Page 187 – The Pulse of Football

Aug

2024

MLS is Back: Players to look out for as the season resumes

As the 2024 Major League Soccer season resumes following a mid-season break, here are some of the players to look out for as teams battle for a place in the playoffs, including some new signings, MVP candidates, and future stars.

By James Nalton

The New Faces

The MLS Summer 2024 transfer window closed on August 14, and by that time several clubs had made moves that could change the outlook of their 2024 campaigns, while others began to plan for 2025.

Both Los Angeles clubs made older, big-name signings from Europe this summer. Marco Reus joined LA Galaxy and Olivier Giroud signed for Los Angeles FC. The local rivals are battling it out at the top of the Western Conference, and each will hope this extra experience and quality, and the extra buzz such players attract, will give them the edge.

Charlotte added a veteran player in a different mould with the signing of Tim Ream. The 36-year-old defender joined from Fulham in the twilight of his career but remains one of the best American centre-backs around.

Alexey Miranchuk could be an inspired signing for Atlanta from Atalanta as the Russian is a creative machine at any level of the game. He might not do much else, but if you can complement him with players who can get on the end of chances and others who can do other kinds of midfield work, then he could be highly effective. At 28, he is also at a peak level age-wise so he is likely to hit the ground running, or rather, passing.

New York Red Bulls went for a midfielder in a similar age range in Felipe Carballo. Though still technically gifted, Uruguayan is more on the dynamic end of the midfield spectrum compared to Miranchuck.

Several other signings joined the league as Designated Players this summer including Osman Bukari at Austin FC, Kelvin Yeboah at Minnesota United, Ezequiel Ponce at Houston Dynamo, Pep Biel at Charlotte, and Diogo Gonçalves at Real Salt Lake.

St. Louis City have struggled in their second season in the league, but the signing of Marcel Hartel, who scored 17 goals from a left-sided attacking midfield position in the 2. Bundesliga for St. Pauli last season, could help their campaign look more respectable come the end of the season.

The MVP Candidates

Given that he has not played for Inter Miami since June 1 and looks set to be out for a little longer with an ankle injury suffered at the Copa America, it is unlikely that Lionel Messi will be in line for the MLS’s MVP award in 2024.

Even if he returns to the Miami side and drives them singlehandedly to MLS Cup success, the award is handed out prior to that game, so players who featured more regularly for their team throughout the regular season will be the most likely contenders.

Which of the several standout players in Messi’s absence is considered the best so far this season, probably depends on which team you support.

For fans of one of the most eye-catching teams on the continent, Columbus Crew, there is no doubt the best player operating in these parts is Cucho Hernández. The Colombian’s combination of creativity, ingenuity and goalscoring adds a cutting-edge and final third quality to Columbus’s lauded play. They are well-positioned with games in hand to make a challenge for the Supporters’ Shield.

Last season’s MVP Luciano Acosta is also in the mix once again. He has already reached double figures for goals and assists this season, and Cincy will be hoping to have their captain fresh and firing as the season restarts having lost three matches on the bounce prior to this mid-season break.

Speaking of double figures for goals and assists, the only other player along with Acosta and Messi to have achieved this feat so far this season is Evander of Portland Timbers. The fact his team sits in midtable might see him outside the conversation as a genuine MVP candidate at the moment, but Portland are just as capable of mounting a winning run that propels them towards the top of the conference as they are of dropping out of the playoff picture. If the former happens, then Evander’s stock will rise.

At the top of the goalscoring charts sits Cristian Arango of Real Salt Lake, and just behind him is LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. Both will be in the running for the overall individual award as well as the goalscoring one and will play a big role in whether their respective teams can turn a good season into an exceptional one.

A good end to the season from LA Galaxy could see Gabriel Pec or Riqui Puig in contention. At the other end of the scale, Christian Benteke has stood out for DC United but the team’s position means he is unlikely to be in the final conversation, despite challenging to be the league’s top scorer.

The Young Players To Watch

Each year, MLS compiles a list of the best players under the age of 22, so this seems like a useful definition to use when picking out the best up-and-coming players to watch as the league reaches the business end of the season.

Even with Messi missing there is still plenty of entertainment at Inter Miami. As well as the likes of Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba, there are also young players to look out for. 21-year-old Diego Gómez is the standout, and the midfielder has already been recognised with a move to Premier League talent spotters Brighton set for January.

They also boast the talented deep-lying midfielder Federico Redondo. The 21-year-old is the son of Fernando Redondo and will be looking to kick on as a regular in the team after coming back from a knee injury.

Earlier this season Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player ever to appear in MLS. The 14-year-old will join Manchester City when he turns 18, further highlighting how highly rated he is, and could see a handful of minutes here and there as the season winds down.

One player who will feature more regularly for the Union is 21-year-old Jack McGlynn — a cultured left-footed midfielder who has a great passing range and accuracy from set pieces and in open play. Watch out for his shots from long-range, too.

Like McGlynn, Diego Luna is another young star playing a key role for his team. He’s part of that enterprising RSL attack along with Arango and might have even more responsibility following the departure of Andrés Gómez — another standout 21-year-old who left for Rennes in Ligue 1.

Elsewhere, 17-year-old left-back Christian McFarlane is highly regarded by City Football Group and has started to get some game time for New York City, while across the Hudson River at the Red Bulls, 21-year-old attacking midfielder Wikelman Carmona is worth looking out for.

As Andrés Gómez’s move to Ligue 1 and the Premier League interest in several of these players shows, MLS is increasingly becoming a league that boasts young players with the quality to make the next step.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Preview: Spurs vs. Everton

Tottenham host Everton at home this weekend as both sides are looking to get their first win of the new Premier League season.

By Matt Smith

Ange Postecoglou’s men will be disappointed not to have taken home the three points in their opening fixture after a dominant first half against Leicester. The north London outfit looked incredibly comfortable, creating a host of chances while limiting their opposition.

The momentum shifted in the second half as the Foxes looked to get back into the game, but there were plenty of positive signs for Spurs supporters. Dominic Solanke may not have found the back of the net, but he was getting into some dangerous positions due to his clever movement (albeit, he will not miss this upcoming game due to injury).

The game against Everton is an opportunity for Postecoglou to showcase what he’s been working on in pre-season in front of the home fans for the first time this term. New signings are starting to bed in, with an impressive cameo from Lucas Bergvall against Leicester.

The young midfielder came off the bench later in the game, creating a chance, completing two dribbles, and winning five duels. Postecoglou might be considering offering him a few more minutes this weekend against Everton.

The Toffees currently find themselves sitting at the bottom of the table after a heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton in their first fixture. If the hammering at Goodison Park wasn’t enough, Ashley Young’s red card means Everton head to Tottenham without a fit senior right-back.

Young is now suspended while Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson are both injured, so the right-back position is likely to be somewhere Spurs expose consider they talent they have out wide. A lack of possession and chances created, it was a drab display from Sean Dyche’s men on Merseyside.

Summer signings Jake O’Brien, Iliman Ndiaye, and Jesper Lindstrøm were all named on the bench against Brighton, so it could be time for Dyche to unleash the trio after a disappointing home performance.

The attacking output, similarly to last season, wasn’t good enough from Everton’s perspective, and the threat of Lindstrom and Ndiaye in transition could be useful against Spurs and their high line.

It’s a chance for Dyche and his team to make a real statement after a poor start, but their season won’t be defined by their opening two fixtures considering the quality of the opposition they’re facing.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Preview: Aston Villa vs. Arsenal

The first meeting of two of the Premier League’s sides featuring in this season’s Champions League takes place on Saturday evening, with Aston Villa hosting Arsenal after both won their campaign opener last weekend.

By Karl Matchett

While the Gunners were generally dominant throughout in their 2-0 win over Wolves, it was – as might be expected at this early stage – not a totally refined performance and one which offered more probing than penetration at many points, needing a couple of well-taken goals at key moments to swing the points their way.

There were clear standouts for Arsenal in attack, though, with Mikel Arteta likely to once again be leaning on Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in both chance creation and chance-taking stakes: both managed five shots apiece in the opener, both were comfortably the top two for xG+xA in that first game and, most importantly, both found the back of the net.

While the ongoing question of Gabriel Martinelli’s top form and how to produce it on a regular basis remains a key riddle for Arteta to solve, the ability of players from all over the park to play incisive balls into the final third is going to be one of their strengths yet again. Between right- and left-backs, 14 passes into that attacking zone were made on the opening weekend – that’s without even considering captain and chief schemer Martin Ødegaard’s contribution. The front line will get service; keeping Saka and Havertz sharp will mean the Gunners score goals again.

Yet this time they face a tougher task to do so on paper – though Villa didn’t make an amazing start from a defensive standpoint in their 2-1 win at West Ham. The Hammers created four big chances against an established Villa backline, yielding a total xG conceded of 2.46. Clearly, a profligate West Ham let them off the hook somewhat, but Villa have attacking talent of their own, bolstered by a strong summer transfer window.

Unai Emery could bring in the likes of Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley for their first starts, should he want to add a little more speed and drive from deep, and especially given Villa are at home against one of his own former clubs.

While there is little scope for dropping points and staying in a title fight as far as Arsenal are concerned, it might be that there’s more pressure on Villa simply by weight of numbers. After all, following a fourth-place finish there’s expectation on them to do so again…yet more teams than ever before are fighting for Champions League spots.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Preview: Barcelona vs. Athletic Club

It proved to be a successful start to the season for Barcelona as they fought back from a goal down away to Valencia on Matchday one to claim a 2-1 victory and three important points to kick off their campaign.

By Nathan Evans

They had veteran striker Robert Lewandowski to thank for that, as the decorated Polish striker added another two goals to his already impressive haul in professional football after Hugo Duro had broken the deadlock for Valencia at the Mestalla.

In truth, Barca deserved the win, especially as they dominated long spells of the match at both ends of the field. Not only did they many to record 18 shots in total, but their defence marshalled their opposition well throughout to concede just two shots on target which will have impressed new manager Hansi Flick.

The German boss will now have to chart a way past Athletic Club on his home debut with the Catalan giants and that will be far easier said than done given this Bilbao side’s higher level of talent and quality across the field than their matchday one opponents.

The pick of the bunch for the visiting side remains winger Nico Williams who is still with the club even in the face of huge transfer speculation this summer. His main suitors were reportedly Barcelona themselves, which will make his likely appearance here all the more intriguing and you wouldn’t put it past him to make an impact again in this latest clash given the fact that he both scored and assisted against Barca in their Copa del Rey tie last season.

But Athletic hardly made the ideal start to their own campaign as they were held 1-1 at home to Getafe. Oihan Sancet opened the scoring at San Memes with a lovely, curling effort from just outside the penalty area, but despite largely bossing the possession after that first half breakthrough, the home side couldn’t hold on as the Madrid outfit equalised through a towering header from a corner.

Ernesto Valverde’s side will move their attentions swiftly on to making a little bit of history in this outing instead then, and that’s because they haven’t won an away league match against Barcelona in 22 attempts since a 2-1 victory back in November 2001.

Simply put, if they’re to break that streak this time around, their key players such as Williams will need to be at their very best.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Preview: Manchester City vs. Ipswich Town

It’s all looking very familiar already for Manchester City: one game down, one rival beaten, Erling Haaland off and running…

By Karl Matchett

…And City will soon have İlkay Gündoğan back in the team. The midfielder looks set to rejoin from Barcelona, adding to Pep Guardiola’s ranks – just a week after they showed they can cope perfectly well without Rodri, their key component in that area of the park, in dispatching Chelsea on the opening weekend.

If that performance – polished and comfortable – and result wasn’t enough to present an ominous sense of “here we go again” regarding the Cityzens, the arrival of Gündoğan for free might well do, even if Savinho’s injury at Stamford Bridge was a blow given how well he started.

Yet irrespective of fitness and transfers, City will certainly imagine they’ve been handed a rather routine start to the campaign. Chelsea are still trying to find out who they are, or rather who they are made of under Enzo Maresca, and this week’s opponents Ipswich Town have the toughest start of all having been newly promoted: they lost at home to Liverpool and now face the only side better than the Reds over the last few years.

It’s worth noting that City weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders – an xG of just 0.77 showed their clinical, not creative, edge – and it might also have been a slight surprise that Guardiola only made a single sub, clearly valuing minutes in his starters at this stage of the campaign.

Ipswich will find it tough to limit City to such a paucity of chances, however. They conceded six big chances to Liverpool, who were wasteful despite a 2-0 win, tallying 18 shots in total against them for a combined xG of 2.65. That’s despite the Tractor Boys being energetic and disciplined in the first half; a tiring side against a better one was cut apart at will from the hour mark onwards. That’s a lesson for Man City to take on board this weekend if they struggle on home soil early on, and patience has long been a virtue of Guardiola’s teams.

For the visitors, though they’ll know their season doesn’t really count as starting until next time out, hopes for a first Premier League goal – or even point – in over 20 years will come from registering almost 0.3 of their total 0.45 xG against Liverpool from set plays, while City keeper Ederson looked far from his best against Chelsea. Even so, it’s a huge ask to expect anything other than another defeat to nil.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Premier League Preview, Matchday Two

The random fixture generator has been kind enough to give us a number of intriguing match-ups across matchday two of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Here are a few things to look out for this weekend across the English top flight.

By Sam McGuire

A new Manchester United?

Manchester United eked out a 1-0 win over Fulham in their opening match of the season. Some claimed it was a performance they’ve seen on countless occasions during the Erik ten Hag era with the Red Devils snatching an undeserved winner at Old Trafford.

But this win on Friday night wasn’t like the others. This felt deserved. For starters, they didn’t give up 20 shots to their opponents. In fact, they limited Marco Silva’s team to just 10 shots with an Expected Goals total of 0.44.

So, despite the injury issues, Ten Hag’s side looked defensively resilient. United also looked decent going forward. In fact, they had one of the highest Expected Goal hauls of the opening-day weekend with 2.4.

In truth, it was the perfect showing at Old Trafford. They could’ve easily won that game 3-0 with an identical performance and people would’ve been raving about it. The 1-0 scoreline didn’t tell the whole story.

It was the complete opposite with Brighton, their opponents this weekend. The Seagulls romped to a 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park. However, it wasn’t a 3-0 sort of game. Brighton carved out chances worth just 1.4 Expected Goals. They had luck on their side whereas Manchester United didn’t.

It’ll be fascinating to see what happens at the Amex this weekend and how the narrative will be shaped.

Can City find their shooting boots?

Manchester City kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. On paper, it was a routine win for the reigning champions. Erling Haaland, again, scored on the opening day as he looks to retain his Golden Boot for a third successive season. Mateo Kovačić, against his former employers, added a second in the second half.

However, when you look a little closer at the numbers from this game, it was anything but routine or assured for Pep Guardiola’s side. They finished the game with an Expected Goals total of just 0.8. Chelsea, under new boss Enzo Maresca, had better chances. The Blues, trying to bed in their many, many signings, had better opportunities.

This is something City will be well aware of. It is something they’ll want to ensure was a one-off rather than the norm. They’ll get a good opportunity to click in the final third this weekend as they welcome Ipswich Town to the Etihad. The Tractor Boys conceded six big chances against Liverpool last weekend. Guardiola and his players will be hoping to post similar numbers.

An early season statement

Aston Villa play host to Arsenal this weekend.

The potential is there for teams and players to make a statement.

Aston Villa could land an early blow to Arsenal’s hopes of winning the league. The Gunners could dent Villa’s hopes of claiming another Champions League spot.

Bukayo Saka, the player of the week across Matchday One with a FotMob rating of 8.9, will be looking to put in an eye-catching showing against one of last season’s top four. He already has a goal and an assist to his name this term. If he does similar at Villa Park, he’ll back up the belief that he’s scaled his level.

Amadou Onana, a £50million summer signing from Everton, made an impression against West Ham for the Villans – and also featured in the FotMob TOTW. Can he boss the middle of the park against Mikel Arteta’s side, a team who were reportedly keen on signing him this summer? If so, the idea that Arsenal should’ve moved for him will once again be the topic of debate.

This may only be Matchday Two but there’s a lot at stake here.

Arne Slot’s selection headache

Liverpool weren’t at their best in the first half against Ipswich Town on Saturday. They had a lot of attacking talent on their bench but Slot opted to ignore the likes of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez and instead swapped out Jarell Quansah for Ibrahima Konaté. This defensive switch helped the Reds regain some control, with Konaté winning 80% of his duels compared to Quansah’s 50%, and Liverpool went on to claim a 2-0 victory.

It’ll be interesting to see who Slot goes with at Anfield on Sunday as Brentford make the trip to Merseyside. Yoane Wissa was a star player for the Bees in the win over Crystal Palace. He scored and assisted, but it was his overall performance that caught the eye. He won five of six ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels.

How does Slot limit what the Brentford forward can do? Will he stick with Quansah and give him another chance from the off or will he not want to risk it? Will Konaté get the nod after a dominant second half showing at Portman Road? That decision could prove pivotal in the outcome of this match.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Bayer Leverkusen are well placed to repeat the success of last season

Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title triumph was framed as a once-in-a-lifetime thing because that’s exactly what it was. Never before had The Black and Reds won the German top division and so supporters who witnessed Xabi Alonso’s team break Bayern Munich’s 11-year Bundesliga stranglehold last season soaked in the scenes uncertain that they would ever see the likes again.

By Graham Ruthven

Now that the dust – and ticker tape – has settled, though, it’s apparent Leverkusen could dominate German football for a number of seasons to come. Far from being a one off fluke, last term’s achievement could be the start of something even more special. The Repeat is very much on for Alonso and his players.

This is largely due to Bayer Leverkusen keeping their best performers over the summer. Many assumed the vultures would circle the BayArena, but the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Victor Boniface, Álex Grimaldo and Piero Hincapié have all remained. Jonathan Tah has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, but a deal has yet to be struck.

Alonso himself was, in many circles, expected to move on. He had his pick of some of the biggest jobs in European football as vacancies at Bayern and Liverpool opened up, but the former midfielder stayed at Leverkusen. “At this moment I feel this is the right place for me to be to develop as a coach,” he said.

It’s been a completely different story for Leverkusen’s Bundesliga rivals. Bayern Munich have a new manager in Vincent Kompany who is untested at the elite level of management and was a long way down the Bavarian club’s shortlist of candidates to replace Thomas Tuchel. Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick all turned down the job before Kompany was hired.

On top of this, Bayern Munich are in the midst of a generational transition that has proved problematic to this point. Nagelsmann and Tuchel both found themselves swimming against the tide of internal politics at the Allianz Arena and it’s possible Kompany could be swept up in a similar way.

Borussia Dortmund made an unexpected run to last season’s Champions League final, but have since bid farewell to key players Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Niclas Fullkrug – and loan stars Jadon Sancho and Ian Maatsen who haven’t returned – as well as manager Edin Terzic who has been replaced by Nuri Şahin.

While Şahin was an iconic player at the Westfalenstadion, he has just two seasons of senior management under his belt. The former midfielder enjoyed a successful stint at Antalyaspor in the Turkish SuperLig, but that experience won’t have done much to prepare him for one of the most scrutinised jobs in German football.

Stuttgart finished second last season, but lost top scorer Serhou Guirassy to Dortmund in the summer transfer window and will do well to replicate the success of 2023/24. RB Leipzig could continue to improve under Marco Rose, but their transfer model puts a ceiling on what they can realistically achieve.

As things stand, Bayer Leverkusen are the most stable club at the top-end of the Bundesliga and that makes them the favourites to win the title this season (even if most bookmakers disagree). Not only have Alonso and his best players stayed to build on the glory of 2023/24, the squad at the BayArena is even stronger than it was last term.

Aleix García has joined after enjoying his own fairytale with Girona last season. The 27-year-old will give Leverkusen another option in central midfield and should be a good fit for Alonso’s possession-heavy approach. Martin Terrier has also arrived from Rennes and will offer versatility across the forward line.

Leverkusen struck gold last summer by making so many signings that ultimately helped them become German champions for the first time. It’s unrealistic to expect The Black and Reds to maintain such a high hit rate in the transfer market, but there is clear alignment between sporting director Simon Rolfes and manager Alonso on what their team should look like.

With Rolfes in charge of the front office, Bayer Leverkusen have targeted pre-peak age players. Indeed, the average age of the club’s signings made over the last two years is just 22.8. Of the players who clocked more than 1,000 league minutes for Leverkusen last season, only two outfielders (Jonas Hofmann and Granit Xhaka) were over the age of 30.

Many of Leverkusen’s best players (Wirtz, Frimpong, Boniface etc.) still have their best years ahead of them. Ultimately, Rolfes’ transfer model might require them to sell (like they did with Kai Havertz, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey) at some point in the future, but the fact Leverkusen didn’t cash in this summer shows they believe even better is yet to come.

Retaining the Bundesliga title would be a flex for Leverkusen, but the Champions League would be where they make the biggest impact this season. Having fallen at the final hurdle in the Europa League last term, losing to Atalanta in the final, Europe feels like the final frontier for a team that has already conquered German football.

In many ways, Alonso’s impact at Bayer Leverkusen is reminiscent of Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund tenure. That was the last time there was a truly disruptive force at the top of German football and the Black and Yellows went back-to-back as they won successive Bundesliga titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12, as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2012/13.

This is the sort of run Alonso’s Leverkusen side must embark on if they are to earn their place in the pantheon of legendary German teams. They can be much more than just one-season wonders. History was made last season, but this season could see the creation of a black and red dynasty.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Preview: Brighton vs. Manchester United

The Premier League reaches its second weekend of the new season with Brighton & Hove Albion leading the pack.

By Ian King

Their 3-0 win at Everton last weekend was enough to put them on top of the table at the end of the first round of matches, and their performance on Merseyside will only further have built confidence that new manager Fabian Hürzeler can unlock something in his squad to propel them up the league table.

Hürzeler is a gamble, of that there is little question. At 31 years old he’s the youngest permanent head coach or manager in the history of the Premier League and the only one to be younger than the league itself. But at Goodison Park his team was fluid and well-organised. There had been some concern over Brighton’s wellbeing at the time of the departure of Roberto De Zerbi. It’s fair to say that many of those fears have already evaporated.

Manchester United, meanwhile, may be under new management – if not quite new ownership yet – but their opening game against Fulham hinted that not quite as much might have changed at Old Trafford over the summer months as many supporters would like. It took a late goal from substitute Joshua Zirkzee to finally secure all three points, but it was a somewhat stodgy performance from a match that they were expected to win. Zirkzee or fellow substitute Matthijs de Ligt could start, if Erik Ten Hag feels that his team needs a freshen up after the Fulham match.

But recent form between the two teams favour Brighton. Manchester United have won two of the last six meetings between the teams in all conmpetitions, and one of those was their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April 2023, a match which United might easily have lost and eventually only won on penalty kicks. Brighton have won each of the other four meetings between the two teams.

United can take some comfort from the fact that their other win from these last six fixtures came in the last meeting between the two clubs, at the Amex at the very end of last season. United’s win that day wasn’t enough to improve their final league position of 8th, but it was a decent win which contributed towards a positive end to their season. A win for Brighton will keep them top of the table for a couple of hours. A win for United would be further proof that things might finally be starting to change at Old Trafford.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Aug

2024

Transfer of the Week: Désiré Doué cements PSG’s youth-focused revolution

Over the course of the summer transfer window, we will take a close look at some of the biggest and best business with our ‘Transfer of the Week’ columns. This week, we turn our attention to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who seem to be heading in a new direction this summer.

By Neel Shelat

Ever since Qatar Sports Investments’ takeover, Paris Saint-Germain have spent many a year trying to assemble the modern-day Galácticos. Having clearly established themselves as the dominant force in France, they spent hundreds of millions if not billions on the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé in recent years as they chased European glory, but it has proven ever elusive.

This summer, though, PSG’s transfer business has been the polar opposite of what they have typically done in the last decade. Instead of signing big names, they parted ways with one of the biggest superstars in world football as Mbappé joined Real Madrid. They did not sign any outright replacement, electing to divert their funds to bring in some of the most highly-rated young prospects in various positions.

A shifting transfer strategy

This window will go down as the one that cemented Paris Saint-Germain’s shift in recruitment strategy, but of course, it began a while back. Its origins can be traced to the arrival of Luís Campos, a highly-rated transfer guru with a great track record in France having assembled title-winning squads for both Monaco and Lille. His previous work focused heavily on scouting high-potential young prospects and signing them for relatively cheap fees before they fully broke out, so that is the expertise he brought to PSG.

Looking back, his imprints are clear in PSG’s transfer business right from the off. Their signings in the summer of 2022 included then-22-year-old Porto midfielder Vitinha, who has grown into one of the best performers in his position in France, as well as young Reims forward Hugo Ekitiké. Teenage full-back Nuno Mendes’ loan deal was made permanent, while none of the other signings were more than 25 years old at the time.

It should be said that many of these arrivals such as Renato Sanches and Nordi Mukiele did not exactly turn out to be resounding successes, but the shift in approach was evident. The subsequent summer’s signings, such as Bradley Barcola, Lee Kang-in, Randal Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte and Gonçalo Ramos went on to make a much bigger impact on the first team, allowing Campos to advance his strategy.

Last January, PSG signed 20-year-old defender Lucas Beraldo and 18-year-old midfielder Gabriel Moscardo for €20 million each from Brazil clubs São Paulo and Corinthians respectively. They have not featured much for the first team yet (though Beraldo did play in some big games amidst an injury crisis at left centre-back), but that is not a problem because they were brought in as ones for the future.

Summer signings

Of course, Paris Saint-Germain needed to strengthen their squad besides signing prospects for the future in the summer, and they have managed to do both things at once.

Their most recent signing – that of Désiré Doué from Rennes for €50 million – epitomises that approach. The 19-year-old attacker already has a couple of senior seasons under his belt for Rennes and stood out as one of the most prolific and exciting dribblers in Ligue 1 last season, putting up some eye-popping numbers (per 90).

*Doué possession stats per 90, Ligue 1 2023/24*

Clearly, Doué is someone who can make an instant impact for this PSG side. He will undoubtedly get his fair share of game time on the left wing spot vacated by Mbappé’s departure, but at the same time, he also has a lot of room to improve. In particular, his decision-making and composure in the final third could use some work if he is to convert his mazy dribbles into goals and assists more consistently.It is another 19-year-old for whom the Parisians paid the biggest transfer fee this summer, namely João Neves who earned Benfica €60 million. That is quite a big number, and yet it looks relatively cheap given the fact that a nine-digit figure was being touted not that long ago. The Portuguese midfielder is arguably much more polished than Doué and could very soon become a world-class ball-winning midfielder.

PSG have made two other signings so far, again none over 25 years old. One of them is 22-year-old centre-back Willian Pacho, a confident and comfortable ball-player, and the other is goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who should be a backup option behind Gianluigi Donnarumma but will hope to keep his Italian counterpart honest.

Youth takeover

With so many youngsters being signed, it is only natural that they make up a much bigger chunk of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad and therefore get much more game time. In fact, their starting XI for the season-opener against Le Havre was the youngest in the club’s history.

Among the starters was 16-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye, a highly-rated academy prospect who is yet to sign a professional contract (making it hard to find a picture for his profile!). The decision to start him undoubtedly involved an element of convincing him to stay at the club, which is something PSG would never have done just a few years ago.

Le Parisiens have a terrible track record of neglecting top-class prospects in the QSI era, with the list including big names like Kingsley Coman, Mike Maignan, Christopher Nkunku and Moussa Diaby. Now, they finally seem to have realised the massive potential of their academy in developing the next Parisian superstars, having opened a new state-of-the-art training centre last year with a good chunk of facilities exclusively for the academy. The heavy involvement of Warren Zaïre-Emery in their 2023/24 campaign as well as the most recent line-up underscore the fact that PSG are committed to this new approach from top to bottom.

Only time can tell whether PSG’s new approach will finally bring them the Champions League title they have so desperately chased for the last decade, but it often transpires that wanting something too badly has the opposite of the desired effect. At the very least, fans and experts alike can surely conclude that PSG are headed in the direct direction now.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Aug

2024

De Rossi’s Roma set to move on without Paulo Dybala

When Paulo Dybala joined Roma a couple of years ago, his arrival was met with rapturous fanfare. His stint in the capital has gone quite well but an exit at this point does make sense for the club.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Dybala had initially rejected an offer from Saudi side Al-Qadsiah a couple of months ago, making it clear that he would be staying at Roma, where his contract runs out in the summer of 2025. He was expected to be a regular and at the very centre of the project. Fast forward to August and Dybala was left on the bench for a friendly against Everton and Roma boss Daniele de Rossi proceeded to say that La Joya wouldn’t always be a regular. Reports in Italy later confirmed that Roma would not be against an exit and that he is no longer central to ‘the project.’

Things moved quickly soon enough. Al-Qadsiah returned with an offer and Dybala’s agent held a meeting with executives from the Saudi Arabian club. Dybala took his time to answer, as reports suggested that while his wife initially wasn’t in favour of the move, his mother flew into Rome to have a say in the matter. Roma fans even wrote messages outside the club’s training ground, saying: “Paulo is not for sale.”

Gianluca di Marzio has now confirmed that Dybala has accepted the big-money offer from Al-Qadsiah.

While the decision would break the hearts of many football purists, romantics, and Roma fans, there is reason to believe that the decision to move on the gifted Argentine might be the right decision.

Roma remove a high earner off their books

Dybala currently earns about €7.5 million per year in his Roma deal and that is a big amount for a Serie A side, considering the financial realities faced by the league. There has also been talk in the Italian press about the fact that if he plays a certain amount of games in the 2024/25 season, it would trigger a major wage increase and a new deal that would extend to 2026.

If that happens – in a hypothetical scenario, Roma could spend close to €20 million (or more) on the player.

But if they sell La Joya, they save all that money and also earn a transfer fee. While Dybala’s €12 million release clause has expired, Roma will still earn a fee. For now, it seems as if it could be less than €10 million but it still would help Roma financially and give them a lot of leg room in the transfer market.

That isn’t the only reason why moving the Argentine on could be a sensible move.

Availability issues

Dybala is a genius when he’s on song. He has contributed to over 50 goals in domestic competitions across two seasons for Roma, often carrying the attack under José Mourinho and that is something the Portuguese coach also constantly shed light on.

But he has missed 34 games during that time and that is close to an entire season of a domestic league. Many of the absences are due to muscle injuries and this has led to him missing key games, something that became a huge issue under Mourinho.

Combine that with the fact that he’s one of the biggest wage earners across the entirety of Serie A, Roma would rather spend that wage on players who are more available – even if they’re not as supremely effective as La Joya.

De Rossi’s new era needs new changes

Daniele de Rossi’s approach to the game is much more dynamic and front-foot than Mourinho’s. It requires pro-activity off the ball, tracking back, pressing high and constant movement.

Dybala is increasingly becoming a very ball-to-feet player and that is completely fine, considering his incredible technical ability and how he’s a rare breed in the game. But with a declining physical condition and that burden of the wages on him, he is probably not too suited for a very dynamic approach.

It isn’t to say that he’s been bad under De Rossi – that isn’t the case at all. He has ten goals under the Italian, but there comes a point at a certain juncture of a manager’s tactical evolution when a system can’t revolve around a single player anymore. That is when that player holds a system back; the team back.

History is full of examples where despite a player’s tangible output in terms of goals, the team suffered and never evolved tactical. Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United during his second stint is a classic example and clubs need to learn from it.

As De Rossi enters his first full season of his time at the club of his dreams, his system will evolve and it would be better for him and the Giallorossi to have a more fitter and system-suited player than Dybala.

That would indeed be a sad way to sideline a true great of the sport in Italy, but that is just how it goes.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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