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In what would be one the most interesting deals in the Premier League this summer, Liverpool could yet be offered the chance to sign a replacement for Andy Robertson in a swap deal for one of Arne Slot’s midfielders.

Liverpool must replace Robertson

It becomes increasingly difficult to criticise a club when they sit on their Premier League throne, but Liverpool – crown or no crown – are not yet the finished product under Slot. Their strengths have made them unstoppable at times, but their weaknesses have ensured that they’re not quite impenetrable and a large part of those weaknesses have come down their left-hand side courtesy of Robertson.

There’s no denying his legend status at Anfield. The Scot is now a two-time Premier League winner as well as a Champions League winner and every domestic trophy that English football has to offer. From a left-back relegated with Hull City, Robertson has won it all in Liverpool colours and will have his place among the best in his position in the club’s history books.

Agent already working on exit as Simeone handpicks £140k-p/w Liverpool star

He looks destined to leave this summer…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 30, 2025

That said, those days may well be exactly that – history. For the first time in his Liverpool career, Robertson has truly struggled to act as the reliable servant he has so often been and the Reds should act ruthlessly as a result this summer.

Whether the 31-year-old agrees with that sentiment is another question, however. When asked about the potential of competition arriving this summer, Robertson told reporters earlier this season: “I think we’ve been linked with pretty much every left-back in the world.

“That comes with playing with one of the greatest clubs in the world. I look back on these eight years I’ve had here as the starting left-back at that club and I feel a lot of pride. Your time comes and I don’t think it’s my time yet, but even if we do bring someone in, then so be it. I’ll always back myself.”

Liverpool could be offered surprise Antonee Robinson swap

One left-back who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Antonee Robinson and the Reds could yet receive quite the opportunity to land his signature. According to The Boot Room, Liverpool could be offered the chance to sign Robinson in a swap deal with Harvey Elliott. Fulham have reportedly spoken about re-signing their academy graduate, who Jurgen Klopp once dubbed “brilliant”, and Liverpool’s interest in their left-back has come up in the same conversations.

The American has enjoyed an excellent season, with 10 assists to his name in the Premier League, and could now earn the biggest move of his career as a result this summer.

Starts

32

27

Assists

10

0

Tackles Won

56

22

Ball Recoveries

142

91

The numbers paint quite the picture and it’s far from a pretty one for Robertson, who has been outperformed by Robinson in the current campaign. As the numbers show, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that the American has been the best in his position in the Premier League this season.

Aston Villa have now held internal talks over a move for an “unbelievable” midfielder, who is set to be available on a free transfer this summer, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Villa pursuing attacking midfielder

As we edge closer to the summer transfer window, it is becoming apparent that one position in which Villa are keen to strengthen is attacking midfield, and they are particularly keen on bringing in Rosenborg youngster Sverre Nypan.

Sporting director Monchi was recently spotted in Norway, having held talks with Nypan’s father to discuss the possibility of a move, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now suggested the deal could be edging closer to completion.

At just 18-years-old, the Rosenborg starlet is likely to be one for the future, and there are now suggestions the Villans could look to bring in an attacking midfielder with a plethora of experience at the top level.

According to a report from Sky Sports, Aston Villa have now held internal discussions over a move for Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to leave the Etihad Stadium upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

De Bruyne may be reluctant to leave England due to family reasons, which has alerted a number of Premier League clubs to the Belgian’s availability, while there is also widespread interest from abroad.

Inter Miami, Chicago Fire, NYCFC and D.C. United have submitted enquiries, with Serie A side Como also in the picture to sign the 33-year-old.

Romano: Aston Villa star club are "happy" with could leave for right offer

He’s future at Villa Park isn’t guaranteed.

ByBarney Lane Apr 22, 2025 "Unbelievable" De Bruyne is a Premier League great

The Belgium international has admitted he was surprised not to be offered a new deal to remain with City, perhaps considering he has still performed well this season, despite a slight drop-off, picking up three goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

The City legend has recorded a remarkable 121 assists and 71 goals in 284 Premier League games, which establishes him as one of the true greats, and he ranks highly across some key attacking metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.43 (97th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

5.97 (96th percentile)

Progressive passes

7.45 (97th percentile)

While De Bruyne is perhaps not at the level he once was, he is clearly still capable of competing at a high level, and it could be a little early to move to the MLS, so it may be worth Villa making a move, as long as his wage demands are reasonable.

He’s got so many different kinds of sweeps and they open up the field even against good deliveries

Sidharth Monga27-Apr-20252:18

Jaffer: Suryakumar more dangerous when he scores all around

Ravi Bishnoi must have thought he had bowled a good ball. It was 4.81m in length, quick and at the stumps. Suryakumar Yadav slog-swept it for a six.Usually 4-6m is considered the good length for spinners, but as pitches have become truer and hitting quality has improved, 6-7m has become the go-to zone for the spinners. For Bishnoi in IPL 2025, 6-7m has been the defensive good length, 5-6m normal good length, and 4-5m his attacking good length. Before this match he had bowled 56 balls in 5-6m band for 8.57 runs an over and three wickets, 43 in 6-7m for just 6.84 per over with no wicket, and 36 balls from 4 to 5m for 10.67 per over and four wickets.Bishnoi perhaps thought he could try that attacking good length, but travelled. In his next over, Bishnoi went to his defensive short length, at 6.99m, but Suryakumar still slog-swept him for a six. Spinners can generally bank on Indian batters to take just the single off this length, especially given the line attacking the stumps. Not Suryakumar.Related

• Suryakumar and Bumrah dazzle in MI's fifth straight win

Later in the over, Suryakumar swept a four off 5.74m. Eight good-length balls to Suryakumar in two Bishnoi overs had gone for 23 runs. He can play all kinds of sweep: reverse, paddle, scoop, hard square sweep, hard sweep in front of square, slog sweep, along the ground and in the air, from point to cow corner. It makes the job of the spinner extremely difficult.Suryakumar didn’t get to face much of the other spinner, Digvesh Rathi, but Suryakumar won Mumbai Indians the middle overs as they notched their fifth win in a row. Perhaps because he didn’t get much of Rathi, he went down to sweep Prince Yadav, but ended up turning a short ball into a bouncer. He hooked it for a six nonetheless.With his 28-ball 54 against Lucknow Super Giants, Suryakumar has taken his tally to 427 runs.Most Indian batters pace themselves. They are happy to play out good balls from spinners for singles. They look to make up when there is pace on the ball. Not Suryakumar. He has been scoring at 11.59 against 4-5m length, 10.15 against 5-6 and 6.46 against 6-7m. Among the 44 batters who have faced 20 or more length balls from spinners this IPL, only Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran and Travis Head have been quicker.Suryakumar’s role is extra important because MI overall haven’t been that good against spin. As a team, they have been the fourth-slowest against spin. They desperately need Suryakumar to disrupt the spinners. They need someone to win them the middle overs, forget the bowling style. Someone to score boundaries off good balls like he did against Bishnoi. Or against Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja two matches ago. Among those who have faced 60 or more balls in the middle overs this IPL, only Pooran has been quicker than Suryakumar’s strike rate of 181.28.Suryakumar has done all this with the near illegal consistency of crossing 25 in each of the ten matches in this IPL. Clearly, Bishnoi is not the first who might think he has bowled a good ball, but has been hit away by Suryakumar without taking undue risk. Nor will he be the last.

Beer is currently off the table. These and other important points, including Bairstow’s narcolepsy and Carey’s war crimes, are up for debate

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Jul-2023In the beginning was the word, and the word was Bazball.Baz and the boys set out, like the fellowship from Rivendell, on an epic quest to save Test cricket from the dark lord Scoringratesoflessthanfouranover.They had incredible adventures, besting all kinds of foes, despatching all manner of bowling to boundaries all across the known world. Though there were setbacks, Baz and the fellas stayed true, for righteous was their cause, and wall-to-wall was the media hype.But then Alex Carey threw down the stumps after Jonny Bairstow left the crease to go talk to his batting partner before the over was called by the umpires, and now Baz won’t even have a beer with the Aussies anymore.Welcome to the Briefing.The case for Alex Carey being charged under the Geneva Convention
– He’s Australian, and they are known cheats, and historically, sheep thieves
– He threw the ball underarm (smoking gun)
– Bairstow tapped his back leg inside the crease to indicate that he believed the ball to be dead, and who is Carey to argue?
– England, the reigning ODI World champions, would never accept victory on a technicality
– Just look at his faceThe case for Jonny Bairstow being a dopey dolt with on-field narcolepsy that he should immediately get looked at, the dope
– He’s English, and they are known to act like the high and mighty moral arbiters of all that is moral, and also of what is arbitrary
– He tapped his back leg in the crease before the umpires called an over. Does he think he’s better than them?
– Carey throwing the ball at the stumps is a normal thing that keepers do, which Bairstow should know, because he tried to get Marnus Labuschagne out the same way earlier in the match
– Carey’s actions abided by the rules of play and did not cross “the line”, which is not just an Australian way of talking about the spirit of cricket wow don’t be dumb
– Just look at his face
Can you find an intellectual position in between these two extremes?
– No, you woke girlygirl. These are the only options.The case for England and Australia not being a laughing stock to the rest of the cricket world
– You all make amazing points and should make them as strongly as possible going forward
– It’s perfectly normal for grown men to have meltdowns of this magnitude in public
– Please keep going
Should we have a massive debate about the spirit of cricket then?
– Absolutely
– The spirit of cricket should be arrack, not rum, whiskey, or other contenders
– Arrack is great with ginger beer or ginger ale, and other soft drinks
– Also just great on ice
– Tends not to give you a hangover
The case for doing the next entry with bulletpoints even though it’s a bit spicy
– It would look out of place in this particular column if not.
– Let’s hope the readers buy the conceit
Was it cool to watch Ollie Robinson verbally go at Usman Khawaja, a brown Muslim man, knowing what we know about what Robinson said in public on social media in the past?
– Robinson has paid his dues
– He took his suspended period to introspect deep inside himself
– Deep inside himself he found stuff that he wants to loudly yell, which in regular society would count as abject abuse but for fast bowlers doesn’t
– He said it to a brown Muslim player
– He also did it to white players, even if not as intensely
– It was incidental that Khawaja is both brown and Muslim
– It is incidental that Robinson said racist stuff in the past, and that as a non-white person, you may never trust his intentions
– Well, Robinson can’t be blamed if Khawaja batted longer than anyone else and caused him more frustration, can he?
– Don’t be stupidNext month on the Briefing:
– “Let’s see you get up after that one, you p***k!” England team found mercilessly bashing the daylights out of a cricket ball in the nets, to “make sure it’s dead”.- The Ashes helpfully produces more dumb controversies right at the time the Briefing needs to be written. (Deadline is 31 July. Please do it again, lads.)- ESPNcricinfo editors heap plaudits on the Briefing for meeting deadlines so consistently and conscientiously.

“The thing that impressed me the most was the method that he used,” captain Morgan said of Rana’s knock

Sidharth Monga11-Apr-20212:11

Morgan: Rana’s aggressive method impressed the most

The level of care he would have got is of course beyond the imagination of most of the country right now, but the country could possibly take some heart at this bleak time that the Man of the Match in the third game of the IPL is someone who has just beaten Covid-19.Last month, Nitish Rana became the first player in this IPL to test positive for Covid-19 with a reported vacation in Goa after having successfully participated in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy becoming the talking point. In that light, the preparation could not have been anywhere close to ideal.However, the first ball Nitish Rana got on Sunday night was a juicy wide half-volley, and he took the approach that sets the Kolkata Knight Riders apart from others: attack if you can, there are others behind you if you fail. He smacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar away for four, and set the tone for the rest of the innings.Related

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Rana, Tripathi, Prasidh star in KKR's opening win

“I just saw the ball was in my slot, and I went after it,” Rana said on Star Sports when receiving his Man-of-the-Match award. “I have only one thing in my mind when I bat: if the ball is in my half, I have to try to convert it into a boundary.”Rana converted 13 of those into boundaries in his 56-ball 80, impressing his captain Eoin Morgan, who along with coach Brendon McCullum have to be the most positive leadership group in a cricket set-up. When you impress such a champion of aggressive cricket with your approach – never mind the results – you must have done something right.”Delighted for Nitish,” Morgan said at the post-match press conference. “Obviously a match-winning innings. The thing that impressed me the most today was the method that he used. He played really aggressively, and always took a positive option, which really did set up our batting innings. Rahul [Tripathi] played extremely well, which allowed our lower middle order [to play with freedom], one of whom came off today in Dinesh Karthik, so I am delighted for Nitish.”Rana and Tripathi added 93 runs in 50 legal deliveries, all of them in the dreaded middle overs on a dry and slow track. Thanks to that onslaught, the blip in the end – just 42 runs in the last five overs – wasn’t enough to restrict the Knight Riders to a par total. It was only after they were dismissed that the difficult nature of the pitch became apparent.”Just catching up really,” Morgan said when asked what the conversations were like once Rana came out of isolation. “[He was] delighted to be out of quarantine and have a negative report. Then when he joined the squad, getting back to playing in the camp, netting and then batting in the practice match as well, his game [was] in really good touch. We witnessed it today on a wicket that wasn’t as good as he made it look to bat on. We are delighted for him.”What might have been a challenging pitch for the others possibly took out an aspect that challenges Rana. Teams have looked to go quick and short at him with impressive results, but the pitch didn’t have that kind of pace nor did the Sunrisers Hyderabad have that kind of bowlers. The Knight Riders’ next match is on the same square: Rana will be keen to end the pattern in his last six IPL innings: 0, 81, 0, 87, 0 and now 80.

After a long, long two weeks, the international break has finally come to an end, and Arsenal are back in action.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table when they take on Fulham away from home later on this afternoon.

However, Craven Cottage has not been a happy hunting ground for the Gunners in recent years, and they’ll be without club captain Martin Odegaard.

Fortunately, Arteta now has a squad to deal with situations such as this, and to make sure his side collect all three points, he should bring in one of his best summer signings to replace the Norwegian.

Arsenal's recent form against Fulham

Arsenal’s overall record against Fulham is a spectacular one, as since their first meeting back in February 1904, they have won 43 games, drawn 13 and lost just nine.

There have also been some big wins in that time, such as a 5-1 thumping at Craven Cottage in former manager Unai Emery’s first game against the West Londoners, a game famous for a brilliant team goal.

However, even though Arteta has transformed the North Londoners back into title challengers in recent seasons, Fulham have become something of a bogey team for his side at the same time.

For example, in the last five encounters, Arsenal have won just two games, drawn two and lost one.

Moreover, the Gunners dropped two points in the game at Craven Cottage last season and dropped all three the year before that, in a season they lost the league by just two.

Recent Arsenal vs Fulham Record
Date	Venue	Result
01/04/25	Home	2-1 (Win)
08/12/24	Away	1-1 (Draw)
31/12/23	Away	2-1 (Loss)
26/08/23	Home	2-2 (Draw)
12/03/23	Away	3-0 (Win)

In other words, while this should be a straightforward game on paper for Arteta’s men, it truly is anything but.

With that said, Arsenal are looking good, have already won at another historically tough ground in St James’ Park, and should have more than enough firepower to deal with whatever Marco Silva has planned for this afternoon.

Additionally, while Odegaard’s absence is far from ideal, Arteta can start someone else in his place who’s just as talented a footballer.

The Arsenal player who should replace Odegaard

Arsenal might not have spent as much money on individual players as some other sides this summer, but they made sure to bolster the squad, and as a result, there are a few ways Arteta can replace Odegaard for this game.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, the best option he has is to keep Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze in the midfield and bring Martin Zubimendi back into the starting lineup.

There are a few reasons why this would be the best approach, and the first is that his presence at the base of midfield will allow Eze to focus all his attention on the happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

Moreover, even though Rice has been dropping back a bit more on occasion this season, almost into a double pivot, having the former Real Sociedad star behind him should also give him more license to bomb forward at times.

With that said, it’s not just the 26-year-old’s defensive stability that makes him an obvious inclusion in the lineup, but his passing range and ability to strike the ball.

The latter was on full display when he scored that ridiculous volley against Nottingham Forest, and the former has been on display all season, be that in short passes out from the back, impressive switches, or long driving through balls.

For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 6% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for pass completion, long pass completion, passes blocked and successful take-on percentage, the top 10% for overall blocks and more, all per 90.

Zubimendi’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Pass Completion %	88.9%	Top 6%
Pass Completion % (Long)	75.0%	Top 6%
Passes Blocked	1.68	Top 6%
Successful Take-On %	100.0%	Top 6%
Blocks	1.83	Top 10%
Touches (Mid 3rd)	44.47	Top 10%
Aerials Won	1.52	Top 10%
Goals/Shot	0.33	Top 14%
Passes Completed (Medium)	25.13	Top 14%
Passes Attempted (Medium)	27.87	Top 14%
Live-ball Passes	61.37	Top 14%
Total Carrying Distance	218.22	Top 14%
All Stats via FBref

In other words, the former Liverpool target is an extremely well-rounded six, and with numbers like these, plus the eye-test, it’s easy to see why club insider AFC Camdem has dubbed him the Gunners’ “signing of the summer.”

Ultimately, missing Odegaard is far from ideal, but by bringing Zubimendi back into Arsenal’s starting lineup, Arteta will allow Rice and Eze to be more expressive and attacking, which should help them collect three points.

Arsenal player blows away staff with injury return now "earlier than expected"

It is a big boost for Mikel Arteta.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 17, 2025

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

75

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

6

Tackles won

4/4

Interceptions

2

Clearances

4

Duels won

8/15

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

Bigger waste of money than Wissa & Elanga: Howe must drop Newcastle dud

Eddie Howe must now axe this big Newcastle United waste of money ahead of the tense Tyne-Wear Derby.

ByKelan Sarson 6 days ago

Leeds United are in crisis up front. The Whites have simply not been good enough in front of goal in the 2025/26 campaign, which is no doubt one of the reasons why they are relegation contenders in their first season back in the Premier League.

This term, Daniel Farke’s side have only found the back of the net 11 times in just 12 games. That is worse than all but one side in the top flight, bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Their expected goals tally is not much better, standing at just 15.21xG. The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has one goal this term, have not yet got going.

With the January transfer window around the corner, it might not be a surprise to hear the West Yorkshire side are targeting a new number nine.

Leeds’ hunt for a new centre-forward

It is certainly frustrating for Leeds that they are in the position of needing a new striker.

Transfer Focus

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

Of course, they signed Calvert-Lewin on a free this summer after his deal at Everton expired, and Lukas Nmecha on a free following the expiration of his Wolfsburg contract.

Yet, here we are again, with the Whites back in the market for a number nine.

According to talkSPORT, the player could be AZ Alkmaar and Ireland striker Troy Parrott. The 23-year-old is said to be ‘high on their list of striker targets’.

However, they are not the only Premier League side looking to get a deal for the 33-cap Ireland star.

Fellow strugglers, Wolves are also looking into a deal, with the report suggesting a fee of at least £20m is what it would take to sign him.

Why Parrott would be a good signing

It would certainly be a good addition for Leeds if they were able to bring Parrott to Elland Road this winter.

He has been in scintillating form for Alkmaar, with 14 goals in 15 games this term, taking his total up to 34 strikes in just 62 appearances.

He is certainly a “rejuvenated” striker, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Indeed, his underlying stats are impressive too. This season in the Eredivisie, the former Tottenham Hotspur academy star is averaging 1.04 goals and 0.74 goal-creating actions per game, which rank him in the top 7% and 2% respectively.

Those stats show just how effective he is in the final third.

Goals

1.04

93rd

Shots on target

1.63

93rd

Expected goals

0.93xG

98th

Take-ons completed

0.5

9

83rd

Goal-creating actions

0.74

98th

Of course, it is not just for his club where Parrott’s form has been excellent. In November, he became a hero of Irish football, scoring two goals against Portugal and then a hat-trick against Hungary to see his nation reach the World Cup playoffs.

The third goal against Hungary was an extraordinary 96th-minute winner.

If he were to move to Elland Road, the 23-year-old would no doubt love to replicate another former Irish striker who impressed in West Yorkshire.

Robbie Keane spent 18 months at the club between December 2000 and August 2001. After initially joining on loan from Inter, he made the move permanent that summer, before joining Spurs a year later.

He only played 56 times for the club, but certainly left a mark.

Keane bagged 19 goals in that time, which included three goals in the UEFA Cup and a memorable brace away to Manchester City at Maine Road.

It is easy to see the comparison between Parrott and Keane, as two clinical, highly-rated Irish strikers. The younger man, for instance, was even hailed in the past as the “best prospect” to have come out of Dublin since his compatriot, in the view of then-Belvedere F.C. Director of Football Affairs Vincent Butler.

The Alkmaar star is slightly older than the former Inter man was when he signed, yet both additions are examples of the Whites buying into potential and investing in the future.

If Parrott were to make the move to Elland Road this summer, he would no doubt love to follow in the footsteps of Keane and have the same sort of impact as his countryman did at such a young age.

Biggest error since Aaronson: 49ers have "wasted funds" on huge Leeds flop

Leeds United now has a bigger waste of money than Brenden Aaronson in flop, who is struggling to settle in the Premier League.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to be without a big name for their crucial North London derby clash against Arsenal on November 23, with the player’s return from injury up in the air.

Spurs take on Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title frontrunners in a mouth-watering clash at the Emirates Stadium following the conclusion of this latest international break, and the stakes are high for both sides.

Thomas Frank is attempting to guide the Lilywhites to a top four finish and build upon Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge with another piece of major silverware, but concerns have surrounded their general creativity in open play and plethora of key absentees.

While Arsenal have also struggled to keep their star attackers fit this campaign, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres all racing to be fit for Tottenham, Frank’s extensive injury list is much longer.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Other

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are among the forwards who’ve been absent with serious injuries, and the latter is not expected to return until midway through 2026.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani was the latest to be sidelined after fracturing his jaw in their 2-2 draw with Man United last weekend. While the Frenchman, who only just returned to full fitness after a dead leg, won’t require surgery, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for or if he’ll be able to wear a mask and play against Arsenal.

Star winger Mohammed Kudus was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United and ultimately left out by Frank, with the 25-year-old also not selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

There is every chance that Kudus, who’s stood out as their most in-form attacker this term, will recover from his knock in time to play against Arsenal, but the same cannot be said for striker Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham poised to be without Dominic Solanke for North London derby

The Englishman has yet to start a competitive game since Frank’s arrival at the club, playing just 49 minutes in total across all competitions, and his once minor ankle issue is taking a while to fully recover from.

Solanke was forced to undergo small surgery on his ankle problem and the initial prognosis was that he’d be back fairly soon. However, the 28-year-old still hasn’t played a single minute since Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City right at the start of the season.

Recently, when asked if Solanke would be back on the field before the end of 2025, Frank’s response wasn’t that convincing at all.

Standard Sport have now reported that Solanke returning from injury to face Arsenal is looking “unlikely”, and they could even welcome back defender Radu Dragusin before him.

The Romanian is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, which will be his first piece of action since rupturing his ACL back in January. Some reports suggest that Tottenham could even sell Solanke when the window reopens, with Frank viewing the forward as “expendable” amid repeated links to former Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Right now, Frank has just Mathys Tel, who can’t participate in the Champions League after being left out of their 22-man squad, and Richarlison to select from as their readily available striker options.

If injury were to befall Richarlison, like it did for large periods of last season, Frank would be in serious trouble.

Solanke finished 24/25 as the club’s second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson, and they’ve missed both his poacher’s instinct and general link-up play.

Arsenal are stacked in almost all areas of the pitch after a summer of lavish spending, but they could still potentially benefit from another option for the left-wing as they eye AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

Mikel Arteta’s attacking line has looked strong this season, especially with the additions of Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, but questions remain over the depth and certainty at left-wing.

Gabriel Martinelli, who is currently out injured, has made a real impact from the bench as Arsenal’s super-sub this season, though doubts remain over the Brazilian’s long-term future.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

His contract expires in 2027 and there have been no reports of a potential extension, despite Andrea Berta moving to tie down the likes of Gabriel, William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and actively talking to Bukayo Saka about a new long-term contract.

Leandro Trossard, who’s also contributed towards Arsenal’s brilliant run and scored the winner away to Fulham, presents some uncertainty too.

Like Martinelli, the 30-year-old’s contract runs out in 2027, with Trossard signing a new and improved deal recently which didn’t include an extension.

Eze can play on the left-wing when required, as he has done multiple times already this season in the Premier League, with the England international deployed there in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

This frees up space for teenage sensations Max Dowman – who became Arsenal’s youngest ever starter against the Seagulls – and Ethan Nwaneri to play more centrally.

Arsenal’s youngest ever starters

First start

player

opponent

competition

age

Oct 2025

Max Dowman

Brighton

League Cup

15 years 302 days

Sep 2024

Jack Porter

Bolton

League Cup

16 years 72 days

Oct 2003

Cesc Fàbregas

Rotherham

League Cup

16 years 177 days

Sep 2008

Jack Wilshere

Sheff United

League Cup

16 years 266 days

While there is a case to be made that signing another left-winger could hinder Dowman and Nwaneri’s pathway to regular first team minutes, Berta must also think about shoring up the position with outside talent, as Martinelli and Trossard near the exit door.

Rafael Leao's stance on joining Arsenal as Berta eyes left-wing upgrade

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal’s sporting director is doing just that, and they’re real fans of Leao.

The Portugal international has scored four goals in six games already this season, despite missing the opening of Milan’s campaign with a calf injury.

The Rossoneri are contenders for this year’s Serie A title after a fine start to 25/26, losing just one league game so far, and Leao will be key to their charge as Milan look to topple Antonio Conte’s Napoli.

The £108,000-per-week forward, who has a £132 million release clause in his deal, will cost a premium for any English side in January, but Arsenal view Leao as the “ideal left-wing upgrade”.

They’re also encouraged by his stance on a potential move to north London, as it is believed that Leao is “very open” to talks if a Premier League side formally approaches.

While Leao loves Milan and is happy in his current surroundings, he’s “ready to listen” to a potential offer from England, as the Premier League holds great appeal to him.

The 26-year-old, who bagged 16 goal contributions for Milan in the top flight alone last year, was also their second-best player by average behind Christian Pulisic in 2024/2025 (WhoScored).

Leao completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in Milan’s squad that campaign (WhoScored), so the appeal to Arsenal is obvious, but the question is just how much Berta would be willing to invest.

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