Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has been revealed to be the slowest outfield player in the Premier League, with Casemiro not far behind.
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Silva revealed as PL's slowest playerMerino & Casemiro also in bottom fiveSpurs' Van de Ven is the quickestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Portugal international was found to have the lowest top speed in the league, hitting 18.2mph, according to . That makes him slower than Wolves' Craig Dawson, the second slowest at 18.3mph, and Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino, who hit a top speed of 18.5mph. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is the joint-fourth slowest alongside Tomas Soucek at 18.8mph.
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Despite his lack of speed, the 30-year-old remains a key player for Pep Guardiola's City, making 40 appearances in all competitions. The reigning English champions have struggled for much of the season, falling to fifth in the Premier League and already eliminated from the Champions League. However, they could still end the season with a trophy after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals with a win against Bournemouth on Sunday.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has been named the fastest player in the league, hitting a top speed of 23.1mph. He is faster than Wolves star Matheus Nunes (22.8mph) and Brighton's Yankuba Minteh (22.6mph).
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BERNARDO SILVA?
Silva's City are in action again against Leicester on Wednesday and will take on rivals United four days later.
With Luke Shaw still proving to be an unreliable option thanks to endless injury issues, Ruben Amorim has reportedly given Manchester United the green light to finalise a move to welcome an upgrade in 2025.
Man Utd transfer news
As the Manchester derby approaches, Manchester United are a difficult side to predict. Whilst they swept Everton aside, they’ve struggled since then under Amorim and found themselves on the wrong end of defeat against both Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, before being forced to seal three points late on against Viktoria Plzen. But whilst Manchester City are more vulnerable than ever, the Red Devils could strike and Amorim could defeat Pep Guardiola for the second time in a matter of months.
What has been clear, however, is the task on Amorim’s hands and the desperate need for reinforcements, which could yet see one particular upgrade arrive in 2025.
According to reports in Spain, Amorim has now given the green light for Manchester United to finalise a move for Miguel Gutierrez in a deal that the Red Devils want to secure for less than the left-back’s reported €35m (£29m) release clause.
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The La Liga giants could take full advantage.
ByTom Cunningham Dec 14, 2024
An upgrade on Shaw, the one complication which could stand in the way of any deal taking place for Gutierrez is that Real Madrid will receive a 50% of any transfer fee thanks to their sell-on clause agreed with Girona. Whether that means that Manchester United will have to pay a premium price remains to be seen.
There’s no doubt that the Red Devils need a left-back, however. Names such as Alvaro Fernandez have been mentioned in recent weeks, but it looks as though Gutierrez is now emerging as a serious candidate to replace Shaw.
"Fantastic" Gutierrez would be an instant upgrade
As much as it’s difficult to argue against Shaw’s quality, that quality quickly becomes null and void when he is consistently sidelined through injury, and Manchester United can no longer wait for their left-back to be back fit and firing. They must pursue an instant upgrade in the form of Gutierrez. The former Real Madrid gem has found his feet at Girona and has not looked back since.
Miguel Gutierrez for Girona against Barcelona.
To no surprise, the Manchester United target has found himself at the centre of praise this season, including from Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who described his form as “fantastic” after he was involved in four goals in three games at the start of November.
A player on the rise, the Red Devils could have their answer to their left-back problems once and for all should they make their move for Gutierrez in 2025.
Australia may be riding an 11-match unbeaten streak, but England believe that won’t count for much in a World Cup final
Vishal Dikshit02-Apr-2022
Heather Knight: I think they key is just remembering that we’re really not that far away from Australia•ICC via Getty Images
Despite the whitewash in the recent Ashes, despite the loss in the league stage against Australia, and despite their contrasting runs to the World Cup final, England captain Heather Knight believes Sunday afternoon in Christchurch will be a “fresh slate, fresh day and a fresh game,” where both teams “go in as equals” to try and lift the trophy.As opposed to Australia’s domineering and unmatched march to the final with eight wins in the World Cup and 11 unbeaten ODIs this year, England have had to turn their fortunes around – big time – after starting 2022 with a winless tour of Australia across formats where they could not score 180 in any of the three ODIs. Their rut stretched into the World Cup too, where they lost three in a row.Since then, knowing they were facing a virtual knockout every single time, England won five in a row, including a 137-run victory over South Africa in the semi-final. Knight said there was no single moment where things just clicked into gear but it did help when the team realised that a lot of the stuff that was going wrong was within their control. Stuff like “fielding, bowling extras, poor shot selections”. So they could all be fixed, quickly.”The stage is set a little bit for us to write a remarkable story but like I’ve said previously, I think it’s a completely fresh slate,” Knight said a day before the final. “A fresh day, fresh game where both us and Australia will go in as equals and its who performs the most on the day, who deals with the pressure of a World Cup final and knowing what’s at stake. So yeah, it would be a great story [if we win] but we’re going to have to bring our best cricket to beat Australia who obviously are a very good side.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“Yes, it’s obviously brilliant. To be in this position knowing where we were just a couple of weeks ago is remarkable. And it shows how things can change so quickly in sport. And just says a lot about the character in this group that we managed to obviously put ourselves in a position to be in a World Cup final and give us a chance to actually win that trophy. Remarkably proud of the group, proud of the staff that have been in the shift as well. So yeah, hopefully we can pay off all that hard work and all the lows I guess we’ve had over this trip and make winning if we do that even better.”Recalling the league stage loss to Australia, in which England very nearly chased down 311, Knight admitted they had to get better at finishing games off. She was, however, very pleased that her bowling attack has been picking up steam throughout the tournament, helped in part by adopting a “knockout mentality”.”I think, knowing the fact that we push them so close, I think is a really good sign,” Knight said of their rivalry with Australia. “I think in that first group game we pushed really hard, batted remarkably and actually I think our bowling’s starting to peak towards the back-end of the competition. I don’t think our bowling was quite on in that game, and the bowlers as a unit are working much better as a group now. So I don’t think it’s motivation [to do better]. I think it’s just remembering that we’re really not that far away from them. We obviously haven’t got the results against them recently. But on the day we definitely believe that we can beat them.”We’ve had that knockout mentality for a long time. It almost feels a little bit like another game. I’m sure there’d be nerves and dealing with that but the fact that we’ve been able to do that when we’ve been under pressure, it’s been very pleasing and hopefully we can do it against for one more win.”There is one variable in England’s favour on Sunday. Hagley Oval. The last time Australia played an ODI at the venue which is hosting the final, it was the year 2000. England, on the other hand, beat Pakistan here towards the end of the round-robin stage and knocked out South Africa here in the semi-final. They would have fond memories of another ODI victory in Christchurch last year as well, when Knight herself led the chase with an unbeaten 67.”Definitely, I think is a slight advantage, potentially,” Knight said. “We obviously know the conditions, we’ve played a few games here last year as well. We managed to play here before the World Cup. So yeah, we would definitely use that to our advantage, hopefully, it’s obviously going to be a fresh wicket, though. So both team have to assess quite quickly how it’s playing.”
Wolves have drifted into the relegation zone after their 4-2 loss to Bournemouth this weekend, with Jorgen Strand-Larsen’s brace not proving to be enough.
Gary O’Neil’s side have now conceded 32 goals in 13 games this season in the Premier League, having the worst defensive record in the division.
Wolves concede 14.7 shots per 90 (the sixth most in the division) and are in serious need of a defensive change. One man who did impress at the back, was a familiar face, just in a different position.
Mario Lemina's performance in numbers
Despite shipping four goals during the course of the game, Mario Lemina had a solid game at the back, putting in a performance that may well give the manager selection headache.
The 31-year-old has played all over the pitch this season, being a natural midfielder, but also playing on the left and now as a central defender too. It was in that role where he stood out on Saturday, recovering from a sloppy start to regain his composure in the second half, notably making a vital tackle to prevent the scoreline from being even worse.
Mario Lemina vs Bournemouth
Stat
Lemina
Minutes
90
Touches
86
Accurate Passes
58/68
Key Passes
1
Long Balls
7/10
Ground Duels Won
3/5
Aerial Duels Won
2/5
Clearances
7
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Last Man Tackles
2
Stats taken from Sofascore
Lemina won three out of his five ground duels, won two of his five aerial duels, and made two last-man tackles. The Gabon international combined his defensive duel-winning qualities with his on-ball ability, making seven out of ten long balls and one key pass.
O’Neil could well be tempted to stick with Lemina in central defence, causing a selection dilemma for the Wolves manager on who should partner him.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Selection headache at the back
Wolves lost Max Kilman this summer, who joined West Ham for a fee of around £40m. Last campaign, Kilman made 44 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring two goals, providing one assist, contributing to eight clean sheets.
Yerson Mosquera is also unavailable through injury, suffering a cruciate ligament injury after Wolves’ 3-1 loss to Aston Villa. With KIlman gone, and Mosquera out, the two primary defenders who could partner Lemina in this new role are Dawson and Gomes, both of whom offer different things to the side.
Toti Gomes vs Craig Dawson in 2024/25
Stats (per 90 mins)
Gomes
Dawson
Progressive Carries
0.51
0.57
Progressive Passes
2.32
1.82
Passes Attempted
53.7
51.9
Pass Completion %
84.6%
86.7%
Tackles
1.82
1.48
Blocks
0.61
1.59
Interceptions
0.49
0.95
Aerial Duels Won
1.72
1.93
Stats taken from FBref
Toti stands at 6 foot 2, is slightly more progressive on the ball than Dawson, and tries riskier progressive passes, having a slightly worse pass completion percentage, but finding more passes between the lines into the midfielders as a by-product.
On the other hand, Dawson is 34-years-old, but brings Premier League experience, and an important element of leadership to the backline, which is a vital factor to take into consideration, as Kilman, who left the club this summer, was the captain last season.
Considering Lemina has the on-ball qualities to take the primary ball-playing roles from Gomes, this could mean Dawson is the perfect Lemina partner, sweeping up behind him, making his defensive actions, winning aerial duels, and leading from the back, whilst Lemina has the license to be more aggressive in duels, and progress play with his passing ability.
Their next Ait-Nouri: Wolves want to sign "highly rated" £9m star
Wolves have enjoyed success recruiting from Ligue 1
In what could be the best signing of the INEOS era so far, Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing Champions League winner Alphonso Davies for Erik ten Hag.
Man Utd transfer news
To their credit, it looked as though the Red Devils spent well in the summer. It was clear at the end of last season that they needed improvements across the pitch and they got just that in the last window.
Joshua Zirkzee arrived in an attempt to sharpen a blunt attack, whilst Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui came in to boost Ten Hag’s defence and Manuel Ugarte seemingly solved United’s Casemiro problem. Things haven’t quite gone to plan, however.
Juventus now weighing up move to sign "interesting" £37m Man Utd talent
He’s struggled since arriving…
By
Tom Cunningham
Oct 26, 2024
So far, it’s been yet another campaign to forget for those at Old Trafford who sit outside of the Premier League’s top four and in need of even more fresh faces. On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast, with the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Hayden Hackney already linked to an Old Trafford switch in 2025. Before the midfielders arrive though, INEOS could make their biggest move yet.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong
According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United now have a more concrete interest in Davies and sporting director Dan Ashworth is beginning to gather information about the left-back.
The Red Devils have already reportedly made an informal enquiry with the Bayern Munich star’s camp and could land a free deal when his current contract comes to an end in Germany next summer.
In need of a new left-back amid Luke Shaw’s consistent injury struggles, Davies would be the ultimate upgrade and perhaps the catalyst behind a revived Manchester United side.
"Electric" Davies could be bargain of the summer
If Manchester United manage to land Davies’ signature on a free deal next summer then it will undoubtedly be the bargain of the window. It won’t get better than that for the Red Devils, who would finally have the chance to replace the unreliable Shaw and move Diogo Dalot into his preferred right-back role. A Champions League winner, Davies was dubbed “electric” by analyst Ben Mattinson back in June.
Earning a reported £180,000-a-week, Davies wouldn’t break Manchester United’s wage bill either, even in their current money-saving state. For a player of his quality too, and one who is still just 23 years old, it’s more than worth splashing out to secure his signature for years to come.
The Premier League season is nine games old now, and while Ipswich Town are still without their first win, they have every chance of staying up.
Despite already facing Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, the Tractor Boys remain above the relegation zone on four points, and while there have been a few suspect performances at the back, they’ve looked reasonably threatening in attack.
However, survival is an extraordinarily tough objective for the Suffolk side as, even though they signed several talented players over the summer, Kieran McKenna still has a number of players in his squad who were there when he took charge of the club in League One.
However, they are without one of the team’s top goal-scorers in the league that season, as his career has taken on a very different trajectory from that of Ipswich over the last couple of years.
Ipswich's rapid rise
This season is Ipswich’s first back in the Premier League for 22 years, and just a few years ago it looked like they wouldn’t be back in the top-flight for some time.
However, following the sacking of Paul Cook in December 2021, the club appointed the inexperienced McKenna as his replacement in what was the Northern Irishman’s first managerial role, and to say it was a masterstroke would be an understatement.
He would stabilise the club in that first campaign, leading them to an 11th-placed finish before mounting a promotion charge the following campaign that saw the Tractor Boys finish second with a mammoth points total of 98 and a frankly ridiculous goal difference of plus 66, which was unsurprisingly the best in the league.
Now, the team would have been forgiven for just looking to establish themselves in the Championship the following season and build from there, but they didn’t do that. Instead, as he had the previous year, McKenna led his side on an incredible promotion charge that once again saw them finish in second place and secure Ipswich’s place in the Premier League for the first time in many fans’ lives.
Amazingly, there are still many players from League One in the current squad, such as, Sam Morsy, Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin, but someone who is no longer in the team is Macauley Bonne.
Macauley Bonne's post Ipswich career
It might be a name some Ipswich fans have forgotten in the blur that’s been the last few years, but during McKenna’s first season at Portman Road, Bonne ended the campaign as the club’s joint top goalscorer in League One alongside Burns, with 12 a piece.
However, the Ipswich-born poacher was only at the club on a season-long loan from Queens Park Rangers, so he returned to West London in the summer.
His contract was terminated by mutual consent the following January as he struggled to make an impact at Loftus Road, and the subsequent years would see the Zimbabwean international play for Charlton Athletic, Gillingham and Cambridge United as he struggled to find form.
Leyton Orient
91
45
9
Colchester United
84
15
1
Charlton
56
14
2
Ipswich Town
46
12
4
QPR
44
3
1
Gillingham
31
5
2
Cambridge
16
1
0
Southend United
10
0
2
Lincoln City
8
1
0
Woking
7
0
0
Things got worse for the 29-year-old in July of this year as he was released by The Gills, and for a few months, he was a free agent until he dropped down another division to join non-league side Southend United on a one-year deal.
Unfortunately, the former Ipswich ace has seriously struggled for form at the former Football League giants so far this season and, as things stand, has just two assists to his name in ten appearances, which isn’t the sort of form that will see him retained next year.
Ultimately, while he was great for Ipswich and McKenna in the Northern Irishman’s first season at Portman Road, the last few years haven’t been kind to Bonne, and if his form doesn’t improve, he might not make it back to the Football League.
Ipswich loan star has seen his valuation skyrocket 1201% since leaving
The talented Premier League star enjoyed a stellar season on loan with Ipswich.
Anwar Ali sees only delivery of game go the distance after replacing injured Hamid Hassan
Aadam Patel21-Nov-2021With five needed off the last ball, Danny Briggs was facing a man who had yet to bowl a ball in the tournament, never mind the innings itself. He duly hit Anwar Ali for six to seal a third consecutive win for Team Abu Dhabi in a nail-biting encounter against Deccan Gladiators at the Zayed Cricket Ground. Yet, that was just the final act of a dramatic contest that went down to the wire.”I was just thinking about getting good contact on the ball and I got a top edge which went high and luckily for me, just long enough,” Briggs said afterwards.Long enough by just a whisker. Hamid Hassan had steamed in to Jamie Overton for the penultimate delivery, before pulling up and having to limp off, leaving Wahab Riaz to turn to his countryman Anwar. It was Anwar’s first ball of this year’s T10 and his length delivery was met with a top edge from Briggs which flew off the bat and towards the fine leg boundary where none other than Andre Russell was placed. Russell had starred with the bat in Deccan’s win on Saturday, but was dismissed for a golden duck earlier and bowled a costly ninth over which went for 17. Yet, perhaps, this was his moment to be a hero again…The ball seemed for all it’s worth to be sailing over the boundary and into the Team Abu Dhabi dugout, but Russell leapt and somehow flicked it back in. The ground held its breath to see whether the West Indian was in contact with the boundary cushion. No one, not even Russell, really had an inkling as to who had won. It was agonisingly tight, before replays indicated that his heel was barely touching the rope at the moment he made contact with the ball. Paul Baldwin, the TV umpire, confirmed to Nigel Llong, the on-field umpire, to raise his arms and confirm that it was six.Related
Liam Livingstone expects T10 format to 'suit my game down to the ground'
Moores vs Russell in Abu Dhabi T10: 'I knew I was gonna lose'
A chase of 98 should have been straightforward. Especially considering the fact that Liam Livingstone’s outfit had breezed to scores of 145 and 132 in their first two matches of the tournament.But they had yet to deal with the magic of Wanindu Hasaranga. Livingstone, who had seen his England counterparts struggle to pick the Sri Lankan during the T20 World Cup, had breezed to 17 off seven deliveries when Hasaranga came into the attack. Fresh from blasting 30 off 18 with the bat to rescue the Gladiators from 18 for 5, Hasaranga now had the ball in hand.Livingstone was welcomed with a tossed-up delivery that he top-edged into the Abu Dhabi sky. But, the Gladiators wicketkeeper Tom Moores failed to get anywhere near it. Two balls later, Hasaranga tempted the Englishman yet again and Livingstone again tried to hit him out of the ground. Instead he skied it straight to long-on and with the captain, Phil Salt and Paul Stirling all back in the hutch and no Chris Gayle, the Gladiators had every chance of becoming the first side in T10 history to defend a total of fewer than 100.Not least when the very next ball, Colin Ingram was undone by a wrong-un and Team Abu Dhabi were four down for 44. There is no such thing as defending out the hat-trick ball in this format: Overton came to the crease to face the music and was lucky to sneak a bottom-edge to the boundary as he swept at Hasaranga.But Hasaranga wasn’t done yet. He was fortunate to get an lbw decision in his favour against Chris Benjamin, as replays showed a clear inside-edge from the batter, but there was nothing lucky about the next ball, Marchant de Lange utterly bamboozled by a wrong-un which crashed into his stumps. Hasaranga and the Gladiators were going in for the kill.Briggs arrived at the crease for another hat-trick ball and survived, before being beaten by a wrong-un from the Sri Lankan which narrowly missed the stumps. Both he and Overton must have breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Hasaranga had finished. The Sri Lankan ended with figures of 4 for 12 and had left the Abu Dhabi outfit reeling at 53 for 6.Yet, despite all his heroics with the bat and the ball, it was his fielding that would ultimately prove pivotal. In the next over, Overton skied one towards Hasaranga at midwicket for a regulation catch, which the Sri Lankan failed to hold on to.And the allrounder made him pay, as he crashed an unbeaten 33 off 18, combining with Briggs to hit 46 off the last four overs and somehow steal a victory for Team Abu Dhabi to maintain their 100% record.”It’s still T10, you’ve still gotta go [whenever you come in],” Briggs said. “With two overs left, we said to each other that we needed a big one to get ourselves back in.”Overton added: “We were just trying to play our way, play our strong shots, and try to take one good over. We got a good over in the ninth with Dre and then Briggsy got us over the line.”Livingstone was beaming with joy at the way the pair rescued his side. “We were pretty much behind the game for all of our innings but I thought Jamie [Overton] played beautifully and it was great for Briggsy to hit the last one for six,” he said.
After missing Saturday's match vs. Juventus in Serie A, the U.S. star could be held out midweek if he's not 100 percent
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Christian Pulisic dealing with injury for AC MilanRossoneri play in UCL on WednesdayAmerican won't be "risked" if he is not ready to playFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Christian Pulisic could miss a second consecutive game for AC Milan, manager Sergio Conceicao said. The USMNT star missed Saturday's match against Juventus in Serie A, as the defeated the 2-0 thanks to a match-winning goal from fellow American Tim Weah.
Last week, Pulisic suffered a muscle injury in Milan's victory over Como in Serie A, and was removed at halftime of the contest. He underwent a scan shortly after, and it revealed no serious injury. But the Italian club are not going to rush him back.
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Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Conceicao said that no definitive decision has been made yet on Pulisic's status for Milan's Champions League match vs. Girona on Wednesday, but if he were to feature, it would be off the bench. However, he hinted that he might not play at all.
"We have training tomorrow morning, let’s see how it goes," Conceicao said. "I don’t want to risk losing him for a month or two. If he’s 100 percent and can help, I’ll bring him to the bench – otherwise, I won’t."
Pulisic leads Milan in both scoring and assists in 2024, with 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Girona have suffered two consecutive defeats in UCL competition heading into their clash with Milan, including a 4-0 hammering at the hands of PSV and U.S. internationals Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi.
Milan, meanwhile, have won four-straight matches in the competition after losing their opener to Liverpool 1-0 in September. The highlight of their stretch was a 3-1 victory over reigning champions Real Madrid in November, as the stunned the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN AND PULISIC?
The will search for a crucial three points in the European competition as they look to move up the standings ahead of the final stretch of the initial opening round in the new format. As things stand, they sit on 12 points in 12th place. A victory could potentially move them into the top eight of the competition, which would see them avoid the playoffs draw on Jan. 30.
O Botafogo vai contar com dois ‘reforços caseiros’ para o começo da temporada 2022. Os contratos de Luiz Fernando e Marcinho foram reativados nos registros da CBF neste sábado, primeiro dia do ano novo, e a dupla voltou a oficialmente ter vÃnculo com o Alvinegro.
+ Ano Novo! 17 jogadores chegam ao fim de contrato com o Botafogo na virada de 2022
Luiz Fernando e Marcinho estiveram emprestados na última temporada – em Grêmio e Vitória, respectivamente. Os dois, vale ressaltar, ainda não têm futuro garantido no Botafogo, que avalia o futuro da dupla.
We'd all like to think that Jurgen Klopp watched Liverpool take on Manchester United with a wry grin on his face, enjoying the familiar sight of his beloved club running rampant at Old Trafford.
Indeed, Arne Slot's perfect start to life as Liverpool boss saw excitement burst into euphoria as the incisive Reds capitalised on an error-strewn United display, winning 3-0 to enter the September international break level with dominant champions Manchester City.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot-1
You would not have to trawl deep into Premier League discourse to find someone pronouncing Pep Guardiola's side as champions-elect, three games in, for Erling Haaland's machine-like efficiency in front of goal and the deep-rooted winning mentality of the City unit has seen seven of the past eight league titles conquered.
Things can change in an instant, and Liverpool (and Arsenal, for that matter) are ready to fight against the odds to topple the unbeatable rulers.
There's much work to be done before the Merseysiders are in a position to view themselves as title challengers, but they certainly have the firepower to do so, with Mohamed Salah wreaking havoc so far this season and Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota also enjoying fine starts to the year.
Liverpool didn't do much in the transfer market this summer, but they did finish their frontline with a flourish, signing Federico Chiesa from Juventus.
Where Federico Chiesa fits into Liverpool's frontline
Liverpool signed Chiesa from Juventus in a £12.5m deal in what was their sole senior signing of the summer. Fans were disappointed by the lack of transfer activity, for Liverpool have long felt a need for a new centre-back and an upgrade on holding midfielder Wataru Endo.
There's a glint in his eye that takes a convincing comment on his eagerness to be a part of Slot's Anfield project, having ended his career-long stint in his Italian homeland to try his hand in the Premier League.
Typically a right winger, Chiesa, aged 26, is as versatile as they come and has been hailed as an "absolutely world-class" player in the past by journalist Zach Lowy, praise that was echoed across the continent as he starred in his nation's Euro 2020 triumph.
Chiesa has, however, been wrecked in recent seasons by injuries, notably missing ten months of action in 2022 due to an ACL rupture, though he has just completed a nearly injury-free season, bagging ten goals across all competitions.
As the stats show you below, Chiesa has been one of the most creative forwards in Serie A, with the technique to carve out openings for his peers and the ball-carrying quality to stretch lines and keep defenders guessing, always influencing and enriching the success of his side.
Shot-creating actions
4.79
Top 2%
Passes attempted
29.17
Top 19%
Progressive passes
2.87
Top 16%
Progressive carries
4.55
Top 2%
Successful take-ons
1.43
Top 12%
Liverpool have scored themselves a bargain. It's hard to see it any other way, unless Chiesa falls to further woe on the fitness front. His dynamic, multi-functioning attack threat will see him enhance Liverpool's attacking options, playing into the strengths of Diogo Jota in particular, who Liverpool have well and truly hit the jackpot on.
Why Diogo Jota is so special
Jota is "deadly". It's simple. In fact, he's hailed as much by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Portuguese forward actually ranking among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90, as per FBref.
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota
To put that in perspective, Haaland ranks among the top 4% of forwards for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past 12 months, so Jota is actually firing them in from open play at a more prolific rate. Hah, fancy that.
Like his new Italian teammate, Jota has an injury record that leaves plenty to be desired, but then he's also one of the Premier League's foremost marksmen, so composed and cool under pressure, so clinical with his finishing.
24/25
3 (3)
1
1
23/24
32 (19)
15
4
22/23
28 (15)
7
8
21/22
55 (39)
21
6
20/21
30 (19)
13
1
He's only actually registered 20 or more starts across all competitions in one of his four full campaigns since signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, and therein lies the 26-year-old's biggest problem.
Jota has started the 2024/25 campaign well, playing from the outset across Liverpool's opening three Premier League fixtures, and Chiesa's playmaking prowess could be the perfect ingredient for Slot's thus far preferred talisman.
Diogo Jota's market value in 2024
It's funny to think that Jota's injuries, occurring every year and ruling him out for one significant spell or another, have precluded him from reaching the summit at Liverpool, but that he's still comfortably one of the club's finest players, capable across the frontline.
Diogo Jota for Liverpool
According to Transfermarkt's player valuation model, he is currently marked with a £42m valuation, which is almost perfectly in line with the £41m outlay to bring him over from Molineux about four years ago.
Market Movers
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Jota's customary injury blows have indeed prevented that from stretching higher (though Transfermarkt did have him at £51m two years ago) but it's still a fine illustration of the calibre of player that Liverpool have at their grasp.
It's also £30m more than that of Chiesa, who may well enjoy a financial rise as his Liverpool career gets underway, but he will have his work cut out to overtake a player of Jota's distinction.
Liverpool might have had their Jota masterclass in mind when forging ahead with Chiesa's signing. They've hit the jackpot with one, and now feel that they can repeat the feat and eke out the giddy potential of the other.
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