This summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has even admitted as much.

The Spaniard’s side might still be able to do something truly remarkable in the Champions League, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead in the Premier League, any chance of domestic glory looks all but gone.

It’s been a bruising campaign for the Gunners in that regard, as endless injuries and underwhelming form have seen them miss out on the chance to take advantage of Manchester City’s incredible collapse.

Fortunately, it appears as if the North Londoners are determined not to let the same thing happen next year by going big in the summer transfer market, and while Nico Williams has long been linked with the club, recent reports have now touted an even better player for a move to the Emirates.

Arsenal transfer news

Even before Arteta commented on the magnitude of the summer ahead, it looked almost certain that Arsenal would be in the market for a new centre-forward, as recent weeks have seen two names constantly linked with the club: Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

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 will supposedly be available for around the £58m mark and has amassed a tally of 55 goal involvements in 44 games for Sporting CP this season, while the latter could cost up to £67m and has amassed a haul of 25 goal involvements in 39 games for RB Leipzig.

However, it looks like the club don’t just want a new centre-forward, as alongside Williams, there has been another superstar winger recently touted for a move to N5: Rafael Leão.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are keen on signing AC Milan’s Portuguese game-changer.

The report has revealed that the Gunners have made the dynamic attacker one of their top priorities for the upcoming window as they seek a ‘star signing’.

However, Milan are understandably reluctant to let their star man leave easily, so the North Londoners would have to pay his mammoth release clause, which reportedly exceeds €100m, or £86m.

It would be an incredibly costly and potentially complicated transfer, but given Leão’s ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Williams.

How Leão compares to Williams

So, if Arsenal can only sign one left-winger this summer, how does Leão stack up against Williams?

Well, when it comes down to their pure output, the Portuguese superstar comes out on top.

For example, in 43 appearances this season, totalling 2997 minutes, the “unstoppable” Milan star, as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, has scored ten goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games, or every 157.73 minutes.

Leão vs Williams
Player	Leao	Williams
Appearances	43	39
Minutes	2997′	2689′
Goals	10	9
Assists	9	7
Goal Involvements per Match	0.44	0.41
Minutes per Goal Involvement	157.73′	172′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the Athletic Bilbao dynamo has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 39 appearances, totalling 2752 minutes.

That means the Spaniard is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.43 games, or every 172 minutes, which isn’t bad but doesn’t stack up to the competition.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers, it’s another win for the Almada-born monster.

For example, he comes out ahead in practically every relevant metric, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, crosses and passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, shots and shots on target, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Leão vs Williams
Statistic	Leão	Williams
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.60	0.35
Non-Penalty G+As	0.58	0.43
Progressive Passes	3.74	3.17
Progressive Carries	4.95	5.34
Shots	2.57	2.45
Shots on Target	1.04	0.87
Passing Accuracy	75.0%	70.3%
Key Passes	2.48	1.88
Passes into the Final Third	1.58	1.06
Passes into the Penalty Area	2.16	1.35
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.45	0.38
Shot-Creating Actions	4.77	5.05
Goal-Creating Actions	0.63	0.58
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

Ultimately, signing either Leão or Williams would make Arsenal a far more dangerous proposition next season, but if they have to pick one, Arteta and Co should sign the Milan star, as he’s simply the better player.

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Manchester City’s mass-squad overhaul continues.

In January, the Sky Blues spent around £180m, which was more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, recruiting Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico González, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola’s spending spree is not forecast to stop there, with the Sky Blues seemingly planning to splash the cash this summer too.

With Man City stalwarts Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, possibly alongside others too, on their way out, do they have their eye on a “ridiculously talented” forward?

Man City's potential new attacker

According to a report by Foot Mercato, Gabriel Sara is one of Manchester City’s ‘top targets’ this summer, claiming that initial contact has already been made between the club and the player’s entourage.

Born in Brazil, Sara began his career at São Paulo, before spending two seasons with Norwich City in the EFL Championship, making 96 appearances for the Canaries, scoring 21 goals and registering 17 assists, leading analyst Ben Mattinson to describe him as “ridiculously talented”.

Thus, he earned a big-money move to Galatasaray last summer, the Turkish giants paying a reported £15.3m to secure his services, the highlight of his time in İstanbul being his goal during the Intercontinental Derby victory over Fenerbahçe at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in September, with Okan Buruk’s team currently on course to a domestic double.

So, would Sara be a good signing for Man City, and how would he fit into Guardiola’s team?

Why Man City could be targeting the new Bernardo Silva

As referenced earlier, Walker and De Bruyne are already confirmed departures from the Etihad this summer, but there could be more, with Bernardo Silva a prime candidate.

Since arriving from Monaco for a reported fee of £43.6m eight years ago, Silva has made 399 appearances for the Citizens, set to become only the 12th player in club history to reach 400 against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night.

Ben Littlemore of Transfermarkt labels Silva an ‘unsung hero’, adding that he was absolutely pivotal to Man City’s success under Guardiola. However, this season, the Portuguese international has endured a sharp decline, with Adam Drury of Goal believing his time is up at the highest level.

Thus, he could leave the club this summer, but would Sara be a good replacement? Well, let’s compare the duo to find out.

Gabriel Sara vs Bernardo Silva 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Sara

Silva

Appearances

41

44

Minutes

3,196

3,454

Goals

2

4

Assists

8

4

Shots

72

43

Take-on success %

64.7%

42.5%

Progressive carries

23

125

Progressive passes

66

157

Pass completion %

82%

87.1%

Big chances created

12

8

Ball recoveries

53

109

Average Sofascore Rating

7.19

7.18

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table outlines, Sara and Silva are stylistically very similar, on top of the fact that they’re both diminutive and left-footed.

Of course, Sara has a long way to go to be as good as Silva, lagging behind in terms of progressive carries, progressive passes, pass completion percentage and ball recoveries, although the Brazilian has created more chances and been successful with a higher proportion of his take-ons this season.

It’s also worth considering the respective level at which the duo are currently playing at: Global Football Rankings believe the Premier League to be the strongest division in the world, with the Süper Lig down in 18th place.

Nevertheless, Sara is still only 25 years old, and appears as though he would slot into a Guardiola team nicely.

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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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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.

Aston Villa have four games left to save their season. It has been a frustrating few weeks after they were knocked out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, leaving themselves without a chance to win a trophy.

The Villans, however, can still clinch a successful campaign by finishing in the top five in the Premier League to secure a place in the Champions League for the 2025/26 campaign.

Unai Emery’s side, who were narrowly beaten by PSG in the quarter-finals of the competitions this term, are looking to climb at least two places in the Premier League table to land a spot in Europe’s premier cup competition.

The Villans are currently seventh in the top-flight, three points behind Chelsea in fifth spot, and this means that there is still plenty to play for heading into the final four games of the campaign.

David Ornstein reported earlier this week that Marcus Rashford, however, is unlikely to play any part in those four matches after sustaining a hamstring injury that looks set to end his season.

One of the club’s other loan stars, Marco Asensio, could step up to be a difference-maker in the remaining games to make up for the English star’s absence.

Why Marco Asensio's Aston Villa move has been a big success

The Villans swooped to sign the Spain international from PSG in the January transfer window on loan until the end of the season, without an option to make the deal permanent.

Asensio was, essentially, brought in to provide the team with an instant boost, and that is exactly what the 29-year-old dynamo has done over the past three months or so.

The Spanish star has scored eight goals and provided one assist in all competitions for Villa to date, including two goals in one game against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

These statistics show that Asensio has succeeded in making an instant impact at Villa Park with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, which has also been the case in the Premier League specifically.

Appearances (starts)

9 (5)

xG

4.18

Goals

3

Key passes per game

1.3

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the PSG loanee has been directly involved in four goals in five starts in the top-flight, despite missing two penalties in one match against Southampton earlier this month.

The loan move has, therefore, been a big success so far because he has made the desired impact in the final third since joining on a temporary basis from the French giants.

It was reported by TEAMtalk in March that Villa have opened talks over a possible deal to sign the winger on a permanent basis for a fee of £18m in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Instead of splashing £18m on the 29-year-old attacker, however, Emery could find a perfect replacement for Asensio by bringing Emiliano Buendia back into the first-team fold, after his loan at Bayer Leverkusen expires.

The former Norwich City winger could return to take the Spanish gem’s place in the squad next season, saving the club £18m in the process.

Why Emi Buendia could be Marco Asensio's replacement

It is fair to say that Buendia has not lived up to the hype that came alongside his, at the time, club-record £33m move from the Canaries in the summer of 2021.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Argentina international produced nine goals and nine assists in 78 appearances in all competitions in his first two seasons at Villa Park, which is a decent, but unspectacular, return, for an attacking midfielder.

The diminutive talent arrived at the club off the back of a haul of 15 goals and 16 assists in the Championship for Norwich in the 2020/21 campaign, but failed to immediately translate that kind of form over to the top-flight with Villa.

Unfortunately, Buendia then suffered an ACL injury ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and missed a whopping 56 competitive matches, and 328 days of action, before his return in the summer of 2024.

This disrupted his development at Villa and caused him to fall down the pecking order by the time he returned to the team at the start of this season.

Buendia played just 124 minutes of football across 12 substitute appearances in the Premier League during the first half of the current campaign, along with one goal – against Wycombe Wanderers – in two starts in the League Cup.

His lack of minutes on the pitch during the first half of the season led to him being sent out on loan to Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the campaign.

The 28-year-old star, who was once described as a “little warrior” by Steven Gerrard, has scored two goals and created two ‘big chances’ in nine appearances and two starts in the Bundesliga to date, most recently impressing against Augsburg last weekend.

Minutes

64

xG

0.09

Goals

1

Key passes

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

Ground duels won

4/6

Aerial duels won

2/2

As you can see in the table above, Buendia put in a fantastic all-round display for Leverkusen on the wing, winning his duels, creating a chance, and scoring a goal from a low xG chance.

It further illustrates how good the Argentine star, who once provided an unbelievable assist for Norwich in the clip above, can be on his day at the top level.

Buendia is yet to justify his £33m price tag at Aston Villa but his form since joining Leverkusen and his incredible performances for the Canaries in the past suggest that is worth giving him one more chance to impress in pre-season to save his Villa career.

The right-footed wizard has the potential to come back as the perfect replacement for Asensio as an attacking midfielder who can provide goals and assists, if he can finally hit his stride in the Midlands, and that means that he could save the club £18m by preventing them from needing to sign the Spaniard permanently.

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It is now down to Emery to provide the former Norwich maestro with a chance, in pre-season, to show that his loan spell with Leverkusen has helped him to rediscover his best form.

With Arsenal’s adventures in Europe taking priority at the back end of the season, Mikel Arteta has used the last two Premier League games as opportunities to rotate his side.

The title will not be heading in the direction of the Emirates Stadium this season and the manager has clearly realised that too, opting to give his biggest stars some time off with that crunch tie with Real Madrid in mind.

Despite drawing 1-1 with Everton a week ago, that strategy certainly paid off in midweek after that remarkable victory over Real Madrid.

After two appearances as a sub, Bukayo Saka looked revitalised. His return to club action has been managed well.

That said, the club’s league form does leave much to be desired, winning two of their last seven league fixtures. It’s hardly a surprise the title is now but a dream.

So, with another 1-1 draw with Brentford this weekend amid more rotation, those on the fringes didn’t do a whole lot to stake their claim for more regular starts.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Brentford

It’s safe to say that Arsenal’s draw with Brentford was rather more sedate than the rip-roaring success of Tuesday night against Madrid.

That was summed up by the sheer number of changes to the Gunners’ teamsheet. In came the likes of Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Ethan Nwaneri, while goalscorer Thomas Partey started at right-back.

Nwaneri wasn’t able to dazzle as we know he so often can, but it wasn’t a bad performance. Tierney lasted just over an hour, scoring a memorable disallowed goal in the process, and coped well with the threat of Bees talisman Bryan Mbeumo.

However, as for Zinchenko and Trossard, they really did disappoint.

The latter did his best to get on the ball and create opportunities but he lacked goal threat and proved why Arteta has favoured Mikel Merino in that central striker berth since Kai Havertz’s injury.

Trossard did find the net against Everton a week ago but that marked his first league goal since the north London derby back in January.

Trossard had just five touches in the box on Saturday, far fewer than Gabriel Martinelli’s 11, with his display summed up well by GOAL who noted that it was another ‘ineffective display’, hence his 5/10 match rating.

Still, at least he wasn’t as ineffective as Zinchenko.

Zinchenko's performance in numbers vs Brentford

This has been a challenging and difficult season for the Ukrainian who hasn’t earned much game time at all.

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Indeed, the 28-year-old has only actually played 11 times in the Premier League despite being in the squad on 25 occasions. He’s only started three league games too.

That’s hardly a surprise really when you consider Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival last summer and the emergence of Hale End superstar Myles Lewis-Skelly.

As a result, Zinchenko’s last two appearances have actually come in midfield. He starred in that position against PSV in the Champions League, starting in the Odegaard role and scoring a brilliant long-range effort in the first half.

While he dominated against the Dutch side, his influence was poor against Brentford. His display was rather summed up by a succession of first-half corners that he and Nwaneri wasted down the right.

Insistent on playing things short, the ball was played into Zinchenko who ultimately failed to really take control of the situation on more than one occasion.

His lack of influence was summed up by the fact that his touch count of 36 was nine fewer than goalkeeper David Raya’s tally. Grim reading indeed.

To make matters worse, the former Manchester City star failed to provide a key pass, register a cross or complete a dribble.

Minutes played

62

Touches

36

Accurate passes

26/29 (90%)

Key passes

0

Completed crosses

0

Long balls completed

0

Shots on target

0

Shots off target

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Duels won

3/4

Possession lost

5x

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

While the PSV game was a reminder of his qualities, this was a reminder of why Arsenal must cash in on him in the summer. GOAL handed him a 5/10 rating, noting that he was ‘rather quiet’.

Providing the Londoners see off Madrid again in a few days, it’s likely Arteta will ring the changes regularly in the Premier League but Zinchenko shouldn’t start again.

At left-back, Tierney staked more of a claim to feature when Calafiori or Lewis-Skelly aren’t selected while the midfield still has plenty of options who could be chosen ahead of him.

This may well have been his last start in Arsenal colours.

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Leeds United are marching on towards promotion to the Premier League and could clinch it by the end of the Easter matches if results go their way.

The Whites play Oxford away and Stoke at Elland Road and if they win both matches and Sheffield United fail to pick up maximum points, their place in the top-flight will be secured.

Of course, that still means that Daniel Farke’s side need to do their job and pick up all three points in both of their games, on Friday and Monday, to put themselves in a strong position, after their 2-1 win over Preston North End last weekend.

The West Yorkshire outfit are bidding to earn promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking, after they lost 1-0 in the play-off final last term.

They could be about to secure that promotion without a particularly creative number ten in their ranks, as USA international Brenden Aaronson has racked up two assists in 42 appearances – including 39 starts – in the Championship.

This is the polar opposite of the 2023/24 campaign when Farke had the incredibly impressive Georginio Rutter to provide creativity as an attacking midfielder.

Why Georginio Rutter was so important for Leeds

The French dynamo was the creative hub of the team, whether he was deployed as a centre-forward or as an attacking midfielder, with his ability to slice open opposition defences on a regular basis for the Whites.

Rutter ended last season with an eye-catching return of six goals, 22 ‘big chances’ created, and 15 assists in 45 appearances in the second tier for Leeds, which shows that he made a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch.

The left-footed star, as shown in the clip above, was capable of the sublime in the Championship last term because of the quality he possessed on the ball.

That also shines through in the underlying data behind his performances for the West Yorkshire outfit in the 2023/24 campaign, as he ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of key creative metrics.

Expected Assisted Goals

0.29

Top 2%

Assists

0.39

Top 2%

Shot-creating actions

4.41

Top 2%

Progressive passes

4.46

Top 3%

Successful take-ons

3.06

Top 1%

Progressive carries

2.89

Top 5%

As you can see in the table above, Rutter was one of the best forwards in the Championship at creating high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net, whilst he also progressed the play consistently through passes and carries to get his team up the pitch.

These statistics, and his overall return of goals and assists, explain why he was so important to Farke’s side and why it was a blow when he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.

The Whites do not currently have another creative playmaker like Rutter in the squad, as Aaronson has failed to provide consistent quality in that respect, but they do have a player out on loan with the potential to be the manager’s next version of the French magician.

The Leeds star who could be the next Georginio Rutter

As aforementioned, Aaronson’s return of two assists in 39 starts in the Championship this season does not suggest that he has the quality to step up to the Premier League to be the chief creator in the number ten position.

This means that Farke and Leeds have to consider their options and look at alternatives ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, whether that be a new recruit or a player coming back from loan.

One player who could return from a loan elsewhere to stake a claim for a place in the team is attacking midfielder Sam Greenwood, who is currently on loan at Preston North End.

The Lilywhites have the option to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of his current loan spell, but reporter Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, has revealed that they are ‘unlikely’ to splash the cash required to exercise that option.

This means that Leeds can bring the 23-year-old star back into the fold at Elland Road, or at least provide him with an opportunity to impress in pre-season before a final decision is made on his future.

In the Championship this season, Greenwood has scored five goals, created 14 ‘big chances’, and claimed five assists in 28 starts for Preston, which means that he has created a ‘big chance’ every other match on average.

Expected Assisted Goals

0.23

Top 3%

Assists

0.11

Top 47%

Shot-creating actions

3.43

Top 6%

Progressive passes

2.33

Top 16%

Successful take-ons

0.92

Top 18%

Progressive carries

2.36

Top 3%

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz is similar to Rutter in the sense that he ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers as a creative and progressive force in an attacking midfield role.

The key difference between the two, however, appears to be that Rutter’s teammates were clinical with the chances that he created for them, hence why he ranked in the top 2% for assists, whilst Greenwood’s teammates have been very wasteful in front of goal.

These statistics show that the Leeds loanee, whose set-piece delivery was once described as a “weapon” by pundit Noel Whelan, has the potential to develop into Rutter 2.0 for Farke.

He is a creative threat who can slice open defences to provide his teammates with high-quality opportunities on a regular basis, which is not something that Leeds currently have with Aaronson in the number ten role.

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Therefore, it could make sense for Farke to take a look at Greenwood in pre-season to see if he has what it takes to make the step up to be the new Rutter, as his statistics show that the potential is there for him to do so.

All roads lead to Bilbao in the Europa League, with Manchester United still left with a glimmer of hope regarding the chance to end this wretched campaign on a real high.

For a third successive campaign, the Red Devils could round off the season with a notable piece of silverware. Even in the most desperate of times, this team can still pull a rabbit out of the hat.

European glory and the ensuing Champions League qualification would certainly be something to cherish, although it should not mask the task ahead for new boss Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese coach still yet to truly revive this sinking ship.

Currently residing in 14th in the Premier League, the Old Trafford side have now scored just once across their last four top-flight outings – a fact that has only heightened the need to bolster the forward line this summer.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all looking set to depart permanently this summer following their respective loan moves, the hope will be that funds will be available to revive this limp attacking unit.

Selected strikers – Record for Man Utd
Player	Games	Goals	Assists
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	53	29	10
Romelu Lukaku	96	42	12
Odion Ighalo	23	5	1
Edinson Cavani	59	19	6
Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)	54	27	5
Wout Weghorst	31	2	3
Anthony Martial	317	90	46
Rasmus Hojlund	88	24	6
Stats via Transfermarkt

According to recent reports, it already looks as if INEOS have settled on their first leading target, ahead of strengthening for next season.

Latest Man Utd transfer news

With few distractions, outside of Europa League action, the remainder of the campaign should well be used to get ahead on the transfer front. No longer should United be left scrambling around in August or on deadline day.

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Thankfully, the new INEOS regime appear to be keen to avoid that latter scenario, with reports already rife that the Red Devils are progressing with regard to the potential signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has outlined that United are in pole position for the Brazilian’s signature, with The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell since adding that positive talks have been held regarding the 25-year-old’s personal terms.

That comes amid claims from the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones that suggested Amorim and co are even ‘inching closer to an agreement’ for the former Atletico Madrid man, albeit with United still needing to activate his £62.5m release clause.

Jones went on to add that INEOS are keen to get terms agreed by next month, to ensure that ‘they still have headroom under Profit and Sustainability Rules’, with it likely to be the case that the club will need to sell to buy if notable deals are to be made this summer.

Having seemingly fended off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, it looks as if United are closing in on the signing of such a leading Premier League talent…

Why Man Utd could be set to sign the next Cantona & Berbatov

It has been a common theme in the Premier League era – particularly during Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days – for United to try and raid the rest of the division for the best attacking talents, be it Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Robin van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov and, of course, Eric Cantona.

There are certainly shades of the latter two with regard to Cunha, with the £90k-per-week star something of a “maverick” and a “flawed genius”, in the words of journalist Nathan Juddah, albeit while combining that with his status as a “match-winner” and a “superstar”.

Those are no doubt traits shared by the great Cantona, in particular, with the iconic Frenchman a truly enigmatic and talismanic figure for United, following his arrival from rivals Leeds United on a £1.2m deal in November 1992.

The driving force of United’s domestic dominance in the early 90s, ‘King Eric’ went on to claim four league titles during his stint in Manchester, while racking up 82 goals in 182 games for the club in total.

With his collar up and chest out, the beloved forward strutted his stuff around the Old Trafford turf, combining moments of magic on the pitch, with his at-times colourful actions off it. Who can forget that Kung-Fu kick at Selhurst Park.

Cunha, meanwhile, mirrors that knack for going from the sublime to the ridiculous, with 2024/25 alone seeing him memorably score directly from a corner against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day, albeit while since receiving two separate suspensions for off-the-ball altercations.

Like Cantona, the one-time RB Leipzig man can be hot-headed, but more importantly, however, he appears to relish his talismanic status at Molineux, having now scored 14 league goals this season, after netting 12 times in 2023/24.

Capable of operating as a centre-forward or off the front – again, like Cantona – the ‘maverick’ Brazil international has that ability to switch it on in an instant, as he actually tops the division for most time spent walking on the pitch, excluding goalkeepers.

That at-times ‘lazy’ quality is something that was shared by the aforementioned Berbatov, albeit with the Bulgarian – who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008 – subsequently outlining the benefits of that approach:

The silky striker memorably claimed the top-flight Golden Boot as United romped to the title in the 2010/11 campaign, having also possessed that Cantona-esque knack for the spectacular, be it his touchline trickery against West Ham United, or his overhead-kick as part of a treble against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Cunha – who scored from range out of nothing at Anfield back in March – can also conjure up a magic moment in an instant, with the Red Devils needing that ‘maverick’ talent to revive this lifeless frontline.

Like Cantona and Berbatov before him, the 25-year-old certainly isn’t perfect, but he is a showman. It doesn’t appear that the United jersey would weigh too heavy on him…

Romano: What we know so far about Man Utd's £62.5m talks for Matheus Cunha

This would be some coup.

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Chelsea are now aiming to seal the signing of a key target by the end of this month, according to Fabrizio Romano, and Enzo Maresca’s side are very keen to strike a deal for the player as soon as possible.

Chelsea set for "huge" Premier League clash with Newcastle United

On the field, Chelsea are putting full focus into their race for Champions League qualification, and face a “huge” trip to St James’ Park, where they will take on fellow top-five contenders Newcastle United.

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Chelsea will be fully aware of the tough task facing them on Sunday, having already lost at St. James’ in the Carabao Cup this season, but they’ll also go into the contest on a high after beating Premier League champions Liverpool last weekend.

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

Maresca’s side have picked up form again, winning their last three league games, with Newcastle coming as a very well-matched opponent. Both sides are level on points and goal difference, but a win up north has the power to all but seal Chelsea’s place in the Champions League draw next season, depending on results elsewhere.

“It’s a big one, it’s a huge one,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s clash with Newcastle.

“United will be a big one, Forest will be a big one. Now we have three more games, all of them are going to be big games. For sure, Sunday is a chance to start in the right way. We are on a good run, in a good mood, and hopefully, we can play a good game and win the game.”

Maintaining their place in the top five and qualifying for the Champions League will also have a knock-on effect when it comes to their summer transfer plans, as already confirmed by Maresca, so a lot is on the line.

Chelsea want to sign Dean Huijsen "by the end of May"

One of their top targets, according to widespread reports, is Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.

The Spaniard’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from across England and beyond, with Chelsea reliably believed to have held serious talks with Huijsen’s camp ahead of the summer window, which opens on June 1.

According to Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Chelsea now want to seal a deal for Huijsen by the end of May, as they seek to finalise an agreement as soon as possible amid the fierce competition for his signature.

“The idea of the three main Premier League clubs involved in this story, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, is to do the deal now as soon as possible,” said Romano.

“Now it means by the end of May, so to close the deal this month.”

The 20-year-old has seriously impressed over his debut campaign in England, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp lavishing praise on Huijsen as an already “complete” defender.

“If you’re creating a footballer, the modern-day centre-back, you’ve got a bit of the influence from the Netherlands, the influence from Spain, where they come out with the ball and all the great defenders they’ve had,” said Redknapp.

“And then you’ve got that Italian mark on it as well, so the journey, the mixture that he’s got, is pretty perfect, and now he’s found himself in the Premier League. The elements are good, everything is right for him. You have to get all the right ingredients to be a top player.

“He’s a complete player, this young man.”

Liverpool are looking to build on their Premier League title triumph under Arne Slot and could now target a world-renowned midfielder to bolster their engine room, per reports.

Liverpool aim to establish dominance over English football

Arne Slot hasn’t taken long to make a lasting impact at Anfield, delivering the Reds their first Premier League title in front of supporters after a thumping 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Wild celebrations capped what has been a brilliant debut campaign for the Dutchman, but what comes next as Liverpool look to establish domestic dominance?

Conceivably, FSG will be willing to facilitate an exciting summer on Merseyside as Slot’s side aim to retain their top-flight crown in 2025/26.

According to reports, Xavi Simons could join Liverpool’s growing Dutch contingent for a fee of £60 million following an outstanding campaign in RB Leipzig’s engine room.

Similarly, the Reds are set to step up their interest in 33-goal Celtic forward Daizen Maeda. However, Arsenal and Aston Villa are also admirers of the Japan international’s unique profile.

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Truthfully, there has never been a better time to join Liverpool. In addition to their potential transfer dealings, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have signed contract extensions at Anfield in another major boost to their hopes of further silverware.

Nevertheless, second-season syndrome is a real phenomenon, which is something they will be keen to counteract by enacting a squad refresh to maintain hunger against a rejuvenated set of title competitors.

Heeding that warning, Slot has turned his attention to another compatriot who could add a new dimension in midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Aliister, per recent developments.

Liverpool turn attention to Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have positioned themselves to sign Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong due to his uncertain contact situation at the La Liga giants.

Earning around £310,000 per week, the Netherlands international is heading into the final year of his deal, and economic issues at his current employers have offered hope to the Reds in their pursuit of a statement midfield signing.

Frenkie de Jong’s La Liga statistics – 2024/25

Chances created

18

Pass completion

95%

Tackles won

9

Duels won

39

Goals

2

Assists

2

Arsenal and Manchester City are also in the mix to sign De Jong, who is now at risk of completing a surprise departure from Barcelona if they aren’t able to agree on fresh terms. Enjoying a fine campaign, the 27-year-old has made 40 appearances across all competitions, registering two goals and two assists as his side close in on the La Liga title.

That said, De Jong is now heading into the prime of his career and may fancy a new challenge, making the Premier League a logical landing point should circumstances align. Liverpool are aiming to keep themselves ahead of the rest in years to come, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to witness some high-profile arrivals at Anfield like the man in question.

Well, at least we’ll all have those magical two nights against Real Madrid, eh? For Arsenal, it just wasn’t meant to be this season.

While some may argue that the Gunners have taken two steps back, ultimately losing the league title to Liverpool, currently 17 points behind where they were at this stage in 2023/24, progress has been made.

If anything, this campaign has shown why Mikel Arteta is such a special coach. With several key players out injured for large parts of the term, he took Arsenal to the semi-finals of the Champions League. That deserves shouting about.

Some individual magic from Declan Rice may have been relied upon in the semi-finals but they truly dominated the best team in the competition’s history; Real Madrid.

PSG, however? They were a bridge too far. It wasn’t as if Arsenal played poorly though. They will be left to bemoan Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics as the titanic Italian put in two Ballon d’Or-worthy performances across the tie.

There were those saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard last week in the first leg and then there were those remarkable stops to deny Martin Odegaard early on in Paris on Wednesday and a sprawling save to keep out Bukayo Saka’s curling effort in the second half.

As Odegaard said after the game, it was a clash decided in both boxes. The simple fact was that PSG were better in those areas.

That said, Arsenal need to start seeing more from their captain if they are to revive their fortunes next season.

What's going wrong for Martin Odegaard

Ever since Odegaard was a 15-year-old coming through in Norway at Stromsgodset, handed a senior debut at a ridiculously young age, it’s clear how much talent he possesses.

Things didn’t work out at Madrid for the creative playmaker but in north London he has found a home for himself. Up until now, he has thrived.

In 2022/23, Odegaard scored as many as 15 goals, all of which came in the Premier League. No midfielder scored more goals than he in the league that year. In 2023/24, he wasn’t quite as prolific but he still scored eight in the league and 11 in all competitions.

This term, despite providing 11 assists, the Norway international has only found the net on five occasions. Given Arsenal’s general lack of firepower and crucially, a lack of a fit centre-forward, that has proven decisive.

So, what’s gone wrong? Well, ever since he sustained an ankle injury in the embryonic stages of this season, he’s not looked quite right. It took the midfielder a few months to recover and arguably, he’s still feeling the impacts of that now.

He’s never been a vicious ball striker, but he’s lacking so much power, not just in his shooting but his overall play. He looks lightweight, scared to take on a player, worried to challenge for the ball. His passing range is also off. Compared to last season, Odegaard is having 0.40 fewer shots per 90 minutes, making 0.56 fewer key passes per 90 and producing 1.56 fewer shot-creating actions per 90.

The first two metrics aren’t disastrous drop-offs, but it does indicate that the skipper is playing at a poorer level than he is used to.

So, what’s the solution? Well, they have a ready-made one in Ethan Nwaneri. They could also go out into the transfer market to replace him but that seems unlikely.

Perhaps there’s another option lying in wait.

Arsenal's unlikely Odegaard replacement

The summer window of 2022/23 was a memorable one for Arsenal. Arteta wanted to surround himself with winners and familiar faces, notably bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

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Jesus’ instant impact was staggering, scoring five times in his first eight Premier League outings. Sadly, since then, it hasn’t quite happened for him in an Arsenal shirt, notably ruled out for a lengthy period of time with an ACL injury in January.

It’s not really happened for the two other major signings for that window, either. Zinchenko could reportedly leave in the summer while Fabio Vieira is currently out on loan at Porto.

Vieira has flattered to deceive during his time at the Emirates. A midfielder cut from a similar cloth as Odegaard, lean yet creative, we certainly haven’t seen the best of him in red and white.

He did register six assists in his debut campaign following that £34m move but scored just twice, including a stunning effort against Brentford. Last term wasn’t much better either, scoring once and laying on four assists. He only played in 11 league games.

So, it was hardly a surprise that with Nwaneri coming through the ranks, he was sent out on loan.

Vieira headed back to his boyhood club Porto where, to give him his credit, we have seen an improvement. While the Portuguese midfielder’s numbers still aren’t mindblowing, the 24-year-old has found the net on five occasions and provided the same number of assists in 37 outings.

During a run of fixtures back in March, Vieira managed to score three goals and provide one assist across four outings, lending credence to Arsenal content creator Harvey Diamonds’ claim that he’d “hit some incredible form.”

While it’s unlikely that the young playmaker finds a route back into the Arsenal team, he’s got plenty of eye-catching qualities that would make him a strong replacement for Odegaard.

Odegaard vs Vieira in 24/25 (league stats)

Metric (* = per game)

Odegaard

Vieira

Goals

2

4

Assists

7

4

Big chances created

12

10

Crosses *

0.6

1.6

Successful long balls *

1.3

2.1

Key passes *

2.1

1.6

Successful dribbles *

0.9

0.4

Ground duels won *

2.4

3.5

Times fouled *

0.9

1.6

Stats via Sofascore.

Ironically celebrated as a player “who’s made for Champions League nights” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Vieira brings a certain level of passing that, truth be told, few on the continent possess. Why do you think Arsenal signed him in the first place?

Compared to players in the 14 leagues most similar to the Portuguese top-flight, he ranks in the top 6% of midfielders for assists per 90 minutes across the last year, the best 12% for key passes and the top 3% for passes into the penalty area.

While he is yet to show much in the Premier League, he’s still young enough to improve and he possesses the qualities to unlock doors. That’s something Arsenal have really lacked at times across 2024/25.

Perhaps a Vieira revival could be on the cards?

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