Tottenham Hotspur have a ‘long-standing interest’ in Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey and have previously made enquiries over a potential move for him, Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has claimed.
The Lowdown: Conte’s transfer plans
As per The Telegraph, Antonio Conte is expected to be very active in the transfer market this summer. As such, the Italian will demand at least six new signings from Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici.
According to The Athletic, the 52-year-old has made two new wing-backs his ‘next priority’, behind the addition of a left-sided centre-back.
Bridge has revealed that Tottenham are once again interested in signing Lamptey, having previously tried to lure him away from the Amex Stadium last June.
Spurs have seemingly made enquiries for the Brighton youngster again, with the Seagulls apparently responding with lofty valuations for the player.
Speaking with GiveMeSport, the Sky Sports reporter claimed: “Tottenham have had a long-standing interest in Tariq Lamptey. But they’ve been quoted crazy figures for a very good full-back, but someone who’s had his own injury problems.”
The Verdict: Promising talent
Seven-time FA Cup-winning full-back Ashley Cole has been extremely impressed with the 21-year-old’s performances in the Premier League in recent years, having stated that “he’s been quality how dangerous he is”.
Ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and the 97th percentile for progressive passes received (via FBRef), Lamptey’s attacking nature would complement Conte’s style of play very well.
Indeed, the Italian will already know just how good a defender the 21-year-old is, too. When Brighton defeated Spurs 1-0 in recent weeks, Lamptey restricted direct opponent and Golden Boot contender Son Heung-min to just two shots all afternoon, both of which were blocked (as per Sofascore).
Therefore, this would seem like a brilliant signing for Spurs if they can get a deal over the line.
In other news: Sky Sports reporter backs Pau Torres/Spurs claims
BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has claimed that personal reasons could have been the deciding factor behind Manchester United star Paul Pogba snubbing a move to rivals Man City this summer.
The Lowdown: Pogba available for transfer
The Frenchman first joined the Red Devils in a world-record £89m move from Juventus six years ago, where he has since gone on to make 233 appearances for the club during that time.
The 29-year-old’s current contract with United is set to expire at the end of the season, making him a free agent to any potential suitors interested in securing his services, and as a result of this, has been linked with multiple clubs in recent weeks, one of those being Pep Guardiola’s side.
As reported by The Athletic journalist David Ornstein earlier this week, the Sky Blues are thought to have made a proposal for Pogba which the player did seriously consider, but he has since informed City that he will be moving elsewhere.
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The Latest: Manchester rivalry a deciding factor
Hutton has admitted that it didn’t come as any shock to him to see United’s Premier League competitors show interest in the maestro, but suggested that the famous rivalry between the two sides may have put the 91-cap international off a potential move to the Etihad. He told Football Insider’s Russell Edge:
“It doesn’t surprise me they’ve thrown their hat into the ring.
“There’s no doubting his talent. I think on a personal level, for him to make that move, thinking of his lifestyle moving forward, how difficult that would be for them, just in general life.
“That’s probably the sticking point because the wages and that wouldn’t be a problem.
“He has had a hard time at Manchester United. Then to go to their rivals across the city, I think, would be very difficult for him.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you see him go to PSG or somebody like that. That kind of makes more sense, I think, for him and his family.”
The Verdict: Ten Hag’s squad rebuild
Pogba, although beloved by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has missed out on the last five games under Ralf Rangnick having sustained a calf injury in the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool back in April, and it’s fair to say that United have missed his creativity in the middle of the park during his spell on the sidelines.
Prior to being ruled out of action, the £49.5m-rated midfielder was averaging 1.6 shots and 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes in the top-flight, not to mention that he has provided nine assists throughout the current campaign, via WhoScored.
With the arrival of new manager Erik ten Hag imminent, the Dutchman will no doubt be busy filtering through his squad to decide who has a long-term future at the club and who will be let go, and it looks like Pogba will be just one of many names set to depart Old Trafford ahead of the start of next season.
In other news… United are said to have initiated contact with a club regarding one of their summer transfer targets.
Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Christian Eriksen.
What’s the talk?
In a recent article for Caught Offside, the Italian journalist and transfer insider confirmed that, following recent reports linking Antonio Conte’s side with a move to bring the central midfielder back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window, Spurs are indeed keeping tabs on the 30-year-old ahead of a potential swoop.
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However, Romano went on to state that, as yet, Fabio Paratici is yet to make contact with the Denmark international regarding a deal to bring him back to north London, while the journalist also revealed that Leicester City and one other unnamed Premier League club are also interested in the midfielder this summer.
Supporters will love Romano’s claim
Considering just how impressive Eriksen has been for Brentford following his return to English football this January, Romano’s update that Conte and Paratici are plotting a deal to bring the Dane back to the club this summer is sure to be news that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.
Indeed, over his eight Premier League appearances for Thomas Frank’s side, the £13.5m-rated Dane has been in exceptional form, scoring one goal, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.1 key passes, taking 2.0 shots and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.
These returns have seen the 30-year-old average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as Brentford’s best performer in the top flight of English football but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole – behind only Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
As such, the suggestion that Tottenham are one of the clubs interested in a deal for the midfielder this summer is undoubtedly incredibly exciting news for all involved with Spurs, and, when taking into account that he looks set to be available on a free transfer, it would certainly be yet another Paratici masterclass if the sporting director can get a deal over the line.
AND in other news: “There are chances…”: Romano drops big Spurs transfer update, Conte will be buzzing
Liverpool are keeping tabs on Premier League rivals Chelsea’s attacking midfielder Mason Mount ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
What’s the story?
According to reports, via TEAMtalk, both Liverpool and Manchester City are watching the 23-year-old closely ahead of the transfer window with Chelsea unable to extend the Englishman’s current contract amid government sanctions put on the west London club.
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Mount has just two years left on his contract and is, according to the report, one of Chelsea’s lowest-paid players on £70k-per-week.
Therefore, the attacking midfielder could be tempted to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.
Liverpool should swoop for Mount
Very quickly, Mount has established himself as one of not only England’s but Europe’s most exciting prospects.
After successful loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem and Derby County, the now-23-year-old was integrated into the Chelsea first-team under Frank Lampard in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since.
In almost three seasons, the midfielder has made 156 appearances for Chelsea’s first team, having gone through the youth ranks, in which time he has scored 29 goals and registered 30 assists.
However, this campaign has seen the Englishman step up a level, netting 12 goals and providing 15 assists in 49 matches, his best season in front of goal.
Although Liverpool are already a goal machine, with the Reds the top scorers in the Premier League so far this campaign with 86 goals in 34 matches, Jurgen Klopp will always be keen to add quality to his squad depth and replace any potential outgoings.
Moreover, the German could reignite a relationship similar to the one he had at Dortmund with Marco Reus, with the 32-year-old deemed similar to Mount by FBRef.
Therefore, the 23-year-old could become an absolute monster if he was to swap west London for Merseyside, with the Reds just one point behind league leaders Manchester City with four matches to go.
The £67.5m-rated attacking midfielder, who was deemed to have the “full package” by manager Thomas Tuchel last season, will have to make a decision on his future with the Blues soon.
Moreover, if the imposed sanctions are to stay in place for a significant period of time, Mount may have no other choice but to join Liverpool and become Klopp’s brand new Reus.
AND in other news: Bid accepted: Liverpool now facing major setback that will surely have Klopp fuming
Celtic have been on fire this season in the SPFL in terms of scoring goals.
With 80 goals netted in 34 league games, the Bhoys have stormed to the top of the table with only a handful of matches left to play.
The Parkhead club have been able to do this without having Odsonne Edouard in their ranks for the majority of the campaign after he was sold to Premier League club Crystal Palace back in August.
During his time in Scotland, the Frenchman found the back of the net 86 times in 179 appearances across all competitions.
Even though the club haven’t exactly missed having the striker in their squad this season, it seems as though the Hoops could be looking to bring in a new version of Edouard once the upcoming summer transfer window opens.
What’s the news?
According to a recent report from L’Equipe (via Daily Record) Celtic are one of the clubs interested in signing SM Caen striker Alexandre Mendy this summer.
The report also added that an initial offer of €3m (£2.5m) from the Hoops has reportedly been put on the table to the French club.
However, this approach has reportedly been turned down, but Caen would be willing to negotiate a sale “in the event of a higher offer.”
Edouard 2.0
With 211 club appearances to his name at senior and youth levels, the 28-year-old has delivered 63 goals contributions in total, with 57 goals and six assists under his belt.
Having scored goals in every side he’s played in throughout his career, this highlights his pedigree in terms of being a prolific goalscorer, as Edouard was during his days at Parkhead.
This also shows why the club are keen to add the centre-forward, who has been described as a “very strong” player by Jocelyn Gourvennec, to their already attack-heavy squad.
To compare the two players, Mendy has doubled the number of league goals that the former Celtic star has been able to total in his debut season in the Premier League.
He also has a higher percentage for shots on target (48.4%) than the Frenchman (42%), meaning he’s been more clinical in front of goal and being a nuisance for opposition goalkeepers.
Moving forward, if Celtic think the player is worth it, then they should definitely consider making a bigger offer if it will get the Caen hitman to try his hand in Scotland and potentially be their next Edouard.
In other news: Celtic now eye bid for £1.8m-rated gem with “serious Haaland vibes”, Ange will love it
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be looking to mastermind his first-ever win in European football against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday night.
After a 3-0 win against Kilmarnock away from Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night, the German boss will be hoping that his players are full of confidence and ready to secure that first win of the league phase.
Several players will need to raise their levels, though, because too many members of the squad have failed to perform on the European stage this season.
The worst Rangers performers in the Europa League this season
When looking at the worst performers for the Gers in the Europa League, it is impossible to look past Mohamed Diomande as the standout player for the wrong reasons.
The Ivorian central midfielder has been sent off two times in three appearances in the competition, remarkably, and it is hard to get much worse than that.
Youssef Chermiti, who was signed for £8m from Everton, has challenged Diomande for that spot, though, with no goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in five starts, per Sofascore, in the league phase.
1
Mohamed Diomande
2
Youssef Chermiti
3
Thelo Aasgaard
4
Oliver Antman
5
Jayden Meghoma
Summer signings Thelo Aasgaard and Oliver Antman also rank in the worst five performers, as they have both failed to deliver a goal or an assist and both average under one key pass per game, per WhoScored.
The attacking duo have also struggled in the Premiership, with one goal and two assists combined, but they are not the only attacking players who have underperformed, as Djeidi Gassama must be dropped for Thursday’s game.
Why Djeidi Gassama should be dropped by Danny Rohl
The summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday made an electric start to his career at Ibrox with four goals in six games in the Champions League qualifiers.
Since then, though, the French forward has found it tough to make an impact on a regular basis, with one goal in 15 Premiership games and one goal in five outings in the Europa League, per Sofascore.
At the end of last month, Rangers fan and scout Kai Watson posted that Gassama “deserves just as much criticism as Antman & Aasgaard”, which is a fair comment when you look at their respective performances in the Premiership.
As aforementioned, the Frenchman has not delivered much in the way of quality in the league for the Gers, and he blanked again in the 3-0 win over Kilmarnock, with no goals, assists, or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore. He also lost the ball a whopping 23 times.
Games
15
22
Goals
1
1
Big chances missed
3
3
Big chances created
1
2
Assists
1
2
As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard and Antman’s combined output in the Premiership is better than Gassama’s, which shows that he has not been at a level above the pair this season in the league.
These statistics show that all three of those summer signings have failed to provide goals and assists on a regular basis for the Light Blues, and that is also reflected in their combined return of one goal and no assists in the Europa League.
With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Gassama from the starting line-up for Thursday evening’s clash with Ferencvaros because he has not offered enough quality in the final third of late.
Instead, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday manager should bring Mikey Moore back into the fold after he marked his return from injury with an impressive goal against Kilmarnock.
The Spurs loanee has scored two goals in his last two appearances for Rangers, and it would have been three if not for VAR ruling out his second goal against Killie for an innocuous foul in the build-up.
Moore is starting to show that he can be a difference-maker in the final third, with two goals and one assist in the league, and should be given an opportunity to shine from the start ahead of Gassama on Thursday.
Rangers dud was as "rotten" as Miovski, now he's Rohl's most improved player
This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has been a curious player since joining from Real Sociedad in 2024, and it is now believed he could depart the Gunners just two years after his arrival.
The Spain international’s best performances under Mikel Arteta have arguably come up front, with Merino doing extremely well in an emergency striker role last season in the absence of both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
His match-winning goals against Chelsea and Leicester City, alongside a late equaliser against Liverpool in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Anfield, were crucial in helping the Gunners comfortably secure Champions League qualification.
The Premier League title race was out of sight by that point, but Merino’s fantastic contribution amid their dire lack of striking options will always be remembered fondly by supporters .
However, since dropping back into midfield, the 29-year-old hasn’t quite been as effective at times.
During Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League earlier this week, Merino struggled in what was an ‘Odegaard-style’ role — seeing the ball even less than goalkeeper David Raya in what was a 4/10 display.
Minutes played
90
Touches
40
Accurate passes
21/28 (75%)
Key passes
1
Accurate crosses
0
Shots
1
Dribbles
0
Ground duels won
2/6
Aerial duels won
3/7
Possession lost
11x
Fouls
3
Both Rice and Merino lost the ball combined 25 times against Bilbao too, and proved ineffective creatively against Liverpool prior to the international break.
This all being said, it is only the very start of 2025/2026, and Merino’s started just three games in all competitions, making this latest claim on his future come as quite a surprise.
Arsenal preparing £70m Oihan Sancet bid as Mikel Merino could leave
According to a Spanish media source, Merino could leave Arsenal next summer, and sporting director Andrea Berta is already preparing a bid to sign Athletic Bilbao sensation Oihan Sancet to come in his place.
Athletic Bilbao'sOihanSancetcelebrates scoring their first goal with teammate
Interestingly, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder was one of the Bilbao players to seriously impress against Arteta’s side on Tuesday, following a dazzling 2024/2025 campaign where he netted 17 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.
Arsenal are believed to already be preparing a £70m bid for Sancet as they look to seal his signing in 2026, despite having just spent over £250 million on new recruits, including a deal for England playmaker Eberechi Eze.
Oihan Sancet would be another statement signing for Arsenal
The fact he only has four Spain international caps is testament to the abundance of quality in Luis de la Fuente’s squad, and signing Sancet would come as yet another statement deal by Berta.
His goal return from midfield last term was up there with the very best in Europe, with teammate Yeray Alvarez calling him a “game-changer”.
Estevao Willian arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer amid plenty of excitement, but Chelsea now believe another teenager could follow in his footsteps.
The Brazilian, who scored against Enzo Maresca’s side for ex-club Palmeiras at the Club World Cup, is being tipped for an incredibly bright future.
Despite being just 18, Estevao already boasts seven senior caps for the Brazil national side, and bagged his first goal for the five-time World Cup winners in a 3-0 victory over Chile in their last round of qualifiers.
By doing this, Estevao became the youngest Brazil goalscorer in a competitive match since footballing icon Pele.
For Chelsea, the bright young forward has already made three Premier League appearances and notched his first assist for the west Londoners in a 5-1 demolition of West Ham at the London Stadium.
He’s also poised to appear in the Champions League after being named in their official squad for the league phase — travelling with Maresca’s men to face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena this week.
6. Tosin Adarabioyo
7.20
7. Pedro Neto
7.10
8. Estevao
7.04
9. Enzo Fernández
7.03
10. Robert Sanchez
6.79
via WhoScored
All eyes are now on the dazzling teenager, who has been called the best talent to come out of Brazil since Neymar.
However, as Estevao continues to grab headlines with his potential, Stamford Bridge chiefs are convinced they’ll soon have the next “biggest thing” as well.
Chelsea convinced Dastan Satpaev could be their next Estevao
That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who told his Substack that Chelsea expect big things from Dastan Satpaev — who’ll join Maresca’s side next summer once he turns 18.
Back in February, Chelsea agreed a £4 million deal to sign Satpaev from Kairat Almaty, which is a record transfer fee for the Kazakhstani first division.
Now, those within the club believe he actually could be the next Estevao.
Interestingly, Chelsea’s faith in Satpaev is backed up by Fabrizio Romano.
Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea really rate Satpaev
The reliable transfer journalist, speaking after Chelsea put pen to paper, revealed that BlueCo actually beat a German club to the youngster’s signature and are convinced he’s got “special” skills.
Birmingham City excelled in League One when being a big fish in a small pond.
But, the Championship is full of some huge teams based off stature alone, with the likes of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City all recently tasting the Premier League like the Blues once upon a time.
Birmingham City lift the League One title.
Throwing in the likes of a very ambitious Birmingham into the mix alongside Wrexham makes the division a fascinating one to predict already, with the Blues perhaps keen to add some experience to their squad this summer to handle the step-up in a similar fashion to when they relied upon the recently retired Lukas Jutkiewicz to get them out of trouble.
Jutkiewicz's legend status at St. Andrew's
The tag legend is thrown around an awful lot in the modern game, but it’s the perfect label to describe Jutkiewicz with when looking at his long spell at St Andrew’s.
After all, the much-loved Blues servant didn’t notch up a staggering 357 clashes for the West Midlands titans by chance, with 16 of those even coming about last season as he attempted to play his part in Chris Davies’ men storming to the title.
He would certainly do that when firing home two goals across those limited appearances, with these memorable efforts also bumping up his overall tally to 68.
Remarkably, 62 of those actually fell when Birmingham were regularly in the challenging Championship, meaning that know-how not being around the building anymore could hurt Davies and Co as they return to the unpredictable division.
But, they could win themselves an equally experienced head in attack very soon.
Birmingham could sign their new Jutkiewicz
The newly promoted side have already struck gold going down the seasoned route with Alfie May, considering the EFL journeyman bagged 16 league strikes on the way to the title being heroically lifted.
Therefore, they will hope this approach pays off again if they’re successful in landing new reported target Danny Ings, with the 32-year-old goal machine now searching for a new club to call his home after his West Ham United contract expired.
Wrexham and his former side Burnley, are also allegedly locked into the race to land the potent veteran, but Birmingham will aim to advance to the front of the queue to try and get the best out of an attacker who can terrorise Championship defences for fun on his day.
He hasn’t plied his trade in the EFL since the 2013/14 season, but Ings would manage to hammer home 21 strikes during the Clarets’ promotion success that campaign, before then going on to solidify himself as a composed finisher in the relentless Premier League.
Career games played
419
Premier League goals
72
Championship goals
27
League One goals
7
Therefore, he should be able to dust himself down and offer a threatening body up top for Birmingham next season, even if recent campaigns have seen the goals dry up due to recurring injury troubles.
After all, Jutkiewicz only started three times for Birmingham in league action during their relegation season down to League One, but still managed to chip in with three goals and an assist.
The resurgent Blues won’t complain if the “phenomenal” 32-year-old – as he was lauded previously by pundit Noel Whelan – does this exact same job for them, with his extensive background in the game also potentially of benefit to Jay Stansfield.
24/25
West Ham
15
1
2
23/24
West Ham
20
1
1
22/23
West Ham
17
2
2
22/23
Aston Villa
18
6
0
21/22
Aston Villa
30
7
6
20/21
Southampton
29
12
4
19/20
Southampton
38
22
2
18/19
Southampton
24
7
3
17/18
Liverpool
8
1
0
15/16
Liverpool
6
2
0
14/15
Burnley
35
11
4
With 240 top-flight appearances and three England caps under his belt across his varied career, this free transfer pick-up would really show Birmingham mean business entering back into the Championship as another very successful season is hopefully in the offing.
Birmingham could land a bigger talent than Adams by signing “clinical” ace
Birmingham City would really enhance their attacking options by signing this brand new star.
The Premier League season may have finished over a week ago, but it’s been a busy seven days for Manchester United.
The Red Devils embarrassed themselves on their post-season Asia tour, but did at least leave with a win.
Since then, they have confirmed their first arrival of the summer in an attempt to appease the fans after a ridiculous season for all the wrong reasons.
Matheus Cunha has decided he wants a piece of the craziness unfolding at Old Trafford, leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers behind in a £62.5m deal.
Matheus Cunha
The Brazilian was exceptional for Wolves in 2024/25, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and also supplying five assists.
So, what’s next on the agenda?
Man United targeting another Premier League forward
As Ruben Amorim and Co desperately try to distract themselves from the lingering threat of Bruno Fernandes leaving England behind, wanted in Saudi Arabia, United are trying to strengthen their attacking ranks.
Cunha has already arrived but they did have Liam Delap in their crosshairs too before he reportedly agreed a move to Chelsea. Bryan Mbeumo is another Premier League star in line for a possible move to United.
Yet, their shortlist of players at English clubs doesn’t stop there according to TEAMtalk, who shared the latest on the club’s transfer plans on Monday morning.
They have reported that Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is now at the top of their list to reinforce the centre-forward position.
It’s alleged that the Eagles could be willing to sell the Frenchman for a bargain fee of just £29m with the player’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2027.
Crystal Palace's Jean-PhilippeMatetacelebrates after the match
As a result, United are now expecting to make a ‘concrete move’ for Mateta in the coming days as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to beat competition from Serie A clubs, Juventus and AC Milan.
How Mateta could emulate Berbatov at Man United
Cast your mind back to the days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era and there was a certain aura about their transfer business.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
They’d look to the best talents in the top-flight to bolster their squad and they often had great success in doing so.
Think Wayne Rooney, think Rio Ferdinand, think Robin van Persie. Rooney and Rio quickly became modern-day greats after trading Everton and Leeds United for more luxurious pastures under Sir Alex.
Van Persie’s time at United was rather more short-lived but he was still the primary reason for their league title in 2012/13, the last time they won the league.
Another key component of previous title wins was Dimitar Berbatov who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £30m back in 2008.
2006/07 (Spurs)
33
12
9
2007/08 (Spurs)
36
15
11
2008/09 (Man Utd)
31
9
11
2009/10 (Man Utd)
33
12
6
2010/11 (Man Utd)
32
20
4
2011/12 (Man Utd)
12
7
0
2012/13 (Fulham)
33
15
3
2013/14 (Fulham)
18
4
1
Already, this is a deal that begins to echo a possible swoop for Mateta. Not only could he potentially arrive for a similar fee, but he’d also be signing from another Premier League club.
In the campaign prior to moving up north, Berbatov was on fire for Spurs, scoring 15 league goals in 36 games and netting 23 in all competitions.
Mateta, funnily enough, found the net at a similarly frequent rate for Oliver Glasner’s side this season, bagging 14 times in 37 matches. He also scored 16 in 35 throughout 2023/24.
Hailed as “one of the best centre forwards in the league over the last two seasons” by the aforementioned Rooney, there’s more than just their goal rate and possible transfer fee that makes this move so similar.
Indeed, while the Palace star is most definitely more direct, pacey and physical in his approach, they do share some similar traits.
Berbatov was known for being a laid-back striker, someone who didn’t really look too bothered. However, he had a touch of class about him. His first touch was immense, coasting through games and coming alive in the key moments.
Mateta certainly has a similar play style in that regard. Off the ball, Mateta might look slightly more cumbersome but when he gets the ball, it all changes.
Thierry Henry, who managed the 27-year-old at the Olympics, outlined that best. Speaking at the Paris games last summer, he said: “He’s an old-fashioned striker, you can play a little more direct. He can keep the ball. He’s a boring striker to play against, he doesn’t lose the ball much, and he goes at the last defender. He uses his physicality, he’s good with his head, and he scores.”
United’s former Bulgarian was certainly cut from a similar cloth. He could hold the ball up exceptionally well and was incredibly difficult to dispossess. He was old-fashioned too.
So, while Mateta would provide more pace and energy than Berbatov ever did at United, their shared deceptive intelligence, clever movement and classy nature are all very similar. You can just imagine the former United forward scoring the goal below, firing home without a care in the world.
He’d be a certain upgrade on the floundering Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane only netted ten goals in 52 matches this season. They cannot rely on that again next term.
Osimhen upgrade: Best "finisher in the world" is now Man Utd's no.1 target
All of Manchester United’s attacking dreams would come true if they landed this Victor Osimhen upgrade.