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Everton have made some terrific moves in the summer transfer window to bolster David Moyes’ options across the pitch, with the headline-grabber so far being the arrival of Jack Grealish.

The England international has registered an eye-catching haul of four assists in three Premier League outings for the Toffees so far, per Sofascore, with two assists against Wolves and against Brighton.

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall also arrived from Chelsea on a permanent deal and produced a goal and an assist in the 3-2 win over Wolves in the top-flight at the weekend.

Everton eyeing new right-back

The Toffees are now looking at the other end of the pitch for potential reinforcements to improve the back four in front of Jordan Pickford before the deadline passes.

Transfer Focus

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

According to journalist Alan Myers, Everton have an interest in Norwich City right-back Kellen Fisher ahead of the end of the summer transfer window this evening.

The reporter adds, though, that he is not aware of a formal bid having been placed for the England U21 international, which suggests that there has not been any concrete movement as of yet.

Everton’s interest in the 21-year-old talent does seem to show that the club are eyeing a last-minute move to sort their right-back position out.

What Kellen Fisher could bring to Everton

Moyes could have a natural right-back who could take Jake O’Brien out of that position if the club are able to strike a late deal with Norwich for the defender, who was hailed for his “crunching” tackles by reporter Connor Southwell.

Unlike O’Brien, who is a centre-back by trade, Fisher is an out-and-out right-back who has plenty of experience now playing for the Canaries in the Championship, and for England at U20 and U21 level.

In the 3-2 win over Wolves, the current Everton ‘right-back’ lost seven of his nine ground duels and lost possession of the ball a staggering 26 times, per Sofascore, whilst the Canaries gem only lost possession 7.4 times per game on averag last term.

That performance highlighted the need for the Toffees to have a natural full-back in that position to be mobile enough to win duels as well as good enough technically to progress up the pitch and create chances for the team.

Appearances

38

20

Big chances created

4

1

Assists

4

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

1.5

Duels won per game

3.9

3.8

Ground duel success rate

53%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

62%

58%

As you can see in the table above, Fisher and O’Brien’s respective statistics at league level last season suggest that the former is far more likely to provide a threat in the final third, by pushing on from right-back to create ‘big chances’ chances for his side.

The Norwich youngster being an athletic, pacey, right-back also means that he is more effective in duels, as illustrated by those statistics, because he is combative and quick across the ground, whilst O’Brien is a natural centre-back who wants to step off instead of potentially having to deal with a foot race.

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Therefore, Fisher has the qualities and the profile to replace O’Brien as the first-choice right-back for Everton if he can adapt to the Premier League, by offering the team more as a strong defender and as a creative threat in the final third.

Chelsea have now opened talks with the representatives of Barcelona star Fermin Lopez, which comes as a shock amid their long-winded pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

Enzo Maresca’s side, amid their desperate bid to offload the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to make room in their squad, opened negotiations over signing Simons weeks ago.

Negotiations for the Dutchman have been ongoing ever since, and despite some reports to the contrary, a full agreement with Leipzig still hasn’t been reached.

Just five days remain until the transfer window shuts on September 1, and Maresca was believed to be prioritising deals for both Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and the 22-year-old before the deadline.

However, reports that Barca’s Lopez has emerged as a concrete target during this final stretch have prompted many questions.

The Spaniard, who has become a star under Hansi Flick, has been approached by Chelsea as the Blues reach out to his camp, according to multiple reliable sources, with Chelsea now eyeing a late move for Lopez who’d come as an alternative to Simons.

The 22-year-old made 46 appearances in all competitions last term – scoring eight goals and bagging 10 assists – including a brace of goal contributions against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

His quality is pretty much undeniable, as is the notion that he’d provide Maresca with a serious playmaking upgrade who’s also capable of playing on the left-wing.

Chelsea's plan for Xavi Simons after opening talks with Fermin Lopez

Some on-lookers may assume from Chelsea’s contact that they are moving on to Lopez after contacting his entourage, but that apparently isn’t the case.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are attempting to put pressure on Leipzig to sell Simons by approaching Lopez, with the Bundesliga sensation very much still their priority right now.

If Chelsea do turn their attentions fully towards Lopez, the asking price is believed to be around £60 million.

Leeds United kick off their 2025/26 Premier League campaign in ten days as they prepare to welcome Everton to Elland Road for their opening game.

The Whites may have a new-look defence in place when the Toffees come to town, as Lucas Perri, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and Gabriel Gudmundsson will all be hoping to start, whilst Jaka Bijol is suspended.

Daniel Farke has only had one new attacker added to his squad during the summer transfer window so far, though, as Lukas Nmecha joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg.

The German head coach needs more recruits at the top end of the pitch to improve his attacking options, especially in the number ten position, where Brenden Aaronson plays.

Bristol City (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

Bristol City (H)

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the USA international struggled badly against the top teams in the Championship, which does not suggest that he is likely to fare well against Premier League teams.

Leeds reportedly looked at a loan swoop for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia earlier in the window, but that particular rumour has gone cold.

Why Leeds may not want to sign Emiliano Buendia

A link to the Argentina international was always going to pop up during the summer transfer window, whether there was genuine interest or not, because of his relationship with Farke.

The Leeds boss signed Buendia for Norwich in the summer of 2018 and coached him for three seasons in Norfolk, winning two Championship titles in the process. During that time, the playmaker scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 appearances for the Canaries.

This shows why Farke may want to work with the Argentine magician again, as he delivered goals and assists on a regular basis for him in East Anglia.

However, Buendia turns 29 in December and he has yet to prove that he can deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch at Premier League level.

24/25

12

0

0

22/23

38

5

2

21/22

35

4

6

19/20

36

1

7

Leeds, if he is not available on loan, may be reluctant to spend big money on an ageing player who has not fully proven himself as an attacking threat at the top level, with no more than five goals in any of his four seasons in the Premier League.

This may be why the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking at alternative options to come in and bolster their options in the number ten position before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

Leeds target is keen on Elland Road move

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post newsletter, as relayed by Leeds United News, Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss is very interested in a move to Elland Road this summer.

The report claims that the player’s camp have confirmed that he is interested in signing for the Championship champions before the end of the window, and that a meeting has already been held to discuss a possible move.

Transfer Focus

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

It adds that the Whites have also made an enquiry to Leicester about a potential deal to sign the Morocco international, who reportedly has a release clause of £22m in his contract.

Tottenham Hotspur, who will be in the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign, have also been linked with an interest in the 21-year-old talent this month.

This latest update on El Khannouss’ eagerness to sign for Leeds will, therefore, come as a big boost to the Whites, who will be hoping to beat off competition from other teams to land his signature.

Why Leeds should sign Bilal El Khannouss

The West Yorkshire outfit should be pushing to get this deal over the line as quickly as possible, now that they know that the player is keen to make it happen, because he could be Farke’s new version of Buendia.

Unlike the Aston Villa attacker, the Leicester youngster is at the start of his career, at the age of 21, and Leeds would be signing a player who is on his way up in the game.

El Khannouss, who has been hailed as“exceptional” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve after his debut season in England, whilst Buendia is closer to the latter stages of his career and still searching for consistency.

The £22m-rated starlet showed flashes of quality in the Premier League with the Foxes, who were relegated, as he created eight ‘big chances’ in 27 starts.

xAG

0.19

Top 46%

Assists

0.12

Bottom 35%

Passes attempted

43.85

Top 15%

Progressive passes

5.28

Top 14%

Passes into the final third

3.67

Top 10%

Key passes

1.73

Top 37%

Through balls

0.45

Top 16%

As you can see in the table above, El Khannouss ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of passing and creative metrics for Leicester.

He was unfortunate to only register three assists from his eight ‘big chances created’ and 0.19 xAG per 90, as his teammates failed to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that were created for them.

These statistics suggest that the Leicester dynamo has the potential to be an incredibly creative force in the number ten position for Leeds, as he was able to shine as a creator in his first year in England as a young player in a team that got relegated.

The Whites will be hoping to put up more of a fight than the Foxes did in the Premier League, which may mean that El Khannouss has even more opportunities to showcase his creativity in what will, hopefully, be a more successful team on the pitch.

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Overall, the Morocco international could be Farke’s next Buendia as an impressive creative threat in the number ten position, and signing him over the former Norwich man may make more sense due to their respective ages and potential for growth in the years to come.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن دخول البرتغالي برونو لاج في مفاوضات مع نادي كبير رغم أنباء اقترابه من النادي الأهلي.

ويعتبر برونو لاج المرشح الأبرز لتدريب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي خلفًا للإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو بعد إقالته بسبب سوء النتائج.

ولم يفُز ريبيرو سوى بمباراة واحدة في بطولة الدوري على حساب فاركو برباعية مقابل هدف، بينما تلقى هزيمتين وحقق 4 تعادلات.

ورحل ريبيرو بعد الخسارة أمام بيراميدز في الدوري المصري بثنائية نظيفة، عقب أداء سيئ للغاية والكثير من المعاناة التي ظهرت على لاعبي الأهلي.

وكانت صحيفة “أو جوجو” البرتغالية أفادت أن المفاوضات بين برونو لاج وإدارة الأهلي قد تُحسم خلال الساعات القليلة القادمة.

اقرأ أيضًا | 200 ألف يورو تفصل برونو لاج عن تدريب الأهلي

وذكرت أن إدارة النادي الأهلي عرضت على المدرب 4.8 مليون يورو سنويًا في حين أن المدرب يريد تقاضي 5 ملايين يورو.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “نت فلو” فإن المدرب البرتغالي يعتبر أحد المرشحيين البارزين لتدريب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي فلومينينسي البرازيلي.

ريناتو جاوتشو كان قد استقال من منصبه كمدرب لفريق فلومينينسي مساء الثلاثاء، بعد الخروج من بطولة كوبا سود أمريكانا أمام لانوس.

يُذكر أن برونو لاج كانت له تجربة في البرازيل حينما قام بتدريب فريق بوتافوجو منذ عام 2023 حتى 2024.

FSG weren’t lying when they said they were going to spend big this summer. Liverpool fans needed to buckle up ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Anfield side having crossed the £200m mark before even reaching July.

The club’s full-back problems have been resolved through acquisitions of Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, and sporting director Richard Hughes has also overseen the shattering of Liverpool’s transfer record by signing Florian Wirtz for £100m plus £16m in add-ons, which will make the German the most expensive player in British history.

Liverpool aren’t done yet. While Jarell Quansah’s summer sale to Bayer Leverkusen will open up space in central defence, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is the centre of ongoing talks, many fans would point toward the front of the ship as the area most in need of a brush-up.

If and when Napoli sign the unconvincing Darwin Nunez, Hughes will be expected to find a focal frontman to lead the line for the Premier League champions next season and beyond.

What's the latest on Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool need a striker, and the man signed come autumn may turn out to be Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

The French forward, 23, enjoyed a tremendous breakout year in Germany, leading analyst Ben Mattinson to dub him “one of the best strikers out there.”

Liverpool have been getting ready to bid for the forward for a while, but FSG are understandably hesitant given Die Adler’s £85m valuation of their star man.

This is considerably more affordable than Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who could set a successful suitor back £200m this summer, but still rather high for a club having already forked out bucketloads on fresh talents.

So then, who to go for? Well, Ekitike’s good, as the graphic above illustrates, but he’s not as complete and refined as another transfer target who would require a far more modest outlay.

Liverpool hold talks for Ekitike alternative

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool are still in the race for Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres, who will almost certainly leave Portugal this summer after a breakdown in relationships at his outfit.

In fact, the Reds are among the sides to have opened a dialogue with Sporting, seeking information on the marksman as he prepares to leave the club.

Arsenal and Manchester United appear to have the edge in the race, but if Liverpool raise their intrigue, there’s every chance Arne Slot could secure a top-class marksman for 2025/26.

Gyokeres will be available for a fee lower than his €100m (£85m) release clause, with the Liga Portugal champions hoping to bank €80m (£68m) for their number nine’s sale.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Liverpool

While £68m is a rather hefty figure, Gyokeres’ performances over the past couple of years suggest Liverpool would receive bang for their buck.

After joining the Portuguese side from Coventry City in the Championship for around £20m two years ago, the Sweden striker has grown into his skin as one of Europe’s leading goalscorers, posting 97 strikes across 102 matches for the Leões, assisting 28 goals too.

While the Portuguese top division isn’t the highest in overall quality, that’s not to say that Gyokeres hasn’t proved his worth, with the levels of his clinical shooting underscoring his place among Europe’s elite. Indeed, the “lethal” forward has been described as “the best finisher in the world” by football statistician Spencer Mossman.

Ekitike has a high ceiling, all right, but he’s not yet the finished product, and we’ve seen plenty of rising stars not quite reach their potential when making the cosmic leap into the Premier League, where the hard graft only just begins.

Looking at the pairings’ contrasted statistics across the 2024/25 league campaign, Gyokeres for Sporting and Ekitike in Germany for Frankfurt, it may well be that Liverpool should go for the more experienced man.

League Stats 24/25 – Viktor Gyokeres vs Hugo Ekitike
Stats (* per game)	Gyokeres	Ekitike
Matches (starts)	33 (31)	33 (31)
Goals	39	15
Assists	7	8
Shots (on target)*	4.2 (2.4)	3.5 (1.5)
Big chances missed	23	16
Pass completion	73%	76%
Big chances created	11	12
Key passes*	1.9	1.3
Dribbles*	1.8	1.6
Ball recoveries*	2.3	2.6
Tackles + interceptions*	0.5	0.7
Duels (won)*	5.5	4.2
Data via Sofascore

Like Ekitike, the 27-year-old is dynamic in his performances, dribbling at a frequent rate, getting stuck in with duels and providing creative support for his teammates, but he’s also far more prolific and less profligate when placed into a goalscoring radius.

Moreover, he ranked among the top 12% of forwards in the Champions League last term for goal contributions, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, emphasising his ability to do it on the biggest stage.

Of course, a blunter illustration would be his emphatic hat-trick against Manchester City, picking Pep Guardiola’s side apart last November.

Ultimately, Liverpool know they should manage to secure themselves an upgrade on Nunez this summer, the Uruguayan only scoring seven times for Slot all season, but it’s important for FSG to pick the right man.

Gyokeres might not be the youngest on the block, but he’s still got many years of reliable service ahead of him and would surely provide Liverpool with a reliable scoring presence, settled as he would be among some of Europe’s most devastating and dynamic forwards in Wirtz and Salah, and more besides.

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Ed Pollock leads charge in simple chase after inexperienced attack thrives once again

ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2024Worcestershire took another significant step towards the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One Day Cup as they overcame Hampshire by eight wickets at New Road.An excellent all-round performance with ball and then bat secured a fifth win in seven games for the second-placed Rapids. It keeps them on course to clinch the top three spot needed to go through to the next stage of the 50-over tournament. Victory also maintained their 100 percent home record in the competition after previous victories over Middlesex, Durham and Kent.With eight senior players sidelined through injury, Worcestershire’s inexperienced and young attack again performed admirably to dismiss Hampshire for 164 in 47.4 overs.Academy player Jack Home continued his impressive form since his promotion with another three wickets to take his tally to 15 in four One Day Cup games with some more pacey and threatening bowling.Ethan Brookes also maintained his excellent run with the ball and spinners Fateh Singh and Tom Hinley had such a grip on proceedings that they returned combined figures of 20-1-59-1.Gareth Roderick and Ed Pollock then ensured that there would be no alarms for the Rapids in reaching their modest target with a spendlid century opening stand.Pollock was the dominant partner in racing to his half century off just 44 balls with one six and 10 fours. But Roderick was the perfect foil and his 47 took his run tally to 385 – the third-highest overall in this year’s competition.Hampshire will console themselves with the fact they are still in contention themselves to qualify despite a below-par performance and a third setback of the campaign.Worcestershire made two changes with Home and Hishaam Khan replacing the rested Tom Taylor and Harry Darley. Hampshire also made changes with Joe Weatherley, released to play by Southern Brave, and Mohammad Abbas coming in for Joseph Eckland and Eddie Jack.Hampshire captain Nick Gubbins opted to bat on winning the toss on the same wicket used for Wednesday’s encounter against Kent. Tommy Sturgess took the new ball and struck in his second over when Weatherley (10) attempted a cut and edged through to keeper Roderick.Fletcha Middleton and Gubbins scored freely during the powerplay but in the 10th and final over the former went to pull Khan and fell to a good catch by Singh running back to backward square leg.Home came into the attack and claimed the wicket of Gubbins and Ben Brown in the space of three deliveries during his first over. Gubbins tried to leave a shortish ball but the ball hit the back of his bat and went through to Roderick. Brown then nicked a delivery which moved away from him and Roderick pouched his third catch of the innings.Brookes, Worcestershire most economical bowler in this year’s tournament, also enjoyed success in his first over as Tom Prest mistimed a pull to mid on where Khan took a fine low catch.Toby Albert (26) was fortunate to inside edge Home for a boundary but the introduction of Singh led to his downfall as he was trapped lbw after sweeping.There was another scalp for Singh as Organ, having struggled for 35 balls in making nine, picked out Rob Jones at short cover. Brookes kept the pressure on the Hampshire batters from the New Road during a frugal spell of 7-1-12-1. And there was no let-up for the visitors, with Kyle Abbott then pushing forward to Hinley to be neatly stumped by Roderick at 113 for 8.The ninth-wicket pair of Dominic Kelly and Brad Wheal batted sensibly in adding 36 before Home returned to the attack and bowled the latter after he went for an expansive drive. Some late blows from Kelly (45) lifted the final total before he tried to sweep Brookes and the ball ballooned up for Roderick to complete another dismissal.The Rapids were given a positive start to their reply by Pollock and Roderick and negotiated their way through the initial powerplay against the new ball threat posed by Abbott and Abbas. Roderick straight drove Abbott to the boundary and turned the same bowler through mid wicket to the ropes while Pollock collected three boundaries in an over from Abbas.Pollock greeted Wheal’s introduction into the attack with a maximum over midwicket and successive boundaries off the same bowler carried him to his half century. His fine knock ended on 67 out of 104 in the 23rd over when he sliced Prest to backward point.Roderick fell at extra cover off Gubbins but Rob Jones and Jake Libby quickly saw their side over the finishing line with 13.4 overs to spare.

Despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back option, Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing an offer to re-sign a Premier League defender.

Daniel Levy: "Failure is not an option"

The biggest decision of Tottenham’s summer so far has undoubtedly been the appointment of Thomas Frank after showing Ange Postecoglou the door. The decision to sack Australian is one that split opinion just weeks after the Lilywhites ended their trophy drought by winning the Europa League against Manchester United.

Levy has since spoken for the first time since sacking Postecoglou, revealing that it was a difficult decision emotionally. He told reporters: “I don’t regret appointing Ange, I’m very grateful to Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in his second we were over the moon to win a trophy.

“But we need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change. Emotionally it was difficult but we feel that we’ve made the right decision for the club. “I’ve got very broad shoulders. Failure is not an option, the desire [is] to succeed. And because it’s so difficult, I want to succeed even more.”

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Whether those in North London agree with the decision or not, Postecoglou’s departure has since opened the door for Frank to step into the hot seat for the biggest job of his career.

It has been a long time coming for the Dane, who took Brentford to new heights despite often lacking in resources. Now at Tottenham, he has the chance to prove that he belongs at the very top by turning things around in North London.

That turnaround must start away from the pitch and in the transfer window, however, with names such as Antoine Semenyo alongside a name that Spurs fans know well already among the headlines on that front.

Tottenham preparing offer to re-sign Cirkin

According to reports relayed by The Northern Echo, Tottenham are now preparing a formal offer to re-sign Dennis Cirkin despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back clause from Sunderland.

The left-back has blossomed into an impressive talent since swapping Spurs for Wearside and now finds himself back in the Premier League with the Black Cats. That return has not gone under the radar, however, and Levy now has his sights set on a reunion.

Cirkin would not only hand Frank an instant boost in his backline but also help Spurs to fill their homegrown quota in the Champions League next season. On all fronts, it is a deal that may make sense for the Lilywhites.

Sunderland are reportedly eager to keep hold of Cirkin and tie their defender down to a new contract. Whether they are able to convince their defender to ignore the interest of his former club remains to be seen, though.

Alas, having already lost Jobe Bellingham for big money, the Black Cats have proved their ability to drive a hard bargain and with no buy-back clause to fall back on, Spurs could yet face some tough negotiations.

Right, Andrea Berta, what have you got for us? Arsenal fans will hope that once the transfer window ends, a striker has signed on the dotted line.

There aren’t many dead certainties in football or sport in general, but the addition of a new centre-forward would undoubtedly boost Mikel Arteta’s hopes of winning silverware next season.

Truth be told, the record of the club’s strikers was not awful in 2024/25. Kai Havertz was on for a 20-goal season if he didn’t sustain a hamstring injury over the winter and Mikel Merino, for all the discussion surrounding him, had a terrific end to the campaign.

The Spaniard notably scored against Real Madrid and once all was said and done, finished the season with six goals in 12 games as a striker. It wasn’t a flash in the pan either as he netted for Spain during the recent set of international fixtures.

That said, they cannot rely on those two again heading into 2025/26.

Arsenal's hunt for a new striker

So, what’s the latest? Well, talks were opened to sign RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko a few weeks ago and it’s reported that Arsenal are indeed still pushing to sign the Slovenian powerhouse this summer.

Sky German’s Florian Plettenburg revealed last week that there remains a ‘positive’ feeling around the deal, but there is no agreement in place yet. A sticking point continues to be the price tag with Leipzig looking for something between £68m and £85m.

Transfer Focus

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

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As a result, Arsenal are continuing to do work on Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swede now very much keen on signing for the Gunners amid interest from Manchester United. The latest on that deal is that the Sporting striker is reportedly now ‘dreaming’ of heading to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

But, what if there was a better option than both? Well, that player would well be out there over the forthcoming months.

Indeed, according to one GOAL transfer correspondent, Arsenal are one of the teams to have held talks over signing Napoli’s Victor Osimhen this summer.

The Nigerian is attracting plenty of interest with Galatasaray, Juventus, PSG, Chelsea, Manchester United, Milan and Real Madrid said to have had contact with the forward.

Osimhen was valued at over £100m last summer but Napoli struggled to find a suitor and as a result, he spent the campaign on loan at Galatasaray.

Now, his value has fallen to around £63m which would be a more attractive price than Sesko’s valuation, in particular.

But, who would be the better signing?

How Osimhen compares to Sesko and Gyokeres

Sesko is very much a raw talent. While he bagged 21 goals in all competitions throughout 2024/25, only 13 of those came in Bundesliga action. For someone who could cost over £80m, you could argue that Arsenal may well end up overpaying here.

However, you cannot argue with his skill set. He’s tall, he’s quick, he’s physical and he’s already been described as the “new Erling Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig.

As for Gyokeres, well, you’re probably going to get goals. There are not very many players on the planet capable of scoring at the rate he’s been scoring at over the last few years.

Since trading Coventry for Lisbon, the Sweden international has been on fire at Sporting. He scored 54 goals in 52 games this season, adding to the 43 in 50 he netted throughout 2023/24. He’s a rampant goal machine, that is evident. However, there is a lingering question: can he do it in a top five league? There are some doubters.

Osimhen, on the other hand, has proven over a number of years now that he can perform at the highest level of the game. He’s a ready-made option and there’s a reason most of the top clubs in Europe are looking at him.

Like Gyokeres, Osimhen was playing in a lower quality league this season – the top-flight of Turkey – but he was incredibly destructive. The 26-year-old scored 26 goals in 30 league matches and added another 11 in as many games in cup competitions.

It follows the trend of Osimhen scoring a bucket load of goals wherever he goes. It was at Lille where the “monster” forward, as he’s been described by analyst Ben Mattinson, first became something of a household name.

Goal tallies: Osimhen vs Gyokeres since 2020

Season

Osimhen

Gyokeres

2020/21

10

5

2021/22

18

18

2022/23

31

22

2023/24

17

43

2024/25

37

54

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The Nigeria international scored 18 in 38 for Les Dogues and in a Napoli shirt, has 76 in 133 outings, an average of 19 per season.

For some, it might be crucial to learn that 65 of those goals have come in Serie A, where he notably led Napoli to the title in 2022/23, becoming a cult hero in the process.

An immense physical presence, the aforementioned Mattinson has also labelled him as a “beast in the air”, highlighting his ability to “hold up play”.

In contrast, that’s an area where Gyokeres perhaps struggles more with Mattinson indicating that the Swede has a “heavy first touch” and “doesn’t anticipate contact or shield the ball well.” Those are red flags in his eyes and as a result, it does indicate that Osimhen could be the better option.

He’s an animal in front of goal, has clever movement like Gyokeres and can offer something else in the build-up play too. That final factor could well be decisive for Arteta who enjoys a forward who isn’t just a one-trick pony.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has shared his verdict as Spurs reportedly close in on the appointment of a 52-year-old, with the ex-England international expressing his delight for chairman Daniel Levy.

Tottenham ponder new manager after 20 Premier League defeats

The Lilywhites set a dismal record over the weekend, surpassing their previous number of total Premier League defeats in a single season.

Related Tottenham: £4m-per-year manager enters pole position to replace Postecoglou

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini May 10, 2025

Ange Postecoglou’s side have now lost 20 league games this term, following a 2-0 home defeat to FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace, and this torrid number is quite simply inexcusable for a ‘big six’ club.

Tottenham’s final Premier League fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (away)

May 16th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Spurs also find themselves 17th in the table with no wins from their last five. The terrible form of relegated trio Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton has seemingly rescued them from flirting with a drop to the Championship, which makes for seriously grim reading from Postecoglou’s perspective.

Some reports suggest Postecoglou is set to leave Tottenham this summer, even if the Australian ends their 17-year wait for a trophy and qualifies for the Champions League by winning the Europa League final.

A host of tacticians have been tipped to potentially replace Postecoglou, with Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Scott Parker (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Head of Global, Red Bull), Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund) and Edin Terzić (free agent) all on Tottenham’s rumoured managerial shortlist, according to reports in the last month.

In the meantime, while none of these possible appointments appear close, one hire which is becoming more anticipated by the week is the return of ex-managing director Fabio Paratici.

The Italian’s worldwide ban by FIFA is due to end on June 30th, and this has prompted many reports linking him with a return to N17.

Corriere della Sera recently stated that Paratici will re-join Tottenham after talks with AC Milan broke down, and some media outlets closer to home claim that Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi has been recommended to Spurs by the 52-year-old already.

Robinson thrilled by potential Paratici return to Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, ex-Spurs keeper Robinson has shared exactly why he believes Paratici’s potentially imminent comeback is a welcome boost for the north Londoners.

“His recruitment has been excellent,” said the pundit, who regularly features on Sky Sports.

“Listen, he’s had an official ban, but I think his fingerprints have been all over a lot of Tottenham signings. You can’t work in an official capacity, but there’s nobody saying you can’t ring your mate up and make a phone call and recommend him a player.

“Anyone can do that. You look at the signings that he’s had, you look at Kulusevski, Bentancur, Romero, Vicario. The signings that he’s brought to the club have been a success.

“I think from the outside looking in, it’s somebody that Daniel Levy trusts. So if he comes back in an official capacity, I think that’ll be a good thing for the club if he can work with whatever manager’s in charge next season and get the recruitment right for the style of play that the manager wants to achieve.

“It’s vitally important, as we’ve seen this season with Ange, you have to have a set of players that fit the system that the manager wants to play, or else it’s not going to work.”

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be on the verge of appointing a 52-year-old, following some private talks with chairman Daniel Levy in early April.

Tottenham set for summer overhaul after disappointing campaign

Spurs have recorded a dismal 19 Premier League defeats under Ange Postecoglou this season, a record which could end up costing the Australian his job.

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His team are trying to find a new club.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 30, 2025

Over the course of a campaign hampered by injuries and poor form, matters are made worse by reports that Levy and co are likely to employ a ‘sell to buy’ policy when the transfer window reopens this summer (The Telegraph).

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

The Lilywhites could see the likes of Richarlison, Cristian Romero and even Pedro Porro depart before 2025/2026, according to some reports, while Spurs attempt to garner enough funds to reinforce their squad across the board.

Tottenham want a new centre-back and are targeting Dean Huijsen, while it is believed Postecoglou’s side are eager to acquire a central midfield player too, leading to their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson (GiveMeSport).

Spurs are also boldly eyeing a move for West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen, which may seem far out of the club’s reach.

All of these ambitious plans will require an astute operator when it comes to behind-scenes transfer dealings, and ex-managing director Fabio Paratici will soon be available for hire again.

The Italian resigned from his post in 2023, after being slapped with a worldwide ban by FIFA, but that is due to expire on June 30th.

According to reports from his homeland, back in late March, Paratici held talks with Levy over re-joining Tottenham, and it was claimed at the time that they were ready to make him a rich offer.

Fabio Paratici "will sign with Tottenham"

After his failed switch to AC Milan, Italian media sources started reporting yet again in the last few days that Paratici’s return to Spurs is possible, with newspaper Corriere della Sera now sharing a pretty significant update of their own.

It is now believed that Paratici “will sign for Tottenham” once again, and he is likely to return to the same role he once took before the 52-year-old was forced out.

His return has been tipped for some time, with pundit John Wenham anticipating it after he was spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for their clash against Eintracht Frankfurt.

“If Postecoglou is sacked, I’m not sure who will come in until the end of the season,” Wenham said to Tottenham News.

“We will have to wait and see. However, we saw that Paratici was at the stadium again on Thursday, sitting with the club legends. Therefore, it looks like he is coming back, and perhaps he is already lining up a new manager to replace Postecoglou.”

If confirmed, his hire would be seen as a major boost by some, considering the plaudits he received and how Paratici grew in popularity during his time at N17.