Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to send a message to the club’s owner Gao Jisheng, following a harmless post from the Saints’ official account.
The tweet showcased the fact that The Killers will be coming to perform at St Mary’s in June, although it is fair to say that these supporters of the south coast outfit on Twitter don’t care about that in the slightest as they aimed their frustrations at Gao.
All of the supporters on Twitter have been tweeting #GaoOut as they take aim at the Chinese tycoon, who owns an 80% stake in the club since spending £210m to become the majority stakeholder back in August 2017 – previous owner Katharina Liebherr retains a 20% stake.
Since Gao’s arrival, the south coast side’s fortunes have dipped drastically as they find themselves consistently battling relegation rather than competing in Europe, as they previously were under Ronald Koeman.
With the Saints currently sitting 19th in the Premier League, the general mood towards Gao seems to have soured because of the aforesaid, a sentiment echoed by the negative message sent to the Chinese owner from these Southampton fans…
It was another uninspiring performance from Manchester United against FC Twente of the Netherlands in their Europa League opener on Wednesday night. Erik ten Hag’s side were rather limp, in truth, and they could only stutter to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were lacklustre in front of goal. United managed 19 shots, but could only test the goalkeeper on five occasions, with seven of their shots missing the target altogether, as per Sofascore.
Erik ten Hag
A superb finish from Christian Eriksen gave United the lead 35 minutes into the game, but they could only muster an expected goals tally of 1.27xG. It was the Dane’s error that led to Twente’s goal, with Sam Lammers equalising after 68 minutes. The visitors applied some pressure thereafter on the United goal and managed to stand firm, not allowing Ten Hag’s men to breach their steadfast defence.
Late subs could not swing the result in United’s favour, and it is another disappointing result in Europe. The Red Devils have won just one of their last nine continental affairs, as per Andy Mitten. There were certainly some poor performances on the night once again.
Eriksen’s stats vs. FC Twente
One of those players was Danish international midfielder Eriksen. Despite his goal, the former Inter man struggled at times off the ball, and it was his costly mistake that led to the Dutch side’s equaliser.
It is worth mentioning his superb strike just past the 30-minute mark. He got on the end of a loose ball in the penalty box, simply running onto it and lashing it into the top corner of the Twente goal, a great finish.
However, his lack of control of the ball led to Twente nabbing possession from United and running through to equalise. His mistake probably weighed in on the 6/10 rating from The Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, although he did praise him for being ‘prudent with the ball’.
His stats from the game reflected the mixed evening, too. Whilst the Dane retained the ball well for the majority of the match, with a pass accuracy of 93%, and created three chances, he was poor off the ball. He failed to win his sole tackle, won just one from three duels and lost the ball for their goal.
With that being said, it was an even more disappointing night for Bruno Fernandes, who once again looked off the boil.
Fernandes’ stats vs. FC Twente
Last Saturday’s trip to Selhurst Park was not Fernandes’ best game, struggling against a good Crystal Palace side as he lost possession on 34 occasions. Frustratingly, the 30-year-old could not get back on track against the Dutch side at Old Trafford.
The United skipper was wasteful in possession once again, and, ever the spark for his side, could not find the shot or pass which made a difference. He did come close late in the second half, but his shot from range was always bending away from goal.
His stats were reflective of such a frustrating evening for the United captain. He managed to complete just 75% of his passes and lost the ball a frustrating 19 times. He also struggled out of possession, winning just five from ten ground duels.
Stat
Number
Passes completed
39/52
Pass accuracy
75%
Touches
76
Ground duels won
5/10
Number of times possession lost
19
Number of times dribbled past
2
Key passes
1
Fernandes’ performance earned him a 4/10 rating from Luckhurst, who explained that the United skipper was ‘sloppy again with the ball’, as he had been at Palace. It was a scathing review from the journalist, who claimed the Portugal star got ‘worse in the second half’.
That viewpoint was echoed by a certain Mark Goldbridge, who dubbed the playmaker as “dreadful” and questioned the decision not to withdraw him in the second half.
The Red Devils’ number eight, along with his teammates, have a chance to get back to winning ways this weekend at Old Trafford, where they host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
Whether Fernandes should be involved from the start in that clash is another matter, however, with it looking as if Ten Hag may need to boldly drop his skipper on the evidence of his recent displays.
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Everton manager Sean Dyche wants a “phenomenal” international player to replace Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park, according to a new report.
Pickford struggling at Everton
The Blues suffered yet more heartbreak on Saturday evening, once again blowing a 2-0 lead, this time away to Aston Villa in the Premier League. For a while, it looked as though Dyche’s men had overcome their awful start to the season, but they ended up succumbing to another 3-2 loss, with Jhon Duran scoring the winning goal at Villa Park.
This is about as low a period as Everton fans can remember, with so little to shout about at the moment, and there are individuals who are really struggling for form, one of whom is Pickford.
The England international was horribly at fault for one of Tottenham’s goals in their 4-0 defeat in north London last month, being robbed by Son Heung-min, and his general performances have been nowhere near as good as they were last season when he often bailed the Blues out and produced some influential displays.
Pickford has now conceded 13 goals in just four matches in the league in 2024/25, and while that certainly isn’t solely down to him, he is not playing at the level he has shown he is capable of reaching in the past.
"Phenomenal" ace wanted by Dyche at Everton
According to an update from reliable journalist Alan Nixon [via NUFC Feed], Everton manager Dyche is keen on bringing Nick Pope to the club as a replacement for the under-pressure Pickford.
The Blues boss is thought to be unimpressed with his current goalkeeper’s form and would like to see the Newcastle and England stopper come in instead.
Nick Pope
This is an intriguing transfer claim, considering what a high-profile figure Pickford is at Everton, becoming firmly England’s No.1 during his time at the club. He has been poor so far this season, though, averaging just a 5.97 rating from WhoScored across the four league games.
Opinion may be split as to whether the £60,000-a-week Pope is an upgrade on him or not, but he has proven himself a top-level ‘keeper in a Newcastle shirt, playing his part in them qualifying for the Champions League in 2022/23. Shay Given has waxed lyrical over him in the past, too, saying:
“He’s been absolutely brilliant. At the weekend at Selhurst Park, [after making his save to deny Mateta] the reaction, he just got up and thought ‘this is what I do every week – I’ve got this lads, no pressure’. Everyone respects him, he’s a phenomenal goalkeeper. He’s got about everything – he’s brilliant at dealing with crosses and you’ve seen his saves, foot saves and blocks one-on-one.”
Premier League
196
219
68
League Two
44
21
28
Championship
33
44
7
EFL Cup
17
15
6
National League
14
16
6
FA Cup
8
13
4
Champions League
5
5
1
League Two playoffs
2
1
1
Europa League qualifying
1
0
1
Pope is now hugely experienced, making 196 appearances in the Premier League and winning 10 caps for England, and if Dyche prefers him to Pickford, he could be trusted.
Celtic’s faultless start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign continued on Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hearts at Parkhead.
The Hoops have now won all five of their matches in the division, without conceding a single goal, after goals from new signings Arne Engels and Luke McCowan.
Despite the win, there were some underwhelming performers on the pitch for the Scottish giants and one of them was centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi, who endured a difficult afternoon – losing 100% of his duels and leaving the pitch with no meaningful contributions.
FFC have urged Brendan Rodgers to finally ditch the Japan international from the starting XI and that would present Adam Idah with a chance to prove his worth.
Celtic splashed out a fee of £8.5m, which could rise to £9.5m with add-ons, to sign the Ireland international from Norwich City on a permanent deal, after his loan spell last term.
The Bhoys will be hoping that it turns out to be a profitable investment on the 23-year-old striker, as they have not always had the best of luck when spending big on new centre-forwards.
One number nine the club had a howler with initially was Patryk Klimala, who struggled at Parkhead before the club later hit the jackpot with him.
How much Celitc paid for Patryk Klimala
Back in January 2020, Celtic reportedly agreed a fee of around £3.5m to sign the 21-year-old marksman from Polish outfit Jagiellonia Białystok.
It was claimed at the time that Neil Lennon had identified the forward as a top target during the January transfer window, and that the Hoops had beaten Danish giants Copenhagen to his signature.
They activated a €4m release clause in his contract with the Polish side, which allowed them to secure his services for £3.5m, as Lennon viewed him as a strike partner for Odsonne Edouard.
Former Celtic striker Patryk Klimala.
He had come up through the youth ranks with Jagiellonia Białystok, where he scored a stunning 17 goals in nine U19 matches, before emerging as a first-team option.
Klimala scored 11 goals in 50 senior outings for the club, including seven goals in 17 league games during the first half of the 2019/20 campaign, and this shows that Celtic were buying him for his potential.
The 21-year-old striker did not arrive at Parkhead with a proven track record of scoring goals and that made the £3.5m spent on him a significant gamble by the Scottish giants.
Unfortunately, it was not a gamble that paid off for Celitc on the pitch as the Polish marksman went on to struggle throughout his time on the field for the Hoops.
Patryk Klimala's Celtic career
The young striker only made four appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys during the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, and failed to find the back of the net.
After his return of seven goals and three assists in 17 Extraklasa matches during the first half of the season, the forward did not record a single goal or assist in his two outings in the Scottish Premiership.
Former Celtic striker Patryk Klimala.
Klimala was then offered more opportunities to showcase his qualities in Glasgow during his first full season at the club, in the 2020/21 campaign.
The Poland U21 international played 24 matches in all competitions for the Hoops but only contributed with three and zero assists for the Bhoys.
Appearances
17
Goals
3
Big chances missed
5
Assists
0
Big chances created
0
As you can see in the table above, Klimala struggled at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership, with five ‘big chances’ missed and zero assists to go along with his three goals in 17 games.
The centre-forward only completed 68% of his attempted passes, completing 2.5 per game on average, as he struggled to handle the step up in quality in Scotland.
By April of that season, Celtic decided to part ways with the striker and, surprisingly, they were able to recoup all of the money they paid for him.
MLS side New York Red Bulls swooped in to sign the young attacker for a reported fee of $4.8m (£3.5m), per Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, and the Hoops hit the jackpot with that sale, based on his decline since then.
Where Patryk Klimala is now
At the time of writing (16/09/2024), Klimala is on loan at Sydney FC in Australia, having joined them earlier this month, after being allowed to leave on a temporary basis by Slask Wroclaw.
Transfermarkt currently has his market value at a staggeringly low €600k (£500k), which is a significant drop-off from the £3.5m Celtic sold him for, at the age of 26.
The Polish striker enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, time in the Big Apple after his move from Glasgow, with a return of 14 goals and 11 assists in 63 matches in all competitions.
He then spent a year with Hapoel Beer Sheva, from January 2023 to January 2024, and only managed four goals in 23 appearances for the club before being allowed to join Slask Wroclaw on a free transfer at the start of this year.
Appearances
11
Starts
5
Goals
0
Big chances missed
4
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, Klimala endured a frustrating time in the Polish top-flight for Wroclaw during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, with zero goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in 11 matches.
The 26-year-old former Celtic flop was then dropped down to the second team for the start of this season and scored four goals in four games in the fourth tier before being sent out on loan to Australia.
Overall, this shows that the Hoops hit the jackpot when they sold their big flop for a fee of £3.5m as his career has gone downhill since moving on from Glasgow, as shown by his faltering form and his plummeting market value.
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Klimala should be in the prime years of his career, at 26, but is, instead, struggling and moving from club-to-club to find his form, which shows that Celtic struck gold by raking in £3.5m for him.
Fabrizio Romano has shared an exciting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving winger Manor Solomon, with the player for a Spurs medical and to sign his contracts in the next 24 hours.
Who are Spurs signing this summer?
New Lilywhites manager Ange Postecoglou has watched on as chairman Daniel Levy moves quickly to seal three major signings before Solomon.
Indeed, the north Londoners have signed Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus following his 18-month loan spell, with both goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison joining after him.
The latter duo sign on long-term contracts from Empoli and Leicester City respectively, with both players costing £17.4 million and £40 million.
Postecoglou is in no mind over their mentality and attitude, detailing that aspect of their personalities as a big draw for Tottenham.
"It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers," said the Australian.
"It’s what they bring as people as well because we are going to play football that requires a certain type of personality and character.
“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room."
Spurs are also believed to be chasing a new centre-back, with Postecoglou keen to reinforce a fragile defence. In terms of named transfer targets, Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Tosin Adarabioyo of Fulham have been most heavily linked recently.
Fulham's Manor Solomon
Going back to Solomon, with Spurs widely expected to sign the Fulham loanee, renowed transfer reporter Romano has shared an exciting update on Twitter.
The journalist claims Spurs supporters can expect plenty of action tomorrow, as a medical is scheduled for Solomon, and the 23-year-old is set to sign his contracts as a new Tottenham player.
The Israel international forward looks set to join Kulusevski, Vicario and Maddison as a permanent Spurs star, with FIFA rulings allowing Solomon to freely terminate his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk, due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine..
"More on Manor Solomon deal. Medical tests at Tottenham planned later today will take place on Thursday morning — no issues, just re-scheduled in the last few hours," Romano said on Twitter.
"Solomon will sign the contract this week as documents have been checked. Deal done."
What's been said about Manor Solomon?
Called an "exceptional athlete" by members of the Israeli press, Fulham boss Marco Silva hailed Solomon during his 22/23 loan spell at Craven Cottage.
The Portuguese drew particular attention to Solomon's directness and strength in one-v-one situations, an aspect of his attacking style which should excite Spurs supporters.
"He has scored some important goals for us," explained Silva.
"More importantly for him because it has boosted his confidence and he is different from the other players in what he has.
"His one-v-one situation is really strong and coming from the left he is important."
Leeds United could be set to swoop for a relatively unknown forward to replace their star man…
What's the latest on Djordje Jovanovic to Leeds United?
The latest comes from Sports Walla, who suggest that the 49ers could kickstart their reign by signing Djordje Jovanovic from Maccabi Tel Aviv FC.
Having reportedly watched the Serbia international last month, who has been in prolific form for the Tel Aviv club, the Whites are interested in his services and likely view the star as a cut-price option able to offer an instant injection of goals for just €1.9m (£1.6m).
Given Rodrigo's desire to leave following their relegation has been well-documented, this option could sanction the Spaniard's exit with minimal fuss due to the quality they would be bringing in.
Who is Djordje Jovanovic?
Although a relative unknown, the 24-year-old has been in deadly form out in Israel, even leading to the accumulation of three caps for his native Serbia.
Standing at 6 foot 1, immediately it is easy to assume that this well-travelled marksman would boast the necessary physicality to compete in the Championship.
Not to mention that since moving to his current club, Jovanovic has been a truly free-scoring asset.
rodrigo-leeds-united
Last term saw him notch 22 goals and five assists across all competitions, funnily enough matching the exact tally he earned from the season prior even to that. Consistency is clearly key for this hulking striker.
Ron Dor, a football scout, sought to outline some of his outstanding characteristics just last year. He wrote: "He shows a very good off-the-ball movement, using his killer instinct." This would then be supplemented with another inspiring claim, noting: "Within a month, he turned to be Maccabi’s savior. A True Poacher!"
This kind of lethal attitude will be a welcome addition, especially if they are to lose Rodrigo this summer too.
Despite dropping out of the Premier League, the 32-year-old still managed to score 15 times across all competitions, making him quite comfortably the club's top goalscorer.
Given that he is only set to depart for a nominal fee too, his exit will sting all the more.
However, if they are to replace him with this experienced young forward who has his whole career in front of him, it could ease the burden and hand them an unknown commodity to potentially take the Championship by storm.
For a fraction of the price the Yorkshire outfit are set to gain, they could end up still making a profit on the former Valencia man, whilst adapting their style to the new challenge that this division will pose. It marks a relatively risk-free deal with the potentially lucrative reward of instant promotion.
Rangers manager Michael Beale is personally prepared to let striker Antonio Colak leave this summer if a suitable offer comes in, according to journalist Derek McGregor.
Who is leaving Rangers this summer?
The Gers are currently overseeing a major summer overhaul with four confirmed signings already coming through the door in Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell and Sam Lammers from Atalanta (Transfermarkt).
Rangers have been very busy so far this summer, despite the absence of a sporting director following the departure of Ross Wilson to Nottingham Forest earlier in the year.
Their flurry of incomings comes after many former squad members left Ibrox at the end of May, with Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield, Alfredo Morelos, Filip Helander and Allan McGregor departing Glasgow (Transfermarkt).
Attacking midfielder Marik Tillman, who was on loan from Bayern Munich last season, also returned to his parent club after Rangers opted not to pursue a permanent deal.
Beale is ever so slowly reshaping the squad in his own image with reports suggesting that other Rangers players could follow the aforementioned in leaving.
Glasgow Rangers boss Michael Beale.
According to reporter McGregor, writing for The Sun, the departures of both Morelos and Kent have handed Beale a chance to freshen up his attack and inject new quality.
This has lead to talks for both Cremonese forward Cyriel Dessers and Brighton's Abdallah Sima, though Rangers could make even more of an overhaul in the attacking areas.
Indeed, McGregor writes that Beale, despite Colak's goal haul last season, will personally green-light the Croatian's sale too, if a suitable offer arrives.
The journalist wrote:
"Croat Antonio Colak – who netted 18 goals in his Gers debut season – continues to interest a number of German clubs with Beale prepared to sanction a sale if the right offer comes in.
"The exits of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent have given the manager a big chance to freshen up his attack with Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala still available."
What's been said about Colak?
It will be interesting to see if Beale really is open to sanctioning Colak's sale, especially after his record in front of goal last season.
The Rangers boss even heaped praise on his attacker's enthusiasm, particularly raving over his "infectious" energy and involvement as a team player.
"He’s just got natural enthusiasm. He goes and presses and works for his teammates. He is part of the team," explained Beale.
"He has not been able to show me what he has because he got injured before I came in, and he has been playing bit parts here and there.
"He’s infectious in terms of his energy. The last few weeks, he has started to look really fit, and his personality has come out in the group. I am delighted for him.”
Liverpool have taken one step further in their pursuit of Ryan Gravenberch this week, with The Mirror reporting that FSG will back Jurgen Klopp in his pursuit of the player.
Are Liverpool signing Ryan Gravenberch?
The midfielder has only just joined current club Bayern Munich, having made the switch to the German giants at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, racking up 72 appearances for Ajax prior to that. He was viewed as hot property when the Bundesliga outfit decided to snap him up, but the youngster has been unable to break into the first-team fold on a regular basis.
He's played 24 times for Bayern in the league over the course of the season and did help the side to claim another division title. However, only three of those fixtures saw Gravenberch start and he bagged no goals or assists either – his worst career totals to date.
The player though has previously proven he can produce the goods, managing seven and eight goal contributions during his last two seasons in the Netherlands. Both of those returns came as the player featured in over 30 league games – showing that if he gets minutes on a frequent basis, he can produce the goods.
With the midfielder out of favour in Germany, it means he could be available on a deal this summer and it is Liverpool who seem to be leading the race to sign Gravenberch, and it seems as if the man himself fancies a switch to Anfield over other suitors according to a recent report.
Now, The Mirror are reporting the latest update in this transfer saga – with Klopp eager get a deal done, the Reds are set to support his call to bring in the 21-year-old and support him in the transfer. It also adds that they are more "advanced" in terms of a potential transfer when compared to other interested Premier League parties and are "pushing" to get it done.
What is the value of Ryan Gravenberch?
No fee or official bid is mentioned yet but CIES Football Observatory suggest that the player's value would be around the 30 million Euro mark (or £25m). It's unclear if this is how much Bayern value him at but if it is, then it would be a bargain deal for Liverpool.
He's also highly regarded thanks to his time at Ajax, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig admitting that Gravenberch has a "huge future" in the game. He has yet to realise that since his switch to Bayern but it has only been one season and he barely ever got a chance. Given that chance at Liverpool, Gravenberch could thrive and live up to that potential with the Reds.
West Ham have a potential replacement for Gianluca Scamacca lined up it seems, with Firenze Viola via Sport Witness reporting that the club are mulling over a move for Joel Pohjanpalo.
Are West Ham signing Joel Pohjanpalo?
The Finland international, who currently plays for Venezia, had an electric season for the Italian side despite the fact they finished in eighth. The Serie B side turned to the 28-year-old on 37 occasions in the league and he rewarded them for their trust by bagging 19 goals and seven assists along the way. His overall goal contribution rate stood at 26 – which is the highest total he has managed over the course of his career to date.
It was a career year for the player then, having finally found a new permanent home in Venezia. Despite being with former club Bayer Leverkusen for six years, he managed only 23 games for the side with seven goals. Only one of those outings in the Bundesliga was a start too, meaning that the forward really struggled to break into their first-team reckoning. Instead, he had to rely on loans with the likes of Rizespor in Turkey and Union Berlin in Germany.
Now, having been a first-team regular in Serie B, he truly thrived and he is now being lined up for a potential move to West Ham. According to a report from Firenze Viola, via Sport Witness, the Hammers are considering a potential bid to take the player to the Premier League, with the club seeing him as a replacement for Scamacca. No official bid has yet been made but it seems as though he is now firmly on their radar.
No fee has been mentioned either, but CIES Football Observatory suggest that his value could be around 5 million Euros (or £4.2m). It's a miniscule fee for a player who could potentially bag plenty of goals with the club.
When does Joel Pohjanpalo's contract expire?
The forward, having only just agreed to join Venezia, has a relatively short contract that runs until 2025. However, if West Ham make a move, then it could be a very short-lived stay in Italy for the player.
He's certainly a talented player according to numerous sources too, with football journalist Josh Bunting for example stating that the attacker is "perfect" for his national side, Finland, in terms of being clinical in the box and his ability to hold the ball up too.
Considering what the potential fee may be and his goals record when given regular minutes, it could be a real bargain for the Hammers if they do opt to make a bid for Pohjanpalo.
An 11th-place finish marked a better-than-expected conclusion to the 2022/23 Premier League season for Crystal Palace, but seeing fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion finish in a European spot would have been particularly tough to take.
With a rebuilding job of sorts ahead at Selhurst Park, whoever the manager may be, supporters could do with a signing or two to distract themselves from their foes' impending adventures across the continent.
In rumoured target Lewis Hall, who has made the breakthrough at Chelsea, Palace could land themselves a player not just for the future but very much for the present day.
Who is Lewis Hall?
After impressing for Chelsea at U18 and U21 level, Hall made his senior debut in January last year when becoming the youngest player to start an FA Cup tie for the Blues.
Hall marked that milestone against Chesterfield in the third round with an assist and earned praise from team-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi for his "amazing" ability and confidence on the ball.
The England U19 international – on a mere £7k-per-week at Stamford Bridge, as per Capology – made his Premier League bow in November in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle United and went on to make a further eight top-flight appearances.
Hall truly broke into the team under Graham Potter and stayed there under Frank Lampard, but Mauricio Pochettino's appointment – and possibly yet more new defensive arrivals – could see the youngster moved on, albeit likely on an initial loan basis.
The Daily Mail reports that Palace are keeping an eye on Hall's situation with a view to making a loan move for the 18-year-old, who was last month named Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season.
What can Lewis Hall provide Crystal Palace?
The comparison may not go down well with the Palace faithful, but there are plenty of similarities between Hall and Brighton favourite Pervis Estupinan.
Ecuador international Estupinan more than played his part in Brighton's sixth-place finish, chipping in with five assists from the back – only Kieran Trippier (seven), Andy Robertson (eight) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (nine) set up more among those used predominantly in defence.
Hall may not have played as often as Seagulls defender last season, but there were still similarities between the two in terms of their playing style. Both completed around the same number of passes per game (47 compared to 53 respectively, with a success rate of 80% and 82%), while they averaged 73 and 74 touches of the ball per 90 minutes.
Those similarities translate to the defensive aspect of the game, with Hall averaging 1.51 clearances per game to Estupinan's 1.25, while there was very little between them in terms of aerial duels won (58% and 56%).
It is surely their attacking nature, however, that draws the most parallels with the Chelsea youngster registering five assists at youth level last term, a marker of his dangerous offensive qualities.
It may well be that Hall has shown enough promise to at the very least earn a squad place under Pochettino next season, but should he indeed be made available for loan, Palace should ensure they are waiting at the front of the queue.