Manchester United are now ready to join the race for an “unbelievable” £75m midfielder amid the interest in Bruno Fernandes and doubts over Casemiro’s future.
Man Utd keen on new midfielder with Casemiro's future up in the air
Casemiro’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, but the Brazilian has remained a key player for Man United, having arguably proven Jamie Carragher wrong since the Sky Sports pundit infamously suggested he needed to “call it a day.”
The 33-year-old has made seven Premier League appearances this season, with the only game he missed being due to suspension, and the midfielder’s defensive attributes have been on display on a regular basis over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Tackles
4.05 (99th percentile)
Blocks
2.33 (99th percentile)
Clearances
2.81 (94th percentile)
There have been widespread reports suggesting the former Real Madrid man could still extend his contract, but his future remains up in the air, while there are also some doubts over whether Fernandes will remain a United player.
According to a report from The Mirror, the Portugal international, who is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, is attracting interest from elsewhere, with Saudi Pro League clubs known to be keen.
Consequently, Man United are now ready to enter the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has been a shining light for the Tricky Trees amid their poor start to the season.
Having impressed for Forest and England, Anderson’s asking price is now a whopping £75m, with a number of rival Premier League clubs also keen, including Manchester City and Chelsea.
Ruben Amorim views rebuilding his midfield as a priority, having previously looked at signing Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, with United now big admirers of the Forest star too.
Carragher said Man Utd star was "awful" in 24/25, now he's their best player
Manchester United appear to have conducted incredible business with the addition of one star.
ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025 "Unbelievable" Anderson impressing for club and country
The 22-year-old has become a regular starter for the Three Lions under the helm of Thomas Tuchel, recently putting in a fantastic display in the 5-0 win against Latvia, completing 121 passes and making four tackles, the highest number of any player.
Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier has also made it clear he is a huge admirer of his former teammate, taking the time to praise his performances for Forest.
A £75m asking price is steep, but Anderson is a very well-rounded midfielder, also placing in the 85th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, compared to other midfielders, so he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to Amorim’s squad.
After a slow start out of the blocks this season, everything seemed to click into place for Leeds United away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out in the Premier League.
Obviously, the 3-1 win will have to be taken with a slight pinch of salt – considering Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold have now lost all five of their opening league clashes – but it was still a breakneck performance from Daniel Farke’s men, especially in that blistering first 45 minutes.
Staggeringly, before their trip to the West Midlands, Farke and Co. had only fired home one goal in league action all season. Those same nerves weren’t present at all at Molineux, however, as three strikes were put away by the visitors in quick succession.
Even more pleasing for Farke would be the nature of those goalscorers, with all three heroes on the day being brand-new recruits who can now kick on even more in West Yorkshire.
Leeds' standout new recruits
While there were grumbles among the Elland Road contingent when activity was sparse on transfer deadline day, there does need to be some recognition that Leeds have made a couple of standout purchases here and there.
Farke will be desperately hoping that Dominic Calvert-Lewin now finds himself deep in a purple patch of goalscoring form after heading home the equaliser at Molineux, with the ex-Everton marksman going down as an astute purchase if so on a free transfer.
Calvert-Lewin might well have steered Leeds back onto the initial road to recovery, but it was the combined efforts of both Anton Stach and Noah Okafor that would stylishly secure the three points.
Indeed, Stach would show no hesitation on the big stage when hammering home a sublime free-kick for 2-1, with the £20m purchase looking a Premier League-calibre talent already.
Okafor also justified his high £18m price-tag with the game-clinching strike on the stroke of half-time, with both the Swiss international and his German teammate hopeful they can continue putting in top-quality displays together to ensure survival is clinched.
The new midfield pairing also boasts hefty salaries – with the duo earning £72.5k-per-week and £45k-per-week respectively – but there is one high earner who rakes in even more who will now be worried about his long-term security in the first-team.
The Leeds star who earns more than Okafor & Stach
It isn’t the most shocking development that both Okafor and Stach can perform at the highest level of English football; however, considering both players in question have shone in the Bundesliga, the Serie A, and the Austrian Bundesliga previously, to name but a few of their past European destinations.
In stark contrast, Daniel James has never quite looked at ease in the Premier League, and with injury difficulties already getting the better of him so far this season, the 27-year-old could soon find it hard to nail down a first-team spot.
This isn’t to say that James hasn’t produced some moments of unbelievable magic at Leeds, with this spectacular effort last season seeing the Whites collect a promotion-boosting 3-1 victory.
But, it’s very clear when looking at the table below, that the hit-and-miss Welshman is a far more of an electric attacking threat in the EFL than he is when making the daunting step up to the Premier League.
Games played
110
109
Goals scored
12
29
Assists
13
25
In the EFL’s elite league to date, James has managed to collect a weighty 54 goal contributions from 109 overall clashes, with the spotlight often beamed down on him as Leeds’ main man down the right channel.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been as devastating in the Premier League as a full-throttle option, with just nine of his 25 goal contributions in the unforgiving division coming in West Yorkshire.
His regular hiccups in the top-flight even saw TalkSPORT’s outspoken Simon Jordan label him as a “fundamental disappointment” in 2022, with those words still ringing true when you consider the one-time Manchester United attacker has also collected zero goals or assists this season when fit.
When further realising James also pockets a steep £75k-per-week pay packet, which is more than both Okafor and Stach earn, it’s clear that Leeds are handing out an unnecessarily excessive salary.
With his current contract in play until 2029, it’s unlikely that Farke will part ways with James anytime soon.
But, with Okafor proving that the new guard at the German’s disposal are instantly Premier League ready, don’t expect the Welshman to instantly jump back into his first-team plans.
49ers buzzing: Leeds "very happy" with £72,500-a-week star who loves Farke
O Palmeiras venceu o Vasco por 1 a 0, neste domingo (27), no Allianz Parque, pela 21ª rodada doBrasileirão. O gol da vitória palmeirense foi marcado por Raphael Veiga, mas não foi um gol qualquer, foi um golaço, de falta, já no segundo tempo. Os vascaínos até chegaram a abrir o placar, mas o VAR apontou impedimento. A nota negativa foi a lesão de Dudu, que preocupou os torcedores alviverdes. Após a partida, o técnico Abel Ferreira fala sobre o desempenho de sua equipe em entrevista coletiva. Confira no vídeo acima:
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Nayar is the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI in January to assess India’s poor run in Test cricket late last year
Nagraj Gollapudi17-Apr-2025
Abhishek Nayar was appointed to Gautam Gambhir’s team after they had worked together at KKR•Getty Images
The BCCI has terminated Abhishek Nayar’s contract, less than a year after appointing him as assistant coach of the India men’s national team.Nayar, who was appointed last July, is the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI to assess India’s miserable run in Test cricket late last year, beginning with the 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand followed by the 3-1 series defeat in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Soon after India returned from Australia, the BCCI conducted an extensive review meeting in coordination with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Also present at that initial review meeting, which was held in Mumbai, were India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.Nayar, a successful allrounder with Mumbai who played three ODIs for India, was handpicked by Gambhir for the job after he was appointed as head coach. While Gambhir was given a three-year contract – until the 2027 ODI World Cup – Nayar’s tenure could not be ascertained.Gambhir and Nayar worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024 and were key to the franchise winning its third IPL title, the first after a decade. While Nayar has never coached in the domestic circuit, he has worked one-on-one with several international and uncapped Indian players, including Rohit, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.Recently, KL Rahul also credited Nayar for his white-ball success, saying, “Big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar. I’ve worked a lot with him ever since he’s come into the Indian team.”Doubts over Nayar’s future emerged in late January when the BCCI appointed former Saurashtra batter Sitanshu Kotak as the batting coach ahead of the white-ball home series against England. Both Kotak and Nayar, along with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip had also travelled to the Champions Trophy as part of Gambhir’s support staff.ESPNcricinfo has reached out to Nayar as well as Saikia for comments.Adrian Le Roux set to join as trainerAdrian Le Roux, who worked with the India men’s team as a trainer for a year in the early 2000s, is set to join in the same position. It is understood that Le Roux, who is currently with Punjab Kings in the IPL, has accepted the offer the BCCI made recently. Le Roux is set to replace Soham Desai, who has been the strength and conditioning coach for India since 2019.After working as a consultant during India’s tour of South Africa in 2001-02, Le Roux signed a one-year contract as trainer with India, which lasted until the 2003 World Cup. He then declined the one-year extension given by the BCCI, saying it was “a personal decision” to stay back home before he joined the South Africa men’s team as a trainer. Le Roux paired successfully with Andrew Leipus, who was India’s physiotherapist then, and the two made a significant difference to the fitness level of players.
Manchester United are in the market for late deals and could be set to earn some much needed capital to invest into their squad by sanctioning a key departure, according to reports.
Manchester United look for Ruben Amorim turnaround
To put it bluntly, Ruben Amorim hasn’t endured the tenure he would’ve liked at Old Trafford so far and his misfortune was only compounded further courtesy of a disastrous EFL Cup exit to Grimsby Town in midweek.
Losing out on penalties, the Red Devils boss has been left under pressure by club chiefs, with reports emerging that Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner could be in the frame to take over at Manchester United if results don’t improve.
Wayne Rooney has been critical of the former Sporting boss and claimed that the defeat at Blundell Park could prove to be a ‘breaking point’ for Amorim, citing his belief that he will find it difficult to turn around the malaise at the club.
He stated on his own show: “There’s a pressure at Manchester United which he will never have felt before. When you’re not winning games it can start to get to you, and it looks like it was a breaking point for him.
“There’s just a little bit too much rotation going on and players getting a little bit lost. When they lose the ball there’s massive gaps and spaces and it’s a carry on from last season. If it carries on like that, then unfortunately I don’t see how it moves forward.”
Man Utd now seriously considering late move for "wonderful" £32m midfielder
INEOS may not be done just yet…
2 ByDominic Lund Aug 28, 2025
Transfers could be pivotal to a turnaround, and Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher could be set for an Old Trafford move, albeit sales will be necesarry to pulling any further moves off.
If recent reports are to be believed, they could now be set to hasten that process.
Rasmus Hojlund set for Napoli medical
According to Il Mattino, Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is set to undergo a medical at Napoli in a deal that will see the Red Devils inherit around £37.2 million once his initial loan move goes through.
If the Serie A champions secure qualification to next campaign’s Champions League, the agreement will convert into an obligation to buy, meaning Amorim’s men will receive the full amount quoted.
Across his time at Old Trafford, Hojlund has struck 26 times in 95 appearances in all competitions. Nevertheless, Benjamin Sesko’s arrival has pushed him down the pecking order and an exit has been all but ratified.
Alejandro Garnacho’s move to Chelsea for £40 million will offer Manchester United the chance to make another marquee signing, if they can push negotiations over the line at this late stage, though it remains to be seen when both deals officially go through.
Either way, Amorim is in need of help to bolster his squad and funds generated from Hojlund’s exit will go a long way to achieving that feat.
Aditya Sarwate took three wickets in the morning session to give Kerala the decisive first-innings advantage
Shashank Kishore21-Feb-2025 • Updated on 20-Mar-2025
Aditya Sarwate picked up the three remaining wickets on the fifth day (File pic)•Kerala Cricket Association
Sixty-eight years after playing their first match, Kerala secured an entry into their maiden Ranji Trophy final on a dramatic fifth morning against Gujarat in Ahmedabad.Needing to pick up three wickets while having just 28 to defend at the start of the day’s play, left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate rose to the occasion by picking up all the remaining wickets to fall as Kerala bowled Gujarat out for 455 to clinch a two-run first-innings lead. This after they made it to the semi-final on the back of a one-run first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir.Kerala will play Vidarbha in the final, which will be played in Nagpur from February 26.Each of the three wickets had an element of drama attached to it. The prelude to the first wicket of the day, of the well-set Jaymeet Patel, was a dropped catch by Sachin Baby, the Kerala captain, at extra cover with Gujarat needing 23 to draw level. But two balls later, Baby sprung back to life as Sarwate’s slider from around the stumps accounted for Jaymeet who played for the turn when there was none.Having played down the wrong line as he lunged forward, Jaymeet dragged his foot outside the crease as the ball passed his outside edge as Mohammed Azharuddeen effected an excellent stumping. An agonising three-minute wait and multiple replays later, Kerala celebrated as the umpire deemed Jaymeet’s foot to be on the line when the bail was knocked off its groove.
Arzan Nagwaswalla, the No. 10 batter, showed good technique and used the first opportunity to pick up a boundary, when he rocked back and punched part-time spinner Akshay Chandran to the cover boundary to bring Gujarat within 14 runs of levelling the score. That would be Chandran’s only over of the day – he was only brought on to allow a change of ends for Jalaj Saxena, with Kerala opting to go all-out with their spinners.With Gujarat trailing by 11 came another big moment when Siddharth Desai, who had stonewalled the bowling for 163 deliveries up until then, opted for the DRS after he had been given out caught at silly point. When Ultra-Edge showed no spike as the ball passed bat, the Kerala camp threw their heads back in agony, but they were jumping in joy a few second later when ball tracking showed the ball that pitched in line would’ve gone on to hit leg stump. Desai couldn’t believe his luck as luck smiled Kerala’s way even though the appeal wasn’t made for the lbw.Nagwaswalla and Priyajitsinh Jadeja, the No 11, then brought the equation down to eight runs needed when Kerala had another half-chance. Nagwaswalla whipped one into the leg side with the ball lodging between Salman Nizar’s legs before slipping out as he attempted a reflex action catch.Then, Saxena was agonising close to his fifth wicket when he deceived Nagwaswalla in flight as he lunged at one that spun back in from the rough to take the inside edge and brush past leg-stump towards the fine leg fielder. It meant Gujarat needed just two to level the scores, which would’ve been enough to see them through in case of a draw because of having more points in the group stages.The big moment arrived for Kerala when Sarwate tossed one up. Nagwaswalla attempted a hoick as the ball flew off a thick inside edge to short leg, where it hit Nizar flush on the helmet before lobbing up to Baby who took the deflection at slip. Initially pumped by adrenaline, Nizar celebrated wildly with the rest of the Kerala team as they celebrated the prospect of making their first-ever Ranji final as a crest-fallen Nagwaswalla trudged back slowly up the long flight of stairs into the dressing room.After the ecstasy of their achievement sunk in and players made their way off the field, Nizar was duly stretchered off for a concussion check, even as Kerala’s batters quickly regrouped to play out the remainder of the match on the final day.Saxena wheeled away for 71 overs in the second innings for his four wickets, three of which turned the game around on its head on the fourth morning. Sarwate, who had figures of 1 for 101 coming into the day, ended with 4 for 111 as the prospect of playing against his home state, Vidarbha, at his home ground in Nagpur loomed.Gujarat managed to take four wickets in the 46 overs they bowled in Kerala’s second innings, but Saxena batted Kerala to safety.
After Australia finished on 474, India fought back with a century stand between Jaiswal and Kohli before they lost three wickets late on the second day
Andrew McGlashan27-Dec-2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal was distraught after being run-out•Getty Images
Stumps Local hero Scott Boland was part of a late surge by Australia on the second day in Melbourne as they took control of the fourth Test after Steven Smith set up an imposing total with his second hundred in consecutive matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had responded with a century stand but both fell in a dramatic final half-an-hour to leave India with a mountain to climb.Jaiswal had moved into the 80s when he drove firmly to mid-on and set off for a run to which Kohli didn’t respond and there was no way to beat Pat Cummins’ throw. Two overs later, Boland found Kohli’s outside edge to send the MCG into raptures and, all of a sudden, hope of anything close to parity on first innings looked a long way off.To cap off Australia’s day, Boland had nightwatcher Akash Deep taken at leg gully with minutes remaining as India lost 3 for 6.Scott Boland got Virat Kohli’s edge not long before stumps•Cricket Australia via Getty Images
It was a day that started and ended badly for India. They were insipid in the field during the morning as Australia ransacked 143 runs off 27 overs with Smith, who went to his 34th Test century to be within 51 of reaching 10,000 Test runs, and Cummins combining to add 112 for the seventh wicket.Cummins then struck in his first over of India’s reply when Rohit Sharma, who had returned to the top of the order, spooned a short ball into the hands of mid-on to leave him with scores of 3, 6, 10 and 3 in the series and 155 runs at 11.07 in his last 14 innings. The talk of whether his Test career extends beyond Sydney is unlikely to abate. India were 51 for 2 at tea when Cummins added to his hall-of-fame wickets with a wonderful delivery to castle KL Rahul.But Jaiswal, who had yet to contribute in a first innings of this series having had problems against Mitchell Starc, provided encouragement for the masses of Indian support among a record second-day crowd of 85,147, while Kohli attempted to channel the form revival that has been shown by Smith in recent weeks.Steven Smith brought up his second straight Test century•Getty Images
As he had during the 161 in Perth, Jaiswal wasn’t afraid to take on the short ball with ramps over the slips and also drove handsomely down the ground. He launched Mitchell Marsh’s medium pace over long-on for six, and then cut Boland for a boundary to bring up the half-century and have sights on a hundred when his innings was brought to an abrupt end. It was Jaiswal’s call, but always looked a very tight run. Kohli barely moved from his crease. Cummins calmly threw the ball on the bounce to Carey, who was celebrating before he broke the stumps.Kohli, the day after being fined for his shoulder contact with Sam Konstas, wore a look of determination from the start of his innings. After a series of dismissals pushing at deliveries away from his body, Kohli left alone plenty as Australia’s quicks tried to tempt him, although he did unfurl one pristine cover drive. When Starc strayed on to the pads, Kohli flicked him powerfully through midwicket. Yet, ultimately, the channel outside off proved his downfall, and perhaps the effects of Jaiswal’s run out as well.Pat Cummins was peppered with a few short balls in the first hour but survived, and put up very important runs•AFP/Getty Images
Australia had resumed at 311 for 6 after an opening day headlined by the innings of Konstas, and they made positive progress from the start against an India side that appeared flat as nine runs came off the opening over. Jasprit Bumrah remained a threat – although Smith was able to hook him for the fourth six he conceded in the innings – but scoring was free elsewhere as the home side cantered along.Smith brought up his century with a pristine cover drive off Nitesh Kumar Reddy, and then took on the struggling Mohammed Siraj, who conceded more than five an over. It was as fluent as Smith had looked for a long time, perhaps even back to the halcyon days of 2019. The century stand with Cummins was raised in 21 overs with the Australia captain showing the danger he can provide when playing positively.Cummins was one short of a fourth Test fifty when he picked out long-off against Ravindra Jadeja, who also claimed Starc straight after lunch. Next over, Smith somehow dragged into his stumps when he charged at Akash Deep, edged on to his pads, and watched helplessly as the ball trickled back to dislodge the leg bail. But, with up to three innings remaining against India, he now has a good chance to reaching one of cricket’s rare summits before this series is done.
Arsenal know that they will sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer and he will lead the line for Mikel Arteta next season and beyond. A total agreement with Sporting Lisbon has been reached.
Gyokeres might be 27, and thus is not someone who will be starring at number nine for the Emirates side in ten years, but he’s complete and accomplished, in the prime of his career and ready to tackle a top division such as the Premier League.
He did, after all, score 97 goals and supply 28 assists across 102 matches, winning the Liga Portugal in each of his two terms in the Iberian country.
However, Gyokeres might need some support as he enters the Emirates fray. Indeed, Arteta plans to pair him up with a playmaker.
Arsenal targeting a creative midfielder
Martin Odegaard left plenty to be desired last season, but he’s still Arsenal’s captain and one of the best midfielders in the world besides.
However, Arteta seeks a new playmaker who can drift between central and wide attacking berths. Someone like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer would be great.
There have been rumours that RB Leipzig talent Xavi Simons, 22, would be the man for the job, but Arsenal have fallen behind Chelsea in the race for the diminutive Dutchman.
This might feel like a blow, but when you consider the reason why the north Londoners have taken a step back, it becomes quite a bit less crippling.
Indeed, Arsenal are targeting one of the Premier League’s finest stars.
Arsenal in talks to sign PL star
According to GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are currently holding internal talks as they weigh up a formal offer for Eberechi Eze, who scored the winning goal as Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Eze, 27, has a £60m release clause and has also been targeted by teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, but it is the Gunners who are leading the race as technical director Andrea Berta looks to seal a summer spending spree.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier this week that Arsenal have held discussions with Eze’s camp as they look to put the pieces together.
Why Arsenal must sign Eberechi Eze
Crystal Palace signed Eze from Queens Park Rangers in the Championship for a £20m fee. It was 2020, and he was regarded as one of England’s brightest up-and-coming talents.
Five years on, Eze has immortalised himself as a Palace great, and now wants to make a big move to one of the finest teams on the continent while in the prime of his career.
The England international has been described as a “superstar” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and his vicious blend of powerful athleticism, fleet-footedness and always-improving potency in the final third makes him the perfect fit for Arteta’s project, having proven himself positionally versatile too.
Attacking midfield
74
25
11
Left winger
52
9
7
Central midfield
25
6
3
Right winger
3
0
0
As per FBref, the £100k-per-week star’s efforts last term left him ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for shots taken, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.
This complete sweep of attributes led the data-driven site to draw his countryman Palmer as one of his most statistically similar players, with the 22-year-old hailed as “the best player in the Premier League” by Jamie Carragher at the start of the 2024/25 season.
Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in a deal worth £42m in September 2023, and he has since become the face of English football, with his extraordinary debut campaign yielding 25 goals and 15 assists across 45 matches in all competitions for the Blues.
Though Eze is not quite so clinical as his world-class positional peer, he is a unique and tricky opponent, so skilful and dynamic in his movements.
As per Sofascore, the Palace talent actually finished the recent league season having averaged two dribbles, 1.7 key passes and 4.6 ground duels (of which he won a respectable 53%) per game, further highlighting his roundedness.
And, of course, it’s not as if Eze isn’t clinical in his own right, having raised his game in that regard under Oliver Glasner’s wing, posting 34 direct goal involvements across 54 games since the Austrian manager arrived in the English capital.
Now, just imagine the improvements that could be made in Arteta’s system. The Spaniard is renowned as one of the best tacticians in football, with new Gunners recruit Martin Zubimendi even hailing him as “one of the best coaches in Europe”.
Given that Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli may both be sold this summer, Eze would be a fantastic addition – perhaps even a necessary addition – with his high-speed dribbling perfect for the left flank, should he not be deployed centrally to take on defenders, create space and spark playmaking for his side.
Dubbed a “magician” of a midfielder by pundit Micah Richards in the past, signing Eze really is a no-brainer. While he may not be Chelsea’s Palmer, he does possess a certain tactical likeness that has already worked so well at Stamford Bridge, and would be sure to elevate Arteta’s project as trophies are targeted across various competitions next year.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
A new season beckons, and if the summer transfer window is anything to go by, Arsenal are going to be right their at the front of the pack once again. Maybe the likes of Eze and Gyokeres could help them take that final step toward glory.
Bigger talent than Simons: Arsenal lining up "world-class" £87m talent
Arsenal are hoping to follow the signing of Viktor Gyokeres with more attacking quality.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca may have already signed several players this summer, but he is far from finished in the transfer market.
With more incomings than outgoings, there could be problems with a bloated squad next term. However, there is still a need to move out players such as Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling before the window closes.
Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Onuche Ogbelu in action with Chelsea's ChristopherNkunku
The rumour mill has been constant over the previous few weeks, with the Blues being linked with players right, left and centre.
Karim Adeyemi, Tyler Dibling and Malick Fofana have all been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Maresca continues his charge of further bolstering his attacking options.
Alexander Isak was another who was mentioned following the Swedish striker looking for a way out of Newcastle, but this move would be extremely unlikely.
The most likely signing could well be that of Xavi Simons, as the Dutchman appears to be dreaming of joining the Blues, ahead of a potential move.
Splashing out a reported fee of around £56m could certainly be worth it in the long haul….
What Xavi Simons will bring to Chelsea
Simons has been used as an attacking midfielder throughout his career, but since joining RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, the 22-year-old has tended to operate on the left flank.
With Chelsea having Cole Palmer, who is arguably one of the finest attacking midfielders in Europe, opportunities for Simons would likely come on the flank.
RB Leipzig'sXaviSimonsreacts after the match
Last season, Simons scored 11 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions, with nine of those goal contributions coming from the left wing.
When compared to his positional peers in the Bundesliga, however, he ranked highly for a number of key metrics.
Indeed, the Dutchman would rank in the top 6% for progressive passes (5.86) per 90, along with ranking in the top 15% for shot-creating actions (4.52), In the top 3% for through balls (0.96) and for carries into the final third (2.97) per 90, it is evident that Simons shone for the German side.
Combining this with a 20% goal conversion rate in the top flight, as well as creating 12 big chances while averaging two key passes per game, Simons would make a huge difference to the Chelsea side next season.
If a deal can be secured in the coming days for the youngster, Maresca would surely be happy with his attacking options ahead of the campaign starting in a few weeks.
Next on his list will be signing a defender or two in order to shore up the backline. Several names have been mentioned over the previous few weeks, but it looks as though the club have only one target in mind right now.
Jorrel Hato is that player. Could Maresca secure his signature in the next few days?
Chelsea edging closer to another exciting signing
The Blues have been keen on the Ajax starlet since before the window even opened, but it now looks as though they could be closing in on a move.
Fabrizio Romano provided an update on X regarding Chelsea’s pursuit of the player, saying that he has “informed the club about his desire to join Chelsea.”
This is good news for Maresca, and it will surely only be a matter of time before the club announces his signing.
The Dutch side will demand a fee of around £52m in order to sanction an exit, but given how much Chelsea have spent thus far, another £50m+ won’t hurt.
He has sparkled for Ajax since making his debut, and while Hato can operate either as a centre-back or left-back, Maresca will likely unleash him on the left.
If both Hato and Simons move to Stamford Bridge, it could form the basis of a potent combination down the left flank, that’s for sure.
Why Chelsea must sign Jorrel Hato
Hato is still only a teenager, having just turned 19 in March this year. He is nowhere near the finished article, but judging by his statistics from last term, the youngster has a wonderful future ahead of him.
Defensively, Hato was impressive in the Eredivisie. Not only did he win 52% of his total contested duels per game, but the defender also averaged 1.9 tackles per game and was dribbled past on just 0.3 occasions per match in the top flight.
Games played
11
33
31
Goals scored
0
1
2
Assists
0
2
6
Touches per game
57.4
94.8
67.2
Accurate passes per game
42.6 (91%)
72.8 (93%)
45.2 (90%)
Total duels won per game
3.1
5.5
4.1
Clean sheets
1
5
11
Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Hato last season for his “immense quality” while also saying that he is a “fantastic mix of complete full-back, playmaking full-back, and ball-playing centre-back” and this could work in Maresca’s favour.
With Simons on the left wing, Hato has all the qualities – as evidenced by Kulig – to form a decent partnership with his compatriot.
From an attacking perspective, Hato recorded six assists in the league last term, along with averaging 0.6 key passes and creating six big chances.
Furthermore, the teen even ranked in the top 6% for assists per 90 (0.21) when compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions.
Add in the fact he ranks in the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (2.33) per 90 and in the top 2% for through balls (0.17) per 90; Hato has all the attacking requirements to star on the left flank behind Simons. That’s for sure.
It would be an expensive signing for someone so young, but Maresca has grand plans for Hato, and he will go from strength to strength over the next few years.
Should the club sign both Hato and Simons, they will be a force to be reckoned with next season. There is no doubt about that.
The next few weeks will certainly be interesting indeed for the Chelsea faithful.
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Aston Villa are planning talks to complete the signing of a “fantastic” player with a huge future, with Donyell Malen potentially part of the deal.
Aston Villa want Douglas Luiz reunion
The Villans continue to work hard on new signings ahead of the upcoming Premier League season, as they look to push on and get back into the Champions League.
Arguably the most intriguing current Villa-related transfer story has seen them linked with a move for former midfielder Douglas Luiz, with the Brazilian seemingly allowed to leave Juventus this summer.
Luiz was a popular figure during his first stint at Villa Park, bagging 46 goal contributions in 204 appearances from the middle of the park, and Unai Emery described him as a “very important” figure. For that reason, he could love the idea of bringing him back to the club this summer.
Elsewhere, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres has been linked with a move to Villa before next season gets started, with the Spaniard not a key man at the Camp Nou. He has Premier League experience from his time at Manchester City, and he could add much-needed firepower, potentially even replacing Ollie Watkins at the heart of Emery’s attack.
Aston Villa ready talks for "fantastic" £18m forward
According to a new report from Aksam [via Sport Witness], Aston Villa are interested in signing Besiktas star Semih Kilicsoy this summer, with talks planned over a possible move to the club. The likes of Newcastle United and Leeds United have also been mentioned as suitors for the 19-year-old recently, who could be on the move for around £18m.
It is also claimed that Malen could head in the opposite direction as part of a swap deal, with the Dutchman falling out of favour at Villa Park.
Kilicsoy is a player with a big future in the game, having already achieved plenty at the age of 19, becoming an important figure for Besiktas.
The young centre forward has 16 goals in 85 appearances at senior level for his current side – he netted an impressive 42 times in 64 outings for the Under-19s – and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “fantastic” in the past.
While Kilicsoy isn’t yet the finished article, given his tender years, he could be a great squad signing for Villa from the off, before maturing into more of a star figure as the years pass.
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If the Villans were able to sign him and a more experienced striker this summer, it will stand them in good stead moving forward, especially if Watkins moves on to pastures new.