Will this be the season Arsenal lift a major trophy again?
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The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bargain hunt: the best value signings in the Premier League this summer
The young English striker began his career at Derby before moving to Manchester City as a 16-year-old in 2019. After loan spells at Stoke, Preston and Hull, Liam Delap made a £20m move to Ipswich last summer and proceeded to make a name for himself in the Premier League. He scored 12 league goals (33% of Ipswich's total) and quickly attracted interest from numerous top-flight sides, including Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton. Ultimately, he chose Chelsea, who activated his £30m release clause, triggered by Ipswich's relegation, to secure his signature. In a market where strikers such as Benjamin Sesko (13 league goals last season) and Hugo Ekitiké (15 league goals last season) have commanded fees north of £70m, securing Delap for just £30m could be one of the shrewdest signings of the summer. Not only have Chelsea secured one of Europe's most complete young forwards but, crucially, he also has Premier League experience. He has a similar profile to Nicolas Jackson – a powerful, modern striker who combines strong ball-carrying (2.12 carries per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season), intelligent movement, clinical finishing (12 goals from an xG of 9.05) and a high work rate – but Delap probably has a higher ceiling than Chelsea's current forwards. Simon Adingra joined Brighton from FC Nordsjælland in the summer of 2022 for around £6m after a standout season in Denmark, where he scored 11 goals and provided nine assists – enough to capture the attention of the Seagulls' astute recruitment team. His time on the south coast didn't quite bring the meteoric rise enjoyed by some of Brighton's other young talents, but Adingra has nonetheless established himself as a Premier League winger, with the pace, directness and one-v-one ability to trouble defenders. For Sunderland, he represents £21m very well spent. Adingra looks tailor-made for Régis Le Bris's fast transitioning, counterattacking style of play. The 23-year-old thrives on the break, loves getting in behind defenders and offers a direct and aggressive outlet for teammates. In a side likely to enjoy limited possession, his ability to create and convert chances from minimal service could help them stay up. At the other end of his career to Adingra, but Granit Xhaka also offers great value. The 32-year-old brings a wealth of experience. He has made 137 appearances for Switzerland; he has won trophies in three countries; and he knows the Premier League inside out, having played 225 league games for Arsenal. Xhaka arrives from Bayer Leverkusen, where he was a key figure in Xabi Alonso's unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign, and he featured in 33 league games and 10 Champions League matches last season. On top of his experience, Xhaka is also operating at a top level. He ranked fifth for passes completed in Europe's top five leagues last season, fourth for progressive passes, second for passes into the final third, and he was in the top 40 for passes that lead to shots. He also picked up the fifth most assists in the Bundesliga last season. For just £13m, Sunderland have attracted one of Europe's best passing midfielders, a player with an abundance of Premier League experience, and a character who will bring leadership to their midfield. Signing Igor Jesus from Botafogo for £10m could prove to be a steal for Nottingham Forest. The club are preparing for their first season in Europe since 1996 so need more options upfront. The 24-year-old Brazilian offers something different to Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi. Igor Jesus arrives in England having helped Botafogo to both the Brasileiro Série A and Copa Libertadores titles last season, contributing 10 goals and one assist in 28 appearances in all competitions. Two of those goals came in the Club World Cup, where he made headlines by scoring the winner against the European champions Paris Saint-Germain. He also scored in a win over Seattle Sounders earlier in the tournament, earning player of the match in both games. He looks perfect for Forest's counterattacking approach. Igor Jesus offers speed, tireless running and strong finishing to a side that posted the third-lowest average possession in the Premier League last season and relied on quick, transitional football. He brings a different dimension to Wood, who lacks pace and mobility, and he should fit seamlessly into the side. For just £10m, Forest could have a gem on their hands. Brentford are renowned for developing young players into stars and the 21-year-old right-back Michael Kayode could be the next in line. Developed in the Juventus youth ranks, he moved to Gozzano in Serie D. He said he was taking 'a step backwards to make two forwards,' and he was proved right. Kayode was quickly snapped up by Fiorentina, where he became a regular starter at the age of just 19. He joined the Bees on loan in January and made five substitute appearances before earning his first start in the 4–2 win over Brighton, after which he held his spot in the side until the end of the campaign. He offers Brentford a defensively solid option at right-back, combining pace, stamina and strength with excellent one-v-one defending and recovery ability. His attacking decision-making is still developing, but he has the athleticism to support his attacking teammates, delivers dangerous crosses and is comfortable under pressure. No wonder Brentford paid £14m to sign him on a permanent deal. Brentford might just see yet another hefty return on a small investment. This is an article by WhoScored
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The four One-Day Cup breakout stars pushing for an England call: A flame-haired record-breaker, Mushtaq Ahmed's young protege, a Harry Brook-Ben Stokes hybrid and the Bazball archetype
With England set to rest captain Harry Brook and other senior figures like Joe Root ahead of the Ashes, next month's three-match one-day series in Ireland offers opportunities for younger players to be blooded. It was a similar scenario against the Irish two Septembers ago when England's director of cricket Rob Key and his fellow selectors delved beneath the surface and into a talent pool that included debutants Jamie Smith and Tom Hartley.
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Aston Villa transfer briefing: New club in for Morgan Rogers revealed, the five stars being lined up for new contracts, who's leaving and which signings they want
The news went down like a lead balloon with Aston Villa supporters looking ahead to their team's first game of the season. Daily Mail Sport reported on Thursday morning that even if Jacob Ramsey moves to Newcastle – Villa's opponents on Saturday – the initial £39million fee is unlikely to be used to strengthen the squad in the remaining two weeks of the window.
