Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte wants an upgrade to the right wing-back role and he’s demanded one name in particular, according to reports…
What’s the word?
Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the 52-year-old is pushing to sign defender Wilfried Singo from Torino this summer but the Serie A outfit are holding out for more money despite two approaches from sporting director Fabio Paratici, the latest of which was in the region of €25m (£21.5m).
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Torino president Urban Cairo is thought to have ruled out any potential sale this off-season but you’d imagine they would be tempted if a viable offer came in.
CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, currently value him at €30m (£25m).
Emerson upgrade
Capped twice by the Ivory Coast, Singo would be something of a major upgrade to Conte’s right wing-back position, where he has summer signing Emerson Royal and the injured Matt Doherty.
The 21-year-old has been in immense form for Il Toro this campaign, having registered three goals and four assists, via Transfermarkt. Such performances have seen him rated amongst Ivan Jurić’s top five performers in Serie A.
Emerson has only offered up two direct contributions all season, by comparison.
Singo has offered just as much defensively as he has done in the final third, also averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.2 dribbles per game, the second-highest in Torino’s squad for both metrics, via WhoScored.
It’s no wonder CBS Sports journalist Matteo Bonetti dubbed him a “revelation” back in January 2021.
Conte was eager to sign Adama Traore for the very same role in January as he simply does not trust the Brazilian to execute the job expected of him and that’s easy to see why considering ex-Lilywhites defender Jonathan Woodgate dubbed him “horrendous”.
It’s Singo’s attacking exploits which make him more appealing, though. He accounts for 14.6% of Torino’s penalty box entries this season, and that also sees him sit amongst the top 12% of his positional peers across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, as per FBRef.
Evidently, he is solid enough at the back and can cause plenty of trouble in the opposition’s third, making him an obvious target for Conte, who is longing for someone in this mould.
The Torino wing-back is a far greater talent than Emerson, so the Spurs hierarchy needs to pay whatever they can to seal him this off-season.
AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops Pau Torres-Spurs transfer update…
A further update has now emerged regarding Leeds United winger Raphinha and a potential summer move to La Liga giants Barcelona.
The Lowdown: Barcelona links for Raphinha
The 25-year-old has been the Whites’ star performer in what is actually his first full season at Elland Road, having joined in October 2020.
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Described by Phil Hay as having an ‘incredible engine’, Raphinha leads the club’s charts when it comes to goals, assists and man of the match awards, as per WhoScored.
His displays in Yorkshire have attracted major interest from Barcelona, with reports towards the end of April suggesting that a move to Spain was ‘very close’.
The Latest: Raphinha to force Leeds exit
Spanish outlet Sport provided a fresh update regarding Barcelona and Raphinha on Saturday morning, claiming that the Brazilian’s ‘first goal’ is to do everything he can to help Leeds avoid the drop from the Premier League.
He is ‘tremendously grateful’ to the Whites, but when the summer transfer window opens, ‘he will force whatever is necessary’ for Leeds chiefs to accept a move to the Nou Camp.
The Verdict: Understandable if he goes
Leeds have failed to kick on following last season’s ninth-placed finish in the Premier League, although on a personal note, Raphinha certainly has improved from the 2020/21 campaign.
Therefore, you can understand why the talented winger would want to pursue a move to Barcelona and take the next step in his career.
Leeds know that relegation would result in a €25m (£21.3m) relegation release clause becoming active for Raphinha, so it is vital that Jesse Marsch’s team remain in the top flight as they look to secure the best deal possible for the 25-year-old.
In other news: Leeds and Orta now make first move to sign ‘undefendable’ star in blow to Everton
Manchester City are four games away from potentially lifting the Premier League title for the fourth time in the past five years.
One figure in Pep Guardiola’s squad that has played a massive part in getting the Citizens in this position is Kevin De Bruyne.
With 26 league appearances to his name, the Belgian has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in the process.
He’s also earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.53/10 from WhoScored, which not only makes him City’s highest-rated player but also the joint-second highest rated player in the league.
It’s undeniable that the midfielder is a crucial player for City, however, it seems as though the Manchester club may have their eye on bringing a new player to the Etihad Stadium that could be their next version of De Bruyne.
What’s the news?
According to a recent report from L’Equipe (via Caught Offside) City are interested in signing RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku this summer.
After working his way through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system, the attacking midfielder joined the German club back in the 2019 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of €13m (£10.9m).
Since then, the Frenchman has gone on to make 132 appearances for the Bundesliga club across all competitions.
In those appearances, the 24-year-old has scored 43 goals and delivered 47 assists along the way, showing how much of an attacking and creative threat he is.
Labelled as a player that “has no weaknesses” by former Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch, Nkunku has also been praised for his ability to combine “creative technical qualities with an explosive burst,” according to Scouted Football on Twitter.
To compare him with De Bruyne, with six more league appearances to his name than the 30-year-old, the Frenchman has 18 goals and 13 assists.
The Leipzig star also has a higher percentage of shots on target (47.2%) than the City dynamo (41.9%), showing just how clinical he is.
Even from a defensive point of view, the former PSG youngster has shown what a capable figure he is by racking up the same number of tackles as De Bruyne (11), but more interceptions and successful pressures.
Moving forward, with the German side reportedly looking for a fee of £52m to sell their midfield maestro, this should definitely be in City’s thinking for the upcoming summer transfer window in terms of their potential recruitment.
In other news: “Really keen..” – Romano drops behind scenes MCFC claim, it’s awful news for Guardiola
Liverpool are interested in signing Aberdeen full-back Calvin Ramsay, according to a report from The Times.
The lowdown: Growing interest
The Reds have been heavily linked with the 18-year-old in recent weeks as Jurgen Klopp attempts to further bolster the Anfield squad over the upcoming summer transfer window.
Already a regular feature for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, Ramsay has amassed 38 senior appearances in a blossoming career to date.
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Fresh off the back of winning the 2021/22 Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year award, a fresh update has emerged regarding the young starlet’s future…
The latest: Report confirms admiration
As per The Times’ Paul Joyce, Klopp is said to be ‘interested’ in signing Ramsay, but faces competition from Premier League rivals Leeds United for the capture.
The 13-cap Scotland youth international is believed to be on the radar at Anfield as incoming sporting director Julian Ward assesses summer targets.
Previously, the teenager described as possessing ‘all the attributes’ required in a modern-day full-back has also been touted with a move to Leicester City as well as Serie A side Bologna, with German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt also regularly name-checked (Sky Sports).
The verdict: On one condition
Whilst the capture of Ramsay to act as an understudy and potentially long term successor for Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a wise one, in truth it only depends on whether or not Neco Williams, who is currently on loan at Fulham, leaves the club.
Albeit Alexander-Arnold is still only 23 himself, the capture of Kostas Tsimikas to dovetail support Andy Robertson on the opposite side hasn’t harmed the Scotsman and therefore any move for his compatriot would be a welcome one.
This season, the teenager has scored once and provided nine assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, statistics that would suggest he is cut from a similar attacking cloth as the revolutionary Liverpool man, once described as being in the ‘elite upper bracket’ of young full-backs.
The young Scot possesses a range of impressive attacking attributes such as very strong crossing, chance creation and set pieces (WhoScored), all assets that would further endear Klopp to the signing.
In other news, a key Liverpool update has emerged regarding a superstar player. Read more here.
With a quarter of the season already played, it would be fair to say that Arsenal are flying.
Mikel Arteta’s side had a slight stumble away to Liverpool a couple of months ago, but since then, they’ve been ruthless and looked far better than the defending Premier League champions.
In fact, following their win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, the North Londoners are now seven points clear of Arne Slot’s fragile-looking Reds, and appear destined to finally end their long title drought at the fourth time of asking.
The team are looking better and better with almost every passing gameweek, and one international in particular now has a shout for being one of the best in the world, just like Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal's world-class Saka
The Arsenal squad of today is almost entirely different from the one Arteta took control of over five years ago, and now has more than its fair share of world-class players, such as Saka.
For example, despite missing almost four months of action through injury last season, the Hale End icon still ended the campaign with 26 goal involvements in 37 appearances.
Moreover, he’s already missed some of this season and has still managed to score three goals in ten appearances.
However, while there is no denying the winger’s outrageous talent, it would be fair to say that he somewhat struggled to influence proceedings on Sunday afternoon.
The 24-year-old started his third game on the bounce against Crystal Palace, but ended up coming off the pitch 66 minutes in without a goal or assist, and unlike against Fulham, without looking all that dangerous.
Now, he did complete 100% of his dribbles, won two fouls and won 100% of his aerial duels, but he also amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.03, failed to create a big chance and didn’t take a single shot on target.
However, such a middling performance shouldn’t worry fans, as Arteta later confirmed that the talismanic winger was unwell before the game and unable to train with the team in the build-up.
So, as long as he recovers, supporters should expect Saka to be back to his world-class best for the next game he starts, which can be said about one of the Englishman’s teammates as well.
The Arsenal star becoming one of the best in the world
As things stand, it wouldn’t be all that controversial to call the likes of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magehlese world-class.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Yet, there are other players in Arsenal’s squad who are getting closer and closer to being classed in the same category, such as Jurrien Timber.
The Dutch defender joined the club from Ajax in the summer of 2023, but had his first full season playing in red and white last year after missing almost all of 23/24 with an ACL injury.
The 24-year-old was undoubtedly one of the club’s bright spots last year, as, alongside the rest of the defence, he mostly stuck to his job and made the club incredibly difficult to break down.
However, so far this season, he has taken his game to another level entirely and certainly has a shout at being one of the best right-backs in the entire Premier League.
After all, as things stand, the Utrecht-born “diamond,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has made 12 appearances for Arteta’s side, ten of which have been starts, and has therefore been a key part of a backline that has conceded no goals in the Champions League and just three in the league.
If such a run continues, “Ajax’s crown jewel,” as analyst Ben Mattinson once dubbed him, could help the North Londoners beat Chelsea’s record of just 15 goals conceded in a league season.
However, it’s not just his defending that has got even better this year, as the dynamic full-back has also become far more of an attacking threat.
His dribbling and close control have come on leaps and bounds, and while he’s not someone who is going to deliver a Trent Alexander-Arnold-esque cross, he can and does create chances for his teammates or ends up in the box himself.
Goals
0.26
Top 1%
Non-Penalty Goals
0.26
Top 1%
Shots on Target
0.64
Top 1%
Through Balls
1.03
Top 1%
SCA (Shot)
0.51
Top 1%
Passes into Penalty Area
1.79
Top 4%
GCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.13
Top 4%
Tackles (Att 3rd)
0.90
Top 4%
Penalty Kicks Won
0.13
Top 4%
xG: Expected Goals
0.23
Top 7%
npxG: Non-Penalty xG
0.23
Top 7%
Progressive Passes
6.41
Top 7%
Average Shot Distance
8.60
Top 7%
npxG/Shot
0.21
Top 7%
Pass Completion % (Medium)
88.8%
Top 7%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.59
Top 7%
SCA (Live-ball Pass)
2.56
Top 7%
SCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.26
Top 7%
GCA (Shot)
0.13
Top 7%
Tackles
3.72
Top 7%
Goals + Assists
0.38
Top 10%
For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% for full-backs in the league for goals scored, shots on target, through balls, the top 4% for passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.
On top of that, he also has two goals and two assists to his name in just nine league games so far this season.
Ultimately, while it is still early on in the season, it’s becoming impossible to ignore the fact that Timber is currently playing like one of the best full-backs in the world.
Not Eze & Gyokeres: Arsenal pair look like the best since Bergkamp & Henry
Aretat has helped to create Arsenal’s best duo since Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.
West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo is faced with key “issues” in the build up to January, which could mean he loses one of his big-name players.
Nuno set for first West Ham home game as manager against Brentford
With the October international break now over, much to the delight of Premier League fans, Nuno is braced for his first home game as West Ham boss.
Nuno will be determined to make a strong impression on the London Stadium crowd and kickstart a positive run of form. However, the occasion is set to be clouded by unrest among some sections of the West Ham fanbase, who have announced a boycott of the match in protest against the club’s ownership.
Supporters’ group Hammers United, who are actively calling for the resignations of David Sullivan and Karren Brady, did send an open letter of backing to Nuno, explaining their stance is not aimed towards the Portuguese or his team.
Adding to West Ham’s challenges is the absence of striker Niclas Füllkrug, who could be sidelined for several weeks with a thigh injury.
Fullkrug’s latest injury adds to his torrid fitness record since joining the East Londoners from Borussia Dortmund in 2024, and this setback means Nuno will be without his first choice striker for the foreseeable future.
This puts additional pressure on the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta as the creators, with Callum Wilson and Callum Marshall now tasked with stepping up to replace the German.
Speaking of Paqueta, while reports suggest that West Ham are not keen on selling the Brazil international in January, Sullivan’s hand could be forced.
West Ham ready to sell Lucas Paqueta for £60 million in January
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, via Hammers News, West Ham face obstacles financially, and if any side were to bid around £60 million for Paqueta, Nuno’s side would green-light his exit mid-season.
The 28-year-old was believed to be close to joining Aston Villa in the summer, but in a show of loyalty, Paqueta kissed the badge after scoring against Nottingham Forest and chose to stick with West Ham after they backed him through his spot-fixing allegations.
The former Lyon star hasn’t been at his consistent best since 2023/2024, partly as a result of that major off-field distraction, but Paqueta will now be itching to prove himself to Nuno as West Ham look to battle away from the drop zone.
However, in the event of an offer too good to refuse, Paqueta’s mid-season exit cannot be ruled out, and any of the funds acquired for his services could be reinvested into signing a new striker.
Of the centre-forwards linked with a move to the London Stadium, Man United’s Josh Zirkzee is believed to be attracting West Ham’s interest ahead of January.
Liverpool won the Premier League last season, but Arne Slot doesn’t seem like one to rest on his laurels, and is set on making the forthcoming campaign one of an even more significant triumph.
While the Reds were incredible across the league term, they left plenty to be desired through the season’s offshoots, losing an FA Cup tie to Plymouth Argyle, who were ultimately relegated from the Championship, and falling against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final and eventual Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool manager ArneSlotlooks on before the match
Not too shabby, all told. Premier League rivals Arsenal finished ten points behind Liverpool in second, after all. But there’s little question that Slot lacked depth, for the Dutch coach was hesitant in enforcing rotation to a fault, though this illustrates his frustrations regarding some of Anfield’s wider members of the first-team squad.
At the front of his issue was Darwin Nunez, who, as Liverpool’s star striker, only scored seven goals across all competitions, with Slot even stating he “can’t accept” the Uruguayan’s work-rate across a string of matches.
Though a move to Napoli fell through this week, FSG still expect to cash in on Nunez this summer, having already moved to sign his replacement.
Why Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool have stolen ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with the French forward having submitted a transfer request to push negotiations closer toward the finish line.
Ekitike is only 23, but he’s established himself as one of Europe’s top young forwards, with journalist Graeme Bailey even coining him “the next Mbappe” for his blend of pace, physicality and potency in the final third.
However, the dynamic talent wasn’t Liverpool’s first choice. That would be Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. However, FSG’s formal efforts to prise him away from St. James’ Park proved fruitless.
It’s a shame, but Ekitike’s arrival would cushion the blow and then some, for he has the makings of a truly world-class superstar.
With suitors in the Saudi Pro League eager to snap Nunez up in the coming weeks, Ekitike’s prospective arrival will be an elating thing, having notched 40 goal involvements across a season-and-a-half with Frankfurt.
His silky, fleet-footed movements and dogged approach in the final third have led FBref to record him as one of Isak’s most comparable players, so you can certainly see the vision.
And for a cheaper sum too. Isak would have cost upwards of £120m to bring over to Merseyside, and would that truly be tenable? With a central defender still required and maybe a winger too, perhaps not.
Though Isak would have been an incredible addition, Liverpool fans have already been bestowed one earth-shattering acquisition by the ambitious owners this summer.
And Florian Wirtz might even prove the cream of a crop that, hypothetically, contained Isak in a Liverpool shirt too.
Liverpool have already struck gold on Florian Wirtz
Wirtz doesn’t need to kick a ball in a competitive setting for Liverpool fans to know that Slot has struck gold with this signing, owing to the diligence and perseverance of sporting director Richard Hughes.
Wirtz, 22, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £100m last month. If potential add-ons are met, this fee will stretch higher still and extend to £116m, past Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, the current record holder at £115m.
Despite his relative youth, the German midfielder has already established quite the résumé, having been awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Year for 2023/24, when Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen dethroned Bayern Munich as invincibles, previously rebounding with vigour from an ACL injury.
Florian Wirtz
Last season yielded nothing on the trophy front, but Wirtz still maintained his world-class level, hailed as a “truly generational talent” by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, who believed the creative star was performing at a level higher even than Harry Kane in Germany’s top flight.
What about across Europe’s top five leagues? Well, as per FBref, Wirtz ranked among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season for goal involvements, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
He’s a rather efficient playmaker, and with Liverpool having parted with Trent Alexander-Arnold, now Real Madrid property, it’s vital that Slot and co maintain the squad’s peerless creative levels. Wirtz has been picked as the man for that task, it appears.
24/25
Liverpool
112
23/24
Liverpool
102
22/23
Liverpool & Man City
103
21/22
Liverpool
97
20/21
Liverpool
82
You get the picture; Liverpool have signed a sensation. This marquee man’s ability is better defined, perhaps, through the lens of CIES Football Observatory’s player-valuing system.
Indeed, according to the renowned research site, Liverpool’s record signing is actually worth £150m, a stratospheric figure. Pundit Paul Robinson felt previously that this was an accurate figure when considering the player’s worth.
Isak, however, comes in at a ‘lowly’ £95m.
Of course, that is not a fair reflection of Isak’s value in the modern market, but it does serve to illustrate exactly how incredible a signing Liverpool have pulled off by signing Wirtz without breaking the British transfer record (yet).
Already, Liverpool fans have been gifted a glimpse into the playmaker’s winger footwork, seemingly fitting right in as pre-season preparations get underway.
Slot’s side is replete with high-level quality, and though Isak would have been a wonderful addition this summer, those of a Reds persuasion can take more than a measure of solace in having sealed a signing already, which may break the English transfer record.
In any case, given that Wirtz is considered to be the more valuable player, have Liverpool not hit the jackpot?
New Van Dijk: "Unreal" talent hands in transfer request to join Liverpool
Liverpool are making things happen in the summer transfer market.
Slowly and then all at once would be one way to describe Arsenal’s summer thus far.
While their rivals were making signing after signing last month, Mikel Arteta’s side appeared rather sluggish, going back and forth between Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko without making much progress towards either one.
However, over the last week or so, things have begun to change, with Kepa Arizabalage through the door, Christian Norgaard’s arrival feeling like a matter of time, and an avalanche of reports linking the club to Crystal Palace superstar Eberechi Eze.
Eberechi Eze for Crystal Palace.
Furthermore, Andrea Berta and Co appear intent on bringing in more Premier League talent this month, with reports now linking the club to someone who could be a dream teammate for Eze.
Arsenal target Premier League stars
While Arsenal are more than happy to shop abroad, the club are also no stranger to picking up players from closer to home, and so far this summer, they have been linked with several Premier League stars, like Morgan Rogers and Anthony Elanga.
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 was superb for Aston Villa last season, racking up a tally of 14 goals and 15 assists in 54 games, but such a great campaign has seen his price tag soar, and reports have suggested he could cost the Gunners as much as £70m.
Likewise, Elanga once again proved his worth for Nottingham Forest in 24/25, racking up 18 goal involvements in 43 games, which in turn has seen his potential price tag reach £60m.
However, there is another, slightly cheaper, but still exciting Premier League attacker who is reportedly in the Gunners’ sights this summer: Noni Madueke.
At least that’s according to a recent report from Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, which reaffirms that Arsenal are very much interested in the Chelsea star.
The report goes a step further, though, claiming that the North Londoners are now in talks with the dynamic winger, having submitted their contract offer to the player, who is valued at close to £50m, according to other reports. What makes this move doubly interesting is that the player actually spent time in the Spurs academy as a youngster.
It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Madueke’s ability and potential, it might be one worth fighting for, especially as he could be a perfect teammate for Eze.
Why Eze would love Madueke
So, it might be somewhat simplistic, but one of the reasons Eze might love to play with Madueke is down to his output, as that’s what’s going to help the Palace star’s own goal and assist numbers.
For example, despite not always being one of the first names on the teamsheet at Chelsea last season, the exciting winger was still able to amass a decent haul of 11 goals and five assists in 2589 minutes of football, spread across 44 appearances.
That means the 23-year-old averaged a goal or assist every 161.81 minutes for the Blues, which isn’t too bad at all, and substantially better than Gabriel Martinelli’s average of a goal involvement every 222.75 minutes and even better than Leandro Trossard’s average of one every 172.75 minutes.
On top of being a fairly reliable scorer and provider of goals, the “unbelievable” forward, as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name, including some that would be music to Eze’s ears.
For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, the top 4% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and many more, all per 90. With those qualities in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that some within the game have said that he’s “very similar to Saka.”
Progressive Carries
6.82
Top 1%
Carries into Penalty Area
4.12
Top 1%
GCA (Defensive Action)
0.04
Top 4%
Touches (Att Pen)
8.15
Top 4%
Non-Penalty xG
0.43
Top 6%
Shots Total
3.54
Top 7%
Progressive Carrying Distance
154.28
Top 7%
Shots on Target
1.33
Top 8%
Now, those three statistics could be particularly important for the Eagles ace, as they suggest the Chelsea man is truly elite at getting the ball into seriously dangerous areas, which in turn could result in better and more chances for his teammates.
Ultimately, from his output to what’s going on under the hood, Madueke looks like someone who could explode in the right environment, and therefore, we reckon he’d be an incredible teammate for Eze at Arsenal.
He's more exciting than Eze: Arsenal close in on signing £69m "monster"
The goalscorer would be a bigger game-changer for Arsenal than Eze.
Despite finishing as low as 15th in the Premier League last season and missing out on every European competition, Manchester United’s exciting summer transfer window could be set to continue amid reports that one target has made a shock U-turn.
Mbeumo set to undergo Man Utd medical
After submitting an offer in excess of £60m, Manchester United have taken a vital step closer to signing Mbeumo, who is now reportedly scheduled to undergo a medical at the club as early as next week. The Brentford forward, like Cunha, is a transformative signing for Ruben Amorim’s frontline which was often found wanting last season.
Ahead of the biggest move of his career yet, Mbeumo has already received the backing of Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who spoke about the impact that both he and Cunha could make at Old Trafford.
He told Sky Sports: “[Man United] need players who are going to come in and hit the ground running. United has become a very difficult place for new signings to operate in the last ten years.
“Cunha and Mbeumo have obviously got Premier League experience. They’ve got plenty of games under their belt. [English football] is not new to them and actually they are the right type.
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He’d be a bigger signing than Mbeumo.
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“When I watch Manchester United wide players, they have to be able to get from box-to-box quickly. They have to be able to run, to travel with and without the ball. Mbeumo and, to be fair Cunha, can do that.”
Whilst the new attacking duo is no doubt impressive, INEOS may not be done there with incomings amid reports that one of their top targets has made a shock transfer U-turn.
Gyokeres now wants Man Utd move instead of Arsenal
In what could prove to be an almighty mistake, Arsenal’s increasing interest for Benjamin Sesko has re-opened the door for INEOS to make their best move yet at Old Trafford.
The Gunners have been chasing both strikers for weeks, laying groundwork and weighing their options, but according to The Mirror, INEOS and Manchester United are in contact to sign Viktor Gyokeres and the Swede now believes that a move to the Red Devils is his best option this summer.
The Swede’s departure from Sporting has become somewhat inevitable after his public spat with the Portuguese club and United should take full advantage of the forward’s desire to reunite with former boss Amorim.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokereskisses the trophy as he celebrate after winning the Taca de Portugal
The disagreement came to the fore when Sporting president Frederico Varandas accused Gyokeres’ agent of falsely claiming that there had been a gentleman’s agreement to sell the star striker for around £59m this summer. Instead, the Portuguese club have reportedly priced the Swede at as much as £86m – a price that his camp believe is too high to ensure a move in the coming months.
In today’s market though, Sporting may argue that a player who scored 54 goals in 52 games last season is worth every penny of that £86m fee. Whether Manchester United share that sentiment and sign a player who Sporting boss Rui Borges dubbed “phenomenal” remains to be seen, however.
Celtic are chipping away in their mission to land new signings and could turn their attention to the Premier League in their bid to strengthen the ranks.
Celtic close in on several summer deals
Kieran Tierney has already returned to Parkhead after leaving Arsenal on a free transfer, signalling the first domino of Celtic’s window falling ahead of what is expected to be a busy period for Brendan Rodgers.
Swiftly moving on to new targets, the Bhoys are working on a deal to sign Albirex Niigita defender Hayato Inamura in what would be a return to the Asian market after success stories such as Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Brendan Rodgers
Nordsjaelland winger Benjamin Nygren is expected to sign for Celtic as the club close in on a £2 million capture for the Swedish international, albeit he isn’t expected to be the sole answer in the forward areas.
Despite rumours linking Daizen Maeda with a move away from Glasgow’s east end, the Japan international appears to have put any notion of an exit to bed after his exceptional 33-goal campaign last term.
He stated: “I really enjoyed playing in the Champions League this season because there were so many games and it gave us a lot of different challenges.
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“I think the new format has been great and I am excited to try it again this upcoming season. It helped me improve.”
Looking to build on another excellent campaign, Rodgers could now move to strengthen his midfield with a familiar face who shot to prominence in the Premier League last season, per recent developments.
Celtic set to step up move for Andy Irving
According to Football Insider, Celtic are set to step up their efforts to land West Ham United midfielder Andy Irving following his maiden cap for Scotland against Liechtenstein.
After keeping tabs on his situation, the former Hearts man is said to be open to a move to Glasgow and will be allowed to leave the London Stadium amid his bit-part role under Graham Potter.
Andy Irving’s Premier League statistics in 2024/25 (Fotmob)
Pass accuracy
90%
Long ball accuracy
87.5%
Duels won
10
Recoveries
10
Cross accuracy
50%
Labelled someone with “great passing ability” by Robbie Neilson, Irving made 11 appearances across all competitions for the Hammers last season, though could now be on the move despite his capacity to operate in a deeper-lying role or as a number eight.
Celtic have long been on the lookout for a competitor for Callum McGregor, and the West Ham man could also help to satisfy homegrown quota legislation if they end up in the Champions League or Europa League league phase.
While it remains to be seen how much he would cost, landing a Scotland international on a relatively cheap deal would be smart business as the Bhoys look to continue their domestic dominance.