Mehdi Taremi @ FC Porto | 2022-2023

[PSGman#19]

He seems like a no-brainer signing for any top club needing a striker to boost their attack for at least another 2 years. Proven UCL/international track record, mouth watering liga nos stats, reasonable price tag. Would be very upsetting if none make a move for him, what more does he really need to do honestly?

He need to be superman and change nationality (cannot take the Portuguese one by the way? AC milan don't have extra Europe spot left in their squad)

It is already insulting he is only at Porto at 30 and have only some vague rumors for a transfer to top clubs.

[Hosseini]

Having Iran as a nationality in todays day and age will always be another barrier. It's just the reality our players face. You can be almost perfect, like Taremi, with incredible accomplishments and exceptional work ethic - EXCEPTIONAL and still not given the advantages or benefits that European players have

It's a good case of study of what it can mean to be Iranian in the West these days. There's an extra layer of expectations to meet in order to get the adequate recognition - in other words - the real political challenges

[Hosseini]

I mean, is there another player with the degree of self discipline, class and awareness that he has? We are blessed to have him. Just look at how he keeps himself in such great shape for starters

[taremiscores]

[Essi]

Really long thread on Mehdi Taremi at MUFC

Thanks Javoon.

The guys analyse of Taremi is spot on.

Which begs the question do we hedge our bets on Hojlund and promote someone like McNeil and also play Rashford down the middle at times again or do we go for a stop gap once more. Personally I favour the latter, with Porto's Mehdi Taremi loosely being linked to the club over recent weeks after another brilliant season in Portugal.

So what exactly would he bring to the side, well let's analyse his game and his brilliant numbers produced last season. As with everything we need to look at everything in context, Porto are probably the best or 2nd best side in what is an overall lower standard league. Portuguese league attackers can carry over but not all. Also with the percentiles and percentages I will be discussing this is how he compares with players in a similar standard league, so in the league's ranked 6th - 13th in the world. Now that's out the way, so who is Taremi and what could he bring to United?

Taremi is an Iranian striker who has scored bags of goals wherever he has played. He started his career properly playing for Iranian side Persepolis where over the course of 2 years he played 59 games, scoring 24 goals and getting 12 assists in that time, before reaching an agreement to join Turkish side Rizespor, however after breaching his previous agreement in order to stay at Persepolis that deal never materialised.

He then continued to play for Persepolis where he recorded 29 goals and 9 assists in 46 games, however after being caught up in a legal battle due to breaching his deal with Rizespol. Taremi was forced onto the sidelines for 4 months by FIFA as punishment, this would cut his season short in 2017.

To add to the drama, after being at the side for 3.5 years Taremi and Persepolis couldn't come to an agreement on a new contract, so they had to make the decision as to whether to sell him in January for a small price or to hope he hits the ground running after his long ban and eventually agrees a new deal. The relationship had gone sour and the fans had grown restless, Taremi decided to move on joining Qatari side Al-Gharafa in January of 2018 for around £400k.

He would stay here for a further 18 months, proving his goalscoring prowess scoring 19 goals in 38 games before earning his move to Europe and more specifically Portuguese side Rio Ave. He would go on to have a really important season for them netting 21 goals in 36 games, helping his new side have their equal highest finish in their top flight history recording their most ever points. He did this whilst finishing equal top in the golden boot race, being involved in 42% of their league goals.

This earned him an illustrious move to Porto for around £4m, which is where he remains, having signed in 2020. He has just 1 year left on his deal which is the reason for his relatively low price tag despite his high output.

It is at Porto where he has continued to go from strength to strength finishing in the top 3 scorers in the league for all 3 seasons he's been there. His output has only improved over time as well, recording back to back 20+ league goal seasons, whilst recording 19 assists over the last 2 league seasons also. His goalscoring hasn't just been isolated to the league however, scoring twice at the World cup and recording 7 goal contributions in the most recent Champions League season which saw him finish 8th in the league for G/A despite only making it to the round of 16 and playing 7 games. Messi and Mbappe were the only 2 players to outperform him from the teams that didn't make it to the final 8.

It is clear that goalscoring is a big attribute of his, but that isn't it. He is also incredibly accomplished on the ball in build up, creating 47 chances and 11 big chances. He is in the top 10% for shot creating actions, top 3% for goal creating actions and top 4% key passes.

He is a player that like the ball to feet, he is in the top 10% for the following categories in that aspect:

Passes through balls
Shot creating actions from passes
Goal creating actions from passes
Touches in attacking third
Touches in opponents box

Being a part of a front 2 allows Taremi to be on the ball often and looks to drift out onto the left where he can use his physicality and willingness to be progressive to play in his strike partner, with his willingness to drift wide and want to play balls in behind for an attacker it will benefit Rashford massively when he wants to drift inside to operate in that vacated space.

When it comes to progressive actions Taremi is up there. He ranks in the top 15% for:

Carries into the penalty area
Carries into the final third Progressive
carries Carrying distance
Take-ons that lead to goal
creating actions
Progressive passes
Expected assists
Assists Passes into penalty area

One other aspect of his game is his ability off the ball also, he ranks in the top 23% for tackles in the final 3rd and in the top 2% for goal creating actions from defensive actions, top 29% interceptions, top 30% for ball recoveries and top 15% for aerial%.

He is a brilliant all round striker that will help facilitate the likes of Hojlund and help improve his game to no end. I believe that he will be a short term option while we wait for next season, when we have either more funds available or until we can go back in for Kane if he lets his deal run down. If United were to end up Qatari owned I believe we will definitely go in for him given his previous affiliations and that could even provide him a clear path to play in Qatar again after Man United. I'm not going to begin to compare the 2 in terms of quality, but Taremi and Kane are very similar in terms of underlying numbers. This could help us prepare our side for how we are going to play with him before he even joins.

[Ghermez Agha]

According to Hatam Shiralizadeh, Arsenal are now among the interested teams in Mehdi.

This is one I prefer him to stay away from….not only do I have trouble seeing him be a starter but I think it would be tough for him to get regular mins.

[DR Strangemoosh]

According to Hatam Shiralizadeh, Arsenal are now among the interested teams in Mehdi.

This is one I prefer him to stay away from….not only do I have trouble seeing him be a starter but I think it would be tough for him to get regular mins.

Yes - I can't see him getting the time unfortunately

Fantastic tweet from Benjamin Hunt

[Ardalan]

Be gofteye Corriere dello Sport khode José Mourinho doost daare Mehdi bere Roma, harchand ke bashgaah donbaale Scamacca ast.
Ini ke Taremi ba Pellegrini va Dybala baazi kone, doo baazikone besyaar khallaq, fekr mikonam mitone yek gozineye besyaar khoobi baashe.

[PSGman#19]

Milan had no problems to pay 20million for this *** Pulisic

[diz]

Milan had no problems to pay 20million for this *** Pulisic

[perspolis#1]

Milan had no problems to pay 20million for this *** Pulisic

It's so much easier to market an American player. McKennie is linked with Dortmund and Adams is linked to West Ham. These players are good for sure, but Milan not only has American ownership from RedBird, but they can recoup any loss from sales because of an emerging market for football clubs while Iranian players only offer a club their playing services and zero peripheral benefit. Any european club makes zero dollars in revenue selling shirts in Iran since copyright doesn't exist. At least 10 million dollars of that money Milan spent will be earned back in shirt sales in the US and Europe.


Same reason Iran never gets put into Fifa.

If Ea Sports makes 10 million dollars selling Fifa to people in India, and zero dollars selling to Iran, which country do you think they will include?

[diz]

^i dont think Iranian players make zero on merch for their clubs. Yes nothing sells in Iran due to sanctions, but the expats have real buying power. I bought two ARJ kits from BHA when he joined and I believe he set the club record for jersey sales when he was signed, if I recall correctly.

Mehdi is sponsored by Addidas, etc

sure, they’re not pulling Messi/Mbappe/CR7 merch sales, but they hold their own!

[PSGman#19]

It's so much easier to market an American player. McKennie is linked with Dortmund and Adams is linked to West Ham. These players are good for sure, but Milan not only has American ownership from RedBird, but they can recoup any loss from sales because of an emerging market for football clubs while Iranian players only offer a club their playing services and zero peripheral benefit. Any european club makes zero dollars in revenue selling shirts in Iran since copyright doesn't exist. At least 10 million dollars of that money Milan spent will be earned back in shirt sales in the US and Europe.


Same reason Iran never gets put into Fifa.

If Ea Sports makes 10 million dollars selling Fifa to people in India, and zero dollars selling to Iran, which country do you think they will include?

Money and jersey are nice but being good at football is more important. Pulisic is an overrate shit, Taremi has much more reference. The only thing Pulisic has in the clubs he played for before but mainly thanks to his passport

[perspolis#1]

Money and jersey are nice but being good at football is more important. Pulisic is an overrate shit, Taremi has much more reference. The only thing Pulisic has in the clubs he played for before but mainly thanks to his passport

I agree Pulisic is overrated, although if we had a player like him or Reyna behind Azmoun/Taremi so many of our problems right now would be fixed.

I am making the same argument that his passport mattered but also because of financials.

^i dont think Iranian players make zero on merch for their clubs. Yes nothing sells in Iran due to sanctions, but the expats have real buying power. I bought two ARJ kits from BHA when he joined and I believe he set the club record for jersey sales when he was signed, if I recall correctly.

Mehdi is sponsored by Addidas, etc

sure, they’re not pulling Messi/Mbappe/CR7 merch sales, but they hold their own!

Yes in the diaspora we buy the jersies but unless the people in finances actually consider it Iranians buying purely it won't get reflected in financial goals of the club. Ie) If I buy an Azmoun Leverkusen jersey, I get counted as a sale made in the US.

We are just not at the incentivized level of a Japan/S. Korea for these clubs in Europe. They get a fanbase in a foreign country, consistent funds coming in etc.

[Ghermez Agha]

that’s a premier league/CL winning XI right there