In a summer season when all the main focus is on the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, there are a forged of strikers flying beneath the radar.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United are all taking a look at No 9s and looking for the correct deal for them. Chelsea have not fully dominated out one other striker after Liam Delap’s arrival, both.
However the aforementioned protagonists of the window are being priced anyplace from £70m to nicely north of £100m. Certainly there are some alternate options that would not break the financial institution to this diploma?
Effectively, we determined to try the numbers – and that is what we discovered…
Rodrigo Muniz
Muniz has been unlucky to not play extra for Fulham over the previous 12 months – and a submit on the membership’s social media channels unwittingly shone a lightweight on this on the finish of the season.
The graphic celebrated what number of Premier League objectives Fulham’s two most important strikers had scored. Raul Jimenez, the primary selection, had 12 in 30 begins, whereas Muniz had eight in eight.
Contemplating three of Jimenez’s objectives have been scored from penalties, and Muniz did not take a spot-kick for Fulham, then the Brazilian’s report turns into much more spectacular.
Broaden the comparability additional and the numbers will shock you: excluding penalty objectives, Muniz has the perfect strike price per 90 of anybody within the Premier League (0.76) to have performed no less than 20 per cent of obtainable minutes this season.
Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak, arguably two of essentially the most precious strikers in world soccer, are closest behind him with a return of 0.62 per 90.
Even once you embrace penalties, Muniz ranks second to Mohamed Salah, Premier League high scorer final season, narrowly forward on 0.77 after scoring 9 instances from the spot.
Muniz is correct up there by way of Anticipated Objectives per 90 too, rating fifth within the Premier League when penalties are excluded – a transparent indication that he’s constantly entering into good goalscoring alternatives.
Effectively over 6ft, Muniz can be a handful for defenders, proven in his distinctive potential to win each aerial duels and fouls at the next price than nearly anybody within the Premier League. Useful when main the road.
He ranks second for aerial duels gained per 90 (6.34) and seventh for fouls gained per 90 (2.93) – however once you measure participant efficiency throughout each metrics, Muniz stands alone amongst different strikers.
So why has he not performed extra? Effectively, the numbers recommend Marco Silva tends to prioritise expertise. His Fulham groups have been the second-oldest on common over the previous two seasons – and have been the oldest the season earlier than.
Maybe for Muniz, who turned 24 in Could, that has counted in opposition to him within the battle with 34-year-old Jimenez for minutes. Silva can level to a gentle development as an indication that his strategies are working after recording his finest factors return at Fulham.
However Muniz additionally has a powerful case to say he deserves extra minutes. These numbers recommend he’s the under-the-radar striker within the Premier League.
Zinny Boswell
Yoane Wissa
Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak… and Wissa!
The Brentford striker ranked alongside the gamers considered the perfect three attacking choices within the Premier League final time period for Anticipated probabilities, displaying his knack for being in the correct place on the proper time.
His 18 Premier League objectives this season exhibits he’s on the high of his recreation. So is he the correct man on the proper time for anybody apart from Brentford?
Wissa’s Brentford state of affairs is a posh one. The Bees have already misplaced Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur and Bryan Mbeumo is all however assured to hitch him by the exit door. Dropping a 3rd key participant could be one an excessive amount of for the Bees, even with gamers like Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago ready within the wings subsequent time period.
However then once more, Wissa has one 12 months left on his Brentford contract, with this summer season representing the final likelihood for Brentford to get a charge for a participant who turns 29 come the top of the window.
Nottingham Forest examined Brentford’s waters with a £22m bid in January, which was immediately rejected. How would the Bees react if an analogous bid got here this summer season?
Do they gamble on Wissa delivering extra objectives in what is a crucial season for the membership then lose him totally free? Or do they reduce their losses and fully rebuild the entrance line? The £60m charge they’re anticipating for Bryan Mbeumo could dictate what Brentford do with Wissa.
Talking of Mbeumo, he has an vital half to play in Wissa’s future. The pair have developed fairly a rapport – a lot in order that they grew to become subsequent door neighbours of their south-west London neighbourhood.
Wissa could not be capable of ship the identical numbers he produced final season if he’s enjoying for a special staff to Mbeumo, which is one thing for potential new golf equipment to contemplate.
But when a membership places cash on the desk and Wissa retains on scoring, then they might get themselves the cut price of the summer season.
Sam Blitz
Mika Biereth
Arsenal opted to money in on Biereth after they bought him to Austrian aspect Sturm Graz for round £4m final summer season. They reportedly banked an extra £2m due to a sell-on clause when he joined Monaco a number of months after that.
However would they’ve been higher off holding on to him?
Because the Gunners struggled by the second half of final season with no recognised striker because of accidents, Biereth was busy scoring 13 objectives in 16 Ligue 1 video games for Monaco, having hit 11 in 16 within the Austrian Bundesliga earlier within the marketing campaign.
Mika Biereth scored 13 objectives in 16 Ligue 1 video games for Monaco
For the reason that begin of January, the 22-year-old’s complete of 13 objectives places him behind solely Actual Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy in Europe’s top-five leagues and stage with Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele.
Biereth, a medical finisher with tempo and energy, now has a popularity as the most effective younger strikers round.
Having excelled in France with out the necessity for a bedding-in interval, he has additionally provided encouragement to any potential suitors from stronger leagues looking for firepower.
There are some query marks round his technical potential and hyperlink play. Biereth doesn’t provide an enormous quantity generally play. His go completion price stands at a lowly 60 per cent. However his scoring report speaks for itself. Might Arsenal’s loss be one other membership’s achieve this summer season?
Nick Wright
Vangelis Pavlidis
Arsenal and Manchester United are linked with Sporting’s purpose machine Viktor Gyokeres – however there’s one other striker within the Portuguese Primeira Liga making waves: Benfica’s Pavlidis.
Vangelis Pavlidis’ contact map exhibits he contributed evenly throughout the center and ultimate thirds within the Champions League final season
Domestically, the Greece worldwide has reached double digits for objectives in six successive seasons, scoring 29 within the Eredivisie throughout 2023/24 to assist AZ Alkmaar obtain a fourth-place end, and netting 19 for Benfica this time period.
He is exceeded 20 purpose involvements each season for the previous 4 years.
Along with his spectacular purpose ratio, the report card under reveals the 26-year-old additionally ranks among the many elite in creating probabilities for team-mates, regaining possession within the ultimate third, and, intriguingly, in finishing lengthy passes from deep.
The scatter chart under pits him on par with Gyokeres for successful possession excessive up the pitch, and solely simply shy of Actual Madrid speedster Kylian Mbappe for purpose involvements per 90 minutes.
Nonetheless, the Primeira Liga was rated the eighth-strongest league on the planet final season – trailing Europe’s high 5 leagues, the English Championship and the Belgian Professional League – in keeping with Opta Energy Scores,
These numbers recommend Pavlidis primarily confronted opponents comparable in high quality to relegation-threatened sides or weaker from Europe’s elite leagues.
Consequently, questions stay over whether or not Pavlidis might replicate his prolific scoring type within the Premier League – however the numbers recommend he might be of venture value taking.
Adam Smith
Sky Sports activities to point out 215 reside PL video games from subsequent season
From subsequent season, Sky Sports activities’ Premier League protection will enhance from 128 matches to no less than 215 video games completely reside.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League video games subsequent season are on Sky Sports activities.
