As Manchester United look to balance their books this summer amid early incomings, Al-Nassr could now reportedly offer INEOS their biggest payday of the window in pursuit of an attacking ace.

Man Utd readying summer clear-out

With Matheus Cunha already signed and Bryan Mbeumo reportedly likely to follow suit, Manchester United will have little choice but to clear some room in Ruben Amorim’s squad.

In what feels like a never-ending cycle, the Red Devils must rebuild once again and, in doing so, show the door to any unwanted stars in a ruthless summer plan.

Among those heading for the exit door is likely to be Rasmus Hojlund. The struggling striker has never truly made his mark at Old Trafford, despite costing an eye-watering £72m in 2023. Now, two years on, Inter Milan have reportedly come calling for his signature in a deal that could eventually cost around £38m.

Whether Hojlund, himself, accepts a summer departure may be another question, though. The young forward told Danish media when questioned about his Manchester United future this week: “I have a contract until 2030, so I expect to play for Manchester United. I’m looking forward to going on a summer vacation, and then I’m fully dedicated to the project that’s underway.

“I know I can’t get much out of reading things. I know what the facts are, and that is that I have a contract with Manchester United until 2030. I expect to play there, so I’m just getting ready for some summer vacation and then hopefully a good pre-season.”

Man Utd submit bid for once-£57m ex-Man City ace who’s desperate for move

He won six Premier League titles at Manchester City.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 7, 2025

Whilst Hojlund is keen to stay put, however, the same can’t be said for another struggling Man United star, who could yet hand the Red Devils an impressive financial boost on his way out.

Al Nassr now eyeing Garnacho swoop

One player who has looked almost certain to be heading for the exit door ever since Amorim arrived is Alejandro Garnacho. In Amorim’s first Manchester derby, the Argentine found himself dropped alongside Marcus Rashford. The latter soon left on loan and went on to thrive at Aston Villa. Garnacho, however, stayed put but things have not become better in recent months.

Now, according to The Mirror, Al-Nassr could hand INEOS their biggest payday of the summer by signing Garnacho. The Saudi giants have been pursuing a move to sign Luis Diaz from Liverpool, but may turn towards the £50,000-a-week winger if the Premier League champions remain reluctant to sell their South American star.

If that does prove to be the case, Amorim may well be glad to see the back of the winger after Garnacho publicly disagreed with his decision to start Mason Mount in his place in the Europa League final.

Since then, Amorim has reportedly told the young winger to find a new club in front of the rest of his teammates in a public dressing down. Unless anything dramatic happens at this stage, Garnacho’s exit is one that would be best for all parties.

Liverpool celebrated on Sunday, finally lifting their 20th top-flight title after winning the Premier League five weeks ago, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

Though Arne Slot’s side have understandably taken their foot off the gas since sealing the deal, claiming just two points from a possible 12, sporting director Richard Hughes has been working overtime, driving any number of transfer deals toward completion before the window has even opened, before the 2024/25 campaign has even wrapped up.

With Andy Robertson on the decline and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the move, Liverpool have moved quickly to advance deals for Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who could dominate the wide flanks on Merseyside for years to come.

Florian Wirtz is surely the pick of the bunch, though, with Bayer Leverkusen confirmed to have received Liverpool’s first official proposal on Monday morning, worth in excess of €100m (£85m).

Barring something dramatic and unanticipated, FSG will get this one done. Let’s have a look at how he might fit in.

How Florian Wirtz will fit in at Liverpool

Wirtz is only 22, but he’s already forged quite the career for himself in his German homeland, posting 57 goals and 65 assists across just 197 senior appearances with the Werkself.

Last year, he won the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, invincible and indomitable, claiming the division’s Player of the Season award for his troubles.

Rarely does a player elicit such a captivating response from fans while maintaining an energetic and industrious approach to his craft, so intelligent and aware of his surroundings, both friendly and hostile.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranks among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal contributions, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90. As a result, he could fit into a whole manner of different positions down at Anfield.

Where Wirtz could feature for Liverpool

Moreover, his productivity has been dished out with the consistency of a world-class player, the 2022/23 season standing as a lonely outlier due to his ACL injury, and injury he has bounced back from miraculously.

Florian Wirtz – Past Five League Seasons
Season	Apps	Goals	Assists
24/25	31 (25)	10	13
23/24	32 (26)	11	12
22/23	17 (11)	1	6
21/22	24 (22)	7	10
20/21	29 (25)	5	6
Data via Transfermarkt

Of course, every great playmaker needs a focal point from which they can direct their creativity, and Wirtz is no different. Darwin Nunez is “planning to leave” Liverpool this summer, as per Fabrizio Romano, and FSG have already identified their dream replacement.

Liverpool make the new Mbappe their top target

Newcastle United sealed a place in next year’s Champions League after finishing fifth in the league on the final day. That means Alexander Isak’s going nowhere, so says esteemed reporter David Ornstein.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, Liverpool appear to have found the perfect alternative in Hugo Ekitike, with with reports confirming confirming FSG have turned their full attention to the Eintracht Frankfurt forward, who is now their top target.

Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes is going to need to roll his sleeves up to get this one over the line.

Why Slot wants Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike isn’t just on Liverpool’s radar; The Independent believe Chelsea are ready to make the focal frontman their top target of the summer transfer window.

It’s understandable. Described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Ekitike is an extraordinary profile, physical and rangy and with a killer’s instinct, but also gifted and stylish, creative in his approach and clever in his movements.

The one-time Paris Saint-Germain prospect has already demonstrated a head for thought-out career moves, jumping to the Bundesliga and flourishing. Still only 22, he’s excelled through his first full season with Frankfurt, scoring 22 goals and laying on 12 assists across 48 matches in all competitions.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has mused that he can “definitely reach world-class striker levels,” and it’s an exciting thing to think about for those of a Liverpool persuasion. It might even be a signing on the level of Wirtz, providing Liverpool with a first-rate number nine for many years to come.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has even declared Ekitike to be “one of the best strikers out there” right now, and that he’s “ready to explode” when given the chance to perform for a high-level Premier League club.

FBref record Ekitike ranks among the top 9% of forwards for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90, illustrating his elite capacity.

Indeed, this dynamic repertoire has led the data-driven site to list Isak as one of his most statistically similar stars. If this young Frenchman can be willed into the robust completeness of the Magpies’ main man, there’s no telling how devastating Slot’s team could become.

To be sure, Wirtz is an audacious capture for the Reds this summer, but Ekitike has the potential to reach the pinnacle of the game, and he’s every bit as exciting.

Ekitike isn’t there yet, but he has the trappings of a world-class centre-forward, now needs to take the right step toward reaching superstardom.

Where could this be? Chelsea could do with a striker, sure, but Liverpool have proven themselves the cream of the crop under Slot’s wing, with rising stars like Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo evidence that the French attacker could skyrocket to the top if joining the fold.

Given the level he’s already at, and indeed the troubles that have beset Liverpool at number nine in recent years, this could be a move as exciting as any at Anfield this summer – and that includes Wirtz.

Liverpool ready to launch £58m bid to sign a "magical" Nunez upgrade

Premier League champions Liverpool are looking to sign a new centre-forward this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 26, 2025

Celtic completed their first signing of the summer transfer window last week when they confirmed the arrival of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal on a free transfer.

The Scotland international will officially link up with his new teammates when his deal with the Premier League giants expires at the end of this month.

Tierney is not going to be the last signing to walk through the doors at Parkhead this summer, though, as the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of Sweden international Benjamin Nygren.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claims that the club are close to agreeing a deal worth around £2m with FC Nordsjaelland to sign the right-sided attacker.

This means that the Scottish Premiership champions are set to dip into the Danish market, having raided England, France, Germany, Scotland, Belgium, and Spain.

One country the club have not done much business in since Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead is Japan, which is where they snapped Daizen Maeda up from.

Celtic have hit gold with Daizen Maeda

The Hoops swooped to sign the Japanese forward from J1 League outfit Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022 on an initial loan deal, which was then made permanent that summer.

Maeda had scored 26 goals in 70 matches for Yokohama F. Marinos before his move to Scotland, but he was unproven in European football and it was a gamble by Ange Postecoglou to bring him to Glasgow.

It is one that has paid off big time for Celtic, though, as the Japan international has developed into a star at Parkhead, and could be sold for big money this summer.

The 27-year-old is coming off the back of his best season in the Premiership for the Scottish giants, having previously offered a decent threat in front of goal in the league in his first two-and-a-half years.

Appearances

16

35

28

34

Goals

6

8

6

16

Conversion rate

18%

21%

13%

28%

Big chances created

5

6

5

10

Assists

5

5

3

10

As you can see in the table above, scored more than twice as many goals and produced twice as many assists as he did in the 2023/24 campaign.

This has led to reported interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, and Leeds United, with a £25m price tag placed on his head, which shows that Celtic have hit the jackpot with Maeda, because he is now an incredibly valuable asset and star performer.

The Scottish giants have not made a signing from Japan since they made Tomoki Iwata’s loan permanent in the summer of 2023, but they are now reportedly eyeing up a new addition from the J1 League.

Celtic eyeing deal for Japanese defender

According to Celtic Way writer Stephen McGowan, Celtic are working on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata centre-back Hayato Inamura in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the 23-year-old defender to bolster their options at the back, as he provides versatility with his ability to play as a centre-back or as a left-back.

Transfer Focus

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

McGowan’s article adds that Nygren is ‘on the brink’ of signing for the Premiership champions, and that Fulham’s Callum Osmand and Aberdeen’s Ross Doohan are also set to join to bolster Rodgers’ options across the park.

Inamura could be another signing on top of those potential deals, in what Celtic Way journalist Ryan McGinlay described as a “surprise move” for the “versatile stopper”.

If the Hoops can get a transfer for the Japanese centre-back over the line in the coming weeks, then the 23-year-old star could be a Maeda repeat for the club.

Why Inamura could be a Maeda repeat for Celtic

As aforementioned, Celtic hit the jackpot with Maeda as they snapped him up from the J1 League and provided him with a platform to develop into a £25m-rated asset thanks to his performances in recent seasons.

The Hoops could strike gold from the J1 League one again by signing Inamura this summer, because he is an exciting young defensive talent who could come in to improve the manager’s options at the back.

Inamura is a left-footed centre-back, who can also play left-back, and this means that he would arrive at Parkhead to compete with Liam Scales and Auston Trusty for a starting berth in the team next to Cameron Carter-Vickers.

His performances in the J1 League during the 2025 campaign so far suggest that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Celtic’s two current options in that position.

Appearances

13

26

22

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

1.9

2.3

Ball recoveries*

5.4

3.9

3.3

Clearances*

5.1

4.8

4.0

Error led to shot/goal

1

1

5

Penalties committed

0

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Inamura could make more defensive interventions per game for the Hoops, with far more clearances and recoveries than the Hoops duo.

He could also be more reliable as a defender. The Japanese titan has only made one error that has led to a shot, goal, or penalty in 25 J1 League games in his career, whilst Trusty, for example, made five such errors in just 22 league outings in the 2024/25 campaign.

Therefore, Inamura could come in as an upgrade on Scales and Trusty in the left-sided centre-back position by offering more quality defensively, and fewer big errors, which also may be why the club are eyeing up a deal to bring him to Glasgow.

If he can translate his J1 League form over to the Premiership, the 23-year-old enforcer could be a regular starter next to Carter-Vickers and establish himself as a star for the Hoops, which would make him a Maeda repeat as another successful signing from the Japanese market.

He's for sale: Celtic feel they can seal bargain deal to sign PL player

Celtic are looking to improve their options in the middle of the park this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 15, 2025

Leeds United are set for a busy summer of transfer business as they look to make sure that their squad is ready to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Athletic reporter Beren Cross has reported that Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff is one of the names on the club’s shortlist of targets to improve their midfield options. He claimed that no bid has been made for the English maestro, but he is an ‘experienced’ player that they like.

Longstaff only started eight times in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign and Leeds could look to offer him a chance to play more regularly next term.

The Championship champions, however, are reportedly looking at another star from the top-flight who would be a way better signing than the homegrown Magpies ace.

Leeds eyeing move for Brentford midfielder

According to CaughtOffside, Leeds United are one of the teams monitoring Brentford central midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Everton, Wolves, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli are all keeping tabs on the Ukraine international.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

It states that the Bees are set to demand a fee of around £25m for the 21-year-old talent, and that no clubs have made any formal offers for his services as of yet.

Caught Offside adds that Brentford would prefer to keep hold of him to utilise his quality in the Premier League next term, but Leeds must now convince them to part ways with the young gem by meeting the £25m asking price.

Why Leeds should sign Yehor Yarmolyuk

Daniel Farke should push for the club to swoop for the Bees midfielder over a move for Longstaff because of his age profile and the quality that he could provide on the pitch.

He is six years younger than the Newcastle star, at the age of 21, and would arrive at Elland Road as a long-term addition to the group, whilst also being able to make an instant impact.

Yarmolyuk, who was described as a “dynamic” player by Thomas Frank, only started 15 of his 31 outings in the top-flight, but showed plenty of promise in the minutes that he did play.

If you look at his performances in comparison to Longstaff’s in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, the Ukraine international appears to be the better option for Leeds on paper.

24/25 Premier League *per 90

Sean Longstaff

Yehor Yarmolyuk

Appearances

25

31

Pass accuracy

85%

87%

Passes into the final third*

2.93

4.41

Crosses into the penalty area*

0.00

0.25

Tackles + interceptions*

3.84

3.85

Clearances*

0.90

2.05

Dribblers challenged*

3.05

3.41

Blocks*

1.92

1.61

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Yarmolyuk could offer more to Farke’s team with his play both in and out of possession, particularly when it comes to progressing the ball into the attacking third whilst remaining efficient with his passes.

These statistics suggest that the Brentford ace is very similar, if not better, defensively to Longstaff, but is more effective at making things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, the £25m-rated midfielder would be a significantly better signing than the Newcastle man because he can deliver more quality immediately, having outperformed him in the Premier League, whilst also offering more to the side in the long term due to his age.

He could be a terrific investment for the future, at the age of 21, whilst also being a Premier League proven star who can hit the ground running for Farke next season, which is why the Whites must seal a deal for him this summer.

Related The new Phillips: Leeds want to sign £15m star with "undeniable" potential

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Posts ByDan Emery Jun 9, 2025

It is transfer deadline day, with the window set to slam shut until next Monday. For Chelsea and other clubs in the Club World Cup, it represents an opportunity to sign players before the new-look competition begins. Indeed, the Blues will be looking to bolster their squad ahead of their first fixture against LAFC.

Their first couple of signings are over the line this summer, already. Liam Delap has officially joined from Ipswich Town, with the Blues winning the transfer battle for him after the Tractor Boys’ relegation. Most recently, Mamadou Sarr moved to Stamford Bridge from sister club Strasbourg.

Delap and Sarr may not be the only players through the door at Chelsea before the end of the window. They are linked with someone else from the Premier League.

Chelsea’s next Premier League target

Now, it will be touch and go to see if Chelsea can bring anyone else to the club in the final throes of this mini transfer window. If that were the case, signing someone from the Premier League, especially another London club, would surely help.

Transfer Focus

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

Regardless, at some stage this summer, Chelsea are seemingly set to move for West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus. TEAMTalk report that ‘a swap deal’ between the London rivals is ‘on the cards’ in the coming weeks.

The report suggests that Kudus ‘has been offered to Chelsea’ by the Hammers this summer, who are demanding £70m for their star attacker. However, that price could come down if Robert Sanchez goes the other way.

The Spaniard could ‘be involved in any deal’ between the two clubs, with the Blues pursuing AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Why Kudus would be a good signing

Whether or not the West Ham attacker moves to Chelsea before or after the Club World Cup is irrelevant. He would certainly improve the squad at Stamford Bridge, and is a “superstar” according to football scout Antonio Mango.

In terms of Kudus’ time at the London Stadium so far, he has managed 19 goals and 13 assists in 80 appearances. Just as it was for his side, the 2024/25 campaign was a struggle, where he notched up eight goals and assists in 32 games.

However, in his debut Premier League season, the 24-year-old showed just how deadly he can be. In 33 league games, the former Ajax attacker scored eight times and grabbed nine assists, as well as five goals in the Europa League.

One look at Kudus’ numbers from the last two Premier League seasons is enough to understand what type of player Chelsea are getting. According to Sofascore, he has completed 216 dribbles during his time in the top flight.

That certainly suggests that the Blues are signing a one-vs-one specialist, someone who loves to take on defenders. His combined expected goal involvement numbers, which stand at 18.43xGI, show that Kudus will have an impact in the final third, too.

If the Blues do manage to bring the Ghana international to the club, he could become their new Joe Cole. The former England international also joined Chelsea from West Ham, for a reported fee of £6.6m, as per BBC Sport.

His fee today would be the equivalent of £37.4m according to The Transfer Index, a bargain given how good he was for Chelsea. In 282 appearances for the club, Cole, a three-time Premier League winner, scored 39 goals and grabbed 37 assists.

Another similarity between Kudus and Cole is their versatility. In a Chelsea shirt, the London-born attacker played on both wings, as a number 10 and a centre-forward.

Well, that is much like Kudus for West Ham, who has played right across the frontline at the London Stadium.

Right wing

29

16

Left wing

19

9

Centre forward

12

2

Attacking midfield

11

1

Right midfield

3

2

Left midfield

2

0

Second striker

1

1

If Kudus does join Chelsea, there are lots of similarities between him and the former Blues number 10. If he replicates what Cole did in that famous Blue shirt, then it will certainly have been a successful move.

Be it a £70m fee or a swap deal, this seems like a transfer that is too good to turn down for Chelsea, be it on deadline day or in the longer transfer window.

Better signing than Gittens: Chelsea now expect to land "world-class" star

Chelsea are looking to make a host of signings this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 9, 2025

Liverpool have reportedly made contact with an “unstoppable” player over a summer move to Anfield, looking to pip Arsenal to his signature in the process.

Liverpool pushing for Wirtz and others

Reds supporters aren’t only on cloud nine because of their Premier League title win this season, but also because of some of the stellar names being mentioned as summer targets.

In fact, reliable sources are reporting that Liverpool are on the verge of completing the signing of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, with the German becoming the most expensive signing in the club’s history if he does move there.

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is also reportedly of interest to the Reds, who are even believed to be wealthy enough to sign both him and Wirtz at the same time, but the Magpies will do all they can to keep hold of their best player.

Meanwhile, another Leverkusen player, Jeremie Frimpong is also closing in on a switch to Liverpool, while on the left flank, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez continues to stand out as the leading option to come as Andy Robertson’s long-term successor at left-back.

Liverpool make contact with "unstoppable" striker

Now, according to a fresh claim from Football Transfers, Liverpool have made contact with Viktor Gyokeres’ representatives over a move to the club, as they look to snap up the Sporting CP superstar.

The 26-year-old is Arsenal’s top No.9 target ahead of next season, with both the Gunners and the Reds in need of an elite centre forward, and he is valued at just over £58m.

Gyokeres could be the perfect striker for Liverpool to sign in the summer window, following a frankly outrageous couple of seasons in a Sporting shirt.

The Sweden international has now scored 96 goals in just 101 appearances for the Primeira Liga giants, with an incredible 39 of those coming in the league this season.

Appearances

33

Starts

31

Minutes played

2804

Goals

39

Assists

7

Shots per game

4.2

Key passes per game

1.9

Dribbles per game

1.8

Gyokeres has come on leaps and bounds since impressing for Coventry City in the Championship, with former Swansea City teammate Jake Bidwell saying of him:

“With the way he plays as well, with his aggression, the two (qualities) go hand in hand with how well he has done. He all of a sudden realised how quick and strong he was and had the confidence to use it and mixed with the aggression, it’s made him pretty unstoppable.”

Liverpool fans are likely to be split when it comes to choosing their preferred No.9 signing this summer, with Isak, Julian Alvarez and Victor Osimhen also options, but Gyokeres could be a monstrous addition, bringing pace, power and relentless end product.

Whatever happens this summer in terms of incomings at Manchester United, there is likely to be nothing more crucial than the news surrounding Bruno Fernandes, with the talismanic skipper outlining his desire to stay put at Old Trafford.

The 30-year-old – who helped steer Portugal to Nations League glory on Sunday night – has opted to shun the Saudi riches in order to remain a central figure under Ruben Amorim, having reportedly turned down an offer of around €25m-per-season from Al-Hilal.

While there could be question marks over where the former Sporting CP star will fit in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system in the long-term, having frequently flitted between operating as a central midfielder or as a number ten to date, there’s no denying that United remain a better side with him in it.

Indeed, his tally of 38 goals and assists in all competitions last term says it all, with that return far exceeding anyone else in Amorim’s ranks, as Amad and Alejandro Garnacho finished in second place with 21 goal involvements a piece.

Season after season, Fernandes delivers the goods, with now the time to finally build a side around him that can compete for the top honours. Thankfully, it looks like that work is already underway..

Latest on Man Utd's summer rebuild

Matheus Cunha is already in the door, following his £62.5m switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo appears next on the agenda, with a second bid for the 25-year-old seemingly in the works.

Thomas Frank’s expected move to Tottenham Hotspur could reportedly put a spanner in the works regarding that deal, albeit with it having previously been reported that United were the winger’s preferred destination – fresh off the back of scoring 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25.

The final piece of the attacking jigsaw could well be completed with the addition of Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, with reports in Spain suggesting that INEOS are ready to make an offer for the prolific Swede.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, the report outlines that United are ready to go ‘all out’ for the signing of the 27-year-old, with the club willing to lodge a bid of around £60m in order to get their man.

The belief is that discussions are at an advanced stage, with hope at Old Trafford that an ‘understanding’ between the two clubs can be reached soon, amid prior reports that Gyokeres himself is open to making the switch.

The chance for Amorim to reunite with his 6 foot 2 goal machine appears to good to ignore, not least after missing out on new Chelsea man Liam Delap, with it a frightening prospect to see how Gyokeres could flourish with Fernandes behind him.

Why Gyokeres could thrive with Bruno Fernandes

Lauded as the “hottest striker in Europe” by ESPN’s Mark Ogden, Gyokeres is perhaps already reaching world-class status, having notably scored 97 goals in just 102 games in Lisbon – including six goals in eight Champions League appearances last time out.

The dream XI Man Utd could build: £156m quartet sign after Cunha & Mbeumo

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1 ByRobbie Walls Jun 8, 2025

That said, the quality of the Portuguese top-flight ensures that doubts remain over whether he truly is in the top bracket of centre-forwards in Europe, with the Primeira Liga said to be just the seventh best league in the world, behind the Brazilian Serie A.

It would then be interesting to see if a player who never played in the Premier League during his time at Brighton and Hove Albion – and Coventry City – can translate his recent heroics in England’s top tier, with United in dire need of a success story following Rasmus Hojlund’s return of just four league goals in 2024/25.

Well, fear not – enter, Fernandes.

If anyone is to help Gyokeres to thrive, it is the Red Devils skipper, with the experienced playmaker possessing a magic ability to unlock a defence, having put together a highlight reel of assists or chances created in recent years.

Indeed, Fernandes ended last term as the player to have laid on the most chances in the Premier League for the third season in a row, having also created 16 ”big chances’ – despite registering ‘just’ ten assists.

In essence, the midfield genius – who also averaged 2.5 key passes per game – is in need of someone to finish off the plethora of opportunities he conjures up, with Gyokeres perhaps the perfect fit.

Bruno Fernandes

91

Cole Palmer

89

Mohamed Salah

89

Enzo Fernandez

79

Bryan Mbeumo

70

Dejan Kulusevski

65

Martin Odegaard

63

Mikel Damsgaard

63

Leif Davis

61

Yourie Tielemans

61

An “insane” ball-striker, as per analyst Ben Mattinson, the one-time St Pauli marksman netted a mammoth haul of 39 league goals last term, having scored once every 72 minutes with a goal conversion rate of 28%.

While he did miss 23 ‘big chances’, Gyokeres would almost be supplied with an endless stream of openings to convert by Fernandes, with the latter man notably teeing up Amad to header home with a delightful dinked pass against Aston Villa on the final day.

You can only imagine the success that Gyokeres would enjoy if supplied with similar service, with combining with Fernandes a way to truly elevate his game, thus confirming that ‘world-class’ status.

Man Utd eyeing "monster" £63m striker who'd be Amorim's new Gyokeres

Manchester United could find Ruben Amorim’s new Viktor Gyokeres by signing this star.

ByDan Emery Jun 9, 2025

England finding their range after difficult start as SA seek to maintain winning run

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2024

England have settled into the tournament after a shaky start•AFP/Getty Images

Big picture: Who will give way at the top of Group 2?What direction is the drama following these two teams going to go in next?On the face of it, things are going smoothly for South Africa. They are unbeaten at the tournament and have won matches when both setting targets and chasing but, and this is a big but, none of it has been easy. It’s not just they were pushed by former champions Sri Lanka (who actually did the least pushing) and fellow Super Eighters Bangladesh but also by three Associates: Netherlands, Nepal and USA. If England were watching, they will have seen the flaws in South Africa’s make-up, most notably in the batting. Two of the top three – Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram – have only just found form and the middle-order have not yet had the opportunity to play to their potential.England will have been more pre-occupied with their own sideshows. They survived a group-stage scare in which they were all but written off after their rain-out against Scotland and have played and lost to their biggest rivals, Australia. Their net-run-rate boosting victories over Oman and Namibia helped ensure their survival once Scotland’s challenge had faded, but their most recent win over West Indies could yet propel their campaign to a new level. It is entirely possible that three teams in a Super Eight pool of four could end up with two wins each, especially given USA’s underdog status in Group 2, and so net run-rate could provide decisive. England’s is currently at 1.34, which leaves them in a good position, and after their shaky start, they would like to think they’ve got on a roll.South Africa might argue that they are already on one, and all they have to do is stay consistent with the knockouts in sight. Their next challenge is to maintain their winning start against two former champions. England’s task is much less abstract. South Africa humbled them at the 2023 ODI World Cup, in the middle of a horror run they don’t want to repeat, and with only USA to come, they have a chance to stamp their authority on this event.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
England: WWWLW In the spotlight: Opening batters and the quickest of the quick Both Quinton de Kock and Phil Salt played their best innings of the T20 World Cup in their last games with de Kock’s 74 setting South Africa up for a big total and Salt’s 87* helping England chase 181 against West Indies. Before those knocks, the numbers were not quite what the pair may have liked. De Kock had scores of 20, 0, 18 and 10 and Salt 37, 12 and 11. Starts, for sure and crucial to the tone of the innings, but they were not there at the end. Having players with their aggression bat through could be key on surfaces that seem to have offer runs and so how they perform in the next two matches could be key to their respective team’s semi-final hopes.South Africa have not had the challenge of consistent and genuine pace until now which makes Jofra Archer an interesting opponent. He is England’s joint-leading bowler at the tournament so far and has their best economy rate of 6.58 and could prove a handful to a top-order that is still finding its feet at the event. They’ll hope to counter-punch through Anrich Nortje , who equalled Dale Steyn’s record for the most wickets by a South African at T20 World Cups in the last match, and has looked menacing throughout. Nortje is the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker so far and has been played with respect. Will England’s batters, who enjoy pace on, show him the same? Team news: Changes afoot for both teams?South Africa are spoilt for choice in the bowling department and opted to bench Ottneil Baartman to accommodate an extra spinner in Antigua. That team composition could work well for them in St Lucia too but Tabraiz Shamsi was expensive against USA and they may consider left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin instead. However, given the variations he offers, Baartman could come back into contention too and it is a case of trying to fit three players into one spot.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi/Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich NortjeEngland stormed to a convincing win with this XI at this venue over West Indies, but the short turnaround means Mark Wood may be due a break from the action after another wholehearted, if unrewarded, display. Chris Jordan is the obvious inclusion, with Sam Curran’s left-handed options seemingly established ahead of Will Jacks, who struggled to translate his aggressive intent into runs in his two outings against Australia and Oman.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood / Chris Jordan, 11 Reece Topley Pitch and conditions Runs, and a fair few of them, have been available throughout the matches that have been played here with a first-innings average of 187. However, it’s not all smooth sailing for batters. There’s good bounce and carry on offer and some grip, which brought England’s spinners into play against West Indies. The one unknown is whether playing the match in the morning will make any difference to the conditions as all three matches so far have been night games. Weather-wise, there’s rain due over the weekend but the forecast for Friday is clear and humid with peak temperatures at 31 degrees. Stats and trivia The head-to-head record between England and South Africa is all-square with each team having won 12 matches against the other. At T20 World Cups, South Africa hold the upper hand and have beaten England four times in their six meetings, including their most recent clash in Sharjah in 2021. Anrich Nortje is two wickets away from 50 in T20Is and Tabraiz Shamsi one away from 300 in all T20s. Jos Buttler needs 19 more runs to become the ninth batter to 1,000 in all T20s this year. Currently, there are five South Africans with that many for 2024: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton. Quotes “Hopefully.”
Kagiso Rabada’s one-word answer when asked if South Africa are peaking at the right time “A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. It’s important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, now we’ll put that to bed and focus on the next performance.”
England’s Jos Buttler has had enough with the platitudes about the gains from losing.

It wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret this summer that Birmingham City were interested in landing Peterborough United superstar Kwame Poku.

Unfortunately, the Blues’ drawn-out pursuit of the entertaining Ghanaian has seemingly gone cold now, as the likes of Russell Martin’s Rangers accelerate to the front of the queue for his coveted services instead.

This would have been a knock to Chris Davies and Co.’s confidence as they navigate up to the Championship, but it hasn’t stopped them from pressing on with other attacking targets, as the ambitious Blues look to close in on another statement addition up top.

Birmingham close in on statement reunion

As per a recent report from journalist Alan Nixon, the newly promoted outfit look to be edging ever closer to bringing former star Demarai Gray back to their ranks this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Much like their chase for Poku, it had been well publicised that the Blues wanted to make such a stunning reunion happen.

Now, it might well become a reality, with both Sunderland and Fiorentina, who had also been looking at signing the experienced Jamaica international in an £8m deal, left in Birmingham’s dust to seal the sublime move.

Whilst the Rangers-bound attacker had been viewed as the flavour of the month in the EFL after a sensational season on the books of Posh, landing Gray might well be an even more exciting pick-up than the 23-year-old.

Why Gray would be a more exciting signing than Poku

If Birmingham are deadly serious about going after back-to-back promotions, Gray joining will undoubtedly help them to pull off such an arduous feat, with the former Blues prodigy going on to have a lengthy career at the very top after waving St. Andrew’s goodbye in 2016.

Indeed, Gray is likely more well-known in English football now for being a Premier League regular on the books of Leicester City and Everton, than a one-time academy product emerging up the Blues ranks.

In total, the Birmingham-born forward has amassed over 200 Premier League appearances for the likes of the Foxes and the Toffees, with an impressive 19 goals and 14 assists coming his way from those contests, on top of a Premier League title astoundingly being lifted when situated at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester

169

13

14

Birmingham

78

8

4

Everton

75

12

6

Al-Ettifaq

50

4

5

Bayer Leverkusen

12

1

2

Poku might well have a certain level of freshness on his side – considering he has just tallied up a blistering 12 goals and 11 assists for Darren Ferguson’s men last campaign – but the table above really does speak for itself when judging the 28-year-old’s pedigree alone, with a season even under his belt in the Bundesliga when lining up for Bayer Leverkusen.

Moreover, whilst Poku was a breakout success for Posh last season, he has never actually bagged a goal in the Championship, despite ripping up the third-tier, with just a meagre two goal contributions next to his name at the difficult level from 20 clashes.

An “electric” attacker on his day – in the words of journalist Scott Saunders – his first major steps in the senior game did actually come in the Championship with his hometown club, notably netting a memorable hat-trick above three of the eight strikes he has managed in the division when donning Birmingham blue.

It will now be up to Gray to roll back the years on his expected return, with more Premier League appearances perhaps coming his way down the line.

Whilst Poku is the talk of the town as an up-and-coming ace, Gray has already cemented himself as a Championship-capable talent and beyond across his vast playing days, with another chapter soon to be added to his packed story when hopefully starring for Davies and Co.

Birmingham want to sign "fantastic" £8m ace who scored in St Andrew's win

He could be an excellent summer addition.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jun 22, 2025

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team gave up pushing for a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals after they lost three wickets in the first three overs of their chase against Afghanistan in Kingstown.After restricting Afghanistan to 115 for 5 in the final Super Eight game, Bangladesh needed to win in 12.1 overs to go ahead of Afghanistan and Australia on net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1 along with India.”The plan was to try [to win in 12.1 overs] if we get a good start in the powerplay,” Shanto said after the match. “We thought that if we don’t lose early wickets, we could take the chance [to go for the semi-finals]. When we lost three wickets, we had a different plan. We wanted to see how we could win the game. The middle-order didn’t take good enough decisions, which is why we lost the game today.”Bangladesh slipped to 23 for 3 in 2.5 overs and their subsequent slowdown sparked outrage among their fans, who could not fathom such an approach from a team that had a chance to qualify for the semi-finals.Former captain Mashrafe Mortaza said in a post on Facebook that Bangladesh shouldn’t have thought about merely winning against Afghanistan. “Litton’s intent and the non-strikers’ silence suggests that there was no clear message for the batting unit. Even if there was a message, it changed every one or two overs. It ended up with the decision to try to just win the game.”Today should have been just about winning in 12.1 overs. There was no other way of thinking. Everyone would have understood if they got bowled out for 50. If we had won this game, we would have lost to our conscience. This was not like ten other matches. We could have made history today.”Related

• Bangladesh exit T20 World Cup as they entered, timidly

• Gulbadin Naib's apparent cramp comes under scrutiny

• Afghanistan storm into maiden World Cup semi-finals; Australia knocked out

• Rashid: Semi-final is 'massive inspiration for youngsters' back home

Bangladesh were in the hunt at 75 for 5 at the end of the ninth over. Towhid Hridoy had struck Mohammad Nabi for two fours in the eighth over before Litton Das hit Rashid Khan for two more fours in the ninth. Forty-three runs to get in 3.1 overs was tough but not impossible, but then Mahmudullah played out a Noor Ahmad over with five dot balls and just one attacking shot that yielded a boundary. Rashid took two wickets in the 11th over to end Bangladesh’s chances of progressing to the semi-finals.”We wanted to win the match. It was the initial plan,” Shanto said. “When we saw 115 runs on the board, we had a plan to win in 12.1 overs. The batting group made a lot of poor decisions. It is frustrating and disappointing. We wanted to win this game. We had the chance in our grasp. We couldn’t take it.”Litton remained unbeaten on 54, carrying his bat as Bangladesh were bowled out for 105 in the 18th over to confirm Afghanistan’s place in the semi-finals at Australia’s expense.Bangladesh had made another tactical blunder by holding back Hridoy, arguably their best batter in this T20 World Cup, to No 6. Sending in out-of-form batters like Soumya Sarkar over Hridoy was costly but Shanto said the team wanted to have a left-right combination in the middle. “We mixed up the batting order because we wanted to keep left-right combination. There was Litton in one end. They had a lot of variations in their bowling. Everyone was clear, they knew we would do this.”Bangladesh’s net run rate situation need not have been this dire had they shown more urgency in their previous Super Eight game against India. Chasing 197 on a good batting pitch in Antigua, Bangladesh had managed only 146 for 8 in response. Tamim Iqbal, an expert for ESPNcricinfo, and Shakib Al Hasan had criticised the team’s attitude and tactics, dropping Taskin Ahmed to not showing intent in the powerplay.”We gave our 100% against India,” Shanto said after Bangladesh’s loss to Afghanistan. “We picked the extra spinner in Mahedi, who bowled well. We should have scored a few more runs on that wicket [in Antigua]. We didn’t utilise it properly. The scenario would have been different had we batted better [against India].”Shanto signed off by apologising to the Bangladesh fans for letting them down. His last word at the press conference in St Vincent was “sorry”. Bangladesh’s fans, however, deserve more than a perfunctory ‘sorry’ from their captain and the team management.