Rangers can resurrect Raskin's career by firing Martin for 4-3-3 manager

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin is under immense pressure heading into the clash with Hibernian at Ibrox in the latest round of the League Cup.

It feels like a huge game for the former Scotland international after a tricky start to life in Glasgow, losing 2-0 to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox last weekend.

As the title of the highlights above suggests, the pressure is mounting on the Rangers manager due to the poor start to the season, with no wins in their first five league games.

The Scottish giants were also knocked out of the Champions League at the play-off phase with a 9-1 defeat to Club Brugge, which did little to help supporters warm to the new head coach.

On top of the poor results on the pitch, both domestically and in Europe, Martin has ousted Nicolas Raskin from the first-team squad for the last two matches.

The Belgium international did not feature at all in the 0-0 draw with Celtic or the 2-0 defeat to Hearts either side of the international break, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will get any minutes against Hibernian this weekend, although it has been confirmed that he will be a part of the squad.

Why Russell Martin is making a mistake with Nicolas Raskin

Before the defeat to Hearts, Martin said: “Nico is back training with the group but he won’t be in the squad. He has a duty to make sure he earns the trust of all his other team-mates.”

Of course, we are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes. Martin could be in the wrong. Raskin could be in the wrong. Both parties could be in the wrong. What is for sure, though, is that this situation does not benefit the football club.

Legendary Rangers striker Ally McCoist said “you cannot bite your nose off to spite your face” when asked about the situation with the midfielder. He is spot on.

Raskin has proven that he can be a difference-maker for the Gers, as shown in the clip above, after a return of five goals and 11 assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Rangers have scored two goals in their last five matches in all competitions, failing to score in any of their last three, and this shows that they are lacking his quality in possession at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

33

12

Tackles per game

2.8

3.7

Interceptions per game

0.6

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

7.4

Ground duel success rate

57%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin also brings defensive quality to the pitch that could have helped the Gers in their 2-0 loss to Hearts and the first half against Club Brugge, when they conceded five before only letting in one with him on the pitch in the second half.

Ultimately, performances and results have not been good enough for Rangers. Another loss, particularly if Raskin is not involved as a starter, should force the board to part ways with the boss.

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With this in mind, Kevin Thelwell and the board must consider swooping to appoint Kevin Muscat, whose contract at SH Port expires at the end of this year, per Transfermarkt.

Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson described the English-born head coach as a “perfect” choice and one the fans have “wanted” for several seasons earlier this month. He has been linked with the Ibrox post in previous years as well.

Why Rangers should appoint Kevin Muscat

Unless Martin can turn things around, starting against Hibernian on Saturday, the Light Blues should fire their head coach to appoint Muscat because he could resurrect Raskin’s Ibrox career and get the team back on track this season.

Above all else, the 52-year-old manager has proven that he can win trophies. He has won a league title and a domestic cup with SH Port, on top of two league titles and one cup with Melbourne Victory and one league title and a super cup with Yokohama F. Marinos, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that he knows how to build teams that can win major trophies. Perhaps the most impressive part of his record is that he has done it in three different countries: Australia, Japan, and China. This shows that he can adapt to different cultures and ways of playing and still build a side to win consistently.

2025 (24)

2.13

2nd

2024 (30)

2.60

1st

2023 (34)

1.88

2nd

2022 (34)

2.00

1st

2021 (18)

1.83

2nd

As you can see in the table above, Muscat has won two league titles in the last four seasons, and still has six games left of the current campaign to make it three in four.

Rangers could tempt him to give up on a chance to turn things around and win the league title with SH Port by offering him the job at Ibrox, should they decide to part ways with Martin.

As well as being a winning manager, Muscat also has a style of play that could get the best out of Raskin. The aforementioned Kai Watson claimed that the manager plays “fast attacking football” with “relentless pressing”.

This suggests that he would be the perfect head coach to get the best out of Raskin because that combines the two parts of his game that he thrives on, fast attacking play and pressing to win possession back.

As aforementioned, the Belgium international is a creative midfielder who can set his teammates up for high-quality chances on a regular basis, but he is also a combative and tenacious defender who wants to get stuck in and win the ball back high up the pitch.

Putting him in Muscat’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, per Transfermarkt, could allow him to thrive both in and out of possession at Ibrox once again, rather than having to sit at the base of a ball-dominant Martin side that does not give him as much freedom to burst forward or to get up the pitch to be combative off the ball.

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This Glasgow Rangers flop who was once valued at £30m now looks worth even less than James Tavernier.

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Therefore, Rangers could revive Raskin’s Ibrox career by firing the underperforming Martin and appointing a head coach whose system and style would maximize the midfielder’s potential, while also enhancing the team’s overall winning culture.

Palmeiras entra na briga com o Fenerbahçe para contratar Wendel, volante do Zenit

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras está forte na briga para contratar o volante Wendel, atualmente no Zenit-RUS e que foi revelado pelo Fluminense. O jogador de 25 anos possui proposta em mãos do alviverde e pode dar adeus ao futebol russo para voltar ao Brasil e defender o atual campeão brasileiro. A informação é do jornalista Fábio Aleixo e foi confirmada pelo Lance!.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel comenta ações da CBF e reflete sobre seu lugar no futebol brasileiro: ‘Talvez eu seja pequeno demais’Palmeiras17/07/2023PalmeirasANÁLISE: Em má fase, Palmeiras não pode mais ‘se dar ao luxo’ de perder tantos golsPalmeiras17/07/2023PalmeirasVÍDEO: Abel Ferreira cutuca rival após eliminação do Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil: ‘Não sei quantos títulos ganharam’Palmeiras16/07/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

No momento, o grande entrave na negociação é que o Fenerbahce, da Turquia, também possui interesse no jogador revelado nas Laranjeiras e também fez proposta pelo volante. O clube turco tem ótima relação com os russos e o destino do atleta não deve demorar para ser definido. Os valores do negócio não foram revelados para a reportagem.

Apesar de estar na busca de um camisa 5 para repor a saída de Danilo, Wendel atua mais como um segundo volante, e ainda não seria uma peça para resolver a posição de primeiro volante do Verdão.

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Wendel já foi procurado pelo Flamengo na temporada passada e também recentemente pela Roma-ITA de José Mourinho.

Contratado pelo Zenit-RUS em 2020, Wendel teve passagem pelo futebol português, onde atuou pelo Sporting-POR de 2018 até ir para o futebol russo.

O Palmeiras está em busca de uma reposição para a função de volante desde a venda de Danilo, ao Nottingham Forest-ING, em janeiro de 2023. Outros nomes como Walace, da Udinese-ITA, Matheus Henrique, do Sassuolo-ITA e Jean Lucas, do Monaco-FRA (hoje no Santos), chegaram a ser cogitados, mas nenhuma negociação foi para frente.

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"Shocker" – £170k-p/w Tottenham star left furious despite win at West Ham

A Tottenham Hotspur star was left furious, despite his side picking up a 3-0 victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Spurs back on track after comfortable West Ham victory

Spurs suffered their first Premier League defeat of the Thomas Frank era prior to the international break, with AFC Bournemouth emerging as surprise 1-0 winners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they managed to get back on track against West Ham United last time out.

Frank’s side ran out 3-0 winners at the London Stadium, with Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven getting on the scoresheet, and the manager was left impressed by his side’s display.

Frank said: “It was a very good win. I thought we performed very well in big spells of the game. The first 15, 20 minutes were even-ish but after that, I think we got more and more hold of the game.

“In the second half, we just kept going and we scored good goals from Pape, a well-drilled corner, the second goal maybe even better, a fantastic ball from Romero to Lucas, really good and we just kept going.”

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Ultimately, the north Londoners emerged as comfortable winners, but there was a controversial moment in the game, with captain Cristian Romero seeing his goal disallowed for an alleged foul on Kyle Walker-Peters in the build-up.

Jamie O’Hara was left fuming with the decision from referee Jarred Gillett, and the former Tottenham man was not the only one, with £170k-a-week star James Maddison also taking to X to lambast the refereeing performance.

VAR under heavy scrutiny after just four games

We are only four games into the new Premier League campaign, but VAR is already under intense scrutiny, with Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for the PGMOL, admitting an error was made in disallowing Josh King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea.

Fortunately for Spurs, they went on to pick up all three points, despite Romero’s goal being disallowed, but the Cottagers weren’t as lucky, with Chelsea ultimately going on to record a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

As such, it is evident that refereeing standards must improve, and the PGMOL are lucky that Spurs went on to win the game with ease regardless, courtesy of a fantastic second-half performance.

The games are now starting to come thick and fast for Frank’s side, with the Lilywhites set to return to Champions League action against Villarreal on Wednesday night.

Pure class from Lamine Yamal! Ballon d'Or runner-up congratulates rival Ousmane Dembele on award as father of Barcelona star fires warning ahead of next year's ceremony

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal was quick to congratulate Ousmane Dembele after seeing the Paris Saint-Germain star beat him to the 2025 Ballon d’Or award. The teenager finished second in the rankings but didn’t go home empty-handed as he won the Kopa Award for a second year running, and his father is confident that it will be a different story next year.

Dembele beats Yamal to 2025 Ballon d'Or

Dembele has been crowned the best male player in the world after winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. The PSG star pipped Yamal to top spot after inspiring Luis Enrique's side to a quadruple last season. The campaign also brought a first Champions League title for the French giants after a 5-0 victory over Inter in the final.

AdvertisementYamal congratulates Dembele on Ballon d'Or win

Yamal may have tasted disappointment in Paris but he was spotted congratulating Dembele on his win with a handshake, a warm hug and a few words. The teenager also did not go home empty-handed as he won the Kopa Trophy for the second year in a row.

Warning fired out by Yamal's father

Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, was at the ceremony and fired out a warning after seeing Dembele beat his son to the top prize. "Next year is ours," he told COPE after the awards had been handed out in Paris.

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Getty Images SportBarcelona hoping for Yamal return

Yamal will now return to Barcelona and hope to return to action with Hansi Flick's side soon. The teenager is currently sidelined with injury and it's not clear yet when he will be available again. Barcelona take on Real Oviedo next in La Liga on Thursday and then face Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Bayern Munich backed to be too strong for Chelsea in Champions League opener as Germany legend says Harry Kane & Co among seven true contenders for European title

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Lothar Matthaus has provided his thoughts ahead of the first matchday of the Champions League. According to the legendary former Germany international, Bayern Munich will be one of the seven favourites to clinch the coveted continental title this season, backing the Bavarians to overcome Club World Cup holders Chelsea in their opener on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich on fire as Chelsea find their stride

Bayern are one of the select few teams in the big five European Leagues to have a 100 per cent win record this season. Indeed, the Bavarians swat aside newly-promoted Hamburg 5-0 over the weekend to make it three wins in as many Bundesliga games. In those three games, Vincent Kompany's men have scored 14 goals and have conceded just twice. 

On the other hand, Chelsea's start to their league campaign has been less ideal. After a goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace on the opening matchday, the Blues cruised to successive wins against West Ham and Fulham, before another draw – a dramatic 2-2 finish against Brentford.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMatthaus predicts Bayern to beat Chelsea

Matthaus was quite optimistic about Die Roten's chances in the Champions League this season in his column for . 

"For me, Bayern is one of the six best teams in Europe and among the teams that can win the title," asserted the ex-midfielder. "These include defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal."

Previewing the encounter against Chelsea, Matthaus added: "Their opening opponent, Chelsea, may be the Club World Champions, but I expect Bayern to win at home. They will have learned their lesson from last season's Champions League, when they failed due to their poor conversion rate. In the 5-0 win against Hamburg on Saturday, Bayern slowed down after half an hour because they knew that the coming weeks would be physically demanding."

Chelsea rocked by injuries

Although Harry Kane claimed that the 2025-26 Bayern squad was "one of the smallest" he has ever played in, while complaining about lack of depth, it is, in fact, Enzo Maresca's side who might be feeling too "thin" ahead of their trip to Allianz Arena. Just days before the transfer deadline, new signing Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to be out for at least another two months. Joao Pedro, in the words of the head coach, was not "fully fit" during the Brentford clash, coming off in the 79th minute. Meanwhile, youngsters Estevao and Dario Essugo are also dealing with problems. The dazzling Brazilian winger was left out of the squad for their trip to Gtech Community Stadium as Essugo was ruled out for the next three months due to a thigh injury.

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Getty ImagesBayern and Chelsea's upcoming league assignments

After locking horns on Wednesday evening, the two sides will return to domestic duty at the weekend. Both heavyweights play their next league games on Saturday, with Bayern taking on Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena, while Chelsea travelling to Old Trafford to take on an under-fire Manchester United.

CSK waiting on go-ahead from Dhoni before retention deadline

MS Dhoni has not yet confirmed his availability for IPL 2025, according to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan, who is hopeful that Dhoni will be part of the upcoming season.”We have still no confirmation from him, though we will like him to continue playing for us,” Viswanathan told ESPNcricinfo. “Hope he will confirm before 31st [October].”October 31 is the deadline by which the ten franchises have to submit their list of retained players to the IPL ahead of the mega auction, and this year Dhoni is eligible to be retained by CSK as an uncapped player. That was made possible after the IPL brought back a rule that had been scrapped in 2021, according to which a player can be considered as uncapped if they have been retired from international cricket for five years.Related

  • LSG set to retain Pooran, Mayank and Bishnoi for IPL 2025

  • Dhoni: 'I just want to enjoy the game for the next few years'

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  • IPL retention: How many players can a team keep? And at what cost?

  • IPL retention FAQs: What is the modified RTM rule? Has the auction purse increased?

Dhoni last played for India at the 2019 ODI World Cup, and announced his retirement in August 2020; he does not play any cricket apart from the IPL, and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 as a finisher in the 2024 season after handing over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad.While it is extremely likely that Dhoni will be retained by CSK, if they retain him as an uncapped player, they will lose only INR 4 crore from their auction purse of INR 120 crore.The IPL franchises have been allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction before the 2025 season, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained – INR 18 crore for the first player, INR 14 crore for the second, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore for the fourth, and INR 14 crore for the fifth – the franchises are free to pay more than those amounts to their retained players. For example, Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to retain Heinrich Klaasen for INR 23 crore, Pat Cummins for INR 18 crore, and Abhishek Sharma for INR 14 crore.

Wolves now "close" to sealing deal to sign £13m player as offer submitted

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now “close” to reaching an agreement for a “powerful” defender, with talks “underway”, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Wolves set sights on defender with Semedo set to leave

Wolves are now planning for life without Nelson Semedo, as their former captain is still yet to commit to a new contract, and Vitor Pereira’s latest update indicates the right-back will not be returning to Molineux.

The manager said: “The relationship that I have with Nelson, we have been, from the beginning, very honest. He said to me that maybe it’s time, after five years here, to find another challenge and I understand. But I need to feel that he’s honest with me. I prefer to know the truth from the beginning. Then, waiting and waiting and waiting. We cannot wait.”

The 31-year-old established himself as a key player during his five seasons at Molineux, making 34 Premier League appearances last season, but given that he is now looking increasingly likely to leave, Pereira has set his sights on a replacement.

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Last week, it was revealed the Old Gold had overtaken AC Milan in the race for Almeria right-back Marc Pubill, and there has now been another exciting update on the pursuit of the defender, which states talks are “underway”.

Taking to X, Romano has now revealed that Wolves are “close to reaching an agreement” for Pubill, with both Almeria and on the player’s side, and they are hoping to get a deal over the line very soon, having submitted a €15m (£13m) offer.

"Powerful" Pubill could be solid replacement for Semedo

It will be a blow for Pereira to lose Semedo, given that the Portuguese defender has bags of Premier League experience, but there are plenty of signs the Almeria full-back could be capable of being a solid long-term replacement.

At just 22-years-old, the Spanish defender is still young, but he has a plethora of first-team experience, making 63 appearances for Almeria, during which time he has showcased his attacking prowess by picking up two goals and eight assists.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Spain U21 international for his performances at the U21 European Championships.

As such, Pubill could be an exciting long-term addition to Pereira’s squad, so it is promising news that a deal is now edging closer to completion.

Same agent as Downes: Southampton in "advanced" deal talks for "top" star

Southampton are now in advanced talks to sign an international striker who is represented by the same agency as midfielder Flynn Downes.

Southampton are expected to lose one or two key players over the coming months and therefore will have to enter the market to find replacements as they bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking under Will Still.

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Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis could be considered their most important player, as he managed to stand out last season in what was a diabolical campaign for the club. His performances for the Saints earned him a call-up to the England national team, and that has now earned him the attention of Portuguese giants FC Porto.

Southampton's TaylorHarwood-Bellislooks dejected as he applauds fans after the match

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, Southampton have turned down a bid worth £19 million for Harwood-Bellis from Porto. Despite being under contract until 2028, the Saints are open to selling the defender in this transfer window, but they believe he is worth much more.

Southampton paid £15 million to sign the player from Manchester City last summer, so the likelihood is they’re going to want closer to double that price.

Southampton in advanced talks to sign £7m striker

But while Harwood-Bellis may eventually be on his way out of St Mary’s Stadium, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reports some good news – Southampton are closing in on the signing of Damion Downs from FC Köln.

The 20-year-old is considered to be a top target for Saints this summer, and they have submitted a bid worth €8 million, which is roughly £6.85 million, to the German side. Downs is currently away with the USA for the Gold Cup, so a deal for the forward is likely to be completed once that competition is finished.

Downs, who has earned two caps for the USA national team, has been at FC Köln since 2020, when he joined their under-17 team. The young forward worked his way through the age groups and was finally promoted to the first team during the 2023/24 season, where he played 10 Bundesliga games. Downs became even more of a regular last season, as he played 29 games, this time in Bundesliga 2, and scored an impressive ten goals in the process.

Apps

42

Goals

13

Assists

6

Downs has just one year remaining on his contract, and Saints will be hoping that can work to their advantage, as the German side are likely to want to sell the player before he leaves the club for nothing in 12 months.

They may hold another advantage in the race to sign Downs too, as the striker is represented by agency Wasserman, who also represent current Southampton midfielder Downes, perhaps smoothing negotiations when it comes to agreeing personal terms.

Spurs eyeing dream £60m Son replacement who's "tailor-made for a big team"

The summer transfer window is here, and Tottenham Hotspur need to get moving.

The North Londoners may have broken their title drought in the Europa League, but it cannot be forgotten just how diabolically poor they were in the Premier League.

So, to ensure things improve next season, Daniel Levy and Co need to provide Ange Postecoglou – or whoever takes his job – with the right players.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the Lilywhites with someone who’d be the ideal replacement, Son Heung-min, who may be on the way out.

Tottenham transfer news

Back in January of this year, Tottenham announced that they had extended Son’s contract for another year, and while it looked like he’d fulfil that extra season, things have changed.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

On Tuesday afternoon, Sam Wallace of the Telegraph revealed that the North Londoners captain, who has been at the club since 2015, could be ‘another high-profile departure this summer.’

He explains that, with interest from the Saudi Pro League, there is a real chance for the club to fetch a decent fee for the South Korean ace and that, following the club’s victory in Bilbao, he’d be going on a high and as an undisputed legend.

While selling the 32-year-old might not be a popular idea with all fans, it might explain the club’s interest in Antoine Semenyo.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Dean Jones, Spurs are one of several clubs in the picture for the Bournemouth star this summer.

Jones does not mention how much the international might cost, but a story from earlier this week that also linked Manchester United with the 25-year-old claimed that the Cherries might demand around £60m for their dynamic attacker.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Semenyo’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a great replacement for Son.

Why Spurs should sign Semenyo

While it would represent a significant investment, there are a few reasons why Spurs should be going out to sign Semenmyo this summer, starting with his output this season.

Antoine Semenyo for Bournemouth.

Despite playing for a midtable side, the Ghanaian international managed to rack up a pretty impressive haul of 13 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3562 minutes.

In other words, the former Bristol City gem averaged a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or 178.1 minutes this season.

Semenyo’s 24/25

Appearances

42

Minutes

3562′

Goals

13

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvement

178.1′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of that, the Chelsea-born “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is incredibly versatile, and while he would be an excellent replacement for Son on the left, he’s ambipedal and just as comfortable playing off the right and even up top, which would give whoever is in the dugout next season, more tactical options.

Finally, the dynamic attacker, who Mattinson claims “is tailor-made for a big team”, has some impressive underlying numbers to his name, numbers which show he also puts a real shift in when it comes to his defensive duties.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for blocks, the top 4% for passes blocked, the top 5% for total shots, the top 8% for aerial duels won, the top 10% for shot-creating actions from take-ons and shots, the top 12% for successful take-ons percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it is a lot of money, Spurs would be wise to sign Semenyo this summer as he would not only add some real quality to the squad in his own right, but he’d also be an ideal replacement for Son.

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Incredible Odegaard upgrade: Arteta wants Arsenal to sign £51m Madrid star

While it could still end in an incredible crescendo of Champions League glory, it wouldn’t be amiss to describe this season as something of a disappointment for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side were terrible in both the FA Cup and League Cup, and are now at risk of losing their grasp on second place in the Premier League.

Moreover, while the team has underwhelmed as a collective, there have been several players who’ve simply not reached the standards set in the last couple of years, such as Martin Odegaard.

So, with this in mind, it’s not all that surprising to read recent reports linking the club to someone who could be an upgrade on the Gunners captain.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other midfield stars linked with Arsenal in recent months, such as Frenkie de Jong and Kevin De Bruyne.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has been enjoying a stellar campaign with Barcelona and remains on track for a historic treble-winning season with the Catalan club, so while he’d be an exceptional addition to the club, we imagine he’d cost a king’s ransom, even with reports coming out about his contract talks stalling.

In contrast, we now know Kevin de Bruyne will be leaving Manchester City in the summer, so if Arteta can work his magic, he might just be able to convince the mercurial Belgian to join his former title rivals, and with 14 goal involvements in 36 games this season, he’d still be a useful player to have in the squad.

Manchester City's KevinDeBruynecelebrates after the match

However, knowing the North Londoners might want to make sure they keep the team young and hungry, which could explain the recent links to Brahim Diaz.

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have identified the Moroccan international as a ‘top priority’ ahead of the summer and that Arteta really wants the club to sign the player he worked with at Manchester City.

The story claims that Real Madrid are willing to let the player leave for a convincing offer, while stories from earlier this year suggest that they’d be after a fee in the region of €60m, which is about £51m.

It would be a costly deal to get over the line, but one worth pursuing, as he could be a perfect upgrade on Odegaard.

How Diaz compares to Odegaard

So, if Arsenal get their man this summer, and he comes in to play more of a midfield role, he’d be in direct competition with Odegaard for that creative number ten role.

With that said, who comes out on top when we compare them?

From a pure output perspective, it is the “incredible” Real ace, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, who emerges victorious, but only when we look at the minutes-to-goal involvement ratios.

For example, in 49 appearances, totalling 2058 minutes, the Moroccan international has scored six goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.76 games, or far more consequently, every 158.30 minutes.

In contrast, the Norwegian maestro has scored five goals and provided 11 assists in 41 appearances, totalling 3162 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, but more importantly, every 197.62 minutes.

Real Madrid'sBrahimDiaz, Raul Asencio and Rodrygo celebrate their second goal

What about when we take a look under the hood and at their underlying numbers, then? Is it another minor victory for the Champions League winner?

Well, it’s actually a relatively comfortable one for the 25-year-old, as he comes out ahead in most relevant metrics, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.57

0.37

Non-Penalty G+As

0.42

0.34

Progressive Passes

4.62

10.1

Progressive Passes Received

6.99

6.08

Progressive Carries

2.66

3.46

Shots

1.89

1.82

Shots on Target

1.05

0.55

Passing Accuracy

86.7%

82.9%

Key Passes

1.40

2.41

Shot-Creating Actions

3.57

4.86

Goal-Creating Actions

0.84

0.59

Tackles Won

1.26

0.46

Interceptions

0.28

0.17

Blocks

1.12

0.21

Successful Take-Ons

1.54

0.97

Ultimately, while Odegaard remains a talented player, Diaz has outperformed him in just about every metric this season, and if Arsenal can sign him in the summer, they should.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes May 6, 2025

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