All posts by z3u9t.icu

We are deep into the international break now and yet, Daniel Farke still remains in the Leeds United dug-out.

If there were an apt time to get rid of the under-fire German, it would have been during this big gap in fixtures in the Premier League.

However, he has managed to see out the break – for now – without feeling the wrath of the 49ers, as he attempts to get back to winning ways against Aston Villa up next, when the hustle and bustle of the top-flight returns.

He will need summer recruit Noah Okafor back to his rampaging best down the left flank to secure a surprise result against Unai Emery’s visitors, with the Swiss continuing to stick out as one bright spark, even as the losses begin to stack up high.

How Okafor's start compares to Leeds wingers of days gone by

Already, the former AC Milan attacker has captured the hearts of the hardened Elland Road masses, with Leeds content creator Oscar Marrio even hailing him as a “difference maker” down the left flank.

Indeed, the £18m summer arrival is constantly trying to carve out openings and excite the Leeds fans watching on, with a whopping 12 dribbles attempted in November, even as his new employers fell to back-to-back away defeats.

Okafor also has the goals to back up his tricks and flicks, with two goals already put away by the hard-to-contain 25-year-old from eight Premier League contests.

But, how does his electric start to life in England compare to other notable wingers who previously called West Yorkshire home?

Amazingly, before he went on to reach “world-class” heights at Barcelona – as Brazil icon Romario stated – Raphinha would ply his trade for the Whites, with 17 goals and 12 assists collected from 67 matches in total.

Yet, he would only tally up one goal from his first eight Leeds appearances in the Premier League, with zero assists also next to his name.

Even more staggeringly, Luis Sinisterra – who only made 16 top-flight appearances for Leeds – managed a more impactful start than his Brazilian counterpart, with two goals fired home from his opening six matches, also seeing him surpass Okafor’s early numbers.

Back to the present, however, while Farke will be overjoyed with Okafor for the most part, he will still be feeling the strain of the right wing spot in his starting XI.

Leeds loanee is outperforming Okafor

Farke continues to persist with the likes of Brenden Aaronson on the right, despite his up-and-down reputation on English shores continuing into this season.

Only one goal has come the American’s way this campaign in league action, with Joe Gelhardt – on the other hand – full to the brim with goals and assists galore out on loan at Leeds’ Yorkshire neighbours in Hull City.

He might well be somewhat of a forgotten name now at Elland Road, but Gelhardt – who has eight Premier League goal contributions under his belt – is tearing apart the Championship at the moment with the Tigers, as classy dinked finishes such as his fine effort against Portsmouth become customary.

Hull manager in Sergej Jakirovic, when speaking to Croatian outlet Jutarnji, has even stated that the Liverpool-born star goes about his business on the pitch “in the style of legendary Dennis Bergkamp”. Leeds would surely benefit from having their classy 23-year-old attacker back at his parent club, therefore, if his glowing praise is anything to go by.

AM

6

2 + 0

RM

6

4 + 2

CF

1

1 + 0

The numbers back up all the wild praise, too, with Gelhardt now up to a stunning seven goals and two assists already in league action, despite lining up for just 15 matches.

This also means the one-time England U20 international is outperforming Okafor back at Elland Road, with the temptation surely there to recall Gelhardt from his loan at the Tigers, to see if he can impress in the league above, again, and fix Farke’s Aaronson-related woes.

Really, this should be no surprise to those who saw him tearing things up on the youth pitches at Wigan Athletic. He scored ten goals in one match against Huddersfield at U14s and was said to be on par with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

“Very few players stand out at 14. Steven Gerrard did in my first season, Rooney and certainly Joe [Gelhardt],” long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt once stated.

Reports do suggest Leeds have a small window right at the start of the upcoming transfer window to recall the reinvigorated 23-year-old if they so desire, with Gelhardt and Okafor on either flank back at Leeds a terrifying prospect.

Farke must drop Ampadu to unleash Leeds star who's like Declan Rice

Daniel Farke could boldly drop Ethan Ampadu by unleashing this Leeds United star in a new role.

ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2025

Despite spending over £100m on new additions during the summer transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur failed to address the issue at the top end of the pitch.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons arrived in North London, bolstering the ranks, but neither are natural centre forwards, which has left Thomas Frank short in such an area.

Richarlison has operated in such a role for the majority of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but he’s often failed to deliver – as seen by his run of eight games without a goal.

Dominic Solanke is another option the Dane will have been hoping to rely upon, but the club-record addition, who cost £65m last summer, has been sidelined since August after undergoing ankle surgery.

Randal Kolo Muani was added to the Lilywhites squad in the summer, only joining on loan from PSG, but he’s only started one game across all competitions to date.

However, the board could be about to back the new manager during the upcoming January transfer window, with numerous names already appearing on the club’s shortlist.

Latest on Spurs' striker search

Over the last couple of days, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović has been mentioned as a possible target for Spurs in January, with returning Sporting Director Fabio Paratici likely playing a key role in the deal.

The Lilywhites have been named as one of the sides pursuing a move for the 25-year-old, who’s already found the net three times in Serie A throughout 2025/26.

Any deal for the Serbian international could prove to be a cut-price one, with the talisman’s current contract with the Serie A outfit set to expire at the end of June next year.

However, he’s not the only attacker currently in their sights, with Porto talent Samu Aghehowa another option currently being considered by Frank and Paratici.

According to TEAMtalk’s latest report, the Lilywhites have been closely monitoring the Spaniard over the last couple of months and are considering a potential approach in January.

The article also states that the 21-year-old could be an expensive addition for the Lilywhites this winter, especially considering the talisman has a £87m release clause in his current deal in Portugal.

As previously mentioned, it’s clear the board are targeting a new number nine in the near future, but any addition will have a near-impossible task of filling the void in North London.

Why Spurs’ latest target could be Frank’s own Harry Kane

The likes of Richarlison and Solanke have often been given a hard time by the Spurs supporters over recent seasons – no doubt due to the levels produced by Harry Kane before them.

The England international was so often the key man for the first-team during his decade-long spell in North London, with the figures he produced nothing short of breathtaking.

He netted a total of 280 goals in his 435 competitive outings for the Lilywhites, a tally that sees him sit at the top of the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

Breaking down his numbers further adds yet another dimension to his quality, with the England international scoring over 30 goals in 50% of his seasons in England’s top-flight.

However, he was sold to Bayern Munich for a reported £82m in the summer of 2023, leaving the Spurs squad without that clinical centre-forward they so often turned to in moments of struggle.

As a result, Frank has been unable to work with the 32-year-old, but he could be handed his own version of the talisman, should the club complete a deal for Aghehowa.

The Spaniard has become known for his goalscoring ability in Portugal over the last 12 months – as seen by his incredible tally of 36 strikes in his 56 appearances.

He’s already managed to register 11 goals in his first 14 appearances, which has led to talent scout Jacek Kulig labelling him as “one of Europe’s most prolific players”.

Aghehowa’s underlying stats further highlight the all-round talent he possesses in attacking areas, subsequently making him the perfect player to fill the void Kane left a couple of years ago.

Games played

8

8

Goals scored

6

12

Shot on target accuracy

60%

57%

Short pass accuracy

86%

85%

Take-on success

50%

46%

Progressive carries

2.3

1.1

Carres into 18-yard box

0.9

0.6

Aerials won

1.2

1.1

He’s achieved a total of 2.4 shots on target per 90, a total which ranks him within the top 5% of all players in the Liga Portugal for the ongoing campaign.

The youngster has also completed 81% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst winning 58% of the aerial battles he’s entered – arguably making him the perfect focal point for Frank’s men.

Despite being a target man, the Spaniard has also demonstrated tidy footwork over recent months, as seen by his total of 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 in 2025/26.

It’s unclear if Porto would be willing to negotiate a deal lower than his release clause, but Paratici should be working tirelessly to complete a deal for his signature.

Should he make the move to North London during the winter months, it certainly will hand Frank the talisman he’s craved – potentially allowing the Dane to have his own version of fan-favourite, Kane.

Forget Johnson: "Unacceptable" Spurs flop now looks finished under Frank

Thomas Frank now has a Tottenham Hotspur player who looks finished in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

Unlike some of their Premier League rivals, Arsenal’s summer signings are looking better with every passing gameweek.

For example, he might’ve started slowly, but Viktor Gyokeres already has six goals to his name this season, and Noni Madueke was just starting to pick up steam before his injury.

Moreover, with Gabriel Magalhães’ recent injury, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie are looking like incredible buys.

With all that said, an argument could be made that Martin Zubimendi has been Arsenal’s best signing of all, so fans should be excited about reports linking the club to someone who could be an heir to the Spaniard and has been compared to Rodri.

Arsenal target their next Martin Zubimendi

With reports coming out about Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal as early as January, the excitement for the move wasn’t quite as intense as it perhaps should’ve been when it finally came to pass in the summer.

However, since then, the Spaniard has more than proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Whether it’s putting in a perfectly timed tackle to shield the back four, or driving with the ball and delivering a pinpoint accurate pass to a forward, the former Real Sociedad star really does it all.

Therefore, it makes sense that the club would already be looking for a younger gem who, over the next five to six years, can be moulded into his long-term heir.

According to a recent report from Spain, one of the young prospects that could sign for this purpose is Chema Andrés.

The story has revealed that, alongside Manchester City, Arsenal are already making moves to sign the VfB Stuttgart gem, who has had an excellent start to the season.

However, a potential roadblock for Andrea Berta and Co is that he’s a former Real Madrid prospect, and the Spanish giants have a buy-back clause worth around €13.5m for 2026, which is approximately £12m.

If Arsenal want to sign the young Spaniard, they’ll almost certainly have to pay significantly more than that, but even so, Andrés would be worth it as a future Zubimendi heir.

Why Chema Andrés could be Arsenal's future Zubimendi

So what is it that makes Zubimendi such an incredible footballer and has seen him so quickly become essential to Arsenal’s midfield?

Transfer Focus

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

Well, to put it simply, it’s his impressive combination of defensive nous and sensational ability on the ball, which has seen him already amass a tally of three goal involvements in 11 league games from the six position.

The good news is that, while it’s still very early on in his career, Chema Andrés appears to share this ability to heavily influence play in both halves.

For example, just last month, respected u23 scout Antonio Mango described his defensive abilities as “Rodri-like,” noting that he “simplifies the game and makes the basics look effortless.”

Then, when it comes to going the other way, Mango has praised him for his “expansive passing range”, and fellow talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him an “orchestrator” thanks to his incredible “vision” and “football IQ.”

Unsurprisingly, the 20-year-old “supernova” of a talent, as dubbed by one analyst, also has some incredible underlying numbers to more than justify the hype.

Interceptions

2.11

Top 1%

Clearances

3.65

Top 1%

Dispossessed

0.14

Top 1%

Aerials Won

3.93

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

4.49

Top 4%

Ball Recoveries

6.74

Top 4%

Shots on Target

0.70

Top 5%

SCA (Shot)

0.28

Top 6%

Successful Take-On %

66.7%

Top 6%

Blocks

1.83

Top 7%

Average Shot Distance

14.40

Top 8%

Shots Blocked

0.56

Top 9%

% of Dribblers Tackled

63.6%

Top 10%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.15

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

7.16

Top 11%

Passes Blocked

1.26

Top 11%

% of Aerials Won

62.2%

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

2.53

Top 14%

xG: Expected Goals

0.15

Top 15%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, clearances, aerials won, the top 4% for tackles plus interceptions and ball recoveries, the top 5% for shots on target, the top 11% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, on top of doing business at the club level, the youngster is also making waves on the international scene.

After making ten appearances for Spain’s u19s, he skipped the u20s altogether and has now made four appearances for the u21s, with the last coming on Tuesday night.

Ultimately, Zubimendi should be Arsenal’s starting six for quite some time, but if they can, they should do what they can to sign Andrés, as at just 20 years old, he could be the long-term heir.

Forget Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" can make Jover's corners more unstoppable

Here’s how Arsenal can replace Gabriel’s set-piece threat while he’s out injured.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Joining Manchester United in their pomp is easy. Joining Manchester United in their current state, fresh off the back of a worst-ever Premier League campaign at Old Trafford, requires a little bit of craziness.

Craziness to believe that you can be the man to lift the Red Devils out of their ongoing decline, with ex-Brentford talisman Bryan Mbeumo – signed on a £71m deal over the summer – already looking like he’s ready to do just that.

There may not have been the glamour attached to the deal that there was when names like Angel Di Maria or Radamel Falcao rocked up in Manchester, but that might be because this marquee move actually made sense, with Ruben Amorim and co forking out for a properly Premier League-proven figure.

Having netted 20 times in the top-flight last time out under Thomas Frank, there was a feeling that the Cameroonian was destined for the Champions League, with his former boss intent on taking him to Tottenham Hotspur.

The 26-year-old, to his credit, made it clear he only wanted United, patiently waiting out protracted negotiations to eventually seal his desired switch. Six goals in his first 12 games for the club have since followed.

Mbeumo is now the benchmark for further reinforcements to try and meet, with recent reports indicating that additional attacking recruits could potentially be in the works.

Man Utd's search for a forward

While the extent of his injury is yet to be known, the potential absence of Benjamin Sesko has brought the lack of genuine alternatives to the Slovenian into sharper focus, with Joshua Zirkzee the only other senior striker in Amorim’s ranks.

Sesko, signed for £74m from RB Leipzig, has made a promising albeit unspectacular start in English football with just two goals scored across league and cup, with questions to be asked over whether a more experienced marksman is still required.

According to reports in Spain, that very fact may well see United renew their interest in a certain Harry Kane in 2026, with the England skipper deemed to be a ‘proven solution’ to their long-standing centre-forward woes.

Transfer Focus

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

As per the report, the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea are also paying close attention to the 32-year-old’s situation at Bayern Munich, with his existing deal in Bavaria set to expire in 2027.

Kane, the piece suggests, is keen to stay at the Allianz Arena, although the presence of a reported €65m (£57m) release clause in his current contract will certainly spark a raft of interest heading into the New Year.

Whether it is January or next summer, Kane – who was Erik ten Hag’s prime target back in 2023 – would still remain a significant coup if INEOS could pull it off.

Why Man Utd could land an even better signing than Mbeumo

2023 remains a frustrating window as far as United are concerned, with Ten Hag’s apparent interest in the likes of Kane and Declan Rice ultimately counting for little, as Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana all arrived instead.

Hojlund, as those at Old Trafford are aware, has since proved to be something of a mixed bag, having scored just 26 goals in 95 games in all competitions, alongside a further four goals on loan at Napoli this season.

Since leaving Spurs for Bayern two years ago, meanwhile, Kane has gone on to amass a ridiculous haul of 108 goals in just 113 games for the Bundesliga giants, becoming the quickest player this century to reach triple figures for a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Mbeumo might have stolen the show with a standout 2024/25 campaign for the Bees, but if it is true Premier League proven quality that you are after, then Kane is the man. 213 goals in England’s top-tier places him third on the all-time list.

Widely regarded as the best striker in the world, Kane has scored at least 17 league goals in every season stretching from 2014/15 to 2024/25. As for the new campaign, he already has 13 in ten in Germany’s top division. Mbeumo, for contrast, has five in 11.

2024/25

31

26

2023/24

32

36

2022/23

38

30

2021/22

37

17

2020/21

35

23

2019/20

29

18

2018/19

28

17

2017/18

37

30

2016/17

30

29

2015/16

38

25

2014/15

34

21

Not your typical superstar, the former Spurs talisman is simply efficient to the extreme, with few players in the modern era having possessed such a ruthless, clinical streak in front of goal.

The beauty of Kane too, however, is that he isn’t just your average penalty box poacher. There are so many strings to his extraordinary bow.

Even deployed in almost a central midfield role at times under Vincent Kompany this season, namely in the win over Borussia Dortmund, England’s record scorer has that knack for being able to spray passes at will, having developed into an all-encompassing, playmaking number nine.

Such traits even led Tottenham great David Ginola to liken him to a legendary figure of the past back in 2022: “He is like the new Diego Maradona now. Long passes, short passes, he has it all.”

At 32, while he may be entering that ‘last dance’ territory, Amorim and United certainly shouldn’t turn their nose up at the chance to bring Kane back to England. There is Alan Shearer’s record to chase for him, after all.

Now worth more than Anderson: Man Utd star is the "nearest thing" to Zidane

Manchester United have hit the jackpot on a star who’s worth more than Elliot Anderson.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2025