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Sunderland have enjoyed a strong start to life back in the second division of English football and currently sit fifth in the Championship table as they head into October.

Kristjaan Speakman dipped into the transfer market to bolster the squad in the summer by signing the likes of Ellis Simms, Daniel Ballard, and Edouard Michut.

However, some of the players who helped to secure promotion out of League One in 2021/22 have been among their top performers this term.

Ross Stewart, Alex Pritchard and Luke O’Nien are all in the top-seven players at the club in terms of average SofaScore ratings this season.

Sunderland’s work in the market has been superb in recent seasons and O’Nien is one of the signings they played a blinder with when they snapped him up four years ago.

The Black Cats signed him from Wycombe for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2018, with the midfielder – who signed a two-year deal – describing it as an “honour” to sign for the club. Transfermarkt valued him at £135k at the time of the move and that is a valuation he had held since August 2016.

The £5k-per-week battler was previously hailed by former manager Jack Ross. The Scottish boss said:

“He ticked a lot of boxes and then even when we did one-v-one stuff in training, he is awkward to get past, he is physical, competitive, and he doesn’t like people going by him. He has been a revelation in that respect, and credit to him for how he has faced that challenge.

“When you play him in the middle of the pitch, he covers so much ground because you are involved all the time in the game.”

O’Nien quickly established himself as a key player for Sunderland as he played 40 League One matches – including the play-offs – and chipped in with five goals and six assists.

In the following three seasons, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 or higher in the third tier as he amassed another 104 appearances in the division, which shows that he consistently delivered quality performances on the pitch for the club at that level.

His form led to Transfermarkt updating his valuation to £1.08m at the end of June 2022. This means that his value has rocketed by 700% since 2016 and this explains perfectly why Sunderland played a blinder by bringing him in back in 2018, as he has developed and improved during his time on Wearside whilst being a crucial member of the squad.

Since making the step up to the Championship, O’Nien has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.92 across nine appearances – making 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game. Hopefully, he will now continue to prove his worth and increase his value as he continues to excel in the second tier for the Black Cats.

Following West Ham United’s 3-1 win over FCSB in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, David Moyes has been left with a big decision to make regarding his midfield.

Tomas Soucek was rested for the clash against the Romanian side, with Flynn Downes coming in for his first start for the Irons since joining the club from Swansea City during the summer.

Carlton Palmer was impressed by the deal, as he said: “It’s brilliant business by David Moyes again, £12m for a player that’s got a very, very bright future ahead of him.”

The 23-year-old certainly impressed alongside Declan Rice in midfield last night, with SofaScore awarding him a 7.3/10 rating for his performance, the second-best of any West Ham player to start the match.

Meanwhile, Soucek has come under questioning from some quarters at the start of this season after a few underwhelming performances which have seemingly played a big part in the Hammers’ disappointing record in the Premier League so far this term.

A few weeks ago, following reports of an apparent falling-out with the player, Moyes tellingly said: “We are bringing in new players and you can probably see, if you are being honest, maybe some of the players who have been here are maybe not quite the same as they were even a year ago, a year and a half ago.

“So we’ve got to look at that as well and decide when the changeover time is. We’ve got a little bit of that going on, but we’ve got to try and keep it going and keep hanging in while we’re maybe not quite ready.”

After a superb 2020/21 season which saw him contribute 10 goals and average an impressive 7.36 rating from WhoScored, Soucek’s form dropped significantly last term, with just five goals and a 6.97 rating to his name, so Moyes well have been referring to the Czech Republic international in this statement.

There were several reports during the summer that the West Ham manager was involved in a bust-up with Soucek, but he has started each of the Irons’ Premier League games so far this season.

In those outings, he has averaged 30.5 passes, a 79.2% pass accuracy and 0.2 key passes per game. By comparison, Downes contributed 57 passes last night with a 92% accuracy, including three key passes, which suggests that he certainly made a big statement.

While this weekend’s games have been called off, the 23-year-old seems to have done enough to warrant a start in West Ham’s next fixture after his impressive display against FCSB, and the added competition will hopefully kick Soucek back into gear after a poor start to the season for him.

Celtic are not interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley this summer despite rumours suggesting otherwise, according to journalist Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Barkley rumour emerges

The Hoops have made an ideal start to their Scottish Premiership title defence, winning their opening two matches against Aberdeen and Ross County.

That’s not to say that Ange Postecoglou isn’t still potentially looking at more signings, however, with rumours of a move for a midfielder and striker, and Barkley has been linked with a move to Parkhead in recent days.

The 28-year-old is out of favour at Chelsea currently and may be able to leave before the end of the current transfer window.

The Latest: Journalist rubbishes transfer

According to Football Scotland‘s Hendry, however, Barkley is ‘not on Celtic’s radar’, with recent claims ‘well wide of the mark’.

“To address one of this summer’s more farfetched transfer rumours, now, and Football Scotland can confirm that Ross Barkley is not on Celtic’s radar,” reports Hendry.

“The Hoops were linked with a sensational loan move for the Chelsea midfielder but those claims are well wide of the mark. Silly season is upon us, after all.”

The Englishman’s current Chelsea deal expires in 2023.

The Verdict: Always seemed unlikely

While the thought of Barkley in a Celtic shirt is exciting – he is a 33-cap England international who has been described as ‘very dangerous’ by Thomas Tuchel – it always felt like more of a pipe dream than anything.

If the midfielder does leave Chelsea this summer, it may be to another Premier League team, with the former Everton man arguably seeing the Scottish Premiership as a big drop down in quality.

Postecoglou should still look to sign someone of Barkley’s ilk, however – a player who could add a sprinkling of magic and unpredictability in the middle of the park, opening up defences with his drive and creativity.

Football journalist Osman Cengiz has provided an update regarding Leeds United’s pursuit of Fenerbahce striker Mergim Berisha. 

The lowdown: Leeds interested in Berisha

Whites manager Jesse Marsch has already shown a penchant for reuniting with some of his former players at Elland Road, having already signed a number of his former charges in Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Rasmus Kristensen.

The next in line to follow the American to Elland Road could be Berisha after the 24-year-old former Germany youth international was linked with a move to Yorkshire over the weekend.

Another informed source has now shed some further light on the potential deal for the man who directly contributed to 37 goals in 52 appearances under Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg…

The latest: Four-year deal on the table

Taking to Twitter, Turkish football journalist Cengiz has claimed that Leeds will offer Berisha a four-year deal if they can agree a fee with the Istanbul club.

He outlined:  “Leeds United, who want to transfer Fenerbahce’s striker Mergim Berisha, continue their negotiations with Fenerbahce.

“Fenerbahce, who offered €5m to Leeds, will sign a 4-year contract with Berisha in case of an agreement. Berisha also has offers from Germany.”

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The verdict: Make it happen

Holding a perceived market value of £5.4m and currently under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), getting this deal done for anything close to the mooted €5m (£4.2m) would have to be regarded as an exceptional piece of business from Leeds.

Alongside the ongoing pursuits of Charles De Ketelaere and Arnaud Kalimuendo as more youthful targets, Berisha already boasts a proven goalscoring pedigree, particularly under the tutelage of Marsch.

The talented marksman has already won four Austrian Bundesliga titles, three Austrian Cups and the European Under-21 Championship in what has been an impressive few years of his career so far.

Last season, Berisha – who was praised by journalist Max Camilleri for an ‘amazing’ finish against Royal Antwerp in an 8.1 Sofascore-rated display – scored eight times and provided three assists in 38 appearances across all competitions as he adapted well in his first campaign in Turkey.

While predominantly a centre-forward, the German can also play on either wing as well as in deeper positions, and he should therefore be regarded as a top priority for Victor Orta as Leeds attempt to improve ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Former Premier League striker and BBC Radio host Noel Whelan has backed Liverpool to sign Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham in 2023. 

The lowdown: Jurgen Klopp speaks

As the Reds returned to training for pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, manager Jurgen Klopp opened up on the perennial links with a move for Bellingham, stating that the only issue with the teenager was that he is ‘not on the market’ this summer.

Those comments from the Anfield boss will no doubt add further fuel to the already fever-pitch speculation that the 19-year-old will be heading to Merseyside in 2023.

Outside of Klopp and sporting director Julian Ward reentering the market for an alternative or potentially even a stop-gap, that would mean the Liverpool midfield department is made up of Thiago, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson in terms of senior frontline options this season, with the depth provided by younger players.

The latest: ‘Number one target…’

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Leeds United frontman and BBC Radio show host Whelan has claimed that the riches at Klopp’s disposal mean they can afford to wait for Bellingham.

He said: “They’ve gone out and spent quite a lot of money this summer. Carvalho has come in, and they’ve spent a staggering amount on Nunez as well – which is their answer to the Erling Haaland deal.

“The question is – do they need any defensive midfielders? They’ve got Milner, Henderson, Fabinho, as well as other players who can make an impact. Do they need to force a transfer through for the sake of it?

“We know who their number one target is. It’s Jude Bellingham – and they’ll be moving for him next year. Man City might have made their move a bit earlier by getting Kalvin Phillips in – but Liverpool may be waiting until next season in order to get their man.

“I don’t expect it to weaken Liverpool this season if they do wait around. I’m not expecting it to be a one-horse race. It’s still going to be an intriguing and exciting season in the Premier League.”

The verdict: Worth the wait

If it is as simple as Bellingham or no one this summer, it would be worthwhile in the long run to wait for the 15-cap England sensation, given the potential in the short term and the longevity on offer.

Perhaps a midfield addition could still be necessary in this window if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should force a move away before the deadline, but that is not currently the case.

Already an established performer for club and country, the prodigiously talented star was hailed as an ‘extremely intelligent’ and ‘sublime’ operator by journalist Josh Bunting following an 8.50 Sofascore rated display which included a goal, assist and five successful dribbles in a 2-1 victory over Besiktas during the 2021/22 campaign.

Overall, Bellingham has directly contributed to 34 goals in 134 senior outings in what is still a fledgeling career, highlighting an eye for impacting matches in the final third.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to Liverpool’s own Keita, Lazio superstar Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Barcelona wonderkid Pedri (Fbref), the former Birmingham prospect looks certain to enjoy a fruitful and distinguished time at the elite level and the Reds will want to be the platform on which all of his talents can be harnessed, even if that means waiting a year.

Aston Villa have seen numerous new faces arrive in the Midlands during the current summer window.

In addition to securing permanent moves for Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen, the Villans have also brought in Boubacar Camara and Diego Carlos.

However, it seems as though the Villans could be at risk of seeing one of their current players make a move away from this summer.

According to a recent report from Goal, AC Milan have been in talks with Douglas Luiz over a potential move to the San Siro.

Should the Villans end up waving goodbye to the Brazilian in the coming weeks, one figure that has already been linked with a move that could end up being an ideal potential replacement is PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare.

With 173 combined appearances for the Dutch side and his previous club Toulouse, the 24-year-old has scored seven goals and delivered 11 assists in the process.

Last season saw the midfielder play more minutes in the Eredivisie than any other player at his current side, showing just how important he is to them.

In his 29 league appearances, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £21.6m according to Transfermarkt, made more interceptions (72) and won more tackles (64) than any other PSV player.

To compare that with Luiz, in his 34 Premier League appearances, he racked up fewer interceptions (61) and won fewer tackles (43) than Sangare.

Meanwhile, only Cody Gakpo (2.9) and Noni Madueke (2.4) racked up a higher average for dribbles per game than Sangare, which shows just how tricky he can be on the ball as well as being a tough opponent when he’s trying to win the ball back.

His overall performances earned him an impressive season rating of 7.49 according to WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated player at the Dutch club.

By the same metric, this rating would have comfortably made him the highest-rated player in Villa’s squad for their previous Premier League campaign.

All of this backs up why he was labelled as an “extraordinary” player by analyst Aad de Mos and why he’d be a great fit at Villa if they end up selling Luiz this summer.

AND in other news: Reliable journo: AVFC move would be “attractive” for 6ft1 “rock”, Gerrard will love it

Aston Villa have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with Premier League champions Manchester City now reportedly targeting the Englishman.

What’s the word?

As per The Times, City are believed to be turning their attention towards making a move for the 26-year-old this summer, after confirming the arrival of Borussia Dortmund hotshot Erling Haaland on Monday.

The report suggests that Pep Guardiola and co view the 19-cap international as a potential replacement for veteran gem Fernandinho – with the Brazilian set to leave the Etihad once his contract expires at the end of the month – and would reportedly be willing to pay as much as £60m for his services.

This follows speculation that Villa were in fact firmly in the mix to prize the Leeds academy graduate from Elland Road, with the player believed to be a ‘long-term target’ for the Midlands outfit.

One of the best

Potentially missing out on the £38k-per-week machine to the title winners would no doubt be a painful situation for those at Villa Park, with manager Steven Gerrard likely to have viewed him as an ideal fit to add to his midfield.

Despite having only two years of top-flight football under his belt thus far, the £45m-rated ace has already cemented his status as one of the most effective performers in the division, while he’s also forged his way to becoming a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England side.

At the end of his first campaign in the top tier, Phillips went on to play a vital role in the Three Lions’ surge to the European Championship final last summer, featuring in all seven games en route to the showpiece and forming an immense partnership with West Ham United talisman, Declan Rice.

That duo was the subject of praise from coaching icon Fabio Capello, with the Italian highlighting the Yorkshire-born star, in particular, for his standout displays, suggesting that the “aggressive” playmaker is the “best modern midfielder” that he has seen.

Such plaudits have no doubt been deserved and while he endured an injury-hit campaign last time out, the 5 foot 10 destroyer still compares favourably to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 2% for pressures made, the top 3% for tackles and the top 4% for blocks.

His relentless nature in the centre of the pitch has made him such a highly coveted asset, with it a marker of just how far he has come that he is now a top target for arguably the best team in the country – Man City.

Competing with the uber-rich outfit for Phillips’ signature is only likely to end in tears for the Villans, with it looking as if they are set to miss out on one of the best around.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Graham Smyth has stated his belief that Leeds United should make a move for Sam Johnstone this summer.

What’s been said?

In a series of recent posts on Twitter, the Yorkshire Evening Post chief football writer suggested that the goalkeeper – who is set to leave West Bromwich Albion upon the expiry of his current contract in June – would be an excellent signing for Victor Orta to get over the line this summer, as the England international would seriously push Illan Meslier for his starting spot in Jesse Marsch’s side.

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In his tweets, Smyth said: “What a free transfer Johnstone will be for someone this summer… I’d certainly take him [as] backup, but to genuinely push Meslier for the number one spot.”

Orta must move

Considering how impressive Johnstone was for West Brom during Albion’s last spell in the top flight back in 2020/21, it is easy to see why Smyth believes the 29-year-old would be a good target for Orta to pursue this summer.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances that season, the £10.8m-rated stopper was one of the Baggies’ standout performers, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of an extraordinary 4.5 saves per game – the most in the league.

These returns saw the £32.5k-per-week goalkeeper who Gary Lineker dubbed “unbelievable” and Kieran Doody labelled “unreal” earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Albion’s second-best player in the league – an incredibly impressive feat considering West Brom’s ultimate relegation from the division.

For comparison, over Meslier’s 38 Premier League fixtures this season, the £18m-rated talent kept five clean sheets, conceded 79 goals and made an average of 3.8 saves per game, with these metrics seeing the France U21 international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.87.

As such, it would certainly appear as if Johnstone would make a fantastic addition to Marsch’s current options between the sticks, especially when considering he is available on a free – leading us to believe that Orta simply must make a move for the England shot-stopper this summer.

AND in other news: “Already spoken..”: YEP journo drops big summer update that Leeds supporters will love

Manchester United are looking to strike a deal for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Oriol Domenech, who was speaking on Gerard Romero’s Twitch stream, [via The Express]. He claimed that incoming United manager Erik ten Hag is keen to add the 22-year-old to his ranks after the allegedly bullet-proof signing of Frenkie de Jong has all but been confirmed.

Domenech said that the 52-year-old wants both former Ajax players at Old Trafford to ignite his era in charge of the Red Devils. Both De Ligt and De Jong were part of Ten Hag’s Ajax squad which reached the semi-finals of the Champions League three years ago.

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Imagine De Ligt and Ten Hag together again

Having managed the 22-year-old at Ajax, Ten Hag knows exactly what De Ligt’s game is all about. The Juventus star, who is rated at around £63m by Transfermarkt, braved the move to Turin back in 2019. He hasn’t looked back since, making 27 or more Serie A appearances in each of his three seasons with the Bianconeri.

The young Netherlands international has also managed to transition his goalscoring touch from Ajax, having scored in each of his seasons at youth and senior level in Amsterdam and managing to keep this consistent across his three years at Juve.

With a passing completing rate of 89% in the current Serie A campaign, De Ligt is sound in possession, and that figure suggests that he nicely suits Ten Hag’s philosophy of playing progressively from the back.

However, his arrival would pose an issue for either Raphael Varane or Harry Maguire, both of whom are right-footed. De Ligt is also a natural right-footed centre-back; and judging by the way he sets up his Ajax side, Ten Hag likes to have one left-footed and one right footed centre-back within his four-man defence.

With Varane listed on FBRef as 59% right footed, Ten Hag could utilise the Frenchman’s left-footed ability and could deploy him as a left-sided central defender. In that case, Maguire – who currently occupies the role of left-sided centre-back despite his right-footedness – could well wave goodbye to his starting berth.

De Ligt, who has been dubbed “an absolute monster”, will turn 23 in August – the same age that Ruben Dias was when he made his move to Manchester City – so it could be the perfect time in his career for him to make an impact in the Premier League.

In other news – “100% sure..”: Man Utd can sign “underrated” £38m-rated gem who’s “better than Dias”

Rangers endured a miserable return to Champions League action on Wednesday evening, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox side succumbing to a hefty 4-0 defeat at the hands of Eredivisie giants Ajax, in Amsterdam.

The Gers boss would no doubt have been looking for a response from his players following Saturday’s dismal Old Firm derby display, although the Dutchman’s woes were only compounded as his side were once again totally outclassed.

Buoyed by the individual genius of young Mohammed Kudus, the hosts ran riot in what was a brutal first-half display from Alfred Schreuder’s men, racing into a three-goal lead as the Glasgow side’s defensive deficiencies were laid bare.

As BBC Sport’s Tom English quipped, it was like “men against mannequins” in the Johan Cruyff Arena, with the visitors simply struggling to get any sort of foothold in what was their first group stage match in the competition since the 2010/11 season.

Even a raft of half-time changes – which included the withdrawal of skipper James Tavernier – could not prevent further torment, as former Tottenham Hotspur flop Steven Bergwijn slotted late on following a lax backpass from substitute Ryan Jack.

While the decision to replace the aforementioned Tavernier – who was shrugged off far too easily in the build-up to Kudus’ wonder-strike to make it 3-0 – will likely grab the headlines, one man who again failed to deliver was United States international, James Sands.

The 22-year-old has been something of a makeshift option at centre-back amid the injury woes to the likes of Ben Davies and John Souttar, with that possible unsuitability to the role seemingly playing its part in what was another measly performance.

Pundit Mark Hateley had previously suggested that the youngster was something of a “problem” in that defensive berth during the defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise last month, while he was simply run ragged by Celtic’s fluid forward line at the weekend.

It was a similar story in Holland as he was notably one of a handful of players who simply stood by as Edson Alvarez powered in an early free header, while he also helped guide Steven Berhuis’ effort into his own net midway through the first half.

Although that deflection was somewhat unfortunate, it seemingly epitomised his overall unconvincing display alongside Connor Goldson, as he lost possession on average once every 4.6 touches, while recording a pass accuracy of just 77%.

As journalist Josh Bunting suggested, it is “absolutely ridiculous” that both the £2.7m-rated man – and teammate Scott Wright – have gone from being previously peripheral figures last season to first-choice regulars under Van Bronckhorst this term, with their lack of quality perhaps beginning to show.

The American’s struggles were also laid bare in contrast to the unerringly composed display of former Ibrox colossus Calvin Bassey for the opposition, with the Nigeria international notably losing possession just five times from his rather remarkable haul of 150 touches, while so often popping up in different positions across the pitch as a sign of his side’s dominance.

That performance from the one-time Leicester City man – who left the Scottish Premiership side for a club-record fee of £23m earlier this summer – has only served to heighten the void that he left behind with the Gers, with Sands seemingly not the solution in that left centre-back berth.

On what was a chastening night for all concerned, the latter man was particularly eye-catching for all the wrong reasons.