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Chelsea battled to a well-deserved point in their top of the table clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were the better side until Moises Caicedo saw red for his challenge on Mikel Merino in the 33rd minute. Despite losing their talisman, Chelsea took the lead early in the second half thanks to Trevoh Chalobah's glancing nod, but were quickly pegged back by a Merino header.

The Blues enetered the day with a chance to peg back their intra-city rivals at the top of the Premier League and were up for the challenge, asserting themselves physically against Mikel Arteta's men. The ferocious intensity in which the game was played inevitably brought on a flurry of yellow cards for both sides. 

However, that seemed to be part of Enzo Maresca's plans, as Chelsea disrupted their rivals all over the park, fashioning the better chances in the opening half hour. Estevao was full of industry on the right, creating shooting opportunities while Joao Pedro should have done better as he forced Piero Hincapie into losing the ball in his own box. 

Eventually, Chelsea's aggressiveness turned the tide against them, as Caicedo was rightly given his marching orders for a stamping tackle that crunched down on Merino's ankle. After a lengthy VAR check, Anthony Taylor reversed his original booking. 

Maresca reorganised his men into two banks of four in the second half, looking to soak up the eventual pressure from their foes. However, it was the Blues that opened the scoring, as Chalobah glanced home Reece James in-swinging coner at the front post. Chelsea were good value for their lead, but could not rest on their laurels, as the Gunners came fighting back, and the pressure told just minutes later, as Bukayo Saka's stood-up cross invited Merino to power home his header. 

The derby scrap continued for the next half hour, with neither side fashioning a clear-cut chance.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (7/10):

  Outstanding stop low to his right to deny Martinelli on the stroke of half-time. Made a similar save with his opposite hand to deny Gyokeres later on. 

  Malo Gusto (6/10):

  Isolated at the back stick for Merino's equaliser. Little he could do to stop the powerful Spaniard. Defended well otherwise.

  Trevoh Chalobah (8/10):

  Muscles flexed, nursing a shiner, Chalobah's defiant celebration following his opener was a statement in itself. A brilliant glancing header to convert a wicked James corner. Resolute at the back, too. 

  Wesley Fofana (6/10):

  Will not get the headlines of his partner, but was crucial in rebuffing Arsenal's waves of attack in the second half. 

  Marc Cucurella (6/10):

  Won his battle against Saka for over an hour before the England winger bested him to set up the equaliser. Limited by a first-half booking, but toed the line well. 

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  Midfield

  Reece James (7/10):

  An exquisite delivery for the opener. Looks comfortable enough stepping into midfield, but the dismissal of Caicedo afforded him less time on the ball. 

  Moises Caicedo (3/10):

  Tore around the pitch, flying into tackles. His over-zealousness was the undoing of him in the end. Rightfully sent off for a stamping challenge on Merino's ankle. 

  Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

  Had to drop back into the heart of midfield to accommodate Caicedo's red card. Abrasive. 

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  Attack

  Estevao (7/10):

  A menace with the ball at this feet. Got the better of Caliafiori in the first half but was wasteful with the half-chances he created. Pulled at half-time.  

  Joao Pedro (5/10):

  Dithered on the ball with a clear sight of goal in the first half. However, he fashioned the chance himself with tireless pressing.  Industrious, but lacking killer instinct. 

  Pedro Neto (7/10):

  Protected the ball brilliantly, providing an outlet for his side as they continued to press despite losing Caicedo. Mature decision making without losing his attacking edge. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Alejandro Garnacho (5/10):

  Brought on at half-time in a tricky situation with 10 men. Limited opportunities to impact the game in attack. 

  Liam Delap (4/10):

  Would have been under strict instructions to hold the ball up and provide respite for his embattled peers. Struggled to fulfil that job, but tested Raya from distance with a curling effort.

  Enzo Maresca (7/10):

  Clearly had his players prepared for a physical battle. The red card limited his ability to chase a result, forcing functional substitutes for a rearguard action. Will be proud of his team. 

Manchester United’s defence has been told that “good players can play in any system”, with questions being asked of Ruben Amorim’s tactical set-up.

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• Portuguese coach favours a certain system
• Results have been hard to come by
• Needs to make right additions in next window

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Having enjoyed considerable success when fielding a back three at Sporting, Amorim made no secret of the fact that he would be bringing that blueprint with him when arriving at Old Trafford. Said system does, however, require specialist positions to be filled.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United have found out the hard way that adjusting to a new formation is never easy, with leaks springing in defence while struggling to generate a spark in the final third. Said difficulties have contributed to the Red Devils languishing 14th in the Premier League table.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Questions have been asked of whether Amorim is being too stubborn, with the Portuguese facing plenty of calls to change his approach – at least until he has taken in a full pre-season with his players and made more minor adjustments during the summer transfer window.

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• WHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

  Quizzed on whether Plan A should have been ripped up by now, former United centre-half Gary Pallister – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “If we were in real danger of being in a relegation battle, I would be surprised if he didn’t change it. You would have to go back to the four and the way the players have played most of their career at Manchester United. I think he knows we’re not going to get involved in a relegation battle. We’re 15 points clear of that.

  “Fortunately he has got the leeway to stick with it. I would be concerned if he didn’t and we were in a relegation battle, I would be asking him to change it, but he wants to stick by his philosophies, by his guns – this is what has brought him success and what he believes can bring him success at Manchester United.

  “It’s getting the players to believe and adapt, and get the players in that can play the system he wants to. I’ve got no issues with it at the moment. You have to look a couple of months into next season, by the time he has got a pre-season with the team, bring in the players he wants, the ones he’s going to keep believing in the system, and that’s when we will probably start to judge Ruben Amorim.”

New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim takes charge of his first game this weekend, looking to make the perfect start to his tenure at the club.

The Red Devils travel to Portman Road to face an Ipswich Town side who are yet to win a home Premier League outing after their promotion last season, with the meeting producing an opportunity for the 39-year-old to claim all three points.

Before the international break, United claimed a 3-0 win over Steve Cooper’s Leicester City at Old Trafford, in what was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s final game in temporary charge before the arrival of Amorim.

As for the hosts, they claimed their first league win last time out, causing an upset in the process, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in North London – moving the Tractor Boys out of the drop zone.

Super Sunday never fails to deliver, but the big question is who the new United boss will opt to start with in his first game at the helm.

United’s injury news ahead of Ipswich clash

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been plagued with various injuries that have seen the side look depleted in numerous key areas.

The defensive unit has taken the biggest battering, with Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof all looking set to miss the trip to East Anglia on Sunday evening.

Kobbie Mainoo hasn’t featured since the 0-0 draw away at Aston Villa back at the start of October but has been pictured training during the recent break under Amorim.

Along with the injuries, many positional questions will be answered by Sunday afternoon, with many wondering whether the new boss will utilise his 3-4-3 system or the 4-2-3-1 that has been tried and tested at Old Trafford over the last couple of years.

It could allow for numerous players to stake their claim for a regular starting role under Amorim, having endured an unsuccessful stint under former manager Erik ten Hag.

One player in particular may fit perfectly into the 3-4-3 system, deserving of a rare start in the meeting tomorrow evening.

The man who Amorim needs to unleash against Ipswich

Midfielder Mason Mount arrived in a £60m deal from fellow Premier League side Chelsea last summer, but has endured a torrid spell with injuries over the last 12 months.

The 25-year-old made just 20 appearances in all competitions during his debut year in Manchester, registering just two combined goals and assists.

However, the arrival of the 39-year-old could allow him to have a bigger role in the first team, featuring in one of the two attacking midfielder roles behind the striker of Amorim’s three-back system.

2023/24

Unknown

37

6

2023/24

Calf

110

21

2024/25

Hamstring

22

3

2024/25

Head

2

0

Total:

4 injuries

171

30

The “outstanding” Mount, as dubbed by former coach Jody Morris, has previously featured in such a role during his time at Stamford Bridge, registering 13 goals and 16 assists during the 2021/22 campaign with his boyhood outfit.

He’s yet to demonstrate anywhere the level required of a player who costs £60m but, should he play in one of those aforementioned roles, he could well produce some performances to showcase why he cost such a hefty fee.

The clash against Ipswich could provide the perfect time to utilise the former England international in such a role, with Bruno Fernandes likely to feature in a deeper eight position.

It will take time for the squad to adapt to such a new system, but it could allow Mount in particular to have a huge revival under the former Portugal international at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag's Man Utd flop is now outscoring Zirkzee & Hojlund after leaving

The former Manchester United player has recaptured his form away from Old Trafford.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 22, 2024

“I know the areas of my game I need to get better at and one of them is playing the short ball”

Edited PTI copy17-Dec-2021Two years into international cricket, 17-year-old Shafali Verma is fully aware of the need to improve constantly and her immediate focus is on tweaking her short-ball game against fast bowlers.Having made her India debut as a 15-year-old, Shafali has come a long way over the past 24 months and alongside Smriti Mandhana, forms one of the most explosive opening pairings in women’s cricket. However, on tours of England and Australia this year, Shafali was peppered with short balls and she didn’t look particularly comfortable against them. So, to get better against the rising ball, Shafali is now facing 200-250 balls from Under-25 men’s players, who can clock 125-130 kmph, at Shri Ram Narain Cricket Academy in Gurugram, under the watchful eyes of her coach Ashwani Kumar.”It feels good that I have been able to complete two years in international cricket but there is a long way to go. I know the areas of my game I need to get better at and one of them is playing the short ball,” Shafali told PTI after being named a Hyundai brand ambassador. “The coaches have also told me to play as per the ball and I will continue to do that. I will never change my game.”During the England and Australia series, Shafali was seen backing away to the short balls and the approach fetched her mixed returns. The coaches at the academy are making her play the short ball on cemented, astroturf and normal wickets. And, besides negotiating higher speeds from the men, Shafali is also facing throwdowns.Related

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“I won’t back away that much going forward. You will see me shuffling around the crease a lot more and play as per the merit of the ball,” Shafali, who is also working on her fitness, said.Her coach Kumar feels Shafali will only get better with time and experience. “We must not forget that she is still 17. Her dream Test debut shows that she has got the required technique to succeed at the highest level.”In the shorter formats, where there is scoreboard pressure, you need to be really quick with your thinking and that is where she needs to improve a bit. As she goes along playing for India, you will see her only getting better.”Mandhana targets better consistency for World Cup success
Mandhana, who was named a Hyundai ambassador alongside Shafali, Jemimah Rodrigues and Taniya Bhatia, said she wants to add more consistency to her batting going into the Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand in March.”Post [the] Covid [-enforced break from cricket], it was hard to get the rhythm back as I was playing international cricket after one and a half years,” Mandhana told PTI. “It took a while to get into the groove but the last two series [England and Australia] have been decent but surely there is scope for improvement.

“The last one year has been really important for us and especially playing in England and Australia. We are also playing New Zealand, so playing the top three-four teams in a space of seven-eight months, that is the best preparation for World Cup.”Smriti Mandhana

“I am really happy with the way I have been timing the ball… [But] as a batter you have to be selfish to be more consistent and that’s something I want to work on, closing games on a regular basis especially the tight finishes.”It is something which we all know that we need to work on as that is going to help us in the World Cup.”India has lost ODI series to South Africa, England and Australia since March, but Mandhana feels the team has got the best possible preparation for the World Cup. India will also play New Zealand before the World Cup.”The last one year has been really important for us and especially playing in England and Australia. We are also playing New Zealand, so playing the top three-four teams in a space of seven-eight months, that is the best preparation for World Cup. We have learnt a lot in the last two series.””The Australia series was a good one though results didn’t go our way. Almost all the matches were decided in the last over and those were matches we could have won or lost. We were able to score 250 plus in two out of three games. Will take take all the positives from that. I also learnt a lot in Australia.”

Chennai Braves 114 for 0 (Rajapaksa 55*, Shahzad 54*) beat Northern Warriors 108 (Bopara 2-6) by ten wicketsEleven days and 26 games later, the Chennai Braves finally got themselves their first win of the Abu Dhabi T10, at the ninth time of asking.”Better late than never,” as player of the match, Bhanuka Rajapaksa said post-match. They had the Sri Lankan to thank as he notched up his third half-century of the tournament with 55 not out off just 23 deliveries. Alongside the always-entertaining Mohammad Shahzad, who hit 54 not out off 29 balls, the pair ensured that the Braves got their first points on the board.Of course, it was all a little too late. After eight consecutive defeats, the Braves looked all but destined to end their first experience at the Abu Dhabi T10 without a win to their name. Without Nicholas Pooran – their icon player – throughout the tournament, the Braves have lacked match-winners and an injury to Yusuf Pathan certainly didn’t help.Angelo Perera, handed the captaincy midway through the tournament, praised two of their more experienced players in Ravi Bopara and Munaf Patel for orchestrating their win, as Northern Warriors were bowled out for 108. It was the first time that the Braves had managed to take more than five wickets in an innings.From the moment Curtis Campher trapped the devastating Kennar Lewis for a golden duck, the Braves looked like a team determined to end their hoodoo thus far. Campher had Moeen Ali caught at deep backward square leg, just as he was getting going and despite the tournament top scorer, Rovman Powell smashing young Englishman, Roman Walker, for three sixes in the seventh over, Shanaka got the West Indian in the next, Powell sending one straight to Campher in the deep.With the very next ball, Shanaka dismissed Umair Ali and after Bopara picked up two wickets in the penultimate over. It was left to Dhananjaya Lakshan to get rid of Imran Tahir, before Oshane Thomas was run out with a ball to spare.”A lot of credit goes to the bowling unit and also, we had a good outing in the field,” said Perera. “Yes, it was frustrating [to be winless], but today we had a different plan and Ravi and Munaf took the responsibility of talking to the bowlers and their experience has shown today. I think they executed the plan really well.”In their previous three matches, the Braves had managed totals of 107, 89 & 57, so chasing 109 was never going to be a walk in the park. However Rajapaksa and Shahzad got the job done in style. After a tight first over from Tahir, Shahzad let loose with five boundaries off Abhimanyu Mithun in the second. Together, the pair picked away at the total, sucking the energy out of the Warriors – who knew that they also had no chance of progressing to the play-offs.There was still 21 needed off three overs when Oshane Thomas was brought back into the attack. Thomas has had a fascinating tournament thus far, picking up the only hat-trick of the T10 in his first game, before returning the worst figures in T10 history with 0 for 50 in his two overs against Team Abu Dhabi. Yet, he came back from that, with three wickets the following night against the Deccan Gladiators.Related

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• Dominic Drakes: 'I don't want to look back and say I had a better 2021 than 2022. I don't want to be stagnant'

However, Rajapaksa ensured that this was another night to forget for the West Indian, who after getting run-out for a duck, was dispatched by the Sri Lankan for 20 in his second over. With a majestic drive over the sweeper cover, the 30-year-old brought up his fifty in style.And it was left for Shahzad to bring up his half-century too with a six, which also sealed the win. Between them, the pair hit 15 fours and six sixes and at long last, the Chennai outfit had some points on the table and something to shout about.”When I was batting with Shazy [Shahzad], I can’t really run so it’s really a case of see ball, hit ball,” said Rajapaksa. “I guess it worked tonight!”As the league stage of the tournament comes to a conclusion with just four games remaining, the four play-off spots have already been decided. Team Abu Dhabi, Deccan Gladiators, Bangla Tigers and Delhi Bulls will make up the sides ready to battle it out over two play-off days on Friday and Saturday. It remains to be seen which two sides will finish as the top two and thus have two bites of the cherry, as they look to make the final of the Abu Dhabi T10.In the earlier game, Liam Livingstone smashed a brutal 59 off 24 to help Team Abu Dhabi reclaim top spot, as they edged out Deccan Gladiators by eight runs.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has claimed he is desperate for the January transfer window to end amid 'noise' regarding a number of players in the squad.

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Chelsea at the centre of departure rumoursCould see number of players leave on deadline dayMaresca reveals 'relief' at window closingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea are facing potential departures as the January transfer window slowly draws to a close on Monday. The Blues have seen a number of squad players linked with an exit, with Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struggling for playing time under Maresca this season. Disasi has been linked with a move to Aston Villa or Tottenham, while Felix and Chilwell are linked with moves to AC Milan and Crystal Palace, respectively.

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Maresca has now claimed that he will be very pleased when the January transfer window officially closes, just hours after Chelsea's Monday night Premier League clash against West Ham. The game will kick off at 8pm (GMT) and the transfer window will shut at 11pm. The Italian boss went on to add that he will be 'relieved' when he arrives for work at Cobham on Tuesday morning following the end of the transfer window.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking to the media, Maresca responded to questions over his feelings with the transfer window ending soon: "For sure you have a feeling of relief. The players you are going to see, they are going to be here until the end, so there is not any noise about some of the players that are there.

“The word is relief. From now on until the end, we go on with these players and no more. In the small part, I think all transfer windows are similar. Last year when I was at Leicester (in the Championship) in January, players arriving, players to leave – it’s the same situation you live everywhere.”

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The west London side have been keen on reducing the inflated numbers in their squad after the summer transfer window saw them go all guns blazing with a number of players arriving at Stamford Bridge. While the departures would have helped the Blues, the 'noise' around the squad has been causing turbulence for the team as they continue to fight for the Champions League places in the Premier League.

Arsenal are set to seal a deal for long-term target Martin Zubimendi, beating Liverpool and Manchester City to the Real Sociedad man's signature.

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• Arsenal to seal Zubimendi transfer
• Beat Liverpool and Man City in transfer race
• Partey and Jorginho set to leave in the summer

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , the Gunners are in advanced talks with Real Sociedad to seal a transfer for their star midfielder Martin Zubimendi, with the deal now 'virtually completed'. Arsenal ideally would have wanted the Spaniard to join the club in January, however, Real Sociedad remain determined to retain his services until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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  The Gunners will see two of their current central midfielders, Jorginho and Thomas Partey, leave the club at the end of the current season after the expiry of their contracts. As a result, the English side went all-out to secure Zubimendi's signature. The Spain international has a release clause of €60 million (£51m/$61.5m) which Arsenal are ready to trigger.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool and Manchester City were also in the race to sign the Real Sociedad star. Despite facing a rejection from Zubimendi in the summer, the Reds were planning to go after him once again this month. City, on the other hand, had put the Spain international on their shortlist after Rodri ruptured his ACL earlier in the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  After securing Zubimendi's transfer, Arteta will now look to strengthen his attack. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have been sidelined with long-term injuries, while Kai Havertz has failed to perform consistently. After two consecutive setbacks in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, Arsenal will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on local rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

Celtic booked their place in the semi-final of the League Cup with a dramatic 5-2 win over Championship side Falkirk at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Hoops will now take on Aberdeen in the last four at Hampden Park for a place in the final, despite an upset being on the cards for large spells of the game.

Falkirk went 1-0 and 2-1 up during the match but Brendan Rodgers’ side bounced back with goals from Paulo Bernardo, Adam Idah (x2), and Nicolas Kuhn (x2).

The manager made a few changes to his starting XI to hand chances to some of the fringe players in the squad and two players, in particular, caught the eye.

Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah grasped their chance

Bernardo was handed an opportunity to showcase his quality after being dropped to the bench in favour of Arne Engels in the last two matches.

The Portugal U21 international made his mark on the game with a thumping volleyed finish from Alex Valle’s knockdown to draw Celtic level at 1-1 in the first-half, to remind Rodgers of his ability in the final third.

Kyogo Furuhashi has scored two goals and missed nine ‘big chances’ in all competitions this season, which suggests that the door should be open for Idah to push for a starting spot.

The Ireland international struck twice, inside two minutes, to take Celtic from 2-1 down to 3-2 up, in the second half, and the second goal was a sublime take and finish from the former Norwich man.

Unlike Idah and Bernardo, one player who did not grasp his chance to stake a claim for a place in the starting XI in the Scottish Premiership moving forward was right-back Anthony Ralston.

Anthony Ralston's struggles against Falkirk

The Scotland international has only been utilised off the bench in the Premiership so far this season and was handed an opportunity to shine against the second tier outfit.

Unfortunately, though, he did not do enough to suggest to Rodgers that Alistair Johnston’s place as the regular starting right-back for Celtic is in danger.

BBC Scotland’s Kheredine Idessane said that the Hoops defence “struggled” to deal with the Falkirk attackers and Ralston was part of that struggling backline.

The 25-year-old dud, who was handed a player rating of 6/10 by FootballScotland, let himself down with his defending for the second goal for the visitors, as he got caught ball-watching and left Finn Yeats in acres of space at the back post to head past Kasper Schmeichel.

He did provide a nice pass to Kuhn for Idah’s first goal after popping up in a left-back position momentarily, but his overall display was not good enough to earn himself a place in the starting XI moving forward.

Therefore, Rodgers must brutally ditch Ralston from the starting line-up for the clash with St Johnstone in the Premiership next weekend, with Johnston slotting straight back into the team.

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Whereas, Bernardo and Idah’s goals may have given the Northern Irish head coach a decision to make when he comes to select his next XI.

Leeds United failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after they lost in the final of the play-offs last season.

They finished third in the Championship and beat Norwich City in the semi-finals of the play-offs before losing 1-0 to Southampton in the final at Wembley.

Their failure to return to the top-flight left them vulnerable during the summer transfer window, as clubs across Europe moved to sign their biggest talents.

Archie Gray joined Tottenham Hotspur, Georginio Rutter signed for Brighton & Hove Albion, Crysencio Summerville moved to West Ham United, and Glen Kamara was snapped up by Rennes.

They had all been regular starters for Daniel Farke in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign, which meant that it was a blow to lose any of them, let alone all four.

The German head coach did then bring in the likes of Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Joe Rodon, Ao Tanaka, Isaac Schmidt, and Joe Rothwell, among others, to bolster his playing squad.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites have improved their squad with those moves, and Rutter is one player who will be difficult to replace.

How much Leeds sold Georginio Rutter for

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to activate a £40m release clause in the former France U21 international’s contract last month.

That was a club-record deal for the Seagulls, who were willing to splash the cash to snap the centre-forward up from Elland Road after his impressive performances in the Championship last season.

Rutter, after joining Leeds in the Premier League initially, thrived in the second tier under Farke, with his sublime creativity playing a crucial role in the club’s run to the play-off final.

Appearances

45

Goals

6

Assists

15

Big chances created

22

Key passes per game

1.9

Pass accuracy

69%

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star was directly involved in 21 goals in 45 appearances for Leeds and created 22 ‘big chances’ in total.

This suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing, as they did not make the most of the high-quality opportunities he created.

In fact, the 22-year-old whiz ranked within the top 2% of forwards in the Championship for assists (0.39) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90 respectively last season, which shows that he was one of the most creative players in the league.

Per Transfermarkt, Rutter is the most expensive centre-forward in the club’s history, with only Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha sold for more, but that does not take inflation into account.

If you adjust for the inflation in football over the years, Leeds once cashed in on another impressive number nine for even more than the £40m Brighton splashed on the French attacker.

How much Leeds paid for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

In the summer of 1997, Leeds swooped to sign Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink from Portuguese side Boavista for a reported transfer fee of just £2m.

The 25-year-old marksman had plundered an eye-catching 20 goals in 29 league games for Boavista in the top-flight during the 1996/97 campaign, which convinced the Whites to snap him up.

Hasselbaink did not need any time to adjust and adapt to the Premier League. The Dutch sensation fired in 16 goals in 33 matches, along with one assist, in the division during his first season with the West Yorkshire outfit.

Appearances

36

Goals

18

Assists

13

Minutes played

3,136

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman took his game to another level in his second year at Elland Road, with a return of 31 direct goal contributions in 36 games.

Hasselbaink produced 34 goals and 14 assists in two Premier League campaigns with Leeds, which proved that he had the quality to be a regular provider of goals and assists in a major European league.

Rutter, meanwhile, only managed six goals and 15 assists in the Championship for the Whites and earned himself a staggering £40m transfer to Brighton.

The Dutch attacker, however, did not go for anywhere near as much as that in actual money after his transfer request and subsequent departure in 1999, but the value of the deal was worth more than £40m if you adjust for inflation.

How much Leeds sold Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for

Atletico Madrid reportedly paid a fee of £15m to sign the prolific marksman from Leeds ahead of the 1999/00 season, after he had spent two years in Yorkshire.

That meant that they made a huge profit on the £2m that they had paid to sign him from Boavista in 1997, but the fee would have been even greater in the modern age.

Per Totally Money’s algorithm, the £15m that Atletico Madrid paid for Hasselbaink in 1999 would be worth a staggering £51.7m in today’s money, which is over £11m more than Brighton spent on Rutter this summer.

This shows that Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed him for £2m because they ended up selling him for a fee that has ended up being the most valuable fee they have ever received for a centre-forward in the club’s history, if you adjust for inflation.

The Whites also struck gold with Hasselbaink because they got two incredible seasons of service out of him in the Premier League and enjoyed his terrific goalscoring exploits before they cashed in on him for a significant fee.

Whereas, Leeds moved on Rutter for a gigantic fee this summer after a season of service in the Championship, rather than in the top-flight.

Hasselbaink scored 35 goals in 47 matches for Atletico Madrid before joining Chelsea for £20m in 2000, which would work out at around £51.6m in today’s money, and he went on to score 87 goals in 177 matches for the Blues.

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This shows that, financially, Leeds did not miss out with the Netherlands international, as – adjusting for inflation – the Spanish side did not make a significant profit on him.

Arsenal have agreed a deadline day deal to sign a £50,000-per-week player for manager Mikel Arteta, and he is set to travel for a medical so he can finalise his move to the Emirates Stadium.

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This potential outfielder would follow Mikel Merino to north London after the Spaniard sealed his £32 million switch to Arsenal at long last following weeks of speculation and talks over his future in La Liga.

Merino is a fine addition to Arsenal's squad, given he scored eight goals and registered five assists in 45 appearances for Sociedad last season, and sporting director Edu Gaspar expressed his delight at the 28-year-old's arrival earlier this week.

“We are so happy to have completed the transfer of Mikel Merino," said Edu to Arsenal's official website.

Appearances

247

Goals

27

Assists

30

Yellow cards

56

Red cards

2

Minutes played

19,449

via Transfermarkt

"This has been another great team effort from many people at the club to finalise the transfer of a player who attracted interest from a number of clubs over the summer.

“Mikel was a key target for us this summer, and we identified him as a player who can fit perfectly into our squad and profile to improve us, as we aim to build on our strong performances of last season. With Mikel’s arrival, he brings us an added high quality of experience, physicality and athleticism as we look forward to this season ahead. We welcome Mikel and his family to the club, and look forward to seeing him play in the Arsenal shirt.”

There is also the matter of replacing Aaron Ramsdale after his £25 million move to Southampton, with Arteta in need of a new second-choice keeper who can provide strength in depth behind David Raya.

Arsenal had approached Espanyol over a deal for Joan Garcia, submitting a bid, but the Spaniard's want his full £25 million release clause paid if he is to leave this late in the window (Fabrizio Romano).

Arsenal agree deadline day deal to sign Neto from Bournemouth

Now, it appears Edu and co have landed on an alternative to Garcia.

Indeed, after opening talks with Bournemouth, Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam has shared that Arsenal have agreed a season-long loan deal to sign Neto – who will travel to the English capital for his medical and to finalise the move.

The £50,000-per-week ace joined Bournemouth on a free transfer in 2022, going on to make 63 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions.