could be landing a player who is similar to both.

Why Aston Villa must sign Pepe

Last season, McGinn registered ten goal contributions for Villa, while Rogers recorded 29 goal involvements in all competitions for the club.

This highlights how vital the pair were. Both players excel at dribbling and playing through balls during matches, supporting Ollie Watkins incredibly well.

With McGinn staring on the left at times, with Rogers operating in a more central role, will Emery manage to sign a player like them for the right flank ahead of next season?

Pepe certainly fits the mould. According to FBref, Rogers is the ninth-most comparable player to the Porto winger, while McGinn is the seventh-most comparable when taking into account their statistics from the Champions League last term.

In this competition, he ranked in the top 16% for assists per 90 (0.31), while also ranking in the top 14% for tackles (1.86) per 90.

Pepe’s statistics for Porto (league only)

Goals

3

Assists

2

Big chances created

5

Key passes per game

1

Successful dribbles per game

0.6

Shots per game

1

Via Sofascore

In comparison, McGinn recorded 0.25 assists and made 1.23 tackles per 90, while Rogers registered 0.18 assists and 0.79 tackles per 90 in the Champions League.

It is more the manner in which all three tend to have similar playing styles which could make a move for the winger an important one.

South American football expert Tim Vickery hailed the wideman a couple of years ago, saying: “I certainly remember him as a winger with Gremio, little mosquito kind of winger, who can do either flank.”

For the sort of fee Porto are demanding, bringing Pepe to the Midlands might be an interesting piece of business indeed.

An eye for goal while being able to create chances indicates that he could shine alongside players such as McGinn and Rogers next season.

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The transfer window is just around the corner, and it feels set to be an era-defining one for Arsenal.

While a third second-placed finish on the bounce is far from ideal, Mikel Arteta’s side have proven without a shadow of a doubt now that they are one of the very best teams in the country, but they’ve also shown that they lack a cutting-edge up top.

Therefore, it’s hardly been surprising to see the club linked with a host of talented strikers in recent weeks and months, with two of the most significant being Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

However, while either would surely improve the Gunners, recent reports have linked them to someone who’d be a better signing than both.

Arsenal's Sesko & Gyokeres alternative

Before getting to the superstar in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other centre-forwards who have been touted for moves to Arsenal in recent weeks, like Julian Alvarez and Joao Pedro.

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The former has been linked with the North Londoners quite heavily over the last week or so, and while it would be hard to pry him away from Atlético Madrid a year after he joined them, it would be worth trying as in just 54 games this season, he has scored 29 goals and provided seven assists.

On the other hand, Pedro could be available for close to £100m, which, for all his undeniable talent, does feel a little steep, as he’s only played 30 games this season, in which he’s scored ten goals and provided seven assists.

In other words, the Brazilian marksman doesn’t feel like he’d be a better signing than Sesko or Gyokeres, unlike Alexander Isak.

Yes, according to a recent report from the Mail Online, the Newcastle United striker remains in the picture ahead of the summer.

While the report claims that a transfer feels unlikely due to his price tag now being ‘north of £100m,’ it also reveals, crucially, that the Swedish international is ‘Arteta’s preferred choice.’

It would be a complicated and costly deal to get over the line, but given Isak’s unreal ability, it’s one well worth going all out for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Sesko or Gyokeres.

Why Isak would be a better signing than Sesko & Gyokeres

So, let’s start off with the most straightforward and significant reason why Isak would be a far better signing than Sesko: his output.

For example, in just 42 appearances for the Toon this season, totalling 3324 minutes, the 25-year-old “bagsman,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 27 goals and provided six assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.27 games, or every 100.72 minutes, which is undeniably superb.

Isak vs Sesko
Player	Isak	Sesko
Appearances	42	45
Minutes	3324′	3258′
Goals	27	21
Assists	6	6
Goal Involvements per Match	0.78	0.6
Minutes per Goal Involvement	100.72′	120.66′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the Leipzig star has found the back of the net 21 times and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes this season, which comes out to a good but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes.

Now, that might be a little crude, but when it comes down to a striker, the most important metric is their raw output, and when it comes down to it, that’s something the former Real Sociedad star has over the Slovenian.

However, things get a little more complicated when it comes to Gyokeres because, by that same logic, his absurd haul of 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances suggests he’d be the better poacher to bring to the club this summer.

Yet, that’s not the case, and the crucial reason why is that the former Coventry City gem has no experience of football in a top five league.

There is a genuine risk that the Stockholm-born star could be a repeat of Darwin Núñez, who moved to Liverpool off the back of producing 38 goal involvements in 41 games for Benfica in the 21/22 campaign and just finished this season with a haul of 14 goal involvements in 47 games.

Ultimately, if Arsenal can, they should be doing all they can to sign Isak this summer, as he’s already a far better goalscorer than Sesko and has far more experience playing and thriving in the toughest competitions than Gyokeres.

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