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Raphinha’s arrival at Leeds United 12 months ago has to go down as an inspired piece of business.

The Brazilian arrived from Rennes and has settled into English football with absolute ease.

He has bought into Marcelo Bielsa’s ethos and has improved his game in unorthodox ways. Bielsa doesn’t do things by the book, something his vicious game of murderball proves.

It’s not every day you find a flashy winger who’s willing to work hard, press and track back all at the same time.

However, that’s exactly what he’s brought to Elland Road. Raphinha contributed to 15 Premier League goals last term and was mesmerising with the ball at his feet.

The winger was successful with 1.9 dribbles per game and was emphatically creative, providing 2.1 key passes a match.

In terms of his work rate, only seven more players at Leeds recorded more presses to the opposition than the 24-year-old.

He has been a ball of fun on the right-hand side of the pitch but they could find a similar player for the left this summer.

That’s because Bielsa and Victor Orta are eyeing a move for Hertha Berlin attacker, Matheus Cunha.

Valued at around £26m, the Whites would have to spend a significant outlay on him but it would surely be worth it.

Like Raphinha, he knows where the goal is and he’s capable of picking out his teammates with a defence-splitting pass. Last term, the 22-year-old contributed to 11 goals in the Bundesliga.

Speaking about Cunha last year, former Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.” 

That’s evident in the youngster’s game as he recorded a dazzling three dribbles per match and was fouled on 2.8 occasions per appearance.

Tricky with the ball at his feet, he’s exactly like Raphinha in the way he takes on an opponent.

He’s also not afraid to work hard for the team. For instance, no player at Hertha last term applied more pressures (492) than the Brazilian.

It’s safe to say that Bielsa would absolutely adore a player of his qualities in Yorkshire. He is perfectly suited to Leeds’ way of playing.

AND in other news, Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 17-goal “phenomenon”, he’s a big upgrade on Harrison…

Christian Pulisic admits that things are “not flowing right now”, with form proving difficult to find for AC Milan in the Champions League.

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• Italian heavyweights bottom of their group
• Still looking for first European win of 2023-24
• American forward offering no excuses for wobble

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Serie A giants find themselves rooted to the foot of Group F after three games, with the Rossoneri picking up just two points from a possible nine. Their latest setback – having opened with back-to-back goalless draws with Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund – came in a humbling 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  USMNT star Pulisic admits that Milan are still searching for a spark – having also lost their last Serie A game to fellow title hopefuls Juventus – with the American forward telling : “We weren't clinical enough – I have to put a chance away today. It's on us, we just have to keep working. I guess it's just not flowing right now but it will come again. I think we just have to keep our heads up. It doesn't feel like a game we should lose 3-0, I think is the message. We were in the game for most of it and just let it slip away from us. We'll be fine going forward, we're a confident bunch of guys. The good thing with this schedule is we have another game in a couple of days and we can rebound.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Milan have domestic outings against Napoli and Udinese to come before playing host to PSG on November 7 in their next European outing, with Pulisic admitting that a winning run is now a must. He added: “We have to focus on the next game. We're not out of it yet, we just need to string a couple of wins together. We've had some tough games in some tough stadiums but that's no excuse, we need to turn it around and we need to win.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in were on target for PSG at Parc des Princes, with Pulisic and Co unable to find a way through despite firing in 11 efforts on goal in the French capital.

As concerns start to mount in East London, a reliable West Ham source has dropped an encouraging update…

What’s the word?

The Irons are yet to complete any business since the transfer window opened last week, which is pretty understandable given the European Championships are on right now.

However, mooted striker target Patson Daka appears to be on the verge of joining Premier League rivals Leicester City, whilst it seems like manager David Moyes and the club have also been dealt a devastating setback in their pursuit to sign Jesse Lingard permanently.

But the anonymous ExWHUemployee has now delivered his thoughts on the current situation.

In response to one worried supporter on Twitter, he wrote:

“Unfortunately a lot of the players we are keen on are currently awaiting other transfers to happen (domino effect) before they are allowed to go with the Euros being on it means players are occupied etc. I know only youngsters but we have brought 2 in. Top ones to follow.”

Encouraging claim

This should come as very promising news to many in East London right now. After all, it’s still early days and the new season is still months away.

The Hammers have been handed some positive news in recent weeks.  The 58-year-old signed a new long-term agreement to remain in charge of the side.

He had steered West Ham from relegation candidates to the Europa League, recording their best-ever Premier League points tally and their highest finish since 1999.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-staff-gsb-moyes-updates-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

A little patience is now required as the club looks to work on getting transfers over the line. Moyes needs plenty of additions, none more so than upfront, where he only has an injury-prone Michail Antonio to call upon right now.

But even though Daka will be going elsewhere, it seems like the Irons’ hierarchy is working on other deals, with Ex claiming that the top targets are to follow in due course.

Moyes also has to put together his own recruitment team as he has been given the green light to bolster his scouting network by David Gold, David Sullivan and Karen Brady, according to Football Insider, so that could be another reason behind their delay in the transfer market.

All in all, it’s far from the time to start panicking just yet. As the reliable source says, things are likely to fall into place after Euro 2020, even if some targets are going elsewhere.

AND in other news, Moyes can seal biggest West Ham signing since Payet in “complete” 64-cap “technician”…

Norwich City have confirmed the permanent signing of Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn on a four-year-contract [Sky Sports].

The Lowdown: Southampton re-shuffle the pack ahead of 2021/22

As the Saints move into 2021/22 with pre-season fast approaching, many will be keen to see how Raplh Hasenhüttl re-designs his squad after a disappointing 15th placed finish last time out.

Not wasting any time, Southampton have already ratified the departures of Wesley Hoedt, Ryan Bertrand, Jake Hesketh and Josh Sims to free up wages for prospective additions [Transfermarkt].

Following recent developments, the 25-year-old stopper has now joined the list of outgoings at St Mary’s following three years at the club after signing in 2018 [BBC].

The Latest: Gunn makes permanent switch to familiar territory

A familiar face at Carrow Road, Gunn has made the move to his boyhood heroes as they plot Premier League survival next campaign [Sky Sports].

No stranger to the Canaries, he spent his youth career in Norfolk before joining Manchester City in 2011, whilst also returned on loan to Daniel Farke’s side in 2017/18, plying his trade in the Sky Bet Championship [Sky Sports].

Though the official terms of the fee for the Englishman remain undisclosed, Transfermarkt cite that Southampton will receive around £5.27 million for the 6ft 5in goalkeeper.

The Verdict: Gunn’s departure is a good deal for both Norwich City and Southampton

All things considered, there is an agreeable nature to this transfer on both sides of the deal.

For the Saints, they have pulled in a reasonable sum of money for an individual who is surplus to requirements on the South Coast. In 2020/21, he made 15 appearances on loan at Stoke City in the Sky Bet Championship [Transfermarkt], and is down the pecking order at St. Mary’s.

As for Norwich City, they gain a long-term option between the sticks who will be desperate to prove a point in East Anglia.

Once labelled a ‘great talent’ by head coach Farke, Gunn could be a key player for the top flight newcomers for years to come [Norwich City FC Official].

In other news, Southampton fans react to their links with a 29-goal striker.

Barcelona made a bizarre social media graphic gaffe after their 5-0 win over Real Betis, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ansu Fati listed as goalscorers.

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• Blaugrana eased to three points at Camp Nou
• Five different scorers for the hosts
• Somehow listed familiar names for Betis

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning La Liga champions eased to a comprehensive victory at Camp Nou on Saturday courtesy of efforts from Joao Felix, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Raphinha and Joao Cancelo. They remain unbeaten through five games this season, with 13 points collected.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Somehow, Barca’s social media team managed to include former Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo and Brighton loanee Fati as scorers for Betis in their full-time graphic.

  Twitter

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Said post was quickly deleted and a correct one posted in its place, but the mistake did not go unnoticed. Barca did grow accustomed to seeing Ronaldo score against them at one stage, with the Portuguese superstar having netted 20 goals through 34 career appearances against the Catalan giants.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ronaldo has, however, never played for Betis, and neither has La Masia academy graduate Fati – who is spending the 2023-24 campaign in England. Barca will not care too much about their error if they continue to blow opponents away, with those behind the scenes hoping to lose track of who has been scoring as a flood of goals hit the back of the net.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are an unknown quantity going into the new season, but the Argentine could face a huge task to avoid another calamity

The only way is surely up for Chelsea in 2023-24 as a new era at Stamford Bridge gets underway; there are plenty of new faces, established first-team stars have been unemotionally moved on, and there is a new manager in the dugout.

Indeed, a summer of unprecedented upheaval reflects that everyone associated with the club is determined to move on from a nightmarish 2022-23 campaign, one that culminated in a 12th-placed finish in the Premier League.

But just how much higher can they go? The challenge facing Mauricio Pochettino is a significant one, and there is an air of incompleteness about the squad on the eve of the new season – especially given the terrible timing of Christopher Nkunku's serious knee injury.

Expectation is undoubtedly tempered, but at Chelsea there is always pressure to produce some semblance of success, season on season. Below, GOAL previews what will be a watershed campaign in Chelsea's modern history…

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  Realistic expectations

  There is a sense of anticipation heading into 2023-24 with Pochettino in charge of a young and fairly exciting squad, but that is tempered by a healthy dose of realism. Chelsea fell so far last season that they have a hell of a lot of distance to claw back before they can be considered anything close to challengers to the likes of Manchester City or Arsenal.

  Supporters will be keen so see Pochettino quickly establish a clear identity after the disarray under three different head coaches last term, and following the summer's mass exodus. On paper he is the right man for the job, as his reputation for developing young players and galvanising underperforming teams precedes him.

  While it will be fascinating to see just how far Pochettino can take this new-look Chelsea, trophies will not even be a consideration to begin with – at least until it becomes clear just what they are capable of. Given the absence of any form of European football, deep runs in the cup competitions will perhaps be expected, but winning them will be another matter entirely.

  In terms of the Premier League, a fifth or sixth-placed finish will be the realistic expectation – and given the fierce competition and the ground Chelsea have to make up, even that would be a monumental effort.

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  Best-case scenario

  That's not to say the team won't be able to achieve more, though. As usual, much will depend on the form of Chelsea's rivals because, as last year demonstrated, there is invariably one or two teams who underperform horribly.

  As long as they can avoid being one of those sides themselves (yet again), then the Blues be in with a chance of a top-four tilt come the latter stages of the season. It will be very, very tough, though, with the likes of Newcastle, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool also likely vying for two places behind Man City and Arsenal.

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  Worst-case scenario

  Chelsea have very recent experience of the worst-case scenario if things go awry. Pochettino is widely expected to raise standards at all levels of the club, but if he should fail then another mid-table finish is not out of the question as the west London club toils through this transitional period.

  Although there is still time to do business in this transfer window, there is an air of incompleteness in certain areas of the squad, and while plenty of big-name first-team players have been moved on, Chelsea haven't necessarily added top-level replacements across the board. There is huge pressure on Pochettino to get the very best of the somewhat limited assets at his disposal.

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  The MVP

  This surely would have been Nkunku's title to lose, but the horrendous timing of the attacker's serious knee injury means he will not feature until December having undergone surgery.

  The Frenchman's absence will heap pressure, then, on £106 million ($135m) man Enzo Fernandez to hit the ground running in his first full season at Stamford Bridge. Though he will still be charged with keeping Chelsea ticking over from midfield, expect to see the Argentine unleashed in a more advanced role under his compatriot, perhaps alongside a new more defensive-minded colleague. The goals and assists should follow.

The Red Devils have made a lacklustre start to the new Premier League campaign and urgently need to find a solution to their struggles in midfield

Another week, another messy performance from Manchester United. After being played off the park but somehow coming away with a 1-0 win over Wolves, Erik ten Hag's side got what they deserved as they were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham. The performance was a slight improvement on the first match and the manager cursed his team's inability to convert their early chances and score the first goal.

However, it was not nearly good enough and United are in a remarkably similar position to where they were at the same stage of last season after being beaten by Brighton and hammered 4-0 by Brentford.

Back then, the club used their dreadful start as a motivation to go back into the transfer market and sign a proven, world-class midfielder in Casemiro, before adding Antony on transfer deadline day. And despite spending more than £165 million ($210m) this summer, it is clear United still need to boost their squad, particularly in midfield.

Casemiro, one of United's best players last season, has looked dangerously isolated in the midfield three, getting little support from new arrival Mason Mount or captain Bruno Fernandes. However, it seems that Ten Hag is unwilling to trust Scott McTominay from the start while Christian Eriksen does not have the stamina to last entire matches.

United have blown a large part of their transfer budget already, and the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules prevent them from committing to another big-money signing. As such, GOAL takes a look at how Ten Hag can fix his team's midfield struggles and get the Red Devils back on the path to victory without breaking the bank…

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  Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

  Sofyan Amrabat is the player United would like to sign the most and they have been linked with the Morocco midfielder since the start of the summer. Amrabat showcased his passing range and ability to dribble his way out of pressure during the 2022 World Cup and would undoubtedly raise the standards in United's midfield.

  The Red Devils are still yet to put in a bid for the 27-year-old as they are teetering on the edge of their spending limit, but if they can sell Anthony Martial or Donny van de Beek, it would free up some money to put towards the deal.

  They also have the advantage that Amrabat is heading into the final year of his contract with Fiorentina and is pushing for a move. He did not play in any pre-season games and was an unused substitute in La Viola's 4-1 win at Genoa in their first game of the Serie A campaign.

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  Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich)

  Ryan Gravenberch is well known to Ten Hag, who tends to favour signing players he has previously worked with, such as Antony, Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez. Gravenberch grew up at Ajax's academy and was blooded in the first team by Ten Hag when he was only 16 years old.

  He was a crucial part of Ajax's last two Eredivisie title wins under Ten Hag, scoring five goals and contributing 10 assists across both seasons. Bayern Munich snapped him up for €19m ($20m) last summer, but the move has been a huge disappointment. Gravenberch started only three Bundesliga matches last season and is yet to make an appearance for Thomas Tuchel's side in the current campaign.

  Liverpool are also interested in Gravenberch, but the presence of Ten Hag could be a deciding factor for the 21-year-old.

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  Amadou Onana (Everton)

  Amdaou Onana is an energetic and combative midfielder who could provide more support to Casemiro and prevent United from getting overrun in the middle of the park as they did against Wolves and Spurs. And he already has one season in the Premier League under his belt with Everton.

  The Belgium international might just be out of United's reach, however. He cost Everton £33m in 2022 and the Toffees will demand around £45m to part with the 22-year-old, especially after making a terrible start to the season, losing at home to Fulham then getting thrashed 4-0 at Aston Villa.

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  Ibrahim Sangare (PSV)

  Ibrahim Sangare is another player that Ten Hag will be well aware of. The Ivory Coast international has risen to prominence in the last two years as one of the most important players for PSV, who finished second in the Dutch top-flight last season and won the domestic cup.

  Sangare was named the best holding midfielder in the Eredivisie in the 2021-22 season, ranking first in the league for tackles won, first for duels won, second for ball recoveries, and third for interceptions. The 25-year-old is valued at over £30m and Liverpool have already expressed an interest in signing him, as have Bayern Munich.

For years, Manchester City struggled defensively but now they could be tempted to sell Aymeric Laporte this summer if the right offer arrives and former defender Steve Howey believes that offer would have to be around the £70 million mark.

Before Ruben Dias arrived at the Etihad, Laporte was seen as the lynchpin in City’s defence, however, his injuries and the revival of John Stones has seen the Frenchman pushed down the pecking order and now competing with Nathan Ake for the third-choice centre back spot, having made just 27 appearances in all competitions last term.

With Premier League minutes not guaranteed next season, Laporte has been linked with a move to Barcelona and he would be with familiar faces like Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia who are now both with the Catalan club.

Laporte is an established Premier League centre back who has not even reached the peak years of his career so City will surely be looking to receive a monster fee for the now Spanish international, according to Howey, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“They will be looking in the region of £65-70 million for him and I think if they can get that for him, then it will be good business.

“I think if they can get more money than they paid for Laporte, then I think it’s good business and they could probably get another couple of centre backs to have in the squad.”

If Laporte was to leave, then it would certainly leave the Premier League champions short in the heart of their defence as they’d be left with just Dias, Stones and Ake who have experience at the top level.

Man City will know that teams around them will be looking to improve their squads this summer so instead of selling their players, they will also want to add depth and quality to their ranks.

From Mohamed Salah to Darwin Nunez, Andy Carroll to Virgil van Dijk, the Reds have spent some big money down the years

Though smartness in the transfer market is what has defined Liverpool’s rise to prominence under Jurgen Klopp, one of the undeniable facts of modern football is that you rarely get anywhere without spending money.

The Reds, generally, have spent theirs well in recent years, bringing in a host of players who have gone to become global stars at Anfield.

Their list of hits has grown each year, helping erase the memory of some high-profile, and big-money, flops under previous managers.

Here, GOAL takes a look at the top 15 most expensive signings in Liverpool history…

Liverpool top 15 most expensive transfers of all time

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  15Sadio Mane | £34m | Southampton | 2016

  Another signing which helped transform the club under Klopp. Mane was actually only signed once a move for Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze fell through, but what a player the Senegal star proved to be for Liverpool.

  He left for Bayern in 2022 having scored 120 goals in 269 appearances, winning every club trophy possible in that time and leaving countless memories. 

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  14Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | £35m | Arsenal | 2017

  Had it not been for the serious knee injury he suffered late in his first season at Anfield, then Oxlade-Chamberlain may well have been spoken about as another of Klopp’s great signings.

  The England international was flying at the time, but he has never truly got back to the same level since, having to content himself with a squad role as Klopp’s side achieved domestic and European glory.

  He’s still had some big moments, and has always been popular with fans, team-mates and coaches alike, but there will always be that feeling of ‘what might have been?’ with the former Arsenal man.

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  13Andy Carroll | £35m | Newcastle | 2011

  One of the most dramatic signings in Liverpool’s history, the big striker arrived at the club via helicopter on the last day of the January transfer window in 2011, signed along with Luis Suarez after Fernando Torres’ £50m ($59m) move to Chelsea.

  Carroll tried hard at Anfield, and while he left some abiding memories – a winner against Everton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, for example – he never truly found his feet on Merseyside. He would later admit that he never really wanted to leave Newcastle, and in the end he would be loaned, and then sold, to West Ham, with Liverpool settling for a hefty loss on their investment.

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  12Alexis Mac Allister | £35m | Brighton | 2023

  The signing of Mac Allister came as a very timely boost after the Jude Bellingham blow.

  The primary reason for the Reds' surprising struggles in 2022-23 had long been obvious: an ageing midfield. Jurgen Klopp's team were in dire need of rejuvenation and, in Mac Allister, Liverpool acquired a midfielder who is industrious, innovative and versatile – and for 'just' £35m.

  We really could be talking about the steal of the summer here. After all, Mac Allister's World Cup-winning team-mate Enzo Fernandez cost three times as much!

The U.S. ran Slovakia ragged in a 2-0 win that featured a seemingly-endless wave of missed chancess.

Nine points from nine; you can't do much better than that. The U.S. under-20 men's national team made it three wins from three at the U-20 World Cup to complete the group stage, but now the real test begins as they look ahead to the knockout stages.

Led by an absolutely chaotic Cade Cowell performance, the U.S. topped Slovakia 2-0 in their final group stage game, sealing their spot atop the group. It wasn't the prettiest win by any means. In fact, it was the second game in a row where the U.S. will feel like they left handfuls of goals on the table, only to win by multiple goals in the end.

Cowell, to be fair, was responsible for most of those missed opportunities, as the San Jose Earthquakes star squandered chance after chance. Yet, chance after chance kept falling to him as he absolutely tortured Slovakia's backline with his pace, timing and dribbling.

The all-important opening goal did fall to, who else, Cowell, as he weaved past several defenders to finish off the hardest chance of the day. Missing four or five won't matter as much as long as you score the one that counts, and Cowell certainly did that.

He wasn't the only standout from this win, which saw Mikey Varas shift tactics to a 3-5-2. The U.S., by and large, dominated, with Slovakia rarely threatening and never really having much of the ball. In the end, Cowell's club teammate, Niko Tsakiris, sealed the win with a goal of his own deep in stoppage time to remove all doubt.

Tougher tests await, as the U.S. head to the knockouts for the fifth consecutive U-20 World Cup. At some point, they may rue the missed chances that have defined their run so far but, as long as those chances keep coming in waves, there's a pretty good chance they'll be just fine.

GOAL rates the U.S. players from the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario…

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  Goalkeeper & Defense

  Gaga Slonina (8/10):

  Made an absolutely stunning save in the first half as Slovakia nearly scored against the run of play. Made a few good stops in the second half, too. This sport is a lot easier when you have a goalkeeper as good as Slonina in net.

  Caleb Wiley (7/10):

  Was all over the place and created a few chances. Would have had a goal of his own if Cowell had spotted his run in the second half. Overall, a good performance.

  Josh Wynder (7/10):

  Absolutely rock solid. Did everything right, on and off the ball. A good show of just how good he can be.

  Brandan Craig (8/10):

  Very good yet again and would have had a fantastic assist if not for Cowell's miss (yes this is a theme). Played several spectacular long balls and set piece delivery was good. A standout performance.

  Justin Che (7/10):

  Another defender with a high rating. Had two back-to-back chances at a goal miraculously cleared by Slovakia. Unlucky not to put one of those in.

  Michael Halliday (6/10):

  Was just fine on the right side, but nowhere near as menacing as Wiley on the left.

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  Midfield

  Daniel Edelman (7/10):

  A solid shield for the backline. Another good game from the captain, who remains a vital piece of the midfield.

  Obed Vargas (7/10):

  The youngest player in this team, but you couldn't tell by his performance. Was rock solid as the U.S. strangled Slovakia's midfield.

  Owen Wolff (6/10):

  Stop me if you heard this before: would have had an assist, but Cowell was offside. More attacking than his midfielder partners by design, but really only had that one standout moment before being taken out.

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  Attack

  Diego Luna (7/10):

  Chemistry with Cowell is off the charts. Opens up space so well, and can create danger when he does have the ball, too. Was unlucky to hit the post, denying him a chance to follow last game's stunner with another goal.

  Cade Cowell (8/10):

  How do you even grade this match? An absolute menace. Darwin Nunez-esque. Created loads of chances, totally fumbled a few of them, but still got the goal that mattered on the chance that seemed least likely to result in a goal. Will need to be more clinical, of course, but Slovakia defenders will have nightmares given what he did to them.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jack McGlynn (6/10):

  Was given a rest ahead of the knockout stages before coming in midway through the second half. Had been the best American player through the first two games, so he'll be back for the knockouts.

  Niko Tsakiris (8/10):

  Very smooth on the ball as he finds fitness and form. Got his goal in stoppage time to seal the result. Fantastic composure in the box to add the exclamation point.

  Darren Yapi (6/10):

  Came on for the final 20 minutes or so to give the U.S. a natural striker, but no real chances.

  Quinn Sullivan (7/10):

  Joined the fray alongside Yapi. Had one good chance blocked away for a corner before playing a fantastic ball for Tsakiris' opener.

  Jonathan Gomez (N/A):

  Replaced Wiley to give the U.S. a more pure defender on the left-hand side.

  Mikey Varas (8/10):

  Got the lineup right and was able to rest a few key players. Got the formation spot on, as the U.S. dominated with their three-at-the-back setup. Will have have a full roster of players for the knockouts with Rokas Pukstas and Kevin Paredes incoming.