Insider Issues Worrying Behind-Scenes Everton Claim

Everton's financial concerns will have major effects on the club if they are to be relegated this season amid the construction of their new stadium.

What's the latest in Everton's believed FFP breach?

On Friday, Everton were told of the news they were being passed on to an independent commission amid their alleged breach of the Financial Fair Play regulations.

The breach in question covers the 2021/2022 campaign where complaints were lodged by Leeds United and Burnley over Everton's financial state.

Rules state Premier League clubs are able to make losses of up to £105m across a three-year period, however, between 2018 and 2021, the Toffees recorded a staggering £370m loss.

And with the prospect of points deductions and relegation looming over the club, insider Graeme Bailey has suggested it could prove disastrous for the club amid their new stadium development:

"Yeah, it's a bit of a mess. I'm being told, you know, if Everton go down, there could be some serious, serious ramifications.

"There's serious issues at Everton. There really is, they're in a lot of debt. This stadium is costing a lot of money. And they will finish it, there's no suggestion they won't finish it or anything.

"But if they're playing in that stadium in the Championship, who knows? Who knows? I don't want to speculate about administration or whatever. But I'm told if Everton goes down, there's a lot of pain to follow that."

What could this mean for Everton?

Everton have plans to grow their club with a new stadium offering a significantly increased capacity of over 52,000 which will provide them with an increase in matchday revenue.

However, relegation will mean the club would see their revenue decrease dramatically with the Premier League the place to be for financial reasons.

The difference in playing in the Championship instead of the top flight is believed to be worth in the hundreds of millions.

Everton fans protest against the board ahead of their Premier League game against Leeds United at Goodison Park.

Everton's owners are said to be on the hunt for some new investment to help push the club forward, however, if the Toffees are to go down then their attractiveness to potential investors will likely diminish.

Relegation to the Championship could see some of their big players depart which will likely have an effect on their ability to bounce straight back to the top flight.

And when the club are needing to start the repayments on their new shiny home, Championship revenue is the last thing the club needs for one season never mind multiple.

The Toffees have been able to pull themselves out of the relegation zone for the time being with Sean Dyche at the helm, however, it is still incredibly tight.

Only two points separate them from the drop zone and only three points from the side rock bottom of the Premier League table, Southampton.

And given it is so tight, the prospect of a potential points deduction will be a real concern for the Blues with that potentially sealing their faith in the second tier of English football.

“Such a shame…” – Charles Watts gutted as Arsenal man suffers “brain freeze” moment

Journalist Charles Watts has expressed his disappointment at Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka after he suffered “brain freeze” and missed the chance to score a great goal this weekend.

What’s the latest on Granit Xhaka and Arsenal?

The Gunners cruised to a routine away win the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as they put three goals past Fulham inside one half to keep their lead at the very top of the division.

Indeed, Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a fine header before Gabriel Martinelli doubled Arsenal’s lead and then Martin Odegaard made it 3-0 before the break, and that was how things finished at the final whistle.

However, Mikel Arteta and his men could have won the game by a much greater margin and Xhaka could have got his name on the score sheet when a slick passing move saw Leandro Trossard tee him up with only Bernd Leno to beat.

However, Xhaka failed to cap off the brilliant attack as he lost composure and saw the ball simply hit his toe and roll into the goalkeeper's arms.

While speaking about it on his YouTube channel, Watts expressed his dismay, saying (2:19): "Such a shame Granit Xhaka didn't score that shot, just seemed to have a bit of a brain freeze when he went through.

"He didn't know if he should take a touch, or you shoot first time, and in the end kind of didn't either and the chance had gone. It would have been such a good goal, it's a real shame he didn't finish that off but a really fabulous performance from Arsenal.”

Has Xhaka scored more goals this season for Arsenal?

Xhaka has actually been able to deliver a lot more in an attacking sense this season. For instance, he has three league goals to his name this term which is as many as he had in the past three seasons combined.

On top of that, he also has five assists which is two more than the three yellow cards he has picked up in 27 games – proving just how his game has been adapted to play higher up the pitch and be more of a creator than a destroyer of late.

Even still, he hasn’t scored in 2023 so far and his potential rust in front of the net was on full display against Fulham as he just lacked that little bit of composure to finish what could have been one of the goals of the season.

Is Thiago's Liverpool career over? Midfielder's latest injury 'not a minor setback' with Spaniard in doubt of never featuring for Reds ever again

Thiago Alcantara's injury record with Liverpool has worsened even further as the Spaniard picked a new knock during his return against Arsenal.

Article continues below

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  • Thiago picks up injury on return
  • Could be out for season
  • Contract expires in the summer
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    After recovering from a hip problem, Thiago made his competitive return against the Gunners, coming on as a late substitute at the Emirates. However, the 32-year-old later sustained a hamstring injury which is not a small setback, according to information provided by Neil Jones. Thiago's contract expires at the end of the season, and even if he were to return to the pitch before then, it's unlikely he'll receive fresh terms.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Since his blockbuster transfer from Bayern Munich, the Spaniard's influence on the Reds have been repeatedly restricted due to various fitness complaints. He had hoped to return to the heights he exhibited during the 2021-22 campaign this season, but so far his brief cameo against Arsenal is the only time he has got onto the pitch.

  • Getty

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Last summer, Thiago was linked with a spectacular return to Barcelona after having left the Catalan side in 2013. However, it was reported that Barcelona could not afford his transfer fee and even if they could, Liverpool were not interested in selling the Spaniard as Klopp saw him as a crucial player.

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  • WHAT NEXT FOR THIAGO?

    The 32-year-old will start his recuperation with the goal of rejoining Liverpool before the end of the current campaign. The Reds lead the Premier League by two points and will play against Burnley on Saturday, February 10. Thiago has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League at the end of the season.

تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام إشبيلية اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

يستعد فريق ريال مدريد لخوض مباراته الأخيرة في عام 2024 غدًا ضد إشبيلية على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

ويلتقي ريال مدريد وإشبيلية مساء الأحد ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة عشر للدوري الإسباني.

وقبل المواجهة الصعبة ضد إشبيلية، كشف المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيكونون متاحين تحت تصرفه للمباراة.

وسيغيب البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور عن المباراة بسبب الإيقاف لتراكم البطاقات.

في غضون ذلك، عاد الظهير الأيسر فيرلاند ميندي إلى قائمة الفريق بعد تعافيه من إصابة عضلية تعرض لها قبل أسبوعين ضد جيرونا.

كما أكد أنشيلوتي، يستمر غياب ديفيد ألابا ولن يكون جاهزًا إلا في يناير، وبالتالي، فهو ليس في قائمة الفريق، إلى جانب النجمين المصابين إيدير ميليتاو وداني كارفاخال.

ويتواجد الشاب راؤول أسينسيو مرة أخرى ضمن القائمة وقد يشارك أساسيا غدا أو يستمر أنشيلوتي في الاعتماد على تشواميني في مركز قلب الدفاع. تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام إشبيلية

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: لوكاس فاسكيز، تشواميني، أنطونيو روديجر، فران جارسيا.

خط الوسط: فالفيردي، كامافينجا، بيلينجهام.

خط الهجوم: رودريجو، كيليان مبابي، إبراهيم دياز.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

Sheff Weds: Carlton Palmer Reacts To Double Signing At Hillsborough

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder and club icon Carlton Palmer has given his verdict on what he thinks about two of the Owls' summer signings.

When Sunderland got promoted from League One in 2022, they entered the Championship with one of the strongest squads in the league – Black Cats’ sporting director Kristjaan Speakman managed to recruit the likes of Édouard Michut, Daniel Ballard and Amad Diallo, who would help the side finish in the playoffs.

Sheffield Wednesday on the other hand hasn’t managed to recruit as well as their new league rivals since their promotion to the Championship and losing manager Darren Moore only makes their fight for survival much harder.

Former Watford boss Xisco Muñoz was appointed as Moore’s successor, however, the Spaniard is struggling to guide his side to points.

The Owls currently sit 23rd in the Championship with their only point coming in a lacklustre 0-0 draw to Yorkshire rivals Leeds United.

And Palmer hasn't been too impressed by the deadline-day acquisitions of Jeff Hendrick and John Buckley…

What has Carlton Palmer said about Wednesday's transfer business?

Speaking to FootballLeagueWorld this week, Palmer said:

"Sheffield Wednesday needed to bring in some Championship experienced players into their squad, so on deadline day, they secured the services of John Buckley.

“It was believed that Buckley was the subject of a £3 million pound bid from Swansea on a permanent deal, but Buckley rejected the move to stay up north.

"Buckley has fallen down the pecking order at Blackburn starting only 21 games last season, but at 23, has played over 100 Championship games, so is a useful acquisition."

Palmer then turned his attention to Hendrick. The former Leeds United midfielder added:

"Hendrick is 31, is experienced, and has a lot of Championship experience.

"He spent last season out on loan at Reading playing 45 league games. Although they were relegated, that was due to the six-point deduction. So, [Hendrick is] another useful acquisition.

"Both are not top-drawer signings but useful additions to the squad."

Who have Sheffield Wednesday signed this season?

jeff-hendrick

Wednesday’s deadline day business may save them from relegation as they managed to get a few additions through the door. One signing that the three-time FA Cup winners signed was Irish midfielder Hendrick from Newcastle United.

The 31-year-old had seen his minutes vanish at Newcastle United as the Magpies invested heavily in their midfield with the Dublin-born midfielder being nowhere near the quality of £55m rated Sandro Tonali or £42.7m Bruno Guimarães.

Name of signing Former club Price as per Transfermarkt Djeidi Gassama PSG 850k Pol Valentín Sporting Gijón 250k Juan Delgado Paços de Ferreira Free Di'Shon Bernard Manchester United Free Anthony Musaba Monaco Free Ashley Fletcher Watford Loan Devis Vásquez AC Milan Loan Mohamed Diaby Portimonense Loan Jeff Hendrick Newcastle United Loan John Buckley Blackburn Rovers Loan Bambo Diaby Preston North End N/A Reece James Blackpool N/A The £1.2m valued midfielder played three times for Newcastle in the 2021/22 season and was later shipped off to Reading the next year. During his time at the Royals, Hendrick played 45 times in the Championship scoring four and assisting once as his side were relegated.The Owls also reinforced on deadline day with 23-year-old John Buckley arriving on loan from Blackburn Rovers.Like Hendrick, Buckley also plays in the centre of the park and has already played 130 times for the Riversiders despite his relatively young age. Last season, the hard-working midfielder averaged 0.43 yellow cards a game (seven in total), so Muñoz may want to have a chat with his new signing about being less aggressive when defending.Whether Palmer is right in his assessment remains to be seen, but after the international break, the Spaniard will be hoping the arrival of these two midfielders will help change their fortunes on the pitch or they will face an instant return to the doldrums of League One.

Walsh named Bangladesh's interim head coach

Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha.Walsh joined the Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a three-year deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate.Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this month, calling the environment “dirty.””Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.”Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said. “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”

Newcastle not done yet as transfer insider reveals news he’s been "told"

Newcastle United have already made a few big money signings this summer and if reports are to be believed, they may not be done yet. Transfer insider Dean Jones has spoken to GIVEMESPORT about the centre-back situation at St James’ Park and what could transpire between now and the beginning of September.

What is the latest in Newcastle United’s centre-back hunt?

This time last year, Newcastle brought in Sven Botman from Lille, a man who helped the French side to a shocking Ligue 1 title.

The Dutchman was then a mainstay at the heart of the Magpies’ defence, amassing over 3,100 minutes in the Premier League. He appeared in 36 of the 38 fixtures and only once was he used as a substitute in that period.

Botman is just 23 and was primarily partnered with the more experienced Fabian Schar. As strong as that duo was under Eddie Howe last term, Newcastle may not be resting on their laurels with reports suggesting a new defender could soon arrive on Tyneside.

The Daily Mail have reported that Crystal Palace’s defensive rock Joachim Andersen is one of those admired by the Newcastle hierarchy and another is Benfica teenager Antonio Silva. The pair are thought to be worth too much in comparison to what Howe is wanting to spend on his defender.

This ties into what Dean Jones has said to GMS below, with the budgeting on this target being a sticking point at the time of writing.

What has Dean Jones got to say?

When speaking with GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones indicated that the transfer exploits for Newcastle in the defensive third will depend largely on the prices of players.

“I’ve always been told that the centre of defence is something to look out for. Newcastle United aren’t finished in this transfer window is what I’m led to believe. It’s really always been a case, though, of what level of spending are they willing to go to here.

“Is it going to be that they want to find good value for money, and we find someone coming in between £10-£20m? Or are they going to go out and cement their case as proper Champions League contenders again by spending upwards of £30m? I wouldn’t rule it out at all. It’ll be very interesting to see what they do.”

Who are Newcastle trying to sign?

Having already acquired fullback Tino Livramento from Southampton for a sizable fee following their relegation to the Championship, Howe and co are reportedly interested in out of favour Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.

It is currently said to be La Liga outfit Real Sociedad leading the charge to obtain the services of the Scotsman. The one issue that could make all the difference though is that Mikel Arteta wants to strike a permanent deal for Tierney whereas the Spaniards are keen to bring him in on loan.

This is clearly a position of interest for the Magpies’ as Chelsea and Spain’s Marc Cucurella has been linked with a season-long loan at St James’ Park as reported by Felix Johnston.

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino seemingly favours Ben Chilwell and so Cucurella may go in search of game time, Champions League game-time at that, further north.

Overton in running for Test debut

Craig Overton looks set to make his debut in place of Jake Ball in the day-night Test at Adelaide

George Dobell at Adelaide01-Dec-2017Craig Overton appears to be winning the selection race ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide, and looks set to make his debut in place of Jake Ball in the England side.While the final decision will be left to Joe Root, the England captain, both Overton and Ball were named in a 12-man squad on the eve of the second Test.Overton, the 23-year-old Somerset seamer, has impressed in the nets over recent days and had an extended batting session against short-pitched bowling in training on Friday evening.Ball had something of a mixed experience in Brisbane. While he took a key wicket early in Australia’s first innings – that of David Warner – he was also the most expensive bowler, conceding 4.27 runs per over.By contrast, James Anderson and Stuart Broad both conceded fewer than two runs an over in Australia’s first innings while Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali conceded 2.79 and 2.46 per over respectively. With one of England’s tactics being to frustrate Australia’s batsmen into errors, Ball’s relative costliness was an issue.He could consider himself unfortunate if he misses out, though. Few batsmen are dropped after one modest game and Ball was, at times, asked to deliver spells of sustained short-pitched deliveries which resulted in a few more boundary opportunities for the batsmen.He also found himself bowling on a pitch offering him little. The surface in Adelaide, while certainly far from the seamers’ paradise some suggest, might offer bowlers just a little more assistance. Certainly it looks likely to be quicker while a combination of the pink ball and the use of floodlights might ask a few more questions of the batsmen.Overton might also strengthen the tail a little. While he has had a horrid run of form on the tour so far – he has been dismissed for a duck in all three of his innings to date – he has a first-class century behind him and retains ambitions to develop into a true all-rounder. The England management have stressed, however, that the respective batting merits of the pair is not relevant to the selection decision and they aim simply to pick the bowler they think will prove most effective.Having not played international cricket, Overton might well face something of a baptism of fire if he is picked. While most Ashes Tests offer an intense atmosphere – a full house is expected on Saturday – this one could be more tense than usual due to a deteriorating relationship between the sides. While there may be a certain amount of pantomime-style playing to the crowd about some incidents, there are also a couple of players on either side who appear to genuinely dislike one another.Meanwhile Moeen Ali came through his first spell of bowling since the Brisbane Test without any serious issues. Moeen sustained a deep cut on his spinning finger in Brisbane which compromised his performance and threatened his ability to bowl in Adelaide. While a chunk of the blistered skin did come off after a brief bowl in the nets on Friday night, he reported no pain or serious inconvenience and confirmed his ability to bowl as required in the Test.It was noticeable, however, that Root had a longer bowl than usual and may use himself to lessen the burden on Moeen.

Hazlewood prefers fifth bowling option in Test line-up

Josh Hazlewood felt a fifth bowler would allow him, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins to bowl at their best and fastest, while easing some of the load off Nathan Lyon

Daniel Brettig02-Nov-2017Josh Hazlewood’s return to fitness will mean New South Wales will field Australia’s Ashes bowling attack against Western Australia in the unassuming surrounds of Hurstville Oval from Saturday, though the tall fast man admits he would like to see some extra bowling cover in the Test squad when it is finally announced.The certainty around the shape of Steven Smith’s top four bowlers and top five batsmen is in sharp contrast to the vast speculation about who will fill the spots at Nos. 6 and 7, in recent times nominally the preserve of an allrounder and a wicketkeeper. Australia’s selectors will not be unveiling their Gabba squad until the day after the third round of Sheffield Shield matches on November 17, having gained precious little relevant information from the first, floodlit fixtures.Returning to the state team following a side strain in Bangladesh and a 10-over spell in Sydney club cricket on the weekend, Hazlewood said he would like to see a fifth bowling option present in the Australian Test side. That balance would aid him, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in bowling at their best and fastest, notwithstanding the outstanding recent displays of the spin bowler Nathan Lyon. Moises Henriques is the allrounder for NSW, while Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis seem the most likely contenders to fulfill that role in the Test team.”It’s always nice having that allrounder to maybe bowl five or six overs throughout the day,” Hazlewood said. “I think the way Gaz has bowled over the last 12-18 months has been fantastic and he’s been shouldering the workload if it does get put upon the quicks. But for balance you want runs and wickets from that No. 6 batter … you could go either way.”It’s always great to have a full-strength NSW side, a lot of Test experience, the skipper and vice skipper there as well, so yeah really looking forward to getting out there. Western Australia are really strong at the moment in all formats, so looking forward to a good game.”It’s usually one or the other [of Starc or Cummins] at different stages, so it’s great to get them together. We’ve got a pretty good record when we’re all together bowling. We’re pretty used to bowling together these days, whether it’s for Australia or NSW, so we’ll just take it as another game and try to get those 20 wickets.”In making his recovery from the side strain, Hazlewood was several weeks behind Starc’s own rehabilitation from a foot problem, meaning he was unable to play in the first Shield round. This means he will play consecutive Shield games before the Gabba Test, creating a delicate balance between the demands of Smith, the selectors and medical staff trying to manage his workload.”The other guys played last week and this week and I think they’re having a rest for game three,” Hazlewood said. “I’m playing game three since I missed the first one. It’s a good build-up, two Shield games before the first Test, and hopefully get through the first Test as well. Ideally you’d want to play the same as Mitch and Pat, the first two, but I don’t see it as much of a big deal, we’ll just bowl a little bit less in the nets leading into it if we bowl a bit more in the game.”It feels really good, it’s got better every session from when I started bowling probably four or five weeks ago, it feels good now, nice and strong, so hopefully it stays that way. Very close to, if not, 100%.”Another contender for the Ashes, Nathan Coulter-Nile, has been bizarrely withdrawn from WA’s Shield team to face NSW at Hurstville and will instead bowl a limited number of overs for an invitational XI against the Englishmen in Perth on November 4 and 5. Hazlewood, who has himself had his bowling load closely managed over numerous years, took the view that it was a chance for a speedy compatriot to place some early doubts in the minds of the touring team’s batsmen.”I see it more as a positive I think, that he can maybe crack open a few of them early and create a few scars in their top order and middle order maybe,” he said. “Disappointing he’s not playing in the Shield game against us, but he’s had trouble with injuries in the past few years so that’s the reason he’s playing there.”Their top order, it’ll be their first hit on tour, and to have a guy there like Coults there to warm them up I guess to maybe create a few scars would be nice. That’s their plan too, to start with the bounciest, quickest wicket and get used to that straight away.”Elsewhere, the national selectors named the Cricket Australia XI squad to face Joe Root’s England tourists in a pair of Ashes warm-up matches, first in Adelaide (November 8-11) and then Townsville (November 15-18). The experienced Tim Paine and the NSW seamer Gurinder Sandhu add experience to the side, which also features the more youthful talents of Will Pucovski and Jason Sangha.Cricket Australia XI squad: Jake Carder, Jackson Coleman, Michael Cormack, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Gibson, Nick Larkin, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine, Will Pucovski, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Matthew Short.

Chelsea: Pochettino has had "talks" with "big-name striker"

Chelsea are "tempted" to bring in another number nine this summer and have discussed the possibility of making a move for Dusan Vlahovic, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Is Vlahovic joining Chelsea?

Since Todd Boehly's arrival as Chelsea's new owner, the Blues' approach to the transfer market has been fairly disastrous.

Having spent enormously on a mass of players, Chelsea have been preoccupied this summer with trimming their ridiculously large squad, and it is still impossible to predict what new boss Mauricio Pochettino's line-up will look like on the opening day of the Premier League season.

Chelsea's scattergun approach to signing talented young players on huge contracts has backfired significantly and Pochettino is the man tasked with picking up the pieces.

Despite having spent a vast fortune on players in recent windows, Chelsea still mysteriously ended up without an orthodox striker last season, one of the reasons they slumped to a 12th-placed league finish.

However, Pochettino is hoping to remedy that situation in the market and, despite having already signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, journalist Jones believes that the Blues could target Juventus' Vlahovic to ease their goalscoring woes.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "I know some people are ruling out of Vlahovic and they say that nothing is happening there. But Vlahovic has definitely been explored by Chelsea and conversations have definitely happened in terms of that.

"The fact that they are even contemplating that, tells you they're tempted to go and sign another striker by the end of this transfer window."

Nkunku can play as a striker but is not a typical number nine, despite his prowess in front of goal. Meanwhile, Jackson is just 22-years-old and may need significant time to adjust to life in a new league at such a young age.

Therefore, Vlahovic, who has been called a "big-name striker", could be an astute piece of business and is a player with a wealth of experience despite being just 23-years-old.

The Serbian international has managed 72 goals in 171 matches for Juventus and Fiorentina in Italy but has struggled to fully settle at the Allianz Stadium in Turin since arriving halfway through the 2021/22 season.

A fee of around €80m would potentially be enough to sign Vlahovic, a figure which is unlikely to put off free-spending Chelsea. The striker would offer Pochettino a more traditional number nine than what the Blues currently have at their disposal and the forward's physicality and clinical edge would make him a great fit in the Premier League.

How good is Vlahovic?

Based on his performances last season in a Juventus side that struggled on and off the pitch, there isn't an enormous amount to get excited about with Vlahovic.

He scored just 14 goals and provided four assists in 42 matches, also suffering from injuries at times throughout the campaign, and only managed the same amount of Serie A strikes as wantaway Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.

However, looking at his statistics during the 2020/21 season – his last full campaign with Fiorentina – it is clear to see that Vlahovic is a top-quality centre-forward.

Compared to other strikers that season in Serie A per 90 minutes, he ranked in the top eight percent for goals (netting 21 in 37 games) and top 12% for aerials won, highlighting his physical presence up top and eye for goal.

Signing Vlahovic could be a risk given his lack of consistency in the black and white of Juventus, but if the forward can recreate the form he has exhibited in the past with Fiorentina and Serbia, then Pochettino would be foolish not to consider the young striker.

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