A big Rangers update has emerged on Leon Balogun and his future at Ibrox under Giovanni van Bronckhorst heading into the summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
According to the Daily Record, Rangers have set a meeting with the centre-back to discuss a new deal with the Glasgow giants.
He is out of contract this year and the Gers will now hold talks with the 6 foot 2 brute to see whether or not they can come to an agreement on extending his terms.
Ibrox will be rocking
Van Bronckhorst can get Ibrox rocking by securing a deal to keep Balogun in Glasgow heading into the 2022/23 campaign.
He is a crucial player for the club and retaining his services would be a huge boost for the club, particularly given Connor Goldson’s expected departure at the end of the month.
Former Gers man Alex Rae previously dubbed him a “tremendous addition” to Rangers, having joined on a free transfer from Wigan in the summer of 2020. Since arriving, he has played 65 games for the Light Blues in all competitions as he impressed under Steven Gerrard and carried that form over to his time with van Bronckhorst.
In the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.13 in the Premiership as he helped the team to win the Scottish title.
He was reliable, once again, in the top-flight for the Gers in 2021/22 as he was a defensive rock for Rangers…
These statistics show that he was a strong, commanding, presence at the back for van Bronckhorst as he won the ball back for his team on a consistent basis and won the majority of his individual battles.
Balogun also played a key role on the way to the Europa League final. He made ten appearances in Europe and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 as he chipped in with two goals and made an outstanding 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game.
The Nigeria international has proven his quality domestically and in Europe and that is why supporters will be rocking with joy at Ibrox if van Bronckhorst can agree a deal to keep the defender at the club.
He is a reliable, quality, player to call upon when needed and losing him this summer would be a big blow as there is no guarantee that any replacement coming in will be able to offer the same experience and defensive nous.
AND in other news, Rangers can land dream Kent heir in deal for £1.5m “asset” who can “affect the game”…
Premier League veteran Ashley Young may have played his last game for Aston Villa on Sunday.
The lowdown
Young played the closing minutes as Villa lost 3-2 to Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium.
The Englishman, who spent four years at Villa earlier in his career, returned to the Midlands outfit last summer on a free transfer after leaving Inter Milan.
However, he only signed a one-year deal, believed to be worth £50,000 per week.
The 36-year-old needs to play seven more games to reach 400 Premier League appearances.
He’s turned out 215 times for Villa overall, scoring 37 goals and laying on 61 assists.
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The latest
As Young prepared to enter the fray, The Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans took the opportunity to provide an update on his future.
“In other news: Ashley Young coming on for #AVFC.
“Could it be his last game in a Villa shirt? Villa would like to keep him on, but he’s out of contract soon.”
It remains to be seen whether the Englishman grants the club’s wish by penning an extension.
The verdict
Young featured in 24 matches over the course of the campaign, ten times from the start and 14 times off the bench.
His versatility has proven to be an asset for the Villans, with Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard both able to deploy him up and down the left flank, in central midfield and even on the right.
In the autumn, Gerrard said that Young had been ‘perfect’ and labelled him a ‘standards-setter’.
Much may depend on whether Villa are proposing a significant pay cut, and whether Young is happy with this level of involvement as he comes towards the end of his career.
In other news, Villa have been watching this defender.
Italian football expert Conor Clancy has dropped his verdict on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Antonin Barak.
What’s been said?
In a recent interview with Football FanCast, Clancy stated his belief that the 27-year-old Hellas Verona midfielder, who has recently been linked with a €20m (£17m) summer move to Tottenham, needs to leave his current club in order to progress his career, before going on to claim that the Czech Republic international could go on to become Antonio Conte’s next Dejan Kulusevski at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Concerning the future of Barak, the journalist said: “I do think, this isn’t going to sound great to Verona, but he needs to leave Verona to really realise his true potential, because he’s shown a lot there. But, there’s always a ceiling with Verona – they’re not even in Europe, they’re not going to qualify for the Europa League even.
“So, if he wants to kick on he needs to leave and I think if he went to Spurs he could really kick on. In a Conte team, we’ve seen Kulusevski do what everybody who watched him knew he was capable of doing, and I think Barak could be quite similar in that way. He could go to England and explode.”
Kulusevski 2.0
Considering just how impressive Barak has been in Italy this season, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be keen to bring the attacking midfielder to north London this summer, nor is it hard to see why Clancy believes that the 27-year-old could go on to become Spurs’ next Kulusevski.
Indeed, over his 29 Serie A appearances in the current campaign, the £18m-rated talent has been in breathtaking form for Igor Tudor’s side, scoring 11 goals, providing four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.
These returns have seen the £15k-per-week midfielder average a quite sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Hellas’ second-best player in the Italian top-flight – playing a key role in his side’s push to secure a top-half finish this term.
Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 30-time capped international also contributes greatly in a defensive capacity, with Barak ranking in the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues for clearances per 90, as well as the top 5% for ariel duels won and the top 15% for blocks over the last 365 days.
As such, should the 27-year-old be able to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to Tottenham this summer, it is not difficult to imagine the midfielder having a similar impact on Conte’s side to the eight-assist Kulusevski – something that leads us to believe Fabio Paratici simply must do all he can to get a £17m deal over the line for the Czechia sensation in the coming months.
AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big Spurs transfer twist that will leave supporters fuming
Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ John Wenham has been left exciting by some promising Lilywhites transfer news involving a ‘monster’ defender.
The Lowdown: Paratici set for big summer?
Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici is reportedly facing a big summer window with manager Antonio Conte allegedly demanding as many as six major signings behind-the-scenes (The Telegraph).
The Italian sporting director, as a result, has his finger in many pots and is also working on sealing deals for potential stars of the future.
Middlesbrough ace Djed Spence and Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards are just a few examples of lower league talent on the radar at Tottenham with a promising update recently coming to light on Blackburn centre-half Ashley Phillips.
As reported by The Sun’s reliable source Alan Nixon, the Lilywhites are ’emerging as favourites’ to sign the England youth international as they enter pole position.
Nixon also claims that the Premier League top-four chasers are ‘ready to get the deal done as quickly as possible’.
The Latest: Wenham excited…
Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham has been left excited by the development, imploring the north Londoners to reach an agreement ‘ASAP’ – also branding Phillips a ‘monster’ defender.
He explained: “I looked into him, he’s a monster. He seems to have the assets and all the physique you want in a centre-half.
“For me, that is no risk, high reward. Get that done as soon as possible. We have a really good relationship with Blackburn.
“We sold them Dilan Markanday in January. To get one over on Chelsea and Man United would be fantastic as well as him looking like a top young talent.
“The update from Alan Nixon is really positive as I rate him highly, he really knows his stuff about the EFL and lower leagues.
“Hopefully we can get this one done ASAP.”
The Verdict: Great news…
Highly-rated by those within Blackburn and beyond according to Nixon, the towering 6 foot 3 starlet looks to be heading to the top judging by verdicts like this one from Wenham.
Hotspur Way chiefs could apparently have to fork out £3 million to seal an agreement but Phillips’ sky high potential may well be worth investment.
His signing could also go some way to balancing Tottenham’s prevalent homegrown quota issue in the future and there is no surprise Paratici is eager to strike a fast agreement.
In other news: Fabrizio Romano says ‘monster’ Spurs player is now ‘expected to leave’! Find out more here.
Wolves are interested in signing Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report.
The Lowdown: Brownhill impressing Burnley
The Clarets have had a tough season, with Premier League relegation potentially on the cards, but their midfielder has performed solidly for much of the campaign.
The 26-year-old has started 29 league games and featured in 32 overall, averaging two tackles and 1.9 interceptions per match in the process.
The prospect of relegation could see Brownhill look for a new club, though, and he seemingly won’t be without suitors.
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The Latest: Wolves keen on Brownhill move
According to 90min, Wolves are among a host of top-flight clubs expressing an interest in the Englishman. The likes of Aston Villa, Everton and Leeds United are all seen as potential suitors too, as are newly-promoted duo Fulham and Bournemouth.
Brownhill’s current Burnley deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, so prospective suitors may have to accept not being able to sign him on the cheap.
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The Verdict: Possible Neves replacement?
While Brownhill may not be the most glamorous midfielder in the Premier League, he is an effective footballer who has recently been hailed as a ‘brilliant’ player by his Turf Moor team-mate Jack Cork.
He may also fill the void which could be left by the eminently possible departure of Ruben Neves, who has been strongly linked with a summer move to Barcelona, fulfilling a childhood dream.
Brownhill is someone who could add steel and underrated quality to Wolves’ midfield next season, making them more sturdy in the middle of the park and allowing others around him to express themselves.
That’s underplaying his own ability, though, with two goals and three assists in the Premier League this season showing that he is also capable of adding considerable end product at Molineux if he makes the move over the coming months.
In other news, Wolves reportedly lead the race to sign one player. Find out who it is here.
Rangers return to action in Europe on Thursday night at Ibrox as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men fight to land a place in a major European final later this month.
The Gers are 1-0 down heading into the second leg after they lost away from home to a stunning late goal in Germany.
Rangers come into this clash off the back of a 1-1 draw in the Old Firm at the weekend. Fashion Sakala scored the goal for the Glasgow giants on Sunday in an entertaining match against their rivals and will be hoping to carry his form over to the Europa League.
However, not every player impressed against the Hoops and one player who must lose his place in the starting XI is Canada international Scott Arfield.
The midfielder’s last direct goal contribution when being named in the starting line-up came on the 6th of February in a 5-0 hammering of Hearts.
In his subsequent nine starts in all competitions, he has registered zero goals and zero assists and failed to record a single SofaScore rating higher than 6.9 – suggesting that his all-round performances have also been underwhelming.
He has two goals and zero assists in his last 19 appearances, from the start and off the bench, as he has been unable to consistently deliver when selected by the head coach.
The midfielder is not putting in outstanding displays, as shown by his ratings, and he is not making up for it by providing quality in the final third. This means that he is a liability to the team as he is offering very little, which is holding them back from being as good as they can be, as they have a player who is not having a positive impact on the pitch.
Athletic reporter Jordan Campbell and journalist Joshua Barrie both claimed that he was “struggling” against the Hoops last time out and it is now time for the £16k-per-week dud’s struggles to stop impacting Rangers’ performances.
Therefore, van Bronckhorst must brutally axe him from the starting XI as his run of form has been nowhere near good enough to warrant a place in the team. He should, instead, be utilised as an option off the bench to bolster the team late on, if required, as he did when he came on in the Scottish Cup to score against Celtic recently.
AND in other news, Rangers are now set to repeat their awful Gilmour disaster at Ibrox, Gvb will be livid
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy lost for the second time in as many matches since arriving at Parkhead with a 3-0 defeat at home to Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Hoops boss lost 2-1 to Hearts in his first match in the dugout, but was unable to get a reaction out of his players for this clash with the Italian giants.
Celtic found themselves 3-0 down at half-time, as Roma ran riot, but they missed the chance to give themselves a lifeline for the second 45 when Arne Engels hit the post from the penalty spot.
The Belgian star hit the penalty sweetly, aiming for the bottom left corner, but his effort came crashing off the post, which meant that the Hoops were 3-0 down at the break.
Why Arne Engels deserves to keep his place in the team
Engels may be an easy target for criticism because of his penalty miss, which is understandable after a 3-0 loss, but there were also some positive elements to his performance to go along with his struggles.
On the one hand, the Belgium international lost six of his eight duels on the ground, per Sofascore, which shows that he was a bit too weak in his physical battles with the Roma midfielders.
On the other hand, though, the former Augsburg star made a lot of impressive runs down the right channel on the overlap and came close to creating chances a couple of times before he should have had an assist for Kelechi Iheanacho, who scored from his ball across the box but had just strayed offside.
As well as what should have been an assist for Kelechi, Engels created one ‘big chance’ in the match, per Sofascore, and showed that he has the creative quality to make things happen in this new system.
A player who has not had as much success in Nancy’s 3-4-2-1 system is Sebastian Tounekti, who should be dropped for the League Cup final against St Mirren on Sunday.
Why Sebastian Tounekti should be dropped
The Tunisia international has largely played as a left winger for the Scottish giants since his move from Hammarby in the summer transfer window, but he has had to take on a new role under the French boss.
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After playing as a left-winger in a 4-3-3 for Brendan Rodgers and in a 4-2-3-1 for Martin O’Neill, Tounekti has had to play as a left wing-back for Nancy, in a role that does not appear to suit him.
In this wing-back role, the 23-year-old has more defensive responsibility, as he has to track back to sometimes drop into a back five out of possession, and it sometimes leaves him without much support in wide areas, which can leave him in situations on his own against two or three defenders.
As a natural winger, the defensive side of the game has caught Tounekti out. Per Sofascore, the Tunisian whiz lost four of his five physical duels and failed to make a single tackle or interception against Roma.
On top of his defensive troubles, the wing-back did not register a shot on target and did not create any ‘big chances’ for the team against the Italian side in 90 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore.
Minutes
59
90
Key passes
1
2
Accurate crosses
0
0
Shots on target
0
0
Possession lost
14x
15x
Dribbles completed
0/4
1/1
Duels won
5/12
1/5
As you can see in the table above, Tounekti has lost the ball 29 times in two games without deliver a goal or an assist in his first two matches as a wing-back.
He has also lost the majority of his duels across both games, after losing seven out of 12 against Hearts, which shows that he does not have the physicality or defensive awareness to be effective in that role, at least without more training and understanding of the position.
Because of how awful Tounekti has been in his first two games in the position, Nancy must ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for the clash with St Mirren on Sunday, given that it is a cup final and the Hoops need reliable options across the pitch.
Moving Kieran Tierney, a natural wing-back, forward and bringing another defender, like Colby Donovan, to play in the back three could be a sensible move to make after Celtic conceded five goals in their first two games with this new system.
Dream 1st signing for Nancy: Celtic plot move for "exceptional" £90k-p/w star
Celtic are plotting a move to sign a Premier League player who could be a dream first signing for Wilfried Nancy.
Everton’s mini-unbeaten run continues, albeit not quite in the way they would’ve hoped.
On Saturday, David Moyes’ men were held to a goalless draw by Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium, neither team ever looking particularly likely to make the breakthrough.
Nevertheless, this means the Toffees are still yet to lose or even concede a goal at their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, beating both Brighton in the Premier League and Mansfield in the EFL Cup on Merseyside so far.
The 3-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux a fortnight ago underlined the array of exciting attacking midfielders and wingers at Moyes’ disposal, but this team could’ve been even more frightening, had they not sold a “phenomenal” centre-forward.
Jack Grealish's impact at Everton
Jack Grealish did not take long to rediscover his best form after joining Everton on loan from Manchester City.
Having bagged a pair of assists during the victories over Brighton and Wolves, the England international leads the way in the division in that regard, albeit at this early stage.
Nevertheless, as recognition, he was named Premier League player of the month for the very first time in August, with Patrick Boyland of the Athletic describing his impact as ‘instantaneous’, labelling him a ‘symbol of hope’ for ‘success-starved supporters’.
However, he would be even more scintillating if he was able to feed top-quality strikers.
Beto scored against both Mansfield and Wolves last month, but Thierno Barry is yet to get off the mark since arriving from Villarreal for £27m, having bagged 11 La Liga goals during his solitary season with the Yellow Submarine.
Thus, the Frenchman could certainly come good, while Beto has proven what he can do, scoring seven Premier League goals after Moyes’ re-appointment in January, but just how much would Grealish have enjoyed playing with a forgotten Everton forward?
Everton's forgotten centre-forward
Back in the summer of 2019, Everton signed a striker by the name of Moise Kean for around £25m from Juventus but, suffice to say, he did not leave much of a lasting impression at Goodison.
The striker scored just four goals in 39 appearances for the Toffees, on target in the Premier League against Newcastle and Bournemouth, while also netting during EFL Cup victories over Salford and Fleetwood.
Thus, he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, actually scoring 17 times for les Rouge-et-Bleu, before returning to Everton the following August, fittingly marking his final game for the club by being sent off against Huddersfield.
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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.
Soon after, he rejoined Juventus on a two-year loan deal, with la Vecchia Signora paying around £28m to eventually make the move permanent.
Nevertheless, across two spells in Turin, Kean scored a mere 22 goals in 123 appearances for the Bianconeri, only really bursting to life after moving to Fiorentina for around £15.5m last summer.
Fiorentina'sMoiseKeancelebrates
During his debut campaign at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Kean scored 25 times across all competitions, 19 of which came in Serie A, making him the division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Capocannoniere winner Mateo Retegui.
As a result, Inter legend Christian Vieri labelled his form “phenomenal”, reflected by the fact that Football Transfers believe his current market value to be around £48m, by some distance the highest it has ever been, more than three times more than what Fiorentina paid to recruit him and more than the £28m the same source values Grealish at.
The table below underlines Kean’s exponential increase in terms of scoring output.
2016/17
Juventus
1
2017/18
Juventus
4
2018/19
Juventus
7
2019/20
Everton
2
2020/21
Everton & PSG
19
2021/22
Juventus
6
2022/23
Juventus
8
2023/24
Juventus
Zero
2024/25
Fiorentina
25
As the table documents, it is quite the turnaround for Kean, having scored no goals in one season before bagging 25 in the next, having only ever managed more than eight in a campaign once beforehand.
His form has caught the eye of both recent Italy managers, first Luciano Spalletti and subsequently the newly-appointed Gennaro Gattuso.
Before the start of this year, Kean had scored just one international goal since September 2021.
Now though, he has bagged five in 2025 already, notching a brace against Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals at Westfalenstadion in March, before netting three times during the most-recent break, scoring a towering header when Estonia visited Bergamo, before a brace during Monday’s bonkers 5-4 victory over Israel at Nagyerdei Stadion.
So, while no one at Everton could’ve forecast how good Kean would become, he is proof that development and progress are not linear, but just imagine the Blues had a striker capable of scoring 25 goals a season, and how good he would be in tandem with Grealish.
Just as bad as Beto: Moyes must now drop Everton's 6/10 "passenger"
Everton will rue missed chances as they played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Leeds United might well look back on this summer’s transfer window with plenty of regrets come the end of the long and hard Premier League season.
Indeed, no deadline day signings ended up being sealed by the Whites, with the forward areas – in particular – crying out for some fresh blood, considering Daniel Farke’s men have only netted once in league action so far, from three contests.
Leeds United manager DanielFarkereacts
It wasn’t through a lack of trying, arguably, as Leeds did look set to bring in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Facundo Buonanotte to Elland Road as the days grew ever closer to the chaos of deadline day.
However, at the final hour, the Argentine playmaker chose Chelsea instead as his next onward destination on loan, leaving Leeds with the bitter feeling of what could have been if the South American had entered the building to save the day.
What Buonanotte would have offered Leeds
Unfortunately, the glitz and glamour of lining up for Enzo Maresca’s men swayed the 20-year-old creator to move to West London over West Yorkshire.
He already has an early bump to contend with, though, as he has been shockingly left out of the Italian’s Champions League squad, just a matter of days after penning a loan move.
Still, there will be plenty of opportunities presumably handed to him in the bread and butter of Premier League action, after a loan stint last season out to Leicester City saw him dazzle top-flight defences regularly, despite the Foxes succumbing to relegation.
From 35 appearances at the King Power Stadium, the up-and-coming 20-year-old would pick up an impressive six goals and three assists, with a further seven goal contributions also coming his way back at Brighton, before finding his first-team minutes had dried up.
Leeds would have loved to welcome Buonanotte in on a short-term basis, with plenty more goals and assists registered by the entertaining South American at Elland Road, potentially helping Farke and Co beat the drop.
Instead, the goal-shy Whites will have to make do with Brenden Aaronson as one of their only recognisable number ten options, with the arrival of the two-time Argentina international also allowing them to explore more formations, away from the combative 4-3-3 preferred by Farke currently.
Frustratingly, this selection dilemma could actually be solved right now if Leeds hadn’t discarded a Buonanotte-style ace for just £1m two years ago.
Leeds' original Buonanotte
Farke has gone about making his side far more militant in the midfield ranks, with faces such as Ilia Gruev and Sean Longstaff not the most creative presences imaginable.
This is where Mateusz Bogusz could have come to the rescue, with the Polish midfielder very much a forgotten relic of Leeds’ recent past.
Before going on to make a name for himself as an attacking menace at both LAFC and Cruz Azul, Bogusz was a rising star tipped for greatness in West Yorkshire, having once been dubbed as a “very talented” player by his ex-U23s coach at Leeds in Carlos Corberan.
While he was showered with praise behind the scenes, the now 24-year-old would never go on to make the grade at a senior level, with three unmemorable men’s games passing him by, before he was offloaded for a bargain £880k to the MLS.
Games played
120
Goals scored
26
Assists
26
Trophies
2x
Looking at the table above, this was an unwise decision to make with hindsight on side, with Bogusz now boasting a high 52 goal contributions post his frustrating Elland Road stay.
With an ability to fire home a fierce effort, on top of picking out a teammate with ease, the 25-year-old might well have gone on to be success in the long-term if given more chances to impress, with his “dangerous” style of play – as it was described by reporter Greg Beacham – in the here and now also making him an apt fall back option for Buonanotte’s move being dead in the water.
Instead, there’s just more regrets piling up at Leeds on what could have been, as Farke now just has to make do with what he’s got until January rolls around.
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Newcastle United will be looking to do just one thing this summer and that is making sure Alexander Isak is still part of their squad when the summer transfer window closes.
The Swede has enjoyed yet another fruitful campaign in the North East and securing Champions League football will do Eddie Howe’s prospects of keeping him – at least for another season – no harm at all.
Newcastle United managerEddieHoweapplauds fans after the match
The Magpies have a rich history of towering, magnificent centre-forwards throughout their history. From Hughie Gallacher to Jackie Milburn. Malcolm Macdonald to Alan Shearer. Every generation of Newcastle supporters has had the privilege of seeing a proper number nine lead the line for the club.
Since Shearer’s retirement, things looked bleak on that front for a few years. That was until Isak joined the Toon in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £63m.
This was a club-record fee, but over the previous three seasons, the former Borussia Dortmund starlet has more than repaid the faith shown in him by Howe, that’s for sure.
Alexander Isak has been one of Newcastle’s finest signings
Bringing Isak to the club was a major statement of intent by Howe, especially as the club were looking at playing in the Champions League.
Injuries restricted him to just 27 appearances during his maiden campaign at St James’ Park, but he still managed to score ten Premier League goals while chipping in with three assists.
Last season, the Magpies made the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition. Isak may have scored a solitary goal in that campaign, but his overall tally of 25 was the most he had recorded in a single season at club level.
Not someone to be content with that output, the Swedish hitman has only gone and bettered that this season.
At the time of writing, the 25-year-old has found the back of the net 27 times in all competitions, but the striker is offering more than just goals to this Newcastle side.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
Indeed, when compared to his peers in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, Isak ranks in the top 3% for successful take-on percentage (47.7%), in the top 10% for touches in the attacking penalty area (6.28) and in the top 15% for goal-creating actions (0.47) per 90.
Add in the fact that he has recorded six assists for the Toon in the league this term, and it proves just how much he has developed his game.
If Newcastle do qualify for the Champions League, Howe will be determined to reach the knockout stages. In order to do so, however, he must spend this summer in a bid to improve his squad.
Metric
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
10
21
23
Assists
1
2
6
Shots per game
2.3
2.6
2.9
Goal conversion percentage
20%
27%
24%
Scoring frequency (minutes)
152
108
116
A lack of depth, especially in key attacking positions, is worrying. Could a move for a Bundesliga starlet change that?
Newcastle plotting move for Borussia Dortmund star
Anthony Gordon may be Howe’s main source of goals and assists from the wing, but it is evident that another top-class talent is required to take the club to the next level.
According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have sent scouts to monitor Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, who has a reported release clause of £50m, as they plot a move to sign the England U21 international.
If the club fails to qualify for the Champions League next season, this fee will fall, opening the door for several clubs to make an offer.
There is no doubt that he wants to play at the top level of European competition, which means Howe will be desperate for his side to finish in the top five.
If so, signing a talent like Gittens would be a huge statement of intent. Furthermore, the young winger would also be a dream signing for Isak.
Why Newcastle must sign Jamie Gittens
Since Niko Kovac began his tenure at Dortmund, it is obvious that Gittens doesn’t quite fit in with his tactical plans.
This means he could be on the move in the summer and, if Howe has the necessary funds, it is a deal that must be a top priority for the club.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittensin action with Lille's Bafode Diakite
The Englishman has already played over 100 competitive matches for the German giants, scoring 17 goals and grabbing 14 assists in the process.
Like compatriots Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham before him, Gittens could certainly be the next massive English talent to depart Dortmund for a move abroad.
After he scored the first Champions League goal of his career in November 2022, Statman Dave hailed the winger as a “wonderkid” and it was hard to argue.
Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, using Dortmund as a potential stepping stone for a move to the Premier League.
Although his displays haven’t been as good as hoped since Kovac took charge, Gittens still ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons (3.58) and in the top 9% for progressive carries (5.49) per 90 when compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues.
These statistics show that the youngster is highly effective at beating his man and taking the ball into the final third, which is why he could be a dream for Isak.
He has also created six big chances in the German top flight while averaging 0.7 key passes per game. Again, yet more evidence of why he would be an excellent signing for Isak next season, because he can create high-quality chances for the striker to put away.
The most important aspect for Howe is that Gittens still has plenty of development to do. He is by no means the finished article. Playing alongside stars such as Bruno Guimaraes and Isak will only help him take the next step in his career.
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Gittens is a man in high demand this summer and with Dortmund looking like they are open to selling, the Magpies could face stiff competition for the Englishman when the window opens.
Finishing in the top five of the league table is therefore imperative to their hopes of landing the talented winger. If not, then the club will likely miss the boat on Gittens.
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He could be such an exciting addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.