Vesper 30,213 Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Juventus compete with Chelsea in David Hancko chase https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/03/10/juventus-compete-with-Chelsea-in-david-hancko-chase/ Juventus and Chelsea are reportedly vying against each other for Feyenoord defender David Hancko. Juventus’s plans to bolster their defense this summer have hit a potential roadblock, with Chelsea entering the race to sign Feyenoord’s highly-rated defender David Hancko. The Slovakian centre-back has been on the Bianconeri’s radar for some time, but the involvement of a Premier League powerhouse could complicate their pursuit. Reports from Juve Live indicate that new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is a strong admirer of Hancko and sees him as an ideal addition to his defensive setup. With Chelsea’s financial strength, the race for Hancko’s signature is expected to heat up, potentially driving the price up to around €50 million — an amount that could prove too steep for Juventus unless significant sales are made. What David Hancko brings to Juventus and Chelsea Juventus view Hancko as a player who perfectly aligns with Thiago Motta’s tactical vision. His ability to play out from the back and his natural left-footedness would add much-needed balance to the Bianconeri defense. The Slovak’s versatility is another major asset, he is comfortable both as a traditional center-back in a four-man defense and as a left-sided defender in a back three, making him an attractive option for Juventus. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s interest stems from their ongoing defensive restructuring. With injuries plaguing their backline in recent seasons, Hancko could provide stability and adaptability. His aerial strength, solid one-on-one defending, and composure on the ball make him a suitable addition for a Maresca-led Chelsea looking to build from the back. Will Juventus be priced out? While Juventus remain keen on securing Hancko, Chelsea’s financial advantage could be a decisive factor. The Turin giants may struggle to compete with the Blues in a bidding war unless they generate funds through player sales. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining whether Juventus can push forward with their pursuit or if they will be forced to explore alternative defensive targets. Hancko, on the other hand, must decide whether he prefers the challenge of Serie A under Thiago Motta or the allure of the Premier League with Chelsea. Both Juventus and Chelsea have compelling reasons to sign David Hancko, but the move makes more sense for Juventus. With an ageing defense and a tactical setup that requires defenders who can build from the back, Hancko would seamlessly fit into Motta’s system. However, Chelsea’s financial muscle gives them an advantage, and with Maresca looking to mold a new-look squad, Stamford Bridge could be an enticing destination. If Juventus can structure the deal smartly, they should push to secure Hancko’s services. However, if Chelsea decide to flex their financial power, the Bianconeri may have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 (edited) 13 hours ago, Special Juan said: Nah this is about right and exactly the type of player these mugs love. Teen CMFs Teen DMFs Edited March 10 by Vesper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddish-Blue 2,509 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 On 10/03/2025 at 11:16, Vesper said: Lautaro Martínez Alexander Isak Viktor Gyökeres Victor Osimhen Benjamin Sesko Jonathan David Liam Delap We're not going to get Martinez, Isak or Sportings striker. Osimhen would want crazy wages. That leaves, Sesko, David and Delap. We'll probably end up with Delap (he's also ex-City, ticks the box for Maresca). bigbluewillie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbluewillie 1,930 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Chelsea are preparing to step up their pursuit of Manchester United's England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 19, as doubts grow over the long-term fitness of the Blues' Belgium midfielder Romeo Lavia, 21. (CaughtOffside), external Reddish-Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 just a warning even Romano is now pushing Fichajes based stories, wtf Fichajes are the absolute worst shit-peddlers out there they are now claiming we may pay 50m euros for fullback Denzel Dumfries, who turns 30yo next season, lololololol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) Milos Kerkez is blasting off again Bournemouth's left-back is 'Hungary' for Andy Robertson's Flying Full-Back throne. https://scoutedftbl.com/milos-kerkez-assist-bournemouth-spurs-stats/?ref=monday-night-scouted-newsletter My next SkillCorner-powered Archetype investigation will be on Full-Backs. This weekend, Milos Kerkez personified one of the three main profiles I am going to cover, delivering a masterclass with three game-breaking actions in the space of 10 seconds. The Flyer Full-Back Archetype has emerged as the most traditional profile for this position, championing full-throttle, front-footed defending characterised by overlaps, mega sprints and by-line crosses. You will have to wait for the full piece to learn about the advanced metrics required to identify the next generation of this Archetype. In the meantime, this three-part Kerkez clinic demonstrated the key components so perfectly I decided to explore some event data synonymous with this profile. 40:51 - The Interception Tackles and Interceptions are often a good indicator of player style, and the defensive action I associate most with the Flyer Archetype is the latter. Perhaps this has been swayed by Antonee Robinson's dominance of the metric. On Sunday, Kerkez delivered a perfect demonstration of the front-footedness and explosive sprinting power necessary to execute these flying interceptions. Serendipitously, as I was drafting this week's newsletter, this particular interception received a trademark Llew Davies frame-by-frame breakdown of its biomechanical brilliance. What I want to highlight is that this interception is recorded as a Shot-Creating Action by FBref as it was one of the two actions directly leading to a shot. That means Kerkez was awarded two SCAs for his role in Marcus Tavernier's goal: one for the Interception and one for the Pass. As you might expect, Shot-Creating Actions via Defensive Actions are pretty rare due to the likelihood of more than two actions following it, especially if it takes place in a player's own half. But I have a feeling they will become a calling card for the Hungarian. Among players born in 2001 or later across Europe's Big Five Leagues this season, no defender has more SCAs via Defensive Actions than Kerkez. Most Shot-Creating Actions via Defensive Actions in Europe's Big Five Leagues by Players born in 2001 or later in 2024/25 | Screenshot via Stathead FBref As for Interceptions as a whole, Kerkez ranks in the top 20 for 2001+ players across Europe's Big Five Leagues this season. Most Interceptions by Players born in 2001 or later across Europe's Big Five Leagues in 2024/25 | Screenshot via Stathead FBref 40:52 - The Carry The second part of this Flying Full-Back Masterclass was the lung-busting sprint through the thirds. Within roughly five seconds, Kerkez powered from just inside his own defensive third to the edge of the attacking third. Every touch was big and purposeful, allowing him to devour the space the failed Spurs overlap had created. The Hungarian went viral for an off-ball lung-buster earlier in the season, the true personification of this Archetype - we will investigate this kind of run in the SkillCorner article soon. For now, as he carried the ball himself, we can use the Progressive Distance per Carry metric to view Kerkez ranks through the lens of a Ground Eater. Take a look at the scatter plot below (best done in-browser - ed). The TL;DR is that Kerkez ranks well above average for Progressive Distance per Carry (3.31 PrgDist/Carry, 88th percentile) and Progressive Carries excluding Carries into the Penalty Area (2.24 PrgC-CPA, 91st percentile). However, this graph contains every player labelled as a Defender by FBref, so not only does it have centre-backs skewing the data, it also includes some pseudo-wingers. If anyone has discovered a way to refine positions further, please let me know. That being said, Kerkez's proximity to the likes of Patrick Dorgu and Dilane Bakwa is extremely promising. Just wait until you see where he lands with the SkillCorner data. 40:58 - The Cross The final part of this Kerkez sequence was the most beautiful cross I have seen this season. I loved how early he took the cross, I loved how much whip and dip he generated and I loved the area he dropped it into. The cross made his teammates move, it was a proactive ball rather than reacting to a particular run. It was world class. Overlapping runs and cut-backs are at the core of the Flyer Archetype but crossing in general is their most common means of chance creation. In order to distil this into a discovery metric, we have a few options. First of all, it will be interesting to the players in our dataset based on the preferred method of getting the ball into the penalty area. To do this, I have combined Passes into the Penalty Area (PPA) and Crosses into the Penalty Area (CrsPA) to create Deliveries into the Penalty Area (PPA+CrsPA) - these are all successful passes and exclude set-pieces. The other metric we will look at his Carries into the Penalty Area. Once again, Kerkez ranks above average for Deliveries into the Penalty Area (1.66 PPA+CrsPA/90, 76h percentile) and Carries into the Penalty Area (0.44, 77th percentile) - the Hungarian seems to be a well-rounded Flyer. ℹ️ To provide some context on the metrics using mainstream players, Trent Alexander-Arnold ranks in the 99th percentile for Deliveries into the Penalty Area (3.4 per 90) while Leonardo Spinazzola is back doing what he does best, ranking in the 99th percentile for Carries into the Penalty Area (1.71 per 90). The Andy Robertson Regen I was by no means the first and I certainly will not be the last person to draw comparisons between Milos Kerkez and Andrew Robertson, especially as the links to Liverpool ramp up as we head towards the summer transfer window. So, to finish this week's newsletter, I want to compare both players using the metrics we have explored. For Andy Robertson, I looked at his Premier League stats from 2018/19 to the end of the 2021/22 season, capturing Liverpool's three 90+ point Premier League campaigns under Jürgen Klopp and therefore Robertson's three double-digit assist hauls; this is peak Robertson. For Milos Kerkez, we have data from his 55-game Premier League career to date. Let's see how close Kerkez has got to that in a Bournemouth shirt. To me, the most pleasing part of this comparison is the Progressive Distance per Carry for each player. Although Robertson embarks on more Progressive Carries, the fact there is a similarity in the Distance per Carry suggests that Kerkez the style of their Carrying is similar, so perhaps the quantity would increase should Kerkez be inserted into a similar tactical set-up. We can also see the makings of how Robertson became the Poster Boy of the Flyer Archetype during those four years. As I have teased throughout, this Archetype will become more robust when I share the SkillCorner data behind it, but I feel like we have also taken steps to discover some of the key free-to-access data that anyone can use to discover emerging talent in this mould. For now, trust me when I say that, in Kerkez, Liverpool would not only find their heir to Robertson, but the full-back most likely to inherit his status as the Premier League's Premium Flyer Full-Back. Edited March 11 by Vesper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Kante 1,643 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) 2 hours ago, Vesper said: Milos Kerkez is blasting off again Bournemouth's left-back is 'Hungary' for Andy Robertson's Flying Full-Back throne. https://scoutedftbl.com/milos-kerkez-assist-bournemouth-spurs-stats/?ref=monday-night-scouted-newsletter My next SkillCorner-powered Archetype investigation will be on Full-Backs. This weekend, Milos Kerkez personified one of the three main profiles I am going to cover, delivering a masterclass with three game-breaking actions in the space of 10 seconds. The Flyer Full-Back Archetype has emerged as the most traditional profile for this position, championing full-throttle, front-footed defending characterised by overlaps, mega sprints and by-line crosses. You will have to wait for the full piece to learn about the advanced metrics required to identify the next generation of this Archetype. In the meantime, this three-part Kerkez clinic demonstrated the key components so perfectly I decided to explore some event data synonymous with this profile. 40:51 - The Interception Tackles and Interceptions are often a good indicator of player style, and the defensive action I associate most with the Flyer Archetype is the latter. Perhaps this has been swayed by Antonee Robinson's dominance of the metric. On Sunday, Kerkez delivered a perfect demonstration of the front-footedness and explosive sprinting power necessary to execute these flying interceptions. Serendipitously, as I was drafting this week's newsletter, this particular interception received a trademark Llew Davies frame-by-frame breakdown of its biomechanical brilliance. What I want to highlight is that this interception is recorded as a Shot-Creating Action by FBref as it was one of the two actions directly leading to a shot. That means Kerkez was awarded two SCAs for his role in Marcus Tavernier's goal: one for the Interception and one for the Pass. As you might expect, Shot-Creating Actions via Defensive Actions are pretty rare due to the likelihood of more than two actions following it, especially if it takes place in a player's own half. But I have a feeling they will become a calling card for the Hungarian. Among players born in 2001 or later across Europe's Big Five Leagues this season, no defender has more SCAs via Defensive Actions than Kerkez. Most Shot-Creating Actions via Defensive Actions in Europe's Big Five Leagues by Players born in 2001 or later in 2024/25 | Screenshot via Stathead FBref As for Interceptions as a whole, Kerkez ranks in the top 20 for 2001+ players across Europe's Big Five Leagues this season. Most Interceptions by Players born in 2001 or later across Europe's Big Five Leagues in 2024/25 | Screenshot via Stathead FBref 40:52 - The Carry The second part of this Flying Full-Back Masterclass was the lung-busting sprint through the thirds. Within roughly five seconds, Kerkez powered from just inside his own defensive third to the edge of the attacking third. Every touch was big and purposeful, allowing him to devour the space the failed Spurs overlap had created. The Hungarian went viral for an off-ball lung-buster earlier in the season, the true personification of this Archetype - we will investigate this kind of run in the SkillCorner article soon. For now, as he carried the ball himself, we can use the Progressive Distance per Carry metric to view Kerkez ranks through the lens of a Ground Eater. Take a look at the scatter plot below (best done in-browser - ed). The TL;DR is that Kerkez ranks well above average for Progressive Distance per Carry (3.31 PrgDist/Carry, 88th percentile) and Progressive Carries excluding Carries into the Penalty Area (2.24 PrgC-CPA, 91st percentile). However, this graph contains every player labelled as a Defender by FBref, so not only does it have centre-backs skewing the data, it also includes some pseudo-wingers. If anyone has discovered a way to refine positions further, please let me know. That being said, Kerkez's proximity to the likes of Patrick Dorgu and Dilane Bakwa is extremely promising. Just wait until you see where he lands with the SkillCorner data. 40:58 - The Cross The final part of this Kerkez sequence was the most beautiful cross I have seen this season. I loved how early he took the cross, I loved how much whip and dip he generated and I loved the area he dropped it into. The cross made his teammates move, it was a proactive ball rather than reacting to a particular run. It was world class. Overlapping runs and cut-backs are at the core of the Flyer Archetype but crossing in general is their most common means of chance creation. In order to distil this into a discovery metric, we have a few options. First of all, it will be interesting to the players in our dataset based on the preferred method of getting the ball into the penalty area. To do this, I have combined Passes into the Penalty Area (PPA) and Crosses into the Penalty Area (CrsPA) to create Deliveries into the Penalty Area (PPA+CrsPA) - these are all successful passes and exclude set-pieces. The other metric we will look at his Carries into the Penalty Area. Once again, Kerkez ranks above average for Deliveries into the Penalty Area (1.66 PPA+CrsPA/90, 76h percentile) and Carries into the Penalty Area (0.44, 77th percentile) - the Hungarian seems to be a well-rounded Flyer. ℹ️ To provide some context on the metrics using mainstream players, Trent Alexander-Arnold ranks in the 99th percentile for Deliveries into the Penalty Area (3.4 per 90) while Leonardo Spinazzola is back doing what he does best, ranking in the 99th percentile for Carries into the Penalty Area (1.71 per 90). The Andy Robertson Regen I was by no means the first and I certainly will not be the last person to draw comparisons between Milos Kerkez and Andrew Robertson, especially as the links to Liverpool ramp up as we head towards the summer transfer window. So, to finish this week's newsletter, I want to compare both players using the metrics we have explored. For Andy Robertson, I looked at his Premier League stats from 2018/19 to the end of the 2021/22 season, capturing Liverpool's three 90+ point Premier League campaigns under Jürgen Klopp and therefore Robertson's three double-digit assist hauls; this is peak Robertson. For Milos Kerkez, we have data from his 55-game Premier League career to date. Let's see how close Kerkez has got to that in a Bournemouth shirt. To me, the most pleasing part of this comparison is the Progressive Distance per Carry for each player. Although Robertson embarks on more Progressive Carries, the fact there is a similarity in the Distance per Carry suggests that Kerkez the style of their Carrying is similar, so perhaps the quantity would increase should Kerkez be inserted into a similar tactical set-up. We can also see the makings of how Robertson became the Poster Boy of the Flyer Archetype during those four years. As I have teased throughout, this Archetype will become more robust when I share the SkillCorner data behind it, but I feel like we have also taken steps to discover some of the key free-to-access data that anyone can use to discover emerging talent in this mould. For now, trust me when I say that, in Kerkez, Liverpool would not only find their heir to Robertson, but the full-back most likely to inherit his status as the Premier League's Premium Flyer Full-Back. Good player and one I rate. However, Cucu is making a late run for PotY for us. If we sign this guy, Cucu would either have to move position or be sold. Not sure about either of those options as we have massive issues at GK, CB and CF that need addressing first. Then there is also RB where we are weaker now James is finally being converted for midfield. Edited March 11 by King Kante Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkiCFC 8,334 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 3 hours ago, King Kante said: Good player and one I rate. However, Cucu is making a late run for PotY for us. If we sign this guy, Cucu would either have to move position or be sold. Not sure about either of those options as we have massive issues at GK, CB and CF that need addressing first. Then there is also RB where we are weaker now James is finally being converted for midfield. We don't even have backup for Cucurella anymore. And like you said if James is permanently moved to MF we don't have RB as well plus Gusto is not good enough as a starter now. kexik and Fernando 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 2,717 Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 On 10/03/2025 at 10:16, King Kante said: Can't agree. Gallagher has been written off since he was about 14 years old. Each year he has proven those that wrote him off to be muppets. Technically he isn't great. However, equally, he is always effective despite not being the player people want in the position he plays for one reason or the other. Essentially, he is a prime example of a player whose club should make him a squad player at minimum. Instead we sell him in a swap for Felix whilst pretending Caicedo is massive upgrade for £80m+. Caicedo is a massive upgrade. Strike, Fernando and Stats 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strike 7,492 Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 On 09/03/2025 at 20:16, King Kante said: Can't agree. Gallagher has been written off since he was about 14 years old. Each year he has proven those that wrote him off to be muppets. Technically he isn't great. However, equally, he is always effective despite not being the player people want in the position he plays for one reason or the other. Essentially, he is a prime example of a player whose club should make him a squad player at minimum. Instead we sell him in a swap for Felix whilst pretending Caicedo is massive upgrade for £80m+. Caicedo is levels above Connor but I agree selling Connor after he had kept himself fit and had a good season was baffling logic. Would have helped ease the midfield worries we've had this season Vytis33, bigbluewillie, Fernando and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkiCFC 8,334 Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 5 hours ago, Thor said: Caicedo is a massive upgrade. He was never Conor replacement tho. They worked great together. bigbluewillie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 https://football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost495 The 495th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the world’s 100 best performing players from an attacking perspective in terms of their statistics in three areas of the game: take on, chance creation and finishing. Michael Olise tops the rankings with an average index of 88.5 in these three domains and a maximum value of 99 in chance creation. The Bayern Munich's French international is ahead of Barcelona's Spaniard Lamine Yamal (87.7) and Bayer Leverkusen's German Florian Wirtz (85.0). The top 10 also includes two Brazilians (Vinícius Júnior and Savinho), two Frenchmen (Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué), an Englishman (Bukayo Saka), an Egyptian (Mohamed Salah) and a Dutchman (Noa Lang). The latter is the top-ranked player active outside the big-5 European leagues. He is ahead of Estêvão Willian (Palmeiras, on loan from Chelsea) and Rodri Sánchez (Al-Arabi). The oldest players in the top 100 are Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo), Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) and Yacine Brahimi (Al-Gharafa). Only footballers who played at least 1,080 minutes during the current season were taken into account. * This report provides more information on the CIES Football Observatory’s performance indices elaborated from Wyscout data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 youngest by age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Hitting the corners with Eli Junior Kroupi https://scoutedftbl.com/hitting-corners-with-kroupi/ You’ve all heard of the term ‘hit the corners’, right? If you’ve played football at any organised level, you must’ve had a coach telling you to do exactly that. It’s a simple yet logical approach to shooting: try and put the ball in the further reaches of the goal, as far away from the goalkeeper as possible. Y’know who hits the corners? Eli Junior Kroupi. He doesn’t just hit the corners, he is really good at hitting the corners. I’ve been watching him recently and his ability to plant the ball in the practically unsaveable areas of the goal – out of reach from a diving ‘keeper, nestling into the side netting – is eye-catchingly impressive. Most of his goals this season have seen him hit a corner of sorts, and there have been a number saw of near misses of a similar ilk. Kroupi is an instep finisher. His best finishes see him use the curved, bony bridge between the side and top of his right foot. That part of your foot is a best of two worlds: it generates power but not at the expense of control, while the typical angle of attack on the ball (hitting upward from its underside) imparts a topspin that gets it turning over itself, dipping in the air and fizzing off the turf. Factor all three in and you’ve got, probably, the most effective finish in football. I’ve categorised five-and-a-half of his nine non-penalty goals this season so far as a ‘hit the corners’ goal, using his instep to execute them. Let’s break them down… We'll get the half out of the way first. This was his second goal of the season and the sweetest of half-volleyed strikes against Ajaccio. It’s not quite a proper instepper nor is it exactly in a corner, but it's enough of both to ensure it flies past the goalkeeper and showcases a clean ball-striking technique that is obvious in almost every one of his goals. When he cracks one, they stay cracked. The next was an equaliser away at Caen. I like this one a lot because it highlights not only his finishing skill, but also his sharpness in general play to generate the shooting opportunity. After picking the ball up in loads of space, he engages a defender, punches in a one-two with a pinning centre-forward, and gets it back on the edge of the penalty area. The finish itself is superb. First-time strikes from the edge of the box are always fun, but the way he gets his entire body over the ball – dropping his base, knee bent, head down – to keep the shot low and true, rasping it into the corner, was particularly enjoyable. It demonstrated a nous that’s as exciting as it is impressive. Thierry Henry was a master of the instep-to-corner finish and Kroupi’s first of two against Annecy had a strong whiff of TH14 to it. Again, I like this one because he shows sharpness of feet and mind to create the chance in the first place. A little shimmy freezes a defender, then a quick-one two gets him into the left-sided channel behind the defence. The tidy first touch sets the shot while he bends his approach to the left which opens up the vintage Henry angle. Another little shimmy plants the goalkeeper’s feet and he dispatches the finish across goal, glancing off the post. It doesn’t get more cornered than that. Rodez away next, and this is another of his six first-time finishes which make up the majority of his goals. Kroupi arrives onto the ball from deep with speed, bending back on the strike, but manages to keep the shot down. The instep strike gets some topspin going and the ball zips on with the bounce, skipping over the goalkeeper’s hand and nestles into the side-netting. Want another first-time finish? Well, here you go. It’s easy to botch these sort of finishes when arriving onto a pull back pass – snapping it back from where it came or slicing it well wide are the usual misses – but the 18-year-old adjusts his stride perfectly, sets his plant foot solidly, then jabs through the ball with little follow through. Controlled and clinical. And now, the pièce de résistance, the showpiece of Kroupi’s corner finishing: a lovely goal away at ESTAC Troyes. After pouncing on a high turnover, he drives at the defence before twisting back inside, where the space and opportunity opens up to take an enticing shot under relatively little pressure. It booms off his foot, rising then dipping, clipping in off the corner of crossbar and post. If you could plot a trajectory and placement that was totally unsavable, it would look like that. Those are just the non-penalty goals – two of his three penalties were whipped into the side netting and there are numerous near-misses where Kroupi is almost hitting the corners. Most are from left-sided areas as he opens up the angle and aims for the far post, à la Henry, but there’s a couple of near-post rockets and a few driven shots across goal too. An underlying theme of those goals is Kroupi’s ability to generate his own shots. His output doesn’t solely depend on service from others. It’s great to have good team-mates and a potent attacking unit that serve up good chances, of course, absolutely, no question, but the Frenchman is more than capable of working his own opportunities with sharp give-and-goes and jinky shift-and-shoot shots. Those are products of an all-round skillset I’ve been impressed by in general: his mix of crisp technical talent and punchy athleticism makes for a compact attacker that affects games across the final third and in the box. If there are any clubs wanting to get another bargain from Ligue 2 after reading this, you’re too late – Bournemouth have beat you to him. They secured his signature on deadline day in February, spending a reported €13 million to do so, and he will join up with Andoni Iraola’s squad for pre-season in July. I have my thoughts on the multi-club model, but getting first dibs on your sister club’s prized asset is undeniably a high-value perk. The bottom line? I can't think of many young prospects as good at hitting the corners as Eli Junior Kroupi. In fact, you can chuck established players into that equation. He is really good at planting the ball into the furthest reaches of the net, and that will bag him a baseline of goals at whatever level he plays at. When Kroupi arrives in England, keep your eyes peeled for the techniques we've discussed here. Mister Iraola's Cherries will only get more exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,213 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Jadon Sancho's Man Utd future takes huge twist as hidden Chelsea transfer clause emerges Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United and is expected to see his move made permanent in the summer but it appears the Blues ensured they have a loophole in the deal https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jadon-sancho-man-utd-Chelsea-34842115 Chelsea still have the opportunity to decline to turn Jadon Sancho's loan move from Manchester United into a permanent deal. The winger secured an exit from Old Trafford last summer, with a deal agreed where so long as Enzo Maresca's side finish 14th or higher in the Premier League, they will pay a fee of £22-25million to the Red Devils. Chelsea are in contention for Champions League football and a late season plunge into the bottom half appears unlikely, with the west London club 15 points clear of United, who currently occupy 14th place. However, a loophole is said to be present in the agreement that would allow Chelsea to renege on the deal. The Blues could choose to pay a 'significant penalty' if they did not want to move forward with a transfer for the 24-year-old, reports the Mail. An additional complicating factor could be the terms of any contract agreed with the player. Sancho is yet to agree a deal at Stamford Bridge, despite his stay at the club having looked likely from the outset. The former Borussia Dortmund winger has been a Premier League regular under Maresca but has provided just one assist in last 13 appearances in the division. The ex-Bundesliga star found three assists in his first three matches for the Blues and has since provided two goals. Nevertheless Sancho appears happy at the club, and claimed to feel at home at Stamford Bridge. Following victory over Leicester, he said: "I'm really delighted that I'm here, playing football at Chelsea. Maresca makes us feel at home. It's not easy for players to say that. We've grown into one big family." Speaking earlier this season, Maresca praised what Sancho had offered the side since arriving from Old Trafford. The Italian was pleasantly surprised by what the England international had delivered. "For me he’s doing very well,’ said Maresca. "I am quite surprised with Jadon, because I knew Jadon already [from seeing him at his previous clubs] and I know what I expected from him, but in terms of being consistent, he’s doing very well. "Apart from a short part of the season when he had some problems, when he was out ill, then for the rest he has been very good. "I expected him to do well, but for all the players doing well for a long period is not easy, and he has been doing well for a long period already. He’s doing well, now he just needs to continue going in that way.’ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Kante 1,643 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 6 hours ago, Vesper said: Jadon Sancho's Man Utd future takes huge twist as hidden Chelsea transfer clause emerges Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United and is expected to see his move made permanent in the summer but it appears the Blues ensured they have a loophole in the deal https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jadon-sancho-man-utd-Chelsea-34842115 Chelsea still have the opportunity to decline to turn Jadon Sancho's loan move from Manchester United into a permanent deal. The winger secured an exit from Old Trafford last summer, with a deal agreed where so long as Enzo Maresca's side finish 14th or higher in the Premier League, they will pay a fee of £22-25million to the Red Devils. Chelsea are in contention for Champions League football and a late season plunge into the bottom half appears unlikely, with the west London club 15 points clear of United, who currently occupy 14th place. However, a loophole is said to be present in the agreement that would allow Chelsea to renege on the deal. The Blues could choose to pay a 'significant penalty' if they did not want to move forward with a transfer for the 24-year-old, reports the Mail. An additional complicating factor could be the terms of any contract agreed with the player. Sancho is yet to agree a deal at Stamford Bridge, despite his stay at the club having looked likely from the outset. The former Borussia Dortmund winger has been a Premier League regular under Maresca but has provided just one assist in last 13 appearances in the division. The ex-Bundesliga star found three assists in his first three matches for the Blues and has since provided two goals. Nevertheless Sancho appears happy at the club, and claimed to feel at home at Stamford Bridge. Following victory over Leicester, he said: "I'm really delighted that I'm here, playing football at Chelsea. Maresca makes us feel at home. It's not easy for players to say that. We've grown into one big family." Speaking earlier this season, Maresca praised what Sancho had offered the side since arriving from Old Trafford. The Italian was pleasantly surprised by what the England international had delivered. "For me he’s doing very well,’ said Maresca. "I am quite surprised with Jadon, because I knew Jadon already [from seeing him at his previous clubs] and I know what I expected from him, but in terms of being consistent, he’s doing very well. "Apart from a short part of the season when he had some problems, when he was out ill, then for the rest he has been very good. "I expected him to do well, but for all the players doing well for a long period is not easy, and he has been doing well for a long period already. He’s doing well, now he just needs to continue going in that way.’ Not convinced by this guy. Good to know we potentially have a get out of jail card. At best for me, he is a HG option from off the bench from what I have seen of him at Utd and us. However, his wages on any long term deal would need to reflect this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Juan 28,141 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Twit and Twat upstairs probably think he's been brilliant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strike 7,492 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 8 hours ago, Vesper said: Jadon Sancho's Man Utd future takes huge twist as hidden Chelsea transfer clause emerges Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United and is expected to see his move made permanent in the summer but it appears the Blues ensured they have a loophole in the deal https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jadon-sancho-man-utd-Chelsea-34842115 Chelsea still have the opportunity to decline to turn Jadon Sancho's loan move from Manchester United into a permanent deal. The winger secured an exit from Old Trafford last summer, with a deal agreed where so long as Enzo Maresca's side finish 14th or higher in the Premier League, they will pay a fee of £22-25million to the Red Devils. Chelsea are in contention for Champions League football and a late season plunge into the bottom half appears unlikely, with the west London club 15 points clear of United, who currently occupy 14th place. However, a loophole is said to be present in the agreement that would allow Chelsea to renege on the deal. The Blues could choose to pay a 'significant penalty' if they did not want to move forward with a transfer for the 24-year-old, reports the Mail. An additional complicating factor could be the terms of any contract agreed with the player. Sancho is yet to agree a deal at Stamford Bridge, despite his stay at the club having looked likely from the outset. The former Borussia Dortmund winger has been a Premier League regular under Maresca but has provided just one assist in last 13 appearances in the division. The ex-Bundesliga star found three assists in his first three matches for the Blues and has since provided two goals. Nevertheless Sancho appears happy at the club, and claimed to feel at home at Stamford Bridge. Following victory over Leicester, he said: "I'm really delighted that I'm here, playing football at Chelsea. Maresca makes us feel at home. It's not easy for players to say that. We've grown into one big family." Speaking earlier this season, Maresca praised what Sancho had offered the side since arriving from Old Trafford. The Italian was pleasantly surprised by what the England international had delivered. "For me he’s doing very well,’ said Maresca. "I am quite surprised with Jadon, because I knew Jadon already [from seeing him at his previous clubs] and I know what I expected from him, but in terms of being consistent, he’s doing very well. "Apart from a short part of the season when he had some problems, when he was out ill, then for the rest he has been very good. "I expected him to do well, but for all the players doing well for a long period is not easy, and he has been doing well for a long period already. He’s doing well, now he just needs to continue going in that way.’ Not good enough and we can do way better. Odd that we bailed United out when we really didn't have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strike 7,492 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Raphinha and Dembele were major targets in 2022 and have been brilliant this season in their new teams. We ended up signing Sterling that summer 🤦♂️ I would be happy if the board signs just 3-4 players this summer : Serious keeper (Diogo Costa?), CB (Murillo?), LW (Nico?) and ST (Gyokeres, Delap?) Weed out the dead weight : Keep, Chilwell, Chalobah, Tosin, Disasi, Sterling, KDH, Sancho, Nkunku and more. Loan Paez and Estevao unless they are super impressive in their first few weeks here and don't need much of an adaptation period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Kante 1,643 Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 41 minutes ago, Strike said: Raphinha and Dembele were major targets in 2022 and have been brilliant this season in their new teams. We ended up signing Sterling that summer 🤦♂️ I would be happy if the board signs just 3-4 players this summer : Serious keeper (Diogo Costa?), CB (Murillo?), LW (Nico?) and ST (Gyokeres, Delap?) Weed out the dead weight : Keep, Chilwell, Chalobah, Tosin, Disasi, Sterling, KDH, Sancho, Nkunku and more. Loan Paez and Estevao unless they are super impressive in their first few weeks here and don't need much of an adaptation period. Seems sensible, which means it will not happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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