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Leeds United were relegated back down to the Championship earlier this year after a three-year stint at the top table of English football.

The Whites enjoyed a couple of seasons of survival before they failed to avoid the drop at the end of the 2022/23 campaign under Sam Allardyce.

They owe plenty of credit to former head coach Marcelo Bielsa, whose brilliance in the dugout helped to lead the club back to the big time with promotion in the 2019/20 season – during his second year at Elland Road.

Expected goals

First

Expected goals against

Second

Expected goal difference

First

Attendance

First

Leeds won the Championship title to secure their place in the Premier League for the following term and the Argentine was named the LMA Manager of the Year for his work with the Yorkshire outfit.

Whilst it was a fantastic season that was full of success for the Whites and Bielsa as they earned promotion and a trophy in 2020, the current Uruguay national team boss dodged a disaster during the January transfer window of that campaign; a move for Britt Assombalong.

Were Leeds interested in Britt Assombalonga?

The Mirror reported in January 2020 that the club were interested in a deal to sign Middlesbrough centre-forward Assombalonga to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

It was claimed that Bielsa wanted another number nine to compete with and ease the burden on Patrick Bamford, who went on to score 16 league goals that term and proved himself to be a better option than the ex-Watford man would have been.

The Leeds target had 18 months left to run on his contract on Teeside but the report did not state how much it would have taken for Victor Orta and the Argentine boss to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Middlesbrough signed the forward from Nottingham Forest for £15m in the summer of 2017 and, although it remains unclear, they may have wanted a fair chunk of that back to sanction a move.

Ultimately, Leeds opted against a swoop for Assombalonga and they went through the January transfer window without adding a striker to their squad on a permanent basis.

This turned out to be a blessing for the Whites as the DR Congo international's career has taken a turn for the worse since being linked with a move to Yorkshire in 2020.

Why were Leeds interested in Assombalonga?

Bielsa likely wanted to sign Assombalonga based on his proven track record as a goalscorer for Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest at Championship level.

The marksman joined Forest from Peterborough in the summer of 2014 after an impressive return of 23 goals and three assists in 43 League One outings for the Posh.

He hit the ground running in the Championship with 15 goals and one assist in 29 league matches for the Tricky Trees during his debut campaign at the City Ground, with an average of slightly more than a goal every other game.

Assombalonga then missed a staggering 80 competitive matches with a knee injury between 2014 and 2015 and showed great character to come back and fire home 14 goals in 32 league games during the 2016/17 campaign.

The reliable finisher carried his goalscoring form over to Boro in 2017 with 15 goals and two assists in 44 Championship outings during the 2017/18 season.

That was then followed up by 14 goals in 42 second-tier clashes throughout the following term, as he proved himself to be a consistent scorer at that level over the course of a number of years.

Assombalonga scored six goals and provided two assists in 20 Championship appearances during the first half of the 2019/20 campaign, which led to interest from Leeds in January of that season.

Eddie Nketiah had spent that time on loan at Elland Road from Arsenal and only found the back of the net three times in 17 league outings before his return to The Emirates at the start of 2020.

The Middlesbrough star's impressive statistics at Championship level suggested that he would have been an excellent addition to compete with Bamford.

Where is Assombalonga now?

The Whites failed to secure a deal for his services and, over three years on from that window, the centre-forward now finds himself playing for Antalyaspor in Turkey.

Assombalonga's decline started in the 2020/21 campaign as the DR Congo international only managed five goals and zero assists in 31 league matches for Middlesbrough.

His poor form for the English side then led to a free transfer to Super Lig team Adana Demirspor in the summer of 2021, where he went on to score 18 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions.

The former Peterborough star joined Watford on a short-term deal at the start of this year and struggled as he scored two goals and failed to provide a single assist in 11 Championship games for the Hornets.

He returned to Turkey to join Antalyaspor this summer and has failed to score or assist a single goal in his first six matches with the club to date.

How much is Assombalonga worth now?

FootballTransfers rates his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €600k (£500k), illustrating how badly the last few years have gone for the former Leeds target.

He has scored two goals in 17 league games in 2023, for Watford and Antalyaspor combined, and is worth a staggering £14.5m less than what Middlesbrough paid for him in 2017.

Whilst it remains to be seen how much Leeds would have had to pay for his services during the January transfer window, there is little doubt that Bielsa dodged a disaster by missing out on Assombalonga.

His statistics indicate that he would have been a big downgrade on Bamford, who scored 16 Championship goals and then 17 Premier League goals during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns respectively.

He outscored the Middlesbrough ace in the second tier and then proved himself to be capable of dealing with the rigours of top-flight football.

The former Chelsea prospect's current xTV also sits at €11.7m (£10m), at the age of 30. This suggests that the former England international would not have been usurped by the Whites target, due to his superior goalscoring record and significantly higher market value.

Southampton could be set to lose one of their summer signings to injury for the forseeable future, and one journalist has reacted to the disappointing news he’s hearing from St. Mary’s.

Hull vs Southampton team news

In the Championship, Russell Martin already has Jack Stephens on the sidelines having been missing since August, but there has recently been some more encouraging news regarding the fitness of a fresh face who is yet to make his first appearance for the club.

According to Saints reporter Mark Wyatt, Ross Stewart could be set to make the bench for this weekend’s second-tier game vs Hull City at the MKM Stadium, but with one player likely to return to domestic action, another is unfortunately expected to take his place in the treatment room on the south coast.

Since putting pen to paper on a season-long loan over the summer, Manchester City centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis has started all six of the games he’s featured in, and he’s formed a solid defensive partnership with Jan Bednarek (WhoScored – Harwood-Bellis statistics), but there is a chance that he might be ruled out for an unknown period of time.

England’s youth international returned from representing his nation early last week after sustaining an injury, but with further assessment and any kind of comment yet to be released regarding the extent of the 21-year-old’s problem, it isn’t looking good.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis injury update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones offered his verdict following the injury update on Taylor Harwood-Bellis and admitted that it will be a concern should he get sidelined at Southampton.

He said: "Yeah it would be [a blow]. He's played a significant role this season and obviously, of all of the things that have gone wrong for Southampton, at least they had the makings of a partnership that was showing real promise.

"You've got both ends of the equation there in terms of youth, experience, and hope, and then you've also got someone of such experience in Bednarek, so it's a real blow for Southampton if he's going to be out for a while.

"Obviously, they are getting back in and need to check him out thoroughly, and they won't take any risks on him. But from a Southampton perspective, they really will hope they can get him back in that team as soon as possible."

How tall is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?

Standing at 6 foot 2, Harwood-Bellis has been a rock at the heart of Southampton’s backline since joining, where he’s been averaging 4.2 clearances and 2.8 aerial wins per game in the Championship, highlighting the real physical presence he provides.

The Stockport-born talent is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having posted 15 contributions, ten goals and five assists, since the start of his career, showing the threat he can pose when it comes to set pieces (Transfermarkt – Harwood-Bellis statistics).

Additionally, Harwood-Bellis knows what it takes to get out of the division having achieved promotion with Burnley last term, where his fighting spirit saw him hailed a “warrior” by journalist Josh Bunting, but this is another attribute that Martin could have to cope without.

The two batsmen hit counterattacking centuries in the second innings after Central Zone had secured a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2018Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain hit centuries to help South Zone secure a draw against Central Zone, after they had conceded a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi.After being sent in, South Zone collapsed to 191 all out in 49.5 overs, with only opener Fazle Mahmud (40) passing 30. Seamer Ebadot Hossain and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone’s batsmen showed greater fight and posted 302, with opener Shadman Islam top-scoring with 93. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who had recently made a comeback to the national team, claimed 6 for 106 in 31 overs for South Zone.South Zone started shakily in their second innings, too, and were 84 for 3 in the 26th over. Mithun, however, revived the innings with a 193-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tushar Imran. Mithun hit 118 off 121 balls, including 16 fours and a six, while Tushar made 88 off 141 balls, with 10 fours and a six.Mosaddek then took charge of the innings, despite a shoulder injury. He added 53 for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman before adding 121 runs for the eighth wicket with Nayeem Hasan, who chipped in with 43. Mosaddek stayed unbeaten on 102 off 107 balls.Central Zone were 158 for 5 when play was called off on the final day. Razzak took three wickets to stretch his match tally to nine.

Jimmy Adams admitted it was “a hard slog” and added: “I would not teach my kids to bat like me”

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2018
ScorecardJimmy Adams missed out on his first Specsavers County Championship century of the season as bad light frustrated both Hampshire and Essex at the Ageas Bowl.Opening batsman Adams began his innings at 11.30am on the first day and reached a slow-paced 87 runs before he was finally dismissed at 3.10pm on the third day.”It was a hard slog,” he said. “I wouldn’t teach my kids to bat like me.”But overcast conditions created light issues for the second day in a row to allowed only 28 overs to be bowled on Sunday – meaning 135 overs had been lost to bad light in the match, in addition to 81 overs to rain.Adams and Hashim Amla had batted wonderfully during the morning session, having returned on 57 and eight respectively overnight.Batting was again tricky, despite the older ball, with dark clouds hanging over the ground with the floodlights turned on throughout the day.South African star Amla provided the shot making, while Adams dropped anchor as he took 20 minutes to get odd the mark for the day.Amla scored his first Hampshire half century at the Kia Oval last week against Surrey and continued in his usual classy style to record another milestone – coming off 80 chanceless deliveries.Meanwhile, Adams was enjoying a battle with fast bowler Jamie Porter – with balls regularly speeding past the outside edge.Porter managed to find the 37-year-old’s edge, when on 62, but Alastair Cook spilled the regulation chance at first slip -before the morning action was curtailed to just 23.2 overs.Play eventually recommenced at 2.45pm, just two overs into the new ball.And the fresh ball worked wonders for Porter and Peter Siddle as Amla fell to the latter in the first full over following the return to the wicket.Australian Siddle set-up his fellow overseas, with shrewd swing bowling, as he found exaggerated movement in both directions, before catching the outside of the bat before wicketkeeper James Foster completed the catch off the last ball of the over.Amla departing for a well-made 52, with the wicket ending a 93-run partnership for the third wicket.Porter then managed to end Jimmy Adams’ 264-ball, and almost six hour, stay at the crease with an angled delivery coming around the wicket to pin the left-hander lbw, for a patient 87.The half an hour mini-session earned Essex an impressive analysis of 18 for two in 29 balls but that was all the action possible after 3.15pm.

One player who has benefitted greatly from David Moyes’ return to Everton for a second spell at Goodison Park is Portuguese centre-forward Beto.

The former Udinese marksman only scored four goals in 42 Premier League appearances for Sean Dyche in his 18 months under the ex-Burnley manager.

However, he has already found the back of the net four times in five matches for the Scottish boss, including a goal in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool earlier this month.

That has propelled him to second in the club’s top-scorers list in the Premier League, only behind Iliman Ndiaye – who arrived from Marseille last summer.

Iliman Ndiaye's form this season

Everton swooped to sign the Senegal international from the Ligue 1 giants for a reported fee of £15m ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

The 24-year-old maestro’s form for the Toffees this season suggests that he has been a terrific addition to the squad, as he has proven himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch.

Ndiaye has scored six goals from an xG of just 3.58 in the Premier League for the Blues, which shows that he has been ruthless with the chances that have come his way, whilst the attacker has also created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

Market Movers

Everton appear to have struck gold with the former Sheffield United man, given that he is their top scorer this season, but the Toffees have also hit the jackpot with a star who is worth even more than the £15m that was paid for Ndiaye – Vitalii Mykolenko.

Vitalli Mykolenko's soaring value

The Ukraine international joined from Dynamo Kyiv in the January transfer window in 2021 and was valued at £14m by Transfermarkt at the time of his move – less than Ndiaye is currently worth.

He has racked up 110 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees to date, including 98 in the Premier League, and has become a solid option at left-back.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Mykolenko has started all 23 of his top-flight appearances for Everton and ranks second in the squad for interceptions per game (1.2), whilst he has also won 57% of his duels in the league – showing that he can hold his own in physical battles.

January 2021

£14m

June 2022

£15m

November 2022

£18m

June 2023

£21m

Present

£23m

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old defender’s value has soared by millions throughout his time at Goodison Park so far and is currently at a whopping £23m – £8m more than the club paid for Ndiaye last summer.

This shows that the Toffees hit the jackpot when they signed Mykolenko back at the start of 2022 because they landed a promising full-back who has been a regular in the team in recent years, whilst also being an increasingly valuable asset who could be sold on in the future.

Imagine him & Beto: Moyes could find Antonio 2.0 in "prolific" Everton teen

Everton could see some exciting academy talents come through with Moyes back in the dugout.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 19, 2025

Hopefully, Mykolenko can continue to impress under Moyes and continue to prove that the Toffees hit the jackpot by signing the Ukraine international, due to his ability on the pitch and his soaring market value off it.

In Dhaka, Shahriar Nafees’ 82 helped Agrani Bank to a six-wicket win against Rupganj, while Mohammedan signed off their DPL campaign with a hard-fought two-wicket win over Kalabagan in Savar

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2018Sohag Gazi and Elias Sunny powered Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to the Dhaka Premier League’s Super League phase, after their 74-run win over Brothers Union in Fatullah. The spinners took three wickets each as Brothers Union were bowled out for 110 runs.Pace bowler Abu Jayed took two wickets while left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam and pacer Robiul Haque picked one apiece. Earlier, Shykat Ali top scored for Dhanmondi Club with 55, as they made 184 all out in 47.1 overs.Pacer Khaled Ahmed took three wickets while there was two each for Sohrawordi Shuvo, Shakhawat Hossain and Alok Kapali.Shahriar Nafees’ 82 helped Agrani Bank to a six-wicket win against Legends of Rupganj at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Nafees struck 10 fours in his 103-ball knock, in which he shared a 76-run opening stand with Soumya Sarkar, who was among several Bangladesh players to appear in the DPL the day after their return from Colombo.Later, it was another 76-run fourth wicket stand between Shamsul Alam and Dhiman Ghosh that sealed the win. But it wasn’t enough for Agrani Bank who are rooted at 11th place and will have to battle for relegation in the three-way playoffs with Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Brothers Union.Mohammedan Sporting Club signed off their DPL campaign with a hard-fought two-wicket win over Kalabagan Krira Chakra at the BKSP-3 ground. The game was delayed by 30 minutes after both teams and match officials were stuck in traffic on the highway leading up to Savar.Batting first, Kalabagan were bowled out for 260 in 47.3 overs with Mohammad Ashraful reaching his third century in the league. He made 127 off 124 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. He added 85 runs for the second wicket with Waliul Karim, and 82 for the third wicket with Mahmudul Hasan.But the rest of Kalabagan’s batting line-up crumbled quickly, with Qazi Onik picking up career-best figures of 6-49 from his 8.5 overs.Rony Talukdar and Enamul Haque struck fifties and shared a 98-run second wicket stand to provide Mohammedan with a good start.Shamsur Rahman’s steady 38 kept them going for a while but when he fell as the eighth wicket, Mohammedan still needed 27 to win.Taijul Islam and Onik batted well, to add the remaining runs as they won with four balls to spare. Sanjit Saha took three wickets for Kalabagan.

Everton's start to the season has been nothing short of diabolical, having endured a rough run of Premier League results despite having easier fixtures on paper.

It seems that the rallying calls have come much earlier this campaign, with summer signing Ashley Young speaking to the fans: "Stay with us. Keep backing us like they are, like they do. Everton fans are fantastic week in, week out, whether we are at home or away. It is down to us as players on the pitch to go and keep them coming back and put points on the board."

Sean Dyche is all too familiar with these kinds of words, as he claimed at the end of last term: "The fans have been with us all the way, but they have backed what we have. It is a joyous occasion, but we need solid thinking going forward, we are going to have to build and I need them to understand that, it is a work in progress."

However, it is becoming increasingly hard to support a side that has just one point in the league thus far, as their profligacy once again proves to be a key issue.

The Toffees have scored just twice in five games, both of which came in one match, despite raining down 13.4 shots per game. By far the most frustrating figure is that, on average, they are missing a whopping 2.2 big chances per game, having amassed an expected goals tally of 2.73 and 1.34 in their 1-0 home defeats to Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, via Sofascore.

Although Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will seek to finish those chances further up the pitch, given both are seemingly available now, it is certain that the former Burnley boss would love to have some additional goals from midfield to help edge his team out in the tight contests they continue to lose.

What is Everton's worst-ever transfer decision?

When it comes to pinpointing the worst transfer decisions in the club's long history, there are arguably too many to count.

It could be as simple as failing to replace Romelu Lukaku after sanctioning his £75m sale in 2017, or as big as spending £25m on Yannick Bolasie only to see his career ravaged by injuries. The same could be said for Jean-Philippe Gbamin, although there are others such as Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey Neal Maupay and more who are still tied to them despite consistently torrid displays.

However, when viewing the current team, it has already been clearly laid out that a lack of goals remains their main issue.

Last season saw their top scorer notch just seven goals in the Premier League, with Abdoulaye Doucoure emerging to net some important additional ones too as he finished on five strikes. So, to view John Lundstram, who has proven himself to be a workmanlike goal threat from defensive midfield, it must be frustrating to realise that Roberto Martinez was happy to sanction his exit back in 2015.

The 29-year-old would rise from such devastation though, joining Sheffield United where he would become a mainstay as they earned promotion to the top flight.

Then, in that miraculous first year back, his five goals and three assists saw him lauded by many. Even swapping Bramall Lane for Ibrox has not seen him slow down, as he integrated himself with ease once again before playing a vital role in their similarly exceptional Europa League run.

TNT Sports pundit Kenny Miller was full of praise for the Liverpool-born enforcer in the run-up to their final with Eintracht Frankfurt, as he noted: "He's been absolutely key. He's a monster in the middle of the park for Rangers. He's really developed into a top player for the football club and so important."

To think that, with vital strikes against giants such as RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, he was once deemed surplus to requirements at Goodison Park is somewhat puzzling. What Dyche wouldn't do for his services nowadays. Allowing his exit is not nearly the club's worst-ever transfer decision, but it was also far from a good one.

How much did Everton let John Lundstram leave for?

Inexplicably, the Merseyside outfit failed to secure any kind of fee when Lundstram left, with the midfielder having yet to make a single senior appearance despite being at the club since 2002.

Oxford United would profit from this blunder, snagging his services for nothing before flipping him to Sheffield United for a cool £700k.

He would go on to play 120 times for the Blades, with his value increasing with each passing year since departing Goodison Park.

What was John Lundstram's market value at Everton?

In July 2013, which marked the first time that Transfermarkt offered a valuation for the 5 foot 11 general, they offered a diminutive valuation for a man who admittedly had done little to earn much more.

Just €300k (£260k) was placed on his head, which whilst largely insignificant for a club of their stature, should have been enough to warrant earning more from his exit than nothing.

€7.5m (£6.5m)

24% decrease

€10m (£8.6m)

405% increase

€2m (£1.7m)

292% increase

€500k (£433k)

66% increase

€300k (£260k)

N/A

What made this even more frustrating was watching his value grow over his spells with the Blades and the Gers, which truly exacerbated Martinez's questionable decision.

What is John Lundstram's market value now?

Unsurprisingly, Lundstram's value peaked during his tenure under Chris Wilder, where his goalscoring from deep shocked much of the division to earn him the €10m (£8.6m) figure noted.

A legend of that club, Billy Sharp, was quick to praise him during that period: "He’s got all the attributes. He runs so much in a game, he provides assists and goals. He’s a real menace to other teams and a great player to have. He gives us a lot of energy and he got an assist as well, which is important."

However, since joining Rangers that has declined slightly, likely due to the decrease in quality of the Scottish Premiership, and his age. Despite that, the €7.5m (£6.5m) value still marks a 2400% increase from that first number noted whilst he was at Everton.

How much does John Lundstram earn?

Lundstram has come a long way from the young scouser seeking a breakthrough at his boyhood club, and therefore has seen a salary increase to align with his ever-growing pedigree.

Earning a mere £3.1k-per-week whilst in his home city, he would have to take a small cut before moving up to £25k-per-week when he moved to Sheffield.

This has since levelled out to a more appropriate £22k-per-week, with Rangers paying a decidedly small sum for someone with such quality, who boasts plenty of experience.

The former Kent batsman has stepped down from his role, less than two years into a three-year contract

Madushka Balasuriya 12-Feb-2018Sri Lanka’s high performance manager Simon Willis has handed in his resignation to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), less than two years into a three-year contract. ESPNcricinfo understands that Willis’ decision was down to personal reasons and that plans to bring in a suitable replacement is now underway.”Simon has given us six months notice and as such will remain with Sri Lanka Cricket until June 30,” a SLC official said. “We will therefore be advertising for the position.”Willis, whose recruitment was spearheaded by Aravinda De Silva – in his then capacity as SLC cricket committee chairman – had been recruited especially for the newly created role of high performance manager in May 2016 to oversee Sri Lanka’s cricket academy, as well play a key role in identifying and developing young talent.SLC hopes to bring in Willis’ replacement at least two months prior to the end of his term, so as to ensure a smooth transition.

Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed their first three points of the season in match week three of the Premier League, after what was a treacherous summer for the Old Gold.

From being restricted of funds due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) pressures, to being left without a manager just five days before the 2023/24 campaign commenced, the outlook for Wolves’ season ahead looked bleak before the off.

Gary O’Neil was hired as a quick resolution in the coaching department, as well as the sale of Matheus Nunes aiding the club in bringing in much-needed reinforcements after months of tight finances, turning the direction from the doom and gloom of the past to the positives of the future.

One issue that remains is the squad’s difficulty in scoring goals, which was speculated to have been an area eyed to bolster on deadline day, however, the window closed without a striker identified.

Who did Wolves want to sign this summer?

The narrative of Che Adams’ future was of interest to Molineux on the final day of the transfer window, as the Southampton striker was speculated to make the move to the Midlands.

It was later revealed that any potential deal was off, according to Express and Star, leaving O’Neil short in the strike department as expected this season.

Earlier in the summer, fans were left dreaming as links to former Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres circled, however, the Sweden international made the move to Sporting Lisbon in a deal rumoured to be worth around £18.5m.

How many goals has Viktor Gyokeres scored?

There’s no doubt that Wolves would have been attracted to the services of Gyokeres, who netted 22 goals and registered 12 assists in all competitions for the Sky Blues last term.

After ending the 2022/23 season as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers, it was imperative that a reliable forward was recruited to break the chain, however, things never looked likely as the details of the club’s financial turmoil unravelled.

One positive from the lows of the FFP worries was that Fabio Silva remained at the club, after returning from a season of two loan experiences at both Anderlecht and PSV.

The 21-year-old made a strong impact away from Molineux, scoring seven goals in the Belgian Pro League in his first loan spell, followed by netting four Eredivisie goals for PSV before his return.

While his talent is unquestionable, the youngster's development is a process with his skills still raw and maturing to the demands of the Premier League, leaving question marks over whether he could be the man to solve such woes in the final third.

Indeed, when it comes to his action for the Old Gold, Silva has only found the net on five occasions in 67 outings.

Gyokeres, therefore, could have been the perfect inclusion for the Old Gold, as highlighted by his fast start in Portugal, where he scored a brace on his debut in Liga Portugal for Sporting.

Previously lauded as “one of a kind” by former manager Mark Robins, the 25-year-old has the feel of a prolific forward and one that could have been a reliable figure at Molineux to bolster their outlook in front of goal.

Silva is yet to open his scoring in the Premier League this season, and with plenty of minutes still to be played there is a chance he will find his feet, however, many will be wondering just how the team would have looked with the former Coventry City marksman setting the pace.

Arsenal have now been provided with a new update on their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi by transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are searching for a new centre-back, in light of Jurrien Timber's recent injury blow, and they have now set their sights on Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson, who has a release clause of just €25m (£21m) included in his contract.

Journalist Rudy Galetti has made it clear that a number of options are being considered, with four targets currently on the shortlist, however Mikel Arteta may be forced to reduce it to three, as Barcelona are unwilling to sell Erik Garcia.

The La Liga club are unwilling to sanction a loan move this close to the end of the summer transfer window, so Arteta may have to turn his attentions elsewhere, with Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba previously being named as a potential option.

However, the German club have made it clear that Tapsoba will not be available on the cheap, with Football Insider reporting they are set to hold out for a fee of £50m, which has proven to be "prohibitive" for north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Another one of Arsenal's more expensive centre-back targets is Guehi, with Jones recently telling GiveMeSport that Palace's asking price may increase at this stage of the window, considering they would not have much time to bring in a replacement.

The transfer insider said: “The Marc Guehi interest has been there for a while. I don’t know that it necessarily would combine well with any interest from Takehiro Tomiyasu from Palace because Palace have no intention to lose Guehi and value him very, very highly.

“Earlier in the window I was being told of a £60m valuation on him and to be honest at this stage of the window it has probably risen. Guehi himself would even have reservations about how he fits in with Gabriel, William Saliba, Ben White and Jurrien Timber over the course of the season because he definitely needs regular game time to get into the England squad and won’t want to be fighting for his spot on a weekly basis, even at a big club like that.”

How tall is Marc Guehi?

The Palace star is not the tallest of centre-backs, standing at 6 foot, however he has been very effective for Palace over the past two seasons, with his performances earning him an England call-up, featuring for the Three Lions against Malta in the summer.

Lauded as "incredible" by members of the media, the former Swansea City man particularly specialises in tackling, with no player aged 21 or under averaging a better tackle success rate in England's top two tiers during the 2020-21 season.

Having now proven himself in the top flight, the 22-year-old could now be ready to make the step-up to a club the size of Arsenal, but it does not seem like a move that is likely to happen before the deadline.

Guehi's inflated asking price could dissuade the Gunners from making an approach, and he may not even be keen on the move himself at this stage of the career.