Dream Son heir: Spurs set to enter bidding war for "generational" £50m star

This summer feels like a pivotal one for the Tottenham Hotspur project.

Daniel Levy and Co made the bold and somewhat unpopular decision to sack Ange Postecoglou due to his Premier League record and replace him with Thomas Frank, who has no experience managing a major club.

Moreover, the Danish coach might have to do with club captain and fan favourite Son Heung-min, with reports now suggesting he might’ve played his final game for the North Londoners.

So, along with bringing in a swathe of other players, the club might need to find an heir for the South Korean superstar, although, based on recent reports, they might’ve already done that.

Tottenham transfer focus

Recent windows have seen Spurs go big on young talents like Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, so when it comes to finding a long-term heir for Son, it would make sense to see the club continue with the trend.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, there have been links to the £67m Xavi Simons of RB Leipzig and even Jamie Gittens of Borussia Dortmund at one point.

However, with not much seemingly happening concerning the former and the increasing likelihood that the latter joins Chelsea, another name has popped up: Alejandro Garnacho.

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Spurs are one of several teams interested in the Manchester United star.

In fact, the report claims that the North Londoners are expected to soon find themselves in a bidding war for the young Argentine, alongside the likes of Aston Villa, Napoli, Atlético Madrid and the Blues.

The bidding is expected to start at close to £50m, meaning there is a chance the price could quickly balloon.

It would be a complicated, costly, and perhaps not massively popular transfer, but given Garnacho’s ability and potential, it might just be one worth pursuing for Spurs, especially with the idea of him replacing Son in the long term.

Why Garnacho would be a good signing

Now, the first thing to say is that we do not think nor expect Garnacho to be able to reach the levels of a peak Son within the next season or two.

Still, there is no reason to think he couldn’t one day get there, especially as he’s already performing at a good level in a terrible Manchester United side and at such a young age.

For example, despite being just 19 years old in the 23/24 season, the Madrid-born phenom was able to rack up a pretty impressive tally of ten goals and seven assists in 50 appearances, totalling 3574 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.94 games, or every 210.23 minutes.

Garnacho’s recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

50

58

Minutes

3574′

3568′

Goals

10

11

Assists

7

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvement

210.23′

169.90′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Then, as the team around him got even worse this season, the 20-year-old dynamo was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes, which again, for someone so young is undeniably brilliant.

Moreover, to go along with his promising levels of output, the eight-capped “generational” international, as dubbed by Statman Dave, also has some pretty strong and encouraging underlying numbers to his name at the moment.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for total shots, the top 5% for progressive carries and touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the top 7% for progressive passes received and carries into the penalty area, the top 11% for shot-creating actions stemming from shots and more, all per 90.

Finally, on top of his output and underlying numbers, the 20-year-old phenom is also positionally versatile, so while he could ultimately settle off the left, his presence in the squad would give Frank more options to set up his attack just how he would like it.

Garnacho’s scout report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Shots Total

3.61

Top 4%

Progressive Carries

5.79

Top 5%

Touches (Att Pen)

7.61

Top 5%

Progressive Passes Received

12.18

Top 7%

Carries into Penalty Area

3.04

Top 7%

SCA (Shot)

0.40

Top 11%

Total Carrying Distance

263.61

Top 12%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.31

Top 13%

Progressive Carrying Distance

138.78

Top 13%

Carries into Final Third

2.92

Top 14%

Non-Penalty xG

0.35

Top 15%

Shots on Target

1.22

Top 15%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, this might not be a transfer that excites fans, to begin with, but Garnacho has the raw ability and potential to be something special and Son’s long-term heir, so Spurs should do what they can to sign him this summer.

Better than Eze: Spurs make approach to sign "one of the best in Europe"

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making a rapid start to life under Thomas Frank in the transfer market.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 20, 2025

Pelé, santificado pelo próprio Santos

MatériaMais Notícias

A majestade vem da santidade. Eternizados pelos próprios nomes. Santos, que dentre tantos milagres o maior foi entregar em berço alvinegro o Rei.

Pelé. Majestoso pela própria identidade. Soberano por seu incrível futebol. Edson, de Dona Celeste e Seo Dondinho. De Três Corações. E de tantos outros. Santistas. Brasileiros. Empossado em suor. Transbordado em lágrimas a alegria de toda uma nação. Alvinegra.

De branco e preto. Negro. Como a pele do Rei. A melanina que o deu força pra driblar tantos preconceitos e testes recusados por conta da sua cor, formou em seu caráter a resiliência que tornou fácil a Pelé driblar os seus adversários como se levitara em campo. Por isso não há como algum clube ser mais abençoado do que aquele que se chama Santos, que foi guiado à manjedoura da bola. Não encontrou ouro, incenso ou mirra, mas futebol. Muito futebol. Como nenhum outro havia jogado. Como ninguém mais jogou.

O esporte bretão sempre premiou o talento acima da regularidade. Um ato genial de craque quebra a mais consistente defesa. É o futebol sendo perfeito em sua imperfeição. E por isso não dá espaço a deuses – nem mesmo os que se autodenominam. É um reino. Com uma única majestade. Essa batizada pela própria bola.

Nada é tão significativo para alguém como o seu nome, aquilo que identifica. E é por isso que o Santos segue sendo divinamente santificado, e Pelé eternamente coroado. Pois, é Santos. É Rei. E basta. E se bastam.

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أول تعليق من مبابي بعد إصابته الخطيرة مع فرنسا في يورو 2024

علق قائد ومهاجم منتخب فرنسا الأول، كيليان مبابي، على إصابته الخطيرة التي تعرض لها في مباراة النمسا في دور المجموعات من كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.

وشارك مبابي في مباراة الديوك الأولى أمام النمسا والتي فازت فرنسا فيها بهدف نظيف عن طريق النيران الصديقة بعد عرضية من مهاجم ريال مدريد الجديد.

ولكن في الدقيقة 90، تم استبدال مبابي من طرف المدرب ديديه ديشامب بسبب إصابة في الأنف اتضحت بعد ذلك أنها كسر بعد نزيف كثيف من الدماء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. قلق في منتخب فرنسا بشأن استمرارية مبابي بـ يورو 2024 بعد إصابته أمام النمسا

وخرج مبابي ساخرًا من إصابته خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية عبر حسابه على منصة “X” وكتب: “هل هناك أي أفكار لأقنعة الوجه؟”.

فما كان من المتابعين على حسابه الرسمي أن يضعوا  له بعض الأقنعة الخاصة بسلسلة سلاحف النينجا التي دائمًا ما كان اللاعب مرتبطًا بها طيلة السنوات الماضية.

حيث سبق وتم وضع قناع أحد أبطال سلاحف النينجا على وجه مبابي عندما كان في نادي باريس سان جيرمان وأصبح مرتبطًا بهم.

Southampton: Martin must unleash 5 ft 10 wizard alongside Adams

Southampton return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they host Leeds United at St. Mary's in the televised early kick-off.

The Saints come into this match off the back of four straight league defeats under Russell Martin and they are now in desperate need of a positive result to change the mood.

They were beaten 2-1 by Middlesbrough, despite taking the lead through Adam Armstrong, in their last match and now have to face Daniel Farke's Whites, who are unbeaten in their last six Championship outings.

What's the latest Southampton team news?

Martin has confirmed that Scotland international Ross Stewart will not be available to make his debut but is out on the training pitch and doing shooting drills ahead of his return.

The head coach did not reveal any other new injury concerns during his pre-match press conference but he could look to make some changes to his side in order to return to winning ways today.

Will Samuel Edozie start against Leeds?

Southampton's manager must now unleash Samuel Edozie from the start against the Yorkshire-based outfit as he could cause them problems alongside Che Adams in attack.

The 20-year-old wizard came off the bench against Middlesbrough last weekend and caught the eye with a Sofascore rating of 7.3 as he created one chance for his teammates.

Southampton winger Samuel Edozie.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.04 across eight Championship matches so far this season and has contributed with two goals and zero 'big chances' created.

The former Manchester City man has been able to drive the team up the pitch with his ability to take the ball past opposition players, with 1.8 successful dribbles per clash.

Ryan Fraser, who started against Middlesbrough on the left flank, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.7 across five league games for Southampton and is yet to contribute with a goal or a 'big chance' created.

The Scotland international has also only completed 0.4 dribbles per match and has not proven himself to offer more than Edozie, as an attacking threat or as a ball carrier to push the team forward in counter-attacking situations.

How many goals has Che Adams scored this season?

Martin must now unleash the 5 foot 10 hotshot ahead of Fraser to start alongside Scottish marksman Adams, who has scored three goals in seven Championship clashes this term.

The former Birmingham number nine has struck three times from just four league starts and has been able to showcase his ability to tee up his fellow attackers with three 'big chances' created.

Southampton striker Che Adams.

His ability to provide assists, of which he has two this season, along with his goalscoring threat makes the 27-year-old ace the perfect foil for the 20-year-old magician to play with.

Adams could provide the ex-Manchester City prodigy with the chances he needs to add to his tally of two goals whilst he also has the finishing ability to potentially get on the end of any passes and crosses that the winger could produce.

Therefore, Edozie, who was once hailed as "exciting" by Martin, and the Scotland international could cause Leeds problems at the top end of the pitch this afternoon and should both start in attack alongside Adam Armstrong.

'No one took responsibility' – Jayawardene

The Mumbai Indians head coach said he can’t get too emotional about the team’s performance, and wanted time to reflect on it before deciding on a future course of action

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-20181:27

We played thinking there’d be demons – Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene was careful to avoid knee-jerk reactions after Mumbai Indians sank to their lowest-ever IPL total, but the head coach was stern, nevertheless, in asking his players to take more responsibility. Having lost four out of five matches, Mumbai needed to start doing what they do best – rack up the wins after a bad start – at the earliest. Instead, they put up their worst batting performance of the season, at a venue where they had never previously lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad.”We have put ourselves in this situation, there is no one else to blame,” Jayawardene said. “Some of the matches we lost, I thought we played good cricket, they could have gone either way. (But) today was very disappointing. We just probably played the wicket thinking there is going to be demons out there. We just had to knock it around. We did not take any responsibility, so that part was quite disappointing. The dew came in as we expected, after 10 overs. No one took responsibility; that is quite sad.”Just how badly Mumbai struggled was best illustrated by Hardik Pandya’s pained stay at the crease. Burdened by a mounting asking rate on a slow pitch, Pandya’s situation was worsened by the loss of wickets at the other end, which eventually required him to bat with the tail. It resulted in a maiden for Rashid Khan in the 17th over, with Pandya either refusing the single or failing to find gaps. Then, in the 18th over, Siddarth Kaul offered up similar lengths to Pandya three times in a row. Pandya swiped across the line on each occasion, missing twice and getting a leading edge to third man the third time around.”That is how we have worked with him (Hardik) from beginning of this season and pre-season as well,” Jayawardene said. “We knew that there will be people bowling with different level because we analyse other opposition, we do anaylse our guys, and we give them information.”Every year you can’t bat the same way. If people don’t evolve and improve, there is no progress. Young guys like Hardik will learn that and need to work harder; the talent alone will not get you, leading the game and thinking about the game, that’s the part they need to keep learning, and especially with international good bowlers coming and doing various things, you have to evolve. Otherwise, you won’t be able to be consistent.”Pandya may have been inconsistent with the bat, but he has come good as a bowler on a few occasions. Kieron Pollard’s case is worse. He hasn’t contributed with the ball this season. In fact, since the 2016 IPL, Pollard has totaled 7.5 overs. With the bat, he rarely comes out with more than five or six overs remaining. This season, Pollard has cobbled together 63 runs off 57 balls at 110.52 – a poor strike-rate for someone who usually bats in the death overs.”He is struggling a little bit, but we trusted with the system,” Jayawardene said. “You need to trust your players, you can’t chop and change just because you don’t fire. You have to go with that structure, and yes, eventually as a coach, I will have to make some calls, which I have to think about. It is too early for me; I need 24 hours to think about what happened today and not be emotional about it.”

Move over Garner: £15k-p/w Everton star just proved he’s an "unbelievable" talent

Everton finally recorded their first Premier League win at home this season, as they brushed aside AFC Bournemouth in emphatic fashion.

Whilst at last their fine play has earned the merited result, it was a performance kickstarted by the pressure and attacking impetus that James Garner offered from the start.

How did James Garner play vs Bournemouth?

Finally deployed in his favoured central midfield role, after weeks of fans calling for Sean Dyche to make the change, the Manchester United academy graduate once again shone as he continues to prove how shrewd an investment that £15m move was back in the summer of 2022.

Pressing alongside his midfield partner Abdoulaye Doucoure, a fortuitous slip saw him bearing down on a sole centre-back, with options either side to score. Deciding to go alone, the 22-year-old maestro would fire home the opener inside ten minutes, offering the Toffees a perfect start in front of their prospective new owners, Josh Wander of the 777 Partners.

It marked Garner's third goal contribution in their last four games across all competitions, and yet that was far from his outstanding contribution.

Recording 71 touches, the youngster was clearly desperate to get on the ball and create, playing neat balls down the flanks and into midfield to set his side on the attack. However, perhaps more importantly was his defensive showing, winning eight ground duels and recording six tackles, via Sofascore.

Fans were left purring, with the £30k-per-week star even earning the club's Player of the Match award. And yet, when it comes to solidity, nobody really came close to Jarrad Branthwaite's fine afternoon.

How did Jarrad Branthwaite play vs Bournemouth?

Clearly reeling from the recent announcement of his new long-term contract, it was a calm and assured performance at the back, made even more perfect when he perfectly executed a crunching tackle on Dominic Solanke, folding the striker in half and winning the ball.

His exploits earned him a perhaps underwhelming 7.4 rating, given he would make three clearances, block two shots and make two tackles, via Sofascore.

Although the £15k-per-week defender's continued solidity has almost become a prerequisite for the 21-year-old's performances, his ability on the ball is what continues to help him stand out, adding to the suggestion that he is set to be their next big export set to either lead them to brighter days, or fetch them an astronomical fee.

Despite only recording 38 touches, he was quietly confident in possession, maintaining an 81% pass accuracy, and even registering a sole key pass. Writer Ell Bretland would laud such an impact, highlighting a perfect all-around showing from the young colossus: "Branthwaite just always makes the right decision. And if he doesn’t he had the ability, pace and skill to rectify it.

"He so composed on the ball and in the tackle and his timing is perfect. He reads the game so well. What an unbelievable natural talent. Pure football brain."

Although his contribution seems to have been overshadowed by yet another stunning Garner display, it must not be forgotten just how talented Branthwaite is, already outstanding at this level, and only certain to keep getting better.

Meia Diego tem lesão constatada e segue como desfalque no Flamengo

MatériaMais Notícias

Após apresentar-se com dores na coxa direita e ficar de fora da partida contra o Internacional, em 2 a 2 no último domingo, Diego seguirá como desfalques no Flamengo na partida contra o Athletico, na quarta, no jogo de ida das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. O clube da Gávea informou que o camisa 10 realizou novos exames nesta segunda-feira, os quais constataram uma lesão no local.

Além de Diego, o técnico Domènec Torrent ainda não deve contar com outros três titulares: Rodrigo Caio, Arrascaeta e Gabriel Barbosa – todos lesionados. Por outro lado, Diego Alves e Bruno Henrique estão à disposição do treinador.

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صور.. أحمد رفعت يتواجد في مران فيوتشر رغم أزمته الصحية

حرص أحمد رفعت لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بنادي مودرن فيوتشر على التواجد في مران الفريق اليوم بالرغم من إصابته.

وكان أحمد رفعت قد مر بوعكة صحية شديدة خلال الفترة الماضية، أدت لغيابه عن الفريق من أجل وجوده تحت الملاحظة العلاجية.

استشاري قلب: قرار اتحاد الكرة قد يتسبب في حالات وفاة.. ويعلق على إمكانية عودة أحمد رفعت

وزار اللاعب الدولي أحمد رفعت، مران فريق فيوتشر الذي أقيم على ملعب النادي، لأول مرة منذ إصابته.

وكان رفعت قد سقط مغشيا عليه خلال مباراة فريقه أمام الاتحاد السكندري، في الحادي عشر من شهر مارس الماضي.

وتعرض رفعت وقتها لتوقف بعضلة القلب لمدة ساعة ونصف، نتيجة اضطراب وتسارع حاد في ضربات القلب، وخضع اللاعب للرعاية الطبية وبعض العمليات الجراحية خلال الفترة الماضية.

ويحتل فريق فيوتشر المركز السابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 38 نقطة، حصدهم من 26 مباراة ويتبقى له مباراة مؤجلة.

إسبانيا تثير المخاوف بشأن إصابة بيدري أمام ألمانيا

أثار منتخب إسبانيا المخاوف بشأن حجم إصابة لاعب فريق برشلونة، بيدري، والتي تعرض لها في مباراة اليوم ضد منتخب ألمانيا في بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا.

وتلاقى المنتخبان في خضم منافسات دور ربع نهائي يورو 2024، حيث فازت إسبانيا بهدفين لهدف.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رجل مباراة إسبانيا وألمانيا في يورو 2024

ولم يتمكن بيدري من استكمال المباراة، حيث اضطر إلى الخروج في غضون 10 دقائق من الشوط الأول بعدما تعرض لتدخل قوي من قِبل توني كروس.

وبدا بيدري في حالة ألم شديد خلال خروجه، وظهر وهو يبكي أثناء استبداله.

وأبدى مدرب منتخب إسبانيا، لويس دي لا فوينتي غضبه من التحكيم لعدم حصول كروس على أي بطاقة جراء تدخله على بيدري.

وذكرت صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية أن الطاقم الطبي لمنتخب إسبانيا أصدر بيانًا جاء به: “تقوم خدماتنا الطبية بتقييم التواء جانبي داخلي في الركبة اليسرى لبيدري”.

وأضاف: “في انتظار الاختبارات لتقييم درجة الإصابة وما يتعلق بها”.

وتشير التقارير الصحفية إلى وجود احتمالية كبيرة لغياب بيدري عن باقي مشوار إسبانيا في البطولة.

Arsenal: Wenger failed to sign a "legend" who became better than Bergkamp

Arsenal boast a rich history littered with star-studded names, all of whom have contributed to their sustained stay at the apex of English football.

However, towards the back end of Arsene Wenger's stunning reign and as Unai Emery took his place, that position faltered.

The Spaniard endured a torrid period in charge, filled with media mockery and transfer missteps, resulting in his dismissal and returning them back to square one. David Moyes had proved just how difficult it could be to take the place of a departing legend, with the ongoing struggles felt at Manchester United still shrouding Old Trafford today.

So, that makes Mikel Arteta's efforts all the more impressive, having come in, acted with incision, and enjoyed a truly enthralling title battle last term with one of the greatest club sides in history.

They will be hoping to go one step further than their second-place finish this season, and are currently one of just two sides who remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

Looking back on their legends of the past, the Gunners will hope to inherit the spirit of their 2004 invincibles and emulate their unprecedented success. Although Thierry Henry stole the headlines for his offensive work, whilst Sol Campbell remained a rock at the back, it was Dennis Bergkamp who is remembered with similar fondness to the former, who is widely recognised as the club's and the division's greatest-ever player.

How good was Dennis Bergkamp?

Having joined from Inter Milan in 1995, there was much excitement surrounding his arrival, as an experienced international star with his best years ahead of him.

The Gunners had endured a slump in the mid-1990s, and were seeking to emerge from it with success. The fleet-footed genius was expected to be a spearhead to provoke such change, and upon Wenger's appointment, that vision was realised.

He was promoted to be their most influential player, with much of their attacking play surging through his magic feet. This saw him earn praise in 1998, claiming the PFA Player of the Year Award, before going on to win three English league titles alongside four FA Cups.

Nowadays, Bergkamp is widely regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation, with the bulk of his success actually earned in north London. Wenger has remained one of his biggest fans years on, having first noted in 2003: "Dennis has made an immense contribution to the club, not only as a great player but also as a great example and he's shown that again.

"I can't believe how quickly he has scored his 100 goals as all of his goals have been sensational."

Arsenal’s Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp celebrates scoring againstBlackburn Rovers in the English premier league match at Ewood Park,Blackburn, January 30, 2002. NO INTERNET/ONLINE USAGE WITHOUT FAPLLICENCE. FOR DETAILS SEE FAPLWEB.COM REUTERS/Ian HodgsonIH/ASA

That latter notion is one absolutely supported by his fine repertoire of finishes, the pinnacle of which came against Newcastle United in 2002.

As Robert Pires fired a ball infield, slightly behind his magic teammate, the former Ajax superstar would take the deftest of touches around the onrushing Nikos Dabizas, pushing the ball left as he spun right. His grace would then turn into strength, fending off the desperate defender to finish coolly past Shay Given.

If one moment could sum up Bergkamp's Arsenal career, it would be that goal. Merely a footnote in his stunning spell at Highbury, he will forever be remembered as a legend by the Gunners faithful.

However, there was actually a moment during that lull at the end of Wenger's reign where they nearly captured a successor, and arguably an improvement on the magisterial maestro.

After all, for all the skill and elegance of the 79-cap gem, he cannot compare to the pure supreme efficiency of Karim Benzema – who was the subject of interest from those at the Emirates in 2015, with even a £48m bid having been mooted at the time.

Did Arsenal nearly sign Karim Benzema?

Wenger would be the man to admit their transfer failure, speaking to beIN SPORTS regarding their interest in the Frenchman, who went on to become a legend in his own right at Real Madrid.

With the former Lyon man having grown into one of the world's finest marksmen, the competition for a starting spot remained fierce with Gonzalo Higuain at the Bernabeu, which the legendary tactician had been made aware of.

Wenger would outline that in his interview when asked if he had tried to sign the forward: "Yes, because he was in competition with Higuain for a while. It was Higuain for three games, three games for Benzema. He played the game based on passing and connections, so he was an ideal player up front.

Karim Benzema's years after failed 2015 AFC move

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2022/23 (La Liga)

24

19

3

2021/22 (La Liga)

32

27

12

2020/21 (La Liga)

34

23

9

2019/20 (La Liga)

37

21

8

2018/19 (La Liga)

36

21

7

2017/18 (La Liga)

32

5

11

2016/17 (La Liga)

29

11

5

2015/16 (La Liga)

27

24

8

"He’s a striker who makes people around him better and sometimes you have strikers who score goals but they make players around them worse. He’s not one of them. If you put Benzema in the team, I would want to play with him."

As that link between the defence and attack, immediately the Bergkamp comparisons could emerge. However, the Dutchman could not compete with the goalscoring figures posted by the 97-cap finisher, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia.

How good is Karim Benzema?

Benzema's talent really needs no explaining, but to compare him with Bergkamp is to truly emphasise the true levels of his brilliance.

After all, merely sticking around at Real Madrid for 14 years is enough to outline his quality, as few boast such longevity at the pinnacle of football. The 35-year-old would feature 648 times for Los Blancos before his departure in the summer, having scored 354 goals and assisted a further 165.

Not only was he a mainstay across one of the club's most successful periods, leaving having won five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles among numerous other domestic honours, but he also stepped up in Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, going on to win the Ballon d'Or for his outstanding 2022 performances.

Journalist Zach Lowy would even outline his performances with Lyon during the start of his career as "the making of a legend", which was a notion certainly supported by these figures.

Meanwhile, for all his talents, Bergkamp would only manage 267 goals and 132 assists across his entire career, figures that Benzema surpassed for one club alone.

The 6 foot 1 marksman could have proved revolutionary for Wenger during a period where the title was there for the taking, and had he moved to the Emirates, perhaps they would have been the recipient of his golden years.

As such, they were forced to endure a quality of player that cannot lace Benzema's boots, with some of their finest-ever stars failing to come close to the levels of the current Al-Ittihad ace.

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