Celtic have taken their time to get going in the summer transfer window but their business appears to be picking up pace with the deadline set to pass at the end of the month.

The Hoops had signed Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, and Paulo Bernardo on permanent deals to bolster Brendan Rodgers' options, with two new goalkeepers and a central midfielder, who was on loan from Benfica last season.

They have now added to that with a £9.5m deal to bring Adam Idah back to the club on a permanent basis, after he spent the second half of last term on loan from Norwich City.

The Scottish giants have agreed to pay an initial fee of £8.5m to land the Ireland international, with a further £1m in add-ons and a 15% sell-on clause for the Canaries.

He scored eight goals in 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, and popped up with a 90th-minute winner in the League Cup final against Rangers at Hampden Park, with his performances convincing the club to pursue his services on a long-term basis.

After this swoop for Idah, the reigning league champions are also reportedly looking at a potential addition to their midfield ranks this month.

Celtic eyeing Bundesliga starlet

According to FootballTransfers, the Hoops are interested in a potential deal to sign Augsburg central midfielder Arne Engels before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the 20-year-old starlet has emerged as a priority target for the Scottish giants, who would like to bring him to Glasgow.

It states that Rodgers wants to improve the quality of his options in the middle of the park and has identified the young talent as someone who could come in and provide competition for places.

The outlet adds that Engels is now a top target for Celtic between now and the deadline passing at the end of this month, but it does not say whether or not they have made contact with Augsburg to discuss a transfer.

FootballTransfers does not outline how much the Bundesliga side would want for the midfielder but does place his Expected Transfer Value (xTV), per their own player valuation system, at up to €11.9m (£10m).

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will be able to get a deal over the line for their priority target before the end of the window. Rodgers could, though, land his next version of Reo Hatate by bringing Engels to Parkhead.

Reo Hatate's midfield excellence

The Japan international is an impressive central midfielder who has the quality to push further up the pitch to make contributions as a scorer and a creator of goals in the final third.

His 2023/24 campaign was riddled with injury issues, missing 40 games for club and country with hamstring and calf problems, but he has made a strong start to the current season.

Hatate has scored one goal and created one 'big chance' for his teammates in two appearances in the Premiership so far this term, as Celtic have won both of their opening games without conceding a goal.

Last season, the 26-year-old maestro racked up three goals and four assists in 12 top-flight starts for Rodgers' side, which means that he averaged a direct goal contribution more than once every other start on average.

His attacking qualities were on full display in the 2022/23 campaign, prior to his injury struggles, as the central midfielder caught the eye with his impressive displays for the Scottish giants.

Reo Hatate	22/23 Premiership
Appearances	32
Goals	6
Assists	8
Big chances created	10
Key passes per game	1.3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese dynamo produced 16 goals and 'big chances' created combined in 32 appearances for the Premiership champions.

These statistics, from the last two seasons and the start to the current term, show that Hatate is a dynamic midfielder who can influence matches by getting forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst he remains the first-choice in his position and is very much a key player for Celtic, having started both league games so far, Rodgers could secure his future heir by landing Engels.

Why Engels could be the next Hatate

Firstly, the Augsburg midfielder is only due to turn 21 next month and is in the early stages of his career. This means that he is a young talent with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come.

Rodgers could bring him in to play a rotation role initially, which would allow him to get game time across all competitions whilst learning from the likes of Hatate, Callum McGregor, and, hopefully, Matt O'Riley, in training and in matches.

However, Engels is not a young player who would come in with no experience and no track record of performing at a high level in a first-team environment, as he played 32 matches in the German top-flight last term, and started 18 times in the 2022/23 campaign.

Last season, the Belgian whiz, who was described as a "revelation" by Bundesliga pundit Ronan Murphy, did not start games regularly but did chip in with moments of quality when called upon.

23/24 Bundesliga	Arne Engels
Appearances	32
Starts	13
Goals	3
Assists	2
Ground duel success rate	52%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder was directly involved in five goals in 13 starts and held his own in physical duels on the ground, despite his young age and inexperience.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Engels averaged 1.3 key passes per game and created four 'big chances' in 18 appearances in the Bundesliga, which shows that he can be a creative threat from midfield, just like Hatate.

The £10m-rated Hoops target ranked within the top 19% of midfielders in the division for assists per 90 (0.19) and the top 24% for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.94).

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Aug 14, 2024

These statistics show that the talented youngster has the potential to be an impactful midfielder who can push forward from a number eight role to make things happen offensively, which is why he could develop into the next Hatate for Rodgers at Parkhead.

Alex Davies and Keaton Jennings put on fifty opening stand after Lancs put in

ECB Reporters' Network20-May-2021

Alex Davies was in good touch before the rain arrived•Getty Images

Lancashire openers Keaton Jennings and Alex Davies posted their fourth 50 partnership of the season as day one of their LV= County Championship clash with Northamptonshire was cut short by heavy rain.Just 70 minutes play was possible as Northamptonshire welcomed back crowds to Wantage Road to watch Lancashire advance to 59 without loss from 16.5 overs in the morning session.Northamptonshire captain Adam Rossington had won the toss and opted to give his seamers first use of a pitch in overcast conditions. Gareth Berg and Ben Sanderson beat the bat regularly and saw a number of edges fly just wide of the slip cordon.The Lancashire pair though looked to be positive, with Davies striking three fours and bringing up the 50 stand when he clipped Tom Taylor through midwicket. Jennings then found the boundary by going down one knee to stroke Wayne Parnell through the covers before surviving a big shout for leg before wicket against the same bowler on 20.The rain then forced the players from the field. A planned resumption after lunch had to be abandoned when the bad weather returned and play was eventually called off shortly after 4pm.

Hosts lost four wickets in the third session, ending the day 458 behind visitors’ total

Danyal Rasool08-May-2021Stumps In a series in which Zimbabwe have offered little competition, this might be the nadir. On a turgid, attritional day for the hosts, Pakistan piled the runs up high with Abid Ali scoring an unbeaten double century on the second day of the second Test in Harare, combining for a 169-run partnership with No. 9 Nauman Ali, who scored a brisk 97 of his own.It allowed Pakistan to amass 510 before Babar Azam declared, leaving Zimbabwe with an uncomfortable final session to negotiate. But that they didn’t, with Brendan Taylor’s side losing four frontline batsmen in 30 overs and ending up trailing by 458 runs overnight.It might be easy to forget now but both sides claimed a share of the spoils in the morning session. At that point, the hosts kept their hopes of restricting Pakistan below 400 alive with wickets at regular intervals, and were just three strikes away from wrapping up the innings. Pakistan’s nightwatchman Sajid Khan frustrated Zimbabwe for the first hour, but saw his stay come to an end thanks to a splendid diving catch from Regis Chakabva, whose wicketkeeping has been under scrutiny at times on this tour.Mohammad Rizwan combined for an equally handy partnership with the ever-present Abid, while also speeding things up. There were a few whipped boundaries through the off side, and the pair might have carried through to lunch before Rizwan tried to target Tendai Chisoro over mid-on. A horrible miscue found the fielder, and tailender Hasan Ali nicked off to Luke Jongwe in the following over.Zimbabwe might have smelled blood then, but it was Pakistan who landed all the punches in the session that followed. After four attritional sessions of the hosts ensuring they stayed within touching distance of Pakistan, Abid and Nauman wrenched the game out of their hands in a middle session that devastated Zimbabwe’s chances. If they imagined they would come out after lunch and mop up the tail, the two batters put paid to such fanciful notions, hurtling through the gears as the total began to swell.With Zimbabwe supposedly well into the Pakistan tail, there was expectation that the more able batter in Abid would take a more progressive approach through the middle session, but it was Nauman who broke the shackles more regularly. He targeted the spinners from time to time, awaiting deliveries in the slot to launch over long-on as five of Pakistan’s six sixes came off his bat. Once he got to his half-century – with a boundary to square leg – he began to lay waste to the Zimbabwe attack.Jongwe was smashed for 17 in that over, before Milton Shumba found himself going for 18 in the following one. It seemed no sooner than Abid’s double century had come up that Nauman was eyeing three figures of his own. Blink and you would miss it, but by tea, the scorecard had Nauman single digits away from a hundred.It might be a tad unfair to say Abid didn’t adjust the tempo of his innings over five sessions, but he continued to prioritise solidity and assuredness over thrift. It is hard to fault the formula that has ground Zimbabwe into the dust for nearly two days, and when Abid pulled a long hop to cow corner to bring up 200, there was a sense of inevitability about it. He might have batted the whole Test without anyone being able to snare him, but when Nauman lazily lifted his foot up in the air just after tea, Chakabva cannily whipped off the bails to have him stumped, leaving the left-armer three short of a remarkable hundred.If Pakistan’s total suggested the pitch might be a decent one for the batters, Zimbabwe went about dispelling that notion effectively. The first wicket to fall was pure misfortune, with the umpire misjudging the line of a ball that was missing Tarisai Musakanda’s leg stump, giving Tabish Khan his first Test wicket. Tabish, whose debut was the focus of much scrutiny, was tidy overall without quite being penetrative, with that role taken up most effectively by Hasan.Zimbabwe looked to hunker down and shut shop for much of the first session, but Hasan was finding swing at pace, and one that seared back in off a length ripped past Kevin Kasuza and sent his stumps tumbling. He had hung around at the crease for 43 deliveries without looking up to much while managing just four runs.Taylor looked to take a more proactive approach, getting a couple of boundaries away early, but Zimbabwe needed a long-term survival strategy. When the Zimbabwe captain pushed at one from Shaheen Afridi from around the wicket, any hopes of him being the one to lead that resistance was extinguished.Zimbabwe were in freefall by now, and there was still time enough for Sajid to trap Milton Shumba in front as the noose began to tighten. Zimbabwe have been suffocated by now, and you would expect the knockout blow isn’t far away either.

While things started a little slowly, there can be no denying that, as things stand, Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a brilliant summer.

The North Londoners have looked impressive on the pitch and intelligent off it.

Daniel Levy and Co have signed exciting prospects for the future in Archie Gray and Yang Mi-Hyeok, got rid of those they no longer need, like Emerson Royal, and dramatically improved the first team for the here and now with the massive £65m signing of Dominic Solanke.

The now-former Bournemouth ace was the joint-fourth top goalscorer in the Premier League last season, so there is real hope that he could be even more effective this season in a team with more quality around him.

While many teams would be happy with the business Spurs have done this summer, it appears as if they are set to do even more.

They are now heavily linked with AS Monaco right-back Vanderson, although he'll have to really impress in North London if he wants his valuation to match one of his potential new teammates.

The latest on Vanderson to Spurs

So, according to a report from earlier this week, Spurs were already in talks with Monaco over the potential transfer of Brazilian right-back Vanderson.

The report claimed that the French side expected the North Londoners to make an offer in the region of €40m for the player, which converts to around £34m.

This news was then backed up by another story a few days later, claiming that people close to the right-back believe that the Lilywhites could soon make a 'breakthrough' in the negotiations.

It all sounds rather promising from Tottenham's point of view, and while the supposed transfer fee is relatively high, it could prove value for money in the long run for a full-back who's racked up 15 goals and assists in 84 appearances in Europe.

However, while the "sensational" defender, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, looks promising, he'll have to do something special in a Spurs shirt to surpass the value of the club's most exciting full-back.

Destiny Udogie's valuation in 2024

Yes, the player in question is the immensely exciting Destiny Udogie, who, according to the CIES Football Observatory, is worth up to a whopping €83m, which converts to around £71m.

This means the Italian youngster is worth £37m more than Vanderson and, more impressively, £6m more than the club's new number nine, Solanke.

This massive increase from the £15m plus bonuses that he initially cost the North Londoners back in August 2022 might sound ridiculous, but given his form for the club last season and the sky-high potential so many in the know believe him to have, it probably isn't.

Appearances

28

2

1

Goals

2

0

0

Assists

3

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.17

0.00

0.00

For example, in 31 appearances last season, the "incredible talent", as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, scored two goals and provided three assists, meaning that in his first Premier League campaign, which he started as a 20-year-old, he averaged a goal involvement once every 6.2 games from left-back.

This impressive output, combined with his overall game, saw him become Tottenham's first player to be nominated for the Premier League's Young Player of the Season Award.

Ultimately, Vanderson looks like he'll be an exciting addition to help improve the team's depth at right-back, but he'll have to blow the roof off the Tottenham Hotspur stadium if he's going to see his valuation get anywhere near Udogies in the coming seasons.

Spurs in the picture to sign £60m "monster" who'd be unreal with Solanke

You can never have too many goalscorers.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 15, 2024

خطف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي فوزًا صعبًا من ليتون أورينت بنتيجة 2-1 في إطار مباريات دور الـ 32 من كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وأقيمت مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليتون أورينت على ملعب الأخير “بريسبان رود” في العاصمة “لندن” وسط حضور جماهير كبير من جانب أصحاب الأرض.

وشهدت المباراة مشاركة عمر مرموش مهاجم مانشستر سيتي الذي عوض غياب إيرلينج هالاند للراحة في تلك المباراة وقدم مستوى جيد على مدار الشوطين، لكنه لم يسجل.

وانتهى الشوط الأول، بتقدم ليتون أورينت في مفاجأة مدوية بعد تسديدة عابرة للقارات من وسط الملعب من اللاعب جيمي دونلي واصطدمت كرته بالعارضة العلوية ثم بجسد حارس مانشستر سيتي، ستيفان أورتيجا، ودخلت المرمى.

اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا: لن أضغط على رودري من أجل العودة.. ولكن شاهد أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليتون أورينت في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

وكانت هناك صدمة للمدرب، بيب جوارديولا، بإصابة صفقته الجديدة نيكو جونزاليس في الكتف وخروجه في الدقيقة 22 ومشاركة، برناردو سيلفا.

وحاول لاعبو مانشستر سيتي مثل عمر مرموش، جاك جريليش وسافينهو أن يسجلوا هدف التعادل لكن فشلوا حتى الاستراحة.

وفي الشوط الثاني، استطاع عبد القادر خوسانوف أن يسجل هدف التعادل لصالح مانشستر سيتي بعد تسديدة من زميله ريكو لويس غير الأوزبكي اتجاهها في الدقيقة 57 لداخل المرمى.

واستمرت محاولات مانشستر سيتي بعد الهدف حتى استطاع البديل، كيفن دي بروين، من أن يسجل الهدف الثاني بعد تمريرة من جريليش لتصل البلجيكي داخل منطقة الجزاء ويسجلها ببراعة داخل الشباك في الدقيقة 78.

بهذه النتيجة، يتأهل مانشستر سيتي إلى دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي في انتظار القرعة ومن سيكون منافس كتيبة جوارديولا في المرحلة التالية.

Mario Lemina has denied starting a brawl with Jarrod Bowen and claimed that he shook hands with the West Ham captain after Wolves' latest defeat.

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West Ham beat Wolves 2-1Tempers flared between Bowen & Lemina at full-timeWolves captain offers his version of eventsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Drama unfolded immediately after the final whistle following West Ham's 2-1 win over Wolves, with Bowen, who scored the decisive goal for the Hammers, attempting to greet his opposite number. Lemina, however, appeared to ignore Bowen’s outstretched hand, walking past him. What followed was a physical altercation between the two captains, with both ending up wrestling on the ground.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In the ensuing chaos, Lemina reportedly pushed teammates Nelson Semedo and Toti, who had tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation. He later squared up with Wolves’ first-team coach Shaun Derry, further fuelling tensions.

WHAT LEMINA SAID

Taking to Instagram to clarify his position, Lemina issued an apology to fans and the football community while denying he was responsible for the altercation.

“This morning. I write this message with great hindsight. And I really want to apologise to all the people who love this club and who love football," he wrote.

“I never wanted this to happen on the ground. I have always been a fair player, even in defeat. If something is said, make sure the truth comes out. I shook this player’s hand, like I always do. and I was grabbed by the shirt and thrown to the ground. I just reacted to a situation that I didn’t cause at all. I love my team, the staff and all the people who make up this club. We all gonna fight harder to overcome this situation. Shaun you already know. We’re gonna fight again and again.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

The defeat against West Ham has left Wolves languishing in 19th place in the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety. The team’s poor form has intensified speculation about potential changes in leadership, with head coach Gary O’Neil under mounting pressure to turn things around.

Amid such a disappointing start to their Premier League campaign, Everton reportedly failed to sign a midfield reinforcement for Sean Dyche late on in the summer transfer window after exploring a move.

Everton transfer news

Eased past by Brighton & Hove Albion, smashed by Tottenham Hotspur, and shocked by last-gasp Bournemouth, Everton couldn't have asked for a worse start to the season.

The Toffees looked on course to secure their first three points of the season at the third time of asking after gaining a commanding 2-0 lead over Bournemouth, only for the Cherries to begin their comeback in the 87th minute and end it with victory in the 94th in astonishing fashion.

Those at Goodison Park are heading towards another relegation battle and one they might not survive this time around, forcing them to look back on their summer window as a case of what might have been, especially in pursuit of one player.

According to talkSPORT, Everton failed in a late move to sign Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina, who sanctioned a loan move to Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the end instead.

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The midfielder spent last season on loan at Manchester United and Erik ten Hag was reportedly blocked by the club's new hierarchy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe from attempting a reunion of his own this summer. Opening the door for Everton, the Toffees could have found a last-gasp replacement for Amadou Onana, only to fail in their attempts.

An experienced international who initially stole the headlines at the Qatar World Cup, Amrabat would have been a shrewd signing to end Everton's summer business.

"Important" Amrabat could have replaced Onana

Replacing Onana was never an easy task for Everton in the summer transfer window, but they would have been wise to go for experience over the risk of youth in Tim Iroegbunam. And that should have led them to Amrabat's signature. The midfielder ticks that box and should still be at the peak of his powers at 28 years old.

Progressive Passes

6.35

4.61

Tackles Won

1.54

1.64

Ball Recoveries

5.77

6.90

Progressive Carries

0.58

0.91

Whilst still a level below Onana, Amrabat's ability to progress play as well as his work off the ball would have left Everton in far better stead than the replacements that Dyche has instead been handed for the Belgian.

Amrabat earned the praise of Manchester United boss Ten Hag last season, with the Dutchman saying via The Metro: "I think he played a very good game. Very important for us in the pressing and the counter-press. He’s doing a really good job keeping the team together, keeping the team compact and we had good moments to press, to control the game."

Despite that praise and those aforementioned numbers, however, Everton's move came too little too late to benefit and land a replacement for Onana.

The visitors stole all three points at Etihad Stadium in dramatic fashion thanks to the brilliance of their Ivorian attacker

A piece of late magic from Amad Diallo saw Manchester United ransack the Etihad Stadium and snatch a stunning 2-1 victory in the derby over Manchester City.

United were trailing for most of the game to a Josko Gvardiol header but Amad won a penalty which Bruno Fernandes took full advantage to level in the 88th minute. The Ivorian forward then produced a stunning piece of control before finishing past the hapless Ederson in the 91st minute, handing United their first win on enemy territory since 2021.

Ruben Amorim made a gutsy decision pre-game by leaving Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad, although the players he did select did not exactly do him proud until the final stages. Mason Mount was forced off injured in just the 13th minute while Amad was repeatedly caught offside in a bitty first half.

Gvardiol headed City in front following a short corner routine, the fourth goal United have conceded from a set piece in three Premier League games and their eighth this season. Amorim was staring down a third consecutive league defeat but, just as in midweek in the Europa League, he turned to his bench and watched his side stage a memorable turnaround.

GOAL rates Man United's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (5/10):

  Nothing he could do about the goal. Tipped a deflected Foden shot round the post. Looked a little nervous on the ball after his howler in Pilsen.

  Matthijs de Ligt (6/10):

  Looked comfortable on and off the ball.

  Harry Maguire (7/10):

  Excellent. Barely allowed Erling Haaland a sight of goal, reacting quickly to snuff out any sense of danger.

  Lisandro Martinez (6/10):

  Confident playing out and put in several key blocks to limit City's threat, at least in open play. A fine pass released Amad for the second goal.

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• Midfield

  Noussair Mazraoui (5/10):

  Tidy defensively, limiting Jeremy Doku's threat. Couldn't do much going forward.

  Manuel Ugarte (6/10):

  Worked hard to disrupt City's flow.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Couldn't influence the game as he would have liked. Was unable to release runners and his passing was sloppy, then he badly miscued when clean through. Kept his cool from the spot, though.

  Diogo Dalot (5/10):

  Beaten in the air by Gvardiol. Didn't trouble Kyle Walker as much as he would have hoped.

• Attack

  Amad Diallo (7/10):

  United's most lively attacker and after a largely disappointing game he turned it on at the crucial moment, winning the penalty before showing real composure against Ederson. A pivotal performance.

  Rasmus Hojlund (5/10):

  Played most of the game with his back to goal. Had zero shots but crafted the clear chance for Fernandes. Booked for clashing with Walker.

  Mason Mount (N/A):

  His big opportunity lasted just 13 minutes before he limped off looking distraught. Just as he looked to be on the road back, his injury curse struck again.

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• Subs & Manager

  Kobbie Mainoo (6/10):

  His composure limited the extent to which City could control the game.

  Antony (5/10):

  Didn't do loads but dovetailed nicely with Amad.

  Leny Yoro (6/10):

  His calm passing laid the platform for the turnaround.

  Joshua Zirkzee (N/A):

  A late introduction and held the ball up well to get the win over the line.

  Victor Lindelof (N/A):

  Introduced late on.

  Ruben Amorim (7/10):

  A statement win to kickstart his United career. Laid down the law by leaving Rashford and Garnacho out. Produced a cautious tactical plan and it paid off right at the end, with the help of his substitutions.

It's important not to be too disgruntled after losing against Manchester City, with the cyborg that is Erling Haaland decimating West Ham United's backline on Saturday to collect his second successive hat-trick, taking his tally to seven Premier League goals from three matches.

Julen Lopetegui's defensive line simply couldn't contain him, and though West Ham enter the first international break of the campaign with one win and two defeats, there is plenty to be excited about.

The Irons have enjoyed an immense summer of spending that has repackaged the squad ahead of an objective to push toward European qualification once again.

However, early readings suggest that Michail Antonio's starting spot at the spearhead needs to be taken away, for he's flattering to deceive.

Michail Antonio's performance vs Man City

Antonio was cut off from the flow of the match on Saturday, and that's not his fault. City's ball retention and domination made it difficult for West Ham, who temporarily tested the four-in-a-row Premier League champions through a Ruben Dias own goal, but Haaland dispelled any notion of an upset with some deadly finishing.

Antonio was handed a 5/10 match rating against Man City, with 90min's Sean Walsh writing: 'Gave his all and worked hard for the cause, though at crucial moments was muscled out by City's younger and more athletic defenders.'

It's not the fairest yardstick to use as an indicator of Antonio's performance level this season, but his efforts across the opening month have left plenty to be desired. He must now be dropped.

Why Michail Antonio must be dropped

The Jamaica international will be 35 years old before the end of the campaign, and while he's still a brutish presence and a nuisance for defenders, there's little question that he's approaching the twilight stage of his career.

With that in mind, Niclas Fullkrug was signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £27m fee in the summer, a similarly hulking figure but more dynamic in his movement and playmaking ability.

Moreover, Jarrod Bowen continues to serve as West Ham's true attacking talisman, netting twice so far this season after scoring 20 goals across all competitions last year, hailed as "unplayable" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank after firing a hat-trick past his team.

Michail Antonio: Premier League Stats 2024/25

Stats

vs Villa

vs Palace

vs Man City

Minutes played

73'

62'

71'

Goals

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

Touches

21

20

17

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

2 (0)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

6/9 (67%)

6/10 (60%)

3/6 (50%)

Key passes

0

0

0

Dribble attempts

0/0

0/0

2/3

Tackles + interceptions

0

0

0

Clearances

0

0

1

Total duels won

0/2

2/6

4/10

Stats via Sofascore

And as you can see above, Antonio's effort against Pep Guardiola's unit wasn't exactly an outlier in his start to the season. Notably, he only made three passes last weekend but the veteran has also yet to hit the target in the Premier League, winning just 33% of his contested duels to boot.

His 17 touches amounted to very little, unleashing one blocked shot, failing with half of his six attempted passes and failing – again – to make a single key pass for his teammates. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola actually took more touches (23), despite being substituted at half-time due to injury – which really says it all.

It seems like the right time for Lopetegui to think about loosening his grip on his preferred starting line-up, with the numerous summer signings now acclimatising to life in east London and entering the international break with a focus on building cohesion and tackling the forthcoming fixtures.

Antonio, while still a player to can make an impact, must move to the bench, or else West Ham will find themselves operating with a faulty focal point.

Related West Ham have already hit gold on amazing star who's worth more than Soler

West Ham have enjoyed plenty of success in the transfer window this summer

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

Julen Lopetegui has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market this summer, with technical director Tim Steidten authorising around £120m of signings at West Ham United following David Moyes' departure at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Still, the Spanish tactician benched four for the Premier League opener against Aston Villa last weekend, ending in a 2-1 defeat for the Irons.

There is plenty to come from this rich crop of players, but Lopetegui could yet see one or two more through the door, with a creative midfielder being considered.

It's a deal that might just be worth pursuing, ensuring that centre-forward capture Niclas Fullkrug has the tools to succeed.

Why West Ham signed Niclas Fullkrug

Supporters might have trudged off home after watching West Ham lose at home against Villa, but at least Fullkrug got his first taste of Premier League football, replacing the struggling Michail Antonio after 70 minutes.

He didn't quite catch the eye but the German international will continue to grow in strength. The problem, or one of the central issues in any case, was that he lacked service.

Fullkrug was signed from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m package this summer to bring goals and steel to the frontline, having posted 16 goals and ten assists for the Yellow Wall last term before lighting it up at Euro 2024.

Niclas Fullkrug: Euro 2024 Stats
Key Stats (*per game)	#
Matches (starts)	5 (0)
Goals	2
Shots*	1.8
Touches*	12
Key passes*	1.4
Total duels won*	2.2
Stats via Sofascore

His performances for his country showcased an innate clinical ability, and as he finds his rhythm over the coming weeks, Lopetegui's side will feel the benefits.

But they might need another midfielder. James Ward-Prowse has been linked with a move away and played only 16 minutes against Unai Emery's side, so West Ham might be wise to act on their summer interest in Carlos Soler.

Why Carlos Soler would thrive at West Ham

According to the Daily Mail last week, West Ham are considering a swoop for Soler this month, with the Spaniard surplus to requirements at Paris Saint-Germain.

Valued at €20m (£17m) by the Ligue 1 champions, Soler would add a dimension to the Hammers midfield, opening up creative channels and ensuring that the London Stadium's forwards are sufficiently supplemented.

Soler might have only started 12 matches in Ligue 1 last year but he's battled for a spot in a bloated squad brimming with quality and might find a promising new home over in east London.

Carlos Soler: 23/24 Statistical Breakdown
Statistic	Per 90	Percentile
Goals scored	0.17	Top 13%
Assists made	0.17	Top 19%
Passes attempted	63.51	Top 19%
Progressive passes	6.10	Top 24%
Touches (att pen)	2.59	Top 7%
Stats via FBref (vs midfielders)

Soler's dynamic performances have seen him impress through his potency in front of goal, both scoring and assisting, and this could be excellent behind Fullkrug, who is deceptively creative himself and could advance the Spaniard's goalscoring success, ranking among the top 12% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90, as per FBref.

PSG's versatile ace also completed 88% of his passes in the French top flight last term, emphasising a sharpness to his passing that will enhance the overall fluency of Lopetegui's attacking sequences.

He's even been dubbed the "complete midfielder" by former Valencia player Curro Torres, such is his quality across the different facets of the role.

He has the roundedness to survive the rigours of the Premier League, and he certainly has the creativity to ensure that a forward like Fullkrug, of the traditional mould, is provided with the right service to rise to the fore and score with deadly consistency.

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