Alan Smith’s Expert Analysis: Summer Transfer Window Rumours & Targets

Comparing the Two Targets

On the face of it, there doesn’t seem to be a great deal to choose between the two – they’re obviously both very good goal scorers and good players as well, I think Gyokeres has got better at linking up the play since his Coventry days.

But I suppose the advantage Sesko has is that he’s younger. I was looking up the birthdates. Gyokeres is actually 27 today, but Sesko’s just 22. He’s been playing in a stronger league, in the Bundesliga. Plus, he’s a bit taller, so a bit more of a target man.

The Verdict

If you had to push me, I’d say Sesko, but so much of it comes down to negotiations, the financial side of it. But hopefully they will be able to sign a striker – there are a few out there, aren’t there? So hopefully they’ll be able to get the right man.

Victor Osimhen Swap Deal

Osimhen, I’m sure, would like to play in the Premier League, and now would be a good time to start. He’s in his peak years, he’s had this really good season in Turkey. Doesn’t look like he’s going to go back to Napoli and get a game.

So I think that would be a good bit of business if Napoli were happy with that. Hojlund, when he first came, I quite liked him, he got a few little poacher’s goals, and I thought he might be the answer, but as time’s gone on, it’s been hard for him, he’s a young lad. Playing in a struggling, dysfunctional side, so that’s not been easy, but you can’t wait forever. Osimhen is kind of the finished product, isn’t he? He’s got the experience, so they’ll be desperate to get a centre forward.

Mitrovic’s Premier League Return

I do think he could do a job in the Premier League again. He did ever so well at Fulham in certain spells. He’s a player who needs the right service. He’s very good at attacking crosses. So you would need to get that service in from wide.

I don’t think he’s of the quality or class to go to one of the big teams, and when I say big teams, I still include Manchester United in amongst that. But definitely, I think mid-ranking Premier League sides would have a close look at him. He’s 30 now, and he can be a bit of a hothead, but he’ll get you some goals.

Delap’s Chelsea Choice

It’s that big carrot of Champions League football, isn’t it? Which players all want to be involved in, and maybe he sees that at Chelsea, plus it’s a young team. When I joined Arsenal many years ago, you could see players coming up from the youth ranks – Tony Adams and David Rocastle and all those boys. It’s different at Chelsea in terms of they bought all the young players, and those players should only get better.

So maybe Delap looks at Chelsea and thinks, yeah, we’re in the Champions League, and we should be a force in the years to come, at the top end of the Premier League, and maybe in Europe, and that’s maybe what tipped it. Money always plays a part, but in terms of the football, maybe that’s what tipped it.

Mbeumo’s Potential United Move

A little bit surprising that he picked United over Newcastle. They’ve still got a pull, obviously, Manchester United. You look at the system Amorim plays, and you’ll wonder how he’s going to fit into that. They’ve got the wing-backs wide, and he did hold his width quite a bit on the right-hand side for Brentford, so you’d imagine he’s gonna have to tuck in more.

But they’ve got Cunha, they’ve got Fernandes – how they’re gonna incorporate all three of them will be interesting. Newcastle have got Champions League football. Jacob Murphy had a really good season, but Mbeumo would maybe displace him on the right-hand side at St. James’ Park. But I think it’s a coup for Manchester United to get him, because he’s had a really good season.

As I say, I know they’re struggling, but to play for Manchester United is still something that is a very attractive prospect for a lot of players. It’s going to be a season of rebuilding, so it might not go all according to plan. They’ve got to get a lot out, and a few in. So it’s going to be fascinating seeing what happens at Old Trafford, but they’re trying to make themselves more potent going forward, which they desperately needed.

Wilson and Pope Signings

It’s not enough to keep them up, I don’t think. They needed a new keeper. Meslier struggled last season and got replaced by Darlow, but Pope would be a good move. So I think that’s an upgrade, definitely.

Callum Wilson, he’s had awful injury problems at Newcastle, hasn’t he? He’s got a lot of experience at the top level, but he’s 33 now. Week in, week out, I can’t see him doing it. So I think that they’re going to need more.

Goal Scoring Concerns

You look at who’s scoring the goals last season for Leeds, like Dan James, and Joel Piroe, the Dutchman. Are these boys going to be good enough for the Premier League? James has already had a crack at it, and it’s not really worked, so I think Leeds still need more players.

Why Sunderland Makes Sense

Well, emotionally, Sunderland will be a big, big call for him. He’s 34 now, but he’s still got some miles on the clock left in him. It’s more likely what he would bring into the dressing room, I suppose, as much as anything – this is why, partly, he’s in the England squad as well, this experience, great experience.

There are a lot of lads in that Sunderland dressing room that haven’t experienced the top flight, most of them, really, so from that point of view, maybe it’d be a good one. Rangers, I mean, don’t yet know the manager, do we? I don’t think. They’ve not announced anybody, so you don’t quite know how things are going to shape up there, so I’d say Sunderland would be the big attraction for him.

Emi Martinez’s Departure

Martinez will be really hard to replace. He can wind you up at times, can’t he? He’s got that in him, but he’s a world-class keeper at his best. He’s got that presence, that cockiness that the best keepers have had down the years. He’s a World Cup winner, so I don’t know what’s gone on there, whether it is a financial thing, and they need to free up a bit of money.

But Monchi, the fellow in charge of recruitment, there aren’t many better. He’s got a great record, so we’ll see what he does. Robin Olsen’s left, hasn’t he? So it’s a bit of a surprising one that Martinez looks to be going as well, but it might be purely financial.

Missing Out on Kelleher

It may be that Villa have already got their eyes on somebody. They would have known about Martinez a while back, and as I said, Monchi’s on the case, although Kelleher looks to be a really good signing for Brentford. Every time he’s played for Liverpool, he’s done ever so well. He looks like a number one, so that looks like another piece of really shrewd business by Brentford, who are well known for it.

Livramento as Walker Replacement

If Newcastle did let him go, you’d have to think it was because they wanted to free up a bit of money, not because he wasn’t wanted there, because he’s had a good season. Played on both sides for Newcastle.

He’s not what Pep’s gone for in the past, quite often with the inverted full-back. Livramento’s more of an orthodox full-back who likes to get up and down, stay fairly wide, rather than tucking into midfield, getting crosses in. But he’s a young lad, so that’ll be interesting. Kyle Walker was similar.

Celtic Option

I think he could definitely make an impact in Scotland. He’s made an impact in the Premier League in a really poor Leicester side this season. Whether that is going to be attractive for him, I think he could score quite a lot of goals at Celtic in that league.

But I would like to see him stay in the Premier League. Whether he would want to is another thing; playing against his old team, Leicester, for example, might be something he wants to avoid. He doesn’t strike me as a sentimental type of character, so it’ll just go on what kind of offer he’s got. But I could see a good Premier League team quite fancy taking him and using him as an impact sub, where I think he could still do some damage.

Frimpong Replacing Alexander-Arnold

Frimpong is a totally different sort of player. I think wing-back is probably his strength, because he loves to get forward. Liverpool play with four at the back, so that’s going to be interesting, and I don’t think he’s that inverted full-back sort. He’s quick, tenacious, and loves getting up and down the line.

It will be interesting to see how he combines with Mo Salah, because Salah won’t want him occupying his space – Salah likes a little bit of room to take on his man and see the picture. So that’s going to be an interesting one. I think it will change the shape of Liverpool’s attacks, really, because of Frimpong’s style. It’s an exciting signing, both for him personally and for Liverpool.

Alan will continue to monitor the most exciting developments in the transfer market, sharing his analysis on how these moves might shape the upcoming season. Keep an eye out for his next instalment, exclusively on Best Betting Sites, for more insights into the future of football.