Players urge £86m star not to join Arsenal, but he's heading towards the door

Arsenal could still make one more major signing before the transfer deadline on September 1, with sporting director Andrea Berta potentially capable of reinforcing another key area depending on outgoings.

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Mikel Arteta led his Premier League title hopefuls to a solid 1-0 win away to Man United on Sunday, and despite not pulling up trees with their overall display, Arsenal withstood a barrage of pressure to come away with a clean sheet after robust defending.

There were positive takeaways from their first league outing of the campaign, namely how they put aside a determined United on away soil, who themselves are looking to rebuild under one of Europe’s most exciting young managers in Ruben Amorim.

Away from the pitch, Berta could still sign another left-winger, if Leandro Trossard leaves the Emirates Stadium.

Trossard, who’s entered the final 12 months of his deal, is apparently more likely than not to depart amid interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Brentford, with Berta looking to potentially sell now rather than lose the Belgian for nothing next year.

If Trossard does depart, it would free up space for Arsenal to move for that other wide player (Ben Jacobs), and reports suggest that they’re still firmly in the running for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

The Brazil international is attracting serious interest from Man City as a replacement for Savinho, amid his talks to join Tottenham, but Arsenal are believed to maintain their own interest in Rodrygo amid his uncertain Bernabeu future.

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, though, Real squad members have made their stance on him potentially joining Arteta’s side crystal clear behind-the-scenes.

Real Madrid players urge Rodrygo not to join Arsenal

As per their information, a number of Los Blancos stars, including the likes of Kylian Mbappé, have stepped in to urge Xabi Alonso and Real’s hierarchy not to green-light Rodrygo’s exit.

Real Madrid's Rodrygo

However, unfortunately for them, the consensus as things stand is apparently that Rodrygo is heading towards the exit door, regardless of his teammates urging him not to join Arsenal.

The 24-year-old racked up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, but Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Rodrygo will likely cost around £86 million, so it’ll perhaps take a few key sales before Arsenal muster up the cash for such a mega-money transfer.

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Better than Savinho: Spurs make bid for £51m star who's asked to leave

The Thomas Frank era got off to an agonising start as Tottenham Hotspur fell short against Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, but there was much to admire from a spirited and, for the most part, organised north London outfit.

There was a lot to like, but Spurs fell short against the continent’s finest outfit, who clambered back from a two-goal deficit in the late stages. Lots to like, but work to be done, with the need for an attacking midfielder accentuated by the loss.

James Maddison’s injury is a tough one to take. Certainly, the Three Lions playmaker has been left stricken given the promising nature of Tottenham’s season ahead, with the World Cup then on the horizon across the pond.

Looking at the situation through a pragmatic lens, Spurs’ need for an attacking midfielder has been heightened. Dejan Kulusevski is still recovering from a patella injury, and the controversial failed bid for Morgan Gibbs-White preceded Maddison’s return to the infirmary.

With Heung-min Son having completed a £20m transfer to LAFC in the United States, signing Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze feels like something of a no-brainer, with that deal in the works. Well, insofar as Tottenham must remain apace with Arsenal in the battle.

But though Frank’s side showed great promise against PSG on Wednesday night, it’s clear that the club are calling out for more than just the arrival of a Maddison replacement, with a deal for Manchester City’s Savinho being chased too.

The latest on Savinho to Spurs

With Son gone and Eze operating frequently from the middle, thrusting forward with electric strides, completing a deal for Savinho feels important.

The Brazilian, 21, joined Pep Guardiola’s side from French club Troyes for around £31m last summer, and he registered 13 assists across 48 matches last term, albeit only scoring three times.

But there’s a lot to like, and Tottenham have opened talks for the rising talent as City pursue a deal for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

Savinho’s lack of bite in the final third is equalised by his snappy physicality and natural creativity. The goals will come, especially if he heads down N17 to work under Frank’s tutelage.

Savinho, who can play across both flanks, would be a fantastic addition, but with Man City holding out for a £67m fee, Daniel Levy and his coterie appear to have earmarked an exciting alternative.

Spurs have made bid for new winger

As per Spanish sources, Tottenham have seen an offer rejected for Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo, worth somewhere in the region of €40m (equating to £34m).

Transfer Focus

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

The sought-after Japan international believes Sociedad’s ambitions do not match his own, with Spurs hoping to entice him over to London, offering the promise of Champions League.

Daniel Levy will be keenly aware of rival English interest: Bournemouth, Everton, and West Ham have all placed bids of their own, and AC Milan are now emerging as suitors too.

With such thick competition for Spurs’ Savinho alternative, Kubo’s outfit want his €60m (£51m) release clause paid in full.

What Takefusa Kubo would bring to Spurs

Savinho has proven that he has what it takes to impress in the Premier League, with Manchester City expert Steven McInerney remarking that he’s “on the precipice of being a world-class footballer.”

However, £67m is a tall order for a young winger who only scored one league goal for one of the most dangerous attacking outfits in the world last season, and Kubo could be an exciting alternative who might even prove the better pick.

Takefusa Kubo for Real Sociedad.

A high-speed and nimble winger, Kubo is typically housed on the right flank, though like Savinho, his dynamism lends itself to roles across the frontline.

And his desire to leave Real Sociedad bespeaks his ambition. Despite maintaining a steady creative presence for the Basque side last year, he was let down by his teammates, finishing 11th in the league and creating only 42.5 xG (expected goals), via FBref.

In spite of this, Kubo, who has been described as a “special talent” by journalist John Bunting, enjoyed a promising individual campaign.

League Stats 24/25 – Kubo vs Savinho

Stats (*per game)

Kubo

Savinho

Matches (starts)

36 (27)

29 (21)

Goals

5

1

Assists

0

8

Shots (on target)

1.2 (0.4)

1.9 (0.7)

Big chances missed

2

6

Accurate passes

18.4 (77%)

23.0 (87%)

Big chances created

9

11

Key passes*

1.3

1.6

Dribbles*

2.1

1.8

Tackles + interceptions*

1.4

1.0

Duels (won)*

5.3

3.6

Data via Sofascore

Like Savinho, Kubo hasn’t established himself as a free-scoring wide forward yet, but there’s no question that he’s the more clinical of the two.

The Japanese’s flaw in the final third is that he doesn’t work himself into space with enough regularity, instead hugging the touchline and creating for his teammates.

Savinho does this too, of course, and it’s worth drawing attention to the fact that Kubo failed to register even one assist in La Liga last year. However, his underlying playmaking numbers suggest that he has what it takes to enrich Tottenham’s attacking fluency and build-up play.

Ultimately, Frank’s proven record with wingers, taking talented players and fashioning them into stars, suggests that both Savinho and Kubo could go from strength to strength under his leadership.

But, in all likelihood, Tottenham can only sign one. And if that is indeed the case, Kubo has the skill set and the hunger to prove himself at the highest level, having only featured eight times in the Champions League and having yet to reach the potential that was recognised from an early age.

Spurs’ initial offer suggests their interest is genuine, and if Man City stand unwavering on their £67m valuation, he is the winger to go for.

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Sheffield United face promotion rivals in race to sign striker; club open to offers

Sheffield United are now in a transfer battle with Ipswich Town to sign a 25-year-old striker whose club are open to offers for him, according to a recent report.

Sheffield United chasing more additions after Louie Barry

The Blades have made a low-key start to the summer transfer window, with just four players arriving at Bramall Lane so far. The latest arrival is winger Louie Barry, who has joined on a season-long loan deal from Aston Villa.

Sheffield United lead charge to sign "brilliant" £45k-p/w Premier League ace

The Blades are now pushing ahead in their mission to sign another central defender.

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Barry worked with manager Ruben Selles last season at Hull City, and the pair have now reunited, as the winger stated he loves Selles’ system: “I love his (Rubén Sellés) style of play; it is exactly what I stand for as a player. I just want to get to the goal as quick as possible. I have got a really good relationship with the gaffer and the staff, so I can’t wait to get into training now.”

Now that a deal for Barry is completed, the Blades have turned their attention to other areas of the pitch they wish to strengthen. Indeed, Sky Sports have reported that Sheff Utd are leading the race alongside Colorado Rapids to sign Rob Holding from Crystal Palace. The centre-back is expected to leave the Premier League side after falling out of favour, and United are keen on reuniting with the player after he was on loan at the club last season.

Sheffield United face Ipswich in race to sign La Liga striker

As well as looking at strengthening the defence, Selles is also in the market for a new striker, as Kieffer Moore’s future at the club is in doubt. And according to Spanish outlet Marca, Sheffield United are interested in signing Isaac Romero from Sevilla.

Isaac Romero in action for Sevilla against Atletico Madrid.

Marca reports that despite not making the impact at the top end of the pitch that was expected of him last season, Romero has emerged on the radar of not just the Blades, but Ipswich Town as well.

There is no word on how much Sevilla would want for the 25-year-old, but given he is under contract until 2028, they could try and hold out for a hefty sum. Romero burst onto the scene during the 2023/24 campaign, as he scored four goals in 14 La Liga games, as well as grabbing four assists. However, he was unable to improve on those numbers last season, as he scored just four goals in 31 La Liga games this time around.

Apps

48

Goals

11

Assists

6

For Sheffield United, signing a new striker may have become somewhat of a priority in recent days, as speculation has gathered pace that Moore could be set to leave Bramall Lane. That is because Wrexham are interested in signing Moore as they look to bring in established second tier performers.

Every Premier League Deal in the 2025/26 Summer Transfer Window

The summer usually only means one thing in football: the transfer window. Whether your team is looking to right the wrongs of the previous campaign or hoping to enter a new era of success, all 20 Premier League clubs will be doing all they can to bolster their sides for the 2025/26 season.

For some, the transfer window came with an added distraction this year, with Chelsea lifting the Club World Cup title in the United States.

AI predicts the 2025/26 Premier League table

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With all the teams sure to be scrambling for deals right up until September, you can keep track of everything right here.

Arsenal Total spent: £267m

Arsenal have had a big summer, with Mikel Arteta’s side hoping to end three years of finishing second by finally lifting the Premier League title. A striker was the most important area of the pitch to bolster, with the Gunners finally sealing a move for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.

Midfielder Martin Zubimendi also sealed a move from Real Sociedad, whereas Noni Madueke followed Kepa by swapping Chelsea for the Emirates. The most high-profile deal saw the Gunners swoop in and sign Eberechi Eze ahead of rivals Tottenham.

Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace

£67.5m

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting CP

£63.5m

Martin Zubimendi

Real Sociedad

£55m

Noni Madueke

Chelsea

£48m

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

£15m

Cristhian Mosquera

Valencia

£13m

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea

£5m

Piero Hincapie

Bayer Leverkusen

Loan

Kieran Tierney

Celtic

Free

Jorginho

Flamengo

Free

Nuno Tavares

Lazio

Undisclosed

Marquinhos

Cruzerio

Undisclosed

Takehiro Tomiyasu

N/A

Released

Karl Hein

Werder Bremen

Loan

Ismeal Kabia

Shrewsbury Town

Loan

Jakub Kiwior

FC Porto

Loan

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Nottingham Forest

Loan

Reiss Nelson

Brentford

Loan

Aston Villa Total spent: £39.9m

Aston Villa suffered final-day disappointment as their Champions League dream was ended by a defeat at Old Trafford amid some refereeing controversy.

Looking to put that heartbreak behind them as they prepare for the Europa League, Villa welcomed new arrivals in the form of Nice striker Evann Guessand, Turkish youngster Yasin Ozcan and teenage striker Zepiqueno Redmond from Feyenoord. They also had a busy final few days of the window with Victor Lindelof, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott all moving to the Midlands.

Elsewhere, backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen joined Malmo, with Marco Bizot since arriving as his replacement.

Evann Guessand

Nice

£30m

Yasin Ozcan

Kasimpasa

£5.9m

Zepiqueno Redmond

Feyenoord

Free

Marco Bizot

Brest

Undisclosed

Modou Keba Cisse

LASK

£4m

Victor Lindelof

N/A

Free

Jadon Sancho

Manchester United

Loan

Harvey Elliott

Liverpool

Loan

Jacob Ramsey

Newcastle

£40m

Kaine Kesler-Hayden

Coventry City

£3.5m

Robin Olsen

Malmo

Free

Enzo Barrenechea

Benfica

Loan

Josh Feeney

Huddersfield Town

Loan

Rico Richards

Port Vale

Undisclosed

Philippe Coutinho

Vasco da Gama

Undisclosed

Kortney Hause

N/A

Released

Kyrie Pierre

Brentford

Free

Louie Barry

Sheffield United

Loan

Filip Marschall

Stevenage

Undisclosed

Yasin Ozcan

Anderlecht

Loan

Joe Gauci

Port Vale

Loan

Leander Dendoncker

Real Oviedo

Undisclosed

Leon Bailey

AS Roma

Loan

Lewis Dobbin

Preston

Loan

Alex Moreno

Girona

Undisclosed

Samuel Iling Jr

West Brom

Loan

Zepiqueno Redmond

Huddersfield Town

Loan

Tristan Rowe

Annecy

Loan

Bournemouth Total spent: £129.7m

Bournemouth were arguably been involved in two of the deals of the summer, with centre-backs Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi moving for big money to join Real Madrid and PSG, whereas left-back Milos Kerkez headed to Liverpool.

Andoni Iraola had cash to play with as he looks to take his side into Europe after an impressive campaign last time out, and he has that on full-back Adrien Tuffert from Rennes, goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic from Chelsea, centre-back Bafode Diakite from Lille, winger Ben Gannon Doak from Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen’s Amine Adli.

Bafode Diakite

Lille

£30.3m

Ben Gannon Doak

Liverpool

£25m

Amine Adli

Bayer Leverkusen

£25m

Djordje Petrovic

Chelsea

£25m

Veljko Milosavljevic

Red Star Belgrade

£13m

Adrien Tuffert

Rennes

£11.4m

Illia Zabarnyi

PSG

£54.5m

Dean Huijsen

Real Madrid

£50m

Dango Ouattara

Brentford

£42.5m

Milos Kerkez

Liverpool

£40m

Jaidon Anthony

Burnley

£8m

Philip Billing

Midtjylland

£5m

Mark Travers

Everton

£4m

Daniel Jebbison

Preston

Loan

Max Aarons

Rangers

Loan

Joe Rothwell

Rangers

Undisclosed

Neto

Botafogo

Free

Luis Sinisterra

Cruzerio

Loan

Philip Billing

Midtjylland

£5m

Brentford Total spent: £91.2m

Brentford missed out on a European place last season, but the Bees continue to impress in the top flight – and are now under a new manager in Keith Andrews. They have even broken their transfer record on Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth, who has cost more than £40m.

Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was one of the early deals of the summer, joining for £18m, whereas Jordan Henderson is arguably the most high profile name through the door. Brentford also made Michael Kayode’s loan deal from Fiorentina permanent, and midfielder Antoni Milambo cost an initial £16m from Feyenoord.

Dango Ouattara

Bournemouth

£42.5m

Caoimhin Kelleher

Liverpool

£18m

Antoni Milambo

Feyenoord

£16m

Michael Kayode

Fiorentina

£14.7m

Romelle Donovan

Birmingham

Undisclosed

Jordan Henderson

Ajax

Free

Kyrie Pierre

Aston Villa

Free

Reiss Nelson

Arsenal

Loan

Mark Flekken

Bayer Leverkusen

£8m

Ethan Brierley

Exeter City

Loan

Ben Mee

N/A

Released

Christian Norgaard

Arsenal

£15m

Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd

£71m

Jayden Meghoma

Rangers

Loan

Mads Roerslev

Southampton

Undisclosed

Yoane Wissa

Newcastle

£55m

Brighton & Hove Albion Total spent: £70.8m

Brighton were busy adding to their squad as they seek an improvement on last season’s eighth-place finish, with Charalompos Kostulas their most expensive signing.

Sunderland’s play-off hero, Tom Watson, has joined in a £10m switch, while a deal has also been announced for Hellas Verona defender Diego Coppola. The Seagulls cashed in on Joao Pedro, selling him to Chelsea, whereas Valentin Barco has left on a permanent basis as well.

Charalampos Kostoulas

Olympiacos

£31.7m

Maxim De Cuyper

Club Brugge

£17.3m

Tom Watson

Sunderland

£10m

Diego Coppola

Hellas Verona

£9.4m

Yoon Do-young

Daejeon Hana Citizen

£1.7m

Nils Ramming

Eintracht Frankfurt

£730,000

Olivier Boscagli

PSV Eindhoven

Free

Sean Keogh

Dundalk

Undisclosed

Kofi Shaw

Bristol Rovers

Undisclosed

Joao Pedro

Chelsea

£60m

Simon Adingra

Sunderland

£21m

Pervis Estupinan

AC Milan

£17m

Valentin Barco

Strasbourg

£8.5m

Kjell Scherpen

Union Saint-Gilloise

Undisclosed

Abdallah Sima

Lens

Undisclosed

Tariq Lamptey

Fiorentina

Undisclosed

Julio Enciso

Strasbourg

Undisclosed

Mark O’Mahony

Reading

Loan

Amario Cozier-Duberry

Bolton

Loan

Yoon Doyoung

Rotterdam

Loan

Evan Ferguson

Roma

Loan

Carl Rushworth

Coventry City

Loan

Eiran Cashin

Birmingham City

Loan

Andrew Moran

LAFC

Loan

Facundo Buonanotte

Chelsea

Loan

Jeremy Sarmiento

Cremonese

Loan

Igor Julio

West Ham

Loan

Matt O’Riley

Marseille

Loan

Burnley Total spent: £107.45m

Burnley kick-started their summer business with the permanent signings of four loanees, including Sporting CP’s Marcus Edwards and Chelsea’s Bashir Humphreys. Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming also joined, as have Axel Tuanzebe, Kyle Walker and Quilindschy Hartman as Scott Parker aims to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

The Clarets’ most expensive addition of the window this summer are Lesley Ugochukwu and Armando Broja from Chelsea. Heading in the other direction are Nathan Redmond and Jonjo Shelvey, who have both been released, whereas star centre-back CJ Egan-Riley snubbed a new deal at Turf Moor to join Marseille, and James Trafford re-joined Man City.

Lesley Ugochukwu

Chelsea

£20m

Armando Broja

Chelsea

£20m

Loum Tchaouna

Lazio

£13m

Bashir Humphreys

Chelsea

£11.75m

Quilindschy Hartman

Feyenoord

£10m

Marcus Edwards

Sporting CP

£8.4m

Jaidon Anthony

Bournemouth

£8m

Zian Flemming

Millwall

£7m

Kyle Walker

Man City

£5m

Max Weiss

Karlsruher SC

£4.3m

Axel Tuanzebe

Ipswich

Free

Jacob Bruun Larsen

Stuttgart

Undisclosed

Martin Dubravka

Newcastle

Undisclosed

Florentino Luis

Benfica

Loan

CJ Egan-Riley

Marseille

Free

Nathan Redmond

N/A

Released

Jonjo Shelvey

N/A

Released

James Trafford

Man City

£27m

Han-Noah Massengo

Augsburg

£2.6m

Oluwaseun Adewumi

Cercle Brugge

Loan

Shurandy Sambo

Sparta Rotterdam

Loan

Luca Koleosho

Espanyol

Loan

Michael Obafemi

VfL Bochum

Loan

Aaron Ramsey

Leicester City

Loan

Manuel Benson

Swansea City

Loan

Chelsea Total spent: £292.2m

As can be expected these days, Chelsea splashed the cash in the summer transfer window, with their marquee additions being Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Jorrel Hato and Liam Delap.

Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian is the latest South American talent to head to west London, while Ecuadorian Kendry Paez will also join the Club World Cup winners now that he has turned 18.

Joao Pedro

Brighton

£60m

Jamie Gittens

Borussia Dortmund

£48.5m

Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United

£40m

Jorrel Hato

Ajax

£37m

Liam Delap

Ipswich

£30m

Estevao Willian

Palmeiras

£29m

Dario Essugo

Sporting CP

£18.4m

Kendry Paez

Independiente

£17.3m

Mamadou Sarr

Strasbourg

£12m

Jesse Derry

Crystal Palace

Undisclosed

Facundo Buonanotte

Brighton

Loan

Noni Madueke

Arsenal

£48m

Joao Felix

Chelsea

£26.2m

Renato Veiga

Villarreal

£26m

Djordje Petrovic

Bournemouth

£25m

Carney Chukwuemeka

Borussia Dortmund

£24m

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Everton

£24m

Lesley Ugochukwu

Burnley

£20m

Armando Broja

Burnley

£20m

Bashir Humphreys

Burnley

£11.75m

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Arsenal

£5m

Marcus Bettinelli

Man City

Undisclosed

Mathis Amougou

Strasbourg

Undisclosed

Ben Chilwell

Strasbourg

Undisclosed

Mike Penders

Strasbourg

Loan

Aaron Anselmino

Borussia Dortmund

Loan

Nicolas Jackson

Bayern Munich

Loan

Ishe Samuels-Smith

Swansea City

Loan

Crystal Palace Total spent: £45.6m

FA Cup winners Crystal Palace made Walter Benitez their first signing of the summer, joining on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven and also spent £3m on defender Borna Sosa from Ajax.

After losing Eberechi Eze to Arsena, the Eagles then spent some of that money on Yeremy Pino from Villarreal, with Jaydee Canvot and Christantus Uche the deadline day additions.

Yeremy Pino

Villarreal

£21.6m

Jaydee Canvot

Toulouse

£21m

Walter Benitez

PSV Eindhoven

Free

Borna Sosa

Ajax

£3m

Christantus Uche

Getafe

Loan

Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

£67.5m

Joel Ward

N/A

Released

Jeffrey Schlupp

Norwich

Free

Owen Goodman

Huddersfield

Loan

David Ozoh

Derby

Loan

Hindolo Mustapha

Nurnberg

Loan

Jesse Derry

Chelsea

Undisclosed

Malcolm Ebiowei

Blackpool

Undisclosed

Odsonne Edouard

RC Lens

Undisclosed

Everton Total spent: £117.6m

It will be a season of immense change on the blue half of Merseyside – and not just on the personnel side of things.

Of course, 2025/26 marks Everton’s first at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, and with plenty of players already heading out the exit door, we can perhaps expect plenty of new faces for David Moyes’ side, with the most high-profile arrival being Jack Grealish.

The Toffees welcomed back Carlos Alcaraz by turning his loan move from Flamengo permanent. Elsewhere, Thierno Barry has cost £27m and looks set to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack. Mark Travers arrives to provide competition to Jordan Pickford and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has cost £24m from Chelsea, with Tyler Dibling the most expensive signing at more than £40m.

Tyler Dibling

Southampton

£42m

Thierno Barry

Villarreal

£27m

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Chelsea

£24m

Carlos Alcaraz

Flamengo

£12.6m

Adam Aznou

Bayern Munich

£8m

Mark Travers

Bournemouth

£4m

Jack Grealish

Man City

Loan

Merlin Rohl

Freiburg

Loan

Tom King

Wolves

Undisclosed

Neal Maupay

Marseille

£3.4m

Youssef Chermiti

Rangers

Undisclosed

Asmir Begovic

N/A

Released

Abdoulaye Doucoure

N/A

Released

Joao Virginia

N/A

Released

Ashley Young

N/A

Released

Mason Holgate

N/A

Released

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Leeds

Free

Harrison Armstrong

Preston

Loan

Fulham Total spent: £35m

There wasn’t a great deal happening at Fulham until deadline day, with the arrival of experienced goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomt the only incoming before then.

Marco Silva’s side then broke their transfer record by signing Kevin from Shakhtar Donetsk, with another attacker in Samuel Chukwueze also joining on loan.

Kevin

Shakhtar Donetsk

£34.6m

Benjamin Lecomt

Montpellier

£430,000

Samuel Chukwueze

AC Milan

Loan

Carlos Vinicius

N/A

Released

Willian

N/A

Released

Callum Osmand

Celtic

Undisclosed

Martial Godo

Strasbourg

£7m

Leeds United Total spent: £101.3m

Leeds United’s first Premier League campaign for two years will see Daniel Farke looking to break his personal hoodoo of going straight back down after promotion.

The first official arrival at Elland Road this summer was Lukas Nmecha, with the forward returning to England on a free transfer from Wolfsburg. He has since been joined by centre-backs Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw and full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, who cost the Whites a combined £30m.

Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff swapped St James’ Park and Newcastle for Elland Road and fellow midfielder Anton Stach has cost Leeds over £17m, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri arriving from Lyon. One of the most high-profile additions has been forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, and he was quickly joined by Leeds’ most expensive signing of the window in Noah Okafor.

Noah Okafor

AC Milan

£18m

Anton Stach

Hoffenheim

£17.4m

Jaka Bijol

Udinese

£15m

Lucas Perri

Lyon

£13.9m

Sean Longstaff

Newcastle

£12m

Gabriel Gudmundsson

Lille

£10m

James Justin

Leicester City

£10m

Sebastiaan Bornauw

Wolfsburg

£5m

Louis Enahoro-Marcus

Liverpool

Undisclosed

Lukas Nmecha

Wolfsburg

Free

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Everton

Free

Rasmus Kristensen

Frankfurt

£5m

Sam Greenwood

Pogon Szczecin

£3.4m

Max Wober

Werder Bremen

Loan

Mateo Joseph

Mallorca

Loan

Joe Gelhardt

Hull City

Loan

Joe Snowdon

Swindon

Free

Josuha Guilavogui

N/A

Released

Junior Firpo

Real Betis

Free

Isaac Schmidt

Werder Bremen

Loan

Largie Ramazani

Valencia

Loan

Patrick Bamford

N/A

Released

Darko Gyabi

Hull City

Undisclosed

Liverpool Total spent: £407.2m

With a quiet summer last time around before becoming Premier League champions, it was a chaotic window for Arne Slot and Liverpool this time around, with Alexander Isak’s British record £125m transfer going through on deadline day.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s arrival as a challenger to Allison was confirmed last year, whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold left early to join Real Madrid at the Club World Cup for a €10m (£8.4m) fee.

Florian Wirtz initially became Liverpool’s all-time record signing for £116m before Isak’s arrival, whereas Jeremie Frimpong replaced Alexander-Arnold and Milos Kerkez arrived at left-back. Having already tied Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to longer deals, the Reds have also splashed the cash on a new striker in Hugo Ekitike, spending more than £250m.

Alexander Isak

Newcastle United

£125m

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

£116m

Hugo Ekitike

Frankfurt

£69m

Milos Kerkez

Bournemouth

£40m

Jeremie Frimpong

Bayer Leverkusen

£29.5m

Giovanni Leoni

Parma

£26m

Armin Pecsi

Puskas Akademia

£1.5m

Freddie Woodman

Preston North End

Free

Will Wright

Salford City

£200k

Luis Diaz

Bayern Munich

£65.5m

Darwin Nunez

Al-Hilal

£46.2m

Jarell Quansah

Bayer Leverkusen

£35m

Ben Gannon Doak

Bournemouth

£25m

Caoimhin Kelleher

Brentford

£18m

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid

£8.4m

Nathaniel Phillips

West Brom

£3m

Louis Enahoro-Marcus

Leeds

Undisclosed

Owen Beck

Derby County

Loan

Lewis Koumas

Birmingham City

Loan

Harvey Elliott

Aston Villa

Loan

Kostas Tsimikas

Roma

Loan

Manchester City Total spent: £182m

Despite having spent heavily in January to ensure they made the Champions League, Manchester City splashed the cash in the summer on the likes of Rayan Ait Nouri and Rayan Cherki, with Tijjani Reijnders their most expensive addition from AC Milan.

City also brought back James Trafford from Burnley before signing another goalkeeper in Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG on deadline day.

Tijjani Reijnders

AC Milan

£46.5m

Rayan Ait Nouri

Wolves

£36m

Rayan Cherki

Lyon

£34m

James Trafford

Burnley

£27m

Gianluigi Donnarumma

PSG

£26m

Sverre Nypan

Rosenborg

£12.5m

Marcus Bettinelli

Chelsea

Undisclosed

James McAtee

Nottingham Forest

£30m

Yan Couto

Borussia Dortmund

£21m

Ederson

Fenerbache

£12m

Maximo Perrone

Como

£11.3m

Kayky

Bahia

£9m

Kyle Walker

Burnley

£5m

Jacob Wright

Norwich City

£2.3m

Kevin De Bruyne

Napoli

Free

Scott Carson

N/A

Released

Divin Mubama

Stoke City

Loan

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Celtic

Loan

Vitor Reis

Girona

Loan

Jack Grealish

Everton

Loan

Sverre Nypan

Middlesbrough

Loan

Claudio Echeverri

Bayer Leverkusen

Loan

Manuel Akanji

Inter Milan

Loan

Ilkay Gundogan

Galatasaray

Free

Manchester United Total spent: £225.3m

After a dismal 2024/25, Ruben Amorim and Manchester United have plenty of wrongs to right over the coming months and beyond.

Part of their mammoth task to return United to the upper regions of the Premier League is clearing out the deadwood, but there were also some major additions.

Matheus Cunha’s big-money switch from Wolves, Bryan Mbeumo’s £71m arrival from Brentford and £66.4m striker Benjamin Sesko will hand United a new look to their attack for 2025/26, whereas another new goalkeeper has arrived in Senne Lammens.

Bryan Mbeumo

Brentford

£71m

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig

£66.4m

Matheus Cunha

Wolves

£62.5m

Senne Lammens

Royal Antwerp

£18.2m

Diego Leon

Cerro Porteno

£7m

Alejandro Garnacho

Chelsea

£40m

Antony

Real Betis

£21.7m

Christian Eriksen

N/A

Released

Jonny Evans

N/A

Released

Victor Lindelof

N/A

Released

Marcus Rashford

Barcelona

Loan

Toby Collyer

West Brom

Loan

Rasmus Hojlund

Napoli

Loan

Jadon Sancho

Aston Villa

Loan

Harry Amass

Sheffield Wednesday

Loan

Newcastle United Total spent: £249m

Newcastle United’s return to the Champions League hasn’t resulted in a straightforward transfer window, although the Magpies have broken their transfer record on German attacker Nick Woltemade. The Magpies finally sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool on deadline day, with Yoane Wissa coming the other way from Brentford.

Other new players are Anthony Elanga’s arrival from Nottingham Forest, Jacob Ramsey’s £40m transfer from Aston Villa and Malick Thiaw’s £30m signing from AC Milan. The Magpies also won the race to sign teenage winger Antonio Cordero from Malaga and brought in Aaron Ramsdale on loan.

Nick Woltemade

Stuttgart

£69m

Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest

£55m

Yoane Wissa

Brentford

£55m

Jacob Ramsey

Aston Villa

£40m

Malick Thiaw

AC Milan

£30m

Aaron Ramsdale

Southampton

Loan

Antonio Cordero

Malaga

Free

Park Seung-soo

Suwon Bluewings

Undisclosed

Alexander Isak

Liverpool

£125m

Lloyd Kelly

Juventus

£14.5m

Sean Longstaff

Leeds

£12m

Martin Dubravka

Burnley

Undisclosed

Garang Kuol

Sparta Prague

Undisclosed

Matt Targett

Middlesbrough

Loan

Jamal Lewis

N/A

Released

Isaac Hayden

N/A

Released

Nottingham Forest Total spent: £192.7m

While Nottingham Forest have been used to spending in previous windows, they may not be used to a window like this with European football on the horizon.

Deals for Botafogo duo Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha were sealed early, whereas winger Dan Ndoye cost £34m. After their Europa League place was confirmed ahead of Crystal Palace, Forest have since splashed the cash on England U21 stars James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson, with Dilane Bakwa also costing big money on deadline day from Strasbourg.

Omari Hutchinson

Ipswich Town

£37.5m

Dilane Bakwa

Strasbourg

£35m

Dan Ndoye

Bologna

£34m

James McAtee

Manchester City

£30m

Arnaud Kalimuendo

Rennes

£25m

Nicolo Savona

Juventus

£11.2m

Igor Jesus

Botafogo

£10m

Jair Cunha

Botafogo

£10m

Angus Gunn

Norwich City

Free

Douglas Luiz

Juventus

Loan

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Arsenal

Loan

Cuiabano

Botafogo

Undisclosed

Matthew Orr

Linfield

Undisclosed

Anthony Elanga

Newcastle

£55m

Andrew Omobamidele

Strasbourg

£6.8m

Harry Toffolo

N/A

Released

Jack Perkins

Northampton

Undisclosed

Tyler Bindon

Sheffield United

Loan

Ramon Sosa

Palmeiras

£10m

Lewis O’Brien

Wrexham

Undisclosed

Matt Turner

Lyon

£7m

Dale Taylor

Blackpool

Undisclosed

Marko Stamenic

Swansea City

Undisclosed

Carlos Miguel

Palmeiras

£4.6m

Sunderland Total spent: £168.7m

Following Sunderland’s incredible comeback victory in the Championship play-off final, the Black Cats were extrenely busy in the market, spending just under £170m.

Promotion saw Enzo Le Fee’s loan move become permanent, however, Jobe Bellingham was sold to Borussia Dortmund, following in the footsteps of his older brother, with Habib Diarra becoming his replacement in a club record deal.

Habib Diarra

Strasbourg

£30.5m

Simon Adingra

Brighton

£21m

Enzo Le Fee

Roma

£19.4m

Brian Brobbey

Ajax

£17.3m

Noah Sadiki

Union Saint-Gilloise

£15m

Granit Xhaka

Bayer Leverkusen

£13m

Nordi Mukiele

PSG

£12m

Omar Alderete

Getafe

£10m

Reinildo Mandava

Atletico Madrid

Free

Chemsdine Talbi

Club Brugge

£18m

Robin Roefs

NEC Nijmegen

£9m

Bertrand Traore

Ajax

£2.5m

Arthur Masuaku

N/A

Free

Jobe Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund

£32m

Tom Watson

Brighton

£10m

Adil Aouchiche

Aberdeen

Loan

Nazariy Rusyn

Arka

Loan

Pierre Ekwah

Saint Etienne

Undisclosed

Tottenham Hotspur Total spent: £169.8m

Fresh from securing Europa League glory, Tottenham Hotspur are heading from a season finishing fourth-bottom in the Premier League to the Champions League.

They have some prior business adding to this summer’s outlays, with Kevin Danso’s switch from Lens becoming permanent, while youngster Luka Vuskovic will join from Hajduk Split following a deal agreed in September 2023.

New manager Thomas Frank has also signed Mathys Tel on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich and Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, whereas Joao Palhinha joined on loan from the Bundesliga champions. After missing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Spurs then hijacked Chelsea’s move for Xavi Simons and signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG.

The most high-profile exit was Heung-min Son’s departure to MLS side LAFC for £20m.

Mohammed Kudus

West Ham

£55m

Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig

£51.8m

Mathys Tel

Bayern Munich

£30m

Kevin Danso

Lens

£21m

Luka Vuskovic

Hajduk Split

£12m

Kota Taka

Kawasaki Frontale

£5m

Joao Palhinha

Bayern Munich

Loan

Randal Kolo Muani

PSG

Loan

Heung-min Son

LAFC

£20m

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Marseille

£17m

Bryan Gi

Girona

£8.6m

Alejo Veliz

Rosario Central

Loan

Fraser Forster

N/A

Released

Sergio Reguilon

N/A

Released

Alfie Whiteman

N/A

Released

Alfie Dorrington

Aberdeen

Loan

Ashley Phillips

Stoke City

Loan

Mikey Moore

Rangers

Loan

Will Lankshear

Oxford United

Loan

Jamie Donley

Stoke City

Loan

Alfie Devine

Preston

Loan

Yang Min-Hyeok

Portsmouth

Loan

Manor Solomon

Villarreal

Loan

West Ham United Total spent: £134m

After an underwhelming season that failed to match the excitement of last summer’s transfer dealings, results will matter far more to the West Ham United faithful than whatever ensues over the next couple of months.

Graham Potter has some work to do to inspire his team to improve after Julen Lopetegui’s project fell flat, and the Hammers’ obligation to buy Jean-Clair Todibo has become active for £36m. When it comes to fresh faces, left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf has arrived from Slavia Prague, Mads Hermansen from Leicester City and Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson join after leaving Southampton and Newcastle.

Late in the summer, the Hammers have also spent big on midfielders Mateus Fernandes from Southampton and Soungoutou Magassa from AS Moncao.

Mateus Fernandes

Southampton

£42m

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

£36m

Mads Hermansen

Leicester

£20m

El Hadji Malick Diouf

Slavia Prague

£19m

Soungoutou Magassa

AS Monaco

£17m

Daniel Cummings

Celtic

£250,000

Kyle Walker-Peters

Southampton

Free

Callum Wilson

Newcastle

Free

Igor Julio

Brighton

Loan

Mohammed Kudus

Tottenham

£55m

Nayef Aguerd

Marseille

£20m

Emerson Palmieri

Marseille

Undisclosed

Aaron Cresswell

Stoke City

Free

Vladimir Coufal

N/A

Released

Lukasz Fabianski

N/A

Released

Danny Ings

N/A

Released

Kurt Zouma

N/A

Released

Michail Antonio

N/A

Released

Luizao

N/A

Released

Edson Alvarez

Fenerbahce

Loan

Gideon Kodua

Luton

Loan

Maxwel Cornet

Genoa

Loan

Wolverhampton Wanderers Total spent: £101.4m

Vitor Pereira’s superb job of keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League will surely give supporters hope that the upcoming season will be free of relegation fears.

However, they’ll have to do without Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait Nouri, who joined Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, although they brought in attacker Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo, while Jorgen Strand Larsen’s loan move from the La Liga club also became permanent.

Tolu Arokodare

Genk

£24m

Jorgen Strand Larsen

Celta Vigo

£23m

Fer Lopez

Celta Vigo

£19m

Jhon Arias

Fluminense

£15m

Jackson Tchatchoua

Hellas Verona

£10.4m

David Moller Wolfe

AZ Alkmaar

£10m

Ladislav Krejci

Girona

Loan

Matheus Cunha

Man Utd

£62.5m

Rayan Ait Nouri

Man City

£36m

Fabio Silva

Borussia Dortmund

Undisclosed

Goncalo Guedes

Real Sociedad

£3.5m

Pablo Sarabia

Al-Arabi

Released

Craig Dawson

N/A

Released

Nelson Semedo

N/A

Released

Tommy Doyle

Birmingham City

Loan

Chiquinho

Alverca

Undisclosed

Nasser Djiga

Rangers

Loan

Nigel Lonwijk

Luton Town

Loan

Boubacar Traore

Metz

Loan

Tom King

Everton

Undisclosed

Pedro Lima

FC Porto

Loan

Another Kane situation: £165k-per-week star now wants to leave Spurs

This summer presents a fresh start for Tottenham Hotspur, with Thomas Frank being appointed as the club’s new manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Decisions in recent weeks have led to questions being asked of the hierarchy, after Ange Postecoglou was sacked despite winning the Europa League and ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.

Such an achievement was a remarkable one, but their Premier League form, which saw them lose 22 times and finish 17th, ultimately led to the Aussie’s dismissal in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecogloucelebrates after winning the Europa League

However, the arrival of the former Bees boss offers a new opportunity for fresh impetus within the first-team squad, as they look to build on their recent European triumph.

Frank will undoubtedly want to make the signings he desires to make a positive impact at the club, with numerous players already touted with moves away to free up potential funds this window.

The latest on players who could depart Spurs this summer

Despite starting in the Europa League final back in May, Brazilian forward Richarlison has been touted with multiple moves away from Spurs this summer, looking to recapture his best form, which saw the club fork out £60m for his signature.

The 28-year-old has since been linked with a move to rejoin former side Everton, with Frank potentially wanting to cash in on the attacker to raise money for any future additions.

Tottenham Hotspur'sRicharlisoncelebrates after winning the Europa League Final

However, another deal could soon be completed to see centre-back Cristian Romero depart and move to Atlético Madrid, that’s according to one report in Spain.

They claim that the Argentine, who earns £165k-per-week, is pushing for a move to join Diego Simeone’s side, that’s despite Daniel Levy’s desire to keep the defender.

It also states that he sees the LaLiga side as a stepping stone in his career to win titles and compete at the top level on a consistent basis – following in the footsteps of another fan-favourite.

Why Romero could see a repeat of Kane’s departure

Striker Harry Kane was adored by the fanbase during his time at Spurs, rising through the ranks and cementing his place in the first-team, reaching unthinkable levels in the process.

The English international became an important back in 2014/15, a season that would set him up for huge success in North London, being a key threat in the final third for nearly a decade.

He managed to register a total of 280 goals for the Lilywhites, breaking the record for the most goals scored by a player in the club’s history, sitting second in the all-time Premier League top scorer charts.

However, after failing to win a trophy during his stint, he would move to Bayern Munich in an £82m deal back in the summer of 2023, looking to further his career and cement himself as an elite forward.

After winning the Bundesliga back in 2024/25, it’s safe to say he’s made the right call, something which may be a harsh reality for the fanbase, but such a move allowed them to bank a huge profit in the process.

Bayern Munich'sHarryKane

However, such a situation could reoccur this summer, with Romero the latest player who could depart the club to reach the next level and compete for league titles.

The 27-year-old has been a tremendous addition for the club, featuring 124 times since making the move from Atalanta back in August 2021 – often being the spearhead at the heart of the defence.

Cristian Romero’s stats for Spurs in the Europa League final

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

90

Touches

30

Passes completed

12/13 (92%)

Tackles won

1/1 (100%)

Clearances made

10

Headed clearances

5

Defensive actions

13

Duels won

6

Stats via FotMob

Undoubtedly, losing the World Cup winner would be a huge blow for new manager Frank, but the subsequent funds raised from such a deal could allow him to make the additions he desires.

Whilst he’s only featured 26 times across all competitions this season, he’s still managed to star, keeping a clean sheet and winning the Man of the Match award in the Europa League final.

No supporter would want to lose such a talent, but ultimately the club shouldn’t stand in the way of a player who wants to depart North London, needing talents who are willing to play a part in the revival.

The next couple of weeks will be interesting for the club and Romero, with the hierarchy needing to negotiate the best deal possible if he is to depart during the off-season.

Better than Semenyo: Spurs open talks to sign "one of the best wingers"

Tottenham are looking to sign a new forward this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 14, 2025

Same agent as Bijol: Leeds now targeting move to sign "confident" left-back

With Jaka Bijol signed and delivered, the 49ers have now reportedly turned their attention towards a fresh Leeds United move to sign a Bundesliga left-back.

Jaka Bijol "ready for the Premier League"

Welcoming their second signing of the summer for around £19m, Leeds officially unveiled Bijol earlier this week. The defender arrived from Udinese, signing a contract until 2023, and will be hoping to make an instant impact on Daniel Farke’s side as they return to the Premier League in August.

After putting pen to paper, Bijol told the club’s official website: “This is a big day for me, for my family and I’m happy to be here. Maybe the biggest one of my career so far, but I’m ready for it.

“I work for it and that’s why I’m here, because it’s a big challenge for everyone. It’s a big challenge for me, for the club, and we’re getting ready for it together. I think the club and myself are ready for the Premier League.

“I can promise that I will give everything, that I will give everything in every training as well to be ready for the first game of the season and then just go from there.”

Nmecha upgrade: Leeds make contact to sign a star who "bullied" Van Dijk

Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a star who would come in as an immediate upgrade on Lukas Nmecha.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 25, 2025

Even after Bijol and Lukas Nmecha, the 49ers have still reportedly got plenty of business planned. Names such as Nikola Krstovic have found themselves in the headlines as of late and reports have even gone as far as to suggest that Leeds have now got an agreement in place to sign the Serie A forward.

Meanwhile, those at Elland Road have now reportedly turned their focus towards a Bundesliga left-back who could replace the departing Junior Firpo this summer.

Leeds now targeting Lukas Ullrich

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, the 49ers and Leeds are now targeting a summer swoop to sign Lukas Ullrich from Borussia Monchengladbach. The left-back has been part of Germany’s side at the U21 Euros this summer and has seemingly impressed enough to find himself on the Whites’ radar.

Whilst those at Elland Road face reported competition for Ullrich’s signature from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, the fact that the German is represented by the same agency as Bijol may hand Leeds an advantage in personal negotiations.

Lukas Ullrich chases Bayern Munich's Michael Olise.

Ullrich is certainly a talent worth the battle too following a breakout season in the Bundesliga which earned the praise of Gladbach boss Geraldo Seoane, who told reporters: “You can see that he’s got pace going forward and that he has a very good mentality. He’s confident, he’s active and he makes runs in behind. He brings a lot to the table playing as an attacking left-back”

Minutes

1,903

2,616

Assists

2

10

Tackles Won per 90

0.76

1.17

Ball Recoveries per 90

3.46

3.92

Whilst the numbers show that Ullrich still has a way to go before he reaches Firpo’s level, Leeds would be investing in a 21-year-old whose potential is undeniable.

In-demand player would rather join Newcastle despite offer from Barcelona

Newcastle United are enjoying some special times under Eddie Howe and they could now beat elite competition to land an in-demand player this summer, per a report.

Newcastle United look to enjoy productive summer

The Magpies are firmly in contention for a Champions League slot and will hope to rubber-stamp a place in Europe’s premier competition to boost their scope for recruiting talent this summer.

Eddie Howe has done a tremendous job in the North East and will play in the Europa Conference League at a minimum after their EFL Cup victory over Liverpool. Still, there is plenty of work to do on Tyneside.

Heading into the window, Newcastle could launch a move to sign Bryan Mbeumo following his sensational form at Brentford, even if his £60 million price-tag means they have to take stock before fully committing to the pursuit.

On the same token, the Magpies are hopeful they can beat Real Madrid to Albacete’s Christian Kofane after making contact over a potential £4 million deal that could see the Spanish champions ousted.

Heart of Midlothian striker James Wilson is another Newcastle target, following a similar trend to Kofane in the sense that they would likely be brought in as developmental players as opposed to first-team starters.

Newcastle ready to launch move to sign lead target after year-long mission

The Magpies are ready to attack the transfer market…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 2, 2025

Clearly, there is space for both types of profile to exist at St James’ Park, with PIF’s ambition likely to attract some of the world’s best talent alongside untapped potential from lesser-known markets.

Footballing excellence can exist in all types of climates, and Newcastle are now reportedly looking to edge Barcelona to the signing of a talented youngster from the continent of Africa.

Ryder: Newcastle look to sign wonderkid Aboubacar Maiga

According to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, Newcastle United want to sign Academie Africa Foot wonderkid Aboubacar Maiga, who has been likened to global superstar Lionel Messi in his homeland of Mali.

Despite Barcelona’s offer of a pre-contract agreement for the 16-year-old, he dreams of starring in England one day and thus would prefer a move to Tyneside, though he has also been linked with Manchester City and Chelsea.

Newcastle United’s remaining fixtures in 2024/25

Brighton & Hove Albion (A)

Amex Stadium

Chelsea (H)

St James’ Park

Arsenal (A)

Emirates Stadium

Everton (H)

St James’ Park

The attacking midfielder is also the captain of Mali’s Under-16 side and could now have a shot at life at one of the world’s elite clubs should the Magpies manage to force a deal over the line.

Admittedly, it is difficult to judge the pull of clubs as a direct comparison when it comes to youth stars, but if Newcastle were able to beat Barcelona to his signature, it would say a lot about PIF’s ambitious project in the North East.

Securing developing talent is crucial to any club with aspirations of establishing themselves as a dominant force and can also save millions down the line. Now, supporters will wait patiently to see how this one plays out, with the prospect of Newcastle shoving Barcelona to one side alive and kicking.

Worth more than Yildiz: Chelsea have hit gold on "insanely consistent" star

Chelsea have not held back in the transfer market under new owner Todd Boehly. The Blues have certainly been comfortable to splash the cash, aiming to build a new dynasty at Stamford Bridge, and particularly looking to strengthen in attack.

Over the past few seasons, they have signed several new attackers, including permanent deals for the likes of Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and even a loan move for Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.

They even have three young attackers joining in the next couple of seasons, further strengthening their options in forward areas. That does not include summer targets for 2025, with Kenan Yildiz one player they are linked with.

The latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Yildiz

It seems as though the race to sign Juventus attacker Yildiz is on this summer, with Chelsea set to go head-to-head with one of their biggest rivals, Arsenal, to bring the 19-year-old to London. Whether he moves to West or North London, however, remains to be seen.

Juventus'KenanYildiz

A recent report from Caught Offside suggests that the Blues have been ‘intensifying their efforts’ to bring the youngster to Stamford Bridge in the next few months. As well as facing competition from the Gunners, newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool, 13-time winners Manchester United and their rivals Manchester City could all show interest.

As for why Enzo Maresca’s side want to add Yildiz to their ranks, he has been impressive for the Old Lady this term. The Turkey star has eight goals and five assists across all competitions for Juve, and has played everywhere across the frontline. They are eye-catching numbers for such a young player.

With that in mind, his price might not come as a shock, though it is certainly a high fee Juve could demand. Caught Offside report that he is worth £85.2m, if he is to depart the Allianz Stadium this summer.

Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates

Incredibly, the Blues have an attacker worth even more than the 19-year-old sensation.

The Chelsea star worth more than Yildiz

Of all the attackers the Blues have bought, none has made the impression that Cole Palmer has. The England international has been in lean form for a few weeks, but his time at Stamford Bridge overall has been exceptional.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The 22-year-old, who hails from Wythenshawe in Manchester, has an exceptional record in that famous Blue shirt of Chelsea.

He’s managed 39 goals and 24 assists in 85 games so far, and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year for his 33 goals in as many Premier League games last term.

This term has been slightly slower for the former Man City star. He has managed 14 goals and nine assists in the top flight, although has now gone 12 games without a goal. In that timeframe, he has chipped in with three assists.

With that being said, his underlying stats from the past two seasons, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how talented he is. For example, the 22-year-old averaged 2.5 key passes per game last term, and a slightly better 2.6 key passes per game so far this term.

Goals and assists

1.2

0.7

Key passes

2.5

2.6

Big chances created

0.6

0.6

Dribbles completed

1.8

1.5

Expected goal involvements

0.93xGI

0.76xGI

When considering all that, it might not be a surprise to learn that Palmer is valued extremely highly by Football Transfers. They have him worth £100.2m, higher than any other player in the Chelsea squad.

Interestingly, that is around £15m more than the amount Juventus would be looking to charge for Yildiz this summer. If anything, this further highlights the importance of Palmer to the Chelsea side.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer

They certainly got lucky with Palmer when they signed him in 2023. He has proven to be a revelation, an “insanely consistent” player as Statman Dave called him. Despite his struggles in recent weeks, there is no doubt about the quality of Palmer.

He'd revive Palmer: Chelsea want to sign one of the best players in the PL

Chelsea are hunting a summer move for a Premier League star who could see Cole Palmer recapture his form.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 30, 2025

Capsey hopes behind-the-scenes work helps her shine brighter

England batter believes striving to be the very best will help her keep improving

Valkerie Baynes11-Jul-2025Alice Capsey’s development as an international cricketer mirrors the evolution of her England team as a work in progress.Capsey burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with a Player-of-the-Match-winning 59 for Oval Invincibles in just her second appearance in the Women’s Hundred. Another half-century in just her third T20I innings before her 18th birthday fuelled the excitement around her talent.Almost three years on, much has changed for Capsey and England, particularly over the past 12 months.Related

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“For me it’s been a year of a lot of learning,” Capsey said. “Last year, I’ll be the first one to say it, I didn’t perform how I would have liked. Getting dropped from that T20 squad in South Africa was the best thing for me. To reflect, to take that step back and go, ‘okay, well, I know I want to be in that T20 team, what do I need to do to get there?'”Capsey became a casualty of England’s failed T20 World Cup campaign when she was dropped for the tour of South Africa in December. Having held her place in the ODI squad for that trip, she was ultimately called up as injury cover for the T20s but didn’t play a game.After England’s dire showing at the Women’s Ashes in January – where Capsey played one T20I, scoring 6 and taking 1 for 25 with her offbreaks, and three ODIs yielding 18 runs and three wickets – she returned to Australia as part of the England A tour. There, she was England A’s second-highest run-scorer across formats with 207 runs at 41.41, including a hundred and a half-century in the four-day match.”A lot of work went on during the winter and, along with a lot of communication with the ECB, decided to play in that A-series and that was probably one of the best things for me, to still be playing highly competitive games but it also not be in the complete spotlight of an international game of cricket,” Capsey said.

“It is difficult at some points. Every time you go onto the cricket pitch, for the last three or four years, there’s always been eyes on. But at the same time, that’s an amazing place to be”Alice Capsey

“Over the past three or four years, other than domestic games where you’re still that international, you need to stand up, I probably haven’t played in any games where I can just go out and bat and work on a few different things.”Capsey played just one match for Delhi Capitals during this year’s WPL but said training with the franchise in Indian conditions “was a really great experience” and she saw the benefits of facing bowlers in the nets for hours on end there when she returned for the start of the domestic season.By that time, Charlotte Edwards had replaced Jon Lewis as England Women’s head coach and mandated that all centrally contracted players be available for the first seven rounds of the one-day cup. Capsey scored 317 runs across seven innings at 45.28 with a highest score of 125 and two fifties.During Edwards’ first international series in charge, England swept both white-ball legs of West Indies’ visit but they have been comprehensively outplayed by India in three of their four T20Is so far with one to play before a three-match ODI series.Capsey was only required to bat once in the T20s against West Indies (she scored 4). She scored 60 runs and took four wickets across the three ODIs, where the first two matches were dominated by England’s openers, Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones.Against India, she is averaging 7.50 from four innings with a highest sore of 18 batting at No. 3 having played at No. 6 in the first two games.”Deep down I know how much I’ve still got to learn, I’m nowhere near where I want to be,” Capsey said. “I want to be the best batter in the world, no doubt about it. Every player who plays international cricket will want to strive to be the best.Alice Capsey scored 317 runs from seven innings in the One-day Cup•Getty Images for Surrey CCC”If you don’t have a goal to strive for, it makes putting in the work a little bit harder. Whether it’s realistic or unrealistic, at this point it probably doesn’t really matter because if you’re striving to get better, more often than not, you’re going to get better.”With the 50-over World Cup in India just two-and-a-half months away, England have plenty of work to do. The fielding woes which let them down when West Indies knocked them out in the group stage of the T20 World Cup appeared to be improving earlier in the summer but have let them down again against India.They have one match to put that right, on Saturday at Edgbaston with India having already clinched the series, before starting afresh in the ODIs, where captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is expected to return from injury.”Our fielding has been a big talking point and we haven’t been good enough over the last 12 months and we haven’t been good enough again this series,” Capsey said. “But we are working so hard on it and no one means to drop a catch, no one means to miss a run out.”There’s no hiding away from the fact that it’s been a really tough 12 months for us and our fielding hasn’t been up to standard. We all know that. Stats don’t lie. We’ve dropped a lot of catches in really pivotal points in important games.”England are still learning how to perform on the biggest stages, but Capsey has no qualms about having grown up in the spotlight.”That’s just what I’ve known,” she said. “It’s not like I can compare. It is difficult at some points. Every time you go onto the cricket pitch, for the last three or four years, there’s always been eyes on. But at the same time, that’s an amazing place to be.””For me, it is about, being a young player, how do I manage myself through that? And how do I continue to improve? How do I continue to manage that noise? That’s half of the battle with not just being an international cricketer, but you speak to any international athlete, I think that is half the battle. It’s something that I’m learning.”If the spotlight isn’t already burning brightly on England, it will amp up in October when they face South Africa in their World Cup opener and, come this time next year at a home T20 World Cup, it will be positively blazing. They’d best get used to the heat now, and play like they don’t know any different.

Switch Hit: Ashes x Bazball

It’s (almost) time to burn, as Andrew McGlashan and Matt Roller join Alan Gardner ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2023With Australia crowned World Test Champions, the stage is now clear for the Ashes and England’s attempts to regain the urn. The teams have assembled in Birmingham ahead of the first Test, with Moeen Ali is back in the Test fold for the first time since 2021. For our Switch Hit preview Alan Gardner was joined in the studio by Matt Roller with Andrew McGlashan dialing in from the second city, to discuss Australia’s pace-bowling poser, the return of Moeen and whether Bazball can succeed against such a formidable touring line-up.

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