⚽ Football Transfers Speculation, Odds and Predictions

[el che]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal.

The guy is obviously super talented but he hasn't played in a major league for a couple of years now. While the Brasileirão isn't the Premier League or La Liga, it's still highly competitive and stacked with talent. I'm really curious to see how he adapts and whether he can rediscover his form. If he does, his flair should fit the Brazilian game pretty well, at least until he gets his first real taste of the Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana, which is a whole different beast.

[Donneski]

Mikel Arteta takes time to adapt to the team and take the team to a good position, you can't expect instant results from him. He felt like an opportunity at Arsenal for a long time, I can definitely say that if Real Madrid were in Arsenal's place, Arteta would have been fired after a season or two. But Arsenal have been patient and have trusted Arteta.

Real Madrid is a team where results are the main thing, a manager is judged by results. If a manager goes without a title for a season or cannot do well, then they will not hesitate to fire him. Even the style of play in La Liga and the Premier League is completely different. Dealing with a tough opponent like Barcelona is not an easy task for any manager. Since this is a long-term plan, it is not possible to say anything yet.

Do you know the reason behind Arsenal sudden peak in the English premier League and also competing with full dominance in the UEFEA Champions League? The Arsenal board was patient enough to stick with Mikel Arteta and they did trusted him to deliver for the club and he finally did after all these years of labour and hardwork as manager for the club. Today we're seeing Arsenal dominating and winning their games without any stress. This is what I say, look your manager first before you compare him to Mikel Arteta who learned basically everything under Pep Guardiola. Mikel Arteta is still developing and reaching angles of awesomeness.

I have to agree with you. I remember a lot of us calling for the sack of Mikel Arteta for not being able to win the league even in the seasons they dominated most of it but the club management stuck with him and believed so much in the project they he was building.
Now, Arsenal are the most consistent English Premier League team. I honestly don't think their dominance will be halted anytime soon.

[Ale88]

Barcelona defense is strong enough and I don't think they need to buy a CB to the defense, only if they want to keep him on standby in case of injury or for players rotation because Barcelona hasn't conceded more than two goals this season in all competitions. That shows that the defense is perfect.

Barcelona's defense has been the reason they've been kicked out of the Champions League all these years. The midfielders and the attackers they have are incredible but they definitely lack a good central back next to Cubarsí. They only have Christensen and Eric García, and they are both mediocre players. And if Cubarsí gets injured... Good luck. So I really have no idea how you can say that they have a perfect defense after what we've seen during the past years.

To test or prove Barcelona defence is still vulnerable is when they face a team with a pressing game. In UCL there is PSG who can put pressure on the opponent intensely and incidentally Barcelona will fight it, so we can see that Barcelona not only need a solid defender but an experienced defender. Now they rely mostly on young players who are usually prone to emotions when their opponents exert aggressive pressure.

The defence is vulnerable the strong hold they have in the middle and the attack. Based on their philosophy, they have always maintained a stable midfield and attack for as long as I can remember. I feel the teams like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the league are afraid of playing. I'm not expecting these two teams to beat Barcelona in the battle of the middle because Barcelona will outplay them, these two teams has the quality of players that can stand and play Barcelona, you wonder why they get beaten even when they have the players. Barcelona will find it hard against a team that is not afraid of playing against them. Once they are faced with this kind of team, the team will press them as you have stated, that's how they have been finding it difficult to navigate through the champions league.

Barcelona 15 years ago had a very good defensive line because they had Abidal, Piqué, Puyol and Dani Alves. The team they currently have is great but the old one was way more complete in every single role. Probably except the goalkeeper, I feel like both teams have/had a decent keeper but nothing crazy. For example Ter Stegen, who arrived later, was way better than Victor Valdes.

[EL MOHA]

I have to agree with you. I remember a lot of us calling for the sack of Mikel Arteta for not being able to win the league even in the seasons they dominated most of it but the club management stuck with him and believed so much in the project they he was building.
Now, Arsenal are the most consistent English Premier League team. I honestly don't think their dominance will be halted anytime soon.

Until today when I feel like Arsenal has to thanks to Mikel Arteta for bring them up to this level of competitiveness both in the league and even in the European competitions, before his arrival Arsenal were more comfortable finishing fourth and playing the Europa League finals because in the champions league they didn’t stand a chance but behind this Arteta continuous performance story I think credit should be giving to the Arsenal board for not only their support to give him time when most people were actually calling for his sack but also for the fact they supported him with signings even though most were like wasting of money. It was during this Arteta Era that Arsenal was actually signing players way more above $50 million which wasn’t their usually thing so they deserve the credit too

[Tonimez]

I have to agree with you. I remember a lot of us calling for the sack of Mikel Arteta for not being able to win the league even in the seasons they dominated most of it but the club management stuck with him and believed so much in the project they he was building.
Now, Arsenal are the most consistent English Premier League team. I honestly don't think their dominance will be halted anytime soon.

Until today when I feel like Arsenal has to thanks to Mikel Arteta for bring them up to this level of competitiveness both in the league and even in the European competitions, before his arrival Arsenal were more comfortable finishing fourth and playing the Europa League finals because in the champions league they didn’t stand a chance but behind this Arteta continuous performance story I think credit should be giving to the Arsenal board for not only their support to give him time when most people were actually calling for his sack but also for the fact they supported him with signings even though most were like wasting of money. It was during this Arteta Era that Arsenal was actually signing players way more above $50 million which wasn’t their usually thing so they deserve the credit too

The Arsenal management has taught the premier League the importance of giving a manager the chance to build his team. If the board has listened to fans pressure, by now Arsenal will still be a mid table team but Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative and brought back the glory of Arsenal again. I was just thinking, won't this long-term stride be the next option for Manchester United? Mikel Arteta has finished second and third in many seasons but didn't get sacked but Manchester United sacked a manager that finished second severally and lost a European final.

If you check this thing you will see that apart from fans pressure, the management board also seems to understand coaches are trying but they fail to give them the time thinking that he should just wake up and do the magic. Arsenal fans are now having the best of seasons and consistently dominating the league. After pep Guardiola left the league, Arsenal could dominate this premier League for long before any other team will come close.

[Cryptmuster]

Until today when I feel like Arsenal has to thanks to Mikel Arteta for bring them up to this level of competitiveness both in the league and even in the European competitions, before his arrival Arsenal were more comfortable finishing fourth and playing the Europa League finals because in the champions league they didn’t stand a chance but behind this Arteta continuous performance story I think credit should be giving to the Arsenal board for not only their support to give him time when most people were actually calling for his sack but also for the fact they supported him with signings even though most were like wasting of money. It was during this Arteta Era that Arsenal was actually signing players way more above $50 million which wasn’t their usually thing so they deserve the credit too

I think it would be difficult for Arteta to maintain such a high level of performance with the same squad, that is without strengthening it through new signings every summer. If you look at how Arsenal operates in the transfer market, they spent around £200 million in the summer of 2026 alone. Over the course of 2025, that figure approached nearly £250 million, so Arteta is spending vast sums of the club's money, and I believe that is precisely what keeps Arsenal at the top of the table.

[Stepstowealth]

Until today when I feel like Arsenal has to thanks to Mikel Arteta for bring them up to this level of competitiveness both in the league and even in the European competitions, before his arrival Arsenal were more comfortable finishing fourth and playing the Europa League finals because in the champions league they didn’t stand a chance but behind this Arteta continuous performance story I think credit should be giving to the Arsenal board for not only their support to give him time when most people were actually calling for his sack but also for the fact they supported him with signings even though most were like wasting of money. It was during this Arteta Era that Arsenal was actually signing players way more above $50 million which wasn’t their usually thing so they deserve the credit too

I think it would be difficult for Arteta to maintain such a high level of performance with the same squad, that is without strengthening it through new signings every summer. If you look at how Arsenal operates in the transfer market, they spent around £200 million in the summer of 2026 alone. Over the course of 2025, that figure approached nearly £250 million, so Arteta is spending vast sums of the club's money, and I believe that is precisely what keeps Arsenal at the top of the table.

If you would also notice from how Arsenal has done the transfer business in this transfer window you would observe that they did not just go around buying every available player that they could get like Tottenham Hotspur did but rather they were very strategic in players that they needed and were only able to secure a few quality selections whom we've already seen their input in the team as the season has started. Many people including me were not really satisfied with the business they did in transfer window because I expected them to be able to secure a world class left winger but since they've not been able to do so they did not go under the pressure of rushing to try and fill that position with any player of lower quality just because they wanted to sign a player. They have stuck with what they have and with expectations for the future I believe they would make the proper selection to add to Tzolis in the LW.

[bitLeap]

The Arsenal management has taught the premier League the importance of giving a manager the chance to build his team. If the board has listened to fans pressure, by now Arsenal will still be a mid table team but Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative and brought back the glory of Arsenal again. I was just thinking, won't this long-term stride be the next option for Manchester United? Mikel Arteta has finished second and third in many seasons but didn't get sacked but Manchester United sacked a manager that finished second severally and lost a European final.

If you check this thing you will see that apart from fans pressure, the management board also seems to understand coaches are trying but they fail to give them the time thinking that he should just wake up and do the magic. Arsenal fans are now having the best of seasons and consistently dominating the league. After pep Guardiola left the league, Arsenal could dominate this premier League for long before any other team will come close.

That's because Man United is growing, from history, existence and fan base. So until sometime Man United cannot lose or do not want to be the same in terms of training management. Man United is still complex and if you think about it more deeply, a club like Man United have long lost an important figure Sir Alex. A typical Arsenal club that basically does not have such a fantastic history as Man United. therefore, until now there has been no news about Man United has not been able to move on.

[iBaba]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal.

The guy is obviously super talented but he hasn't played in a major league for a couple of years now. While the Brasileirão isn't the Premier League or La Liga, it's still highly competitive and stacked with talent. I'm really curious to see how he adapts and whether he can rediscover his form. If he does, his flair should fit the Brazilian game pretty well, at least until he gets his first real taste of the Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana, which is a whole different beast.

This could be a better move for ziyech if he is serious about reviving his career, he really needs regular paying time which is more important for him at this stage than chasing another big European club where they might decide to put him on substitute and spend more time on the bench.

I think the Brazil could be a cool place for him to rebuild his career, because i guess the pressure there might not be the same as playing for Chelsea and if he can stay fit, get regular minutes he still has a lot to offer. At 33 we should not expect him to come back completely, but it would be nice to see him enjoy football again. The real question here is whether he still have that motivation to push himself at this stage for his career.

[AprilioMP]

The Arsenal management has taught the premier League the importance of giving a manager the chance to build his team. If the board has listened to fans pressure, by now Arsenal will still be a mid table team but Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative and brought back the glory of Arsenal again. I was just thinking, won't this long-term stride be the next option for Manchester United? Mikel Arteta has finished second and third in many seasons but didn't get sacked but Manchester United sacked a manager that finished second severally and lost a European final.

Manchester United can do it, and other teams can do it too—just as Arsenal’s board did with Arteta. In La Liga, there’s a team whose board has continued to place its trust in a single coach for a long time. You know, Atlético Madrid—this team has been with Simeone for a long time. You can look up Atlético Madrid’s trophies since Simeone took over.
Sometimes, ambition must be balanced with necessity and equilibrium if you want to succeed. The business side of things must continue, but building a great team with significant achievements requires trust.
Arteta is confident, and many people have placed their trust in him, which is why things are the way they are today.

[Cyber_warrior]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal.

The guy is obviously super talented but he hasn't played in a major league for a couple of years now. While the Brasileirão isn't the Premier League or La Liga, it's still highly competitive and stacked with talent. I'm really curious to see how he adapts and whether he can rediscover his form. If he does, his flair should fit the Brazilian game pretty well, at least until he gets his first real taste of the Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana, which is a whole different beast.

Compared to where he played last season i think a move to Brazil is really a good one for him. Last season ne played at Wydad Casablanca, though he had an impressive season there but it really good to see him move to Brazil. Sometimes moving to a big club have effect on players and in the case of Ziyech that move to Chelsea have really affected hi career.

Well In the case of his move to Botafogo, I don’t expect him to try to revive his career because he his in his 30s already but I do hope he will have an impressive season there.

[Italian Panic]

Compared to where he played last season i think a move to Brazil is really a good one for him. Last season ne played at Wydad Casablanca, though he had an impressive season there but it really good to see him move to Brazil. Sometimes moving to a big club have effect on players and in the case of Ziyech that move to Chelsea have really affected hi career.

Well In the case of his move to Botafogo, I don’t expect him to try to revive his career because he his in his 30s already but I do hope he will have an impressive season there.

But has Hakim Ziyech really gone to Botafogo? I didn’t know that. He was such a great player truly impressive on the ball; he could dribble at high speed. I would say he will settle in well in Brazil, though, because the football there is much more technical and less tactical than in Europe, where he can give free rein to his natural flair, so he will thrive there, just as Memphis Depay did.

[Davidloki]

I think it would be difficult for Arteta to maintain such a high level of performance with the same squad, that is without strengthening it through new signings every summer. If you look at how Arsenal operates in the transfer market, they spent around £200 million in the summer of 2026 alone. Over the course of 2025, that figure approached nearly £250 million, so Arteta is spending vast sums of the club's money, and I believe that is precisely what keeps Arsenal at the top of the table.

Arteta is not looking at signing too many players that does not complement his team, or players that had a one season wonder performance. His signings are what the club really needs, no much debate or expectations but players that are willing to work together with the team to achieve their goal.

So far, Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes, his new signings are doing well and making great impact in the team. Arteta is a coach building for long term, and one does not need too many signings to do that., the results are what defines it.

[knowngunman]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal..

Lol, your post still revolve around transfer discussion. It's not really out of discussion in my opinion.

I think Hakim Ziyech peak ended at Ajax. He was on average when he was playing for Chelsea. Not that he was totally bad but at Chelsea, his performance wasn't as impressive as it was when he was at Ajax. It's probably true when people claim that Chelsea is a club that kills players career.

I don't know much about Brazilian league but I hope he can adapt quickly and regain his form. He wasn't part of the world cup squad due to his poor fitness and form. It's heartbreaking to see a legendary player going through things like this.

[Zlantann]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal.

The guy is obviously super talented but he hasn't played in a major league for a couple of years now. While the Brasileirão isn't the Premier League or La Liga, it's still highly competitive and stacked with talent. I'm really curious to see how he adapts and whether he can rediscover his form. If he does, his flair should fit the Brazilian game pretty well, at least until he gets his first real taste of the Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana, which is a whole different beast.

Brasileirão is highly aggressive compared to other leagues in Europe. I have known Hakim Ziyech to be a mild or gentle player. Just wondering how he could fit into the physical battleground of the Brazilian League. The Moroccan said that playing in the Brazilian League has been his dream.

In sports, we can't predict how a player will fare in a team or competition. In my view, the Saudi Professional League or Major League Soccer would have been perfect for him. Joining a competitive league like the Brasileirão at 33 years old might make him work beyond his capacity.

[Antotena]

I have to agree with you. I remember a lot of us calling for the sack of Mikel Arteta for not being able to win the league even in the seasons they dominated most of it but the club management stuck with him and believed so much in the project they he was building.
Now, Arsenal are the most consistent English Premier League team. I honestly don't think their dominance will be halted anytime soon.

Football emotional switch need to be studied, the same people that were rubbish them those year all have gone silent. Just watch him win the Premier League league once more and see how the believe will wax stronger but if by mistake or unexpectedly any of his boys make a mistake, the attack and insult will be unbelievable, some of them will act like they never had anything. They did the same thing in the Champions League as if they didn't even try.

Arteta is not looking at signing too many players that does not complement his team, or players that had a one season wonder performance. His signings are what the club really needs, no much debate or expectations but players that are willing to work together with the team to achieve their goal.

So far, Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes, his new signings are doing well and making great impact in the team. Arteta is a coach building for long term, and one does not need too many signings to do that., the results are what defines it.

It depends on which player you are talking about. If we compare Rice and Saka, we both know who is better. There is one that is seen as a long project, in fact I think that Rice will first Saka to leave Arsenal in the future. So, it's all about preference of the team, they can sign who they want and may not even have the same determination and sometimes expectations of players usually fail.

[Ale88]

Changing the subject a bit, I wanted to share a recent transfer that caught my attention, Hakim Ziyech. Some might remember him from those glory days when Ajax reached the UCL semifinals, followed by his stints at Chelsea and Galatasaray before returning to Morocco.

His level has dropped quite a bit since those peak years. He’s 33 now and didn't even get called up for the Moroccan squad at the 2026 World Cup, despite being one of their key players back in 2022. That’s why it came as a surprise when Botafogo signed him a few days ago on a two year deal..

Lol, your post still revolve around transfer discussion. It's not really out of discussion in my opinion.

I think Hakim Ziyech peak ended at Ajax. He was on average when he was playing for Chelsea. Not that he was totally bad but at Chelsea, his performance wasn't as impressive as it was when he was at Ajax. It's probably true when people claim that Chelsea is a club that kills players career.

I don't know much about Brazilian league but I hope he can adapt quickly and regain his form. He wasn't part of the world cup squad due to his poor fitness and form. It's heartbreaking to see a legendary player going through things like this.

I agree with you, I have always considered Ziyech as a very average player, I was very surprised when he moved to Chelsea because I didn't think he was good enough to play for the Blues. And even at Ajax, ok, he had some good performances, but he never gave the impression that he could actually be a star despite playing in the Eredivisie.

[Princess Leah]

Lol, your post still revolve around transfer discussion. It's not really out of discussion in my opinion.

I think Hakim Ziyech peak ended at Ajax. He was on average when he was playing for Chelsea. Not that he was totally bad but at Chelsea, his performance wasn't as impressive as it was when he was at Ajax. It's probably true when people claim that Chelsea is a club that kills players career.

I don't know much about Brazilian league but I hope he can adapt quickly and regain his form. He wasn't part of the world cup squad due to his poor fitness and form. It's heartbreaking to see a legendary player going through things like this.

I agree with you, I have always considered Ziyech as a very average player, I was very surprised when he moved to Chelsea because I didn't think he was good enough to play for the Blues. And even at Ajax, ok, he had some good performances, but he never gave the impression that he could actually be a star despite playing in the Eredivisie.

Not all players can withstand the pressure of the EPL, several players come in with loads of potential but end up becoming average, Ziyech was a players i really admired but it turned out the other way round when Chelsea bought him. Another example of such kind of player is Antony, at Ajax he was peak in performance but flopped at Manchester United.

 If you observe the stats of such players you’ll notice that their worst performance is in the EPL. Look at Antony, a promising player from the Eredevisie, flopped at Manchester United, but doing well currently in the Laliga.

[Sally9256]

I agree with you, I have always considered Ziyech as a very average player, I was very surprised when he moved to Chelsea because I didn't think he was good enough to play for the Blues. And even at Ajax, ok, he had some good performances, but he never gave the impression that he could actually be a star despite playing in the Eredivisie.

Not all players can withstand the pressure of the EPL, several players come in with loads of potential but end up becoming average, Ziyech was a players i really admired but it turned out the other way round when Chelsea bought him. Another example of such kind of player is Antony, at Ajax he was peak in performance but flopped at Manchester United.

 If you observe the stats of such players you’ll notice that their worst performance is in the EPL. Look at Antony, a promising player from the Eredevisie, flopped at Manchester United, but doing well currently in the Laliga.

I think the major issues with adapting to the EPL is the pressure and critics when you fail to perform to expectations especially when you move to a big club. Not all players are able to adapt to the league, and some join the wrong team at the wrong time that's why they fail to perform to expectations. I think most of the players Chelsea signed during the Hakim Ziyech's period turn out badly so it was more of a team's problem than individual players.
Although Ziyech had qualities but not good enough to be at Chelsea. There was no way he would perform well at Chelsea with the way he plays and also adapting to the EPL wouldn't be easy for him. I think both Anthony and Ziyech joined a struggling team that hindered their development. Maybe joining a team doing well might have turned out differently for them.

[Amphenomenon]

I agree with you, I have always considered Ziyech as a very average player, I was very surprised when he moved to Chelsea because I didn't think he was good enough to play for the Blues. And even at Ajax, ok, he had some good performances, but he never gave the impression that he could actually be a star despite playing in the Eredivisie.

Ziyech was above average, the fact that his spell at Chelsea was unfortunately but he was still a class and in some good days we saw the magician working and know for a fact he had it on him.

There are quite a number of players who had an disappointing or an unfortunate spell at Chelsea but that doesn't define them overall.