All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Emiliano Martinez seemingly bidding a tearful farewell to Villa Park last week, Aston Villa have reportedly been given the green light to sign a Premier League-winning shot-stopper.

Aston Villa's goalkeeper search continues

All signs are pointing towards the end for Aston Villa and Martinez after he was pictured saying an emotional goodbye to the home fans following victory over Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Unai Emery also failed to rule out an exit for the goalkeeper to only add to the belief that the Argentine will be playing his football elsewhere next season.

The Villa boss told reporters: “We will see. Of course, it is the last match here [this season], and I don’t know. We will see about the team, the players, but of course, they are responding on the field.”

Ever since that potential goodbye, the rumours have been circling. Both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have already been linked with moves for Martinez, whilst Villa themselves have set their sights on replacing their No.1.

Names such as Lucas Chevalier have already been mentioned in what would certainly be an excellent move for both the LOSC Lille star and those at Villa Park. One of the most promising young goalkeepers around, the big question will be whether the Villans can win the race for his signature.

Meanwhile, Espanyol’s Joan Garcia is also a name that has been in the headlines as of late. The talented goalkeeper, like Chevalier, has been fantastic this season and is one of only a few options who could seamlessly replace Martinez in the Midlands.

Amid competition for both of those players, however, Villa may yet turn to an option far closer to home amid reports that they’ve been handed a major boost in pursuit of a Premier League-winning goalkeeper ahead of the summer window.

Aston Villa receive green light to sign Kelleher

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have now been given the green light to sign Caoimhin Kelleher by his current club, Liverpool. The Reds have Giorgi Mamardashvili on his way and already have Alisson Becker to call on, meaning that the door has swung open for Kelleher to depart.

Already thought to be high on Villa’s list of targets, the Irishman will leave Merseyside somewhat of a cult hero, having often stepped up in place of Alisson amid his injury issues, and particularly starred whenever given the opportunity to feature in a number of Wembley finals.

However, he is now ready to become an undisputed No 1, with the latest claims suggesting that Liverpool “will accept the right offer” for Kelleher should one come forward.

Starts

10

36

Saves per 90

2.40

2.60

Save percentage

67.6%

67.9%

Clean sheets

4

8

When compared, it’s clear that the Liverpool man would not be a significant downgrade on Martinez. In fact, at 26 years old, there’s an argument to be made that Kelleher could yet become better than the Argentine shot-stopper if he pushes on from here in the coming years.

Aston Villa in pole position after talks to sign "powerful" 18 y/o sensation

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham May 22, 2025

Dubbed “fantastic” by Premier League legend David Seaman following last season’s Carabao Cup final display, Kelleher has been ready to take hold of the opportunity that Aston Villa may hand him for some time.

Arsenal have come an incredibly long way over the last few seasons.

Just four years ago, Mikel Arteta’s side were languishing down in mid-table, and in the campaign after that, were unable to make it into the top four.

Since then, the North Londoners have made it to the quarter-finals and then semi-finals of the Champions League while also finishing as runners-up in the Premier League three campaigns on the bounce.

19/20

9

6

5

8th

20/21

18

7

13

8th

21/22

22

3

12

5th

22/23

26

6

6

2nd

23/24

28

5

5

2nd

24/25

20

14

4

2nd

However, the time has come for the club to make good on their transformation and finally lift some major silverware next season, which could explain recent links to a superstar attacker who has won comparisons to serial winner Kylian Mbappé.

Arsenal transfer news

With the club being so close to achieving something great over the last few years but still coming up short, it’s not been much of a surprise to see them linked to several attackers who could provide them with that extra push in recent weeks; stars such as Morgan Rogers and Nico Williams.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could be available for a fee as high as £100m this summer, but while that’s an astronomical amount of money, it would be hard to say he wouldn’t be worth it, as in 54 appearances for Aston Villa this season, he scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists.

Williams, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as productive, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 45 games for Athletic Bilbao, but then again, he’d also cost a lot less, with a release clause reportedly worth around £50m in his current deal.

Yet, while both players would certainly improve Arteta’s side next season, they might not utterly transform it, unlike Viktor Gyokeres.

Yes, according to reports from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Sporting CP striker ahead of the transfer reopening next week.

In fact, the report has revealed that, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, the Gunners have already submitted an offer for the Swedish star.

However, it would appear as if the Portuguese outfit now want €80m, which comes out to about £68m.

While it would represent a serious financial investment to match that fee, Gyokeres’ incredible ability and record suggest it would be one worth making, especially as he’s won comparisons to Mbappé.

How Gyokeres compares to Mbappé

Before going over some of the other reasons why Arsenal might want to sign Gyokeres this summer, it’s worth examining this comparison to Mbappé and where it’s come from, as the Real Madrid forward is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in world football.

Well, in this case, it stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Champions League this season and then created a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it concluded that the Frenchman was the number one most similar forward to the Swedish international in the entire competition this season.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.70

0.77

Progressive Carries

4.26

4.24

Goals per Shot

0.18

0.14

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.03

0.96

Shot-Creating Actions

3.85

3.52

Carries into the Penalty Area

1.91

1.92

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to assists, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, goals per shot, passes into the penalty area, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

With all that said, while a comparison to one of the best and most exciting players in the world is certainly encouraging, there is another enormous reason why the Gunners should be doing all they can to sign the former Coventry City star: his ridiculous output.

In his first season with Sporting, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, was able to rack up a sensational haul of 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4169 minutes, which equates to an average of 1.16 goal involvements per game, or one every 71.87 minutes.

Then, as if on a one-man mission to prove he wasn’t just a one-season wonder, the 27-year-old marksman did even better this year, scoring 54 goals and providing 13 assists in 52 appearances, totalling 4248 minutes, which comes out to a frankly absurd average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

Ultimately, Gyokeres is a lean, mean goalscoring machine and, like Mbappé, is someone who could potentially lead a team to multiple league titles, and therefore, is someone Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign this summer.

Berta makes approach to sign "Timber 2.0" in £42m deal for Arsenal

The incredible talent could develop into a world-beater at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 10, 2025

Where would Arsenal be without Declan Rice? During the 2024/25 campaign, if it was ever possible, he made his £105m price tag look like a bargain.

Send West Ham another £100m, the Emirates faithful cried. Quite. Rice put in some extraordinary performances throughout the back end of the campaign.

Who can forget those free-kicks against Real Madrid? The Gunners will be keen to erase their semi-final exit at the hands of PSG from their minds but no one will be forgetting his stunning displays in a hurry.

Once all was said and done, Rice ended the campaign with his best haul of goals and assists in a single season, netting nine times and registering ten assists throughout all competitions.

It was hardly a surprise, therefore, to see him crowned the Fans’ Player of the Season for his efforts.

This summer, they will hope to replicate that deal with Andrea Berta now guiding the transfer ship.

The latest on Arsenal's transfer plans

This has certainly been a busy few weeks for Berta since entering the club but he’s already getting his hands dirty, notably tying Gabriel down to a new contract.

Elsewhere, it’s all about how he can add to the current group with talks reportedly progressing well over a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

How Arsenal's striker targets compare in 2024/25.

However, as David Ornstein of The Athletic has reported, Arsenal could be in the market for as many as three forwards with a centre forward, a left winger and a right-winger to play second fiddle to Bukayo Saka.

On the left, it could be Real Madrid’s Rodrygo who arrives. Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Gunners have a keen interest in the Brazilian and now they are set to ramp up their interest in the coming week.

Reports from Spain reveal that ‘Arsenal have decided to go all out’ to sign the 24-year-old and are now ‘willing to submit’ a €70m (£59m) bid in order to close a deal.

The coaching staff and Berta are both aligned on the fact that Rodrygo would be the ‘ideal’ profile to bring to north London this summer.

Why Rodrygo would be Arsenal's best signing since Rice

Two years ago, Edu and Arteta came together to seal the biggest transfer in the club’s history.

Transfer Focus

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

Arsenal fended off competition, largely from title rivals Manchester City, to bring Rice from east to north London in a remarkable deal totalling £105m. It took a while to get across the line, but it’s all been worth it.

Unsurprisingly, Arteta and Co haven’t gone near that fee since with their business in the transfer market leaving plenty to be desired.

Last summer was decent on the surface but it didn’t get Arsenal any closer to winning the league. In fact, they had a poorer season, certainly at domestic level.

David Raya signed permanently last summer and shone, notably sharing the Golden Glove with Mats Selz, but Riccardo Calafiori endured an injury-hit season, and Mikel Merino, bizarrely, didn’t show what he was truly capable of until becoming a makeshift striker.

David Raya

£27m

Brentford

Riccardo Calafiori

£42m

Bologna

Mikel Merino

£31.6m

Real Sociedad

Neto

Loan

Bournemouth

Raheem Sterling

Loan

Chelsea

The Spaniard has quickly become a fan favourite after a pretty torrid first few months back in England, but he ended the season with six goals in 12 games as a striker. Not what he was signed for, sure, but he’s coming into his own, even scoring for Spain this weekend.

So, this summer, Arsenal need to make a splash. They need that Rice-esque deal to bring them closer to the Premier League title and Rodrygo could be just that.

Sure, a centre forward is needed, but their output on the left-hand side, notably when Bukayo Saka was out injured, simply wasn’t good enough in 2024/25.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are great players to have in your squad but their end product hasn’t reached dizzy heights yet.

Martinelli did score in the Bernabeu this season but that was just one of ten goals in 51 matches, a goal every 5.1 games. As for Trossard, he also scored ten but did so in 56 matches, meaning the Belgian found the net once every 5.6 games.

In Rodrygo, they would secure an instant upgrade, someone with the capabilities to break games open.

The Madrid star, who is in the shadow of Vini Jr and Kylian Mbappe in Spain, still found a way to score 14 times last season across 51 matches, once every 3.6 games. In 2023/24, he was even better, netting on 17 occasions and the year before that, he scored 19 times. He’s a goalscorer and a better one than Martinelli at that.

Martinelli’s finest campaign in England saw him beat the goalkeeper on 15 occasions back in 2022/23 and while he’s still young, he is actually just a year Rodrygo’s junior.

Described as “one of the best in the world” by his former boss, Carlo Ancelotti, this would be a sublime signing. His impact on this team could certainly be akin to Rice if he finds a way to replace Martinelli and Trossard.

Martinelli upgrade: Arsenal leading race for "frightening" £42m sensation

The young talent could develop into someone special at Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 6, 2025

A “fantastic” Leeds United player is now believed to have reached an agreement over a £7.2m exit, as his Elland Road career edges towards its conclusion.

Players who could leave Leeds this summer

While much focus is on the shiny new signings who could join the Whites in the summer transfer window, there are current players who are expected to move on to pastures new in the coming weeks and months.

There is no guarantee that Illan Meslier will still be a Leeds player come the opening game of next season, for example, following a 2024/25 campaign that included some dreadful mistakes.

Elsewhere, left-back Junior Firpo is heading to La Liga outfit Real Betis, following four years with the Whites. He played there prior to his move to Barcelona back in 2019.

Mateo Joseph is another player who reportedly wants to leave Leeds this summer, following a frustrating 2024/25 season for him, in terms of playing time. Only 11 starts came his way in the Championship, and he may feel that now is the right time for a new challenge.

"Fantastic" Leeds ace reaches agreement over £7.2m move

Speaking to LeedsUnited.News, journalist Gramae Bailey has claimed that Leeds youngster Joseph is now also heading to Betis in an initial £7.2m move this summer, with an agreement reached.

“Leeds have agreed to let him leave. I am told the overall deal could be around the €10m [£8.5m] mark including add-ons. There were a few teams keen, but the player made it clear he wanted Betis. It has moved on from that point. Leeds would have been more than happy for him to fight for his place, but Joseph wanted the move back to Spain.”

It would be a shame to see Leeds lose Joseph, considering what a talented young player he is, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as “fantastic” in the past.

As mentioned, the attacker has struggled to be a genuine key starter under Daniel Farke, and while he has still featured lots from the substitutes’ bench, he may see his playing time further limited in the Premier League next season.

For that reason, there is clear sense in allowing Joseph to leave Leeds in the summer window, and the fact that they have a sell-on clause included in the contract acts as a positive.

He'd be Farke's own Jansson: Leeds preparing bid for "monstrous" talent

Leeds United are set to make a move for a star who could become a fan favourite at Elland Road.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 13, 2025

There is a risk in the Whites allowing him to move on, given his potential – he has scored eight goals in just 11 caps for Spain’s Under-21s – but at this point, it is understandable why he would want to be a star man elsewhere.

Leeds United officially completed their third signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday when they unveiled Sebastiaan Bornauw as their new centre-back.

The Belgian giant has joined on a four-year contract on a permanent deal from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg, following the arrivals of Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha.

Bornauw played 15 times for Wolfsburg in the German top-flight last season and will provide competition to the likes of Bijol, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and Pascal Struijk in the centre-back positions.

This means that Leeds have now brought in two new central defenders and one centre-forward, in Nmecha, but they are yet to add to Daniel Farke’s options in the middle of the park.

One central midfielder who will not be signing for the Championship champions, though, is Senegal international Habib Diarra, who has signed for Premier League rivals Sunderland.

Leeds reportedly made a bid of around £22m to sign the star from Strasbourg last month, but the Black Cats have now snapped him up for a club-record fee of £30m.

What Habib Diarra could have brought to Leeds

The 21-year-old midfielder could have been an interesting signing for the Whites as a young midfield talent who has shown promise in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg.

Diarra could have provided a decent threat at the top end of the pitch from a central midfield position after a return of four goals and five assists in 30 appearances in the French top-flight last season.

However, he is far from the finished article at the age of 21 and still has a lot to learn, as his defensive work in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg left quite a bit to be desired.

Whilst his contributions at the top end of the pitch were notable for such a young player in a major European league, Diarra’s all-round play in midfield was not at a particularly high level.

Progressive passes

4.44

Bottom 41%

Progressive carries

2.33

Top 27%

Successful take-ons

0.50

Bottom 29%

Tackles made

0.84

Bottom 4%

Interceptions

0.50

Bottom 15%

Blocks

0.84

Bottom 21%

As you can see in the table above, the Senegal international ranked within the bottom half of midfielders in Ligue 1 in a host of defensive metrics, as well as in-possession attributes.

So, whilst he may be a promising young player with the potential to improve, Diarra may not have been an instant star for Leeds in the Premier League because of his lack of defensive nous and physicality in the middle of the park.

Because of this, it may be a good thing that the Whites missed out on a deal for the £30m-rated midfielder, amid reported interest from the club in another midfield target who would be a better signing.

Leeds eyeing Championship midfielder

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a swoop to sign Southampton central midfielder Mateus Fernandes this summer.

The report claims that the Saints, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are preparing to lose several key first-team stars in the coming weeks, and the Portuguese ace is one of them.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that former Sporting prospect is expected to be snapped up by another club before the end of the summer transfer window at the start of September, and that Leeds and Crystal Palace are both lining up moves to sign him.

Previous reports have claimed that the Championship side are looking for a fee of around £30m for the midfield star, but it remains to be seen if that has changed.

It is now down to Leeds to fight hard to win the race with Palace for his signature in the coming weeks, to ensure that they do not lose out to another Premier League rival like they did with Diarra.

Why Leeds should sign Mateus Fernandes

The Whites should be pushing to sign Fernandes from Southampton because he would arrive at Elland Road as an even better signing than Diarra would have been.

At the age of 20, the Portuguese talent is even younger than the Senegalese ace and, therefore, has a similar potential to grow and develop over the years to come, which would make him an ideal long-term signing.

However, Fernandes has the quality to make an even bigger impact than Diarra in the short-term, based on his performances for the Saints last season.

Despite Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League, the 20-year-old starlet caught the eye with some impressive displays in the middle of the park, scoring two goals and providing four assists.

The £30m-rated star, who also scored against Cardiff in the League Cup, offered more to his team than just goal contributions, though, as he is an all-action and dynamic midfielder.

Appearances

36

30

Goals

2

4

Assists

4

5

Successful dribbles per game

1.4

0.4

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

1.1

Blocks per game

0.6

0.2

Ground duel success rate

53%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

63%

43%

As you can see in the table above, the Southampton ace has far more to his game than Diarra does as a central midfield option, due to his defensive and offensive qualities.

Fernandes, who was once hailed for his “exceptional” passing quality by analyst Ben Mattinson, may not have produced as many goals and assists as the former Strasbourg star, but he offered significantly more to his team defensively.

As aforementioned, Diarra may have been a liability defensively for Leeds due to his lack of physicality in Ligue 1, but that would not be the case for the Saints midfielder, who has been there and done it in the Premier League.

Fernandes has shown that he can handle the physicality of English football, to be a standout in a poor Southampton team, and that means that the Leeds target could hit the ground running at Elland Road if they sign him, which may not have been the case for Diarra due to his lack of experience in England.

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United are interested in signing a star who would come in as an upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2025

Therefore, Leeds should swoop to sign the relegated midfielder after missing out on Diarra because he has the qualities, potential, and experience to be an even better signing than the club-record Sunderland ace.

If there is one club you can guarantee to be busy during the summer, it’s Chelsea.

Even without the Club World Cup to entertain the fans, you can usually rest assured that the Blues will make good use of the transfer window, and so far this year, they certainly have.

For example, just a couple of days ago, the Conference League champions secured the services of the incredibly exciting Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion for a sizable fee of £60m.

Moreover, before the club even left for the United States, they had signed a trio of exciting young talents in Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Liam Delap, and now, if reports are to be believed, they are keen to sign an attacker even more exciting than the former Ipswich Town star.

Chelsea target young talents

Like they have in years past, Chelsea appear to be focused on bringing more up-and-coming gems this summer, which helps explain the links to Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could cost the club around £60m, and while Manchester United endured a terrible campaign last season, he didn’t, managing to rack up a tally of 11 goals and ten assists in 58 games.

Gittens, on the other hand, will cost the Blues around £55m, and unlike the Argentine international, this deal is practically sealed and could be announced at any time.

Yet, the West Londoners are still not done there, as they’ve now been linked with another promising youngster who might just be more exciting than Delap: Gonzalo García.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are the club most interested in the Real Madrid star.

In fact, the report claims that the Blues are now preparing to submit an offer worth around €40m – £34m – for the young attacker, and as things stand, the Spanish giants are not ruling out selling him.

It could be a complicated and ultimately rather expensive transfer to get over the line, but García has shown enough to suggest he could be a star one day, and therefore a more exciting signing than Delap.

Why García would be a more exciting signing than Delap

Firstly, it’s worth noting that Delap is already an exciting signing, and one that Chelsea were wise to secure.

After all, in his first full Premier League campaign last season, the former Ipswich ace was able to rack up a tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, which is nothing to sniff at.

Moreover, he has already opened his account with the Blues, scoring one goal and providing one assist in four appearances at the Club World Cup.

However, it’s actually the proceedings at the competition that give us our first indication that García could end up being the more exciting signing this summer.

We say this, as even though he had barely played a game for the first team prior to the Club World Cup, the young Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational in the States.

For example, in just four appearances, totalling 293 minutes, he has scored three goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 73.25 minutes, and they haven’t been meaningless either, as he netted the winner against Juventus earlier this week.

However, we probably shouldn’t be surprised that the “incredible” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is so effective in front of goal, as he was a monster for Real Madrid Castilla last season.

Appearances

36

Minutes

3184′

Goals

25

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.80

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.79′

In 36 appearances, totalling 3184 minutes, the 21-year-old, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims “scores goals for fun,” put the ball in the back of the net 25 times and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.24 games, or every 109.79 minutes.

On top of everything, the Madrid-born gem is also more than capable of playing out wide or as a centre-forward, and therefore is quite comfortable dribbling with the ball at his feet and creating chances for himself.

Ultimately, Delap is a brilliant addition to Chelsea’s squad, but from everything we’ve seen of him this summer and his output from last season, García looks like he’d be an even more exciting signing.

Premier League club close to finalising deal for "world-class" Chelsea player

There’s been a key update out of Stamford Bridge.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 3, 2025

Celtic will return from their pre-season camp in Portugal and could now be set to announce an imminent signing to strengthen their forward line amid recent developments.

Celtic's hunt for a striker to challenge existing options goes on

Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny are currently Celtic’s senior options to lead the line for the coming season, while Callum Osmand’s arrival on a free transfer from Fulham has introduced another competitor for minutes at Parkhead.

Despite Brendan Rodgers potentially sending Irish striker Kenny out on loan, the former Shamrock Rovers striker has given his manager food for thought after laying on an assist and winning a penalty in the Bhoys’ 2-0 victory over Sporting Clube de Portugal on Wednesday evening.

Nevertheless, Rodgers urged Adam Idah to ‘come alive’ when chances fall his way after he missed two gilt-edged opportunities in the Algarve, which could’ve put his side in a more comfortable position.

He stated: “He needs to come alive. You can’t be caught thinking at this level. You have to anticipate and move and then have authority in the box. I know he can score goals and it’s also the time of pre-season.”

The Bhoys’ search for a new number nine has been well-documented this window, and reports continue to suggest Odsonne Edouard could be on Celtic’s radar despite Rodgers pouring cold water on the scenario for now.

Balikwisha will love him: Celtic exploring deal to sign "exciting" star

Celtic could land a dream signing alongside Michel-Ange Balikwisha by landing this star.

ByDan Emery Jul 17, 2025

Napoli’s Giuseppe Ambrosino could also secure a move to Parkhead on loan, albeit it remains to be seen if the Hoops can win the race for the Italy Under-21 international.

Plates are starting to spin in Celtic’s hunt for a forward, and they now look to be on the verge of confirming a striker signing in the next couple of days.

Celtic set to sign Shin Yamada with medical booked

Speaking last night, Rodgers also confirmed that Shin Yamada is set for a medical at Celtic ahead of his £1.3 million move from J League outfit Kawasaki Frontale.

He stated: “He’ll have a medical over the next couple of days and we’ll have a look at him. We’ve lost a lot of goals, so we need to replace that. Hopefully, this can be one of a number of players we can bring in that aspect.

Shin Yamada’s goalscoring record at Kawasaki Frontale

Appearances

121

Goals

32

Assists

9

“He’s got intensity and workrate. It’s something the scouts have seen. In terms of the club, we will bring in players to develop and players for now. Even though he’s a bit older, he’s probably one that can give us that intensity and pressure.

“I need to look and see him when he comes in and hopefully he can do well. The idea was to bring him in and assess him. He’s a strong boy, but we’d want to add to our front line also.”

Dubbed “impressive” by Hudl Wyscout, he earned his maiden cap for the Japan national team against Hong Kong as a group of domestic-based players took part in the East Asian Football Championship, claiming glory in the mini-tournament.

Barring any last-minute hitches, Rodgers will have the striker he is looking for after Kawasaki Frontale announced his departure to an ‘overseas’ club, but his comments suggest there could be further movement to strengthen his forward line.

Sheffield United are now on the verge of signing an “electric” £3.5 million attacker who Ruben Selles already knows well.

Like every other team up and down the country, the Blades are currently in the midst of their pre-season preparations as the return of domestic action gets closer and closer. United got another pre-season game under their belt on Tuesday night, as they faced non-league side York City and won 6-2.

Sheffield United move for Tottenham duo including "outstanding" midfielder

The Blades could look to the top-flight for reinforcements.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 18, 2025

However, the Blades were without a few key players for the fixture, with midfielder Tom Davies one noticeable absentee. Selles has revealed that Davies has picked up a groin injury during their time in Girona, and he could now miss the start of the Championship season.

“With Tom Davies, it is a little bit different. He got an injury in Girona, and so we expect him to be out for some weeks. He will be back in approximately a month.

“He’s unlucky. The way we do things and the way we try to perform demand a lot from the players. And with Tom, the most important thing is that he recovers well, and when he comes back, he stays healthy for the rest of the season.”

Sydie Peck was another United player that missed out on Tuesday night, but Selles has revealed that Peck’s injury isn’t as serious: “Sydie picked up a late injury, so he has not been able to start pre-season with us.He has been training, but it was more about building him up, and hopefully, he will be involved in the next game.”

Sheffield United now close to signing Louie Barry on loan

As the Blades continue their pre-season preparations, they are now closing in on their third signing of the summer. According to Sky Sports, Louie Barry is now expected to join Sheffield United on a season-long loan from Aston Villa.

The report states that both clubs have agreed the deal, while Barry has also agreed to the switch, and he is now expected to join up with the Blades next week. This comes after Hull City agreed a deal worth £3.5 million with Villa to sign Barry, only for the deal to then fall through as the Tigers were hit with a three-transfer-window embargo.

This transfer will see Barry link up with Selles once again, as the pair worked together in the second half of last season, as Barry joined the Tigers after a successful first half of the campaign on loan at Stockport County.

Divisions

Apps

Goals

Assists

Championship

4

0

0

League One

47

16

6

League Two

53

17

6

Barry, who has been dubbed “electric” by reporter Sam Byrne, struggled to make an impact at Hull as he picked up a serious injury. But during his time at Stockport, the versatile forward scored 25 goals in 46 games across two separate loan spells, and Selles will be hoping he can get that productivity out of the youngster at Bramall Lane.

Chelsea are now “advancing” talks to sign an “exceptional” £70m player, with a formal offer expected “soon”, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed.

Blues eyeing new attacker with Felix heading for exit

The Blues have been able to splash the cash this summer, in part due to their successful Club World Cup campaign, and they are still looking to make more additions to the squad, given that they are about to complete a big-money sale.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Joao Felix is now closing in on a move to Al-Nassr, which is set to raise up to £43.7m, while Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga and Armando Broja all still remain up for sale.

Even with the likes of Felix, Broja and Sterling due to depart, it is difficult to envisage where another attacker would fit into the starting XI, given that Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have already been brought in this summer.

However, the west Londoners remain keen on signing another attacking midfielder, and Jacobs has now revealed they are “advancing talks” with RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, with the terms of a deal now broadly in place.

Direct talks with Leipzig are currently ongoing, which are described as “positive”, and the Blues are expected to submit a formal bid “soon”, with Romano recently revealing they remain confident about getting a deal over the line.

Simons could be "exceptional" signing for Chelsea

Enzo Maresca is, of course, already blessed with an array of attacking options, with Cole Palmer performing particularly well at the Club World Cup, picking up two goals and an assist in the 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

However, it remains to be seen what sort of effect competing out in the USA will have on the Blues’ regular campaign, and Maresca may need a bigger squad to cope with the increase in fixtures.

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As such, the £70m-valued attacking midfielder could be a necessary signing for Maresca, and there are signs he would be able to kick on at Stamford Bridge, having been lauded as an “exceptional player” by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund.

Simons also recorded fairly similar attacking numbers to Palmer in the 2024-25 campaign, although it would, of course, be a step-up to move to the Premier League from the Bundesliga.

Following the news that James Maddison faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly held fresh talks to sign a Premier League-winning replacement.

Extent of James Maddison's injury revealed

As the football calendar continues to become more and more congested, there will be no worse feeling for any player than an untimely injury. But that’s exactly what Maddison has been dealt. On what was meant to be a day centred around the emotions of Heung-min Son’s departure, the midfielder was forced off the field within 10 minutes against Newcastle United. And now, he’s been handed the worst-possible news.

Set to miss the majority of the coming campaign in a World Cup year, Maddison has an almighty battle ahead of him as he aims to at least play a small part in Tottenham’s season.

Meanwhile, those in North London must react. Their frontline was already short on goals and creativity following Son’s departure and that issue has now only become more prominent following Maddison’s untimely blow.

Starts

21

24

Goals

9

7

Assists

7

9

Less than 10 days out from their first Premier League game of the season against Burnley, Tottenham must turn towards the transfer market and ensure that Thomas Frank’s side are set up to compete on all fronts.

To that end, names such as Jack Grealish are already reportedly on their transfer radar. The Manchester City star has looked destined to depart the Etihad since being left out of their Club World Cup squad and may now get the chance to decide between Everton and a move to Spurs.

He’s not the only Man City star on Spurs’ shortlist, however. It’s in North London that Grealish could be joined by an impressive talent.

Tottenham hold fresh talks to sign McAtee

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Tottenham have now held fresh talks to sign James McAtee from Manchester City this summer. The young midfielder, like Grealish, is likely to depart in search of game time this month, allowing Spurs to take full advantage.

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With Maddison’s injury leaving a void of creativity in Frank’s midfield, McAtee represents an ideal option for all involved in North London. In search of game time, the Premier League-winning midfielder would slot straight into Spurs’ current plans and perhaps go on to prove Pep Guardiola wrong in similar fashion to Cole Palmer.

After earning praise for a “fantastic” start to the year by scout Jacek Kulig, McAtee could yet end 2025 in a Spurs shirt as the Lilywhites continue to intensify their interest.