Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to an update on the fitness of Florian Lejeune, as the Frenchman has recovered from his ACL injury in remarkable time.
Newcastle’s Lejeune played 45 minutes of action for the Under-23 side on Monday night, and fans are delighted to have last season’s star man back in action.
According to injury expert Ben Dinnery, this is the second quickest recovery from a ruptured ACL on record. However, the only player to recover quicker, former West Ham man Alou Diarra, did not require surgery.
Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…
Monday marked 140 days since Lejeune had surgery in Italy to repair his knee, and he is reportedly unscathed by his involvement with the youth side, atruly incredible feat.
The 27 year-old’s partnership with Jamaal Lascelles was perhaps the biggest factor in keeping the Magpies up last season, and he will now return to a new and improved group of centre backs.
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Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar have been fantastic additions, but fans are still delighted to have Lejeune back in the fold.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
[ffc_insert title=”Check out the Big Interview with Ben Dinnery & Johnny Wilson” name=”Fixture In Focus Podcast Special” image_ link=”https://fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/369d9b4fb86294/” link_text=”Click here to play”]Kevin Mbabu joined Newcastle United in 2013 following a successful trial, and spent four years with the Magpies.The defender only made five first-team appearances during his time at Newcastle, however, with just three of those coming in the Premier League.Mbabu spent time on loan at Rangers and Young Boys whilst at Newcastle, before joining the latter on a permanent deal in the summer of 2017.These days, the 23-year-old is a full Switzerland international, and is representing his club in the group stage of the Champions League.Indeed, Mbabu was in action against Manchester United on Wednesday night.The defender could not prevent his team suffering a 3-0 defeat to the Red Devils, but he impressed with his pace and attacking intent in a wide position.And the Newcastle fans still cannot believe that he was allowed to leave.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”298475″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FPL Show GW6 affordable strikers”]Whilst Mbabu is now a Champions League footballer, Newcastle are struggling in the Premier League relegation zone.A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle fans can be seen below:
Fresh from Wednesday’s impressive victory over Manchester City in the Champions League, Liverpool will now switch their focus to Everton.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have received plenty of praise from fans and pundits alike for their performance.
Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane got on the scoresheet in a 3-0 triumph at Anfield, meaning that they have one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
In the first half, the Reds dominated the ball and rarely gave City a sniff as Pep Guardiola’s team failed to register a single shot on target.
After an exuberant opening 45 minutes, Liverpool switched tactics in the second half and held on to their lead.
The tie will be decided at the Etihad Stadium next week, and for the Reds to reach the semi-finals, they need to either maintain their current advantage or nab a crucial away goal.
With that in mind, former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby has suggested in a piece for the Liverpool Echo that Klopp should tinker his team for the Merseyside derby and prioritise the second leg against City.
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In the piece, the retired midfielder claimed that a top-four place in the Premier League is practically sewn up as the club currently reside third in the standings, six points above fifth position.
After reading Molby’s thoughts, Liverpool fans have been making their own suggestions.
Friday has been a good day for everyone associated with Newcastle United due to some big transfer news.The North-East outfit have announced that Mikel Merino has signed a five-year contract at St James’ Park.The Spaniard moved to Newcastle in the summer from Borussia Dortmund on a loan agreement, with an option for a permanent stay.In most of these deals, clubs have to wait until the end of a season to exercise a clause, but the Magpies have managed to secure Merino’s services just three months after he joined.Manager Rafael Benitez used his official Twitter page to give his reaction to the piece of transfer business.
The Spaniard’s social media team posted a link to the former club’sÂofficial website, in which he praised the qualities of the 21-year-old midfielder.
“He’s got great belief in what he can achieve and his own ability and, given his age, he still has time to make considerable progress. The key is clearly for him to continue working as he has been doing up until now: working hard and with real intensity as he keeps on producing the performances. If he does so, I’m certain that he’ll improve and will come to enjoy his football all the more.”
Merino has featured in all seven Premier League games this season, and in six of them he was including in the starting lineup.
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It’s that time of year again. The sun is out, excitable English football fans are ripping up foreign cities in the latter stages of the Champions League – this time in a Brexit-fuelled rampage – and the football season is coming to its climax: it’s the time that the nominees for the PFA Player of the Year award have been announced.
As always, attackers are favoured and the token defensive representative has been chosen only because he is perhaps the Premier League’s unique entity.
It’s a depressing list, in some ways, but to be voted the best player in the league by your peers is a great achievement nonetheless, and all of these players deserve accolades in some way. It’s just a shame it has to be narrowed down to six – and finally one – in the end.
Here’s a run-down of the nominees, and a look at why they’ve been nominated.
Eden Hazard
The Belgian star’s 14 goals and five assists have often been key to his side’s success this season, but really, it’s been the tactical nous of Antonio Conte that’s helped Hazard weave his magic.
With Marcos Alonso providing width in attack for Chelsea, Eden Hazard is able to play more as an inside forward than as a winger. Acting as a decoy for defenders, the wing-back has allowed Hazard to wreak havoc whilst cutting inside. Freed of too many defensive duties, the Belgian has been devastating on the counter attack, too.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
No player in the Premier League has scored a higher percentage of his team’s goals this season than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so his importance to his team is unrivalled.
In fact, without the Swede, who knows where United could have ended up this season. It’s been a disappointing one when it comes to the Premier League, but United could still win an EFL Cup and Europa League double, which would guarantee qualification for the Champions League next season. And a lot of that is down to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contribution, too.
He may not have been the very best performer in the Premier League this season – but he has proved to an unconvinced country that he’s a world class talent, and Manchester United could barely live without him this year.
Harry Kane
19 goals in only 22 Premier League starts says it all, really. Injuries have laid Harry Kane off for some of the season, whilst the bizarre hoodoo of not scoring in August has taken hold again.
All things considered, then, to be one of the league’s top scorers with so many goals despite such huge barriers is hugely impressive from the Tottenham man. Having been nominated for PFA Player of the Year in each of the last three seasons, perhaps it’s to be Kane’s year this time.
N’Golo Kante
N’Golo Kante may well be most people’s pick for Player of the Year this time. Last year, he was pipped by teammate Riyad Mahrez to the prize, winning the Football Writers’ version of the award.
This time, his stats are less impressive than they were last year, racking up ‘only’ 69 tackles and 67 interceptions this season. Last year, though, he was playing in a very different team. This time, his arrival has helped transform a Chelsea team who finished in mid table into title winners. His contribution to his team is second to none, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Kante is only the second player to be recognised as Player of the Year for defensive contributions since Paul McGrath in 1992 – and the first since John Terry in 2005.
Romelu Lukaku
Just before Christmas, it looked like Everton had fallen into no-man’s land between the top six and the rest, but over the last few months, Ronald Koeman’s side have pulled themselves back into contention by their bootstraps. One of the major reasons for that, though, is the form of Romelu Lukaku.
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23 goals and six assists this season have sealed the Belgian’s place on the PFA Player of the Year list of nominees, and perhaps his club’s place in the Europa League next season – whether that will be enough to allow Everton to bat away potential suitors for the striker this summer remains to be seen.
Alexis Sanchez
To call this a frustrating season for Arsenal would be an understatement, but it’s easy to forget that there was a time when they were looking good. Two away defeats in a row in the North West just before Christmas changed the perspective of the Gunners’ season completely.
Since the start of the campaign, Alexis Sanchez has done his level best to keep his team in contention, but a mix of poor tactics, spineless teammates, and perhaps his own sulkiness led to a terrible winter for his team. Still, 18 goals and nine assists is not to be sniffed at, as Sanchez continues to prove he’s one of the best players in the league.
Mikel Arteta has already lost Kai Havertz, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Piero Hincapie and others to injury since the start of the campaign.
The latest name on that list now is Noni Madueke, who looks set to miss up to eight weeks of action due to a knee injury.
So, with a League Cup clash against Port Vale tonight, the manager needs to decide who’s going to replace him, and we don’t think it should be Saka.
Arsenal's recent League Cup form
It would be fair to say that, since taking over at Arsenal, Arteta has not had a great time in the League Cup.
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In his first stab at the competition, the side fell to a humbling 4-1 home defeat at the hands of eventual winner Manchester City.
Things actually improved the following season, as the club advanced to the semi-finals.
However, a nil-nil draw away to Liverpool in the first leg, followed by a 2-0 defeat in the home leg, saw the Gunners dumped out of the competition.
Even though the club mounted their first title challenge the following season, they did terribly in the cup, losing 3-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
It was another disappointing effort in the 23/24 campaign as the North Londoners lost a Fourth Round tie against West Ham United by the same scoreline.
Interestingly, even though Arteta’s side made it to the semi-finals last season, the terrible manner in which Newcastle United knocked them out almost made it the worst exit of the lot.
In all, Arsenal have massively underperformed in the League Cup for a long time and need to win it this year.
With that said, Arteta should be bold when replacing Madueke in the lineup tonight.
The Arsenal star Arteta should start over Saka
Firstly, it is clear that Saka is the best player at Arsenal and should therefore play as many games as possible.
However, therein lies one of the primary reasons he shouldn’t start tonight: he already plays too many games.
Moreover, he only just returned from his second hamstring injury in as many seasons on Sunday, and therefore cannot be risked ahead of another hugely important game against Newcastle at the weekend.
Finally, even with Madueke out injured, Arteta has another option he can pick instead of the talismanic winger: Max Dowman.
Yes, it would be an incredibly bold move from the manager, but given the need to keep Saka fit, the level of opposition and the teenager’s incredible talent, it’s one he should make.
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After all, this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill academy player we are talking about here; this is someone that respected talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed is the “most exciting prospect” he has seen “since Lamine Yamal.”
Dowman in 24/25
Appearances
23
Minutes
1945′
Goals
19
Assists
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.04
Minutes per Goal Involvement
81.04′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, in just 23 appearances across several youth teams last season, totalling 1945 minutes, he scored 19 goals and provided five assists, averaging 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.
Finally, we’ve already seen what he’s capable of against Premier League teams.
For example, in pre-season, he looked incredible against Newcastle, and then in the league proper, on debut, he earned a penalty against Leeds United.
As respected analyst Ben Mattinson puts it, the 15-year-old is an “insane” talent, and even if Madueke were fit, there would be a genuine argument for starting him tonight.
Ultimately, some may say it’s too early, but Dowman looks like a future superstar and deserves to start against Port Vale.
Weekly wages: Arsenal FC 2025/26 highest-paid players
In what could finally see him realise his potential, Leeds United now reportedly have a genuine chance of signing a £13m+ forward who was once deemed a player destined for the very top.
Leeds preparing for Premier League
It’s a big summer for Leeds and the biggest since the arrival of the 49ers. They must get things right, too. They’ve already seen what can go wrong when promoted clubs either fail to spend or fail to recruit wisely, and they’ll be desperate to end a two-year-long trend of instant relegations in the top flight. So far, ahead of the transfer window, the extent of the task doesn’t seem lost on the 49ers, either.
Chairman Paraag Marathe has already set his ambitions high ahead of a return to the Premier League, claiming that he wants Leeds to become one of the biggest clubs in Europe and not just survive.
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He told reporters following Leeds’ promotion: “This was really hard to do. Two years of getting to this point, but all that hard work and all that difficulty, makes right now that much more rewarding and makes today so special. I hope I never forget this moment. I want to live in this moment as much as I can.
Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe.
“This is a journey, this is not the end. We have to keep going, this is what Leeds does. We are going to have some difficulties, but we are going to get where we want to go and we are going to be one of the best clubs in all of Europe.”
Amid recent reports linking Leeds with moves for the likes of Jamie Vardy and Caoimhin Kelleher, it seems as though Marathe’s talk is far from cheap. It doesn’t end with Kelleher and Vardy, either, with another name now mentioned as a potential target.
Leeds could sign former wonderkid Kasper Dolberg
According to Voetbal Krant, Leeds now have a genuine chance to sign Kasper Dolberg this summer. The Anderlecht forward has become somewhat of a forgotten name in recent times, but it wasn’t so long ago that he was tipped to be the next best thing. Now 27 years old and fresh from a revived season in Belgium, the Dane could get the chance to step back into the limelight.
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Having scored 24 goals in 44 games for Anderlecht this season, Dolberg will reportedly cost Leeds over £13m if they want to secure his signature this summer. The move would, of course, come with its risks given the false dawns that the forward has enjoyed, but following an excellent campaign it could be one worth taking.
Included on TuttoSport’s Golden Boy top 10 alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in 2017, Dolberg should be desperate to get back into similar conversations sooner rather than later.
There is no doubt that Leeds United are embroiled are in a hotly-contested race to secure automatic promotion out of the Championship this season.
The Whites are battling it out with Sheffield United, Burnley, and Sunderland to land a place in the Premier League next season, after they missed out to Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton last term.
Daniel Farke knows that his side will retain their place at the top of the division with a win over Norwich City at Elland Road this evening, after they beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 last time out on Sunday.
Goals from Manor Solomon, Largie Ramazani, and Ao Tanaka swept Danny Rohl’s side away with relative ease, and Farke will be hoping for more of the same when the Canaries come to town tonight.
With the fierce competition for automatic promotion from their rivals, Leeds could decide to dip into the market before the end of the January transfer window, which still has more than a week left to run before it slams shut.
The West Yorkshire outfit are, in fact, reportedly looking at a potential reunion for Farke with a Premier League player who could be on the move this month.
Leeds eyeing Premier League star
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United remain keen on a deal to sign Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia ahead of the second half of the season.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that the Whites have retained an interest in the Argentina international after they failed to secure a swoop to bring him to Elland Road in the summer, because the midfield whiz was unwilling to drop back down to the Championship at the time.
It states that Buendia wanted to stay and fight for his place at Villa, who are in the Champions League, but he has been unable to break into the starting line-up and Unai Emery has admitted that the club are open to sending him out on loan before the end of the January transfer window.
The Yorkshire Evening Post adds that several clubs in LaLiga, the Spanish top-flight, are also eyeing up potential moves to sign the former Norwich City playmaker, although no individual teams have been named as of yet.
This suggests that it could be a difficult deal for Leeds to get over the line if they are competing with clubs in a major European league, particularly given the player’s reluctance to drop down to the second tier last summer.
If Farke can convince his former star to work with him again, the West Yorkshire outfit could land their answer to Sheffield United’s deal to sign Ben Brereton Diaz from Southampton.
Sheffield United's big move for Brereton Diaz
The Blades have officially completed the signing of the Chile international on loan from the Saints, with an option to make it a permanent deal in the summer for a fee of £10m, in a big move to bolster their promotion hopes.
Like Buendia, Brereton Diaz struggled for game time in the Premier League in the first half of the season, with just ten appearances and four starts for the struggling Southampton side.
However, the former Blackburn Rovers star did catch the eye with a return of six goals in 14 Premier League matches for Sheffield United when they were relegated from the top-flight last season, which means that the forward is returning to a club, and a manager, that he has had success with in the past.
Ben Brereton Diaz (Championship)
21/22
22/23
Appearances
37
43
Goals
22
14
Big chances missed
17
8
Big chances created
3
8
Assists
3
4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Brereton Diaz has been a star in the Championship in the past, with 36 goals for Blackburn in his last two seasons at that level combined.
The talented forward has the finishing quality to be a huge threat to opposition defences in the Championship, but it just did not work out for him in the Premier League in a struggling Southampton side this season.
Sheffield United will now be hoping that his potential to score goals on a consistent basis can provide them with an edge over their rivals in the second half of this term.
However, Leeds could answer back with their own Brereton Diaz-esque signing by pushing to land Buendia on loan from Aston Villa before the end of the window.
Why Buendia would be Leeds United's Brereton Diaz answer
The signing of the Argentine star would be incredibly similar to Sheffield United’s deal to sign the Chile international, for a number of reasons.
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Firstly, like Brereton Diaz, Buendia has struggled for game time in the Premier League so far this season, with zero starts and 11 appearances in total, which means that Leeds would be taking advantage of a frustrating situation to reignite his career – much like the Blades are hoping to do.
Secondly, like with Wilder and the Chilean ace, the Villans outcast would be returning to work with a manager he already knows, having won two Championship titles with him at Norwich earlier in his career.
Finally, and most importantly, Buendia, who was once hailed as “magical” by analyst Liam Henshaw, is also a proven performer in the second tier who could come in with the potential to provide a gigantic threat in the final third.
Emi Buendia (Championship)
18/19
20/21
Appearances
38
39
Goals
8
15
Big chances created
7
18
Key passes per game
2.4
3.1
Assists
12
16
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star has the quality to contribute with goals and assists on a consistent basis from an attacking midfield or wide position in the Championship.
These statistics suggest that Buendia has the potential to provide Farke’s Leeds team with a big boost to their hopes of promotion to the Premier League, given that his goals and assists have already heavily contributed to two title-winning sides at that level.
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Therefore, the Whites could sign their answer to Sheffield United’s big move for Brereton Diaz by securing an even bigger signing in the form of the Argentine playmaker.
Leeds United have recovered from their stumbling start to the season to remain unbeaten in the Championship after four matches with two wins and two clean sheets in their last two, but now Daniel Farke must watch from behind the sofa as his players jet off around the globe on international duty.
Leeds players away on international duty
The Whites have a whole host of stars included in their national squads during this two-week break from domestic action – probably far more than most second tier teams in fact, leaving fans waiting with bated breath for injury-free returns to Yorkshire.
Junior Firpo starred in a 3-2 CONCACAF Nations League win for the Dominican Republic against Bermuda on Saturday, playing the full 90 minutes in a more advanced position than his usual role at Leeds, putting in plenty of hard yards after his teammate Edarlyn Reyes was shown a straight red card just ten minutes into the fixture.
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Back in Europe the likes of Ilia Gruev and new signing Manor Solomon have been in action, with the former playing the full length of Bulgaria's 0-0 draw in Belarus last week while the winger got 80 minutes in Israel's 3-1 defeat in Belgium.
Former manager – now Canada boss – Jesse Marsch squared off against current star Brenden Aaronson in Kansas City, and it was Marsch who came out on top as his side beat the United States 2-1 and Aaronson was withdrawn with a quarter of an hour left after a quiet performance on the right wing.
USA media slam Aaronson's anonymous display vs Canada
Aaronson looks to have returned from his loan spell a new man this season, featuring in every league game so far and finding the back of the net twice – albeit possibly with one more had he buried the late chance against Portsmouth.
He was poor in action for USA this weekend however, with Sofascore statistics revealing he had virtually no impact on the game, mustering zero shots, key passes, successful dribbles or crosses, while he won just two of his seven duels (29 per cent) and lost the ball nearly as many times (9) as he completed passes (12). NBC Sport gave him a 4.5/10, praising his work rate but claiming he was "slapdash especially with the ball".
Other USMNT outlets were quick to highlight his poor display too, as per MOT Leeds News, with Soccer America giving him a 3/10 rating and GOAL.com saying: "Just didn’t really do much of anything. He wasn’t bad, particularly compared to some of his teammates, but he didn’t make many positive things happen, either."
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The Whites return to action next weekend with huge home clash against fellow promotion candidates Burnley, but before that Aaronson has the chance to redeem himself as the USA take on New Zealand in a friendly late on Tuesday night – whether the timing of that fixture harms the 23 year-old's chances of featuring in a 12:30 kick-off come Saturday is up for debate.
Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching their first European final in over 40 years took a major hit on Thursday evening, succumbing to Olympiacos 4-2 at Villa Park.
The first leg of their Europa Conference League clash against the Greek giants was supposed to end in a victory for the home team, taking an advantage back to Greece, yet it didn’t quite go as planned.
Of course, a place in the final is not out of reach, but they will need to vastly improve next week in order to fight back from a 4-2 deficit.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Unai Emery’s side are still in charge of their own destiny, in both Europe and the Premier League, but big performances will be needed over the coming weeks to end the season on a high.
The Spaniard will have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window. If Villa do secure qualification for the Champions League, then he will need to make a few more signings to help bolster his squad.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to Football Insider, Villa reportedly want to sign Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho in the summer.
The centre-forward has rejected an offer of a contract extension at the Foxes which would see him extend his stay, but it now appears as though this will be his final season with the club.
Emery will have some money to spend in the window, but adding a few players on free transfers will help him utilise his budget far better in the hopes of signing genuinely top-class players who can take the Midlands side to the next level.
The Spaniard signed Youri Tielemans from the Foxes last summer on a free transfer and luring the Nigerian international to the club could allow Emery to repeat that blinder, no doubt about it.
Youri Tielemans’ stats for Aston Villa this season
The Belgian midfielder had shone during his time at Leicester, making nearly 200 appearances for the club since joining in 2018 from AS Monaco.
During that time, he scored 28 goals along with chipping in with 26 assists, and the Foxes faithful will forever remember his wonderful striker during the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea to see the club win the trophy for the first time.
Youri Tielemans' stats for Villa this season
Metric
Conference League
Premier League
Goals
1
1
Assists
1
6
Key passes per game
1.4
0.6
Big chances created
1
5
Successful dribbles per game
0.3
0.5
Via Sofascore
It appeared as though Villa had secured one of the bargains of the summer when it was announced he had joined the club, giving Emery the chance to work with a sublime midfielder who was heading into his peak years.
Despite the initial excitement, the 26-year-old had to wait until November to make his first Premier League start for the club, undergoing a rocky introduction to life at Villa Park.
Since the turn of the year, however, he has started 12 league matches while playing key roles in their European ties against Ajax and Lille, which has seen them reach the semi-finals of the Conference League.
Tielemans currently ranks seventh among the Villa squad for big chances created (four) in the Premier League, along with ranking sixth for goals and assists (seven), seventh for tackles (1.3) per game and 16th for possession lost per game (6.6), showcasing his talent across a range of metrics for the club this term.
Youri Tielemans
Although he endured a tough start, it is beginning to look like the midfielder is enjoying his football again as he emerges as a key player under Emery.
Signing Iheanacho could be a solid addition to the first-team squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
How Kelechi Iheanacho could fit it in at Villa
The main area in which Emery needs to strengthen is with regard to his attacking options. Yes, Ollie Watkins has enjoyed a sensational season, scoring 27 goals, and registering 12 assists, but if he suffers an injury, Villa don’t have much in the way of backup.
Jhon Duran has failed to hit the ground running during the current campaign, netting only six times in all competitions.
Leicester City strikerKelechi Iheanacho.
Iheanacho has plenty of Premier League experience first and foremost, which will be a big bonus for Emery. In stints with Leicester and Man City, the 27-year-old has played close to 200 games in the English top flight, scoring 42 goals along with racking up a further 26 assists, a decent enough strike rate in terms of a reliable backup option.
The striker hasn’t quite enjoyed the finest of seasons with the Foxes, however, finding the back of the net just six times, although he has played only three Championship matches since the turn of the year.
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Despite averaging just 42 minutes per game and starting ten league games throughout 2023/24, the centre-forward has still managed to score five times, creating three big chances while succeeding with 58% of his dribble attempts – 0.6 per game – suggesting that he has still shown glimpses of his talents when given the opportunity to do so.
The 6 foot 1 striker has been dubbed “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past and certainly has the pedigree to step up whenever Watkins needs a rest, or dare we say it, suffers an injury.
He may not be the big-name signing that is expected this summer, but Emery will have to be realistic as to who he goes and spends money on, especially if the club wish to comply with financial fair play regulations.
This means a few bargains will have to be found and Iheanacho definitely fits the bill in that regard.
Not only does he have a host of experience in the top flight, but he can even drop slightly deeper if required, depending on how Emery will set up next season.
Adding another centre-forward or two will be a priority this summer for the manager in order to ease the burden on Watkins. The Englishman is a fantastic player, but he can’t do everything on his own, thus indicating the need for a couple of others to chip in when he isn’t at the races.
On a free transfer, Iheanacho sounds like a superb investment – as Tielemans has proven to be.
Aston Villa now eyeing £11,000-a-week target who starred in UCL semi-final