All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke had to endure a long summer of speculation throughout the transfer window, as interest swirled around his best players.

By the end of the summer transfer window, Glen Kamara, Charlie Cresswell, Liam Cooper, Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, and Archie Gray had all departed from Elland Road.

Kamara, Gray, Rutter, and Summerville all secured big moves to top-flight teams, joining Rennes, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, and West Ham United, and that dented Farke’s squad.

They had all been regulars for the German head coach in the 2023/24 campaign to help the side to finish third in the Championship table, before they went on to lose 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final.

Those sales did, however, provide the former Norwich City tactician with an opportunity to make his own additions to the squad during the summer transfer window, as he brought in the likes of Jayden Bogle, Isaac Schmidt, Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, and Joe Rothwell.

Central midfielder Ao Tanaka was also snapped up from Fortuna Dusseldorf on a permanent deal in an attempt to replace Kamara, and he has turned out to be an excellent addition to the group.

Ao Tanaka's form this season

The Japan international has been a revelation in the middle of the park for the Whites since injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev provided him with an opportunity to play regularly in the Championship.

Tanaka, despite not being the most imposing figure in midfield, is an incredibly well-rounded star who can contribute with great quality both in and out of possession to help Leeds to dominate matches week-in-week-out.

Firstly, his use of the ball is sublime. The 26-year-old metronome has completed a whopping 91% of his attempted passes in the second tier this term, which ranks him within the top 4% of his positional peers.

He also ranks within the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 (7.19) and this shows that the midfielder is forward-thinking and positive on the ball, rather than having a high pass success rate because he plays safe and sideways passes.

As you can see in the table above, Tanaka also offers plenty to the Leeds team off the ball with his ability to win duels and recover the ball, whilst rarely being dribbled past by opposition players.

At the time of writing (05/11/2024), Football Transfers has his Expected Transfer Value at just €4m (£3.3m), which may soar if his performances continue to impress throughout the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, there is a player Leeds recently let go of who is now worth even more than the Japanese maestro right now – Spaniard Marc Roca.

How much Leeds sold Marc Roca for

In the summer transfer window, the Spanish defensive midfielder completed a permanent transfer to Real Betis for a fee reported by Fabrizio Romano to be €4.5m (£3.7m).

That move came after the 27-year-old ace spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the LaLiga side, after Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.

In the summer of 2022, Jesse Marsch swooped to sign the midfielder from German giants Bayern Munich for a reported fee of £10m, in an attempt to reinforce his options in the middle of the park.

Roca started 29 of the club’s 38 games in the Premier League and, unfortunately, did not do enough to help the Whites avoid relegation down to the Championship.

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish flop was wasteful in his use of the ball and struggled with physical battles on the ground in midfield, as he failed to adapt to English football.

It was his first year in the country, though, and he had joined a team that went on to struggle badly and get relegated, which was not an easy environment for him to be in.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Roca, who was hailed as an “interesting” player by Bayern chief Hasan Salihamidzic, has been a solid performer since his move to Spain and it now appears as though Leeds fumbled his sale, as his value has soared.

Marc Roca's current market value

At the time of writing (05/11/2024), Football Transfers has the Real Betis star’s Expected Transfer Value at €14.6m (£12m) and that is significantly more than the £3.7m that the club sold him for earlier this year and Tanaka’s current market value.

This suggests that the Whites fumbled badly when they cashed in on the midfielder, who is in his prime years at the age of 27, for just £3.7m, as he is currently worth considerably more than that.

He is also now worth more than the £10m that Leeds paid for his services in the summer of 2022, which suggests that the West Yorkshire outfit did not get the best out of him.

After struggling in possession with the Whites, completing just 79% of his passes in the Premier League, Roca has emerged as a reliable option in midfield for Betis.

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish destroyer has completed a far higher percentage of his passes in LaLiga than he managed in the English top-flight.

Roca has also been a strong presence in the middle of the park, winning at least 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game on average since the start of last season.

Whilst Leeds may not have got the best out of him in England, as his game may just not have been suited to this country, they certainly appear to have fumbled his valuation as they cashed in on him for a tiny fee in comparison to his current market value.

Leeds once sold £1m "animal" who's now very similar to Alexander-Arnold

Leeds United messed up when they cashed in on the promising young defender.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 5, 2024

Liverpool are chomping at the bit. Domestic action resumes this weekend and Arne Slot’s side travel to bottom-placed Southampton with hopes of maintaining (or extending) their five-point lead at the summit of the Premier League.

Anfield’s halls are inscribed with the success of so many years, and Slot will be desperate to add his mark to the club’s storied history – he’s certainly in a good position to do so.

However, Liverpool resisted spending freely this summer, only bringing in the injury-prone Federico Chiesa, and there is now a sense that the winter market could be used to consolidate the promising position. A cynic might say that there is still something lacking in midfield.

Liverpool eyeing new midfielder

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have retained their interest in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, though Arsenal are also keen on signing the Spaniard.

The 25-year-old opted to remain in Basque Country despite Liverpool’s vested interest this summer, but there is seemingly hope that he will be tempted to reconsider in 2025.

Valued at £50m, this obviously wouldn’t be a cheap deal to engineer, but he truly could complete Slot’s engine room and ensure that silverware can be claimed across a range of competitions, for a number of years.

Martin Zubimendi could be Slot's own Xabi Alonso

Zubimendi has been described as one of “the best centre midfielders in the world” by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, who masterminded his nation’s Euro 2024 triumph this summer.

Sociedad, who are eighth in La Liga and 25th in the 36-team Europa League group phase, have been patchy this season, but that’s in no part down to Zubimendi, who has possibly been his side’s best player, forging complete performances from the middle of the park.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 9% of centre-midfielders in La Liga this season for progressive passes (7.28) per 90, which is more than Ryan Gravenberch (5.55), and Alexis Mac Allister (5.44)

This suggests that the Spain international would serve that deep-sitting, play-building role better than Liverpool’s existing options, allowing Gravenberch to break up and recycle play and Mac Allister to operate in a freer midfield position.

He’s also an accomplished defensive outlet, winning a whopping 65% of his duels in the Spanish top flight this season, averaging 5.6 per game, as per Sofascore.

If Liverpool were to sign Zubimendi, it could be a transfer reminiscent of the deal struck to sign Xabi Alonso way back when. Alonso joined Liverpool from Sociedad in 2004 and went on to win the Champions League and FA Cup alongside Steven Gerrard, forging a historic partnership before signing for Real Madrid for £30m in 2009.

Alonso, now manager of Bayer Leverkusen, played 210 matches for the Reds and dazzled with his breadth of passing qualities, vision and cerebral approach to his craft working wonders for Rafa Benitez’s side.

Spanish football writer Alexandra Jonson remarked that there is “no doubt that Zubimendi is world-class” last season, and given that he’s sustained and perhaps even developed his level since, it seems he would be a credit to Liverpool’s first team.

Who knows, his roundedness and intelligence in midfield might even see him become Slot’s own version of Alonso, arriving to lift the team toward the most illustrious of heights.

100% duels won: Liverpool star dropped a monster 8/10 for his country

Ben Doak and Andy Robertson starred for Scotland, but this Liverpool talent took the cake.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 19, 2024

The 19-year-old Frenchman became the latest big-money young arrival at Stamford Bridge in January despite his limited first-team experience

Barely a transfer window goes by now without Chelsea splashing out on a relatively-unknown young player as they continue their relentless drive to recruit the planet's best emerging talent. The latest to join their ranks during the winter window was 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou.

The Frenchman has barely half a season of senior first-team football under his belt, but that was not enough to deter the free-spending Blues as they forked out €15 million (£12m/$16m) to pry him away from Saint-Etienne on deadline day in early February.

It was another signing that raised eyebrows among increasingly-perplexed Chelsea fans and rival supporters alike, but this might just turn out to be a very shrewd piece of business.

• Getty
  

  Where it all began

  Now 19 years old, Amougou was born alongside a twin brother to Cameroonian parents in January 2006 in the north-eastern Parisian suburb of Le Blanc-Mesnil – a stone's throw from the Bondy neighbourhood that French international stars Kylian Mbappe and William Saliba call home.

  Amougou has always been surrounded by football in a part of the world that has become a conveyor belt for talent; he was first exposed to the beautiful game at his older brother's training sessions and played with his siblings on the touchline at his father's Sunday League matches.

  After his family moved further east out of the city, he joined his first club, Entente Brie Est, aged six and then Torcy closer to Paris in 2014. There he would play well above his age grade and was enrolled in France's prestigious national football academy, Clairefontaine, where he was named captain of his age group.

  Having been scouted by Saint-Etienne and after training with their academy, Amougou officially joined Les Verts in 2021 aged 15. By the age of 16, he already had an outfitting contract with German sportswear giant adidas.

Advertisement

• The big break

  It did not take Amougou long to make an impression in his new surroundings, with the then-16-year-old earning a swift promotion to Saint-Etienne's second team, who play in France's fifth tier, in 2022. He would make his international bow the same year, turning out for France's U16s before being quickly moved up to the U17 group.

  Although he was yet to make his first-team debut for Les Verts, the teenager was handed his first professional contract in April 2023 at the age of 17 – a demonstration of the club's belief in the young midfielder's ability.

  It was the 2023-24 campaign that proved to be something of a breakthrough; Amougou starred for France at the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, scoring a sublime early goal against South Korea in the group stage and a vital 85th-minute equaliser in the final before Les Bleuets were defeated by Germany on penalties. He was subsequently awarded the Bronze Ball having been voted the third-best player at the tournament.

  A week later, he was given his senior Saint-Etienne debut in a Coupe de France loss to Nimes in December 2023. Amougou's Ligue 2 bow then followed a few days shy of his 18th birthday in January 2024 as he came off the bench against Laval, although that would be his only appearance on that stage all season as he continued with the B team while Les Stephanois secured promotion back to Ligue 1.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  How it's going

  To say it's been a whirlwind seven months for the teenager since the beginning of the new season would be a huge understatement. After helping France to the final of the U19 Euros in the summer, Amougou was permanently integrated into the first-team setup at Saint-Etienne by former manager Olivier Dall'Oglio.

  Surprisingly, the 18-year-old was a starter right from the off as the 2024-25 campaign got underway, making a very assured Ligue 1 debut against Monaco on the opening day. "Mathis does not surprise me," Dall'Oglio said in August. "Since he returned [from international duty], he brings an extra touch, his technique and his vision of the game.

  "This summer, I felt he was a player who was freed from many constraints to play with us. He has more maturity in his game. In the friendly matches, he showed a lot of qualities. He has moved up a notch."

  Although he would lose his starting place in October amid Les Verts' overall struggles, and despite his lack of senior experience, it seems Amougou had already done enough to pique Chelsea's interest – a club that cannot resist spending big on high-potential youngsters at the moment.

  As the January transfer window ticked down, the Blues sprung on deadline day to sign the inexperienced Amougou for a cool €15m (£12m/$16m), on a lengthy eight-year contract, having been left short of midfield options with injury-plagued Romeo Lavia sidelined again and Carney Chukwuemeka leaving for Borussia Dortmund on loan.

  Predictably, the Frenchman has had to be patient as he gets to grips with the rigours of the English game, but head coach Enzo Maresca did hand him a seven-minute debut cameo off the bench in the demolition of Southampton at Stamford Bridge at the end of February. Although the 19-year-old understandably looked a little shaky, he completed all seven of the passes he attempted in his brief time on the pitch.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Biggest strengths

  Amougou has an all-action approach and shows serious promise as a shuttling box-to-box midfielder who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, passing forward and crashing into tackles.

  Saint-Etienne sporting director Loic Perrin previously described him as "a complete player, intelligent in the game, clean in his way of playing", while his former manager Dall'Oglio said of him: "Compared to his age, he is a boy who is mature, he is calm, he takes a step back and he is capable of thinking well on the pitch. He quickly understands tactically on the pitch."

  The step up to the Premier League is of course a significant one, but France youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi believes Amougou has the attributes to make it to the top. He told : "He is a good team-mate. He is really a good boy, good in every way. Mathis has very good ability to project himself, whether with or without the ball.

  "He is capable of breaking lines in possession. Mathis is a player who likes to take spaces without the ball, he is always demanding. He has variety. Mathis is a boy who covers a lot of ground. He has good quality of passing, a good reading of the game and his projection in front of the goal also allows him to score."

  Vannuchi added: "Mathis is someone who does not hide, he always offers solutions to the ball carrier. He often manages to get out of it with a good pass or by eliminating the opponent. In my eyes, he is a player who is complete, even if of course there is still work to be done."

Legendary former Liverpool and Wales forward Ian Rush is recovering in hospital after he was placed in intensive care with flu. After suffering from breathing difficulties last week, the 64-year-old, who is now an ambassador for the Reds, was taken to the Countess of Chester hospital before being admitted to the intensive care unit.

• Liverpool icon placed in intensive care

  Rush, who is Liverpool’s all-time record goalscorer with 346 goals in 660 appearances for the club, has responded well to treatment but remains in hospital.

  As per the , a Liverpool spokesperson said that “everyone at Liverpool wishes him a speedy recovery” and that they were thankful to the hospital and its staff for “providing the best care possible for our legend and ambassador of the club”.

Advertisement

• Hulton Archive
  

  Rush's legendary career

  Rush won five First Division titles, two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups with Liverpool across two spells for the club. During his time with the Reds, he was the club’s top scorer in eight separate seasons and picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year award in 1983 and 1984, respectively.

  Rush made 73 appearances for his country, scoring 28 goals, second only to Gareth Bale in the nation’s all-time top scorers list. The legendary forward also played for Chester, Juventus, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Wrexham, before seeing out his career in Australia with Sydney Olympic.

• Rush as a coach

  After hanging up his boots, Rush worked as a part-time striker’s coach for Liverpool under Gerard Houlier, before taking up the managerial position at Chester. It marked his first and only foray into management, and he managed to help the side stave off relegation from the fourth division of English football.

  Rush had hinted that he wanted to take the job in charge of the Welsh national team, but was never offered the position. He never returned to management after his short spell at Chester, which fizzled out after a string of poor performances.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Rush, Hunt and Salah make up three greats

  Ian Rush is still leading the goalscoring charts at Liverpool and it does not appear as if he will be dethroned any time soon. Rush is followed by Roger Hunt, who scored 285 goals for the club between 1958 and 1969.

  The only man still playing who comes close to Rush’s record is Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian is third on the list of top scorers, having netted 250 goals for the club in all competitions. Salah, who signed a new contract with the Reds earlier this year, still needs to rack up another 95 goals to overtake the Welshman.

  Speaking after the announcement of Salah's new deal, Rush tipped Salah for a vice-captaincy role and showered praise on the player.

  "I am happy he has signed for two years," he said. "Looking at his performances, I look at the [ages] of 28 and 29 and you work on your weaknesses and over the age of 30 you are taught to work on your strengths. And I think that is what Mo is doing and, as I say, it goes unnoticed about the work he helps the younger ones off the pitch."

  With the 33-year-old’s future hanging in the balance following an explosive outburst over his supposed mistreatment by Arne Slot this season, it seems unlikely that he will overhaul Rush in the rankings.

Already looking ahead to potentially signing their next Liam Delap, Ipswich Town are now reportedly among the clubs eyeing a move to sign a Celtic youngster who just starred in front of their scouts.

Ipswich transfer news

On the performance front, it could be argued that Ipswich deserve more than just the nine points that they’ve won so far this season, sitting 18th in the Premier League as a result.

A case in point is their recent clash against Manchester United. After conceding in the opening moments of Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils, Ipswich enjoyed the better share of chances and arguably should have gone on and secured three points after Omari Hutchinson’s equaliser.

Forced to settle for a point nonetheless, Ipswich now have something that they must build on in pursuit of survival. Once again, it was Delap at the centre of the majority of the joy that Kieran McKenna’s side had up against Manchester United’s backline, making it no surprise that those at Portman Road are looking to repeat their transfer genius.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Ipswich Town are now eyeing a move to sign Daniel Cummings after he starred in front of on-watching scouts, scoring the winning goal for Celtic against Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League.

Ipswich struck gold on "fantastic" signing who's similar to a £63m star

The incredibly gifted youngster has a bright future with Ipswich ahead of him.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 27, 2024

An 18-year-old who has scored 22 goals in just 20 games at youth level so far this season, Cummings could yet leave Scotland in a cheap deal. As things stand, his current Celtic deal is set to come to an end next summer, which means that he’ll cost a cross-border compensation fee of just €310,000 (£250,000+) in what could quickly turn into a bargain move.

"Great" Cummings can follow in Delap's footsteps

Yet to step into senior football, Cummings could swap Celtic for Ipswich in pursuit of exactly that. Whilst Delap had at least already experienced first-team football when he decided to swap Manchester City for Ipswich, he too was struggling to establish himself on a weekly basis at the Etihad even after successful loan spells away. It’s a struggle that Cummings may soon want to put to an end at Celtic, which could result in an exit away.

Praised for his “great runs” and “spectacular strikes” by The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top stars, Cummings looks like a player destined to make an impact whether it’s at Celtic or in the Premier League at a place like Portman Road.

For a bargain fee, Ipswich could be landing an impressive coup ahead of a number of Premier League rivals.

Over the years, Chelsea have been trying to replicate the success of Didier Drogba at the club, signing an array of different strikers who could potentially fill the legend’s boots.

Diego Costa is the closest the Blues have come to this level of success upfront, making 120 appearances for the club, scoring 59 goals and providing 21 assists. During his time, Costa contributed to two Premier League titles and one English League Cup.

But now, Nicolas Jackson is showing signs of being that player for Chelsea, joining last season for a fee of around £32m from Villarreal.

Nicolas Jackson's record at Chelsea

In his first season at the club, Jackson made 44 appearances, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists, totalling 3,534 minutes played.

The 23-year-old has started in red-hot form again this campaign, making 13 appearances, netting seven goals and providing three assists in 991 minutes so far. He has clearly established himself as a favourite for new manager, Enzo Maresca, contributing to all phases of play, and working hard for the team.

In Drogba’s first 57 games for Chelsea, he scored 23 goals, whilst Jackson, in 57 games, has now netted 24 times, bettering the goal-scoring ratio of the Blues legend in his early career.

However, one thing Jackson does perhaps lack is a real aerial dominance in the box, which would allow Chelsea to put crosses in as another chance creation method.

This is why Chelsea are currently searching for a different profile of striker to compete with the Senegal international.

Chelsea looking to sign another striker

According to reports from TEAMtalk, Chelsea remain interested in Brighton striker, Evan Ferguson. However, Brighton have previously stated they would want in the region of £100m for the forward, so negotiations could prove tricky.

Transfer Focus

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

Ferguson’s ex-manager, Roberto De Zerbi, previously labelled him as a striker with “big potential” back in December 2022 and has lived up to that praise in drips and drabs.

Indeed, in his time playing for the Brighton first team, Ferguson has managed 17 goals in 74 appearances, also providing five assists. So, how does his profile compare with Jackson’s?

Chelsea’s current main man in attack shows in the metrics that he contributes in every phase of play, helping to progress the ball, carrying the play forward and creat chances for his teammates. He’s also a goalscorer himself which always helps as a centre forward.

That all-round approach is clearly something Maresca values highly, and therefore the 23-year-old currently stands strong in the pecking order.

However, the numbers also show Ferguson does offer slightly more shot-volume, and more importantly, the aerial presence and ability to win aerial duels that Chelsea lacks in their current pool of strikers.

This added quality is an important one, as it would equip Chelsea with a new tool for breaking down low blocks, and keep the opposition guessing in regard to their chance creation methods.

If Chelsea did manage to sign Ferguson for a justifiable fee, he could provide Jackson with brilliant competition, both adding different profiles and skillsets to the Chelsea ranks, thus helping the squad prepare for all types of games, including ones where a more physical aerial presence is needed.

Watch out Palmer: Undroppable Chelsea star is their new Oscar

Maresca has unleashed this Chelsea ace who could be their next Oscar

By
Connor Holden

Nov 25, 2024

How much does Ivan Toney earn playing in the Saudi Pro League following his move from Brentford in 2024?

After spending four seasons with Brentford and helping them earn promotion into the Premier League, Ivan Toney finally his move from the Brentford Community Stadium to Al Ahli in 2024 in search of one last, big contract.

The English striker is well known for his goal-scoring habits, having struck for Brentford on a regular basis in both the Premier League and the EFL Championship.

Considering the fact that Toney has plenty of options and has been scoring freely, Al Ahli had to offer the striker a lucrative deal in order to bag his signature and he has inevitably become one of the top earners at the club.

But exactly how much does the Englishman earn playing for the Saudi side? Let's find out!

GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!

*

• Ivan Toney's salary in numbers

  Ivan Toney currently stands as the second-top earner in the Al Ahli squad after Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez. The English forward makes £411,340 ($$531,439) in a week, while his annual salary scales over £21 million ($27m).

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Ivan Toney	English	£411,340	$531,439	£21,389,704	$27,634,815

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Top earners at Al Ahli

  Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney acquire the top two spots in the wage bill at Al Ahli.

  Meanwhile, former Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino makes the list at number three, followed by former Barcelona and AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

  Top 5 highest paid players at Al Ahli

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Riyad Mahrez	Algerian	£841,708	$1,087,460	£43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Ivan Toney	English	£411,340	$531,439	£21,389,704	$27,634,815
  Roberto Firmino	Brazilian	£306,369	$395,819	£15,931,179	$20,582,575
  Franck Kessie	Ivorian	£225,745	$291,656	£11,738,764	$15,166,108
  Gabri Veiga	Spanish	£193,496	$249,991	£10,061,797	$12,999,521

• Top earners in Saudi Pro League

  Although Toney is one of the top earners at Al Ahli, he fails to make the top five spots when it comes to the highest-paid players across the league.

  Big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema take the top two spots, while Mahrez makes the cut at number three.

  Acquiring the fourth and fifth spot are Senegalese duo Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, respectively.

  Top 5 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League

  Player	Club	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	£3,224,935	$4,166,513	£167,696,622	$216,658,460
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	£1,612,468	$2,083,57	£83,848,311	$108,329,340
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	£841,708	$1,087,460	£43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	£644,987	$833,303	£433,539,324	$43,331,736
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	£559,526	$722,890	£25,095,364	$37,590,281

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Al-Nassr
  

  Highest paid players in the world

  The top earners in Saudi earn some impressive sums of money, but how do they fare among the highest-paid players across the world?

  Well, it turns out that the top five of the Saudi Pro League are also the top earners across the footballing world, even leaving behind some of the traditional big guns from across Europe.

  Top 5 highest paid players in the world

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Portuguese	£3,224,935	$4,166,513	£167,696,622	$216,658,680
  Karim Benzema	French	£1,612,468	$2,083,257	£83,848,311	$108,329,340
  Riyad Mahrez	Algerian	£841,708	$1,087,460	43,768,818	$56,547,915
  Sadio Mane	Senegalese	£644,987	$833,303	£33,539,324	$43,331,736
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Senegalese	£559,526	$722,890	£29,095,364	$37,590,281

As Ruben Amorim looks to make his mark on his new side, one Serie A sensation is now reportedly aware that Manchester United are considering making their move for his signature in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

After they were eased aside by Arsenal, it’s clear that Amorim has quite the task on his hands when it comes to turning Manchester United around. The former Sporting Club boss has at least returned entertainment to Old Trafford since arriving – defeating Everton 4-0 in his home Premier League debut – but a trip to The Emirates proved to be a test too far and a test too early.

Amorim has already repeated one of Ten Hag's biggest mistakes at Man Utd

Ruben Amorim fell to his first Manchester United defeat last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 5, 2024

Following such a disastrous set of arrives under Erik ten Hag, INEOS should be desperate to put things right for Amorim, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres already reportedly on their radar.

The Sporting striker enjoyed incredible success under Amorim in Portugal and would instantly take the Red Devils back to at least Champions League level as one of the most in-form forwards in Europe. But he’s not the only one who’s on United’s radar.

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Kenan Yildiz is now aware that Manchester United are considering a move to secure his signature in 2025 alongside the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Liverpool, but is currently on course to stay put at Juventus for the 2025/26 campaign.

Still just 19 years old and beginning to play an integral part under Thiago Motta at Juventus, the interest in Yildiz should come as no real surprise.

"Magnificent" Yildiz can form Garnacho partnership

Whilst there’s been several doubts about Manchester United’s frontline in the last year or so, one certainty is that Alejandro Garnacho is a player who should play a pivotal part in any potential turnaround at Old Trafford. The Argentine winger was often the bright spark in a fairly dim attack under Ten Hag and could now get the chance to form an impressive partnership with Yildiz.

The Juventus teenager has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or as a second striker and could, therefore, sit next to Garnarcho in the two number 10 roles in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. Enjoying a “magnificent period” at Juventus, according to Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Yildiz is a player United must pursue in 2025.

If all goes to plan, then Manchester United could reportedly look to form an attacking trio of Garnarcho, Gyokeres and Yildiz in what would be the ultimate transfer window next summer.

Thomas Tuchel commands "massive" respect from England stars as Morgan Rogers revealed the Three Lions coach already targets World Cup glory.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Tuchel in charge at St George’s Park
• Aims to savour World Cup glory in 2026
• Rogers lavished praise on the German manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tuchel has wasted no time in making his intentions clear as England's new head coach. The German manager has already laid out his vision for the team as he dreams of savouring global glory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT ROGERS SAID

  Rogers, who is part of Tuchel’s first England squad, revealed how the German tactician delivered a direct and ambitious message to the players at St George’s Park earlier this week.

  “That’s the only goal (winning the World Cup),” Rogers said. "He was very clear and transparent. With what he wants to do, how he wants to do it, how he wants to go about it, what he sees in us, and what we need to improve. It was very straight-up, no cutting round corners. It was straight and that’s how he is. It’s definitely been taken on board and it’s definitely a first message to carry us on and lead us on through the camps.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Tuchel's presence has already left a strong impression on the squad, with Rogers praising the respect the coach commands among the players.

  “He has that level of confidence, that level of respect already,” Rogers said. “You can see the way he is, the way he acts. He has been so chilled and calm.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tuchel’s winning mentality, honed through Champions League and domestic title successes, is expected to inject fresh energy into the squad. However, beyond tactics and strategy, the manager has stressed the importance of togetherness and unity within the squad.

  “The main thing (in the meeting) was about the love and commitment he wants from us, how he wants us to be a family, how he wants us to be close and connected,” Rogers said.

  “There are going to be good moments and bad moments, we all stick together, we all speak, we all talk, we’re all connected. We know what we want from each other, what we need from each other, we know the things to say to each other, how we are and how we’ll react. He said that was a massive thing he wants. The love and the family feeling he wants around the place.”

Arsenal are preparing to bid for an in-form Premier League forward who Man City boss Pep Guardiola personally wants at Eastlands, meaning Mikel Arteta could potentially inflict even more misery on his old mentor.

Arsenal go three games without scoring Premier League goal from open play

In what is a serious worry for Arteta and co, the Gunners have now gone three straight top flight games without scoring a single goal from open play.

Arsenal could offer "big-name" player in swap deal for £67 million forward

An “exchange” is on the cards.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 17, 2024

Their 0-0 stalemate with Everton, largely seen as a spurned opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, also extended their domestic drought of open play strikes – with Arsenal failing to get on the scoresheet in that regard since their 5-2 win at West Ham late last month.

Their run without a goal from open play in the league is certainly concerning, and not the kind of attacking form you expect from an elite side challenging for the league.

It is also perhaps indicative of their need for a prolific new striker, which has been viewed by some as the missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw.

Arsenal are rumoured main contenders to sign Dusan Vlahovic, according to multiple reports in the last week, and there are even murmurs of a potential exchange deal involving out-of-form forward Gabriel Jesus.

The latter has bagged just one goal in all competitions this season, which has partly contributed to Arsenal’s glaring need for a striker who can provide a consistent output and ease the pressure on Kai Havertz.

In the meantime, Arteta continues to back Jesus in public, and insists that he just needs to keep getting into the right areas.

“Nothing,” said Arteta when asked how he can improve Jesus’ confidence in front of goal.

“Just to put him in front of goal like he’s done today on a couple of occasions, and there are millimetres, centimetres to if the goal goes in or not. He was there, he looked really alive, he had created the first goal from a great move and that’s him, so we have him back he’s with us and I’m sure he will contribute to the team.”

Arsenal preparing to bid for Brighton star Joao Pedro

As per reports in England, Brighton and Hove Albion star Joao Pedro is another potential Jesus alternative – following his impressive early-season performances for Brighton.

Some of the club’s fan base have even tipped Pedro to become a £100m Brighton player, and while his price tag isn’t that high, it will still cost Arsenal a pretty penny to strike any potential deal.

It is believed by CaughtOffiside that Arsenal are preparing to bid for Pedro, but the Seagulls will demand around £60 million for his signature. Arteta’s side are planning to offer below that figure, meanwhile, and they’ll face competition from City boss Guardiola – who personally wants the Brazilian in Manchester. As well as City, Liverpool are other fierce contenders for Pedro’s services.