Chelsea are now weighing up the possibility of a player-plus-cash bid, involving two members of Enzo Maresca's squad, in a move for one £50 million player.
Chelsea on verge of Guiu and Anselmino signings in busy summer window
It's been a very busy summer window at Stamford Bridge so far, and it's still pretty early doors.
£325,000-per-week Chelsea player has agreed to join big European club
He’s given his green-light.
ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2024
Todd Boehly, assisted by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, has already sealed deals for Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian and 18-year-old Aston Villa midfielder Omari Kellyman in a £19 million move (Fabrizio Romano).
The latter makes his transfer from the Midlands with left-back Ian Maatsen going the other way to Villa in a separate exchange. In the process, Chelsea have added another promising talent to their roster, whilst also shipping out a surplus player for a fee north of £34 million.
Following on from these pieces of business, it is also widely reported that Chelsea are set to sign Marc Guiu from Barcelona, but it doesn't end there. As claimed elsewhere, after Chelsea entered talks over signing Aaron Anselmino, the Blues are also on the verge of sealing a cut-price move for the Boca Juniors defender in a £17 million deal – below his £20 million release clause (Nick Purewal).
Chelsea's best-performing players in the Premier League last season
Average match rating (WhoScored)
Cole Palmer
7.48
Conor Gallagher
7.13
Nicolas Jackson
7.07
Moises Caicedo
6.85
Noni Madueke
6.84
Maresca's side have wasted no time in upgrading their squad with key additions, whilst also investing in their future, by acquiring more of world football's most exciting youngsters. This has been a key theme of Chelsea's since Boehly's takeover from Roman Abramovich in 2022, but reports this week have claimed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a player of interest to bolster Maresca's senior team.
Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Another Premier League star who's been linked in the last few days is highly-rated Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, who the west Londoners are apparently chasing despite already signing Tosin.
Chelsea consider offering two players in swap deal bid for Murillo
The Brazilian started 32 top-flight games for Forest last season, impressing under both Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo. They only signed him for around £15 million last summer, but the Brazilian's performances have seen his value increase to around £50 million.
That is according to UOL, who also claim that Chelsea are now thinking about offering two players in a player-plus-cash bid for Murillo. Boehly and co don't intend to pay Murillo's value of around £50m and are therefore considering the possibility of a player exchange, plus a lesser amount of money, to get a potential deal done.
Team will not take a knee but has decided to demonstrate commitment to inclusion
Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2020
South Africa’s men’s team hasn’t played any cricket since its aborted tour of India in March•Getty Images
The South Africa men’s team will make a statement of anti-racism when they take on England in the white-ball series starting Friday. Their action, which will not be the taking of a knee, has been unanimously agreed on by all members of the squad and will demonstrate their commitment to inclusion.A source close to the team told ESPNcricinfo that the decision was made in the last few days, upon reflection, after their stance on not taking a knee was made public and widely criticised. They will also be wearing black armbands in support of the fight against gender-based violence and to mourn the lives lost to coronavirus.ALSO READ: Mixed BLM messages epitomise South Africa’s moral mazeSouth Africa’s revised position comes after coach Mark Boucher initially indicated that the team would not make any gestures in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement because they felt it was “not something that we have to continue to show, it’s something you have to live.” That was followed by Kagiso Rabada confirming he was “100%” in support of BLM but that the team had collectively made a decision not to take a knee. Rassie van der Dussen was then prevented from answering a question on the subject by CSA.By Wednesday, former national fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who took a knee alongside current director of cricket Graeme Smith at the 3TC match in July, told he felt Smith should instruct the taking of a knee again as the international season begins. That afternoon the players sent out a statement reiterating their commitment to dismantling racism but saying that they regarded it as a “process, not an event”.The statement did not rule out the making of any gestures, but the rhetoric earlier in the week had appeared to. However, the team have since sought to find other ways to show their support for racial equality and will demonstrate them on Friday.Insiders confirmed that several members within the team were against taking a knee for religious reasons, as it thought that kneeling is an act to be done only before God, but that a new solution has been found.England’s players, who took a knee during their home series against West Indies and Ireland, but not for the visits of Pakistan and Australia, are likely to support South Africa in whatever gesture they perform. ESPNcricinfo understands they will also be wearing black armbands in solidarity with CSA on GBV and Covid-19.”As a team, as a squad, across all three formats, we’ve spoken about how we can create meaningful change over a period of time that is extremely authentic to every player and staff member within our group,” Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, said. “When we put our weight and our voice behind something, we feel that’s extremely powerful.”
Sunderland fans will be fearing the worst regarding the future of Jack Clarke this summer, with the former Tottenham Hotspur winger potentially clamouring for a new challenge, especially if the Premier League comes calling.
There's an argument that the mercurial 23-year-old has outgrown his Stadium of Light surroundings now, having bagged 15 goals last campaign in an otherwise uninspiring Black Cats team for the most part, with the likes of Southampton tempted to give Clarke an avenue back up to the top-flight this summer.
No soul-sapping double whammy will come Sunderland's way, however, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Jobe Bellingham will stay fixed in his Wearside location, as the 18-year-old still has plenty of room to grow in the Championship.
No doubt, if Clarke does go, the former Birmingham City boy wonder will follow suit eventually for some mega bucks, in a similar fashion to a homegrown product who left for a big fee back in 2017.
Jack Clarke's time at Sunderland
Clarke has been a player that was thrust into the conscience of many a football fan from an early age for once being a highly tipped youngster, joining Tottenham Hotspur for £10m after starting his career as a wide-eyed winger at Leeds United.
That major move just didn't work for Clarke, who had to rebuild his tainted career at Sunderland, which he has done remarkably well.
Including last season's impressive 15-goal haul in the Championship, the electric ex-Whites attacker has amassed 27 goals and 22 assists from 112 total Sunderland appearances, with Clarke now champing at the bit to test himself in the top-flight again, even after his Spurs nightmare.
Sunderland will understandably be gutted to lose Clarke if he does finally move on this summer, with the standout Black Cats number 20 the only real recognised left-wing option in Regis Le Bris' squad at this moment in time, but the millions they could obtain from his sale would be presumably be reinvested to strengthen.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
Jack Clarke's transfer value
According to Football Transfers, away from Sunderland's own high price-tag being slapped above Clarke's head, the in-demand winger is worth just £7.1m, but he will be sold on for far more than this.
Indeed, the reported fee that Sunderland could accept this summer stands at £30m.
Once worth just £844k back in 2020, right in the midst of his dire spell in North London, Sunderland will make some significant profit on Clarke if he is sold on for that dream price tag, with his value far lower than that when the Black Cats permanently purchased him in 2022.
Jack Clarke's transfer value over the years
2024
£7.1m (£30m asking price)
2023
£6.7m
2022
£3.5m
2021
£1.8m
2020
£844k
2019
£10m (Signed for Spurs)
Sourced by Football Transfers.
Casting an eye over the table above, it could be a weirdly perfect time to part ways with Clarke from Sunderland's perspective, with his value known to fluctuate over the years, which means a dip in form with the Black Cats could see the Championship side sell him for way less than what is being predicted now down the line.
New Sunderland boss Le Bris will, of course, want to keep Clarke to give himself the best possible chance to be the manager that finally gets the Black Cats up to the Premier League.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
But, it looks as if that could be a losing battle for the Frenchman to contend with, as Clarke dreams of a major move to try and replicate the rise of another former Sunderland player in Jordan Pickford, a man now starring with Everton and England.
Jordan Pickford's transfer value after leaving Sunderland
Much like Anthony Patterson managed to take over the first-team goalkeeping jersey after years in and around the youth structure on Wearside, Pickford – before becoming a household name – had to be patient as well for his time in the spotlight at Sunderland in the senior mix.
The now 30-year-old shot-stopper was routinely chucked out on loan before being given a chance to shine, playing for the likes of Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End up and down the EFL, before his big break finally arrived.
The current hot-headed Everton man would only make 35 Sunderland appearances before being snapped up by the Toffees, who must have seen a lot of promise from his fleeting Black Cats minutes, with Pickford only picking up five clean sheets from those games.
He was thrown firmly into the deep end, however, making 29 appearances during the doomed 16/17 season that saw his hometown club finish rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, before Everton offered him an escape route away from having to rough it in the EFL once more.
Starting lineup for Pickford's Premier League Sunderland debut
Tottenham 4-1 Sunderland, January 16th 2016
1. GK – Jordan Pickford
2. RB – Billy Jones
3. CB – John O'Shea
4. CB – Wes Brown
5. LB – Patrick Van Aanholt
6. CM – Lee Cattermole
7. CM – Yann M'Vila
8. RM – Adam Johnson
9. CAM – Jermain Lens
10. LM – Danny Graham
11. ST – Jermain Defoe
The rest is history from Pickford's perspective after leaving Wearside behind for Merseyside in a hefty £30m transfer. He has gone on to become a reliable 'keeper for Sean Dyche's men with 279 appearances for Everton now tallied up, with a concrete starting spot as the Three Lions' first choice also coming his way.
He has even been described as being a "monster" by football content creator Josh Wright in the past, with his starring role in England's recent penalty shoot-out win against Switzerland in the Euros justifying that tag, coolly saving Manuel Akanji's spot-kick under immense pressure.
Pickford's worth still stands at a hefty £29m, according to Football Transfers, with Clarke hoping he can become a similarly established top performer in the Premier League, with Sunderland making some serious profit as a result.
That £30m sale remains Sunderland's highest-ever record departee, with Clarke rumoured to be going for around the same price the Black Cats managed to get out of the Toffees, after setting the Championship alight during bleak times last campaign for his side. As a result, they could well strike gold on both players.
Mubama & promotion winner sign: Predicting Le Bris' dream Sunderland XI
Regis Le Bris would be pleased with Sunderland’s summer business if this is what his starting line-up looked like.
A CBF alterou o horário da partida entre São Paulo e Santos, pela 24ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O jogo, que acontecerá no Morumbi, está marcado para o dia 7 de outubro e, com o novo horário, a bola rola a partir das 18h30.
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CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!
A decisão foi tomada pela CBF para evitar um choque de horários da partida do Tricolor e do Peixe com o jogo da Seleção Brasileira, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo contra a Venezuela, às 20h30, fora de casa.
Com isso, o jogo que estava previamente marcado para às 19h (podendo terminar depois das 20h30), foi alterado para começar às 18h30.
Este será o quarto San-são do ano. No dia 10 de janeiro, pelo Brasileirão da última temporada, o Santos venceu o São Paulo por 1 a 0, no Morumbi.
Dois meses depois, no dia 6 de março, o Tricolor recebeu o Santos e venceu por 4 a 0, em partida do Paulistão de 2021.
Depois, no dia 20 de junho, as equipes se enfrentaram pelo Brasileirão, na Vila Belmiro, e o jogo terminou em 2 a 0 para o alvinegro.
أعلن المدير الفني لمنتخب فرنسا، ديديه ديشامب، عن رحيله من الديوك بعد انتهاء كأس العالم 2026 التي ستُقام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.
بدأ ديشامب مهمته في تدريب منتخب فرنسا الأول عام 2012، وحقق مع الديوك بطولة كأس العالم 2018 ودوري الأمم الأوروبية 2021.
وكان ديشامب قد جدد عقده مع الاتحاد الفرنسي منذ فترة حتى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، ولكن يبدو أن هذه ستكون نهاية مشواره مع منتخب بلاده.
اقرأ أيضًا | مبابي يكشف كواليس غيابه عن منتخب فرنسا.. ويعترف: لعبت بالنار ووصفوني بـالقرد
وقال ديشامب في تصريحات لقناة “TF1” الفرنسية: “سأرحل في عام 2026، لقد حسمت أمري بالفعل، لقد خضت تجربة تدريب المنتخب بشغف كبير للحفاظ على مستوانا ونستمر في أعلى مستوى ممكن”.
وأضاف: “لكن يجب أن نتخذ القرار الصحيح في الوقت المناسب، ستكون هناك حياة بعد ذلك، الأهم أن تظل فرنسا في القمة كما كانت لسنوات عديدة”. ومن أبرز الأسماء التي رشحت في الفترة الماضية لخلافة ديشامب في فرنسا كان، زين الدين زيدان، الذي درب ريال مدريد من قبل وحصل على 3 بطولات متتالية في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
Out of all the clubs in the Premier League, Manchester City have the most players competing in the final at Euro 2024. This may not come as much of a surprise, given their prestigiousness when it comes to reaching, and winning, major finals in recent seasons, nor the fact they had the most players in the tournament in the whole of the Premier League.
The Cityzens’ representative for Spain is, of course, one of the world’s best midfielders, Rodri. The Spanish number 16 has been a key feature of the La Roja midfield and has even taken the captain’s armband when Alvrao Morata has not been on the pitch.
City’s three England players are all first-choice for Gareth Southgate; Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden.
The trio have started all of England’s games during the tournament and were particularly impressive against the Netherlands as the Three Lions stormed into their second consecutive European Championship final.
Unsurprisingly, the tournament has created several transfer links for some of the best-performing players to elite clubs across Europe. City themselves have recently been linked with one player who could switch to the Etihad Stadium once the tournament has finished, and it would see one of Rodri’s teammates join him at the Premier League champions.
Man City target Bundesliga midfielder
The player in question here is RB Leipzig’s Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old has lit up the European Championships so far this summer and has now been linked with a move away from Leipzig.
According to a report from Sky Germany, City are one of two clubs said to be “specifically interested” in signing Olmo this summer. However, the Premier League champions might find it easier to do a deal given the fact they have “completely different financial circumstances” to their competition.
The other club in for Olmo this summer are one of Europe’s biggest sides, Spanish giants Barcelona. The Catalan club are “still recovering” from the financial hits they have taken in recent years, before explaining that City could be “more comfortable” with the price for Olmo.
Whilst there is no price stated in the report, it explains that Leipzig will not sell their star man for less than his market value.
Why Olmo would be a good signing
Despite a tough season with injury issues, Olmo still had reasonably good output for Leipzig when he did feature. In all competitions for club and country, the Spaniard missed a whopping 29 games last term, the most he has missed in a single campaign.
However, the 26-year-old still featured 25 times in all competitions for his side. It was a season where he scored eight goals and registered five assists, including a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the German Supercup.
Dani Olmo for RB Leipzig
However, it is his performances in Euro 2024 that Olmo has really attracted interest this summer. Against France in the semi-final, the Leipzig midfielder started as a replacement for the injured Pedri and was rated an 8/10 by Sky Sports journalist Lewis Jones.
The reporter was full of praise for Olmo and explained his goal against Les Bleus was “a thing of beauty”.
Indeed, his tournament so far has been phenomenal. According to Sofascore, no player has scored more goals than the Spaniard, with countryman Lamine Yamal and Dutch star Xavi Simons the only players to register more assists than Olmo’s two. However, he leads the way when it comes to combined goal involvement, sitting outright top with five.
Olmo Euro 2024 stats ranked
Stat
Number
Tournament rank
Games
5
N/A
Goals
3
=1st
Assists
2
=2nd
Goals & assists
5
1st
Stats from Sofascore
Should Pep Guardiola add his fellow Spaniard to the Citizens squad, we would see Olmo link up with Rodri for club football as well as together with the national team.
It would no doubt be a similar partnership, with Olmo having a licence to roam all over the final third, knowing he has the security of Rodri behind him.
Rodri celebrates scoring for Manchester City.
If there is one thing that can be said about Olmo, it is that he is a fantastic ball-carrier. Last season, as per FBref, in the Bundesliga, the 26-year-old averaged 3.79 progressive carries per 90 minutes but really excelled with those carries into the final third, in which he averaged 3.04 each game, ranking him in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the German top-flight.
The exciting Spaniard also averaged 4.47 attempted take-ons in the Bundesliga last season, completing an average of 1.93 per game. Olmo has silky footwork, and glides with the ball at his feet, able to slalom in and out of defenders.
Dani Olmo playing for Spain
The midfielder is also a superb creative passer, as he has shown at the Euros. He averages 4.22 progressive passes each game, and an impressive 3.73 passes into the final third each game, a figure which places him in the top 4% of Bundesliga attacking midfielders and wingers. Not only that, Olmo plays an average of 1.99 key passes per 90, showing his creative spark with the ball at his feet.
The 26-year-old is clearly a player who Guardiola rates highly. Back in 2019, when the creative maestro scored for Dinamo Zagreb against City in the Champions League, the legendary Spanish manager called the midfielder a “top player”, before explaining he “has a bright future” ahead of him. With that in mind, it is not really a surprise to see City interested in signing him.
Should City sign the Spaniard, it could be a genius acquisition from Guardiola’s side. Imagine how good he and Rodri would be together, reigniting that connection they have at international level. He would be given a license to roam and get forward, looking to link up with City’s stars in the final third and show off his dangerous ball-carrying ability.
Whilst the price is currently unclear, it could be a masterstroke from Guardiola, and Olmo would only add to the quality City have going forward.
Doku upgrade: Man City register interest in £75m PL "menace"
The Cityzens are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the England international this summer.
Henriques, though, clarified that Australia had no problem with Jadeja being substituted for concussion
Sidharth Monga04-Dec-2020Moises Henriques has said Australia have no problem with Ravindra Jadeja being substituted out for a concussion, but has questioned if Yuzvendra Chahal was a like-for-like replacement for him.A combination of Jadeja, the batsman, and Chahal, the bowler, knocked Australia out in a T20 international that they controlled for long periods. Jadeja first rescued India from 114 for 6 to help post 161 with an unbeaten 23-ball 44. In the process, he did appear to injure his hamstring, but also top-edged a Mitchell Starc bouncer into his helmet in the last over of the innings. He was substituted by Chahal in the innings break, and the wristspinner turned in a match-winning analysis of 4-0-25-3, which included the wickets of Aaron Finch and Steven Smith.During the innings break, an animated Australia coach, Justin Langer, could be seen remonstrating with match referee David Boon. At the post-match presentation, Finch said he had no reason to doubt the opinion of medical experts, a sentiment Henriques repeated.ALSO READ: Jadeja, Chahal take India 1-0 up amid concussion controversy”From our point as a player you’ve just got to roll and get on with it,” Henriques said. “Once a decision has been made you just move forward and do what you can to win the fixture. When you’ve got professionals in place to make those decisions, and there’s no doubt he got a knock on the helmet, so from my point of view I do like to try and see the best in everyone. But having said that, whether it was a like-for-like replacement, that’s the only thing moving forward, that’s the question we’d like to see.”Already injured before he got hit on the head, it is not clear if Jadeja would have bowled or how effective he would have been if he did, but that is not the issue Henriques had. “Like for like, from my point of view, it would definitely be one’s an allrounder and a gun fielder, and the other one is an out-and-out bowler who bats [at] 11. That’s the only thing from my point of view. I’d like to look into if that’s a like-for-like decision.”Jadeja is a fingerspinner, who was dropped from Indian limited-overs sides in 2017 in favour of wristspinners for the lack of penetration. He forced his way back in because of the lack of depth in India’s batting, which will suggest fingerspinners are not as effective as wristspinners in T20s. Coming into this match, Jadeja had gone 13 T20 matches without taking more than one wicket. In nine of those, he had been wicketless.However, the final decision rested with Boon, the match referee. The ICC playing conditions say: “In assessing whether the nominated concussion replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated concussion replacement.”
يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، لخوض مواجهة قوية ينتظرها عشاق كرة القدم المصرية، حيث سيلاقي منافسه المصري البورسعيدي، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.
ويلاقي الزمالك منافسه المصري البورسعيدي، على ملعب الجيش ببرج العرب في الإسكندرية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.
وكان الزمالك قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز في المباراة الماضية التي جمعت الفريقين بالجولة الثالثة، بهدف دون رد.
طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مبارة الزمالك والمصري في الكونفدرالية.. إعلان التشكيلين
ويقع الفريقان في المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية والتي تضم كل من أندية بلاك بولز الموزمبيقي وإنيمبا النيجيري.
ويتصدر الزمالك جدول ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 7 نقاط، بينما يتواجد فريق المصري بالمركز الثالث ولديه 4 نقاط. موعد مباراة الزمالك والمصري في كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية
تنطلق المباراة مساء اليوم الأحد، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السابعة بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك والمصري في كأس الكونفدرالية
من المقرر أن تُنقل المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports 3. معلق مباراة الزمالك والمصري
يتولى محمد فوزي مهمة التعليق على المباراة.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.
Apesar do duro contexto em que se deu a eliminação do Grêmio frente ao Flamengo nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil com um marcador global de 6 a 0, Felipão viu um ponto positivo no desempenho da equipe no compromisso de volta, disputado no Maracanã.
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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS
Na entrevista coletiva após o revés por 2 a 0, ele enxergou o time fazendo um bom jogo até os 30 minutos do segundo tempo, período próximo ao que sofreu o primeiro gol de Pedro.
A partida da última quarta (15) teve bastidores agitados com a tentativa do tricolor em impedir a presença de público que acabou ocorrendo no Maracanã no equivalente a 40% da capacidade do estádio. Sobre o tema, Felipão foi bastante cauteloso onde, além de priorizar seu pensamento apenas em ajustar a equipe, disse estar ciente do que poderia causar a emissão de sua opinião.
Reforço contratado pela diretoria com a equipe já sendo dirigida por Felipão, o meia colombiano Campaz ainda não engatou uma sequência de partidas mais longa. Para o técnico, trata-se apenas de dar tempo de adaptação e “introdução de alguns conceitos” ao atleta classificado por Scolari como “ainda muito novinho”. Ou seja, tendo tempo para passar pelo processo.
Acabada a trajetória na Copa do Brasil, o Grêmio tem concentração exclusiva na reta final da temporada em se recuperar no Brasileirão onde está na 18ª posição com 19 pontos, dentro da zona de rebaixamento. O próximo jogo, por ironia do destino, será justamente contra o Flamengo, novamente no Rio de Janeiro, às 20h30 (de Brasília) no próximo domingo (19).
After a quiet first month that could be excused due to the Euros and Copa América, Arsenal have continued to be unusually subdued in the transfer window over the last week.
Aside from making David Raya's deal permanent, the Premier League runners-up have done nothing to impact the first team, and if they want to go one better next year, they'll need to get moving.
The good news is that Edu Gaspar and Co have been at work looking for the right players, and based on recent reports, they've got a new plan to land one of their primary targets, a star who's won comparisons to the North Londoners' own starboy, Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao and have devised a new plan to bring him to North London.
The report claims that while the winger himself would favour a move to La Liga giants Barcelona, who are also incredibly keen to secure his services, the Gunners fully intend to make their move should the Catalan club's financial situation hinder them from paying the player's €58m – £49m – release clause and completing the deal.
Should Arsenal get their way, it would still represent a significant investment in a 22-year-old star, but given his recent performances and a complimentary comparison to Saka, it's one worth making.
Spain'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their sixth goal
Why Williams would be a great signing and his comparison to Saka
So, the first thing to examine here is the comparison between Williams and Saka, which stems from FBref.
Bukayo Saka for England
They compared players in similar positions at this year's Euros and then created a list of the ten most comparable players for each position. In this case, they concluded that the Englishman was the ninth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spanish star.
The easiest way to see these similarities is by looking at the underlying metrics in which they ranked most closely, such as progressive passes and passes received, passing accuracy, live passes, goal-creating actions, blocks and aerial duels won, all per 90.
Williams & Saka
Stats per 90
Williams
Saka
Progressive Passes
3.82
3.57
Progressive Passes Received
12.2
12.1
Passing Accuracy
81.4%
83.8%
Live Passes
35.6
36.0
Goal-Creating Actions
0.37
0.47
Blocks
0.91
1.00
Aerial Duels Won
0.36
0.43
All Stats via FBref for EURO 2024
However, it's not just his similarity to Saka that makes the young winger such a "level-raiser," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, but also his output.
For example, in just 37 appearances last season, the Pamplona-born phenom scored eight goals and provided 19 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.37 games for the Basque club – incredible.
He also played a pivotal role in the team's Copa del Rey triumph and then did the same for La Roja at the Euros this summer, scoring twice – including in the final – and providing one assist in six appearances.
Ultimately, while it might be a long shot given Barcelona's interest, Arsenal are correct not to give up on signing Williams this summer. His outrageously impressive performances over the last year or so and comparison to Saka are all evidence of his immense quality.
Their Secret German: Arsenal draw up plans to sign "world-class" Saka rival
The exceptional talent could help the Gunners end their title drought.