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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has told BBC Radio 5 Live that Jordan Henderson is “world-class”.

What did he say?

The 31-year-old former England international retired earlier this year and has since made the foray into the world of punditry.

On Monday, he was speaking about the Liverpool captain, and he said: “You’d argue Henderson’s world-class, because of what he’s done and consistency.

“He’s won a European Cup, he’s been consistent over the last three or four years. Yes, it really is [hard to write off a Champions League-winning captain]. You know what, I’m going to go with that statement, I’m going to say Henderson is world-class and a lot of the work that he does goes unnoticed because he’s not getting ten assists a season or scoring ten goals a season.

“I was referring to on the field but off the field as well. I’ve played with Henderson and he’s just an honest guy who would run through brick walls for you, he’s willing to improve, he wants the team to be at its best.

“When Liverpool first signed him a lot of people were raising their eyebrows but now I think we have to start giving him the credit that he’s due.”

World-class captain

To say that the 29-year-old is a world-class player is a huge statement. When you think of the best midfielders in the world, the first names that come to mind are the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Toni Kroos and Sergio Busquets. Is Henderson in their category, or even close to it? Based on his skill-set and technical ability, you would have to argue he isn’t.

However, as a captain and all-round component of a trophy-chasing squad, it’s hard to disagree.

Following Steven Gerrard’s departure in 2015, the former Sunderland midfielder has taken the armband and has made it his own. Since he stepped into the role, the Reds have finished in the Champions League spots in three out of four seasons, and have reached the final of that European competition on two occasions. Last year, Henderson lifted the trophy to join the select group of Liverpool captains to do so.

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This year, they lead the way in the Premier League and already have an eight-point lead over second-placed Leicester City and third-placed Chelsea. Manchester City are a further point back in fourth. After 30 years of hurt, the Anfield outfit could finally end their league drought, and Henderson will be the man on the podium to hold the cup aloft if they do prevail.

Parts of the fanbase have criticised the midfielder for his ability, but his leadership is his biggest strength. Centre-back Virgil van Dijk, himself a skipper with the Netherlands’ national team, has previously stated that he believes Henderson is a “great captain”, whilst talkSPORT journalist Adrian Durham said that he thinks the 55-time England international is a better captain and leader than Steven Gerrard.

Again, a big statement, but unlike a lot of quotes from that particular radio station, they certainly make for an interesting debate.

Is he a world-class player? No. But a world-class captain? Undoubtedly. In that respect, at least, it is about time Henderson receives the credit he deserves.

Let’s cast your mind back to January 2024. Arsenal were in a rut and it was a run of form that likely ultimately cost them the league title.

The goals were not flowing with a run around the New Year period where they scored just once across three games meaning a new striker was a priority.

Ivan Toney was one option but he came and went, before penning terms in Saudi Arabia over the summer. By that point, however, a new centre-forward was not at the top of the bucket list anymore.

RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko may have been a target but he signed a new contract in Germany and is perhaps one for the future.

For now, however, the Gunners are more than happy with a certain Kai Havertz who has been nothing short of remarkable since being employed as the club’s no.9.

Kai Havertz's season in numbers so far

This time last year Havertz was handed a charity penalty by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard away at Bournemouth.

It was late September and the controversial £65m signing from Chelsea had been anything but a success, failing to score up to that point.

He opened his account on that sunny afternoon at the Vitality Stadium and since then hasn’t looked back. The German scored a late winner against Brentford and after that moment, he’s become a cult hero at the Emirates Stadium.

Havertz has started the current campaign like a house on fire, scoring six goals in ten games. He’s also emulating a fellow left-footer in Robin van Persie, having now scored in seven successive home matches. Not bad indeed.

As a striker in Arsenal colours, he is up there with the very best in the world, having registered 20 goal involvements in 20 games (12 goals and 8 assists), averaging one every 83 minutes.

The turnaround from a year ago is quite incredible. The former Leverkusen star is now one of the first names on the team sheet. Football is a funny old game sometimes, isn’t it?

Speaking of remarkable rises, Mika Biereth has had quite the last year in front of goal. He’s also now outscoring Havertz…

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

How Biereth is performing after leaving Arsenal

When Biereth signed for Arsenal as a teenager from Fulham in July 2021 there were great hopes for a young centre-forward who was a pretty relentless goalscorer at youth level.

It never quite happened for him, although he’s finally getting his flowers in the senior game now.

The 21-year-old starred out on loan last season, scoring 15 goals in 37 matches for Motherwell in Scotland then Sturm Graz in Austria.

He helped them to win the league title and was scoring goals in the Europa Conference League. It was a breakout year but it wasn’t enough to earn him a place back in the Arsenal first-team.

Games

15

22

Goals

6

9

Assists

5

4

Minutes played

1,046

1,624

Like Flo Balogun a year before, Edu and Co decided to sell while he was in form. Sturm Graz came calling again and agreed upon a £4m transfer fee. It’s peanuts for a club like Arsenal but represents fine business for an academy product regardless.

So, how’s he performed since? Well, the London-born striker who qualifies for Denmark, has scored seven goals in nine league matches, one more than the red-hot Havertz. In all competitions, he’s got eight across 13 outings.

That tally was greatly helped by a hat-trick over the weekend as Biereth knocked three goals past RB Salzburg in an incredible 5-0 rout.

There is unlikely to be too much regret on Arsenal’s end but they have lost a unique player here, someone who was described as a ‘Haaland-Kane hybrid’ last season after an interview with British newspaper, the Independent.

Speaking to the publication, the striker self-confessed that he had similar elements to his game.

He clearly rates himself, which is obviously good, and it’s that attitude which has taken Biereth to a new level out in Austria over the last ten months or so.

It would not be a surprise to see the young Dane end up in one of Europe’s top five leagues over the coming years. He is a man on fire.

Arsenal have an amazing Hale End gem who could be even better than Nwaneri

Ethan Nwaneri has been a breakout star of the 2024/25 campaign to date.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 30, 2024

Glasgow Rangers will need to turn things around swiftly in the Premiership if they hope to undergo a title challenge this season.

After five league matches, Rangers trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by five points already, winning just three of their games.

The Belgian didn’t exactly enjoy the greatest of transfer windows, despite signing a host of new players for the Ibrox side. Several key targets ended up moving elsewhere, while those who were surplus to requirements at the club ended up leaving for less than their market value, or too late in the window to adequately replace them.

He isn’t the first Rangers manager to have missed out on key targets during his spell in charge of the club, as many of his predecessors were linked with more prominent names than the likes of Albion Rrahmani, that’s for sure.

The late Walter Smith had the chance to sign several high-quality stars during his two spells in charge of the club, especially when money appeared to be no object during the 1990s.

Sometimes he was able to get his man, with Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne being prime examples. Other times, however, he was forced to settle for second best, which certainly impacted the performances of the team on the field.

After winning a ninth league title in a row during the 1996/97 campaign, Smith had the perfect opportunity to go for ten in a row and surpass the record Celtic had set in the 1960s and 1970s.

He had to get things spot on in the transfer window, however…

Walter Smith’s signings after winning nine in a row

The Light Blues were still able to call upon players such as Laudrup and Gascoigne heading into the 1997/98 season. With history beckoning, this was a chance the club might not achieve again.

That summer, the manager signed Lorenzo Amoruso, Sergio Porrini, Gennaro Gattuso and Jonas Thern, among others. These four signings had a wealth of experience in Serie A, with Porrini even winning the Champions League with Juventus just a year earlier, showing that Smith meant business.

Player

Club signed from

Marco Negri

Perugia

Sergio Porrini

Juventus

Gennaro Gattuso

Perugia

Jonas Thern

AS Roma

Lorenzo Amoruso

Fiorentina

Stale Stensaas

Rosenborg

Jonatan Johansson

FC Flora

Antti Niemi

Copenhagen

Luigi Riccio

Perugia

Lee Baxter

Vissel Kobe

It was another player that joined the squad from the Italian top flight who was somewhat of an unknown quantity, but would demonstrate his talents for the Gers, especially during the first six months of the season – Marco Negri.

Marco Negri’s statistics at Rangers

With the elusive tenth league crown in a row waiting if Rangers won the league, getting off to a good start was imperative.

Negri hit the ground running superbly well at Ibrox. In his first ten league matches, the striker netted an impressive 23 goals as it looked like the club certainly had the perfect heir to an ageing Ally McCoist, who would leave the following summer.

The £3.5m signing from Perugia looked the part, with Smith’s side taking an early lead in the Championship title race thanks to Negri’s goals and some confident performances.

Everything looked rosy until the Italian suffered an eye injury while playing squash in January, limiting his opportunities during the second half of the season as Celtic eventually finished as champions.

There is no doubt the Light Blues would likely have won the title had Negri not suffered the injury. But might Smith have signed a better centre-forward in 1997 rather than the Italian? As Brazilian icon Ronaldo was surprisingly linked with the club.

Rangers' wanted a "phenomenon" in 1997

Having signed various players from the Italian top flight in the summer of 1997, one name stood out above the rest – Ronaldo.

A few years ago, a documentary was released surrounding Ronaldo’s exit from Barcelona in the summer of 1997 and his former agent was on hand to claim that the Light Blues showed a surprising interest in bringing the striker to Ibrox, having even made an offer at the time.

“We had nothing against the renewal of Ronaldo with Barca, but we wanted to avoid image contracts and complicated situations,” said Giovanni Branchini, Ronaldo’s agent.

“While the negotiations remained stalled, we observed the interest shown by Lazio, Inter and Glasgow Rangers.

“The offer from Glasgow Rangers was incredible. They told us he didn’t have to play on a Saturday in the Scottish League.”

Rangers would have been significantly bolstered with the addition of Ronaldo to the side, and they could certainly have progressed far in the Champions League.

Ronaldo moved to Inter Milan instead, establishing himself as one of the finest strikers to have ever played the game.

Ronaldo’s career statistics

Former Chelsea star Gus Poyet hailed the Brazilian as a “phenomenon” as the striker showed his talents in Milan, despite suffering a series of knee injuries which hampered his progress.

After winning the World Cup in 1994 as a 17-year-old, Ronaldo scored eight goals during the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea, redemption for 1998, where he was uncharacteristically quiet in the final against France.

A spell at Real Madrid yielded over 100 goals, before he wound down his career with spells at AC Milan and Corinthians in his homeland.

In what was a remarkable career, Ronaldo scored a total of 298 club career goals in 454 matches. Another 62 goals in 99 appearances for Brazil, which would have been more if not for injuries, and it is evident he is one of the best number nines of all time.

Imagine his presence at Ibrox during the 1997/98 campaign? He would have been the finest signing ever for a Scottish side. Considering how in demand he was due to a stunning spell at Barcelona, perhaps Smith never really stood a chance of bringing him to Ibrox.

To watch Ronaldo in his prime was a joy to behold. The sheer pace, especially before his knee injuries, was absolutely devastating, while his ability to finish from anywhere in the opposition penalty box made him one of the most revered forwards of his generation and perhaps of all time.

Negri was excellent for a brief period, but Rangers may have had the chance to bring a legend of the game to Glasgow.

Rangers missed out on £34m star in the making, they signed Bacuna instead

Steven Gerrard was not backed by the board after winning the Premiership title in 2021

1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 18, 2024

Nottingham Forest, amid their first victory over Liverpool at Anfield since 1969, were reportedly dealt a frustrating blow in the form of one lengthy injury blow for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nottingham Forest injury news

The Reds have got off to an excellent start after four games, remaining unbeaten with two wins and two draws including that aforementioned Anfield result. Espirito Santo now has his place in Premier League history as the first manager to defeat Arne Slot’s Liverpool side in a game which could prove to be the blueprint for victory over the Reds.

The aim will now be to continue their current form to complete their move into the Premier League’s mid-table and away from their relegation troubles once and for all.

It’s still early days, however, and those at the City Ground will be well aware of all the twists and turns to come in a long campaign, especially without one of their key men for a sustained period of time.

Nottingham Forest now eyeing move to sign "mature" Championship starlet

He’s attracting plenty of interest….

ByTom Cunningham Sep 14, 2024

According to Football Insider, in between Espirito Santo’s celebrated victory, Ibrahim Sangare has been ruled out for the next three months after tearing his hamstring and undergoing surgery as a result.

Having started all three of Forest’s opening three games, Espirito Santo must now find a solution within a reinforced squad up until December. It will have to be a long-term solution too, given that Sangare will miss the next 11 games.

Among the games that he will miss includes Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal at The Emirates and Manchester City at The Etihad in a difficult run of games for the Midlands side. If their current form is anything to go by, however, then those at the City Ground could yet cause further shock results.

Games that "great" Sangare will miss

After a mixed campaign last time out, Sangare emerged to become a key man at the start of this season, starting all three of the opening three games of the campaign, helping his side to remain unbeaten before they then went and defeated Liverpool at Anfield. Now, however, they’ll have no choice but to push on without him.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Nottingham Forest

22/09/2024

Premier League

Nottingham Forest vs Fulham

28/09/2024

Premier League

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest

06/10/2024

Premier League

Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace

21/10/2024

Premier League

Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest

25/10/2024

Premier League

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United

02/11/2024

Premier League

Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United

10/11/2024

Premier League

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

23/11/2024

Premier League

Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town

30/11/2024

Premier League

Man City vs Nottingham Forest

04/12/2024

Premier League

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest

07/12/2024

Premier League

It’s an emergence that former PSV and Ajax manager Aad De Moss saw coming, saying via Voetbal 4U: “Ibrahim Sangaré is better on one leg than Leicester’s midfield.

“He is extraordinary; this season, he has been the king of PSV. You only miss Sangeré when he’s not playing. He can easily play at Tottenham and certainly at Arsenal. Sangaré is a great player. I think €35m is a good price. [It’s] a bargain. I think he is a good player who would be first on the board at all those teams.”

Tottenham may lose more than just Harry Kane to Bayern Munich this summer, with reliable reporter Alasdair Gold revealing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is also a target for the Bundesliga champions.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Ange Postecoglou has got straight to work reshaping the squad left behind by Antonio Conte and Ryan Mason this summer. Having secured the permanent captures of loan stars Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski, Spurs have since signed James Maddison from Leicester City in a deal worth roughly £40m as well as new shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario for a fee in the region £17m, while there have been plenty of outgoings too (Transfermarkt).

Harry Winks has left to aid Leicester’s promotion efforts while Lucas Moura is departing as a free agent, and it remains to be seen if Clement Lenglet will return permanently after his loan deal last season.

Perhaps the biggest saga of all however is that surrounding Harry Kane’s future, with the club legend and talisman once again the centre of tiresome and seemingly never-ending exit links.

In previous summers it was Manchester City and Manchester United strongly linked with landing the record goalscorer and skipper, and this time around it’s Bayern Munich, with reports even going so far as to say Kane wants to play for the German champions.

However, he may not be the only Spurs star making his way to Bavaria based on recent reports…

Is Hojbjerg leaving Spurs?

According to the reliable Gold, writing an update on Postecoglou’s midfield options for football.london, Hojbjerg could also go to Bayern.

That is because the 27 year-old is “open to a move to play for a club in the Champions League” and is drawing interest from both Munich and also Atletico Madrid in Spain.

Gold writes that the £102k-per-week Denmark international “does not fit as well into the Postecoglou system” and that “this feels like a time when a parting of the ways might suit all parties”.

Indeed, the tough-tackling former Southampton enforcer has just two years remaining on his contract in north London, so the club are running out of time to cash in if they want to receive a decent fee for his services, assuming they do not plan to offer him an extension on his current deal.

It almost feels like a shame too, as despite the shortcomings of the team in general last season, Hojbjerg was certainly one of the more consistent performers, ranking highly for a number of midfield metrics and dubbed "invaluable" to the side by members of the media.

Indeed, compared with other players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, the Spurs number five ranked in the 92nd percentile for pass completion, the 80th percentile for interceptions and even in the 70th percentile for non-penalty goals, providing impact on both sides of the ball.

The capture of Maddison will of course do plenty to offset any loss of end product that would result from selling one of the current midfielders, but there aren’t many in the squad who can provide the same sort of cover in front of the defence, as the Dane led the current midfield ranks in both clearances and interceptions across the 2022/23 campaign.

It seems a move to Bayern will be difficult for the player to turn down on a personal note, but it would feel like a risk to allow Hojbjerg to leave this summer.

Brendan Rodgers will soon make the second signing of his return to Celtic as Melbourne City's Marco Tilio prepares for a move to Glasgow, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Having captured their first signing of the summer window, bringing in 20-year-old Odin Thiago Holm from Valerenga, Celtic are working towards a second deal under Rodgers.

Australian forward Tilio is expected to arrive at Parkhead soon enough, and is perhaps a signing influenced by previous manager Ange Postecoglou's knowledge of the A-League.

Having won the domestic treble last season under now Tottenham boss Postecoglou, expectations are high for Rodgers' return to the Scottish Premiership, and the Bhoys will be expected to repeat the levels of success they enjoyed during the 2022/23 campaign.

According to Dean Jones, Tilio could be one of the men to help them do that, arriving in Scotland with an already impressive record.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "His Melbourne City team at the moment have got an understanding that they're not going to be able to hold on to him that much longer. So I think this would be a good route to go down for him, he's got a wand of a left foot and I think it'd be really exciting for the Celtic fans."

Positive news for Celtic fans, Tilio is not the only man that has been linked with Parkhead. A trio of K-League names have been mooted with Gangwon's Yang Hyun-jun and Gwanju's Eom Ji-sung and Jeong Ho-yeon on the club's radar.

Celtic have been very successful in utilising the Asian transfer market, with Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Hyeon-gyu Oh all arriving in recent windows. The first on that impressive list even managed to pick up the Player of the Year award in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Who is Marco Tilio?

A 21-year-old attacker born in Sydney, Tilio is already a three-time Australian champion, winning two with Melbourne City and one with his hometown Sydney FC.

A left-footed winger who is comfortable on both flanks, albeit favouring the right, Tilio has scored 15 goals and registered 18 assists in 70 A-League appearances.

The youngster also went to the 2022 World Cup with Australia, replacing the injured Martin Boyle at the tournament, but was an unused substitute in all four of the Socceroos' matches. He has, however, still featured seven times for his nation, three of which were in qualification for the Qatar World Cup.

A-League expert Sacha Pisani described Tilio as a "really exciting player" who made a significant impact at Melbourne City last season, taking his game to a new level.

Manchester United are set to bolster their academy ranks soon, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that teenage defender Harry Amass is set to seal a switch to Old Trafford.

Who is Harry Amass?

The youngster currently plays for Watford in the Championship, although he is yet to make his first-team debut with the club. At just 16-years-old, that will come as no surprise, but he has featured for their youth team. It's here where the England man has clearly caught the eye with his talent, with the player featuring for the Hornets during their spell in the FA Youth Cup.

However, it appears as though he may now leave his current club without ever having featured in their first-team. That's because according to a report from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the left-back is heading to Man United.

The Premier League side have moved quickly to try and bring in Amass and now look set to add him on a four-year deal.

Speaking about the transfer, Romano said: "Manchester United are now set to sign English talented fullback Harry Amass, deal done. It will be signed, completed this week. Amass joins from Watford — told he’ll sign four year contract."

Is Amass a good signing for United?

Amass will likely not come into the immediate fold at Old Trafford and instead feature in their reserve side, with the club having a knack for bringing through young talent.

They did so with Marcus Rashford, who was their top goalscorer last season, and have also got an eye for bringing in talent and nurturing it from elsewhere too. Anthony Elanga was born in Sweden and began his youth career there, before being poached by the Red Devils and steadily brought through into their first-team fold. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo could follow a similar path too, with the former already featuring regularly and the latter hoping to do so this coming season.

Whilst United have yet to bring in a first-team player on a transfer this summer, they are clearly in the market for the right players then and are still focused on strengthening their academy and future talent too with the addition of someone like Amass.

This is a deal that won't pay off in the short-term for the club, but the correct playing time and coaching from the Old Trafford outfit could make this a signing we look back on as an absolute master-stroke from Red Devils chiefs.

West Bromwich Albion's preparations for the new season have been rocked by reports that key player Jayson Molumby could be on his way to Leeds United.

With strong suggestions that manager Carlos Corberan is also wanted by Leeds, the Baggies potentially face a double blow ahead of the Championship campaign getting underway.

What is the latest with West Brom's transfer business?

Speculation surrounding Corberan's future at The Hawthorns will not go away until Leeds name Sam Allardyce's successor, which could happen by the end of the week.

However, Albion may now have to brace themselves for a Leeds bid for Molumby, who played in 43 of their 46 league matches last season.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds are keen on the Republic of Ireland international and believe he is available at a good price.

Should Leeds step forward with a bid that matches Albion's valuation, the Baggies could bring in a ready-made replacement who may yet be an upgrade on Molumby.

Should West Brom sign Marvelous Nakamba?

Marvelous Nakamba played a starring role in Luton Town's promotion to the Premier League last season, with the Hatters barely conceding a goal from open play when the Zimbabwean was on the pitch.

The 29-year-old joined on loan from Aston Villa in January and made 20 appearances in total, but he is now back at his parent club and may again be loaned out to the second tier.

Sunday Mirror reporter Darren Witcoop suggests Albion are waiting to pounce for Nakamba should Luton not get to his signature first.

That would be a major coup for the Baggies on the basis of last season, with Nakamba ranking in the top 2% of his positional peers for tackles won (4.05) per 90 minutes over the past 12 months, as per FBref. To give that some perspective, Molumby has a figure of 1.83 tackles per 90 minutes.

While Molumby does have more of an attacking threat to his game, scoring four goals compared to zero for Nakamba, the latter – valued at £4m by Football Observatory – comes out on top for dribblers tackled (1.71 v 0.87), blocks (1.27 v 1.24) and interceptions (1.01 v 0.68).

When factoring in their all-round games, WhoScored gives Molumby a rating of 6.56 and Nakamba 6.93, with that based on their performances in the Championship alone.

As pointed out by football reporter Josh Bunting, "quality" Nakamba is a "tough tackler" who is "good at starting counter attacks", while also having the ability to carry the ball forward.

Should Corberan – or whoever else is in charge – get the opportunity to sign Nakamba on loan or otherwise, Molumby could be made to look a player of the past very soon indeed.

Everton were close to reaching an agreement to bring AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham back to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Tammy Abraham leaving AS Roma?

The Chelsea academy graduate’s contract at the Stadio Olimpico isn’t set to expire for another three years, but having established himself as Jose Mourinho’s second best-performing offensive player last season, has caught the eye of Sean Dyche, and not for the first time.

Back in March, iNews reported that the Toffees had an approach for the 25-year-old rejected, with Forzaroma.info later claiming that they were in pole position to secure his services should he depart, a situation that could well have been about to occur.

The Goodison Park outfit were believed to be ready to make a second attempt for the centre-forward after learning that the Serie A side could be forced to cash in on some of their prized assets due to Financial Fair Play regulations, but any kind of deal that was in the pipeline is now firmly off as a result of unforeseen circumstances.

Are Everton signing Abraham?

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via The Liverpool Echo on June 14 at 15:37pm), Everton were "close to signing" Abraham this summer. The Merseyside outfit were in "advanced negotiations" to recruit the striker with the specified transfer fee being £34.2m. However, after the England star sustained a serious ACL injury, he's facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and therefore will remain at AS Roma.

Everton will be aware that Abraham already has plenty of experience under his belt in England having not only played for Chelsea but also Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa which will be an attractive attribute to Dyche, and considering the prolific threat he could add in the final third, he would be a fantastic signing if ever he did join.

The ROOF client, who’s sponsored by Nike, posted 12 goal contributions (eight goals and four assists) in 38 Serie A appearances last season and had 28 shots on target from 62 which was the highest success rate throughout his squad, via FBRef. This kind of form having seen him previously dubbed a “goal machine” by ex-professional Stephen Elliot.

Finally, Abraham standing at 6 foot 2 would make him the ideal target man up top and he was averaging 2.1 aerial wins per league game during the previous term, so despite a deal not being up for grabs this window, this is a move that should definitely be revisited in January 2024.

Manchester United are in the market for a prolific striker this summer and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target who would be open to a move to Old Trafford this summer.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Rasmus Hojlund?

According to The Mirror, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is interested in joining Man United this summer after being identified as one of the players under consideration.

As per the report, it is claimed that the talented star is on a six-man shortlist with the signing of a striker the highest priority for the Red Devils and his Serie A club will command a €50m (£43m) transfer fee to part ways with their player.

Who would Hojlund replace at Man United?

Replacing Cristiano Ronaldo was never going to be an easy task for Erik ten Hag, however, the Dutch coach wouldn't have been able to predict just how poor Wout Weghorst would be during his six-month loan stint at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international failed to score a single Premier League goal over his 17 league appearances in a Man United strip – missing three big chances in front of goal and averaging 0.3 shots on target per game, which is a dreadful output for a centre forward especially at such a demanding club.

As a result, the signing of Hojlund would be warmly welcomed ahead of next season as the Danish striker would be an incredible threat in the final third and a huge upgrade on Weghorst.

When comparing the Atalanta talent to his Man United positional peer he has comfortably outperformed in a number of key attacking attributes including goal contributions (16 v 13), shots on target rate (54.7% v 43.9%), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.25 v 0.23), progressive carries (40 v 3) and shots on target per 90 (1.41 v 1.18), as per FBref.

Not only is Hojlund more explosive in front of goal, but the 20-year-old is also a decade younger than Weghorst and could provide Ten Hag with a young player who could develop into a massive asset for any future success at Man United in the next few years to come.

The four-cap Denmark international has been the recipient of high praise from his manager Gian Piero Gasperini who likened him to treble-winning Manchester City star Erling Haaland:

"Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also the technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too.

"He has very similar characteristics to Haaland. He is so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard. Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day."

With that being said, securing Hojlund's signature would be a major coup for Man United and if he could continue to thrive in English football there is no reason why he can't become a key component in the club's pursuit of more trophies and success in the future.