All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United are now working on a January signing to replace Max Kilman, who has been “nowhere near good enough this season”.

West Ham have struggled from a defensive point of view so far this season, having shipped 25 Premier League goals, the second-highest of any side, behind only Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have taken just two points from their opening 12 games.

Although results have been much-improved in recent weeks, with the Hammers taking seven points from their last three games, they have been unable to fix their defensive issues, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Premier League games.

Even in the 3-2 victory against Burnley earlier this month, Nuno’s side looked shaky at the back, with Alphonse Areola making an error leading to a goal, before Kilman went on to give away a penalty in the 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth last time out.

It appears as though the 28-year-old’s latest mistake may be the final straw for the Irons, with a replacement now wanted in the January transfer window…

West Ham working on January move for Max Kilman replacement

In an interview with Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown has now confirmed West Ham are looking to improve their centre-back options this winter, saying: “West Ham would like to upgrade on Max Kilman,

“They’ve assessed that he isn’t good enough for where they want to be, so the next step is identifying somebody who they can bring in to improve.

“They will already be aware of some who might be available and working to find out about others.

“Kilman, though, is definitely somebody who they think they can improve upon because his performances have been nowhere near good enough this season.

“In that game against Bournemouth, first of all he gave away the penalty, and then it was his mistake which led to the second goal as well.”

Wayne Rooney has since suggested the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was lucky to avoid being sent off too, saying: “It’s a penalty, and it has to be a red card, he’s six yards out. It’s a clear goal-scoring opportunity, so it baffles me that it isn’t a red card”

It is no surprise the Hammers are looking to bring in a new centre-back, given that the Englishman has struggled at times this season, failing to win any of the three duels he contested in the victory against Burnley.

Reporter Joshua Mbu also took to X to single the centre-back out for criticism for his performance against the Clarets.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is one of West Ham’s highest earners, raking in £100k-a-week, and given that he hasn’t earned those high wages so far this season, it may be worth cashing in this January.

West Ham looking to reignite talks to sign Ligue 1 defender amid Max Kilman uncertainty West Ham looking to "reignite" talks for 23-year-old they were once "close to signing"

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will be busy in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

The step up from the Championship to the Premier League is a difficult one to make, as Leeds United have found out so far this season with 11 points from 11 games.

Joel Piroe is a player who perfectly illustrates the gap between the two divisions. He was the top goalscorer in the second tier with 19 goals last season, yet he has no goals in five Premier League games and has been an unused substitute five times, per Sofascore.

As Daniel Farke learns more and more about his players in the top-flight, other stars from the 2024/25 campaign may end up losing their place in the starting line-up, as Piroe did.

Club captain and starting defensive midfielder Ethan Ampadu has started all nine of his appearances in the Premier League this season, but he is not undroppable.

Why Ethan Ampadu is not undroppable for Leeds

The Wales international has been a fantastic player for the club since his move from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, leading the Whites to the title as captain last term.

Ampadu is not undroppable, though, as some of his performances in the number six position for Leeds in the Premier League have left a little bit to be desired from, most recently against Nottingham Forest.

Minutes

90

Pass accuracy

76%

Possession lost

15x

Tackles won

1

Ground duels won

3/7

Aerial duels won

1/2

Fouls committed

3

Dribbled past

1x

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh midfielder lost the majority of his ground duels and was dribbled past as many times as he completed a tackle, which shows that it was a bit too easy for the Forest midfielders to get the better of him.

Per FotMob, Ampadu ranks within the bottom 40% of midfielders in the division for being dribbled past (four times) and the bottom 39% for aerial duel success rate (50%). This shows that his issues against Forest were not isolated incidents.

With this in mind, Farke could improve the robustness of his midfield by ruthlessly dropping the skipper to unleash Anton Stach in a new role as the number six.

Why Leeds should play Anton Stach over Ethan Ampadu

Per Transfermarkt, all of the German midfielder’s starts in the Premier League this season have been as a central midfielder or as an attacking midfielder. That is despite the fact that he has more starts in his career (138) as a defensive midfielder than in any other role.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

AllLeedsTV presenter Oscar Marrio, who claimed Stach “was cooking” earlier in the season, recently noted that the 6 foot 4 star “excelled” for Hoffenheim as a number six, earning him a comparison to Arsenal star Declan Rice.

Stach’s defensive output as a central midfielder in the Premier League so far this term suggests that he does have the potential to offer more security in front of the defence than Ampadu has.

Tackles won

23

15

Duels won

39

49

Duel success rate

57%

60%

Aerial duels won

8

17

Aerial duel success rate

50%

85%

Dribbled past

4x

1x

Fouls committed

16

14

As you can see in the table above, the £17.4m signing from Hoffenheim has outperformed the Welshman in duels, particularly in the air, and has been harder to get past for opposition midfielders.

These statistics suggest that Stach, who has scored one goal in the Premier League this season, could be well-suited to sitting in as the number six in Farke’s 4-3-3 system to provide a physical presence in front of the back four.

Ampadu’s struggles aerially and in allowing players to dribble past him as the number six have been evident, which is why dropping him from the line-up to unleash Stach in a new role, albeit one he has played a lot elsewhere in his career, could be a good move.

That also does not mean that the captain has to completely lose his place in the team. Farke could play the former Chelsea man as one of the two midfielders ahead of Stach, to see if that is a more successful dynamic.

Big DCL upgrade: Leeds have "unstoppable" £40m talent on "their radar"

Leeds United are keeping tabs on a star who would be a big upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

ByDan Emery Nov 14, 2025

It would be fair to say that this season is going about as well as any Arsenal fan could’ve hoped for back in the summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side are three for three in the Champions League without conceding a goal and currently sit atop the Premier League, seven points ahead of defending champions Liverpool.

However, the North Londoners have to shift their focus from the major competitions ahead of their League Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night.

The Gunners must do better in the domestic cups this season, but even so, Arteta should look to replace Declan Rice in the lineup with another international star.

Changes Arteta should make to the team

While this isn’t a game Arteta should take lightly, it is nowhere near as important as the league, and therefore, with the squad he has at his disposal, he should be looking to make some changes.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Starting in goal, Kepa Arrizabalaga should be given another start, and to ensure William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães are given a rest, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie should start together for the first time.

Likewise, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are in need of a rest, and in their place, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White should come back into the side.

At the base of midfield, Martin Zubimendi should be replaced by fellow summer signing Christian Nørgaard, and while there is an argument to also rest Eberechi Eze, it might be good for him to stay in the team following his goal on the weekend.

Moreover, by keeping the former Crystal Palace star in the lineup, Arteta can start Ethan Nwaneri on the right in place of Bukayo Saka, who was reportedly unwell against the Eagles, and therefore shouldn’t be anywhere near the team on Wednesday.

Finally, injuries once again leave the manager with few options when it comes to changing the striker and left-wing setup.

For example, while it would be great to hand Viktor Gyokeres a rest, the fact that Gabriel Martinelli is now out means he’s unlikely to get one.

This is because Leandro Trossard will now have to stay out wide instead of starting down the middle.

With all that said, there is one more regular starter who should be replaced: Rice.

The Arsenal star who should replace Rice

Like many of the other stars in the team, Arteta simply must drop Rice to the bench for the game against Brighton on Wednesday for a couple of reasons.

First of all, he just needs a rest as he’s already played 937 minutes of football for Arsenal this season, and he came off with a slight knock on the weekend.

Second, his importance to the side is massive, as on top of everything he does in open play, his deliveries are also one of the main reasons the team have been so utterly incredible at set-pieces.

With that said, who should come in to replace him?

Well, with Norgaad replacing Zubimendi and Eze potentially keeping his place in the team, the most obvious and best option would be Mikel Merino.

The Spanish international might be just a step below the former West Ham United captain, but he remains a top-level midfielder and someone who is capable of impacting the game in all phases of play.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won, the top 2% for non-penalty goals and touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the top 11% for through ball and more, all per 90.

Average Shot Distance

11.10

Top 1%

SCA (Shot)

0.39

Top 1%

Aerials Won

3.08

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.32

Top 2%

Touches (Att Pen)

3.92

Top 2%

Goals

0.32

Top 3%

Goals + Assists

0.49

Top 3%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.24

Top 3%

Shots on Target

0.74

Top 3%

GCA (Shot)

0.07

Top 3%

xG: Expected Goals

0.24

Top 5%

npxG + xAG

0.35

Top 6%

Goals – xG

+0.08

Top 6%

Goals/Shot

0.17

Top 7%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.08

Top 7%

Progressive Passes Rec

4.52

Top 8%

Shots Total

1.82

Top 8%

npxG/Shot

0.13

Top 8%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.56

Top 8%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.04

Top 8%

Shots on Target %

40.4%

Top 11%

Through Balls

0.42

Top 11%

Moreover, he has also transformed into a lean, mean goalscoring machine for club and country this year.

Since the start of 2025, he has scored nine goals and provided three assists for the Gunners.

On top of that, the 6 foot 2 titan has scored eight goals and provided one assist for Spain this year, which is a run of form that has seen his manager, Luis de la Fuente, claim he is “on the same level as Pedri and Rodri.”

Ultimately, Merino has proven himself to be an excellent player in most areas of the pitch, and therefore, he should be the one to come in for Rice against Brighton.

Arteta's £120k-p/w "wild horse" looks like this season's Timber at Arsenal

Just like Timber, the international monster is having an incredible season at Arsenal this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 28, 2025

Leeds United have some very tricky fixtures ahead, away from just their crunch tie with Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest up next.

Looking at their intimidating fixture list, it does appear as if sealing a win at the City Ground for Daniel Farke’s Whites is crucial to fixing the dour mood around the Premier League new boys, with Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool then on the agenda, after this battle near the foot of the division.

Losing to the Tricky Trees and then being faced with that onslaught of tough matches directly after, really could intensify the pressure on Farke’s shoulders, as he attempts to guide his lowly team away from being sucked into a relegation dog-fight.

The German will likely make some changes for the crucial showdown in Nottinghamshire, with Brenden Aaronson one figure who could be fearing for his starting spot down the right wing.

Why Aaronson could be benched

Aaronson has always been a slightly controversial figure at Elland Road, with the American definitely prone to an off-performance or two, away from lighting up the Premier League on occasion.

Against West Ham United to close out October, the ex-Union Berlin playmaker looked at his terrifying best, with a goal put away after three minutes.

That was then backed up by Aaronson winning eight duels and completing all three of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, as a tricky livewire the Hammers just couldn’t contain.

That’s what makes the hot-and-cold number 11’s drop-off against Brighton and Hove Albion so frustrating, with Aaronson only winning a meagre three duels and failing to register a single shot on goal, as the Whites were trounced 3-0 on the South Coast.

After all, Farke has been shoehorning Aaronson into his starting XI this season on the right flank owing to plenty of injury problems in his camp, with the Championship title winner far more suited to a number ten spot.

AM

63

9 + 5

RW

15

1 + 0

RM

4

0

CF

2

0

LM

2

0

Indeed, that opening strike against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men was actually Aaronson’s first-ever goal for Leeds when not lining up in a more familiar attacking midfield position.

But, with the return of this attacking star from injury, Aaronson’s days as Leeds’ main starter on the right channel look to be numbered, as the ace in question could also finally get a hit-and-miss Dominic Calvert-Lewin firing.

Leeds could now unleash "unstoppable" star

Leeds won’t be giving up on Calvert-Lewin just yet, despite the ex-Everton marksman experiencing a wobbly start to life in West Yorkshire.

He does only have one meagre goal next to his name from eight Premier League outings, but he has also spurned five big chances along the way, meaning he is, at least, getting into the correct positions to try and add to his slim Whites tally.

Farke will desperately be trying to work out a combination that gets the number nine in amongst the goals on a more regular basis, with Daniel James perhaps the winger Calvert-Lewin needs to bounce off of, to finally hit an Elland Road purple patch.

James and Calvert-Lewin, owing to the Welshman’s injury issues so far this season, have only lined up alongside each other for a paltry 34 minutes, with a blistering partnership perhaps now ready to be unearthed, if the former Manchester United attacker is placed into the starting XI in Aaronson’s spot away at Forest.

After all, while James did steal the majority of the headlines last season in the Championship for his bumper 12-goal haul, he did also pick up nine assists, with the £25m trickster amassing a whopping 16 big chances created in total.

That will be music to the ears of the one-time Toffees talisman, who has often cut an isolated figure this campaign next to Aaronson.

Moreover, even though he has been restricted to just 277 minutes of top-flight action so far, James has picked up one big chance created this campaign, too, as James now tries to hit his “unstoppable” best in attack again as a tricky, front-foot attacker, as Statman Dave once labelled him.

The worry will be if Calvert-Lewin sticks to his end of the bargain, but there is an electric presence inside of the ex-England international, too, when he gets into his groove.

With James also victorious the last time he travelled to the City Ground as a Cottagers loanee, standing out as a good omen, Farke will hope this potential change spurs his side on to a rare away win.

"Highly-rated" Leeds gem could now leave "on a free transfer in January"

Leeds United’s rising young goalkeeper could depart the club within the coming months.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025

After missing out on an extra forward in the summer, BlueCo have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Chelsea in 2026.

Maresca reveals Marc Guiu warning

Following a strong start on the transfer front in the summer, Liam Delap’s injury threw Chelsea’s final week into chaos. Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich was off then back on again, Marc Guiu was recalled from his Sunderland loan before he could truly get going and a number of rumours emerged. Ultimately, however, Enzo Maresca was forced to settle for his current attacking options.

Guiu’s recall caused particular debate. From a likely starter at Sunderland, the young striker has since found himself forced to watch on from the bench at Chelsea in frustrating fashion. What’s more, it’s only in recent weeks that he’s had the chance to impress for the Blues again.

Having his say, Maresca revealed earlier this week that the forward simply was not training well enough to earn the game time that he desires at Stamford Bridge.

There have been rumours that Sunderland could yet return for Guiu in January, but that may depend on Chelsea’s own movements. Ahead of the winter window, a number of names have already been linked with a move to West London.

That includes both Guela Doue and Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who would certainly add more firepower to Maresca’s side. Whether BlueCo will be willing to spend big or look to hijack Barcelona’s move to sign a Bundesliga alternative is the big question ahead of 2026.

Chelsea launch approach to sign Asllani

According to reports in Spain, BlueCo have now launched their first approach to sign Fisnik Asllani for Chelsea in 2026. The deal would see them beat Barcelona to one of the most in-form forwards that the Bundesliga has to offer.

Chelsea offered "world-class" Barcelona player on loan in "fascinating" development

The west Londoners have a chance to bolster a key area.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 25, 2025

In a formal move, the Blues have turned their focus towards the Kosovo international in an attempt to add further depth to their frontline behind one of their most expensive signings, Joao Pedro. After scoring five goals in eight games in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, there’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has the quality to seal a big move.

Dubbed “clinical” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Asllani is certainly one to watch. Whilst his name is not as well-known as Omorodion, his numbers speak for themselves and Chelsea have the chance to get one over on Barcelona by securing his signature. Whether they choose to do so as soon as January remains to be seen, however.