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Sunderland chiefs are now in talks to sign an experienced “leader” for around £8.5 million as the Black Cats join the race to secure his signature, according to a recent report.

Sunderland eyeing new midfielders with spending spree set to continue

Sunderland are set to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League, and Regis Le Bris and co. have been busy in their preparations as they look to make a good go at remaining in the division. The play-off winners have already added six new players to their ranks, which has seen them surpass the £100 million barrier, and it looks as though the spending is set to continue.

£26m release clause: Sunderland considering move to sign "outrageous" ace

He’s reportedly been granted a summer exit by his current club.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 15, 2025

Strengthening their midfield options appears to be a top priority for the Black Cats, as last week it was reported that Sunderland had made an approach to Marseille over the signing of Valentin Rongier. The midfielder is in the final 12 months of his contract with the French side.

The Premier League newcomers are keeping their options open, and at the start of this week, L’Equipe also reported that Sunderland have approached Leicester City over signing Bilal El Khannouss.

The 21-year-old also has interest from AS Monaco and West Ham United, as the Foxes are open to a sale as long as they receive a fee of £22 million. But the list of options to strengthen their midfield doesn’t stop there…

Sunderland in talks to sign £8.6m ex-Arsenal star Xhaka

According to Sky journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Sunderland have joined the race to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen, with Kristjaan Speakman and Florent Ghisolfi in talks with the former Bundesliga champions over a deal worth €10 million, which is roughly £8.5 million.

The Black Cats are not the only team chasing the Switzerland international, as Saudi Arabia side NEOM SC are also keen on striking an agreement. However, this isn’t putting Sunderland off, as they have already offered Xhaka a three-year contract.

Xhaka, who has been labelled a “leader” by football writer Craig King in the past, is under contract with Leverkusen until 2028, but he is expected to leave the club this summer after two seasons, one of which saw his Leverkusen team win the treble in an undefeated domestic season.

Last season, Xhaka scored two goals and registered seven assists in 33 Bundesliga games, as they finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.

Apps

225

Goals

17

Assists

24

Before moving to Germany, Xhaka spent seven seasons at Arsenal, during which he won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice. A potential move to the Stadium of Light would see him return to the Premier League, where Sunderland would hope his experience and leadership skills would help them in their bid to beat the drop.

Aston Villa are among a host of clubs to be fined by UEFA this week for breaking financial rules, which was confirmed just a few days after NSWE agreed to sell the women’s team in a bid to comply with PSR.

Frank wants £40m Aston Villa star with Tottenham prepared to make key offer

The new Spurs boss rates him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2025

That sale of the women’s side to V Sports “effectively solved the issue” regarding this summer’s PSR trouble (The Athletic), with Villa agreeing a deal right before the footballing financial year deadline on June 30.

However, it didn’t do enough to stave off sanctions from UEFA, who punished Villa for breaking a different set of financial legislations, including the squad cost rule. Unai Emery’s side have reached a settlement with the governing body, accepting a fine of around £17 million over a three-year settlement.

“Breaking: Chelsea, Aston Villa, Barcelona and Lyon are among clubs fined by UEFA’s CFCB First Chamber,” wrote journalist Ben Jacobs on X this week in an extensive update.

“All four did not comply with the football earnings rule which was assessed for the first time in the 2024/25 season. The analysis covered the financial years ending in 2023 and 2024. Clubs have agreed settlements and fines. – Chelsea have agreed to a four-year settlement and a total fine of €80m, of which €20m is unconditional. Villa have agreed to a three-year settlement and a €20m fine, of which €5m is unconditional.

“Barcelona have agreed to a two-year settlement and a €60m fine, of which €15m is unconditional. Olympique Lyonnais have agreed to a four-year settlement and a €50m fine, or which €12.5m is unconditional. The CFCB First Chamber found that Chelsea and Aston Villa also breached the squad cost rule, having reported a squad cost ratio above 80% for 2024. This has resulted in a further €11m fine for Chelsea and a €6m one for Villa. Guaranteed fines are €31m (€20m+€11m) for Chelsea and €11m (€5m+€6m) for Villa.”

Villa consistently find themselves in a battle against spending outside their means, which is distracting them from their quest to become a successful club on the field.

Questions surely need to be asked about whether this creates a bigger gap between Europe’s established elite and the rest of the footballing pyramid, with Emery’s side potentially forced to sell more players over the coming summer, actively weakening themselves, just so they can comply with certain rules.

Aston Villa looking to sell right-back Matty Cash

£100,000-per-week Villa right-back Matty Cash is among those who the club wish to offload in an effort to bring in more funds.

Cash attracted criticism for some of his Villa performances last season, but he was a regular under Emery – playing 38 games in all competitions and starting nearly every match in their run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

As per former Villa scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, the club are actively looking to sell Cash and potentially bring in a quality replacement – as they believe their Poland international isn’t at the required level.

“Villa are looking to sell Matty Cash this summer,” he said.

“He’s an honest professional, and he’s done well over his time at Villa, but they don’t think he’s good enough for the level they want to play at. They’re still building the side, looking at each position and seeing if they can improve.

“The manager wants to improve at right-back, and they’ll use money from selling Cash to do it.

“It could be a busy summer at Villa because there are a few players being linked with moves away, but he’s one they’ve been looking to move on for a while.”

The 27-year-old has two years remaining on his contract, so it’ll be difficult to raise a significant fee for him at this point, but Villa have been linked with Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingeuza as a potential replacement.

Players have returned for pre-season training with Glasgow Rangers as Russell Martin prepares his group ahead of the Champions League qualifying clash next month.

The Light Blues have less than a month to prepare for their two-legged tie, as they look to make their way through to the next stage of the qualifiers and bring regular top-class continental football to Ibrox.

Martin has a lot of work to do on the coaching pitch to ensure that the players at Rangers know what their roles are and how they will play his system effectively, but he also has a lot of work to do in the summer transfer window.

For example, Cyriel Dessers could be on his way out of Glasgow before the end of the window amid reported interest from AEK Athens, who have been pushing to sign him, and Feyenoord.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Nigeria international will still be at Ibrox by the time their Champions League qualifiers get underway.

He may not be the only star to move on from the Scottish Premiership giants this summer, though, as Nicolas Raskin has also been linked with an exit.

Why losing Nicolas Raskin would be a blow for Rangers

The Belgium international is attracting plenty of interest after his performances in the 2024/25 season for the Light Blues, as a number of Premier League teams are reportedly keen on signing him.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, and Leeds United are all reportedly eyeing up the former Standard Liege talent, who is valued at £25m by the Scottish side.

Raskin joining one of those three teams this summer, despite the money that could be involved in a deal, would be a big blow for Martin because of the quality that he would be losing from the XI.

In the 2024/25 season, the Belgian central midfielder was particularly impressive in the Premiership with his displays in the middle of the park for the Gers.

Appearances

33

Touches per game

68.4

Goals

4

Big chances created

9

Assists

10

Pass accuracy

87%

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

Dribble success rate

68%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin carried a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side, which shows that Martin would be losing a quality operator at the top end of the pitch.

However, Rangers could lose another player who would be an even bigger miss than the midfield star because of his attacking contributions for the team this season.

European team hope to sign Rangers star

According to reports on the continent, Ligue 1 side Lille now “hope” to finalise a deal to sign Morocco international Hamza Igamane from Rangers before the end of the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that talks are ongoing between the two clubs to reach an agreement on a transfer fee, as the French team seemingly close in on the Gers centre-forward.

Transfer Focus

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

Tavolieri adds that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms with Lille, with a verbal agreement now in place, and this suggests that the only hurdle left to jump over is the transfer fee.

Igamane is reportedly valued at a fee of around £15m by Rangers and it remains to be seen whether or not the French side will be willing to pay that much money for the versatile attacker.

This latest update from Tavolieri suggests that Lille are confident that they can get a deal done for him, given that they hope to finalise terms over a transfer for the striker, and losing the forward would be an even bigger loss than Raskin for Martin.

Why losing Igamane would be a big blow for Rangers

If Igamane seals a permanent transfer to Lille this summer then the Light Blues would be losing their most efficient finisher and goalscorer ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Moroccan star enjoyed a terrific first season in Glasgow with the Gers, scoring 16 goals in 46 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants, and showcased his quality in front of goal.

Dessers ended the Premiership season as the top scorer for Rangers with a haul of 18 goals from 19.4 xG, which shows that he was wasteful in front of goal with the quality of chances that came his way.

Igamane, who only started 23 of his 33 league appearances for the club, provided far more quality as a finisher with the chances that he had in the Premiership for the Gers.

Vaclav Cerny

9.57

12

+2.43

Hamza Igamane

9.84

12

+2.16

Ianis Hagi

2.41

4

+1.59

Tom Lawrence

2.88

4

+1.12

Nicolas Raskin

3.43

4

+0.57

As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international is the most efficient finisher still at the club, given that Vaclav Cerny’s loan from Wolfsburg has come to an end, after a return of 12 goals from just 9.84 xG.

At the age of 22, Igamane also has plenty of time left to develop and improve even further under Martin’s coaching, if he stays. Whereas Raskin is a bit older and closer to his prime at the age of 24.

Reported fees of £25m for Raskin and £15m for Igamane also suggest that Rangers would not get as much value out of a sale for the striker, in comparison to the midfielder.

Therefore, selling the Moroccan forward would be an even bigger loss for the Gers because they would be getting £10m less for a player who offered more game-changing quality in the final third, and who has more time ahead of him to improve further.

It's bad news for Tavernier: Rangers in advanced talks to sign £75k-p/w ace

With Robin Pröpper and Leon Balogun on their way out of Rangers, are they about to sign a potential new captain to replace James Tavenier?

ByBen Gray Jun 29, 2025

This is why Martin should be hoping that Lille fail to finalise a deal with the club in the coming days and weeks, as Igamane could be a key player for him next season.

Tottenham Hotspur and their recruitment plans under Thomas Frank are evolving by the day, with the Lilywhites currently involved in a transfer saga with La Liga champions Barcelona.

Spurs are expected to utilise the significant financial windfall from their Champions League qualification over the coming months.

Frank holds Tottenham talks over signing £300k-p/w ace who's open to joining

The Spurs boss has been discussing him with Lilywhites hierarchy.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge recently stated that Daniel Levy and the recruitment team want to strengthen in all areas of the squad bar their goalkeeper, so it appears they’re determined to back their new manager ahead of his first full season in charge.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

This apparently includes a new right-back, despite the emergence of previous outcast Djed Spence in a more regular first-team role and Pedro Porro’s place in the squad.

Spence became a fixture under Ange Postecoglou and finished 2024/2025 as one of Tottenham’s breakout stars of the campaign, and there is reason to believe that Frank will be keen to work with the Englishman given Brentford’s attempts to sign him in the past (Alasdair Gold).

While the north Londoners won’t need to adopt a ‘sell to buy’ policy this summer after their qualification for the Champions League (Michael Bridge), reports have suggested that Spence’s evolution could motivate Levy to offload Porro for a decent fee.

As well as this, Porro is attracting rumoured interest from former club Man City, so the Spaniard could well look to end his Spurs stint on a high after winning the Europa League.

If he does end up leaving Spurs, Frank will still need a replacement who can rotate with Spence, and Monaco defender Vanderson could be a very adept choice. A report from UOL earlier this week stated that Tottenham are ready to invest significantly on Vanderson’s signing, but Barcelona’s talks for the 23-year-old proved a major obstacle in their way.

Tottenham "best placed" to sign Vanderson from Monaco

However, as per an update from Spanish newspaper Sport, this is no longer the case.

Barca have decided to cool their interest in Vanderson, due to Eric Garcia’s excellent performances at right-back when Jules Koundé was out injured towards the back end of 2024/2025. This has opened the door for Spurs, who could now have a free run at signing the South American wing-back.

Tottenham are apparently “best placed” to sign Vanderson, and Monaco are convinced that Frank’s side will meet his £30 million asking price.

Despite his fairly young age, the defender boasts top-level European experience and his Ligue 1 performances over the last 12 months have earned him five starts for the Brazil national team.

He also put in an excellent display against Barca in the Champions League early last season, grabbing two assists for Monaco in a 2-1 win against Hansi Flick’s side.

“Every day he wants to be better than the last,” said his former manager, Philippe Clement.

“That can give him a lot of pressure, lots of stress with all of the ambition that he has. We need to manage that more for him. If I left him to it, he would train for 18 hours a day. He is like that. Sometimes we need physical and mental breaks and he is a young player that needs to manage that. He will do it, because he has such a positive frame of mind.”

Arsenal are making an effort to restructure and revitalize their squad ahead of an all-important 2025/2026 campaign, with Mikel Arteta under some pressure to deliver a trophy after five years without major silverware, discounting the Community Shield.

Mikel Arteta set for a vital season with Arsenal silverware expected

Arteta delivered the FA Cup at the end of his first campaign in charge, but since then, Arsenal have had precious little to shout about despite some very close calls.

Fabrizio Romano says "deal is agreed" for "perfect" player to join Arsenal

Everything is in place for a move to be finalised.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 10, 2025

Arsenal registered an incredible 89 points during the 2023/2024 season, which would have been enough to win the Premier League title in many of the previous campaigns, but Man City’s imperiousness ultimately thwarted Arteta.

It was a similar story during the 22/23 campaign, but Arsenal were miles off this year’s eventual title winners Liverpool, having missed out on the domestic crown by a seismic 10 points.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

The Gunners have also failed to deliver in all other domestic and European cup competitions since 2020, with Arteta now facing a vital next season where he simply must deliver glory to the Emirates after many years of building an elite-level squad.

“There’s no doubt next season the pressure will be on Arteta massively in terms of winning something and winning something big,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

“If they don’t do that, the Arsenal board will have a massive issue, because they won’t want to change the manager, but there will be lots of people saying ‘five or six years without a trophy’ and they will be looking at how many managers can make that next step.

“The problem with changing Mikel Arteta is that Arsenal could easily become what Chelsea are now, a team finishing second year in, year out, to a team not getting into the Champions League.

“That’s the big conundrum Arsenal will have in 12 months if they go close again but don’t get over the line. It feels like next season has to be the season.”

Trimming the deadwood and making room for vital new additions is imperative, and they’ve now managed to get previous highly-rated youngster Marquinhos off the books for good.

Arsenal confirm Marquinhos has joined Cruzeiro permanently

The 22-year-old Brazilian, according to Arteta, was actually a “very popular” player behind-the-scenes at London Colney, but he could never quite cement himself as a part of the manager’s long-term plans on the field.

Marquinhos has been on loan at Brazilian side Cruzeiro since January, which included an obligation to buy based on certain conditions, and that now appears to have been triggered.

Arsenal announced on Monday that Marquinhos has joined Cruzeiro on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his three-year stay at N5, which initially brought so much promise, only for the forward to be deemed surplus.

“He’s very popular, with no English, just with his smile and attitude,” said Arteta about Marquinhos in 2022.

“He has earned the respect and admiration of everybody here.”

Marquinhos’ move to Cruzeiro was initially under threat, according to some reports in South America, but he’s now officially set to start a new chapter back in his homeland.

Birmingham City fans won’t want to get too carried away, but there is a feeling in the air at St. Andrew’s that the Blues could really shake up proceedings on their re-entry to the Championship.

After all, last season proved that Chris Davies’ men were just too big of a fish for the small League One pond, amassing a ridiculous 111 points.

Therefore, the hope will be that the reigning League One champions jump back up to the second-tier with a fearlessness present, which could well result in a back-to-back promotion story taking place.

Of course, the initial aim will just be to return and consolidate, but new signings aplenty would certainly boost their wildest dreams, with an exciting midfield talent now on their radar.

Birmingham battling to sign £2m star

As per a report from Football Insider, Birmingham are set to battle it out for the services of Reading star Charlie Savage this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

The report names Wrexham, Blackburn Rovers, and Portsmouth as keen onlookers also eyeing up the two-time Wales senior international alongside Davies’ side, with the Royals valuing Savage at around the £2m mark amidst this frenzied interest.

This would be a gutting loss for Reading, with the ex-Manchester United academy prodigy really coming into his own in League One.

But, the prospect of a Championship move will surely turn Savage’s head, with Birmingham perhaps winning their next Jordan James in the process if the 22-year-old decides to call St. Andrew’s his new home shortly.

How Savage possesses shades of James

Birmingham would love to uncover their next version of James in Savage, considering the current Reading midfielder’s fellow compatriot would up and leave the Blues prematurely after just three seasons in the senior game with his boyhood employers.

He would shine with ten goals and two assists coming his way from 105 games to warrant a move away, and whilst Birmingham have responded to the setback of James leaving terrifically with the captures of Tomoki Iwata and Seung Ho-Paik in the middle of the park, Savage could well be the 20-year-old’s amazing second coming all the same.

Indeed, the Royals’ number eight has shown across his stay in Berkshire to date that he can hammer home a stunning effort much like James in his Blues prime, with Savage now up to 12 goals and 15 assists from 96 total games for Reading.

Described as an “exceptional” player by youth coach Matthew Jones, he also possesses a similar bite and energy strutting his stuff in League One, weighed up next to James’ swansong Championship season with Birmingham.

The numbers below tell the story perfectly.

Games played

45

40

Goals scored

5

8

Assists

9

0

Touches*

47.8

27.8

Accurate passes*

27.0 (80%)

14.0 (77%)

Key passes*

1.3

0.5

Big chances missed

2

2

Big chances created

5

3

Ball recoveries*

3.7

2.6

He could even go on to be better than James when making the step-up, with Savage trumping his Rennes counterpart in almost every aspect of their midfield games, albeit when he was performing at a level below the 20-year-old.

It could well be deemed a risk on Davies and Co’s end to fork out £2m for Savage, therefore, with the ex-Red Devils starlet yet to experience life in the Championship across his emergent career.

But, James was once in this boat himself and excelled with flying colours, with a hope that Savage flourishes in a similar vein at St. Andrew’s if he joins the ambitious club.

Birmingham could make "outstanding" signing who'd be even better than Poku

Birmingham City can land a better attacking signing than chasing after Kwame Poku by securing this star.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 3, 2025

Burnley will be playing Premier League football once again next season after they finished second in the Championship to secure promotion back to the big time.

The Clarets finished on a staggering 100 points in the second tier, somehow only finishing second to Leeds United, and are now preparing to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the top-flight.

Scott Parker will need to make some big and tough decisions on players who will leave Turf Moore, and ones who will come in, and one star whose future is uncertain at the moment is Ashley Barnes.

Why Ashley Barnes could be released this summer

The veteran striker signed for the club from Norwich City in the January transfer window and put pen to paper on a deal until the end of the season, which means that his current contract is due to expire at the end of next month.

Speaking ahead of the final game of the season, Parker was asked if a decision had been made on the striker: “Not at the moment, no.

Transfer Focus

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

“We’ve not really discussed in great detail next year or certainly how it would look in terms of players’ contracts. We’ve got one game left and that’s been the main focus.

“But Ashley Barnes has been incredible since he’s come in and there’s an opportunity for him at the weekend as well, depending on the decision I make.”

In the weeks since those comments, there has still not been any official confirmation of his release or a new contract, but his limited impact on the pitch could mean that they look elsewhere ahead of a Premier League season.

Barnes ended the campaign with one goal in 21 appearances, including two starts, in the Championship, and the Clarets have been linked with a striker who could be the next version of the veteran forward, George Hirst.

Why George Hirst could be the next Ashley Barnes

Burnley and Leeds are both reportedly interested in signing the Ipswich Town centre-forward after their relegation from the Premier League has already been confirmed, and he could be Barnes 2.0

Barnes joined the Clarets from Brighton at the age of 25, having come up through the lower leagues in League One and the Championship, and went on to score 42 goals in 200 Premier League games for the club.

Like the Burnley icon, Hirst has worked his way up the EFL. He played in League One for Portsmouth and Ipswich and the Championship with Blackburn Rovers and the Tractor Boys, before his first taste of regular top-flight football at the age of 25/26 this season.

Appearances

25

23

Minutes per game

24

35

Goals

3

1

Assists

1

0

Ground duel success rate

33%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

59%

44%

As you can see in the table above, Hirst’s form for Ipswich this season in the Premier League has been more impressive than Barnes’ last outing in the top-flight with the Clarets in the 2021/22 campaign.

These statistics also show that the striker, who was described as “unique” by Kieran McKenna, has the physical attributes to be a Barnes-esque figure for Burnley, particularly with his strength in the air to win flick ons and compete with opposition defenders.

Parker has struck gold on Burnley star who's worth more than Brownhill

Burnley will hope this star can settle into Premier League life well after an impressive debut season at Turf Moor.

ByKelan Sarson May 23, 2025

Hirst, who has scored three goals from 2.13 xG, has the potential to combine physical and technical attributes to be an effective centre-forward at Premier League level if he can kick on with regular minutes, as he only averaged 24 minutes a game behind Liam Delap.

That is why Parker could unearth Burnley’s next Ashley Barnes by signing the experienced striker, who has done the hard work in the lower leagues and could now be given a chance to really show his quality at the top level.

Turning their attention away from title celebrations and towards the summer transfer market, Liverpool are now reportedly preparing a medical for one target who they believe will sign for the club within a matter of days.

Salah reacts to Alexander-Arnold boos

Whilst the focus throughout this week has been on further celebrations within a Liverpool squad who have seemingly not stopped partying since confirming their Premier League title victory, it was only a week ago that Trent Alexander-Arnold was at the centre of headlines for all the wrong reasons.

After coming off the bench for the first time since confirming his Liverpool exit, the scouse-born right-back was met by a chorus of boos with every touch of the ball in a moment that has since caused plenty of debate.

Everyone has seemingly had their say on the controversial moment, including Mohamed Salah, who chose to defend his teammate in a recent interview with Gary Neville.

The Liverpool forward said: “I think somehow the fans were being harsh with him. I think he didn’t deserve it at the time, he deserved the fans to treat him the best way possible because he gave it all to the fans.”

“We shouldn’t act this way with anyone who always appreciates the people, who came here even for six months. Imagine someone who gives you his all for 20 years. It’s shouldn’t be like this. I hope that will change next game, against Brighton or in the last game of the season, because he deserves the farewell.”

He plays a lot like Wirtz: Liverpool plot huge move to sign £85m "magician"

Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at a marquee attacking signing this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 17, 2025

Away from the headlines, though, Liverpool still have a right-back to replace and whilst the debate has continued, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have reportedly seemingly made a move to do exactly that.

Liverpool preparing medical for Frimpong

With Alexander-Arnold on his way out, those at Anfield have instantly shifted their focus towards a fresh option down their right-hand side. According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool are now preparing a medical for Jeremie Frimpong and believe that they’ll have their deal wrapped up to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star in a matter of days.

The Reds have moved rapidly since the Alexander-Arnold news and are reportedly set to trigger Frimpong’s bargain €35m (£29m) release clause to get their deal over the line. Whilst the Dutchman is a different type of player to Liverpool’s academy graduate, he would arguably offer a larger output down Arne Slot’s right-hand side based on this season’s impressive numbers.

Starts

25

28

Goals

5

3

Assists

5

6

Ball Recoveries

84

130

Frimpong is certainly a player who’s rated highly at Leverkusen too, with Real Madrid-bound manager Xabi Alonso telling reporters last season: “Since I got here for the first time, since the first day, Jeremie has been a key player for us and for myself.

“He’s a great guy. His personality… he brings a lot of joy to the locker room. So you need to keep him having this joy. But as well as become more mature.”

Clocked as the fastest player in the Champions League this season by PFF, the Netherlands star will certainly strike fear into opponents when overlapping Salah down the right flank.

Manchester United now want to hold new contract talks with a young player after impressing Ruben Amorim in recent weeks, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd prepare multiple bids for summer transfer targets

The summer transfer window is edging closer and closer to opening, and given how this season has gone for the Red Devils, it is likely INEOS are going to want to act quickly to bring in players Amorim feels not only improve his team but fit into what he wants in terms of his formation and style of play.

Their new Amad: Amorim wants Man Utd to sign "world-class" £34m winger

Manchester United could be set to make a move for a star who could be Ruben Amorim’s next Amad Diallo.

6 ByEthan Lamb May 7, 2025

There are a number of positions in the United team that Amorim will want to address, either because players are leaving or because of the lack of quality. One area that has emerged as a position the United boss wants to strengthen is defence, and this may be because of Victor Lindelof’s expected departure and the fact Lisandro Martinez could be out until the end of the year.

According to a report from Spain, United are preparing to go all out and sign Ronald Araujo from FC Barcelona. The defender is a key player for the Spanish giants, but United are hoping an offer worth £68 million will be enough to tempt them to sell.

As well as looking to make an offer for Araujo, Caught Offside have reported that the Red Devils are planning to make a cut-price offer to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

The forward is said to hold a value of £68-76 million, but United are planning to make an offer worth £55-59 million. They are not the only Premier League team chasing the striker, as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are also preparing offers.

Man Utd plan contract talks with Harry Amass

While INEOS look to bring the best players from across Europe to Old Trafford, the club also want to keep hold of some of their exciting young talent. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man United are now planning contract talks with defender Harry Amass after his impressive performances in recent games.

Romano states that United are planning fresh contract talks with Amass, who has been dubbed “phenomenal” by pundits, at the end of this season. The young left-back signed a new contract last summer until 2027, but given his recent performances in the first team, United want to extend his stay for longer than the two years remaining on his contract.

That isn’t a surprise, given the 18-year-old has played five times for United in the last few weeks. Amass made his Premier League debut against Leicester City back in March and has followed that up with three starts against Newcastle, Wolves and Brentford, as well as 20 minutes in the Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon.

Apps

4

Minutes per game

64

Key passes

0.3

Passes per game (accuracy)

25.5 (87%)

Interceptions per game

0.5

Tackles per game

1.5

Balls recovered per game

4.3

Clearances per game

2.0

Duels won per game (success)

4.5 (49%)

After his first Premier League start against the Magpies, Amorim was left really impressed, stating that Amass did “quite well” despite the fact United were beaten on the day: “I think he did quite well. He caught a player that is really fast; he debuted in maybe one of the hardest stadiums with one team that is in a good moment. I think he did really well. He needs to continue.”

Liverpool will win the Premier League this season, but the celebrations will prove to be the finale for several members of Arne Slot’s squad.

While Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to sign for Real Madrid when his contract at Anfield expires this summer, all of a Reds persuasion would love nothing more than a dramatic twist that keeps the Scouser in their team where he is.

Unlikely. However, there are further stars who may actually be shown the door, which would probably be a good thing if Liverpool are to challenge for the biggest honours once again next year.

Liverpool looking to sell this summer

Liverpool have reached a critical juncture, though in truth, the same could be said every year.

The priority, at least in terms of needing an upgrade, lies at the front of the ship, with Darwin Nunez likely to be sold having fallen by the wayside in Slot’s system. A more reliable goalscorer is needed to challenge with Mohamed Salah and ease his burden.

Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are also expendable, for the right price. Neither will be shown the door, but neither will FSG’s suits stand in the way of their potential departures.

Harvey Elliott, 21, is also at something of a conundrum in his fledgling career. The boyhood Liverpool fan is one of the most talented young playmakers out there, but has yet to start in the Premier League this season and will want playing-time assurances going forward.

He falls more into the Alexander-Arnold park of being a player who fans would want to stay put. But there’s another Liverpool forward who FSG could hit the jackpot by selling this summer without too much grumbling.

Liverpool must cash in on Slot's flop

When Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa from Juventus last summer, it was regarded as a low-risk deal, worth just £12.5m, for a player who would add that little bit of extra depth to a talented and balanced frontline.

Salah rarely misses action due to injury, but with Ben Doak heading out to Middlesbrough on loan it made sense to sign a deputy. Talented and technically gifted, Chiesa was once considered among Europe’s best forwards, hailed for his “world-class” level by retired Italy star Alessandro Pierini.

However, injuries have gotten the better of him in recent years, and he’s missed chunks of his maiden campaign in English football that have been to the detriment of his role in Slot’s team.

Just 12 times has Chiesa graced the field in a Liverpool shirt, and like Elliott, he hasn’t started a single Premier League match. He’s had his moments, though, notably scoring a crisp consolation goal in the Carabao Cup final.

However, the 27-year-old’s minimal involvement doesn’t look likely to change all that much next year, especially now the Egyptian King has renewed his deal for two more campaigns.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, the Italian ace is attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window from several Premier League suitors along with AC Milan over in Italy, and Liverpool are willing to entertain offers in the ballpark of €30m (£26m).

This feels like a no-brainer, not least because it would see FSG bank double their investment just one year ago, having not used all that much of Chiesa’s quality. It would actually equate to a 108% increase on the figure paid to the Old Lady last year.

Premier League

4

0

0

33′

Champions League

3

0

1

107′

FA Cup

3

1

1

120′

Carabao Cup

2

1

0

135′

The £150k-per-week wideman is talented and could revivify his career elsewhere, but it feels like a deal for a transfer away this summer, Premier League winner’s medal around his neck, would be the best outcome for all parties.

Liverpool want world's "best player" in £77m deal who'd be Slot’s own Mane

Liverpool are planning to strengthen Arne Slot’s frontline in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 25, 2025