All posts by n8rngtd.top

While few would dispute that Aston Villa are feeling the weight of a protracted, high-stakes season, fighting on home soil and on the continent, Unai Emery must feel pretty contented with the way things are going at Villa Park.

The past few fixtures have left a bit to be desired but Villa are fourth in the Premier League standings with a comfortable seven-point cushion over fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who hold a game in hand but have lost four top-flight games in succession.

It has been a meteoric rise and it may yet end in silverware, with Emery’s side heading to Greece for their Conference League semi-final second leg against Olympiakos bearing a 4-2 deficit. Stranger things have happened…

Regardless, Emery is not one to rest on his laurels and the go-getter will work furiously throughout the off-season to bolster his team.

But who might he sign? Well, it looks like Aston Villa are confident of securing quite the silvery signature.

Aston Villa's summer transfer plans

With Nicolo Zaniolo keen on a return to Italy this summer and Emi Buendia still yet to play this season as he recovers from an ACL injury, it makes perfect sense that Aston Villa are eager to secure a high-level new wide forward.

This will not be the sole area of concern but if the right player bobs into the club’s radar, Monchi – President of Football Operations – will pounce. It’s for this reason that Villa are working on a deal to bring Crystal Palace star Michael Olise to the Midlands.

Olise has been one of the Premier League’s most exciting right-wingers this season and last, with his feats attracting interest from heavyweights like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

However, according to Football Transfers, Villa believe they can outmanoeuvre closest contenders Arsenal and United in the race given that the 22-year-old would prioritise a starting role and Champions League football were he to leave Selhurst Park.

He might be rated at £60m owing to a release clause but Emery’s team offer perfect conditions for such a fast-rising player and must now advance their interest.

Michael Olise's season in numbers

Following Olise’s exploits last season, football talent scout Jacek Kulig declared him to be “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe”, having overcome past injury issues to rack up 11 assists from 37 Premier League matches.

This season, the London-born France U21 international has suffered a regression on the fitness front while leaping to new, prodigious heights when gracing Crystal Palace on the pitch.

The table above, arrayed as it is with Olise’s metrics in the Premier League this season, does not tell the tale of this star’s season by half, with line-breaking brilliance, deadly two-footedness and sparkling creative spirit shaping a skill set that is both diverse and destructive.

A lot is said about a forward’s acceleration and the effect that can have on a frontline’s fluency but Olise’s deceleration is one of the most underrated aspects of his game, capable of halting his surge like a roadrunner and expertly dispatching the ball, surgically placing it to a well-placed striker or indeed firing home himself with ferocious power, startling precision.

He’s robust and tenacious, highlighted by his high output in the duel, and he’s found feathered balance in his attacking approach, varying his goals and assists to enhance Oliver Glasner’s thriving Crystal Palace project.

It’s quite clear that the £100k-per-week ace is destined for greatness, but conditions matter and he must choose wisely if he is to leave the Eagles for a divisional rival.

He must choose Aston Villa.

How Michael Olise would fit in at Villa

It’s difficult to quantify how rich a career Olise could forge for himself but there’s little doubt that the 5 foot 10 wide forward’s demonstrable success in England’s top flight marks him as one of Europe’s highest-quality talents.

And indeed, Kulig’s vocal support of the player is felt through his more recent remark that Olise has been “one of the EPL’s best players” this season – and that’s despite finding a starting berth on just 12 occasions.

If he can do it at Palace, he can do it at Villa Park. Leon Bailey has been Aston Villa’s principal right-winger this season and given that the Jamaican has posted 14 goals and 14 assists apiece in all competitions it’s hard to argue that he isn’t deserving of a prominent place in Emery’s plans once again next term.

But what’s another star to the system? In fact, Olise is a player who would transcend the Aston Villa side, handing centre-forward Ollie Watkins an even higher class of comrade to ensure that Champions League nights become a regular feature for Emery’s side, that routes toward silverware are realisable on the regular.

Watkins, to his credit, might also prove to be the perfect strike partner for a dynamic player like Olise, with the Three Lions star having incredibly scored 27 goals across all competitions in 2023/24 – including 19 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League.

Moreover, the Lions talisman has created 11 big chances in the Premier League this term, averaging 1.1 key passes per game, and so Olise would find that his own pursuit of goals would not take a hit with a transfer to a new system.

It’s a system that might suit his wonderful strengths and it’s a move that might just see Olise flourish from the less-trodden road toward a riskier – in a sense – project at Aston Villa than the celebrity and history of Manchester United.

But why not? Olise ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for assists and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, but this does not mean he must opt for the wrong, easier option.

Such prolificness would translate to a new style at Aston Villa, where the roots of success have been placed in firm soil and the 13-point gap from eighth-place Manchester United, having scored 21 more goals, speaks volumes of the polarity in the projects, and where Olise might find the better launchpad for his promising career.

Fighting against such clubs, for such players, is a mark of Aston Villa’s rise under Emery. This is the story of Aston Villa’s position of power. This is the giddying new reality of a football club breaking into Europe’s elite. Just imagine Watkins and Olise under the lights in the Champions League. Salivating isn’t it.

Emery must drop Konsa and unleash Aston Villa's "decisive" star

Aston Villa must overturn a two goal deficit against Olympiacos this evening to secure a spot in the final

By
Ross Kilvington

May 9, 2024

Whilst the Sheffield Wednesday fans packed into the Stadium of Light rejoiced at their team pulling off an unbelievable escape from relegation at the full-time whistle, most of the hardened Sunderland supporters had scurried home already after being subjected to a dismal final day loss.

Most of the stadium was empty come the end of the Championship clash in the home sections, with Danny Rohl's men strolling to a comfortable 2-0 victory in a clash that was meant to be far more nervy and tense for the travelling Owls.

Sunderland lacked any real drive to try and make Wednesday fight for a vital three points, with the Black Cats unable to make the home fans smile briefly to see out a shocking campaign by picking up a rare win with just three shots on target from 18 efforts.

There could now be a huge summer clear-out on Wearside to try and propel Sunderland into a far more positive era next campaign, which might even see this midfielder – who was touted for a major move up to the Premier League in January – just allowed to leave after underwhelming the last few torrid weeks.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Sheffield Wednesday

Previously being watched by the likes of Crystal Palace and Fulham ahead of a big move, those Premier League suitors might hold off on their interest in Pierre Ekwah now based on his uninterested showing against Wednesday on the final day.

Caught out ball-watching for the Owls' opener at the Stadium of Light, with Barry Bannan given far too much freedom on the ball by Ekwah to then pick out Liam Palmer to place home, Wednesday got so much joy against the Black Cats by just displaying more energy venturing forward through the middle of the park.

The former West Ham United youngster was way off the pace throughout against the buoyed-on visitors away just from this moment in isolation, however, with a meagre one shot attempted on James Beadle's goal from the 22-year-old alongside a weak two tackles being attempted to try and disrupt the flow of Rohl's men.

Hauled off in the 71st minute by interim boss Mike Dodds, who has presumably now bowed out of being Sunderland's next cursed manager with this defeat, it wasn't a shock to see Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report hand out a disappointing 3/10 rating to Ekwah after the dust had settled from the 2-0 loss.

With Tomlinson describing the 22-year-old's display as being "pretty anonymous", Ekwah's downfall in the senior ranks has been an intriguing one to watch unfold considering how promising of a gem he looked at the start of the season.

The 6 foot 2 midfielder looked like an absolute golden steal at the start of the campaign – having joined from West Ham United in January of 2023 – after a blistering performance against Southampton in September last year, bagging two strikes as the Black Cats tore the Saints to shreds in a comprehensive 5-0 victory.

Since then, the fortunes of both teams have significantly changed, as has Ekwah's standing in the Black Cats camp with the very real possibility that the Frenchman could be offloaded this coming summer if a top-flight party takes a punt on his services.

Pierre Ekwah's transfer value in 2024

Sunderland would still be able to demand a high fee for their up-and-down 22-year-old to depart, with this transfer valuation higher than that of first-team regular Dan Neil – according to Football Transfers – despite Neil being a consistent performer for the Black Cats this season throughout all of the mess.

Despite underperforming during Sunderland's terrible end to the season, Ekwah still finds himself being worth a high £4.6m, a figure the Mackems would surely only be too pleased to receive.

Neil, who has been largely everpresent this campaign and dependable with four goals and five assists from 44 total matches, surprisingly is worth £600k less than his inconsistent counterpart at £4m.

Ekwah doesn't quite get into the top five highest valued assets at the Stadium of Light when scanning the table above, but the likes of Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche – who fit into the same bracket as Ekwah as raw and unreliable youngsters who have shown their inexperience – could also be moved on soon especially when you consider their equally hefty values.

Selling on the underperforming central midfielder could prove to be the smartest call of the three when you consider how much the 22-year-old's value has risen over the last few years despite struggling in patches.

Glancing back to 2022, when Ekwah was an unknown entity to Sunderland supporters in the Hammers youth system, Ekwah was worth just a paltry £51k – according to Football Transfers – with his value then skyrocketing all the way up to a superior £2.8m in 2023 after a move to the Stadium of Light went through.

This could make for a very interesting off-season saga in Wearside, therefore, regarding Ekwah's future with a massive temptation to cash in on the topsy-turvy midfielder now especially if a Premier League club gambles on the 22-year-old to come good making the step-up and bids a handsome amount.

There will be no such uncertainty over Neil's future, however, with the former academy product turned occasional Sunderland captain champing at the bit for the next campaign already to try and make his boyhood club promotion challengers once more.

With a new manager an absolute priority first and foremost before any incomings or outgoings are confirmed, this summer promises to be dramatic and hectic and one the powers that be at Sunderland must get spot on to make up for such a car crash of a campaign that's been finally put out of its misery.

Sunderland could hire O'Shea alternative who'd be perfect for Clarke

Sunderland could keep Jack Clarke around for longer with this managerial appointment.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 24, 2024

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained how he plans to get Jadon Sancho back to his best following a forgettable stint at Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sancho impresses on Chelsea debut
• Maresca takes dig at Ten Hag
• Says Sancho 'needs love' to return to form

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca showered Jadon Sancho with plaudits following his match-winning debut against Bournemouth. The England winger has joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United, where he had fallen out of favour with boss Erik ten Hag. The Italian has now disclosed his strategy for getting Sancho to perform at his peak, something the Dutch manager failed to do.

Advertisement

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Speaking about Sancho’s performance, the Chelsea boss said: "Very happy, very happy for him. He was very good, I think Joao [Felix] was very good and Christopher [Nkunku] scored but was also very good.

  “I said already when we brought in Jadon that the reason why is because we were looking for another winger like Noni [Madueke]. Noni is doing that on the right side, winning one-on-one, creating chances, scoring goals and we were looking for the same on our left side with Jadon."

  When asked how important it could be for Sancho to have a good rapport with the staff and fans, Maresca replied: “It's very important. I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love.

  “This is what I think when I spoke with him before he joined us. Also, I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football. This is the reason why they play. They are happy and want to play football, they want to enjoy football and then because they are good, they are going to do good things.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sancho moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2021 from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €85m (£71.7m/$94.2m). However, it never seemed to work out for the winger, who left on loan to Borussia Dortmund last season. He has now joined Chelsea, with the Blues holding an obligation to buy next summer.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

  The 24-year-old will now be in line to get his first start for Chelsea next weekend when they take on West Ham on Saturday, September 21.

David Moyes described his side's performance against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as "atrocious", genuinely bewildered by the disjointed, abject defeat at Selhurst Park.

West Ham United's campaign has been categorised by a state of constant ebb and flow; there is much to admire about this trophy-winning Irons squad but the rust is spreading and, with the 60-year-old manager out of contract this summer, change may well be needed.

Some departures might be accepted in unison, though certain alterations might be enforced with an element of rueful resignation, like watching your house of cards topple at the final stage.

One such eventuality might be the sale of Lucas Paqueta; elite playmaker he may be, the Brazilian looked disinterested against the Eagles and his signature would fetch quite the shiny pack packet.

Lucas Paqueta's performance vs Crystal Palace

Paqueta has been a brilliant player for West Ham, signing from Lyon in 2022 in a club-record £51m move and playing an instrumental role in the Conference League triumph last year, scoring eight goals and adding seven assists this season.

But with noise rising around Manchester City's desire to sign the 26-year-old this summer, he has shifted away from form in recent weeks and produced a genuinely awful performance as the Hammers got thrashed by Crystal Palace, lifeless and listless in the 5-2 defeat.

As per Sofascore, Paqueta might have made four tackles, but he won just six of his 20 contested duels in total, lost the ball 24 times, completed just 71% of his passes and made just one key pass – suggesting he was wasteful and failed to match his intent with impact.

Moreover, Paqueta failed with both of his attempted dribbles, didn't take a single shot and, candidly, almost seemed invisible on the pitch, failing to lift his teammates or, even, display a modicum of interest as Palace wreaked havoc.

But, he wasn't the only one to let themselves down – captain Kurt Zouma was dreadful and did not look fit to wear the armband.

Why Kurt Zouma must be sold

Zouma was appointed West Ham skipper on a permanent basis at the start of the season after impressing in the early stage, Moyes' squad collecting ten points from their opening four Premier League fixtures.

But Zouma, aged 29, has been at the epicentre of a defence that has had fragility embossed on the shirt, with the lack of cohesion and resilience brutally exposed against Oliver Glasner's building project.

Claret & Hugh, a well-known Hammers news provider, chastised Zouma's performance and branded him with a 2/10 match rating, saying: 'Awful pass put Antonio in trouble as West Ham went 2-0 down in 15 mins. Nutmegged by Eze before Palace’s FIFTH goal.'

West Ham were 4-0 down little after the half-hour mark and the manner of the loss spoke of the grim acceptance of a side out of steam. Journalist Jack Rosser rebuked West Ham's "tired and hopeless" group effort, singling out the "terrible" ball-playing of Zouma too.

Moyes, who has had his detractors throughout an illustrious tenure at the London Stadium, is surely now leaving the club this summer – signing an extension would, in all probability, prove to be little more than a stay of execution.

Zouma has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League in recent months and having failed to galvanise his troops this season, underperforming on the pitch, he must also be shipped on. Furthermore, he's out of contract in 2025.

A new era now beckons – begs to be ushered in – for this proud east London football club. Change is needed.

Benteke, who leads MLS with 17 goals, is set to stay in Washington, D.C. through the end of next season

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Contract includes option for 2026
• Benteke joined MLS club from Crystal Palace in 2022
• DC currently two points out of final playoff spot

• USA Today Sports
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Benteke, after consistently impressing for the Black and Red, has been rewarded with a new deal. The Belgian forward will retain his designated player status and stay in the nation's capital until at least the end of next season, the club announced. Benteke is enjoying his best MLS season yet, having found the net 17 times in 22 appearances.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  DCU's start man has improved year-by-year since moving to the U.S. midway through the 2022 campaign. After finding the net just once to round out the season, he enjoyed a successful 2023 – scoring 14 and adding three assists. He is on pace to eclipse the 20-goal mark this year, and is set to battle it out with Real Salt Lake's Cristian Arango for the Golden Boot.

• WHAT ALLY MACKAY SAID

  D.C. United General Manager Ally Mackay expressed his delight at wrapping up a new contract in a club statement: "Christian is an incredible playmaker and he has consistently demonstrated that he is one of the best forwards in MLS… It was pivotal for us to keep Christian at the club for both his on-field talent and his leadership in the locker room. We are very excited to keep Christian with us for another season and we look forward to him continuing to make an impact at this club."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• USA Today Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BENTEKE?

  The striker is set to lead the D.C. playoff push in the coming months. Benteke's side are bottom of the eastern conference, but just two points out of the last playoff spot. They have won two of their last three in MLS, and play eight-placed Toronto on Saturday night.

A player who Tottenham have "sat down at the table" for is now dreaming of a move to England, according to reports this week.

Spurs aiming to seal summer deal for goalscorer and assist-maker

After a positive debut season in charge for Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, one of the key priorities for technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team this summer is bringing in another avenue of attacking threat.

£63m ace will never play for Tottenham again as he joins five-man exodus

A lot of Spurs players could leave this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 19, 2024

Son Heung-min and Richarlison lead the way in terms of goals for Tottenham, with Timo Werner arriving on loan from RB Leipzig in January to further bolster Postecoglou's attacking options.

Werner has impressed Spurs staff with his application behind the scenes, and some reports suggest that Tottenham are very likely to make his deal permanent for around £15 million, as is the option-to-buy clause in his deal.

However, there are some concerns that Werner isn't exactly proficient enough to be a long-term solution for Spurs, and the 28-year-old has been criticised for spurning too many chances.

As such, even if Tottenham do opt to make him a permanent player for next season, widespread reports indicate another wide attacker or striker could join Postecoglou's side when the transfer window reopens.

“Look, a player they appreciate for a long time is Raphinha from Barcelona. We know the financial situation at Barcelona is not easy, so he could be one of the names. They will look at that kind of player," said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano to JD Football late last month.

"Another player they appreciate is Pedro Neto, but he has this issue with his injuries, so I’m not sure Liverpool, Tottenham or the other clubs following the player will be prepared to play big money for Pedro Neto this summer. That kind of player is the priority for Tottenham, I see them going for that kind of winger, a quality player to help with goals and assists."

A relatively cheap option they've been heavily linked with is £26 million Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson, who's bagged an impressive 13 goals and three assists in 30 Serie A starts over 2023/2024.

Gudmundsson dreams of move to England after Tottenham sit down for talks

Tuttosport claimed earlier this week that Tottenham have "sat down at the table" to discuss signing Gudmundsson, and they've shared another update following on from this.

According to the Italian newspaper, as relayed by Sport Witness, Gudmundsson dreams of a move to England after Spurs' discussions, and this could give them a real advantage over transfer competitors Inter Milan and Juventus.

An Icelandic international, the 26-year-old's rumoured price tag could be a particularly big draw for Spurs, and perhaps Fabio Paratici's contacts in Italy could help to secure any potential deal. The north Londoners also already boast a good relationship with Genoa, having signed Radu Dragusin from them in the winter.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand says selling Scott McTominay is a "gamble" and that teams need players of his ilk to win the Premier League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• McTominay nearing £25m Napoli transfer
• Ferdinand says move is a "gamble" for Man Utd
• Club "need" such players to win Premier League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United have reportedly agreed to sell the 27-year-old to the Italian outfit for £25 million ($34m), but the Scotland international is yet to agree personal terms. Ahead of a possible move, former Red Devils defender Ferdinand has expressed his concern about letting academy product McTominay go as he says replacing him may cost around £40m ($53m).

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT RIO FERDINAND SAID

  He said on his YouTube channel: "I look at Scott McTominay and not every player can be a star, a standout player. But to win the league you need the likes of John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher… you need a Julian Alvarez at Man City. They might not start every game but they were huge, you need those players and most of them know the DNA of the club, especially ones who have come through the academy, there’s a lot to be said for that. It really doesn’t sit well with me. To replace him you’re going to have to spend £30m or £40m and give him £150,000 a week probably. It’s not going to be cheap and it’s a gamble, you don’t know what you’re going to get, whereas with McTominay you know what you’re getting. He might not always be a nine out of 10 but invariably he’s a solid seven out of 10 and sometimes he will be an eight out of 10 and get you a goal."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McTominay is in the last year of his contract and the Red Devils are certainly open to selling the Scot – who would go down as pure profit on the balance sheet as he is an academy product. He scored 10 goals last term and finding a replacement may not be easy, but his sale could help fund the purchase of Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Having come off the bench in all three of their competitive games this season, McTominay may have had his last outing for United. The next time they take to the field will be at home to Liverpool on September 1 – two days after the summer transfer window shuts.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has open up on the role he wants Joao Felix to play following his move from Atletico Madrid this week.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Felix signed seven-year Chelsea deal
• Maresca revealed his tactical qualities
• Attacker could play against Wolves

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portugal international returned to Stamford Bridge, where he spent six months on loan in 2023, from Atletico in a deal worth a reported £45.5 million (€53m/$59m), signing a six-year contract that includes an option to extend for a further 12 months.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After spending last season on loan at Barcelona, Felix appeared likely to join the Catalan club on a permanent basis, but was instead drafted in as Chelsea's 10th summer signing since Maresca took charge after the close of last season. The Italian manager is confident Felix will settle in well upon his return to London and explained what he expects from him.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  "For me, he can [play as a No.9] fantastically; dropping in and giving us an extra man when we need more passes, more possession," Maresca said at a press conference. "And then to find the right moment to attack, he can do that very well. He can play as an attacking midfielder, if we need he can play also outside. He can play in different positions."

  He added: "Potential, he is a top player, no doubt. I have known Joao for many, many years. Now, working with him day-by-day, I will know him even better. It is a little bit like Misha [Mudryk]; we are going to help them to improve and see if they can give one step forward to reach that kind of level for those players."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR FELIX?

  Maresca was asked if Felix will be part of the team for the weekend's Premier League match against Wolves. "If he is available, then for sure he can have a chance to play," he replied.

  When asked if the attacker is ready to line up for the Blues, he added: "In terms of knowing the way we want to play, probably not yet. In terms of physicality, I think he is ready because he was already playing games there [at Atletico Madrid]. He needs more time to understand the way we want to play but overall I think he can play."

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold was one of the first to react on Twitter to news that right-back Emerson Royal was a victim in an attempted armed robbery.

The Lowdown: Emerson involved in incident

The Brazilian first made the switch to the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites on a five-year contract from Spanish giants Barcelona for a fee believed to be £25.8m. He has since made 41 appearances in all competitions for Antonio Conte’s side during his first season in north London.

News was broken by football.london reporter Rob Guest that in the early hours of Friday morning, the 23 year-old defender had successfully managed to escape an attempted armed robbery.

The article states that there were ’29 shots fired’ between police and the assailant, but the Spurs star has assured people that he is safe and well and will speak out about the incident soon.

The Latest: Gold reacts to Emerson update

In a new post on his personal Twitter account, Gold reacted to the shocking revelation he’d heard involving Emerson and wrote:

“This sounds horrible. Thank goodness Emerson is ok.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Relief

It will come as hugely positive news to not just his family and friends, but also to everyone associated with Tottenham to know that the six-cap international is unharmed.

The £22.5m-rated starlet has been a regular feature in Conte’s starting XI this season, making 31 top-flight outings, scoring one goal and providing one assist during that time, via Transfermarkt.

Royal is said to have returned to his home country for a short break following the conclusion of the season, but will obviously now need to be given the appropriate time to recover from the incident before even considering making a return to the football pitch ahead of the start of the new term.

In other news… Fabio Paratici has reportedly opened talks over the possibility of signing a ‘scary’ new player.

Manchester United have begun their new chapter under Erik ten Hag and are said be vying for the signature of Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

What’s the word?

That is according to Marca, via Sport Witness, who have stated in their latest report that the Old Trafford side are the club that yearns “most strongly” to sign the Spaniard.

It is said that Ten Hag has requested a centre-back who is comfortable on the ball, with the club believing that 25-year-old Torres “fits perfectly” into the 52-year-old’s plans.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

As per the report, Manchester United are “willing to pay up to €50m (£42.5m)” for the defender, which has placed them ahead of the competition.

The 25-year-old’s agents reportedly “plan to travel to Manchester this week” to negotiate contract details, as long as United “can reach an understanding” with the Yellow Submarine.

Ten Hag will love him

Since the departure of Daley Blind, who ironically returned back to Ajax to garner even more success playing under Ten Hag, United have lacked a natural left-footed central defender.

Like Pep Guardiola recently, the Dutchman is an advocate of natural centre-backs who fit into one of the two positions in a four-at-the-back set-up which means Torres is someone he’d love to sign.

With the way that both coaches seek to achieve mass possession, the centre-backs effectively become the midfield base in possession, so ball-playing defenders whose foot is suited to their respective position in the backline can offer stability.

Torres can be that option for Ten Hag, and with the latest news stating their yearn to sign the Spaniard, it looks as though United understand the importance of the Villarreal man too.

The 25-year-old’s numbers in possession over the last year would see him become the most esteemed ball-playing centre-back among the United squad, with his average of 4.64 progressive carries, 1.04 carries into the final third, 4.31 progressive passes, and 6.70 passes under pressure just some of the metrics that would drastically improve the United backline, whilst predictably toppling both Raphael Varane’s and Harry Maguire’s numbers.

Based on that, it’s hardly a surprise to see the defender dubbed “extraordinary” by former Villarreal player and coach Javi Calleja.

With six goal contributions this season in La Liga, in the form of five goals and one assist, Torres is fully established in possession and has scored more goals than the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani this season.

United could pull off a masterclass with a signing like Torres in what would be a fierce statement of intent towards the rest of the Premier League.

In other news: Offer made: Man United have submitted bid to sign £85.4m “lion”, he’s Lewandowski 2.0