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Southampton fans will be counting the days down until their side's new Premier League season finally gets underway, as a whole horde of Saints supporters travel up to Tyneside to watch their team face off against Newcastle United.

After that, it's a more winnable home clash versus Nottingham Forest back at St. Mary's, before the fixtures come thick and fast for Russell Martin's men.

There's still plenty of time, however, for the powers that be at the South Coast to sanction more transfers through the door, which could include a midfield gem joining the newly promoted club's ranks.

Southampton prepare move for new midfielder

As per football journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Southampton have already had a bid rejected for Royal Antwerp midfielder Mandela Keita. That said, the Belgian side are open to having further discussions regarding the player.

The first offer, as per Tavolieri, was a bumper loan deal that would involve an eventual permanent move in the region of £10.2m, but that has been batted away by the Belgian's current employers.

A wanted man by fellow promoted side Leicester City too, Southampton will hope they can get the better of the Foxes in this transfer tussle, with Tavolieri stating that the 22-year-old defensive midfielder is very much an in-demand target for many a Premier League suitor.

What Keita can offer Southampton

The Saints turning their attention towards the steely Antwerp number 27 could mean their pursuit of wantaway Tottenham Hotspur man Oliver Skipp is now dead in the water, with a move for Keita making those on the South Coast forget all about the Spurs gem in the process.

Unlike Skipp who has struggled for game time with Spurs in the top division of his country of late, Keita has been able to shine as a regular member of the Antwerp first-team, with the goal above even finding the back of the net from the promising 22-year-old against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise last year.

In total for Antwerp, the 5 foot 11 midfielder has made 60 appearances over two seasons, amassing a singular goal and four assists for his troubles, with a bite also present in his game, away from this output.

Games played

29

Goals scored

0

Assists

2

Touches*

64.4

Accurate passes*

44.2 (90%)

Interceptions*

1.6

Tackles*

2.5

Ball recoveries*

6.7

Clearances*

1.0

Total duels won*

5.9

Last campaign saw Keita come into his own for his Jupiler Pro League outfit, with a staggering 6.7 ball recoveries won per contest as an energetic livewire through the middle, alongside an unerring ability to spray passes across the turf without hesitation.

Keita's top form for Antwerp would end up with him being recognised by the Belgium national team with an International call-up, and led to football talent scout Antonio Mango labelling the Saints target as "exceptional."

On the contrary, as much as Skipp is more familiar with the ins and outs of the English game, he would struggle to get up to speed with what Martin would want, having made only five starts last campaign in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou.

Moreover, even when he was performing at his peak on loan at Norwich City during the 20/21 campaign, his duels won count and his passing accuracy were actually bettered by Keita's numbers out in Belgium, with a lesser 88% pass accuracy managed and 5.7 duels successfully won playing in the Championship.

It remains to be seen whether or not Keita can be transformed into a Premier League battler under Martin, but with the 22-year-old already tasting Champions League football during his fledging career to date, those at Southampton will hope he can acclimatise to the rough and tumble of his new surroundings swimmingly.

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With their transfer window sparking to life courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal are now reportedly prepared to submit an offer worth £42m to sign an attacking reinforcement this summer.

Arsenal transfer news

It now seems just a matter of time before Calafiori is officially presented as an Arsenal player, with the Gunners reportedly finally getting their man. He arrives off the back of an outstanding season for Bologna, who shocked the Serie A by qualifying for the Champions League and then followed that up with a soid performance in an otherwise poor Italian side at Euro 2024.

Calafiori's arrival could just be the start of a late flurry from Arsenal. The north London side have just over a month left to complete further incomings and could now use Nico Williams' reported move to Barcelona to land a long-term target.

According to Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness, sporting director Edu Gaspar is on the case and Arsenal are prepared to submit a €50m (£42m) bid to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer. The Gunners aren't the only club interested, however, with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal reportedly submitting a bid worth €65m (£55m) for the Brazilian.

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That said, it is reportedly believed that Barcelona would be willing to accept an offer worth €60m (£51m) if Arsenal were to push for a deal in the next month, in what could be seen as a major boost for those at the Emirates. Raphinha is likely to fall down the pecking order at the Nou Camp if Williams arrives this summer, opening the door for his potential exit.

"Wise" Raphinha can offer Saka backup

When taking a detailed look at Arsenal's squad, it's easy to tick boxes for depth in central defence, in the frontline and on the left-hand side. What Mikel Arteta arguably does not have, however, is adequate backup for star man Bukayo Saka, which is where Raphinha could come in.

The current Arsenal winger is at risk of burning out throughout the campaign if the Gunners place the responsibility on him to be the match-winner week in, week out. By signing Raphinha, Arsenal could ease that pressure significantly and only add to the longevity of Saka's place among the very best for years to come.

League stats 23/24 (via FBref)	Raphinha	Bukayo Saka
Goals	6	16
Assists	9	9
Key passes P90	2.70	2.81
Ball Recoveries P90	4.87	4.78
Minutes	1,368	2,919

A player who is able to create to a similar level as Saka, Raphinha previously earned the praise of former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa, who described his interpretation of the game as "wise" via the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Physically, he is the best, technically he is at the level of the best and the interpretation that he has of the game is very good, very wise.

"He is within the group of such a powerful nation as Brazil. He shines in the Premier League and he has the attention of all the big clubs in the world."

With Tottenham Hotspur set to use the summer transfer window to sign the next generation of stars in N17, the Premier League club have made an approach for a sought-after teenage talent.

Levy looks towards the future with new transfers

Whilst the arrival of big-name stars will no doubt dominate the headlines this summer, Spurs deserve plaudits for their clever business during the early passages of the transfer window.

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One of the north London outfit's early moves saw them secure the signing of Archie Gray from Leeds United. The 18-year-old arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium off the back of a breakout campaign that saw him pick up the Championship's Young Player of the Season award.

It is likely that Gray could be striking up a midfield partnership with fellow teenager Lucas Bergvall. The 18-year-old was signed from Swedish side Djurgarden back in February and joined Spurs officially at the start of this month.

Spurs' search for young talents has also seen them enter negotiations for Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey. At 23 years of age, the Englishman is slightly older than Levy's previous signings, though Ramsey is still a player with a bright future ahead of him.

With Tottenham's pursuit of high-potential players showing little signs of slowing down, Spurs have now made an approach for a youth international from Serie A.

Spurs set to race for 19-year-old talent

As relayed by Sport Witness, the Italian press are claiming that Spurs are one of the numerous clubs in the picture to sign Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu this summer. The outlet states that the left-back is a target for Ange Postecoglou's side as well as their London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

The report goes on to claim that Serie A side Napoli were the first team to submit an official bid for Dorgu, though the figure in question fell well short of Lecce's €30million (£25million) estimation of the player.

Spurs are said to have now made an approach for the 19-year-old, but will likely need to match the asking price of Dorgu's current team to get the deal over the line.

Dorgu made 34 appearances in all competitions for Lecce last season, contributing two goals and one assist in the process. The teenager's domestic exploits saw him gain his first call-ups to Denmark's Under-23 side, earning five caps throughout the course of the previous campaign. Senior Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand labelled him as "very, very exciting" last season.

With Ben Davies' contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, it could be wise for Spurs to bring in a new left-back this summer to provide support for Destiny Udogie in the future.

With reports also stating that Lecce are waiting for a bid from Chelsea for Dorgu, Spurs may need to move quickly to secure the Dane's services this summer. With Levy's efforts to sign young talents clear, it could be in Dorgu's best interests to move to N17 before the window closes.

Chattogram will now play Gemcon Khulna in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup final

Mohammad Isam15-Dec-2020Gazi Group Chattogram didn’t make a mistake in their second chance to qualify for the Bangabandhu T20 Cup final, beating Beximco Dhaka by seven wickets in the second qualifier. They are now pitted against Gemcon Khulna in the final on Friday, with both teams being touted favourites from the start of the tournament.After being hammered for 210 by Khulna in the first qualifier on Monday, Chattogram’s bowlers brought back their A-game in this match, bowling out Dhaka for 116 in 20 overs. Dhaka’s constant experiment with their opening pair – they tried their sixth combination today – hardly got them anywhere, while their middle order also failing to put their house in order.Openers Sabbir Rahman and Muktar Ali were removed by the fourth over, caught at midwicket and cover, respectively. Mohammad Naim holed out at deep midwicket five overs later, but captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali gave them a sense of recovery. But both fell in their twenties, like Al-Amin Hossain, who also made 25.From being 94 for 4 at one stage, Dhaka suffered a collapse of 6 for 22. Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets while Shoriful Islam picked up two, as Rakibul Islam, Nahidul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Soumya Sarkar chipped in with a wicket each.In Chattogram’s reply, openers Liton Das and Sarkar had calmly added 44, until a call for a near impossible run resulted in Sarkar’s run-out for 27 in the seventh over, having struck five fours in his 23-ball stay.But Das and captain Mohammad Mithun nearly had a cakewalk during their second-wicket stand of 57, before both fell to catches at deep midwicket with Chattogram inching closer to a place in the final.Das made a sedate 40 off 49 balls with four boundaries, while Mithun got 34 off 35 deliveries and fell with Chattogram nine away. But Shamsur Rahman and Mosadek Hossain completed the victory with five balls to spare.Going into Friday’s final, Chattogram have a slight advantage of a 2-1 win-loss record against Khulna in this tournament. Khulna, however, have a major disadvantage after having lost the veteran allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is scheduled to leave for the US due to a family reason, and the impressive seamer Shohidul Islam, who too has left the team after his father passed away on Sunday.

Leeds United had enjoyed a relatively quiet summer transfer window, with no major exits or incomings for Daniel Farke's squad, until the last few days.

It was reported that Brentford were set to sign Whites star Archie Gray in a £40m deal but issues over the payment structure meant that the move fell through.

That, however, has not stopped the England U21 international from closing in on an exit from Elland Road as the 18-year-old starlet is reportedly set to join Tottenham Hotspur for £40m.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the two teams have reached an agreement for that price and the young whiz has agreed a long-term contract with Ange Postecoglou's side.

Wales international Joe Rodon is also set to come the other way from Spurs to sign for the club on a permanent deal for £10m, after his loan spell in West Yorkshire last term.

These two deals would see them bring back their starting right-sided centre-back from the 2023/24 campaign but lose their first-choice right-back, which could see them dip back into the market for another full-back.

However, they could also be on the lookout for attacking reinforcements and one of their reported targets could come in as an upgrade on Joel Piroe.

Leeds United's interest in young wizard

Last month, the Blackpool Gazette named Leeds as one of a number of clubs showing an interest in a deal to sign Karamoko Dembele from Brest.

The report stated that fellow Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday had already made an enquiry over a possible swoop to snap up the 21-year-old wizard.

Wednesday and the Whites are not the only sides keen on signing him, though, as the outlet revealed that Everton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Fulham, Brentford, Leicester City, Southampton, and Middlesbrough are also keeping an eye on the young talent.

This suggests that Farke and his team will face plenty of competition to secure his signature before the end of the transfer window, should they opt to act upon their interest and pursue an agreement with Brest.

The Blackpool Gazette added that it remains unclear as to what the Ligue 1 side's plans for the talented ace, who spent last season on loan with Blackpool, are and this means that it is unknown as to how much he would cost Leeds, or any of the other interested parties.

If the Whites can get a deal over the line for the former Celtic starboy, however, then they could land a player with the potential to be an upgrade on Piroe at Elland Road.

Joel Piroe's mixed success at Leeds

The Dutchman was signed from Championship rivals Swansea last summer and spent the majority of his first year in West Yorkshire as a number ten or second striker.

A centre-forward by trade, Farke opted to start him as an attacking midfielder or second striker in 23 matches, with only 15 outings as a striker.

This appeared to limit his best quality – goalscoring – and highlight the deficiencies – passing and mobility – as he often struggled as a number ten.

Piroe had racked up an impressive tally of 41 Championship goals in his two seasons with the Swans combined, mainly playing as a centre-forward, which was an average of around 20 per campaign.

Instead of carrying that form over to Elland Road, the Dutch attacker ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 13 goals in 45 league appearances during the regular season.

This shows that his goalscoring rate was affected by the change in position from his spell with Swansea to his first season with Leeds, with seven goals fewer than his average tally in Wales.

23/24 Championship

Joel Piroe

Appearances

45

Assists

2

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

0.8

Duel success rate

38%

Aerial duel success rate

27%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed ace also struggled to provide much creativity from a number ten role, with just two assists in 45 appearances.

His lack of mobility and athleticism was also on display in a deeper role. Opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of the 6 foot 1 forward as he lost the majority of his duels, and the vast majority of his aerial contests.

Why Leeds should sign Karamoko Dembele

The Whites should now swoop to sign Dembele as an upgrade on Piroe in the number ten position, based on his form for Blackpool last season.

He spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at the League One side from Brest and his outstanding form in the third tier suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent addition for Leeds.

Firstly, the 5 foot 6 dynamo is a natural attacking midfielder who can use his speed, athleticism, and creativity to offer far more to the team than Piroe did.

Firstly, Dembele ended the season with a staggering return of 13 assists and 15 'big chances' created in 39 League One outings, compared to the Dutchman's unimpressive two assists and three 'big chances' created.

This suggests that the ex-Celtic man, who boss Neil Critchley lauded as "exciting" and "beautiful to watch", would be a gigantic upgrade on the current Leeds form when it comes to breaking down teams to create chances.

23/24 season

Joel Piroe (Championship)

Karamoko Dembele (League One)

Appearances

45

39

Goals

13

8

Dribbles completed per game

0.5

1.3

Ground duel success rate

42%

56%

Aerial duel success rate

27%

33%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dembele did not disgrace himself as a goalscorer whilst offering far more from an athletic perspective, with his ability to win duels and dribble past opponents.

This suggests that he is far more suited to playing in a number ten position because he can hold his own in duels in the middle of the park and has the pace and dynamism to burst past players with the ball to open up space in transition.

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Therefore, Leeds could land an upgrade on Piroe by signing Dembele, who produced 23 direct goal contributions (nine goals and 14 assists) in all competitions last term, and hoping that he can translate his impressive form over to the Championship next season.

Derby County took no time whatsoever in showing what their intentions are for next season, getting rid of a number of the veteran members of the squad in their retained list, after their promotion up to the Championship had been savoured in all its glory.

Cut-throat decision-making from the powers that be in Derbyshire resulted in the likes of Conor Hourihane, Joe Wildsmith and Korey Smith all being axed, with the most surprising name of those released being the ex-Aston Villa midfielder, who had just captained the Rams to promotion success.

Yet, it's clear to see that Paul Warne and Co want to head in a slightly different direction, away from relying on the ageing members of the squad to come up trumps, which could result in another stalwart of their League One success story being ditched soon, if he doesn't extend his contract past this June.

James Collins' time at Derby

Last campaign, James Collins led the line effectively for the eventual promotion winners, taking his overall career goal haul for the third tier to 70 strikes from 190 games in total, by continuing to be a reliable finisher.

14 of those goals would come last season in league action, with the 33-year-old centre-forward even netting the final strike of the third-tier campaign altogether for his team, ensuring the Rams picked up a comfortable three points against Carlisle United to finally return to the Championship.

Regardless of being an important player for Warne last season, there's no guarantee that he will stay put at Pride Park for the leap up a division, with a new contract offered to him in the aforementioned retained list, but with no further progress out in the open as of yet.

With many new players being linked with a switch to Derbyshire, as the newly promoted side look to plug gaps in central midfield as a direct consequence of Hourihane's absence, the Rams could opt to sign someone fresher up top if Collins is ditched, having failed to agree a new deal.

Losing Collins wouldn't be the end of the world for Warne's men, who have had to replace attacking stars such as Tom Lawrence and Jason Knight in recent years after their exits, with the ex-Luton Town striker leaving freeing up more space on the wage bill too, which was also a major factor in Hourihane boldly being let go of.

Collins' wage in the Derby camp

According to Salary Sport, as of 2023, the veteran striker pocketed a healthy £8.1k-per-week wage, which puts him in the top bracket of earners at Pride Park.

Hourihane's excessive £12k-per-week pay packet did make him the highest earner, justifying Derby's decision to get rid arguably, as the former Premier League midfielder nears his retirement date soon.

Derby's top five highest earners (2023)

Player

Wage

1. Conor Hourihane

£12k-per-week

2. Curtis Nelson

£8.4k-per-week

3. James Collins

£8.1k-per-week

4. Louis Sibley

£8k-per-week

5. Max Bird

£7.9k-per-week

Astoundingly on a higher wage than Max Bird last season, who is now on the books at Bristol City after an impactful swansong season with his boyhood club, there might well be an argument that Derby could sign a more effective striker for the division above, using money gained back from letting Collins leave.

Only scoring 27 times from 114 Championship contests in the past, Warne and Co will be drafting up new strikers they can target now, with the end of the month rapidly coming into view, and no new developments emerging about Collins staying or going.

Collins might well feel departing now, on the high of a promotion rush, is the best possible way to exit actually, instead of overstaying his Derby welcome in a division that could now be too strenuous on his legs.

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علق أحمد سليمان، عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، على التعادل مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، بالمباراة التي جمعت بينهما أول أمس الخميس ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك تعادل مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، 1-1، في إطار الجولة الخامسة من عمر مواجهات مسابقة الدوري، التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وقال أحمد سليمان في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “حزنت بسبب التعادل مع سيراميكا، الزمالك فريق بطولات، لو كسبنا كنا سنعتلي صدارة الدوري، يوجد جزء تحكيمي وغير سعيد بنقطة التعادل”.

طالع أيضاً.. “ليفربول غير موجود”.. هشام حنفي ينصح الأهلي بضم محمد صلاح في كأس العالم للأندية

وتابع: “جروس اسم كبير في كرة القدم ومجلس الإدارة والجماهير داعمين له”.

قيل إنك غير سعيد بـ جروس، أوضح: “الذي يقول ذلك يأتي بالبرهان، هو اسم كبير وأشكره أنه جاء في وقت قليل، ويحسب لـ الزمالك سرعة التعاقد معه، 88% من الأخبار التي تقال على السوشيال ميديا غير صحيحة”.

وأردف: “لا توجد خلافات بيني وبين مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، والعيب أننا نرد على هذه الأمور، هناك ناس مغرضين يحاولون عمل فتنة”.

واستطرد: “زيزو شارك في الأولمبياد وكان أحد الأسباب الرئيسية في تحقيق مركز بالبطولة، زيزو أحد الأسباب الرئيسية للفوز ببطولة الكونفدرالية والسوبر الإفريقي هو لاعب أساسي في منتخب مصر، زيزو يستحق لقب أفضل لاعب داخل قارة إفريقيا، زيزو ظلم بعدم حصوله على الجائزة”.

وأتم: “أنا لو غير مسؤول في نادي الزمالك كنت قلك اشياء كثيرة بشأن الكاف”.

Arsenal are set to wear their away kit in the north London derby against Tottenham for the first time in 38 years.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arsenal set to face Spurs on Sunday in a PL fixture
• PGMOL has directed them to wear their away strip
• They last wore the away shirt against Spurs back in 1985-86

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners typically don their traditional red and white home kit when they travel crosstown to face their local rivals Tottenham. However, the home shirt's design for the 2024-25 season has not been ratified by PGMOL to wear against their derby rivals.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  According to PGMOL’s assessment, Arsenal’s current home shirt "features too much white" which could create visual confusion when Tottenham take the field in their usual white jerseys. To resolve this issue, the PGMOL ruled that Arsenal must switch to their black away kit for the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

• WHAT ARSENAL SAID

  While Arsenal proposed a solution of pairing their home shirt with red shorts and socks, this alternative was not approved. The referee’s body stuck with its decision that the black away kit was the best option to avoid any potential kit clash.

  "The PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024-25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham’s traditional colours, even with the option of red shorts and socks for us, which was also discussed," said Arsenal.

  "As a result, for the first time in recent 'NLD' history, we'll be wearing our change colours."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The PGMOL has also confirmed that Tottenham will wear their away kit when they travel to the Emirates Stadium for the reverse fixture in January.

  Arsenal’s decision to wear their away kit for the derby is not without historical precedent, but it has been 38 years since the Gunners last took to the pitch in anything other than their home kit for this specific match. According to Arsenal Shirt Collection, a fan resource on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the last time Arsenal wore their away colours in a north London derby was during the 1985-86 season.

Sheffield Wednesday will hope, when next season comes around and a first ball is kicked, that Danny Rohl is still occupying his position as manager in the Hillsborough dug-out.

Wednesday supporters will know that there's no guarantee that the South Yorkshire side will be the most stable club over the off-season, with Darren Moore's fractious relationship with owner Dejphon Chansiri resulting in the promotion-winning boss being given the boot last summer, and so they will just pray for a more subdued and quiet environment this time around with the German hopefully staying put.

There is bound to be change when it comes to who is playing on the pitch for the Championship outfit, however, with a number of the troops at Rohl's disposal currently uneasy over their futures owing to their contracts running down.

Away from the likes of Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer not yet putting pen to paper on an extension, Michael Smith could be heading for the exit door – even with his current deal being in place until 2025 – with the Owls wanting to profit on their previously prolific centre-forward before it's too late.

Michael Smith's bright start at Sheffield Wednesday

Heading into this Championship campaign, off the back of the most dramatic promotion stories under Moore, many would have expected in South Yorkshire that Smith would be the main talisman up top to lead Wednesday back into the second tier and fire in the goals.

The prolific attacker at League One level would live up to his reputation for the Owls in that division, bagging 17 goals in the league for the eventual promotion-chasers which would take his total in the third tier across his esteemed career to an impressive 75 overall.

Club

Games played

Goals scored

Sheffield Wednesday

39

16

Rotherham United

99

33

Bury FC

19

1

Northampton Town

14

2

Swindon Town

60

21

Barnsley

13

0

Colchester United

8

2

Having had to cut his teeth at a number of League One sides, before coming into his own in the division under Paul Warne at Rotherham and then further with Wednesday, Smith must have been overjoyed at the prospect of establishing himself as a feared centre-forward in the division above.

Yet, the narrative hasn't quite gone in Smith's favour with the well-travelled striker looking likely to be moving on again this summer based on his lack of game-time under Rohl.

Smith's season for Wednesday in numbers

The lofty 6 foot 3 striker did initially start this season where he left off in League One for the Owls, netting against Hull City in Wednesday's second game back at the level before haunting his former employers Rotherham with two more strikes at the close of October.

However, since then, the 32-year-old has found his minutes to be fewer and fewer which coincided with Rohl's arrival onto the scene as a fresh face in the dug-out.

Smith only managed to find the back of the net once more during the entire rest of the campaign with his confidence shot as a sudden fringe figure, the German boss preferring to use the likes of Troyes loanee Ike Ugbo over the ex-Rotherham forward.

Rohl can be excused for wanting to freshen up the striker spot with hindsight now, knowing that the former Chelsea youngster would end up bagging seven goals when making the switch from France to help Wednesday navigate through some tough clashes and continue to pick up hard-fought victories.

To bring an end to his Wednesday nightmare now, Smith could look to get the ball rolling over a move to Derby County again – which nearly happened in January, according to reports – to link back up with his ex-Millers boss in Warne who managed to oversee the richest goalscoring form of his career whilst together at the New York Stadium.

The Owls wouldn't say no to offloading the reserve striker either, knowing that they could still gain a handsome amount of money for the 32-year-old who still boasts a higher worth than Josh Windass in the Hillsborough camp, according to Football Transfers.

Smith's transfer value in 2024

Despite only firing in four strikes during a dismal season from a personal perspective, Smith's valuation is still coming in at a high £944k.

Selling the seasoned striker on for this amount would see the Owls make a healthy profit, considering they managed to strike gold on a free transfer deal for Smith's services back in 2022 at the expense of Rotherham.

2024

£944k

2023

£1.1m

2022

£0

2021

£687k

2018

£1.2m

Wednesday just won't want to be burnt in a similar manner to the Millers when they lost Smith for nothing two years ago, considering his transfer value would rise to £1.1m just a year into his move to the Owls.

Amazingly, despite his heroics recently in helping his side complete a dramatic escape from relegation, Josh Windass' value sits at a lesser £429k – less than half of Smith's amount – with Rohl and Co no doubt clamouring to sign up the ex-Accrington Stanley man for next season with his contract expiring next month.

Entering into a mini purple patch at the best possible time, by scoring a goal in all of Wednesday's last three league games, Rohl will want the 30-year-old to stick it out at Hillsborough more so than Smith who will be allowed to leave.

Staggeringly, another key member of Rohl's camp in Barry Bannan finds himself being worth the same amount as the striker stuck on the periphery in South Yorkshire all whilst assisting Liam Palmer's crucial opener on the final day to secure safety at the Stadium of Light.

It's been a quick decline for Smith, who was one of the first names on the team sheet under Moore's reign and was even described as a "colossal" figure by Warne during his best days at the New York Stadium.

Now, the 32-year-old is merely a bit-part player in his less than welcoming South Yorkshire location and will be seen as a player that can be offloaded now to make some satisfactory profit off of.

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ByKelan Sarson Mar 21, 2024

There is a strange atmosphere in North London today, one that has turned the most die-hard of Arsenal fans into enthusiastic Lilywhites and N17's most loyal supporters into card-carrying Sky Blues.

The reason? Tottenham Hotspur's potentially title-deciding Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Now, the Spurs faithful might well be praying for an away win in this one – and who can blame them – but there is no way that Ange Postecoglou will be going out there tonight with an ambition to do anything other than collect all three points.

So, with that in mind, he should look to make a change to the team that beat Burnley on Saturday and drop Oliver Skipp.

Oliver Skipp's performance against Burnley

Now, the idea behind dropping Skipp back to the bench for is not because he was poor on Saturday. In fact, the Englishman was reasonably impressive in the unfamiliar role of left-back and could potentially be deployed there in the future if Postecoglou is left with no other options.

However, the key word in that appraisal was 'reasonably'; as for all his good work, he wasn't faultless, and as a result, football.london's Alasdair Gold gave him a fair 6/10 rating on the day, writing that he 'couldn't get back in time for Larsen's goal' and that he 'hasn't got the recovery pace' required to keep the defence tight or offer a threat going forward.

This review of the 23-year-old's performance is backed up by his statistics from the game. In his 75 minutes of action, he was dribbled past once, failed to take a single shot, registered an expected assist figure of 0.01, lost the ball five times, didn't attempt a single dribble, and failed to play a single key pass or cross.

Minutes

75'

Goals + Assists

0

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Dribbled Past

1

Attempted Dribbles

0

Shots

0

Lost Possession

5

Key Passes

0

Crosses

0

In all, he was reasonably solid as a stand-in full-back, but his total lack of pace or attacking threat left him vulnerable at times, and against a team like City, that weakness could be the downfall of the entire team.

Why Micky van de Ven should start on the left

So, with Skipp out of the lineup and Emerson Royal simply not good enough, summer signing Micky van de Ven has to come in and start on the left side of the defence.

The Dutchman's move to left-back will leave a space in the centre of the defence, but this could be filled by January signing Radu Dragusin, as with the season coming to an end, he has to get some more game time to justify his arrival.

However, the most important change is at left-back, and there are a few reasons why Postecoglou should make this decision.

Appearances

132

15

1

Goals

7

1

0

Assists

5

3

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.09

0.26

0.00

The first is that while the former Wolfsburg ace has primarily played as a centre-back in his career, he has started 15 games at left-back before, in which he has made the most of his left foot, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

The second reason is that one of his biggest strengths was one of Skipp's primary weaknesses: his pace.

In February, the "dominant" and "tenacious" star, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, broke the Premier League record for the fastest sprint, clocking in at an astounding 37.38km/h vs Brentford, which could be the key to helping Postecoglou unlock City's defence.

Lastly, the "complete" defender, as described by Kulig, has become more of a goal threat in recent weeks, scoring one that was chalked off against Arsenal and then the winner against Burnley, suggesting that in a full-back role that allows him to get even further up the pitch, he could become more pivotal to how the Lilywhites play.

Ultimately, while Skipp was okay on the weekend, his lack of pace and power could be a real issue tonight against the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Co. The Dutchman, however, may well help silence them on a big night.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes May 14, 2024