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It's set to be a busy summer for West Ham United on and off the pitch, as they're potentially forced to find a replacement for David Moyes before going head-to-head with Manchester United in pursuit of a Ligue 1 midfielder.

West Ham transfer news

Before anything, the Hammers must establish what their managerial plan is and just who will be in charge come the start of next season. As things stand, Moyes is set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the current campaign, but there's still some time for that to change. If the Scot does depart, then West Ham fans could see Steve Cooper or Graham Potter arrive after both were linked with the job.

West Ham officials are keen on signing record-breaker in £15m+ transfer

The Hammers have turned their attention towards the summer.

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 4, 2024

Whilst finding a solution to their managerial problem, however, West Ham have still had an eye on incomings on the pitch, with Ivan Toney the biggest name to have been linked with a summer switch. It's no secret that the England international is unlikely to stay put at Brentford this summer and the Hammers could take full advantage to land a statement signing.

Meanwhile, according to Calciomercato, West Ham are also eyeing a move to sign Youssouf Fofana from AS Monaco alongside interest from Manchester United. The midfielder is reportedly ready to leave Monaco at the end of the season and rejected a new deal in search of that exit, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2025.

Given that he has just one year remaining on his deal, giving Monaco limited time to cash in, reports suggest that Fofana's price tag sits at around €30m (£26m) in what would be one of the bargains of the summer if West Ham pursued a deal. The France international would represent the perfect start to the summer for the Hammers.

"Magnificent" Fofana can unleash Paqueta

If Lucas Paqueta's impact wasn't impressive enough at West Ham, then a player of Fofana's calibre would take it to the next level to leave the Hammers in the best position possible to continue their European exploits. Whether his arrival would come at a cost for James Ward-Prowse or Tomas Soucek remains to be seen, but dropping either of the current West Ham midfielders would be worth it to make room for Fofana.

If the move does take place, then Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig will certainly be pleased, having urged Premier League sides to pursue Fofana back in 2022.

Everything is pointing towards Fofana being a player that West Ham would be wise to welcome this summer, as they kick off their new era potentially without Moyes in charge.

Pochettino is yet to formally join the USMNT as their head coach despite having an agreement with the USSF

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• Pochettino yet to join USMNT
• Has an agreement with the USSF
• Terms of Chelsea's severance package creating hindrance

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Athletic reported last week that ex-Chelsea coach Pochettino is all set to become the new manager of the United States men's national team. Pochettino is currently without a club after he was told to exit Stamford Bridge in May this year.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  The Argentine, however, is yet to formally put pen to paper on a contract despite reaching an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation. The Athletic now reports that the reason why the manager is yet to take up the job is the terms of Chelsea's severance package to him. Per the clause, the Blues will pay Pochettino until the time he gets a new job after which the club will not owe any money to him. It is unlikely that USSF will be able to afford Pochettino's last wages as national jobs are generally lowly paid compared to what the top 6 Premier League clubs pay.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There is more than one way to solve the existing issue. USSF could replicate Canada's stance during the signing of Jesse Marsch as three MLS teams from Canada helped the country's federation by contributing. However, it has been reported that USSF had no such chat with MLS clubs as of now. The second way will be to go the Lionel Messi way as they could collaborate with a third party who could partly sponsor the move.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if the Blues come forward and agree to cover half the money that was owed to the manager while USSF will pay their part. The USMNT will be next seen in September during the international break as they take on Canada and New Zealand in back-to-back friendlies.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to end their winless streak when they face AFC Bournemouth this evening in the Premier League.

Gary O’Neil has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in the Midlands, but the Old Gold have failed to win a match in all competitions since 9 March, and he will hope this changes tonight.

Having lost several of his players to injury during their weekend defeat to Arsenal, O’Neil could be set to welcome back a few faces in what is a vital match if the Midlands side have any ambitions of securing a top-half finish.

Wolves team news vs Bournemouth

“Rayan will be fit to start if we deem that to be the right way to go,” said O’Neil during his pre-match press conference prior to the match.

“Daws' is obviously out after the surgery he had. Pablo had a tight groin after Nottingham Forest and three starts would have been tricky, but he should be available to start the next two if we choose to. Mario is available to play.”

It appears as though several players could be ready to play a part tonight and, after starting the tie against the Gunners on the bench, Rayan Ait-Nouri must be unleashed.

Rayan Ait-Nouri’s statistics this season

Journalist Dougie Critchley lauded O’Neil’s use of the Algerian earlier this month, while also describing him as "one of the Premier League’s best players in 2024.”

Among his teammates, the dynamo currently ranks sixth for goals and assists in the Premier League (three), along with ranking seventh for big chances created (two), fourth for key passes per game (0.8) and second for successful dribbles per game (two), showcasing his impressive attacking abilities.

Against Coventry during Wolves’ 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup last month, Ait-Nouri was arguably the best player on the pitch.

Not only did he score and register an assist, but the youngster also made two key passes, completed 90% of his passes, created a big chance and succeeded with three of his five dribble attempts in what was a sublime performance.

During that match, O’Neil deployed him on the left of a four-man midfield and this appeared to suit his skill set, being able to contribute effectively when the side has the ball and are pushing forward.

Hugo Bueno operated on the left against Arsenal, but failed to create any big chances, make a key pass or even attempt a dribble, showing how much the Old Gold missed Ait-Nouri.

With the next few matches crucial with regard to Wolves securing enough points to force their way into the top half of the table, O’Neil will be hoping to unleash his strongest starting XI against the Cherries.

At the time of writing, they trail Brighton and Hove Albion by a single point, having played a game more, which indicates that a victory tonight is a must, especially with matches against Manchester City and Liverpool to come over the coming weeks.

Wolves could sign their own Romelu Lukaku in "unique" marksman

Wolves could be eyeing up a move for a current Premier League striker…

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 19, 2024

After claiming to be the cousin of a Ballon d'Or winner, Dia went down in football folklore as one of the most bizarre signings ever

Ali Dia has gone down in football history. After purporting to be the cousin of legendary Ballon d’Or winning AC Milan forward George Weah, Dia managed to blag his way into a Premier League move in 1996.

Graeme Souness, then working as Southampton’s manager rather than as a surly television pundit, received a phone call from a man claiming to be Weah; it was not. The voice on the other end of the line nevertheless recommended Dia to Souness, who felt that such an endorsement could not be ignored.

So, Dia was handed a one-month contract and would go on to become perhaps the worst player the Premier League has ever seen…

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  Hook, line and sinker

  Souness was not the only manager to receive a call from the man claiming to be Weah. Harry Redknapp, then at West Ham, has recounted receiving a similar recommendation over the phone, although he gave it much shorter shrift.

  “He rang me at the training ground – it was George Weah," Redknapp recalled. "He rang up and said, ‘My cousin, good player, I’ve seen your team, you’re a good team but you need a goal-scorer’. I was saying, ‘Oh yeah, OK George, lovely’. I thought it was a wind-up.” Unsurprisingly, Redknapp opted against a deal.

  Tony Pulis also received a similar call at Gillingham and was taken in just enough to give Dia a trial. His assessment? “He was rubbish”. Alarm bells had started to ring, as Pulis was confused as to how Weah would even know of the club.

  ‘Weah’ also called Port Vale, and they too gave Dia a run-out, in a reserve game against Middlesbrough. He didn’t play well.

  Souness, though, claimed that “you had to sit up and take notice” when receiving a recommendation from such an esteemed figure as Weah. Dia was hardly given a multi-year contract worth millions, but he was officially a Premier League player, and even pocketed a signing-on fee.

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• The true back story

  It didn’t exactly last. Souness appeared somewhat confused by Dia’s footballing CV and claimed at the time of his signing that Dia had played with Weah at Paris Saint-Germain.

  In fact, the club he had played for before the Saints was Blyth Spartans. At the non-league club, he made history by becoming their first-ever black player, though made only one appearance, coming off the bench against Boston United.

  While Dia had played in the lower reaches of French football, he had never won an international cap nor had he played for PSG, as 'Weah' had claimed.

  Multiple potential sources of the hoax have been reported; some claim it was a friend of Dia impersonating Weah, while others say it was his agent. There are also reports claiming it was Dia himself, merely putting on an accent. That Souness was fooled is quite remarkable; that he gave Dia a game is something else entirely.

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  The cameo

  In fairness, it wasn’t exactly going well for Southampton at the time. The Saints had almost been relegated the season prior, surviving only via goal difference as Manchester City went down in their stead.

  Souness was appointed in the summer of 1996, but he oversaw a shaky start to the season that saw the Saints win just three of their opening 13 games. Then, in the November, Dia arrived, and had been scheduled to play in a reserve game so the coaching staff could assess his quality. However, heavy rain left the pitch waterlogged and the fixture was called off.

  Nevertheless, Dia, despite failing to impress in training, was named on the bench for the clash with Leeds on November 23 because injuries had torn through the playing squad. And when talisman Matt Le Tissier became the latest victim, Dia was summoned from the bench.

  He played 53 minutes of the game before being substituted himself, and Le Tissier remembers that Dia was “f*cking hopeless”, while Souness claimed seeing him play so badly was like a “kick in the b*llocks”.

  Dia went into training on the Sunday, but it was a day off for the players, and Le Tisser claims the fake player “did a runner”, as he simply did not show up on the Monday.

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• Dia's defence

  Dia, though, pleaded his innocence. He claimed after the fact that he was not a “con man” and that it was his agent who must have been pretending to be Weah while talking to clubs. Souness insisted he wasn’t “duped” as Dia was an international player, but he wasn’t, and there is no record of him ever winning a cap.

  Instead, in December of that year, Dia dropped down to non-league level once again, joining Gateshead, and he said at the time that the move to Southampton was a “misunderstanding.” He also, however, claimed to have played for Senegal and scored in a World Cup qualifier, which did not happen.

  Reportedly, Dia earned £2,000 from his time with the Saints and was able to then parlay that into becoming Gateshead’s highest earner. He actually scored for the club on his debut, and would add one more to his tally across an eight-game spell.

At the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Liverpool trudged off the pitch against Southampton following a 4-4 draw in the Premier League, having failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

It was clear, brutally so, that a long-serving and long-thriving midfield consisting of stalwarts like Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho, had passed their sell-by date and were no longer fit for purpose in the heavy metal brand of football that Klopp so wonderfully stamped on Merseyside, lifting Liverpool to new heights following his appointment in 2015.

Jurgen Klopp might be stepping down from his role as helmsman at Anfield this summer, ending a near-nine-year stay, and there might be some upset surrounding the late-season slump that has seen Liverpool pulled away from the gripping Premier League title race, but the masterful summer rebuild of 2023 has left the club in an exciting position.

What will be the priority of soon-to-arrive manager Arne Slot, who will be anointed as the heir to Klopp's throne on Merseyside after the 2022/23 campaign's conclusion, having enjoyed a trophy-laden, successful tenure at Feyenoord in his Dutch homeland?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano understands that bolstering the backline will take precedence, but Slot may well need to strengthen his midfield too, especially concerning the No. 6 position.

Why Slot must replace Wataru Endo

Right on the cusp of the 2023/24 campaign's opener, Liverpool fumbled the bag in their pursuit of a new defensive midfielder, losing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea and setting off alarm bells at Anfield.

However, Klopp and temporary sporting director Jorg Schmadtke made a shrewd venture overseas, signing Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for a £16m fee.

It was, frankly, a move that was met with a chorus of surprise from the Reds fanbase, but the 31-year-old Japan star has impressed through his industrious and composed approach in the centre of the park, proving claims from those such as Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard that Liverpool had astutely secured a "proper warrior and leader".

While Endo started slowly in England, he cemented a regular starting berth in the Premier League as the campaign approached the winter months, even being crowned Liverpool's Player of the Month for December.

Across all competitions, the £50k-per-week ace has featured 41 times for Klopp's senior squad, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

Considering the paltry fee paid to bring him to the club in comparison to Chelsea's staggering outlay for Caicedo and Lavia, there's every reason to rejoice over such a sharp addition – especially after triumphing over the Blues in the Carabao Cup final in February, a match that saw Endo handed a 9/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle.

However, he's certainly fallible and was handed a 6/10 score as Liverpool's fading title hopes hit rock bottom during last weekend's draw against West Ham United, with Endo fading himself as the contest went on.

As per FBref, Endo ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 20% for pass completion and the top 9% for aerial duels won per 90, showcasing his expertise of the core qualities that shape an effective No. 6.

But the table above highlights deficiencies that preclude him from claiming a seat among the upper echelon of deep-lying midfielders across Europe, winning just 44% of his 3/8 duels per game. Rodri, for example, comes out on top in 60% of his six contested duels per game.

One analyst even remarked that "he would struggle" if placed into another midfield, with his environment within Anfield's walls enhancing and brightening his qualities.

With Klopp leaving and Slot demanding a double-pivot at the heart of the pitch, Endo might not be the answer, and while it would be an ill-advised move to ship him on this summer, he must be axed from the starting line-up and handed more of a bit-part role in the future.

Who could replace Endo at Liverpool

Well-known analyst Raj Singh believes that Fabinho, who was widely criticised last season for his role in Liverpool's collapse – noted for his "awful" performances by pundit Jamie Carragher, for example – "better than what any Liverpool defensive midfielder has done this season", after being sold to Al-Ittihad last summer.

That's not to say that Liverpool's Brazilian stalwart would be the perfect solution, but it does illuminate the need for a solution, especially with Klopp closing the door on his Liverpool journey.

Who could replace Endo? Well, reports from Portugal in April have suggested that Liverpool have entered formal negotiations with Porto for the transfer of Alan Varela, who has a €70m (£60m) release clause and has been lauded as a "Rolls-Royce" of a player by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The 22-year-old would certainly offer skills to cement a long-standing place at the heart of Slot's Liverpool side, perhaps benefiting from the added security of having a grizzled veteran such as Endo to guide him at Anfield.

Furthermore, Caught Offside have recently revealed that Liverpool are alongside Arsenal and Manchester United in tracking Brighton & Hove Albion's 20-year-old starlet Carlos Baleba, who is valued at £55m, as they seek to make a prudent and providential signing.

Fabinho, at his best, was called "the best" in his position worldwide by pundit and Manchester United icon Gary Neville, plying his trade with steely conviction, allowing the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to wreak havoc in the final third.

But Endo, with no disrespect, is simply not at the same level as this erstwhile phenom, and Slot simply has to ditch him from this place of power as Liverpool's first-choice defensive midfielder going forward, lest the same mistakes of this season reveal themselves like a creeping stain at the start of a new era.

Slot could upgrade on Endo with "monster" £55m Liverpool transfer

The Anfield side will undergo a series of transformations this summer…

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 29, 2024

Lionel Messi has been reunited with former Argentina teammate Oscar Ustari at Inter Miami, 16 years on from enjoying Olympic glory together.

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• Herons snap up experienced goalkeeper
• Won Olympic gold alongside Messi in 2008
• MLS Cup glory being chased down in 2024

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons have announced the surprise arrival of another goalkeeper, with Tata Martino moving to bolster his options in that department. Ustari has moved to Florida on a short-term deal through to the end of the 2024 MLS season.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 38-year-old – who has previously spent time with the likes of Boca Juniors, Getafe, Sunderland, Newell’s Old Boys and Pachuca – brings a wealth of experience with him to Chase Stadium and will provide further competition to established No.1 and USMNT hopeful Drake Callender.

• WHAT USTARI SAID

  Ustari has told Inter Miami’s official website: “I’m excited to join a club like Inter Miami and grateful for the opportunity to be part of this great institution that aspires to achieve big things. I’m also very happy to reunite with Leo in the locker room and on the field after such a long time. I’m ready to help and contribute my experience to the team at all times, wherever I’m needed, to achieve both collective and personal goals.”

  The Herons’ chief soccer officer and sporting director, Chris Henderson, added: “We’re pleased to incorporate an experienced player like Oscar to add depth to our goalkeeping group for the remainder of the season. His addition will be key during this final stretch of the campaign as CJ dos Santos is currently recovering from an injury and Cole Jensen continues to develop, gaining professional experience with Inter Miami CF II in MLS NEXT Pro.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ustari has played alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi when representing Argentina. He helped his country to FIFA U20 World Youth Championship glory in 2005, before claiming a gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Anthony Taylor will not referee any Premier League matches this weekend after officiating Chelsea's feisty win at Bournemouth.

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• Taylor referees Chelsea's win at Bournemouth
• Official dishes out 14 bookings in the contest
• Won't referee Premier League games this weekend

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  English official Taylor was in charge of Chelsea's 1-0 win at Bournemouth last weekend – in a match where the referee handed out a Premier League record 14 yellow cards. Off the back of that, he won't officiate any English top-flight games this weekend, and here's why.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  According to The Guardian, Taylor won't be in action this weekend after being subjected to abuse on social media in the wake of the Chelsea match. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said on Tuesday that Taylor would be a fourth official on Southampton's home game against Ipswich Town on Saturday and Brighton's trip to Nottingham Forest a day later.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The report adds Chelsea and Bournemouth face Football Association fines of £25,000 for picking up more than six yellow cards in a match – with eight Blues players being booked at last weekend's encounter.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea are next in action on Saturday in an early Premier League kick-off away to London neighbours West Ham, whereas Bournemouth travel to Liverpool later that day. Taylor will likely return to refereeing duty next weekend.

Mikel Arteta has been in the Arsenal hot seat for over four and a half years, and while the team today is practically unrecognisable from the one he inherited in December 2019, the changes over the last two seasons have been seismic.

At the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners were recovering from a failed top-four challenge that was decisively ended at the home of their biggest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. This setback led to low expectations, with the BBC's Chief football writer Phil McNulty bluntly stating, "I do not see them as title contenders."

However, with additions such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko and the integration of William Saliba, challenge they did, and while they failed, they have challenged once again this term.

That said, while Saliba has maintained his place in the team, and Jesus has still racked up an admirable haul of eight goals and eight assists, Zinchenko has seen his stock plummet, and as a result, it might be time for the club to move on from him.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's Arsenal career

Zinchenko completed his £32m transfer to Arsenal from Manchester City in July 2022 and immediately replaced Kieran Tierney as the Gunners' first-choice left-back.

In his first season with the club, the Ukrainian made 33 appearances, of which 28 were starts, while the Scotsman made just 15 starts in his 36 appearances, and had the former City ace not been injured for 20 games, he likely would've started many more.

It was his ability to play as "one of the most central players", per Tierney, that saw the Radomyshl-born ace become the club's go-to left-back last season, which shouldn't have come as a surprise as it was Arteta who helped transform the 27-year-old from a central player into a full-back during their time together at City.

However, for all the attacking options he brought to the team, the left-footed ace was frequently exposed at the back.

Liverpool's equalising goal at Anfield last year came from his mistake when defending against Trent Alexander Arnold, and while the manager persevered with his signing at the start of this season, the writing was on the wall.

Yet again, Zinchenko made another big mistake away at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah's equalising goal resulting from his poor defending, so much so that Gary Neville labelled him a "liability."

Since the turn of the year, Arteta has favoured Jakub Kiwior over the former City man and with Takehiro Tomiyasu seemingly back to full fitness and Jurrien Timber likely to play a significant role next year, he'll fall even further down the pecking order.

So, with his valuation collapsing as well, it's probably time the club cashed in while they still can.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's valuation in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory, Zinchenko is worth just €20m, which converts to around £17m, or £15m less than the club paid for his services less than two years ago.

This new valuation also means he is now only the fourth most valuable player that the club signed in the 2022/23 season who is still at the club, ahead of the 32-year-old Jorginho and Fabio Vieira.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he's now also worth substantially less than Saliba, who was integrated into the team simultaneously, with CIES valuing the Frenchman at €100m, which is around £86m.

That means the 23-year-old is worth a whopping £69m more than his defensive teammate, or in other words, the Ukraine international is now worth just 14% of the former Saint-Etienne star's current value.

That might sound excessive, but Saliba has really established himself in the team this year, starting 100% of league and Champions League games while being named in both Jamie Carragher and Neville's team of the season on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football this week – stick that one on your mantlepiece, William.

Ultimately, while Zinchenko helped to propel Arsenal up the table and into a genuine title fight last year, his lacklustre performances this season and declining importance to the team have seen his valuation understandably tumble.

So, if the Gunners can find a buyer, they should cut their losses and let the former City ace leave this summer before his value drops further.

Arteta must finally axe Arsenal flop who's worth £25m less than Nketiah

The talented ace just couldn’t make it work in North London, and now it’s time to go.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 13, 2024

Glasgow Rangers head into their Old Firm clash on Saturday knowing that anything but a win is likely to end their hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership title.

A draw or loss to their rivals away from Ibrox would see them need to win their last two league matches whilst needing Celtic to drop points in both of their games.

Philippe Clement has already secured one trophy in charge of the Scottish giants so far – the League Cup – but still has the chance to seal the domestic treble, by beating the Hoops to the top-flight trophy and then coming out on top against them in the SFA Cup final at the end of this month.

This means that there is the possibility of this turning out to be a special season for the Light Blues, if they can enjoy a successful next few weeks on the pitch.

However, irrespective of what happens on the field between now and the end of May, head of recruitment Nils Koppen and his team will be hard at work to identify targets to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

A striker could be on the agenda for the Belgian chief and he should push ahead with a move for Lawrence Shankland, who is reportedly a player of interest to the club.

Rangers' interest in Lawrence Shankland

In February, after the close of the January transfer window, Football Insider reported that the Light Blues are plotting a double swoop for loanee Abdallah Sima and the Hearts star this summer.

The outlet stated that their hopes of landing the two forwards would increase significantly if they can qualify for the Champions League, although that will now need to be through the play-off rounds later this year even if they win the title.

It was also revealed that the Jam Tarts have offered him two 'record-breaking' deals to extend his contract with the club, but the striker has yet to commit his future to Tynecastle.

In March, former Celtic and Scotland striker Frank McAvennie told Football Insider that his "sources" revealed that Shankland will make the move to Rangers this summer if given the option to.

The retired attacker stated that the Scotland international is a Gers "supporter" and will link up with Clement's side if the right offer comes in that Hearts decide to accept.

It remains to be seen how much the Premiership side are set to demand for him this summer but they were reportedly looking for a fee within the region of £3m in January.

Koppen must now splash the cash to land Shankland for Clement in the coming months as the fantastic striker would come in as a big upgrade on current Light Blues number nine Cyriel Dessers.

Cyriel Dessers' mixed success for Rangers

Michael Beale swooped to sign the Nigeria international from Cremonese for a reported fee of £5.4m last summer, after his side were relegated from the Serie A, and the striker has had mixed success at Ibrox this term.

His return of 20 goals and eight assists in 50 games in all competitions so far looks good on paper for the experienced marksman, as does a tally of 14 goals in 24 Scottish Premiership starts.

However, those statistics do not paint the full picture for the 29-year-old forward, as his wastefulness in front of goal has cost him many more goals.

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has spurned a staggering 24 'big chances' in the Premiership, to go along with just 14 goals, in 32 appearances.

No other Rangers player has missed more than nine 'big chances' in the division, which illustrates just how wasteful the former Serie A striker has been.

He has underperformed his Expected Goals (xG) tally by 4.7, with 14 goals from 18.75 xG, and none of his teammates have underperformed their expected return by more than 2.81.

These statistics show that the striker, despite hitting 20 goals for the campaign in all competitions, has let the team down at times with his poor finishing, which is why the club should now push to sign Shankland.

Why Lawrence Shankland is a big upgrade on Cyriel Dessers

He was named the Premiership Player of the Year ahead of Rangers' Jack Butland and James Tavernier on Sunday, which speaks to the quality he has displayed on the pitch this term.

The award-winner has been in sensational form for the Jam Tarts throughout the 2023/24 campaign and could come in as a big upgrade on Dessers, if Koppen and Clement can get a deal over the line for the Scottish marksman in the upcoming summer transfer window.

First of all, Shankland has racked up a staggering 28 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, which means that he has eight more direct goal contributions than Dessers in six fewer matches.

This shows that the Scottish gem, who was once hailed as "clinical" by journalist Euan Robertson, has been more productive than the Nigerian lightweight this term.

As you can see in the table above, Shankland has also been significantly more effective in front of goal than the Light Blues dud in the Premiership, with seven more goals and 15 fewer 'big chances' missed.

The 28-year-old star has scored 21 league goals from an xG of 16.86 – an overperformance of 4.14 – and this means that he has plundered seven more goals than Dessers despite having less xG created for him.

These statistics show that the Hearts finisher has far more quality in front of goal, as shown by their respective performance against their xG tallies, and that is why Rangers should swoop for him.

Rangers were rinsed by £1.5m signing who cost more than Morelos

The Light Blues did not hit the mark when they swooped for the English striker.

By
Dan Emery

May 6, 2024

Shankland could replace Dessers as the first-choice striker for Clement next season and provide a far more reliable and impressive presence in the final third.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes sent a surprising six-word message to Jadon Sancho after the winger's Man of the Match display for Chelsea.

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• Sancho joins Chelsea on loan
• Stars in win over Bournemouth
• Fernandes reacts to his debut display

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea winger came off the bench and provided the crucial assist for Christopher Nkunku's late winner at Bournemouth on Saturday, earning the Player of the Match award in the process. After the game, the 24-year-old took to social media to celebrate the win, and his ex-United team-mate Fernandes was one of many to congratulate the England international.

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• WHAT JADON SANCHO AND BRUNO FERNANDES SAID

  After Sancho wrote on Instagram: "Delighted to make my @chelseafc debut, and to top it off with a win! 🅰️💪🏼," Fernandes responded on the post, "Some player you 🔥. Keep that smile."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sancho is looking to rebuild his career after a disappointing and drama-fuelled stay at the Red Devils. The former Borussia Dortmund star joined the Blues on a loan-to-buy deal late last month and now he has gotten off to an ideal start. Whether he can kick on from here remains to be seen.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sancho will hope to get more game time when Chelsea take on London neighbours West Ham in the Premier League in an early kick-off on Saturday, before taking on Barrow in round three of the Carabao Cup.