All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa are now believed to be keeping close tabs on a player after it emerged that he is likely to leave his current employers in January, according to reports.

Aston Villa's impressive season so far…

Following a meteoric rise from relegation contention to securing Europa Conference League football last term, many wondered how Unai Emery would go about improving on an exceptional debut campaign in charge at Villa Park. Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pau Torres, Clement Lenglet and Moussa Diaby were brought in with the help of NSWE and their ambition in the market looks to have paid off on the field, as Aston Villa sit fifth in the Premier League table with 25 points from their opening 12 matches.

Depending on certain factors, the English top flight could be awarded an extra Champions League place this term as the competition transitions towards an expanded "Swiss league" format, which will allocate an additional position to two nations who collectively performed the best in comparison to other countries in the season previous, which is a carrot Emery and company will have an eye on at Villa Park.

Nevertheless, consistent performances will be needed on a weekly basis to achieve this dream, which may be complicated further if Aston Villa embark on an extended run in the Europa Conference League, which they are one of the favourites to win.

Despite fanfare and excitement surrounding Aston Villa's potential league finish in 2023/24, former Villans midfielder Lee Hendrie isn't getting carried away when forecasting where his old side may end up, as he stated via BBC Sport when asked about their hopes of finishing in the top six: "I'd take a top-half finish. I don't think we'll finish in the top six. I really think that's a big ask. Again, if they finished seventh, eighth, I think it'd be a really good season."

With the January window fast approaching, it looks as if NSWE and Emery have set their sights on another highly-rated player that could help Aston Villa's push for continental qualification.

Aston Villa plotting Samuel Iling-Junior bid

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are "primed" to make an approach for Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior in the January window as Emery looks to add some variety in the final third, with the Turin outfit open to selling.

Samuel Iling-Junior at Juventus – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

3

Nevertheless, they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham to sign the England Under-21 international, who is under contract at Serie A giants Juventus until the summer of 2025. His interested suitors will send scouts to watch Iling-Junior in action for the young Three Lions in their upcoming double-header against Serbia and Northern Ireland.

Labelled "superb" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old winger has excellent positional awareness and ranks favourably in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the art of progressive passes received in the opposition's penalty area, taking in around 8.38 per 90 minutes, putting him in the 97th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Showing an impressive ability to pop up in dangerous attacking areas and just needing to sharpen up his end product, he is seemingly primed for a move, and Villa Park could be an ideal environment for Iling-Junior to continue his development as his stock continues to rise.

Tottenham Hotspur will be expected to be fighting for Europe once again next season, with Thomas Frank the man who’s been tasked with taking the side back up the table.

The Dane was appointed as the Lilywhites’ new boss last month after owner Daniel Levy decided to fork out £10m to prise him out of his contract at Brentford.

He’s showcased in the Premier League that he’s capable of overachieving, helping the Bees register a top-half finish despite losing top scorer Ivan Toney last summer.

He will likely have much bigger funds to spend after taking the reins in North London, needing to make the changes he desires if he is to be a success in the role.

Frank has already wasted no time in identifying key options to help him in his quest at the club, already edging ever closer to landing his first signing since replacing Ange Postecoglou.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Mohammed Kudus has been a player of huge interest in recent weeks and a deal for the West Ham United star was officially confirmed by the club on Thursday evening.

£55m appears to be the golden number between the two clubs, with the Ghanaian now arriving as Frank’s first addition this summer.

However, other moves have also been made in recent days, with Morgan Gibbs-White set to put pen to paper after the Lilywhites activated his £60m release clause at Nottingham Forest.

Another Premier League star could be inbound too, with Yoane Wissa potentially following Frank to Spurs, according to BBC Sport.

They claim that talks have been held over a deal to land the Congolese international striker, who managed to score 19 times in his 35 league appearances last campaign.

The report also states that the player himself is extremely keen on a move to link up with his former boss, but they are demanding a fee in the region of £50m to part ways with the 28-year-old this summer.

Why Spurs’ £50m target would be the dream CF for Kudus

Soon-to-be Spurs star Kudus is a player who will undoubtedly bring excitement to the fanbase in North London, given his spell in England with West Ham.

The 24-year-old has registered 19 goals over the last two years since his move from Ajax, often catching the eye with his mazy runs and incredible solo efforts.

He’s often scored numerous times after dribbling past the opposition effortlessly, but arguably his best strike was his bicycle kick against Manchester City in the 2023/24 campaign.

His pending move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium would be a big-money one, no doubt, but one that would be worth every penny if he can replicate his form from the London Stadium.

Kudus could also link up with Wissa if he also completes a move, with the pair having the prospect of helping the Lilywhites rise up the Premier League table in 2025/26.

The Brentford star, who’s been labelled “remarkable” by journalist Zach Lowy, managed to score four goals with his head last campaign, something which could fall perfectly into the Ghanaian’s hands given his cross success rate of 26% last season.

Wissa also managed to register 1.3 shots on target per 90, able to link up with the £55m addition next season, especially considering his tally of 1.2 chances created per 90.

Games played

35

Goals scored

19

Shots on target per 90

1.3

Aerials won

46%

Pass accuracy

80%

Touches in opposition box

5.2

Fouls won

1.6

The Congolese star has further impressed by winning 46% of the aerials he’s entered, a superb record considering he’s not the tallest of players, standing at just 5”9.

Whilst it may be an expensive addition at around £50m this summer, it’s evident that Wissa would be a phenomenal addition given his previous spell in England’s top-flight.

The prospect of the Brentford talent linking up with Kudus in North London is one for the fanbase to get excited about, with the club potentially possessing two of the division’s leading talents going into 2025/26.

A better signing than Eze: Spurs set to make bid for "magical" £20m star

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have ended their pursuit of Eberechi Eze with a move for another talented star.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 10, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have already signed Mathys Tel in a £30 million deal from Bayern Munich, but they’re by no means done there, as new manager Thomas Frank seeks to bring in another wide player.

Tottenham plan bid for "top" £60m attacker after talks in the last week

Spurs have reached out to him.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025

Spurs face the very real prospect of losing Son Heung-min this summer after 10 years of faithful service, with chairman Daniel Levy poised to demand around £50 million for the Lilywhites legend as he looks to make a significant sale.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Time will tell whether any interested sides are willing to pay that amount for a 32-year-old with just one year left on his contract, but in the meantime, Spurs are very much in the market for a potential replacement, with Timo Werner also returning to parent club RB Leipzig.

Technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team have been linked with a host of top wide players, including the likes of Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling, Lazio’s Gustav Isaken and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is also reliably believed to be a top target for Tottenham, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is a name to be regularly mentioned over the last fortnight.

The Cameroonian is fresh off the back of a productive campaign under Frank, where he bagged 20 goals in all competitions, and reports claim that Tottenham held talks over signing Mbeumo as they looked to compete with Man United.

However, since then, United have submitted an improved £60 million bid for the forward, and they’re believed to be closing in on a deal for him as things stand.

Tottenham match Bryan Mbeumo offer

Interestingly, according to former Brentford manager Martin Allen, Tottenham have “matched” the £60 million proposal for Mbeumo.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Allen claims that Levy and co are ready to pay that price, but the wages on offer at United mean that the African is still far more likely to join United as things stand.

“From what I’ve been told, Tottenham have matched the offer of Manchester United of £60million,” said Allen.

“However, the wages available at Manchester United, I’m led to believe, is £240k-a-week, Tottenham won’t pay that. The player will go where the biggest salary is.

“I know Thomas Frank is a big supporter of Mbeumo, but I think he’ll end up going to United.

“At £60m and £240k-a-week, it’s as good as a done deal.“

Both United and the Bees apparently remain in talks over add-ons, which could take the deal to around £63 million (Standard Sport). The negotiations are at a crucial stage, but given the sometimes-wacky nature of football transfers these days, you can never definitively rule out a late Spurs hijack until the paperwork is signed.

Arsenal's unbeaten start to the 2023/24 Premier League season came to an end on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United in the evening kick-off. The Gunners came out the wrong side of the result at St. James' Park as Anthony Gordon's second-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the home side.

However, the winning goal was shrouded in controversy after a lengthy VAR check on three possible infringements that eventually saw the goal awarded to Eddie Howe's team.

There was an initial check to see whether or not the ball had gone out of play before a possible foul on Gabriel, and then a possible offside against Gordon. However, none of those three situations could be fully substantiated into a claim to disallow the goal and Mikel Arteta was incensed after the match.

Arteta's comments after VAR controversy at Newcastle

The Spanish tactician described the incident as "embarrassing" and a "disgrace" before going on to say that he is wasting his time as results are in the hands of other people – referees. Arteta went as far as to say that he feels "embarrassed" and is "ashamed" to be part of how the Premier League is using VAR and the technology available to decide matches, in some instances, with their decisions.

Of course, emotions were running high after a tight match that ended in defeat for the London-based outfit, and the choice of words may have been influenced by that. However, Arsenal then released a statement in support of their manager and added that PGMOL must take action to improve the standard of refereeing, as they believe that the league deserves a higher quality of officiating than it is currently getting.

Stephen Warnock slams Arsenal and Arteta

Whilst speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch segment, pundit Stephen Warnock ripped into the Gunners and Arteta for their reaction to Newcastle's winning goal.

The former Liverpool defender started out by questioning why the Gunners boss did not feel "embarrassed" to be involved in the division after Luis Diaz's goal was wrongly disallowed for offside against the Reds earlier this season in their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. This point was also raised by The Mirror as they reported his previous comments about that VAR mistake that went against Jurgen Klopp's side.

The Gunners boss said that referees and VAR need to be given support and for people to understand that mistakes happen, which was a calmer and more reasoned response than the one he gave over the weekend after Gordon's goal. Warnock then went on to say that the club's subsequent statement was "distasteful" and that it should have been handled in a different way.

Whether or not any of this will lead to an improvement in refereeing or VAR standards remains to be seen, given that the Arsenal boss thinks that he is wasting his time, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the next major incident of controversy to take place.

Liverpool are currently on a quest for glory once again after struggling last season, with a host of changes giving the feel that this is very much a new chapter in Jurgen Klopp's illustrious reign on Merseyside.

The Premier League side look to have hit the mark regarding summer incomings, while also shifting on much of the deadwood and are back challenging for the division's top spot after failing to qualify for the Champions League last term.

Last summer, Darwin Nunez was signed for a club-record £85m fee, though little else of significance occurred in the market, with esteemed winger Sadio Mane taking his leave; Neco Williams was also sold, and while his funds could have been better utilised in strengthening the midfield, his sale remains a massive win nonetheless.

How much did Liverpool sell Neco Williams for?

Having risen through Liverpool's academy ranks, Williams had started to creep into first-team contention and actually forged 33 appearances for the Reds, registering six assists.

Hailed as "brilliant" by The Athletic's James Pearce during his ascent to the senior set-up, Williams started life at senior level with much promise but after receiving a transfer offer from Nottingham Forest in July 2022, was sold for £17m.

Given that he was very much on the periphery and had been nurtured through the Anfield formative ranks, Williams' sale should be viewed as nothing other than a major success, especially with that particular position in good hands.

How good is Neco Williams?

Williams was always an exciting talent but he was always facing an uphill battle in cementing a spot in Liverpool's team, with Trent Alexander-Arnold dominating the right-back position and Joe Gomez a competent deputy.

Having played 36 matches across all competitions last year, posting one goal and one assist, the £50k-per-week ace registered 2.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and won 51% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

However, during the 2021/22 campaign – his last on Merseyside – the 31-cap Wales international was entrusted with just one Premier League appearance before being loaned out to Fulham in the Championship.

Noel Whelan praised the "amazing business" in selling Williams for a pretty penny, who offers supplementation in attack and a growing all-round ability but was indeed unlikely to usurp someone of Alexander-Arnold's ilk.

While he boasts an impressive level of creativity, Williams is also demonstrating a burgeoning defensive skill set with the Tricky Trees, with FBref ranking the Wales star among the top 4% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 6% for interceptions and the top 3% for blocks per 90.

And while he did not quite cut the mustard at Liverpool, Williams remains an exciting talent and one who will play a big role for Forest this season as Steve Cooper's side look to retain their top-flight status – having been remarked to be on a “different level” by reporter Callum Castel.

There's every possibility that he will continue to improve and perhaps even be snapped up by a European contender in the future, but Liverpool will hold no qualms after cashing in lucratively for a player who cost them nothing.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been told by their manager, Ange Postecoglou, to sign one country's "fundamental" defender.

Latest Spurs news

On the field, Spurs have gone from strength-to-strength under their new boss; winning five out of their opening seven Premier League games while displaying an exciting brand of attacking football on display. Tottenham continued their impressive streak with a controversial 2-1 win over Liverpool in north London on Saturday, with Joel Matip's own-goal deep into added time gifting the home side all three points. Speaking after the 90 minutes, Postecoglou said the dramatic late win could help to build up the spirit and belief in his group of players.

“It wasn’t an easy game for us, we knew it wouldn’t be, and even in the circumstances, we had some unique challenges," explained the Australian.

"For some of these guys, this will be the first time they’ve faced that type of scenario, and for the most part, we handled it okay. Again, getting that late winner helps build the belief and spirit in the group. The thing about Liverpool, even with 10 men, they are equally as dangerous because the game plan is the same, they play on mistakes, they have world-class players up front who can hurt you. I thought the second half was better because we stayed a bit calmer, maintained our pressure in the wide areas and got our reward.”

The result keeps Postecoglou's in second place and just one point behind last season's treble-winners Man City, having scored just as many goals as Pep Guardiola's blues. It's certainly a promising time to be a Spurs supporter as the arrival of Antonio Conte's replacement seemingly hands them a new lease of life. Off the pitch, chairman Daniel Levy and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn will be slowly preparing for the January transfer window.

Latest Spurs transfer news

You could argue that Postecoglou's squad lacks depth beneath the first team, especially when it comes to central defence. If either summer signing Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – the current star pairing – become unavailable, there are few world-class options to cover them.

This has lead to reports that Spurs could go in for a second centre-back signing after van de Ven this winter, with the likes of Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer linked recently. Another to have come out as an option is previous summer target Edmond Tapsoba, with an update coming to light on the Burkina Faso international.

According to a report out of Spain, the 6 foot 4 Bayer Leverkusen star is an "express request" from Postecoglou – who has seemingly asked his club make the signing. It's added that the incorporation of Tapsoba to Spurs would be an "ambitious move" by Levy and co, but Tottenham are "determined" to shore up their defence in the coming months.

Called one of Leverkusen's best defenders under manager Xabi Alonso, the 24-year-old has also been branded "fundamental" for his country at international level by members of the press.

Clubs could now try to poach a “rising” Arsenal figurehead who is absolutely “key” for manager Mikel Arteta, according to reliable Gunners journalist Charles Watts.

Arsenal bury West Ham 5-2 for second straight Premier League win by three goals

The north Londoners, still hopeful of their first Premier League title in 21 years, have certainly rediscovered their best form since returning from the international break.

Arsenal could eclipse Declan Rice fee with £112m bid for "superb" forward

It would be their most expensive ever transfer.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2024

Their 5-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday put one more nail in the coffin of manager Julen Lopetegui, who is under increasing pressure, all the while making it their second straight league win by a three-goal margin.

Arsenal also thrashed Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League this time last week, with Arsenal finding their mojo in front of goal once again and proving to everybody that they’re not out of this season’s title race.

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

Ipswich Town (home)

December 27

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring against West Ham with a header from a set-piece, and his threat from dead-ball situations is becoming quite the reoccurring theme of his season at N5.

It was the 26-year-old’s third headed goal in the league this season – putting him level with Chris Wood and Ollie Watkins – with Arsenal set-piece coach Nicola Jover in the spotlight as a result.

Arsenal's set piece record under Nicolas Jover.

Arteta was asked whether Jover should have a goal bonus, due to his contribution in making Arsenal such a threat from set plays, and reporter Watts believes that elite clubs could even come knocking on the 43-year-old’s door.

Clubs could try to poach Nicola Jover from Arsenal

Jover is a crucial figure behind the scenes at Arsenal, with Watts telling CaughtOffside that sides will be taking notice of him.

“I did laugh when Mikel Arteta was asked in his press conference after the West Ham game about whether Nicolas Jover should be getting a goal bonus,” said Watts.

“That would certainly be eating into Arsenal’s profits should that be the case, given the number of goals they have been scoring from set pieces over the past couple of seasons. Jover’s star is certainly rising at the moment and his reputation grows stronger with every goal Arsenal score from one of his carefully constructed routines.

“I’m sure other managers or clubs would love to lure him away to take advantage of his expertise, but I can’t imagine he would be looking to go elsewhere at the moment. He is such a key figure in Arteta’s coaching staff and you can see how much work he puts into making the team such a threat from dead ball situations.

“I loved the one against West Ham for Gabriel’s goal. It was just a bit different to the one that had worked so well against Sporting a few days earlier, but that made all the difference.

“Gabriel started just a bit deeper than he usually does. This time his starting point was from within the pack that always gathers beyond the far post, whereas against Sporting he started his run from a more central area and attacked the back post.

“It caught West Ham out and that allowed the Brazilian the space he needed to meet Bukayo Saka’s corner. It’s just such a potent weapon for Arsenal that works time and time again.”

A “world-class” Arsenal player is set to miss their trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, alongside both Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, with manager Mikel Arteta sharing news this morning.

Arsenal face Newcastle after 3-0 win over Preston

In mid-week, the Gunners soared to a routine 3-0 win away to Preston North End in the Carabao Cup, which sealed their place in the quarter-final draw against Crystal Palace, but Arteta has no time to celebrate as a tough trip to the North East awaits for the title chasers.

Edu eyeing new Arsenal target in "top class" £20m star from league leaders

The Brazilian has a fresh name on his radar.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 31, 2024

Newcastle are winless in the league since mid-September – last securing victory with a 2-1 win over Wolves at Molineux – and Eddie Howe will be very keen to end that barren run with a surprise triumph over Arsenal.

By contrast, the Gunners have lost just once all season – a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth around a fortnight ago – but have since responded by getting the better of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, holding in-form Liverpool with a weakened team and demolishing PNE.

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Arsenal will have to contend with a much-altered side from Arteta’s full-strength eleven, much like they did against Arne Slot’s side last weekend. Odegaard suffered ankle ligament damage in September, and remains out, while Calafiori is set to miss Newcastle United following his knock against Shakhtar.

Meanwhile, Arteta claims Ben White hasn’t trained and is now a real doubt ahead of the encounter.

“Riccy and Martin are out definitely,” said Arteta in his pre-match press conference.

“With Ben we don’t know yet. He could not train so let’s see what happens. Now is the stage when he’s going to start to do certain work with us. Let’s see if he deals with pain if physically he’s able to compete. With the work he’s put in I would be surprised if when he’s back training with us we don’t say he’s ready.”

Takehiro Tomiyasu made a brief return to the side recently, featuring for six minutes in Arsenal’s win over Southampton a few weeks ago, but the Japan international has since been sidelined again with a rumoured recurrence of his knee problem.

Arteta confirms long-term Tomiyasu absence at Arsenal

Speaking to the media, Arteta has shared another update on the £100,000-per-week ace’s condition.

The Spaniard explained that Tomiyasu is set to miss Arsenal’s game against Newcastle with Calafiori and Odegaard. Arteta also said that Arsenal don’t expect him to return before the next international break, which is a real stroke of bad luck for the former Serie A star.

Reports have even suggested that Arsenal could be prepared to sell Tomiyasu, amid his run of serious fitness issues lately, so this is a pretty unfortunate period for the player who’ll be looking to bounce back as soon as possible.

“Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him,” said teammate White to DAZN Japan (via The Metro).

“Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning he’s completely understood English and speaks as well as I do.”

Aston Villa have suffered an injury blow as a “massive” £140,000-a-week star has torn a muscle on international duty.

This break in the Premier League probably came at the right time for the Villans, as they have suffered four defeats in their last four games in all competitions – form that has seen them lose ground in the top flight.

Aston Villa looking at signing Grealish 2.0 in "sensational" PL star

Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for a Premier League midfielder…

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 17, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

As the Premier League enters one of its busiest periods, clubs like Villa will start putting plans in place for January as the transfer window is not that far away from opening. The Midlands side have been busy in most transfer windows under Emery, and this next one could be the same considering the players that they have been linked with.

One player that Villa are interested in signing is Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor, who has impressed with his performances in the Netherlands. Villa are not the only team interested in Taylor, as Arsenal, Newcastle United and Napoli are also “keeping tabs” on the midfielder. This could be an expensive capture for Emery’s side, as Ajax would be willing to sell the player, but only if they received a fee of £29m.

Meanwhile, Villa are also interested in a swoop for Manchester United’s Harry Amass. The left-back is seen as a promising player at Old Trafford, and Villa, who have been keeping an eye on his development since he was at Watford, are keen on bringing him to Villa Park, with the youngster yet to play in United’s first team.

Aston Villa's £140k-p/w ace suffers injury blow while on international duty

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana has suffered a muscle tear in his foot while on international duty with Belgium. The 23-year-old joined the Midlands side during the summer transfer window from Everton, and since his arrival, he has been a key player for Emery, starting all 10 of the league games he has been available for.

Onana, who has been described as a “monster” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has also started three of their four Champions League games this season and has three goals to his name in all competitions.

Tavolieri states that Onana’s injury is in his foot, and occurred during Belgium’s game against Italy on Thursday night. The midfielder, who earns £140,000 a week at Villa Park, is now expected to be out for two to three weeks, which means he could miss Villa’s games against Crystal Palace, Juventus, Chelsea and Brentford.

This is the second injury blow that Onana has suffered this season, as he’s already missed a few games for club and country due to a hamstring injury. Emery will hope that his return to Villa Park this week can help him speed up his recovery, as he will want his midfielder to be ready for their important games in the league and in Europe.

Glasgow Rangers' activity in the transfer market over the previous few years has been very Jekyll and Hyde in nature.

On the one hand, duds such as Carlos Pena, Juninho Bacuna, Jordan Jones and George Edmundson, plus a handful of others, have all graced the Ibrox pitch since the Gers gained promotion in 2016, yet they failed to have a positive impact.

On the other hand, however, the Light Blues have made the occasional signing, which has paid off. The likes of Jack Butland, Alfredo Morelos, John Lundstram, and Todd Cantwell are all players who arrived at Ibrox for either nothing or a very small transfer fee and exceeded expectations.

While Michael Beale may have been sacked due to some horrendous results during the early part of the season, he did bring two of the above to Ibrox, while also securing winger Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion.

He was arguably one of the few bright sparks between August and October last year, scoring for fun despite Beale’s style of play being anything but.

Abdallah Sima’s current market value

The Senegal international enjoyed a productive spell at Slavia Prague between 2020 and 2022, scoring 16 goals and registering seven assists in just 39 matches, which sealed a move to Brighton.

Sima has yet to play a single game for the south coast side, spending a few spells out on loan, but it has been his stint in Glasgow which has been the most successful, showing that he has what it takes to make it for a top-flight club.

Across 33 games for the Glasgow side this term, the 22-year-old has found the back of the net on 15 occasions, chipping in with two assists too, making himself the undisputed number one on the left wing.

He was chosen to represent Senegal at the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament, yet suffered a hamstring injury during training and was thus sent home in order to recover.

Philippe Clement said the injury would keep him out for at least two months, thus missing some crucial matches. The good news is, he should be back for the title run-in, with his presence in the starting XI key to any success the club go on to have between now and May.

Metric

Europa League

Premiership

Goals

3

10

Assists

0

2

Key passes per game

1

1

Successful dribbles per game

1.8

1.5

Shots on target per game

1.3

0.9

Not only does Sima rank third among his teammates for goals and assists in the Premiership this term (12), but he also ranks first for successful dribbles per game (1.5) and third for shots per game (three), showing how effective he is in front of goal.

At the time of writing, Sima is currently valued at €7.9m (£6.7m) according to Football Transfers and if he can bounce back from injury to enjoy a goal-laden run across the final few matches, this will certainly increase.

He is one of the highest valued players at the club just now, yet going by inflation, a player who represented the Gers between 2002 and 2004 was worth a lot more upon his departure to Spain in the summer of 2004 – Mikel Arteta.

How much Rangers paid for Mikel Arteta

Towards the end of the 2001/02 season, it was announced that Rangers had secured the signature of Mikel Arteta for a fee of £6m from Barcelona, with Alex McLeish lavishing praise on the Spaniard.

"Mikel is an excellent young player and I'm sure he is someone who will really excite the Rangers fans," said McLeish.

"I think the fans will see a class act when he pulls on a Rangers jersey next season. He is very comfortable on the ball and he has an excellent touch and the great thing is his best years are still ahead of him.”

Arteta enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in Glasgow, playing 27 league matches, scoring four times as the club won their first title since 2000. During the final game of the season, the Gers received a penalty during the final minutes against Dunfermline, knowing that a goal would likely seal the league crown.

Up stepped Arteta. With 50,000 supporters behind him and the weight of expectations on his shoulders, the youngster slotted the ball into the net like he was playing at the local park, thus entering the history books as the club became the first side in the world to win their domestic league 50 times.

Nine goals in 30 games the following season meant he was one of their better performers in an otherwise shoddy campaign, but when Real Sociedad came calling in 2004, McLeish had no choice but to sell him.

Mikel Arteta’s value in 2024 money

With financial issues hampering the club, Rangers accepted an offer of £3.6m from the La Liga outfit ahead of the 2004/05 season, meaning they had lost money on the deal.

In 2024 money, however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – Arteta would be worth £13m in the market today, showing that Rangers hit the jackpot by moving on the young Spaniard when they did.

This means he would also be worth nearly £6m more than Sima, who has been one of their best performers this season, showing just how valuable Arteta was 20 years ago.

What Mikel Arteta is doing now

Having retired in 2016, Arteta is now the manager of Arsenal, and he stands on the brink of history. Should the Gunners win the Premier League title this season, he will break the record for youngest manager to ever win the competition.

José Mourinho was 42 years and 94 days old when he led Chelsea to the 2005 league title, while Arteta will be 42 years and 54 days old on the final day of the current campaign.

He has certainly come a long way since playing against the likes of Partick Thistle and Motherwell during his stint at Ibrox between 2002 and 2004, but he will always be fondly remembered as the player who sealed league title number 50 for the Light Blues on that wonderful day in May 2003.

Rangers hit gold on £4m gem who's worth more than Osimhen in 2024 money

Rangers struck gold by selling a striker in 1995 for a big profit

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 26, 2024