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Erik ten Hag will have a major rebuilding job on his hands this summer at Manchester United, and with their defence urgently needing improvement, there could be a few players in that position brought in over the coming months.

What’s the word?

French journalist Fabrice Hawkins tweeted that United “are tracking” Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka ahead of the summer transfer window with a view to submitting a transfer offer, with Tottenham also interested.

The defender is out of contract at the end of next season, with a fee of around £17m being enough to secure his services this summer.

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Ten Hag must swoop for Ndicka

This season has been one to forget for the Old Trafford faithful, with United nowhere close to achieving any kind of silverware, leaving new manager Ten Hag with a major rebuilding job awaiting him over the summer and beyond.

With the Red Devils shipping a total of 56 goals in the Premier League with one game still left to play, it’s no surprise that the defence is one of the main areas to be worked upon before the next campaign.

Ndicka has helped Eintracht Frankfurt to win the Europa League this season, defeating Rangers on penalties in the final in midweek, and he would be a bargain addition to the United squad.

His performances this season have been incredible, and he has the figures to show for it. Compared to his positional peers in the big five European leagues, the 22-year-old ranks in the 94th percentile for aerial duels won (4.34 per 90) and the 95th percentile in blocks (2.46), while he has only received three yellow cards in the Bundesliga despite playing 32 matches in defence.

With four goals and four assists in the German top flight this term, he has outscored every single United defender put together in the 2021/22 Premier League.

These numbers clearly show that the Frenchman would be a fantastic signing for United, and with journalist Christopher Michel describing Ndicka as the “complete package”, Ten Hag surely can’t pass up a glorious opportunity like this to improve the Red Devils’ defence ahead of the 2022/23 season.

AND in other news, Man United nearing the signing of “magic” £58m “unicorn”, he’s Modric 2.0

A huge Celtic development has emerged on the club’s plans heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he wants to sign another central midfielder ahead of the 2022/23 campaign after Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton both played their final matches at Parkhead on Saturday.

Football Scotland quotes the head coach as saying:

“People will eventually figure out that I’m always trying to think a step ahead. The reason we brought in three midfielders in January was because I knew the likely outcome at the end of the season. We wanted to be a step ahead in planning for these things [Bitton and Rogic going] so we’re not scrambling at the last minute.

“It’s about the future and that’s an area of the park we had to bolster. We still need to sign another midfielder but having signed the boys in January, it means they’re already bedded into our club. It gives us a head start.

“What we’ll look to do in the summer window is make sure the squad are stronger, more robust and increase the quality of our starting players.”

Supporters will be delighted

Celtic supporters will be delighted by this as it suggests that the club are aware that they need to replace Rogic and Bitton ahead of next season.

The former, in particular, had a huge influence on the team throughout the campaign and will leave a big hole in the squad.

In the Premiership this season, the Australian played 32 times for the Hoops and produced six goals and six assists from midfield. He ended the campaign with ten ‘big chances’ created and 48 key passes in total as he demonstrated his quality on the ball on his way to helping the team to the league title.

Bitton, meanwhile, played 24 matches in the Scottish top-flight. He completed 91% of his passes and won a whopping 69% of his aerial battles as he provided a solid base for the team to work from in the number six role – winning possession back and then recycling the ball to sustain attacks.

These statistics show that both players were important members of the squad during the title success and will need to be replaced in the transfer market. This is why fans will be buzzing with Postecoglou’s comments confirming that the club will be looking for reinforcements in that area of the pitch.

AND in other news, Agreement made: Behind-scenes transfer development emerges, it’s bad news for Celtic…

Jurgen Klopp has always kept his squad tight in his journey at Liverpool but we’re expecting to see big changes this summer as the German coach reaches his seventh year in charge, and some players that have been involved in the majority of the success could be moved on to make way for fresh legs.

The club has been linked with several players already ahead of the summer transfer window with Calvin Ramsay, Fabio Carvalho, Aurelien Tchouameni and Arnaut Danjuma all speculated to make a move to Anfield, which means there will likely be outgoings to accommodate.

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With that being said, one player who is likely set for the chop after a five-year spell is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The 28-year-old has found himself further pushed out of the match-day squads over this season in particular as he falls further down the pecking order, with the star not featuring in the last six Premier League squad selections despite making 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and assisting twice.

However, Klopp clearly doesn’t feel that the midfielder has enough to offer the team in the business end of the season, with Liverpool desperately trying to compete with Manchester City to win the Premier League title this season, sitting three points behind with just two games to go.

Despite his goal contributions this term, Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled to impose himself on opponents during his opportunities to play, losing the ball every 6.3 minutes in his league performances, and this unnerving control of the ball in the centre of the pitch has clearly not gone unnoticed by his manager.

According to SofaScore, the former Arsenal star has only won 29% of his aerial duels and has lost the majority of his ground duels (55%) too, making only 31.6 touches and 0.6 key passes per game, proving that he has been largely ineffective in his performances without his five goal contributions.

Following his recent snubs to join the side on match day it has been reported that Oxlade-Chamberlain “fears” for his future at Anfield with one year left on his contract, and the club are set to adopt a “wait and see” approach according to Daily Mail.

Now it could be the perfect time to go and seek out first-team football elsewhere as he still has plenty of years left to play and make an impact on another team However, sadly it looks like his time on Merseyside is coming to an end with Klopp favouring others for selection.

AND in other news: Sources: Liverpool on verge of sealing 2nd summer signing, Klopp will be buzzing

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has given his reaction to the news that Sunderland have come under a renewed takeover bid. 

The lowdown: Takeover bid made

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, British businessman William Storey has offered to buy a controlling share in the club.

Having previously tried to take control at the Stadium of Light before the arrival of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Storey has seemingly returned with a fresh attempt to take over the Black Cats.

However, Louis-Dreyfus is reportedly unwilling to leave his post despite what one knowledgeable onlooker thinks would be a smart financial decision…

The latest: ‘Very good price’

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire – a regular contributor for Sky Sports – has claimed that the reported £42m offer represents a ‘generous’ bid given Sunderland’s current status.

The finnace expert said of the ongoing situation: “If they are in League One, that is a very good price because they’d be paying almost four times revenue.

“Given that we value clubs in the Premier League at around 1.75 to two times revenue, excluding the big six, I think that’s fairly generous. In the Championship, clubs are generally worth 1.3 times revenue.

“They will probably get to £30m in revenue if they are promoted, so again it would be a high price by Championship standards.”

The verdict: Stability needed

Widely accepted as something of a sleeping giant across the pantheon of football, Sunderland would see their value rise significantly over the coming weeks should Alex Neil be able to guide the club back to the second tier of English football following a 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their play-off semi-final.

In this instance, Louis-Dreyfus and the remaining hierarchy will have been justified in their decision to stand firm, whilst Storey’s offer will almost instantly fall short of the club’s valuation following promotion.

However, should Neil’s men miss out on promotion, a takeover appears more likely as those in situ might attempt to cut their losses and become more inclined to accept incoming bids such as the one reportedly presented by the British entrepreneur, who has made his money in energy beverages.

Overall, the ownership situation on Wearside has been a distraction for too long now, and Sunderland fans will surely want this entire matter addressed once and for all over the summer regardless of what league they are playing in next season.

In other news, Sunderland are now facing one big dilemma

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will need to carefully manage his squad in the coming weeks as his side face a hectic schedule to end the campaign.

The Gers have five more games before the end of the month as they play three Premiership matches, a Europa League final and a Scottish Cup final.

They face Dundee United in the Scottish top-flight today at Ibrox after winning 3-1 in Europe on Thursday night, as they currently sit six points adrift of the league leaders.

How many changes will Gio make to his team? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make six alterations to the side, with Leon Balogun, Steven Davis, Fashion Sakala, Scott Arfield and Aaron Ramsey all coming in.

Borna Barisic, who was once dubbed “mind-boggling” by Richard Foster, let van Bronckhorst down against Leipzig and should be axed from the team. His exit from the XI would then allow Nigerian enforcer Leon Balogun to come in at centre-back, with Calvin Bassey slotting in at left-back.

In midfield, we are predicting that Steven Davis and Scott Arfield will both come in to provide an experienced presence in the middle of the park. This will allow Glen Kamara and John Lundstram to both have a deserved rest after their goalscoring exploits on Thursday, keeping them fresh for the midweek clash with Ross County.

We are also backing van Bronckhorst to unleash Ramsey from the start after he was on the bench against Leipzig. The Wales international may replace Scott Wright to play on the right of the front three as he needs to get minutes under his belt to build up his match fitness after just under a month out injured.

Finally, we are predicting that Fashion Sakala – who was once dubbed a “firework” by Alan Hutton – will be given the go-ahead through the middle with Ryan Kent and Ramsey either side of him. Joe Aribo came off against Leipzig with a head injury and was replaced by the Zambian – suggesting that he is next in line to start up front if the Nigeria international is unavailable.

AND in other news, Big setback: Rangers hit with huge injury blow that’ll leave GvB fuming…

Florian Plettenberg has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Konrad Laimer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports Deutschland reporter revealed that, while RB Leipzig are hoping to extend the central midfielder’s contract beyond its current expiry in the summer of 2023, the 24-year-old has his heart set on set on a move to the Premier League – with Tottenham heavily linked.

Plettenberg goes on to state that there are a number of English sides interested in the Austria international, two of whom are from the current top five, while Manchester United are also mentioned as holding an interest in the former RB Salzburg starlet.

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In his tweet, the journalist said: “Update Laimer: Leipzig want to extend beyond 2023 but the player still hesitates. He can really imagine to move in the Premier League. Several top clubs are interested, two from the current top five ‘intensively’. The interest of MUFC is ‘colder’.”

Supporters will love it

Considering just how impressive Laimer has been in Germany this season, in addition to the fact that the midfielder would appear to be something of a perfect fit for Antonio Conte’s set-up, the news that the 24-year-old appears keen on a move to the Premier League this summer is sure to be an update the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 23 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £23.4m-rated talent has highly impressed in the heart of the Leipzig midfield, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.7 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

The £49k-per-week dynamo – who can be deployed in defensive, central and attacking midfield, as well as at right-back and in right-midfield – has also impressed in metrics more typical of his natural position, making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.2 interceptions, 0.3 clearances and winning 3.1 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Adi Hutter dubbed “incredibly aggressive on the ball” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Domenico Tedesco’s eighth-best performer in the German top flight.

As such, it is clear to see that the “elite presser” would be something of a perfect addition to Conte’s current options in the middle of the park, leading us to believe that Fabio Paratici must do everything he can to land the 24-year-old Leipzig star this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici now plotting “serious” bid for £116k-p/w Spurs target, Conte would love him

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has been a breath of fresh air since the club decided to bring him in as the long-term successor to Russell Martin at Ibrox.

The German manager, who left Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, has won all three of his Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the Light Blues, after they had won one of the eight games in the division prior to his arrival.

Rangers ran out 3-0 winners against Dundee at Dens Park in the Premiership on Sunday in their last match before the international break, and two players scored their first league goals for the club.

Mikey Moore, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, opened the scoring with a clinical finish into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box, before Djeidi Gassama scored a brilliant goal from distance in the second half.

It will be frustrating for the club that it has taken until the 11th game of the campaign for their first-choice wing pairing to score their first league goals of the season.

Moore and Gassama both need to add more consistency to their play in the final third so that they can begin to make up for the productivity that they lost when Vaclav Cerny left in the summer.

What Vaclav Cerny is up to since leaving Rangers

The Czechia international spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with the Scottish giants from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, and caught the eye with his impressive performances on the right flank.

During his time with the Light Blues, the left-footed attacker contributed with 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a consistent threat in the final third.

12 of those goals and four of those assists came in the Premiership, per Transfermarkt, and this means that Moore and Gassama both have a long way to go if they want to match his goal output this season.

After his loan spell came to an end, Rangers were either unwilling or unable to sign him permanently, and the 28-year-old forward signed for Turkish giants Besiktas for a fee of around £6m.

Since his permanent move to Turkey, the former Light Blues star, who had so much success as a loanee at Ibrox, has showcased his attacking quality in the Super Lig.

Appearances

8

xG

1.69

Goals

1

Key passes per game

1.6

Big chances created

3

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, Cerny has been involved in five goals in eight games for Besiktas in the league so far, with an assist every other appearance on average.

These statistics suggest that the Light Blues messed up by not bringing him back to Ibrox on a permanent deal in the summer, as he is shining in Turkey, whilst the club’s current wide options have had slow starts to the 2025/26 campaign.

Gassama and Moore will need to step up their performances and provide more, in terms of goals and assists, in the coming months to prove that the Gers were right not to sign the Czechia international.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whilst Gassama and Moore are trying to emulate Cerny’s success in the final third, there is another Rangers star who is quickly becoming this season’s version of the ex-Wolfsburg man, and he is not a winger.

The Rangers star who is becoming Ibrox's new Vaclav Cerny

The Light Blues swooped to sign Derek Cornelius on loan from Marseille during the summer transfer window, and he has been an excellent addition to the squad so far.

Like Cerny, the left-footed star is an Ibrox loanee who is shining in Scottish football. He has been particularly impressive since Rohl came through the door to replace Martin in the dugout, proving his worth at the heart of the defence.

Despite being a centre-back, Cornelius, who was branded a “monster” by international teammate Richie Laryea, has scored as many goals as Gassama and Moore in the Premiership for the Light Blues, with his one league goal.

Defensively, the Canada international has also been very impressive. Per WhoScored, he ranks first among central defenders in the squad for tackles made per game (2.1) and clearances per game (6.3), which speaks to how aggressive his defending is and how impressive his positioning is defensively.

On top of that, Cornelius has won 67% of his ground duels and 61% of his aerial duels in the Premiership so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been incredibly dominant in physical battles with opposition forwards on the deck and in the air.

Minutes

82

Tackles won

3/3

Clearances

6

Ball recoveries

4

Ground duels won

3/3

Aerial duels won

4/4

Dribbled past

0x

Pass accuracy

93%

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed centre-back was virtually faultless defensively in the 3-0 win over Dundee on Sunday in the last match before the break, as he won 100% of his duels and was not dribbled past a single time.

Cornelius has started all three of Rohl’s league games in charge, which has seen Rangers win three times and concede one goal, and he won 13 out of 20 ground duels in those matches, per Sofascore.

These statistics suggest that he is on course to become the club’s new version of Cerny because he is a loanee at Ibrox who is already an incredibly important part of the team because of his fantastic performances.

Unlike Cerny, though, Rangers confirmed that they do have an option to sign the Canadian titan on a permanent deal at the end of the season for an undisclosed fee. This means that they can snap him up permanently, without having to negotiate a new deal with Marseille, next summer.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

This future superstar is Glasgow Rangers’ biggest talent since Malik Tillman was at Ibrox.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

On current form, the Gers must surely already be thinking about exercising their option to sign him permanently next year, to avoid repeating the situation where they now look on in envy as Cerny shines elsewhere.

It feels like an absolute age since Thomas Tuchel was first announced as the England manager.

Truth be told, it is an age. On October 16th 2024, a year ago now, he was unveiled in front of the press.

This has been something entirely different for the German. He’s never managed at international level and since he began the job, he has still only managed eight games. It really is a struggle to gather any momentum or know truly what his Three Lions are capable of until the World Cup kicks off next summer.

Things started off pretty slowly in all honesty. Tuchel’s England laboured to a 2-0 win over Albania in his first game before beating Latvia 3-0.

His second international break at the beginning of the summer was even worse. They secured just a 1-0 victory over Andorra and then lost 3-1 to Senegal.

Fortunately, things have got better since then, putting five past Serbia in September and demolishing Wales 3-0 inside 20 minutes in October’s break.

Regardless of those results, England were always going to be one of the favourites in America next summer. But, the age-old question, who will be on the plane?

We asked AI to put together what they think Tuchel’s 26-man squad will look like and here was the outcome…

1 The goalkeepers

There are no prizes for guessing who AI reckons will be Tuchel’s no.1 next summer. That honour goes to Jordan Pickford who has cemented himself as one of his country’s finest goalkeepers in recent years.

The Everton man has been to every major tournament (4) since the World Cup in 2018 and according to AI, will be joined by Newcastle duo Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope. Ramsdale hasn’t appeared in any of Tuchel’s squad lists yet so will need to find a way to play some football before the tournament kicks off next summer.

At the moment, he is behind Pope in the pecking order but there’s no doubting that he’s a fine ‘keeper, someone who was seen as the future no.1 when at Arsenal.

Full list of goalkeepers: Pickford, Ramsdale & Pope.

2 The defenders

AI anticipates that Tuchel will take four out-and-out centre-backs to the USA next year with John Stones set to partner Marc Guehi at the back, just as they did during Euro 2024.

While denied his move to Liverpool during the summer, Guehi has begun the season in fine form at Crystal Palace and really does look like England’s standout defender.

AI also thinks that AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori could be on the plane, set to earn his first minutes for his country since 2023. Note there is no place for Dan Burn who has been a regular in Tuchel’s first few England camps.

Levi Colwill is currently out with an ACL problem but is expected to be back for the latter stages of the season, potentially giving him the opportunity to make the squad.

At full-back, England are blessed with options. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tino Livramento and Reece James have been picked on the right-hand side. James offers strong versatility and could be fielded at centre-back if required.

At left-back, there are places on the plane for Manchester City’s Rico Lewis and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. The England boss recently hinted that Lewis-Skelly would need to start playing more to earn his place in America.

Full list of defenders: Guehi, Stones, Tomori, Colwill, Alexander-Arnold, Livramento, James, Lewis-Skelly, Lewis.

3 The midfielders

To the joy of most supporters around the country, AI thinks that Jordan Henderson will miss out on this occasion. The Brentford midfielder has been recalled to the fray under Tuchel but despite his experience and leadership, could actually miss out.

There is also no place for Elliot Anderson who has impressed so much since earning his first England caps during the September international break. Perhaps he is going to pay the price for Nottingham Forest’s poor run of form.

Regulars such as Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze are included while there is a place for Jude Bellingham who was left out of the camp in October, allegedly due to fitness concerns and a lack of minutes for Real Madrid.

They are joined by some wildcard options in the form of Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton who gets in ahead of Anderson to fill the no.6 spot.

Kobbie Mainoo also makes the cut. Has Ruben Amorim been sacked? It’s likely if the youngster is playing enough minutes to be in the reckoning. The last name is arguably the biggest surprise of the lot with Everton’s James Garner on the plane. To his credit, he has started the season well under David Moyes, registering a goal and an assist in his first seven outings.

Full list of midfielders: Rice, Bellingham, Gallagher, Mainoo, Eze, Wharton, Jones, Garner.

4 The forwards

To the surprise of nobody, Harry Kane is the first name on the squad list. The England skipper is one of the best in the world after taking his game to a new level in 2025/26, putting his name firmly in the conversation to win the Ballon d’Or. Why? Well, in his first ten games of the ongoing campaign, he had scored a mind-boggling 18 goals.

Euro 2016

4

0

World Cup 2018

6

6

Euro 2020

7

4

World Cup 2022

5

2

Euro 2024

7

3

Joining him will be Ollie Watkins, who netted against the Welsh in October and Marcus Rashford who has rediscovered himself at Barcelona this season.

Further options include Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon.

Remarkably, there is no place for Chelsea star Cole Palmer. Currently injured at the moment, will he still be feeling the effects of that come next summer? There’s no room for Man City superstar Phil Foden either.

Full list of forwards: Kane, Watkins, Rashford, Saka, Gordon, Bowen.

Leeds United are in the battle to sign a high-earning Premier League player this summer, according to an exciting update from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Leeds eyeing moves for British pair

The Whites have been linked with two different British footballers in recent days, both of whom could prove to be shrewd acquisitions in their own right.

Firstly, Angus Gunn has been mentioned as an option to come in as an upgrade on Illan Meslier, with the Scotland international available on a free transfer after exiting Norwich City at the end of last season.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock has also been mentioned as a Leeds target ahead of their return to the Premier League, with the Englishman potentially in need of joining a club where he can start regularly. That isn’t the case at St James’ Park, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton keeping him out of the team.

Now, another British player has been linked with a summer switch to Elland Road, and this one could be even more popular than Gunn or Willock heading to Yorkshire.

Leeds in race to seal Kalvin Phillips reunion

Speaking to LeedsUnited.News, Bailey claimed that Leeds are very much in the race to sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, sealing a memorable reunion with him in the process.

Seeing Phillips back in a Leeds shirt would be so heartwarming, considering what a hero the 29-year-old was at the club, becoming a key starter for England in that time.

The midfielder may still have much to offer Daniel Farke, despite years of injury struggles with City and relegation on loan at Ipswich Town last season.

Dream for Gudmundsson: Leeds in the race to sign "dominant" £22m star

Leeds are reportedly interested in signing a star who would be a dream for Gabriel Gudmundsson.

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Granted, Phillips’ £150,000-a-week and £7.8m-a-year wages would be tough to match, but the hope is that a return to Leeds appeals so much that he could be willing to take a pay cut. The fact that Bailey suggests as much can only bode well, making this one to watch.

The news everyone feared at Burnley, but ultimately expected, has now been officially confirmed, with CJ Egan-Riley taking up an opportunity at Ligue 1 giants Marseille after turning down a new Turf Moor deal.

This will be a sizeable hole to fill on the end of Scott Parker’s men, considering Egan-Riley is just fresh off a glittering Championship promotion season that saw him collect a mammoth 26 clean sheets.

But, the Clarets have been here before and bounced back well, with both Ben Mee and James Tarkowski exiting the club once upon a time garnering this same level of dismay.

Therefore, Burnley will be hopeful they can plug Egan-Riley’s gap very soon by landing an adequate replacement.

Burnley keen to re-sign £20m defender

As per a new report from football journalist Alan Nixon, Burnley are keen to bring Taylor Harwood-Bellis back to Lancashire after his current employers, Southampton, crashed out of the Premier League last season.

It’s stated that the 23-year-old is eager to stick it out in the top-flight over heading down to the Championship with the Saints, meaning a second spell at Burnley could soon be on the cards.

Nixon does reveal that West Ham United are also keeping tabs on the former Manchester City youth starlet, but a deal would only take place if a sale was made, owing to Harwood-Bellis’ reported price tag of £20m.

Therefore, the newly promoted outfit could soon race to the front of the queue to land Harwood-Bellis back on a permanent basis, with the 6-foot-2 defender a very suitable replacement for the now departed Egan-Riley.

Why Harwood-Bellis is even better than Egan-Riley

Whilst the 22-year-old is just fresh off an unbelievable campaign in the heart of the Clarets’ defence, the former Burnley number six has only collected one Premier League appearance across his career to date, meaning he might well struggle with the demands of a top-five league.

On the contrary, Harwood-Bellis is well versed with the challenges of the daunting Premier League now, with the Stockport-born colossus even winning himself a senior England call-up last season when battling away valiantly for basement side Southampton.

Games played

34

41

Goals scored

1

1

Assists

0

1

Touches*

74.1

80.8

Accurate passes*

55.1 (88%)

59.7 (86%)

Big chances created

3

2

Ball recoveries*

3.6

4.5

Clearances*

4.1

4.7

Total duels won*

3.2

4.2

It’s clear from the table above that Harwood-Bellis is very similar in approach to Egan-Riley, with the defensive pairing both comfortable performers with the ball at their feet, as much as they are also adept at getting stuck in when necessary.

Whilst it is obviously impressive to pick up the numbers Egan-Riley managed at the top-end of the Championship, Parker will view his new target as an upgrade for what he can offer in the league above, with Harwood-Bellis actually averaging more accurate passes per match stuck in a relegation battle than his Marseille counterpart managed in a promotion race.

He was even labelled as “incredible” last season by former boss Pep Guardiola for the progress he had made away from the Etihad, with a Three Lions call-up further proof that he belongs in the big time.

On the flip side, away from his standout showings last season, Egan-Riley has only ever been exposed to a top division fully on loan with Hibernian, with just that one paltry Premier League appearance next to his name. Harwood-Bellis, despite only being one year older, boasts a hefty 34 and counting, away from his 113 outings in the taxing Championship.

Further hailed as a “warrior” by journalist Josh Bunting when shining bright previously at Turf Moor, the composed, yet dominant defender could well be an even better figure for Burnley to have at the back than Egan-Riley, especially as they transition back to the daunting reality of Premier League life.

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