All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Ipswich Town blissfully shrugged off the grim fact that a Premier League relegation looks a nailed-on possibility before their trip to Chelsea on Sunday.

Amazingly, the travelling Tractor Boys raced into a two-goal lead in the first half to stun the Stamford Bridge masses, but a share of the points was the final outcome for a relieved Enzo Maresca.

Kieran McKenna would have taken a lot of positives out of the entertaining 2-2 draw, knowing that some of the personnel who battled well with the Blues will be around next season when promotion is on the agenda.

What Ipswich's rebuild could look like

Away from the likes of Liam Delap and Leif Davis potentially leaving, McKenna will be hopeful that his tight-knit group stays together for the challenge of instantly returning to the Premier League.

He will certainly be calling upon goalkeeper Alex Palmer as his no.1 in the Championship, with the January signing already well accustomed to the second tier with ex-side West Bromwich Albion, on top of tallying up eight crucial saves in West London.

Moreover, faces such as defender Dara O’Shea should continue to start week in week out under McKenna, with the Irishman tallying up a whopping 11 clearances whenever Chelsea bombed forward.

But, with Delap potentially on his way out, how might the attack look?

Well, both George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead could benefit from more game-time by dropping down a division, with the lively pair in and out of the Ipswich starting lineup this season despite amassing 30 goal contributions between them when automatic promotion glory became reality.

Both players did start the contest at Chelsea and shone, but there’s one new standout talent in the Tractor Boys ranks who’s worth even more than the aforementioned duo and he caused the Blues a lot more bother on Sunday.

The "terrific" talent worth more than Hirst & Broadhead

One problem area for Ipswich next season could be down the right wing, with Omari Hutchinson another first-team figure who might fancy a Premier League stay at a different outfit rather than sticking it out at Portman Road.

With the likes of Wes Burns also injury-prone on the right flank, McKenna might well be calling upon ex-West Ham United man Ben Johnson as a first-team regular in this spot more often in the second tier, having been blown away by his quality up against Maresca’s hosts.

Johnson got up and running for Ipswich in terms of goals when powering home a header past Robert Sanchez, with the versatile 25-year-old also picking up his third assist of the Premier League season when helping Julio Enciso to fire home the opener.

These four goal contributions have come about despite Johnson only making 12 starts for the Tractor Boys in league action, but his impactful cameos here and there have made him a definite worthwhile signing, with the Ipswich number 18 entering the building last summer on a shrewd free transfer.

Games played

19

Games started

12

Minutes per game

61 mins

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Transfer value now

£6.8m

Now, off the back of his heroics in Suffolk, the 25-year-old’s transfer value – as per Transfermarkt – stands at a sturdy £7m, which is way above Hirst and Broadhead’s valuations in the process who are both worth a lesser £4m in contrast.

Heralded as “terrific” by football scout Antonio Mango when initially cutting his teeth at West Ham, Johnson could become even more important to the Ipswich cause when relegation is confirmed, with his ability to play all over the pitch a useful asset to have across a bumper 46-game campaign.

Both Hirst and Broadhead will also have key roles to play in the second tier, with the near future at Portman Road not all doom and gloom if their wounds are sutured quickly after their one-season Premier League adventure.

McKenna has found an Ipswich "warrior" who's become as undroppable as Delap

This Ipswich Town star is becoming as undroppable as Liam Delap.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 13, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is preparing to table an official bid for one “top” and “underrated” player, which is expected to arrive before the end of this 2024/2025 campaign.

Arsenal plan for summer window amid Champions League campaign

Mikel Arteta and his squad are fresh off the back of a stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from Declan Rice and a fantastic Mikel Merino finish.

Inter Milan tempted by "astronomical" Arsenal bid for £265k-per-week star

The Serie A champions would find it difficult to turn down.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

The historic night in north London gifts Arsenal real hope they could go on to become favourites for their first ever Champions League title, but first they must finish off the 15-time champions of Europe on away turf.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

The three-goal cushion hands Arteta’s side major breathing room, but Real have shown a tendency to mount dramatic comebacks in Europe over the years, so you can never discount Los Blancos and Arsenal will need to put in another rip-roaring display.

The semi-finals are within touching distance, and if they go on to win the competition, this campaign would be seen as a major success despite their failed Premier League title challenge, so there is still everything for Arsenal to play for.

That being said, Arteta will be desperate for his team to put in a much more successful shift for the league next season, as Arsenal look to end their two-decade-long-plus wait for a domestic crown.

When it comes to this, Berta’s influence will be crucial, and the transfer chief is said to already have big plans to reinforce the squad this summer.

Arsenal could make up to seven major signings across the squad, as per GiveMeSport, and one of Berta’s key aims is to bring in a prolific striker.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, Ipswich Town ace Liam Delap and Sporting CP marksman Viktor Gyokeres have all been repeatedly linked, but it is the latter who appears to be gaining most traction.

There are even murmurs that Arsenal are ready to hand Gyokeres a £192,000-per-week contract to join them, while the reliable David Ornstein has claimed the Gunners are growing more and more keen on the Swede.

Andrea Berta preparing Arsenal bid for Viktor Gyokeres

According to an update from Portugal, courtesy of A Bola, club-to-club talks could begin pretty soon as well.

They report that Arsenal are “already” preparing a bid for Gyokeres, which will land before the end of 2024/2025, and Arteta’s side are currently the most “serious candidates” for his signing in England, ahead of Man City and Liverpool.

Given the presence of Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich in the race for his signature, Sporting are convinced that there will be an auction, which could inflate his final price to near his release clause of £87 million – despite his starting price of £61 million.

Gyokeres, for his part, is “attracted” by the Arsenal project and is keen on joining. Berta will also have £202 million to splash on three big-name signings this summer, including the Sporting star, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Called a “top player” by Arsenal keeper David Raya, there are those who believe Gyokeres is also “massively underrated”, which is a pretty understandable verdict considering he’s yet to secure a big move despite his ridiculous profiency abroad.

Echoing last season’s heroics, the 26-year-old boasts 44 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions, with another 11 assists to boot. Surely now is the time for clubs to take the plunge.

Chelsea took another big step towards Champions League qualification last night, with Enzo Fernández’s second-half strike securing all three points over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca’s men now occupy a place in the Premier League’s top four with just eight games to go, looking to end the league season on a high alongside a potential Europa Conference League title.

Whilst it wasn’t a vintage game, a triumph over your London rivals is always a good result, with points on the board being the crucial factor at this stage of the campaign.

The Blues welcomed back numerous key players during the victory, undoubtedly boosting their credentials of returning to the biggest competition in European football.

One of which managed to impress in West London last night, finally looking back to somewhat near his best after a tricky few weeks compared to his usual high standards.

Chelsea’s star performers against Tottenham

Midfielder Moises Caicedo enjoyed another superb display at the heart of the Chelsea side, with his British-record £115m fee now looking to be a bargain.

The 23-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, winning four tackles and nine duels – with both of his subsequent figures the highest of any player on the pitch.

Attacker Cole Palmer was recalled to the starting eleven after missing the clash with Arsenal before the international break – finally ending his unheard-of drought within the final third.

The England international had gone eight games without a goal and an assist before setting up Fernandez, who landed the match’s winning goal in the 50th minute.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one player is undoubtedly becoming the club’s most important player, with any hopes of landing Champions League qualification falling onto his shoulders.

The Chelsea player who’s becoming their most important player

There’s no denying that over the last couple of years, Palmer has constantly been the player to deliver the goods for Chelsea, often getting the side out of various tricky scenarios.

However, his recent drought is evidence that other players need to come forward to help Maresca achieve his ambitions of leading the club back to where they belong.

Argentine midfielder Fernandez has done exactly that over the last couple of months, notching 14 goal contributions since the start of November – undoubtedly the best run of his Blues career.

Questions were raised about his talents after the hierarchy forked out £106.8m for his signature in January 2023, but his showing last night was further evidence that he was worth the big money fee.

The 24-year-old took the armband with Reece James on the bench, with his performance just that of a captain, managing to complete 91% of the passes he attempted.

Minutes played

89

Touches

61

Passes completed

41/45 (91%)

Goals scored

1

Tackles won

1/1 (100%)

Interceptions made

1

Recoveries made

4

Fernandez also registered 61 touches and made nine passes into the final third – looking to have a positive impact on proceedings at any given opportunity.

Defensively, the former Benfica star was just as impressive, winning 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst making one interception and four recoveries, helping the side register another clean sheet.

His goal was the cherry on the cake of a phenomenal outing, with The Express’ Alex Turk handing him a 7/10 match rating to reinforce his positive display in West London.

He’s certainly stepped up his game under Maresca in the last couple of months, with the Italian now reaping the rewards of the faith he showed in the midfielder during his tricky start to the campaign.

Such showings could prove vital between now and the end of the season, with Fernandez potentially playing a crucial role in any success the club endures between now and the end of May.

Maresca's own Drogba: Chelsea plot summer move for "phenomenal" CF

Chelsea could land a player this summer who could be their next Didier Drogba.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 3, 2025

When it comes to superstars, few clubs in England have had more than Arsenal.

With the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Özil and most recently, Bukayo Saka, the Gunners have long been a club that can boast a tradition of fielding icons of the game.

However, the North Londoners have also had more than their fair share of cult heroes over the years, from Santi Cazorla to Emmanuel Eboue and Lukas Podolski.

The former German international didn’t spend much time with the club, but he certainly ingratiated himself with the fans, and based on recent reports, the club could be about to sign a player who could be a repeat of the powerful ace.

Arsenal's summer plans

It’s no secret that the one position Arsenal need to strengthen above all others this summer is striker, and based on reports from the last few weeks or so, that’s where most of their attention seems to be at the moment.

For example, just a couple of days ago, The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that the club were developing a ‘strong interest’ in Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Just a day later, reports claimed that the North Londoners were also incredibly keen on RB Leipzig’s up-and-coming Benjamin Sesko, who has scored 23 goals in 37 appearances this season.

That said, while a new striker is of paramount importance, it’s not the only area of the frontline that needs to be addressed, nor is it the only position the club are looking to bolster.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are interested in signing Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané.

Plettenberg claims that while the winger wants to stay in Bavaria and is negotiating a new deal, he has also held “concrete talks” with the Gunners regarding a free transfer in the summer.

However, according to other reports, North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have also held talks with the player’s camp, so moving fast could be imperative to seal a deal.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Sané’s ability and experience, it is worth fighting for, especially as he could be Arsenal’s next Podolski.

Why Sane would be Arsenal's new Podolski

So, to kick things off, the pair would have joined the Gunners from the Bundesliga, with Podolski moving to the Emirates in a £10.9m deal from FC Koln in the summer of 2012.

Moreover, the Gliwice-born star also spent a few years playing for FC Hollywood, scoring 26 goals and providing 20 assists in 106 appearances between July 2006 and July 2009.

In addition to their similar careers at club level, the pair are also left-footed attackers who have amassed an impressive number of senior caps for Germany.

The former Manchester City star is now on 69, and the Górnik Zabrze ace retired from international duty with 130.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the pair are both positionally versatile players who can thrive out on the left and have an impressive track record of scoring and providing assists in their careers.

Appearances

403

678

Goals

111

227

Assists

101

136

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.53

For example, in 403 senior appearances, the Bayern star has scored 111 goals and provided 101 assists, which comes out to a stellar average of a goal involvement every 1.90 games. Is it really any surprise that Julian Nagelsmann once proclaimed he was “one of the best players in Europe.”

The former Gunners star, on the other hand, has scored 227 goals and provided 136 assists in 678 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.86 games, which is remarkably similar to his younger compatriot.

Ultimately, Arsenal need more than just a striker this summer, and Sane looks like he could provide them with more threat off the left, just like Podolski did during his time with the club.

Arteta can finally axe Merino by unleashing Arsenal's £27m "wizard" up top

The dangerous international could be the answer for Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 1, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur responded in stoppage time to cancel out Newcastle United’s controversial late penalty at St. James’ Park and arrest their losing run.

It was more of the same in the first half, with Spurs unable to test the goalkeeper for the fourth successive game before the break. But as in Paris last week, Thomas Frank’s side showed fight after the break, and this was typified by Cristian Romero as he scored twice to secure a point.

Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring, but Anthony Gordon’s spot kick was a contentious call, and Arsenal correspondent Charles Watt even commented on the “madness” in seeing it given.

But the captain’s contribution also saw Tottenham end a run of four losses to the Magpies, and it gives Frank a foundation to build on throughout December.

Cristian Romero leads the Spurs' fightback

Romero is among the most aggressive and tenacious players in the Premier League. He led by example on Tyneside, scoring both goals with a brave header and dramatic bicycle kick in the dying embers.

On his return from suspension, Romero reminded the fans of the dimension he adds when on the field and wearing the armband.

Defensively, the Argentina international was something of a mixed bag, though, only winning six of 13 contested duels across the evening and being skinned by Harvey Barnes for the winger’s chance.

However, the 27-year-old made five ball recoveries and five clearances, also blocking two shots. He led by example.

Romero’s heroics will secure the headlines this morning, but there was arguably a Spurs man in front of him who played an even more impressive game, point-sealing strikes aside.

Frank has found Spurs' new Mousa Dembele

In testing times this season, 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall has stepped up and looked like one of Tottenham’s most promising players, purposeful on the ball and combative in the challenge.

He’s still so young, but the teenager’s maturity and natural technical flair indicate a certain likeness to former Lilywhites star Mousa Dembele.

His heart and passion are clear to see, and as he polishes his natural skillset, he could emulate Dembele’s all-controlling role in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield, earning him so many plaudits.

Newcastle were on the front foot for much of the game, but Bergvall helped repel the hosts throughout.

One Spurs podcast host even remarked that the Swedish talent was “a class above the rest in the first half”, effortless on the ball and tenacious in a way which hasn’t been matched by his teammates (barring Romero).

How often was this the case with Dembele? his elegance and physicality made him a unique midfielder, and it was his effortless dribbling that led Belgian teammate Kevin De Bruyne to call him “the best in the world” during his heyday.

Bergvall isn’t there yet, but he’s shining in a Tottenham team which, at times, appears allergic to positive attacking play, inviting pressure on themselves with poor passing.

However, the club’s never-say-die attitude was embodied by players like the skipper and Bergvall, with the Scandinavian star showing off both sides of his game by winning his tackle and succeeding with both attempts to carry the ball forward.

Minutes played

77′

Touches

28

Accurate passes

13/17 (76%)

Unsuccessful touches

3

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

2

Tackles

1/1

Clearances

1

Duels won

3/4

Football.london gave him a 7/10 post-match rating and acknowledged Bergvall’s intensity in pressing against the Newcastle engine room and providing plenty of energy to keep the spirited fightback focused.

Bergvall has some way to go before he could say he is on a level with Dembele at his Tottenham best, but this is the kind of profile and the kind of performance that Frank needs from his team to start playing with an exciting identity.

Richarlison upgrade: Spurs line up bid for "one of the best STs in Europe"

Tottenham have left plenty to be desired in the final third this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2025

Manchester United are keen to strengthen their attacking ranks under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to raid South America for a bristling talent dubbed the next Neymar Jr.

Man Utd prepare to address squad issues in mid-season window

The Red Devils find themselves in the middle of the Premier League pack heading into a hectic run of fixtures between now and the New Year, which will offer Amorim some insight regarding where he needs to add steel to help his side continue their recent improvement.

Ultimately, setbacks are part of football, and Monday’s defeat against Everton will sting for the Manchester United support, especially given the difficulty their side had in breaking down the low block David Moyes deployed at Old Trafford.

Delivering an honest assessment of what needs to change going forward, Matthijs De Ligt urged his teammates to bounce back against Crystal Palace on Sunday and show improved urgency in South London.

He stated: “Overall, just a really bad performance. The next game, obviously, is really important now. We have to bounce back from this performance. We had some good performances over the last couple of weeks, and now we had a bad one.

“Now, it’s for us to come back, to stay together and to make clear what has to be better. We lacked maybe the urgency to score the goals, to create the chances – and then you know against a team like Everton, who drop back and are really strong in the air, it’s going to be quite difficult. That basically sums up the night.”

Man Utd to "complete" move and sign "the next Casemiro" in coming days

The Red Devils are now ready to open their transfer chequebook.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 28, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers pair Andre and Joao Gomes have been identified by Manchester United as January targets. Casemiro’s potential contract expiry has led Amorim down the path of searching for a midfielder, and it is clear he is making inroads on that front.

Conversely, the Red Devils are now said to be leading the race for a talent who could become one of South America’s brightest stars in the next few years.

Man Utd leading race to sign Santos star Robinho Jr

According to reports in Spain, Man Utd are leading the race to sign Santos prodigy Robinho Jr, and they have made contact with his entourage over bringing the 17-year-old winger to Old Trafford.

Compared to Neymar by peers in his homeland, he is a recognisable name as the son of former Manchester City and Real Madrid star Robinho, and he may be allowed to leave his current club due to their financial situation.

Robinho Jr’s statistics at Santos

Appearances

13

Goals

0

Assists

1

Santos are unlikely to let the winger go for a modest fee, albeit Manchester United have been tracking his progress for months and see a unique opportunity to develop his talent in England.

This is something that the Brazilian giants are willing to seriously evaluate as they look to bring funds into the club, especially given they are at risk of relegation, potentially creating a scenario where everyone is a winner.

Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly responded to Mike Ashley’s bid to buy the club, with the former Newcastle United man now plotting his next step.

Finance expert reveals extent of interest in Sheffield Wednesday

It’s been a busy month at Hillsborough, with the Owls receiving plenty of takeover interest after entering administration. Setting a soft deadline of December 5, things look destined to accelerate in the coming week in the hope that Sheffield Wednesday finally enter a new era and put Dejphon Chansiri behind them for good.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson recently revealed that there are as many as 11 bidders to buy Sheffield Wednesday, telling talkSPORT: “I’m working with one of the bidders. There are a number of bidders in play, a number of credible players around.

Sheffield-born takeover candidate makes key contact in race to buy Sheffield Wednesday

He could buy his local club.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

“Apparently, there’s 11 that have given proof of funds for £50m of liquid assets. That is a serious process, and there is serious interest. The issue is actually that you can’t just look at the headline price here. This is a club that’s not had a lick of paint for quite some time and by the end of this season it will be in League One.

“It will have almost no squad and it will have a stadium that needs significant spending. So anybody that comes in is going to have to have deep pockets. I think the people that are circling do have deep pockets, but it is not going to be a cheap deal for anybody. The challenges are great.

Among those 11 bidders could be John McEvoy, who was one of the first names linked with a move to buy the club, and former Newcastle man Ashley. The 61-year-old is seemingly keen on a return to English football and has already received a response from Wednesday.

Mike Ashley submits bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday

As reported by Sky Sports, Ashley has now submitted a £20m bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, who have turned that offer down. The former Newcastle owner is now plotting his next step and could yet return with an improved second offer, however.

If he is to return with a second offer, then Ashley will likely have to at least match other bids in the region of £30m to stand a chance of completing a takeover. Whilst it isn’t as simple as accepting the highest bid for the Owls, they won’t sell the club at a cut-price in the face of so much interest.

Of course, if Ashley does match other bids then he could become one of the better options available. He has experience in English football and, financially speaking, he stabilised Newcastle during his time at the club.

Sheffield Wednesday return to Sheffield United takeover merger

Hammarby manager Kim Hellberg has now travelled to the UK to hold talks with Swansea City about taking their vacant managerial role, with the Championship side advancing their move during the international break.

Since making the decision to sack Alan Sheehan, Swansea have been linked with moves for a number of names with Hellberg at the very top of their list. Alongside the 37-year-old, former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has been linked with the job, whilst Russell Martin is reportedly open to making an unexpected return.

The former Swansea manager has endured a couple of years to forget in the dugout, having been sacked by Southampton in the Premier League and then by Rangers as one of their most unsuccessful managers of all time. Now, he desperately needs his next move to go well.

The Swans could also do with getting things right after sacking Sheehan. They currently sit 18th and seven points above the dropzone. Get things wrong and they face the risk of falling into a relegation battle this season.

With Middlesbrough and Norwich City also on the hunt for new managers, Swansea must also act fast if they are to secure their top managerial target. The last thing they want to do is miss their stop on the managerial merry-go-round in the Championship.

In an ideal world, those in Wales will have their top candidate through the door by the end of the international break and in time to face Bristol City on November 22. Whether that candidate will be Carrick, Martin or Hellberg is the big question.

Swansea advance Hellberg move

According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Hellberg has now travelled to hold talks with Swansea and is now in London as the Wales-based side look to advance their move for the Hammarby boss.

All signs are pointing towards the 37-year-old becoming the next Swansea manager as things stand, although things could still change. And if it is to be the Swede, then those in Wales will be welcoming yet another young manager.

Hellberg has only ever managed two clubs, with his time in Hammarby particularly standing out as a success. It’s there that he has maintained a points per game record of 1.89 across 73 games in charge to take his side into the top two of the Allsvenskan.

The Championship is another challenge entirely, but it’s not the first time that Swansea have thought outside the box when it comes to hiring a manager. They, of course, hired a young Graham Potter in 2018 after he left Swedish club Ostersunds FK.

Manager who called Swansea City fans "fantastic" now open to replacing Sheehan

West Bromwich Albion’s early promotion hopes continue to be dashed by inconsistent form in the Championship.

After 12 up-and-down games this season in the second tier, the Baggies have exactly five wins and five defeats next to their name, with two losses on the trot to Watford and Ipswich Town, no doubt worrying Ryan Mason in the Hawthorns hot-seat.

Mason has had to deal with an awful lot of change in a short space of time in the West Midlands, in his defence, with Tom Fellows’ departure very much hurting him this summer, after he stood out as one of the Baggies’ brightest attacking sparks last season.

Why Fellows leaving hurt West Brom

The former Tottenham Hotspur coach turned West Brom manager would only have been occupying his new dug-out for around two months, when news began to filter through that Fellows had left his boyhood club behind for Championship rivals Southampton.

He has managed to pick up the pieces, with the likes of Isaac Price at his disposal, already up to five goals and one assist this season, as one presence who has made the loss of Fellows feel less obvious. Still, losing such a creative force has definitely had a negative impact.

If Fellows was still pulling on Baggies’ blue and white, Aune Heggebo might well have more goals to shout about from his early days in England, with the assist king managing to tally up a jaw-dropping 14 assists across 45 Championship encounters last campaign.

Instead, the Nordic centre-forward has often cut an isolated figure up top, with it not being the greatest shock in the world that the ex-Brann striker is only one goal down in his new location, considering he only accumulated a meagre 20 touches last match against Ipswich Town.

Josh Maja would have also been left feeling flat when Fellows exited the building for the South Coast, with the former Sunderland man often relying on a quick burst forward from the 22-year-old to then fire home last campaign. Now, after managing a 12-goal season next to Fellows, he is a regular on the bench, in another sad decline in the attacking areas.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom in the forward positions, even as only 12 goals have been fired home in league action to date by his side, with one talent at Mason’s disposal right now, arguably a bigger star than the brand-new Saints’ number 18.

West Brom have a bigger talent than Fellows

West Brom cashing in on their star asset for around the £10m mark this summer might have looked foolish at the time, considering he had previously been touted to move for a far bigger amount to pastures in the Premier League.

Now, however, with hindsight on side, it could well have been a smart call to make, with Fellows drawing blanks at St. Mary’s ever since he made his big move.

On the contrary, Samuel Iling-Junior is already terrorising Championship defences on the right wing in Fellows’ absence, with the former Juventus man arguably possessing a higher ceiling than their former homegrown gem

Indeed, while Fellows was tipped to make the Premier League cut and hasn’t just yet, Iling-Junior has been there and done that at the very top already, with three goals and two assists next to his name for the aforementioned Serie A giants in the Italian top-flight.

The “explosive” forward – as analyst Ben Mattinson once glowingly labelled him – even has nine Champions League clashes under his belt to further reinforce his pedigree, as Iling-Junior is now tasked with achieving what Fellows couldn’t do at the Hawthorns, in securing promotion up to the Premier League with his gung-ho displays, out on loan from the Baggies’ near rivals Aston Villa.

LW

66

15 + 15

LM

38

4 + 7

RW

15

5 + 1

LB

9

1 + 2

RM

6

1 + 0

CM

3

0

He is also a far more malleable presence than his Saints counterpart, with Mason no doubt pleased he has such a versatile talent, especially if he needs to potentially throw him into his starting XI wherever suits, as the season drags on.

Once on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, before sealing a move around the £12m mark to Villa, it really could be labelled as a coup that West Brom have Iling-Junior on their books for the season.

But, as West Brom realised last campaign, having scintillating talents such as Fellows on your books doesn’t guarantee promotion, with a team effort the only way the Baggies are going to return to the Premier League under Mason.

West Brom have signed a "menace" who looks like another Pereira-type player

West Bromwich Albion looks to have signed a new Matheus Pereira-type menace in this exciting attacker.

1 ByKelan Sarson Oct 16, 2025