Arsenal are closing in on a deal to bring a new defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged this week.

Arsenal's recent results and form

The Gunners have made a remarkable start to the new campaign having won nine, drawn three and lost just one of their opening 13 games, meaning that they currently find themselves at the top of the table and one point ahead of their rivals Manchester City.

Victories	Draws	Defeats
Nottingham Forest (2-1)	Fulham (2-2)	Newcastle United (1-0)
Crystal Palace (1-0)	Tottenham Hotspur (2-2)
Manchester United (3-1)	Chelsea (2-2)
Everton (1-0)
Bournemouth (4-0)
Manchester City (1-0)
Sheffield United (5-0)
Burnley (3-1)
Brentford (1-0)

Edu and Mikel Arteta will therefore know that they don’t necessarily have to improve their squad that much more, but that won’t stop them from assessing their options in the market to see if there is anyone out there who they could get in the building should an ideal opportunity present itself.

The Emirates Stadium chiefs appear to have set their sights on Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato, who has worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to get promoted to their first-team, where he’s since gone on to make a total of 34 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Hato statistics).

The Netherlands international still has another just under two years remaining on his deal at the Johan Cruyff Arena (Ajax contracts), but regardless of his situation, the 17-year-old has still been brought onto the radar of the Emirates hierarchy ahead of the upcoming transfer window opening in the new year.

Edu set to sign Jorrel Hato

According to Voetbal International (via Four Four Two), Arsenal are expected to sign Hato in January. The N7 side are “closing in” on securing the services of the teenager, and while they previously opted to instead swoop for Jurrien Timber, it’s believed that they have been interested in him for “some time”.

The Ajax starlet has even admitted that it’s his dream to follow in the footsteps of his former teammate and make the move to the capital in the near future, as per the same outlet, so this could be one to keep a close eye on.

Hato is a "magnificent talent" for the future

Standing at 5 foot 11, Hato isn’t the tallest for a centre-back, but he is still able to provide a real physical presence at the heart of the defence, currently averaging three aerial wins and 2.8 clearances per game in the Eredivisie (WhoScored – Hato statistics) – he could yet grow more too at just 17 years of age.

The Rotterdam native, who is naturally left-footed, is however extremely calm and composed in possession as he’s recording a 91.4% pass success rate as it stands, highlighting his ability to control and dictate the game when he’s got the ball at his feet.

John Van’t Schip’s “magnificent talent”, as labelled by football scout Jacek Kulig, only pockets £8k-per-week as the moment (Ajax salaries), so he would be a more than affordable option to have on the books. Hato looks to be a fantastic purchase for the long-term future of Arsenal.

West Indies only need to win one of the next two matches to seal a rare series win against top-eight opposition but Holder is refusing to be distracted

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2019Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has urged his players to focus on the job at hand ahead of the pivotal second Test against England in Antigua. After his side’s demolition job in Barbados, West Indies only need to win one of the next two matches to seal a rare series win against top-eight opposition but Holder is refusing to be distracted.While West Indies have shown steady improvement over the last couple of years, their only series wins in recent times have come against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Just twice in the last ten years have they beaten another Test team ranked in the top eight: a 2-0 win over New Zealand in 2012, and the hard-fought 1-0 victory against England in 2008-09.”It’s great to be 1-0 up, but that’s history,” Holder said. “We are happy to be leading in the series but we have our feet firmly on the ground. We are not focusing on what happened before in Barbados. We are looking forward to this match and what we have ahead of us.”It’s a matter for us to move on and understand what we need to do. We speak about consistency in the dressing room and I think we’ve got to be hitting all three departments well every time we step on the field.”Asked about the potential significance of a series win over England, he added: “It would mean a lot but again I don’t want to focus too much on the series at this point in time, I want to focus on the second match. We need to be consistent in all three departments.”The key feature of West Indies’ performance in Barbados was contributions coming from throughout the side. Holder led the way with his second-innings double-hundred, but there was a five-wicket haul for Kemar Roach, career-best figures for Roston Chase and important innings from Shane Dowrich and Shimron Hetmyer.Holder said that while his players had shown “glimpses” of what they were capable of in the past – such as their dramatic 2017 win at Headingley – he was pleased that the team was growing stronger as a collective.Jason Holder in a relaxed mood at West Indies’ training•Getty Images

“It’s a matter for us to continue to build the side,” he said. “What’s really encouraging is that we’ve seen glimpses that this team can perform, and beat top sides in the world. We’ve had personal success and it’s good to see us bringing it a little bit more together as a side, so hopefully we can continue in that vein and the guys continue to be hungry for success.”West Indies had a couple of fitness question marks over Dowrich, who did not keep on the fourth day due to a sore back, and Shannon Gabriel, but both are expected to be fit to play in Antigua. The sight of Gabriel giving Joe Root, England’s captain, the hurry up was a throwback to traditional West Indian strengths and Holder was looking forward to unleashing his pace spearhead once again.”It wasn’t a surprise, it’s something that Shannon’s done to many batsmen around the world. He carries pace and he was aggressive in that spell, which we asked of him. It was really good to see him come out after lunch – we were probably a little flat with England two down and over 100, we needed to break the partnership and Shannon really gave us that momentum. It was really good to see.”He’s generally quick and awkward [to face]. Just expect Shannon to run in – he had a bit of a toe injury in the last game but that seems to have healed up pretty nicely. So we expect Shannon to be running in tomorrow.”Should West Indies produce a similar performance, England might find it hard to live with them and Holder admitted the thought of sealing the series with a game to play had not escaped him – though he was keen to insist West Indies remained the underdogs.”It’s at the back of my mind. I just said to the guys, make sure we keep it out of our minds, make sure focus on what we need to do here – we need to get 20 wickets to win this game, we need to put up runs, and if we do that and hold our chances, we have a good chance. We’re still ranked No. 8, England are No. 2 or 3, so we’re definitely the underdogs.”

West Ham could appoint a "strong personality" coach to replace manager David Moyes as he becomes a favourite for the job, according to reports.

Moyes likely to leave West Ham in 2024

The Scotsman's contract is set to expire in 2024 as things stand, and recent reports have suggested that West Ham are unlikely to offer Moyes a new deal.

While he's guided them through their most successful period of recent decades – winning the Europa Conference League last season and ending a 43-year wait for a major trophy – Moyes has somewhat divided the fanbase recently.

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Some supporters aren't exactly thrilled with West Ham's style of play under the 60-year-old, and since the beginning of last season, their league form has been pretty inconsistent.

Reliable media sources claim Moyes also has a fractious relationship with technical director Tim Steidten, and it is believed the club have come close to sacking him as manager on more than one occasion this past 12 months (The Guardian).

This week, Football Insider lifted the lid on "significant tension behind the scenes" in an update on Moyes – with the site claiming there had still been no talks over a fresh contract.

Lopetegui is now a firm favourite to succeed Moyes

Now, the same outlet has another update on Moyes and who could replace the former Man United boss in east London.

Football Insider, and their reporter Wayne Veysey, state that ex-Wolves and former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui is very much in the frame.

Indeed, Veysey writes that Lopetegui is a "top contender" to replace Moyes at West Ham after leaving Molineux, and it is believed the 57-year-old is keen to make a Premier League return.

He was a candidate to replace Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest, but a move fell through due to Lopetegui's concerns over a lack of control and distrust in owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Now, a move to the London Stadium appears possible for Lopetegui, and we believe he could be an exceptional choice. Lopetegui possesses a good amount of pedigree, having won the Europa League with Sevilla, and also has proven English top-flight experience.

Wolves owner Jeff Shi, commenting on Lopetegui after the club appointed him in 2022, praised the Spaniard as a "strong personality".

"Julen has a strong personality and he’s a coach with clear leadership, not just with football players but with the clubs he has been at," said Shi to the Wolves official website.

"He has a lot of experience in elite football and his track record is proven. We know we are in a difficult moment as a team right now, so we especially need a strong leader, with a strong personality, more than any other time I have been here. It is because of this that Julen was always our preferred choice."

You could make a very serious argument that there are few readily available free agents of Lopetegui's level, so this will be an interesting development to watch at West Ham.

Tamil Nadu trump Gujarat in thriller, Khaleel Ahmed’s first T20 five-for goes in vain as Rajasthan lose to Vidarbha

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2019Uttarakhand keep winning streak aliveUttarakhand continued their remarkable run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19, clocking their fourth victory on the trot by beating Tripura by a handy 37 runs. Uttarakhand are yet to lose a match in the competition, and are currently sitting on top of the Group E table with 16 points.Put in to bat, Uttarakhand were well served once again by Karn Veer Kaushal, who hit 58 off 44 balls opening the innings. Vaibhav Panwar also made 46 as Uttarakhand put up a reasonable 147 for five.ALSO READ: Uttarakhand’s rise from Big Bang chaosTripura’s reply ran into early trouble and never recovered, as they were bowled out for 110 in 19 overs, Rohit Dangwal taking 3 for 16. Captain Rajat Bhatia took 3 for 29, and outside of a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket in which Manisankar Murasingh contributed 33 in 18 balls, Tripura didn’t have any substantial partnerships.Tamil Nadu sneak past Gujarat in low-scoring contestA combined effort from Tamil Nadu’s bowlers stopped Gujarat at 124, giving TN a one-run win after they had put up 125 for 6 after being put in to bat.TN were in early trouble at 21 for three, having lost M Vijay and B Indrajith, but steady contributions from the middle order averted a collapse. NS Chaturved (34) and Washington Sundar (33) both scored at less than a run a ball, and N Jagadeesan’s 29 boosted TN towards the end.For Gujarat, Arzan Nagwaswalla had a successful T20 debut with 3 for 11 in four overs, building on the good form he had shown with both white ball and red earlier in the season.CHECK OUT: All the Syed Mushtaq Ali scorecardsGujarat’s reply was helmed by Chirag Gandhi, who remained not out on 68 off 66 balls from No. 4, but the next highest score was Nagwaswalla’s 12 from No. 10. Gandhi ended with his highest T20 score, but could only watch in frustration as Hardik Patel, the last man, was run out at the bowler’s end after a mix up.Gujarat had slipped to 96 for nine in 16.5 overs with Nagwaswalla’s wicket, and Gandhi ensured he farmed the strike as much as possible, facing almost every delivery thereafter. He hit four sixes and an equal number of fours, single-handedly adding 28 runs for the last wicket – 25 off his bat and three extras. With Gujarat 123 for nine and one ball left, Abhishek Tanwar bowled one well wide. The umpire signalled it, but Hardik had run almost down the length of the pitch even as Gandhi stayed put. Before Hardik could scramble back, the ball had been relayed to the bowler, who broke the stumps.Khaleel Ahmed is thrilled after picking up a wicket•Associated PressKarnewar’s four trumps Khaleel’s fiveKhaleel Ahmed continued his good form with a first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, but despite his 5 for 18, Rajasthan lost a low-scoring match against Vidarbha by 44 runs.Choosing to bat first, Vidarbha were shot out for 117 in 16.5 overs, with Khaleel doing the damage in just 2.5 overs. Vidarbha had started well, but collapsed after being 61 for two in 5.2 overs. Atharva Taide made 23 off 16 at the top of the order while wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma hit 49 off 29, but the rest couldn’t contribute too much, with Khaleel taking the last three wickets in five balls.Rajasthan began steadily, with opener Manender Singh and No. 3 Robin Bist putting on 45 runs off 41 balls for the second wicket, but went from 47 for one to 73 all out. The wrecker in chief was Akshay Karnewar, who took 4 for 7 in 3.5 overs, his best-ever T20 figures. Rajasthan’s innings also lasted exactly 16.5 overs, and Karnewar replicated Khaleel’s feat in finishing things off with three wickets in the last five balls.Shaw returns to formPrithvi Shaw, who had made a tepid comeback from injury in the tournament, returned to form with a blazing 71 off 47, taking Mumbai to a six-wicket win against Goa. Shaw had scored ten, eight and a duck in Mumbai’s three previous games, but smashed seven sixes and five fours as Mumbai chased down their target of 141 in just 18.2 overs.Goa were restricted to 140 for four after choosing to bat. Each of the top four made more than 25, but only captain Amogh Desai (38 off 24) scored at a strike rate better than 120.In Mumbai’s reply, Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane put on 95 in 11.1 overs to set them well on course. Rahane (31 off 25) played second fiddle in the stand, but even though Shaw fell and Shreyas Iyer had a rare failure, Mumbai’s fast start meant they completed the chase comfortably.

Paris Saint-Germain set an unwanted record as they were dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday by Borussia Dortmund.

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• PSG dumped out of Champions League
• French side waste a hatful of chances
• Dortmund go on to face Madrid or Bayern

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  PSG's dreams of winning a maiden Champions League trophy are over for another year after a semi-final defeat to Dortmund. The Bundesliga side ran out 2-0 winners on aggregate to set up a final against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium. PSG couldn't score against Dortmund despite having Kylian Mbappe in the team and managing 30 shots on goal. PSG's inability to find the back of the net means Luis Enrique's side become the team with the most shots on goal without scoring for at least 20 years in Europe's premier club competition. The hosts also hit the woodwork four times which is the most in a Champions League knockout tie.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  PSG have made a habit of disappointing Champions League exits in recent seasons despite investing heavily in talent such as Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe. The French striker now looks set to depart the club without ever having lifted the European Cup with PSG. Mbappe is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  PSG have now lost six of their seven Champions League semi-final matches (83%), the highest ratio of any team to play at least five.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PSG

  PSG have already won the Ligue 1 title and will be aiming to complete the double when they take on Lyon in the Coupe de France final on May 25. The game is likely to be Mbappe's last in PSG colours before he heads to Madrid where he will hope to add more titles to his collection.

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+ CONFIRA A CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA SÉRIE A

O destaque do Furacão nos últimos jogos pegou um jogo de suspensão no STJD por ter descumprido o protocolo médico da Covid-19.

Com Carlos Eduardo liberado, o Furacão poderá contar com o seu trio principal formado pelo camisa 96, Nikão e Renato Kayzer.

+ São Paulo atrás de novo técnico, futuro de Cuca no Santos e Agüero rumo a gigante europeu… Veja o Dia do Mercado

Confira a provável escalação do Athletico: Santos; Jonathan, Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno e Abner; Richard, Léo Cittadini, Fernando Canesin e Carlos Eduardo; Nikão e Renato Kayzer.

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Bayer Leverkusen's comeback draw with Roma ensured they broke Benfica's 59-year-long record for the longest unbeaten run in European football.

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Leverkusen reach Europa League finalSecure 2-2 comeback draw against RomaBreak Benfica's record for longest unbeaten runWHAT HAPPENED?

Leverkusen kept their treble hopes alive with a last-gasp comeback 2-2 draw at home to Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday. The result meant Xabi Alonso's side stretched their unbeaten run to 49 matches, surpassing Benfica's long-held record.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After Leverkusen romped to the Bundesliga title last month – their first-ever triumph in that competition – attention turned to winning a treble. They are now in the Europa League final, where they will face Atalanta, and take on FC Kaiserslautern in the final of the DFB-Pokal. They are so close to sporting immortality and after securing another stunning late comeback, not many would bet against them from achieving this feat.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Josip Stanisic's 97th-minute equaliser, which came after Gianluca Mancini's own goal and two Leandro Paredes penalties, was Leverkusen's 17th stoppage time goal this season as the German side won the tie 4-2 on aggregate.

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WHAT NEXT?

Leverkusen face off against Serie A side Atalanta in the final of the Europa League in Dublin on May 22. A mere three days later, Alonso's team taken on Kaiserslautern in their domestic cup final as they aim for treble glory.

Leeds United are reportedly looking to bolster their playing squad when the January transfer window officially opens for business next month.

Leeds transfer news – Bright Osayi-Samuel

According to TEAMtalk, the Whites are one of three English sides in the race to land Fenerbahce defender Bright Osayi-Samuel ahead of the second half of the season.

The report has claimed that Premier League teams Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are also eyeing up a swoop for the Nigeria international.

It is stated that Palace are currently ahead of Leeds and Wolves in the pursuit of the former QPR star and there is no mention of how much he would cost in January.

Daniel Farke could, though, ditch Luke Ayling by securing a deal to sign Osayi-Samuel ahead of the two top-flight clubs at the turn of the year.

Luke Ayling's season in numbers

The veteran full-back has lost his starting place to 17-year-old Archie Gray, who is a central midfielder by trade, under the German head coach this season.

He has only made eight Championship starts and featured in 14 league matches in total since the club were relegated from the Premier League.

Ayling has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, with a duel success rate of 53%, but has also been dribbled past 1.1 times per match and only been successful with 24% of his attempted dribbles in those 14 outings.

The 32-year-old battler has also contributed with one goal and one assist from right-back, and these statistics have not done enough to convince Farke that he has what it takes to be his first-choice option in that position.

Bringing in a new number two, in Osayi-Samuel, would leave Ayling further down the pecking order and allow the manager to part ways with him in January, or next summer when his contract expires.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Osayi-Samuel

The Whites target has been a regular starter for Fenerbahce and caught the eye with his impressive defensive displays for the Turkish giants.

Osayi-Samuel has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match, with a duel success rate of 59%, and has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per clash across 12 Super Lig appearances.

These statistics show that the 25-year-old, who is seven years younger than Ayling, can win possession back more frequently than the current Leeds defender and does not allow opposition players to get the better of him anywhere near as often as the English dud.

Appearances

23

Starts

Ten

Duel success rate

51%

Dribble success rate

48%

Assists

Zero

The Fenerbahce star, who has improved since his struggles last season, also has experience in English football. During his time with QPR, manager Mark Warburton claimed that he "terrifies defenders" with his sheer pace.

Throughout the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns combined, Osayi-Samuel racked up eight goals, ten assists, and 13 'big chances' created in 54 Championship starts as a winger.

This suggests that the £40k-per-week whiz has the potential to offer quality as an attacking force if Farke can get the best out of him, whilst also being an upgrade on Ayling from a defensive perspective, which is why Leeds could ditch their experienced dud with a swoop for him.

Leeds United brought in German head coach Daniel Farke in the hope that he would be able to lead the club back to the Premier League this season.

The Whites are third in the Championship and seven points off the automatic promotion places as it stands, and are well in the race to secure an instant return to the top-flight.

Farke also arrived with a reputation for developing young players, after working with the likes of James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons, and Emiliano Buendia at Norwich, and quickly utilised his skills in that department to unearth Archie Gray.

The 17-year-old talent has already made 18 Championship appearances for the Whites this season, and the German head coach may have one eye on the academy to find the next one off the production line.

One U21 star who could develop into a first-team option is versatile 20-year-old midfielder Charlie Allen, who the boss could unearth as a rival to Glen Kamara.

Glen Kamara's season in numbers

Leeds signed the Finland international from Rangers over the summer and he has hit the ground running with his impressive performances in Yorkshire.

Appearances

12

Sofascore rating

7.13

Assists

Two

Key passes

16

Pass accuracy

93%

As you can see in the table above, Kamara has been a reliable option for Farke in possession with his consistently solid displays in midfield.

No Leeds player with at least one start has completed a higher percentage of their attempted passes, and he ranks fourth within the current group for key passes (1.3) per game.

This shows that the ex-Arsenal prospect is an excellent passer of the ball who is also able to create chances for his teammates from a midfield position.

The statistics that show why Allen could rival Kamara

Allen is a natural central midfielder but has also been deployed on the flanks at times by Leeds at youth level, which has allowed him to develop the creative side of his game.

He racked up three goals and two assists in 28 U18 matches for the club before the talented gem earned a place in the U21 set-up at Thorp Arch.

The Northern Ireland U21 international has since produced five goals and seven assists in 50 games for the U21s, which shows that he has the ability to chip in with goals and assists from a midfield position.

Allen, who sports editor Patrick Van Dort claimed has been dubbed a "dream to coach", has previously showcased his passing quality with a pass success rate of 97% inside his own half across two EFL Trophy matches during the 2021/22 campaign.

That came after the young prospect completed 100% of his attempted passes inside his own half in one appearance in that competition the previous season.

The Leeds maestro, who won six of his ten duels and made four tackles in a U21 match against England for his country last month, has the attributes to compete in the midfield area for the Farke with his creativity and passing reliability.

Whether or not he can translate his quality over to first-team level is another question, though, and it will be interesting to see if the manager will provide him with an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the squad as a rival to Kamara.

Newcastle United got back to winning ways on Saturday with a victory against Fulham, stopping the rot of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, including two in the Premier League.

While Fulham were down to ten men early on, the result was important for the Magpies to keep up with the rest of the pack in their hunt for top four.

Head coach Eddie Howe will also be hoping his side can pick up as many points as possible ahead of the January transfer window where he can strengthen the squad. One player in particular has popped up on Newcastle’s radar.

Newcastle transfer news – Matt O’Riley

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Geordie outfit are interested in signing Celtic’s star midfielder Matt O’Riley once the winter market opens up in a little over two weeks.

The outlet also claimed that O’Riley is being eyed up by Championship league leaders Leicester City, which means that they will face competition for his signature.

The Denmark international was a top target for Leeds United during the summer after the Whites were relegated in the previous campaign. The Yorkshire club even submitted a £10m bid for O’Riley which was swiftly rejected by Celtic who are said to be holding out for a fee in excess of £25m.

TEAMtalk are claiming that the Bhoys are looking to break their own record for the most expensive departure in the club’s history by selling O’Riley for more than £25m, beating Kieran Tierney and Jota’s transfer fees.

O’Riley has had a superb spell at Celtic Park so far and even earned huge praise from football scout Jacek Kulig who described him as “immense” following a derby victory for the champions in 2022.

Matt O’Riley’s stats this season

Celtic were given a bargain when the club signed O’Riley from former League One outfit MK Dons back in January 2022 for just £1.5m. The playmaker has gone on to win two league titles since then and two cups with the Hoops.

Additionally, O’Riley has played in several positions for Celtic over the past two years, including as a second striker, a central midfielder, a number ‘10’, and a holding midfielder, showcasing the Dane’s versatility which offers coaches flexibility with their tactical decisions from game to game.

Since moving to Glasgow, O’Riley has scored 17 goals and registered 24 assists in 96 appearances, which averages out at 0.47 goal contributions per game.

Season

Appearances

Minutes

Goals

Assists

2021/22

20

1,209

4

2

2022/23

52

3,308

4

14

2023/24

24

2,042

9

8

Stats via Transfermarkt

Nevertheless, this season has certainly been his most fruitful. O’Riley is currently leading the Scottish Premiership’s goalscoring charts with nine goals already and is level with Rangers winger Abdallah Sima.

Furthermore, due to him recording five league assists, no player has managed to grab more goal contributions this season than the former Fulham academy star.

Newcastle boss Howe has recently brought Lewis Miley through the ranks to potentially become the permanent right central midfielder in his 4-3-3. Now, it looks as though the manager is looking to find a big upgrade for Joelinton on the left.

O’Riley has been outperforming the ex-Hoffenheim star in a number of key defensive metrics this season, showcasing why he could be coming for the Brazilian’s place in the team.

Goals

0.41

0.17

Expected Goals

0.03

0.19

Assists

0.37

0.17

Expected Assists

0.31

0.06

Progressive Passes

4.81

3.88

Progressive Carries

1.48

1.71

Progressive Passes Received

5.37

4.93

Key Passes

2.78

1.64

Passes To Penalty Area

1.11

0.66

Through Balls

0.56

0.07

Tackles

2.59

2.04

Blocks

1.48

1.45

Stats via FBref

These statistics suggest that the Hoops star could provide more quality at both ends of the pitch from a midfield position, both in terms of his ability to score goals and create chances, alongside his defensive strength to win challenges and make blocks.

It looks as though O’Riley is ready to return to English football after a successful period up north and could be a big upgrade on Joelinton, who has two goals and one assist in 14 top-flight matches this term, from a defensive and offensive perspective if he can carry his form over to the Premier League.