Anthony Gordon will be a difficult act to follow at Newcastle, but Touré could be a shrewd replacement. Blessed with electric pace, the 20-year-old is a bit more of an old-fashioned winger in that he predominantly plays from the left and is left-footed. As a result, he was more of a creator than a goalscorer for Hoffenheim last season.
Of his 14 Bundesliga goal involvements last term, nine were assists, and Touré’s total of 44 chances created in open play was bettered by five players. Gordon laid on only 24 chances in open play in the Premier League last season. Touré is a high-volume crosser (his 115 in open play were the fourth most in the Bundesliga last season) and will be different to Gordon, but potentially a valuable source of danger.
While hardly the most glamorous name in the Premier League, Leandro Trossard was a useful and dependable player for Arsenal. Replacing him is easier said than done. Tzolis has been given that task and he looks a good fit.
For starters, he was a highly effective creator for Club Brugge last season, with his 135 chances created being 35 more than anyone else in the Belgian Pro League. Crucially, he produced the goods at set pieces – and we know how important they are for Mikel Arteta. Declan Rice was Arsenal’s most effective player from set pieces last season, creating 27 chances; Tzolis’s deliveries yielded 52 opportunities.
That accounted for 38.5% of his total chances created. While Rice (42.9%) had a greater proportion from dead-ball situations, his total (63) was far lower than the Greek winger’s. Tzolis is unlikely to match the 40 goal involvements he recorded last season, though he made a strong first impression during the Community Shield win against Manchester City with two assists.
There are plenty of French football experts who were very surprised to see Sangaré only end up at Brentford this summer. The fact the Mali international has just a single season’s experience in a top league may have counted against him, though Brentford look set to benefit from the hesitance of others. Sangaré proved himself to be an eye-catching all-round midfielder at Lens last season.
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