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Cycling legend Bradley Wiggins has taken a cheeky dig at former boss Dave Brailsford for his role in Manchester United's terrible season.

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Former cyclist criticises Man Utd directorRidicules plans to win 21st league title'No time for him', says WigginsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 2012 Olympic road cycling champion and Tour de France winner did not wish to hide his feelings about his former boss at British Cycling and Team Sky, who has been working at United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 28 percent stake in the Red Devils. Brailsford has been working on 'Mission 21', the plan to deliver United's 21st league title by 2028. But the plan is not exactly on track as United are on course for their worst league finish since being relegated in 1974. The club is also in disarray off the pitch amid the decision to make a further 200 staff redundant. Wiggins ridiculed his handling of the club while speaking at an event on Friday.

AdvertisementWHAT WIGGINS SAID

"I’m not a fan of Dave Brailsford. I couldn’t even sit here and say, ‘I don’t like him, but I respect what he has done.’ I really haven’t got a lot of time for him, to be honest," Wiggins said, via . "Mission 21? More like Mission Championship."

Getty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wiggins fell out with Brailsford in the aftermath of the 'jiffy bag' scandal which tarnished his and Team Sky's achievements, as well as the revelation that Wiggins had gained therapeutic use exemptions to take a banned substance. In 2017 Wiggins dismissed Brailsford's 'marginal gains' theory, which he put forward as the secret to his success in cycling, as 'a load of rubbish'.

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United players were reported to be unimpressed when they met Brailsford. According to , Brailsford told the players that he lived on the most exclusive street in Monte Carlo, but that he was coming to Manchester because he was going to help make United better.
 The players left the room rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

After a pretty miserable month that may well have derailed their Premier League title hopes, Arsenal claimed their second victory in as many games last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side dominated Sporting CP in Lisbon and, in the process, have massively increased their chances of making it into the next round of the Champions League without having to enter the playoffs.

It wasn’t just the win that was satisfying, though; it was the nature of it, as the North Londoners found themselves 3-0 by half-time and 5-1 up at full-time.

Sporting CP (A)

5-1 (W)

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Chelsea (A)

1-1 (D)

Inter Milan (A)

1-0 (L)

Newcastle United (A)

1-0 (L)

However, while there were no poor performances on the pitch, the result might have just signalled the end of the line for one of the club’s highest-paid players.

Arsenal's star performers

Now, before we get onto the star whose time as an Arsenal player is likely up, let’s look at the positives from last night and some of the team’s best performers, starting with the best of the lot, Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender was awarded the Man of the Match award at full-time, and it was more than deserved as he was a constant threat throughout his 92 minutes of action, providing an assist in the first half and then scoring a goal himself in the second.

However, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber also played a significant role in making the right-hand side so dangerous, with the former pulling the strings just behind the Englishman.

At the same time, the latter helped out William Saliba in defence while also bombing forward with every opportunity he got.

On the opposite flank, Gabriel Martinelli found himself in the right place at the right time to open the scoring for the North Londoners, while Riccardo Calafiori once again showed the fans that he could be the answer to the club’s left-back problems.

Lastly, both Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz deserve plenty of praise as well, the former for his immense defensive work and brilliant header, and the latter for his goal and all-round build-up play, although him being so effective again is bad news for another of the club’s star attackers.

Arsenal's biggest loser after Sporting

It feels unfair to label any Arsenal player a loser after last night’s sensational result, but in a sense, Gabriel Jesus is just that.

The reason is that, after the last week, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Brazilian forward will ever be the team’s starting number nine again, and the chance of his starting out wide seems even smaller.

Now, that might sound harsh, but it’s probably true as Arteta gave the former Manchester City ace a chance to reassert himself in the role against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but despite the team’s brilliant performance that day, the £265k-per-week star flattered to deceive.

The £45m signing was awarded just a 6/10 match rating from the Standard’s Simon Collings at full-time, and considering the fact he failed to take a single shot on target in 95 minutes of action, despite his team winning 3-0, that’s quite a generous rating.

In contrast, the journalist awarded Havertz a 7/10 last night, which actually feels a bit harsh considering the former Chelsea ace scored a vital goal, produced an expected goals figure of 1.08 and was able to occupy defenders throughout the 92 minutes of action.

That said, it’s not just the last week of action that suggests the Sao Paulo-born dynamo’s time in North London could be coming to a close either, as he’s been quite disappointing all season.

For example, despite making 16 appearances, the “frustrating” striker, as dubbed by Micah Richards, has scored once and provided one assist, which works out to a goal involvement every eight games.

Appearances

33

36

16

Goals

11

8

1

Assists

7

8

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

0.44

0.12

Moreover, even when you account that those appearances have only amounted to 579 minutes, the 27-year-old still has a disappointing average of a goal involvement every 289.5 minutes.

Ultimately, while Jesus is an undeniably talented player, he’s no longer a significant part of this Arsenal team, and with wages as high as his, it feels more like a matter of when and not if the club decide to move him on.

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كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية عن موقف لاعب منتخب إسبانيا وفريق برشلونة، باو كوبارسي، من المشاركة في لقاء أوساسونا في منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.

باو كوبارسي تعرض لإصابة على مستوى الكاحل خلال مباراة إسبانيا وهولندا في ربع نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية، ليغادر اللقاء والمعسكر ليعود إلى برشلونة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. برشلونة يصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن إصابة كوبارسي

وأعلن نادي برشلونة في بيان رسمي تشخيص إصابة كوبارسي، حيث أكد النادي أنه بعد إجراء الفحوصات الطبية على اللاعب، تبين إصابته بتمزق في الرباط الظنبوبي الشظوي الأمامي لكاحله الأيمن.

وأوضح البيان أنه سيتم إعادة تقييم حالة اللاعب الإسباني خلال 24 ساعة لحسم مدى قوة الإصابة.

وأفادت صحيفة آس الإسبانية بأن كوبارسي قد يكون متاحاً للمشاركة مع برشلونة أمام أوساسونا يوم الخميس المقبل، لكنها ليست مؤكدة.

ويواجه برشلونة نظيره أوساسونا في لقاء مؤجل عن منافسات الجولة السابعة والعشرين من الدوري الإسباني، الخميس المقبل.

ويحتل برشلونة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 60 نقطة وأمامه فرصة لتوسيع فارق النقاط إلى ثلاثة مع ملاحقه ريال مدريد، بينما يحل أوساسونا في المركز الرابع عشر برصيد 33 نقطة.

Still looking to add to their midfield, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of one transfer target who Michael Edwards could steal in to hijack ahead of Bayern Munich.

Liverpool transfer news

Whilst the Reds sit top of the Premier League even without a summer full of investment, they’ll be well aware of how unsustainable their position at the top is without the added depth they could welcome in 2025.

Of course, it wasn’t for the want of trying that a midfielder failed to complete a move to Anfield in the summer, with Martin Zubimendi simply changing his mind and rejecting Liverpool, but that’s not to say alternatives weren’t available.

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Their summer failure has at least made the 2025 task clear as day, however. A defensive midfielder to compete or sit alongside the recently-emerged Ryan Gravenberch must be the priority, even if the Reds find themselves flying under new boss Arne Slot.

With that said, those at Anfield have reportedly turned their attention towards a man in demand. According to The Boot Room, Edwards is now keeping tabs on Adam Wharton ahead of a potential move that would see Liverpool hijack a deal and jump ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich as well as Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Wharton impressed against Liverpool last season, as Crystal Palace shocked the Reds to secure a rare Anfield victory. Since then, he has gone on to make his England debut and steal further headlines, before struggling alongside the rest of Oliver Glasner’s side in an early period to forget in the current campaign.

If the former Blackburn Rovers man swiftly returns to his best though, then there’s no doubt that the rumours over his Selhurst Park future will continue to arrive, with FSG, Edwards and Richard Hughes now firmly in the race.

"Incredible" Wharton could complete Liverpool midfield

At just 20 years old, Wharton’s first struggle for form was always going to arrive at one stage, but once he reaches the other side of his current blip, big things could once again await. He more than proved himself in his Anfield audition last season, winning eight out of 10 duels and making six tackles in a dominant display in the middle of the park. Now, as Liverpool look to add to their midfield, Wharton could emerge to become Slot’s missing piece.

Unsurprisingly, the Palace star has earned plenty of praise during his time at Selhurst Park, including from teammate Eberechi Eze, who said via BBC Sport: “Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with.

“For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

Alas, amid such impressive interest, those in South London may need to appreciate their midfielder whilst they still can, with Anfield potentially awaiting Wharton in 2025 despite Palace’s valuation of £100m.

West Ham United could move to sign an alternative to Niclas Fullkrug who scored 23 goals in all competitions last season, as manager Julen Lopetegui pressures the Hammers hierarchy with a transfer demand ahead of January.

Lopetegui facing West Ham pressure after poor start

Despite a recent 4-1 win over Ipswich Town, which eased the pressure on Lopetegui somewhat, the Spaniard’s future in east London is back into question following a dismal defeat at the hands of rivals Tottenham last weekend.

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West Ham took the lead against Spurs courtesy of star winger Mohammed Kudus, but Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, an Alphonse Areola own-goal and a Son Heung-min effort cancelled out their opener and cast more doubt on Lopetegui amid a lacklustre start to the Premier League campaign.

The result makes it four losses for them already, winning just two of eight games in total, despite technical director Tim Steidten’s near-£120 million investment in new signings during the summer transfer window.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Maximilian Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Mohamadou Kante

Paris FC

Undisclosed

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

Carlos Soler

PSG

Loan transfer

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

James Ward-Prowse

Nottingham Forest

Loan

Maxwel Cornet

Southampton

Loan

Nayef Aguerd

Real Sociedad

Loan

Kurt Zouma

Al-Shabab

Loan

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Angelo Ogbonna

Watford

Free transfer

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St Patrick’s Athletic

Free transfer

It is even believed that West Ham are considering Edin Terzić as a replacement for Lopetegui already, if they do indeed sack the former Real Madrid and Spain head coach.

No decision has been made yet, though, and there is still time for the 58-year-old to turn things around. Lopetegui hasn’t been helped by Fullkrug’s persistent Achilles tendon injury, with the new striker missing their last five league matches after picking up the problem on international duty.

The German scored 16 goals in all competitions for ex-club Borussia Dortmund last term, but Fullkrug is yet to get off the mark for West Ham and has been unable to contribute, leading to their reliance on the ageing Michail Antonio and previously out of favour Danny Ings.

West Ham are targeting a new striker in January as a result, with both Ings and Antonio also out of contract next summer. Greece international Vangelis Pavlidis is a potential target for West Ham, among others, and he isn’t the only Greek on their radar.

West Ham could move for Fotis Ioannidis

According to talkSPORT this week, it is believed West Ham could move for Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis, as Lopetegui personally puts pressure on the club’s hierarchy to invest in the squad again this coming January.

Fullkrug’s injury woes have apparently prompted West Ham to consider bringing in a new number nine, backing other similar reports, and Ioannidis is a player they were targeting in the summer window as well.

The 24-year-old scored 23 goals in all competitions for his current club last term, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson also branding the forward a “dangerous” asset in the penalty area.

“Fotis Ioannidis has good instincts in the box as he can improvise a variety of finishes to good accuracy with little time to think,” wrote Mattinson.

“He has good finishing ability off both feet which makes him dangerous in the box as he’s effective on either side.”

Reliable journalist Chris Jack has provided a significant update regarding Philippe Clement’s future as Rangers manager, with a twist emerging versus reports in recent days.

Clement under pressure at Rangers

After missing out narrowly on a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season, the hope was that the Gers would find another gear this time around, especially after adding nine new players to their squad.

Things haven’t yet panned out that way, however, with an opening weekend draw away to Hearts immediately allowing Celtic to gain an early advantage in the title race. A 3-0 defeat at Parkhead made the situation even worse, and Rangers were also dumped out of the Champions League before the group stage even got underway, having lost to Dynamo Kyiv over two legs.

For that reason, Clement has found himself under plenty of pressure of late, with one report even claiming that the Belgian is “fighting for his job” and could be sacked within a matter of weeks, highlighting the need for big improvements on the pitch.

Sunday’s 1-0 victory away to Dundee United was a vital result for the manager, even though it wasn’t necessarily convincing for the full 90 minutes, and now a new update has emerged over his future at Ibrox.

Journalist drops new Clement update at Rangers

According to the reliable Jack for the Rangers Review, Rangers have no plans to sack Clement currently, a sharp U-turn from the reports since the defeat to Celtic. He states that the Scottish giants remain “fully committed” to the 50-year-old, even though the Gers’ start to the season hasn’t been as impressive as many hoped it would be.

This is a refreshing stance for Rangers to take, in truth, during an era where managers are sacked far too easily and quickly, with patience very much a thing of the past. There is no question that aspects of the Gers’ current performances are not good enough, which falls on the manager, but this isn’t a time to overreact, considering his side are still only five points adrift of Celtic in the title battle.

That’s not to say that Clement shouldn’t be under pressure, however, with high standards expected at a club of Rangers’ stature, but alarm bells should only truly ring if more negative results happen in the coming weeks.

Pundit Michael Stewart is worried about the future of Gers boss, saying “I fear for the manager” and that “there is a real pressure that is building”, and while that opinion is arguably fair, it would be wrong to relieve him of his duties at this point, considering he only took charge last October.

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In that time, Clement has won the Scottish League Cup and pushed Celtic close to two major trophies, and the key now is for Rangers to hit a sustained period of good form, in order to ease the pressure on him.

Perhaps hoping to form an unstoppable strike partnership, Paul Mitchell has reportedly made contact with the agent of one particular forward who he wants Newcastle United to sign in 2025.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies are gearing up for a busy 2025 on the transfer front following such a poor summer transfer window, which ended with free agent Lloyd Kelly as the standout arrival. Since then, Mitchell has taken a fair share of criticism, but was quick to come out and speak on the failure of those at St James’ Park during the transfer window.

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He said via The Athletic: “There are things we got wrong in our strategy, for sure. If we could have signed a player that we actively felt could make a really good squad better, would we?

“Of course we would have done. My learning is that coming in, in a pre-arranged strategy, is hard,” he said. “You ultimately then find yourself supporting, more than driving elements.”

Looking to redeem themselves in 2025, the Magpies have already been linked with moves for the likes of Richard King in a move to bolster their defensive options for years to come, but it could be a star striker who steals the headlines.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Mitchell is in contact with the agent of Jonathan David as he wants Newcastle to sign the Lille forward in the summer of 2025.

He’s not the only one who’s made an enquiry, however, with West Ham United and Chelsea among other sides to have asked about the forward who is set to leave France as a free agent next summer.

Still just 24 years old, signing David ahead of the likes of Chelsea would be quite the statement of redemption for Mitchell and Newcastle as they look to get back on track.

"Fantastic" David would be lethal alongside Isak

Isak, alone, is talented enough to carry the Newcastle attack forward for several years, but add David next to him and Eddie Howe’s side may well find themselves back on course for Champions League football sooner than anyone thinks. The Canada international has already enjoyed a fine start to the current campaign too, scoring twice in five Ligue 1 games and four times in all competitions to accompany two assists.

It’s a rise to stardom that Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig saw coming, having dubbed David’s off-ball movement “superb” when he was initially stealing the headlines in France.

What’s more, Callum Wilson’s likely departure as a free agent next summer should free up plenty of room in Newcastle’s striker department for David to emerge and take the spotlight. In a deal that would redeem Mitchell, Newcastle could land an early coup in 2025.

Aston Villa return to Premier League action this weekend as they face a struggling Everton side.

Unai Emery will be hoping the international break didn’t do too much damage to his players. Ezri Konsa did withdraw from the England squad after suffering a knock against Finland, but it appears he has escaped injury.

Leon Bailey is one player who will definitely miss the clash against the Toffees, suffering a hamstring injury against Leicester City and could face up to ten weeks out of action.

He was arguably one of Emery’s key players last term and will be a big miss.

Leon Bailey’s statistics for Villa this season

The former Bayer Leverkusen star registered 28 goal contributions last season – 14 goals and 14 assists – as Villa secured a top four finish in the Premier League.

The winger played in the first three league matches for the club thus far yet failed to score or grab an assist before disaster struck against the Foxes.

Despite not hitting the heights of last term, Bailey’s absence will be felt by Emery, especially with matches coming thick and fast, both domestically and in Europe.

The question for Emery now is, who replaces the winger in the starting XI against Everton?

Jacob Ramsey could be the ideal replacement for Leon Bailey

Ramsey was the player who came off the bench to replace Bailey after he suffered his injury against the Foxes a couple of weeks ago, shining in the process.

During his 63 minutes on the pitch, Ramsey completed 87% of his passes, made two key passes, created a big chance, and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles (3/3), meaning he offered plenty going forwards.

Accurate passes

24/28

Key passes

2

Big chances created

1

Dribble attempts (successful)

3/3

Total duels (won)

5/9

Possession lost

7

Via Sofascore

Defensively, the Englishman also won five of his eight ground duels along with making two tackles, showing that he is capable of contributing in other areas of the park.

While the right flank may not be his ideal position, gaining minutes in the starting XI will be of major importance to the midfielder as he seeks to become a regular in the first team under Emery.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke lavished praise on the youngster in 2023 when speaking to Football FanCast, saying: “Villa are lucky they’ve got such a top young player on their hands and they won’t want to even consider selling him.

“In the going market right now, he’s probably in the £50m bracket at least, but I don’t think Aston Villa would even consider selling him. They want to keep him and build a team around him going forward.”

Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing Ramsey during the summer transfer window, but no move materialised, which could prove to be crucial for the Midlands side this season, as they now have him available to be called upon.

If Ramsey performs well against the Toffees this evening, it could see him emerge as a key player for the club over the coming weeks, especially with Bailey missing important matches due to injury, which would provide him with plenty of game time and Emery with a solution to his problem on the right flank.

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Tottenham Hotspur have less than a month to complete any remaining business that they would like to do before the end of the summer transfer window.

Ange Postecoglou can cross a new number nine off his wishlist now that Dominic Solanke is in the building, though, after the club confirmed his arrival from Bournemouth on Saturday. The Australian head coach was also presented with a fresh midfield option earlier in the summer, with Archie Gray snapped up from Leeds United in a permanent deal by Daniel Levy.

Gray may not be the only midfielder to come through the door at the London giants, however, as Spurs are reportedly pursuing a move for another player in that area of the pitch.

Spurs set to launch bid for Serie A ace

According to JuveLive, Levy is set to launch a bid to sign Juventus central midfielder Manuel Locatelli before the end of the summer transfer window. The report claims that Tottenham are ready to make an offer of €25m (£20.5m) plus bonuses to secure the Italy international's signature this month.

It states that the Lilywhites are prepared to get 'serious' about a deal in the coming days and that an exit from the Old Lady is likely if a £20m+ bid does fall on their desk.

Locatelli could be viewed as a replacement for Giovani Lo Celso, who looks set to leave the club this summer. Football Insider recently claimed that he has been deemed surplus to requirements by Postecoglou, amid interest from Aston Villa and Real Betis.

The outlet added that Spurs are willing to cash in on the Argentina international for a fee of £10m, having previously demanded a £15m package for him, but it remains to be seen whether either of the two interested parties are ready to meet their demands.

Why Spurs should sign Manuel Locatelli

Locatelli could come in as a fantastic replacement for Lo Celso as he is an experienced player at the top level in Europe, whilst still having his best years ahead of him. At the age of 26, he has plenty of years left ahead of him and would arrive at the perfect time in his career, as he is not a young player with much to learn or in the final throes of his playing days.

The Italian maestro has been capped 28 times by his country and has racked up 243 appearances in the Serie A, along with 132 outings for Juventus, which shows that he is experienced at international and domestic level.

23/24 season	Manuel Locatelli (Serie A)	Giovani Lo Celso (Premier League)
Appearances	36	22
Goals	1	2
Assists	4	2
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.6	1.2
Ground duel success rate	55%	67%
Aerial duel success rate	62%	17%
Stats via Sofascore

Locatelli provided a greater creative threat than Lo Celso at league level last term, whilst also offering more balance defensively. He has the physical attributes to dominate opponents in duels on the deck and in the air, whereas the Spurs man let himself down in aerial challenges, whilst the Italian battler also made more defensive interventions per game to cut out opposition attacks.

These statistics suggest that the "underrated" – as described by journalist Josh Bunting – Italian could come in and offer Postecoglou more in and out of possession as a replacement for Lo Celso, due to his creativity and defensive solidity, which is why this could be an excellent piece of business by the club.

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Julen Lopetegui has had a very busy summer so far, as West Ham look to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, with the goal of returning to European football for the 2025/26 season.

New signings include Max Kilman from Wolves, who has worked under Lopetegui before, talented Brazilian youngster Luis Guilherme, Championship POTY Crysencio Summerville from Leeds, and now veteran striker, Niclas Füllkrug from Dortmund.

But West Ham could yet move for another striker, as many people have reservations over the investment in Fullkrug, purely due to his age.

However, if the Hammers acquire another younger striker too, it could prove to be clever squad building.

West Ham's search for another attacker

According to reports from Calciomercato, West Ham are one of the interested teams in Roma striker, Tammy Abraham, having reportedly made an attempt for the English forward, offering Roma up to £25m.

However, AC Milan are another of the reported clubs to be interested, and Abraham is said to prefer a move to the San Siro, who could offer him Champions League football, and a very exciting project under new manager, Paulo Fonseca.

Abraham made 12 appearances for Roma last season, after returning from a long-term injury, scoring one goal, and providing one assist in 321 minutes played.

Abraham vs Fullkrug comparison

Fullkrug, the new West Ham signing, made 46 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund last season, scoring 16 goals, providing ten assists and totalling 3,605 minutes played.

The German striker has shown his nature as a prolific goalscorer, with those 16 goals for Dortmund, and two goals at Euro 2024 in limited minutes. But could Abraham prove to offer even more, and over a longer period of time given the age?

Using Abraham's metrics from the 2022/23 season, it provides a clearer indication of what his numbers can look like, playing 2,189 minutes compared to the 321 minutes he played in 2023/24, due to injury.

Goals

0.33

0.45

Assists

0.12

0.30

xG

0.44

0.48

Progressive Carries

1.44

0.71

Shots

2.55

2.07

Shots on Target

1.15

0.90

Shot-Creating Actions

2.88

2.41

Touches (Att Pen)

5.14

4.14

Aerials Won

3.29

2.97

The once-described "goal machine" dubbed by Stephen Elliot, excels in most metrics ahead of Fullkrug, apart from output such as goal and assist numbers. Abraham produces a similar level of xG, at 0.44 per 90, to Fullkrug's 0.48 per 90.

Whilst the former Chelsea striker doesn't quite bring the same prolific nature as Fullkrug, he offers more in other departments, such as progressive carries, touches in the penalty area, shot volume (both shots and shots on target) and aerials won, using that 6 foot 3 frame of his.

Perhaps a mixture of the two, adding experience and goal-scoring prowess with Fullkrug, and a slightly different physical profile with Abraham, who is faster, more mobile, and able to carry the ball, could provide a good balance for the Hammers up top this coming season.

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