All posts by z3u9t.icu

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Time for a sort of celebration? Although there’s a little bit of a caveat to it all, so don’t start signing jubilantly just yet.

Lukas Jutkiewicz is set to make his 400th professional league appearance if he takes on Cardiff City this Saturday. Given that he has started every game for the Blues this season and has played 90 minutes in all but three of them (via Transfermarkt), barring any major incidents overnight, it’s safe to say that number is in the bag.

What’s been said?

And in preparation for such an event, Blues manager Pep Clotet has once again stressed just how important he is for the team, not just in terms of goals but for how he manages to bring other players into the game:

“It is critical for us because he creates a lot of space for us, he keeps the back line very far away from the midfield line, that allows us to use those spaces the best way we can. He is very smart so he creates the space where we need and I think his pressing ability is very good as well because he is smart.”

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Time for change?

As we have discussed on FFC, there are a number of ways that the club could go about helping Jutkiewicz to get a little bit more out of his game and as a result the team. One way is by bringing in more players to play off him so that the team can gain a greater impetus in attack.

If they aren’t going to go down that road though, there may be the need for them to make some drastic changes.

Clotet talking about how important he is brings us back to another talking point that we recently had in regards to Jutkiewicz, and that’s whether or not they are in fact too reliant on him to get goals.

If they aren’t going to change the formation to suit him as we’ve suggested, perhaps the talk in January shouldn’t be about bringing in a forward to play up front with him, but rather to replace him.

That isn’t to say Jutkiewicz is past it but he does need some extra help, particularly when a rest is required during midweek matches.

Not only will it save his legs and he’ll be able to perform throughout the whole season, but supporters won’t have to worry about him suffering from burnout towards the end of the campaign.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon following a convincing 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers.

The Whites cruised to the win thanks to goals from Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison as they regained control of the division in West Bromwich Albion’s absence – they play on Monday night.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But aside from all the positives, one man amongst the starting line up may have just blown his final chance to impress manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Helder Costa, who was starting his seventh straight game, failed to catch the eye despite his side picking up all three points at Elland Road.

Per SofaScore, the 25-year-old failed to register an accurate cross, a single key pass, or even a successful dribble. While he also managed just one attempt at goal, which was blocked by a visiting defender.

He was replaced on the 77th minute by Pablo Hernandez, who was making a long-awaited comeback from injury – meaning that Costa’s days could be numbered amongst the starting XI as the influential Spaniard is back in the mix.

The 34-year-old has been absent since a 1-1 draw with Derby County back at the end of September, so the Wolves loanee has been deputising in the meantime.

But after this latest performance, it is unlikely that he will keep his place under Bielsa as he was one of the only negatives from Saturday’s win.

The midfielder’s loan will be made permanent for nearly £15m at the end of the season, which is already looking like a major mistake if this showing is anything to go by.

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

Supporters in west Yorkshire have been long against Costa, he was slammed for his role in their draw over Preston North End, and then even despite defeating Birmingham, he still came in for a lot of flak.

Hernandez has scored two and assisted two in nine appearances this term while Costa has failed to notch either during his absence.

For the next few games, at least, it may be a return to the substitutes bench following a far from inspiring display against the Rs.

Aston Villa came from two goals down against Everton, to secure their third win of the Premier League campaign, putting them on nine points from a possible 12 so far, and leaving them currently 3rd in the table.

Everton started fast, finding themselves two goals up after just 27 minutes, with Dwight McNeil, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the scoresheet for the Toffees. Ollie Watkins fired back with his first in the 36th minute, and a second in the 58th minute.

The winner was scored yet again by Jhon Duran, who also scored decisive goals against West Ham and Leicester, both of which ended in 2–1 victories. Duran has scored three goals already this season, despite only playing 103 minutes of football.

Ollie Watkins's performance against Everton

Coming from 2-0 behind, Watkins scored Villa’s first and second goals, to bring them back level. These were the forward’s first two goals of the new campaign, having not scored in his previous three games.

Duran has outshone Watkins so far to start this season, taking the limelight, and scoring the big goals in big moments. Even after scoring a brace to get Villa back in the game, the Colombian stole the headlines with his wonderstrike to win the game.

Watkins is coming off of a sparkling 2023/24 campaign, where the England international made 53 appearances in all competitions, scoring 27 goals, providing 13 assists, and totaling 4,323 minutes played.

Hopefully, his brace against the Toffees will now provide him with the confidence to return to his best form in the coming weeks and months.

Youri Tielemans' masterclass

Given a player rating of 8/10 by GIVEMESPORT (only bettered by Watkins’ 9/10), Youri Tielemans ran the show in midfield, managing 147 touches, which was the most on the pitch for both teams.

The 27-year-old has been a key figure for Unai Emery to start this season, playing all 360 minutes of Premier League football so far, and he controlled the tempo of the game for Villa against Everton.

Stat

Tielemans

Minutes

90

Touches

147

Passes

126/136

Pass Completion %

93%

Key Passes

2

Long Balls

2/4

Big Chances Created

1

Ground Duels Won

5/9

Tackles

4

The Villains held 73% of the ball, making nearly triple the number of passes as Everton, Villa making 665 passes, and Everton making 240. A huge part of this dominance was the control of the Belgian in the Villa midfield, having his fair share of the ball.

Tielemans, who took 147 touches, and made 126 successful passes of his 136 attempted, had nearly quadruple the number of touches as the Everton midfield duo, Idrissa Gueye and Tim Iroegbunham.

The ex-Leicester star also made more than five times the number of successful passes than the pair, who only made 22 successful passes out of 25 attempts between them.

That dominance in midfield was what allowed Villa to get back into the game, controlling proceedings largely down to the midfield maestro pulling the strings. But it was not just his on-ball work, as Tielemans also made four tackles, and won five of his nine ground duels, doing a good job at breaking up play in the middle of the park.

Whilst Watkins and Duran will get most of the plaudits for their goals, winning the game, Tielemans deserves huge praise, after a midfield masterclass for Emery’s side.

It would be fair to say that after a promising first season under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United were disappointingly poor last season, at least in the Premier League anyway.

Now, there were some mitigating circumstances for the Red Devils' turgid performances, such as injuries, but after the first three games of this season, it looks like it could be another brutal campaign for the United faithful.

There are some undeniably talented players at the club, and this summer's transfer business is encouraging, but there are just too many stars who are out of form, stars like Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, and Antony.

In fact, those last two were so underwhelming last season, that they were outperformed by a former United flop who left for a pittance almost a decade ago.

Rashford and Antony's 23/24

Now, considering United finished in eighth place last season despite producing the 15th-worst underlying numbers in the competition, per Understat, it might seem a bit harsh to talk about Rashford and Antony as particularly disappointing, but there are reasons.

For the Englishman, it's about how inconsistent he has become. Only the season prior, he racked up a frankly ludicrous tally of 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 matches, only to follow that up with a haul of eight goals and six assists in 43 appearances.

That means the Manchester-born star went from averaging a goal involvement every 1.36 games in 22/23 to averaging one every 3.07 games last season, and as he hasn't scored or assisted a goal yet this season, it's looking like his form is set to continue.

In the case of the Brazilian, his lacklustre form last season was disappointing as some sections of the fanbase and media were hoping that after his first campaign in the country, he'd kick on and show the league why the club spent around £81m to secure his services.

Unfortunately, he didn't even get close to doing that and ended the year with a dreadful tally of three goals and two assists in 38 matches, equating to a dismal average of a goal involvement once every 7.6 games.

In all, both wingers have a mountain to climb this season to prove their doubters wrong, especially as a former United flop who struggled himself at points last season outperformed them both.

Wilfried Zaha's recent form

Yes, the United flop in question is former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha, who moved to United for around £15m in 2013, only to be sold back to Crystal Palace a couple of years later for £3m and with just four appearances to his name.

At the time, it looked like he was going to be just another failed wonderkid, but back in South London, the Abidjan-born winger showed the rest of the league that he was the real deal, and by the time he left Selhurst Park last summer to join Galatasaray, he had racked up 90 goals and 62 assists in 458 appearances.

The 31-year-old made his move to Turkey to fulfil a lifelong ambition of playing in the Champions League, and not only did he achieve it, but he did so with a goal at Old Trafford – it was always going to happen.

However, he didn't fully settle in Istanbul and moved to French giants Lyon on loan last month, yet even though his time in the Turkish capital didn't go precisely to plan, he still managed to produce ten goals and five assists in 42 matches, meaning he was far more productive than Antony and ever so slightly more productive than Rashford.

Now, the massive caveat here is that the Süper Lig obviously represents a lower level of opposition than the Premier League, but given Zaha's form for Palace for 22/23, we do not doubt that he could still offer something to a top-flight team in England this season.

Appearances

42

43

38

Goals

10

8

3

Assists

5

6

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

0.32

0.13

Ultimately, though, his departure from United all those years ago was probably in the best interest of all parties, and while Rashford isn't at his best at the moment, he has the quality to get back there, although we aren't so sure about Antony.

Man Utd wonderkid left for £0, now he's like Scholes & better than Mainoo

The talented midfielder has been incredible away from Old Trafford.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 6, 2024

Arsenal have started their Premier League campaign in the best way possible this season, with two wins and two clean sheets to boot.

Mikel Arteta's side still aren't at their free-flowing best, but they looked comfortable at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers and managed to come away from Villa Park with all three points, unlike last year.

Moreover, with two assists and a goal to his name already, Bukayo Saka has picked up where he left off, as has Kai Havertz, who scored and assisted in the match against the Old Gold.

However, the German international was quieter against Aston Villa, and it was perhaps his lack of impact in that game that has motivated Edu Gaspar and Co to step things up in the transfer market, as the latest reports have linked the Gunners with an ideal rival for the former Chelsea ace, although it's a move that has the potential to send two fanbases into pandemonium.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report out of Spain, Arsenal are now interested in signing Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez.

The report claims that the Gunners have 'set their sights' on the Uruguayan as they continue to look for attacking reinforcements before the transfer window slams shut on Friday night.

Interestingly, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are looking to exploit the uncertainty around the 25-year-old's future under new manager Arne Slot, although the Reds would demand a fee in the region of £73m to sell him, which could throw a spanner in the works.

In all, it would be a costly and potentially unpopular transfer to get over the line, but given Arsenal's need for another striker and the glimpses of brilliance Núñez has shown in the past, it could be one worth pursuing, especially as he could push Havertz to get even better.

How Núñez compares to Havertz

Okay, so the first thing to recognize is that at the moment, Havertz is Arteta's preferred option at number nine, meaning that if Núñez was to make the shocking move to North London before the window closes on Friday night, the German international would be his primary competition to start at the sharp end of the pitch.

So, with that said, how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, from an output perspective, it's a little bit complicated. For example, the Liverpool star scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in just 54 appearances last season, equating to a goal involvement every 1.74 games.

In contrast, the Gunners number 29 scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances last season, meaning he maintained a still impressive but slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games.

So looking at these numbers, the Reds' "agent of chaos", as dubbed by football writer Leane Prescott, is the better centre-forward, right? Not necessarily.

The numbers look slightly different if you compare the games in which the pair played as an out-and-out number nine last season.

For example, the former Benfica played 49 games as a striker for the six-time European Champions in 23/24, in which he scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.81 games.

Appearances

54

49

51

18

Goals

18

16

14

8

Games

13

11

7

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

0.55

0.41

0.83

However, in the 18 matches the former Chelsea star played as Arsenal's central striker last season, he scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he produced a seriously impressive average of a goal involvement once every 1.20 games.

Now, this doesn't mean that the Aachen-born poacher is a far better striker than the Liverpool ace, but it does suggest that the potential battle between them for a place in the starting lineup would be closer than some might have imagined.

Ultimately, even though Havertz was able to produce more impressive numbers as a number nine than Núñez, the Uruguayan international is still an incredibly talented player, and while it could be a move that divides the fanbase in the beginning, he'd undoubtedly bring more quality to Arsenal's attacking options. Therefore, if a reasonable fee can be agreed upon, Edu and Co should look to get this deal over the line.

Offer ready: Arsenal target last-gasp move for £70m Nketiah upgrade

The incredibly promising youngster would be an ideal addition to the squad.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 28, 2024

Chelsea have "shown interest" in bringing FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the Premier League, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Diogo Costa leaving FC Porto?

Since graduating from FC Porto’s academy back in 2019, Costa has been a regular feature between the sticks having clocked up 109 senior appearances to date, and his impressive form has also increased his profile on the international stage.

The Portugal international represented his nation at the 2022 World Cup, during which his displays caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino who, alongside Todd Boehly, is reportedly in the market for a new number one shot-stopper this window.

Back in February, 90min reported that the Blues had sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old live in action as they weigh up whether to make an official approach, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like they have made their feelings known.

Are Chelsea signing Costa?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Chelsea are keen on signing Costa but are set to face competiton from two other suitors who are also looking to secure his services. He wrote:

"Diogo #Costa, #Chelsea recently shown interest in the #Porto goalkeeper. #ManUTD already approached him: at the moment his release clause (€75m) [£64m] is considered too high, but #MUFC remain on his tracks. Also #Bayern in the race for the GK: evolving situation."

Where would Costa fit in under Pochettino?

Chelsea will know that they are likely to lose Edouard Mendy this summer after reports emerged that he has agreed personal terms over a move to Saudi Arabia outfit Al Ahli so a replacement will be needed should he depart, and having been dubbed a “superman” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Costa could be the perfect successor.

The Gestifute client, who’s sponsored by Adidas, kept 16 clean sheets from 33 Liga Portugal outings last season and his outstanding displays saw him receive individual recognition by being awarded the 2022/23 Goalkeeper of the Season accolade.

The Rothrist native also made a total of 60 saves from 79 shots on target against giving him a success rate of 77.2%, which would make him a huge upgrade because that is higher than both of the current shot-stoppers who are at Stamford Bridge.

Finally, Costa will know what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured ten trophies across club and country since the start of his career so could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the SW6 outfit, who will be hoping to kick off a new era under Pochettino.

Leeds United's relegation is set to have catastrophic effects on the club should they fail to bounce back with some haste. Given how they reacted to their 2004 demotion, fans have every right to be worried.

Fortunately, they boast one key difference from the drop that left them absent from the Premier League for 16 years – as they retain the bulk of the finances of a top-flight club.

That fateful relegation nearly two decades ago was borne of years of fiscal mismanagement, culminating in a brief stint in League One, too. This time, their stature and ability to lure players with hefty monetary incentives could help them bankroll the second tier and swan back to the big time.

They will also have to balance any new additions with the likely departures, as large swathes of their squad are expected to seek an exit. Rodrigo is one such name, which will leave the Whites without their most reliable source of goals from last term.

Therefore, they must surely invest heavily in what is arguably the most important area of the field by stumping up the demanded €20m (£17m) fee and making their interest in Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres more tangible.

Is Viktor Gyokeres similar to Erling Haaland?

Replacing the 13 Premier League strikes of their Spanish star will be no easy feat, but the Sweden international has all the qualities to continue his blistering Championship form in the white shirt of Leeds.

Last term for the Sky Blues, the 25-year-old posted 21 goals and a further ten assists in the league, blowing his 17-goal tally from the year prior out of the water.

It is this exceptional form in front of goal and his blistering speed, hulking frame, striking blond hair and Scandinavian heritage that all culminate to draw comparisons with Erling Haaland.

Manchester City's record-breaking frontman has taken English football by storm, breaking the Premier League scoring record in his debut year and notching 52 goals in all competitions.

In fact, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray even sought to make these similarities known, noting in February: "He looks a yard more powerful and a yard quicker than everyone else, he’s a really confident boy.

"I don’t want to say he should test himself in the Premier League, but who is like him in the Premier League at the moment? Who is too fast, too strong and too big, you would suggest Haaland is like that, and Gyokeres in this league looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship."

The comparisons continue when viewing their play style, too, as the Norway international would average just 23.7 touches per game in the league – lower than the 45 touches per game of Gyokeres in the Championship.

It only takes minimal impact throughout the game to have the biggest effect on the full-time result for these lethal forwards, with the latter's teammate Maxime Biamou branding him "unplayable".

As the 49ers continue their search for a manager, it seems that this move could be their first true statement of intent, showing the rest of the country that the famous Yorkshire outfit will not be spending too much time at this level.

20 years. That is how long Newcastle United had gone without the glitz and glamour of Champions League football, prior to their return in 2023/24.

They haven’t come all too often in recent times, but St James’ Park is a stadium made for Champions League nights – Football FanCast thought it was worth ranking Newcastle United’s greatest clashes in European football…

5 Newcastle United 1-0 Juventus – 2002-03 Champions League

If you were to ask a Newcastle fan about Andy Griffin, one moment would come to mind. That would, of course, be Griffin’s famous goal against Juventus 20 years ago.

Star-studded players such as Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon and Edgar Davids made the trip to Tyneside, but Griffin was the unlikely hero in a historic win for the Magpies

The full-back, who was never famed for his goalscoring exploits, saw his effort deflect in off Italian legend Buffon to hand Newcastle their first win of their Champions League campaign.

4 Feynoord 2-3 Newcastle United – 2002/03 Champions League

Another Champions League classic from the 2002/03 season saw Craig Bellamy’s last-minute winner make Newcastle the first-ever side to qualify from their group after losing their first three games.

Needing a win to book their place in the second group stage – as was the format back in the day – the Magpies raced off into a 2-0 lead through goals from Bellamy and Hugo Viana, only to let that slip midway through the second half.

Bellamy, however, would come to the rescue, with Kieron Dyer’s shot falling at the feet of the Welshman, who slotted home the winner and sent the Newcastle away end into pandemonium.

3 Inter 2-2 Newcastle United – 2002/03 Champions League

The 2002-03 Champions League season was well and truly a rollercoaster ride for the Magpies, with Newcastle’s famous trip to the San Siro providing yet another classic for the Toon Army – albeit they will have felt hard done by after the final whistle.

Needing a win to realistically stay in the tournament, the Magpies took a staggering 12,000 fans to Milan. Toon legend Alan Shearer repaid the faith of the fans by scoring two goals either side of half-time, though his brace was cancelled out by goals from Christian Vieri and Ivan Cordoba.

Despite the Inter side including the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Javier Zanetti, Newcastle were largely the better team throughout and could have deemed themselves unlucky not to have left Italian soil without the three points.

2 Ujpest 2-3 Newcastle United – 1968/69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Newcastle’s only European trophy to date was secured following the Magpies’ clash with Hungarian outfit Ujpest came way back in the 1960s – days when finals used to be played across two legs.

The Fairs Cup was a predecessor to the UEFA Cup and Europa League, and the Toon’s triumph remains their most recent taste of major silverware.

A Newcastle side including the likes of Bob Moncur and Wyn Davies soared into a 3-0 lead after the first game, going on to comfortably lift the trophy after a 3-2 second-leg victory in Budapest.

1 Newcastle United 3-2 Barcelona – 1997/98 Champions League

Newcastle’s famous win over Spanish giants FC Barcelona has to be the best of the bunch when it comes to European nights at St James’ Park.

Back in 1997, Kenny Dalglish’s side played host to a legendary Barcelona side that contained the likes of Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Luis Enrique.

The Magpies, however, came out on top thanks to a sublime hat-trick from Faustino Asprilla. The Colombian’s 49-minute hat-trick sailed the Toon Army into a shock 3-0 lead, with Barcelona eventually fighting back with two goals of their own through Enrique and Figo.

Newcastle United are hoping to leapfrog Premier League rivals Manchester United in the race for Napoli centre-half Kim Min-jae, who has been impeccable in Serie A this season.

What's the latest on Kim Min-jae to Newcastle?

Erik ten Hag's Red Devils are believed to be leading the race for the South Korean defender and are willing to meet his £42m release clause this summer, according to one Italian transfer specialist, but the Magpies could yet throw a spanner in the works.

That's according to the Sun, who claim that Toon representatives recently held 'secret' talks with the player's entourage at St. James' Park ahead of a possible hijack, with Kim's release clause activating on July 1.

The 26-year-old has only plied his trade for I Partenopei for one year after signing from Fenerbahce for just €18m (£16m) but has already earned a place among the pantheon of modern defensive titans for the magnitude of his performances in Naples.

Should Newcastle sign Kim Min-jae?

Newcastle finished the 22/23 Premier League season boasting a fourth-placed finish and the division's joint-mightiest defensive record, alongside champions Manchester City.

Sven Botman was signed in the summer for roughly £35m to complement the signings of Keiran Trippier and Dan Burn the previous winter.

Fabian Schar, who has made 141 appearances for the Toon, has undergone a resurgence under the stewardship of Eddie Howe and played a central role in the resounding success of the past 18 months, but at 31-years-old and with just one year left on his contract, he is unlikely to be deemed indispensable.

And with a signing of Kim's calibre entering the fray, having recorded an average rating of 7.22 in the Italian top-flight this term, as per Sofascore, posting two goals and assists apiece, completing 91% of his passes, winning 62% of his duels and averaging 1.6 tackles and 3.5 clearances per outing, he certainly deserves the acclaim that has left the likes of teammate Kvicha Kvaratskhelia dubbing him an "iron barrel".

While the 75-cap Schar has been a distinctive presence at the back over the past year, ranking among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, he is not of the same ilk as Kim, who has been described as an all-encompassing defender with "no flaws" by journalist Ivan Zacharoni.

Indeed, he ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions but also the top 3% for passes attempted, 10% for pass completion and 12% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, which could play very nicely into the hands of his ostensible partner, Botman.

The Dutchman is considered a no-nonsense, traditional centre-back, and his ruthless tenacity and Kim's ball-playing aptitude could craft a perfect state of confluence and keep the club's equilibrium balanced so perfectly.

The 23-year-old has already demonstrated that his skill set matches up with the more creative air that his Swiss partner exudes, and the South Korean would only be an upgrade in this regard.

With Botman already hailed for his "incredible impact" by Leon Osman, the thought of this newfound partnership on Tyneside is a devastating proposition for rivals, and with Manchester United circling on his signature, Howe and co must act swiftly to tie up a deal that could cement the burgeoning rise.

Manchester United will likely continue their efforts to rebuild and improve the squad this summer and now a new update has emerged on a long-standing transfer target.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Adrien Rabiot?

According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Man United have revived their interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

As per the report, Rabiot's outstanding form this season hasn't gone unnoticed with the Red Devils set to compete with Newcastle United for his signature this summer.

The Frenchman will be out of contract and available for free in a few weeks' time.

Who would Rabiot replace at Man United?

Whilst the highest priority at Old Trafford this summer will be to sign a prolific centre-forward, adding quality into key areas all over the pitch will be essential to continue the progress already made by Erik ten Hag in his first season.

The Manchester giants have made positive steps forward this season with a League Cup and Champions League qualification secured, so the signing of high-quality players will be important in their pursuit of challenging at the top again domestically and also putting in a strong European campaign too.

As a result, the signing of Rabiot could be exactly what Ten Hag needs to inject some great talent and a fresh perspective in midfield next season with the France international potentially standing as a much-needed Paul Pogba replacement.

Rabiot has stepped up into Pogba's role for both the France national team and Juventus over the last 12 months to become the beating heart in midfield during the Qatar World Cup and throughout the season in the Serie A, whilst the former Man United man has been out injured.

Over 31 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 titan has been an effective presence at both ends of the pitch having scored eight goals, registered four assists and successfully completed 60% of his dribbles.

Furthermore, the Juve star has averaged one key pass, 1.5 shots on goal, two tackles and 1.2 clearances per game, proving that he has the all-round game to replace Pogba at Old Trafford.

Despite a controversial past, the Frenchman has seemingly been reborn in Italy and has demonstrated his strong midfield attributes that has led to high praise from many including his manager Andrea Pirlo, who said:

"He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.

"He doesn't even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game."

With that being said, if Man United can snap up the services of Rabiot for free this summer it would be a great opportunity for Ten Hag to add some much-need quality in midfield with that Pogba-shaped void finally being filled.