All posts by n8rngtd.top

Whilst they must act with caution amid their PSR concerns, Aston Villa are now reportedly keen to sign a Serie A midfielder who kept Morgan Rogers quiet last season.

Aston Villa still face PSR concern

With June 30 and the PSR deadline approaching, Aston Villa are running out of time to sell players and face what could be the most important week of their summer. At this stage, the likeliest players to depart seem to be Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey. The former has been the subject of interest from Manchester United and although Villa won’t be desperate to sell a key man to a rival club, they may have no choice before next month.

Of course, the departure of Bailey would be far easier to stomach this summer. The Jamaican winger fell down the pecking order last season following the arrival of Donyell Malen and even after the loan spells of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio came to an end, he remains a player who Villa could be wise to sell this month.

Whether the likely sale of Philippe Coutinho to Vasco da Gama solves Villa’s problems completely is also a big question. To that end, reports have claimed that it will help them on the PSR front but it will not solve their issues entirely. Even after the former Liverpool star’s exit, Villa may still require one more sale before a much-needed PSR reset.

The next Rogers: Aston Villa pushing hard to sign "explosive" £30m star

Aston Villa could be about to win their next Morgan Rogers if they’re successful in their advances for this rising star.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 24, 2025

It’s then that those in the Midlands will be able to shift their focus back towards incomings and potentially a Serie A midfielder who pocketed Rogers last season.

Aston Villa keen to sign Jens Cajuste

According to Area Napoli, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen to sign Jens Cajuste from Napoli this summer. Following a season on loan at Ipswich Town, the midfielder will now reportedly be allowed to leave the Italian club for as little as €10m (£8.5m) in the coming months.

Whilst his first season in the Premier League featured a relegation, Cajuste still stood out at times for Ipswich Town. In fact, one of his best games came against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.

Keeping attacking midfielder Rogers quiet, Cajuste made three interceptions – more than any other central midfielder on the pitch – and completed five recoveries. Rogers, meanwhile, was limited to just one successful dribble and won a third of his duels in a frustrating afternoon.

One of several solid performances, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was often full of praise for Cajuste during his time at the club – telling reporters when asked about the midfielder in April: “He’s a really terrifically talented footballer, but in terms of his robustness he’s making really good progress and he’s improved as the season’s gone on.”

Aston Villa have a busy couple of weeks ahead amid their need to ensure they don’t overstep the FFP mark and one of their star men is now being lined up for a move ato Manchester United.

Aston Villa's balancing act in light of PSR

Profit and Sustainability Rules have become a contentious topic for fans who don’t support one of the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs. However, they have become a frustrating reality that everyone now has to abide by.

Unfortunately, Aston Villa are now at risk of breaching regulations after recording £202.6 million in pre-tax losses over the past two years, which is the most out of anyone in the Premier League.

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three consecutive years is the limit for top-flight clubs, which has created plenty of speculation regarding potential sales to bridge the gap.

BBC Sport columnist Fara Williams has named Jacob Ramsey as a player Aston Villa could sell to make ends meet, as she said: “It does feel like Aston Villa will have to sell some key players this summer if they are to bring others in and keep within PSR regulations.

“There has been a lot of rumours around it and I believe Jacob Ramsey was a name being mentioned who, as a homegrown player, they would make more money from.”

Aston Villa make offer to sign Serie A champion who’s now tempted by move

The Villans could tempt the defender into a move.

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By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 11, 2025

The Villans have also passed on signing Marcus Rashford permanently, prioritising Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho as a more affordable alternative.

Nevertheless, the feeling around the West Midlands is one that Aston Villa must sell before they can buy, and Unai Emery could now have a dilemma on his hands following recent developments.

Emiliano Martinez in talks with Man Utd

Now, according to reports via CaughtOffside, Emiliano Martinez is in talks over a move to Manchester United and may be a sacrificial lamb for Aston Villa amid their current PSR state of limbo, and he is thought to be open to the idea of moving to Old Trafford.

Due to the Red Devils’ status as a domestic rival, the Villans are reportedly demanding a fee north of £40 million to sell the World Cup-winning stopper this summer, who has been identified as a successor to Andre Onana under Ruben Amorim.

Labelled “magnificent” by Alan Shearer, Martinez now appears primed for a move elsewhere, begging the question of who could replace the Argentina international between the sticks.

Going off recent times, OGC Nice stopper Marcin Bulka is a prominent target for Aston Villa, illustrating that Emery may have his eyes on a younger alternative in the event he is left searching for new blood.

Either way, Martinez has been a brilliant servant in the West Midlands and would be sorely missed, even if his departure feels like the best source of action for all parties involved.

Thomas Frank is poised to become the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and he’s thought to have his eyes on some transfer targets already.

Tottenham closing in on Thomas Frank appointment after talks

Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano says Frank to Tottenham is already a done deal, with the Lilywhites set to trigger his £10 million release clause and secure Ange Postecoglou’s replacement in quick fashion.

Tottenham now offered £42m star who Mourinho held talks to sign for Spurs

The former Spurs boss FaceTimed him constantly.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 11, 2025

Following chairman Daniel Levy’s tough decision to axe a manager who ended the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy, whilst securing qualification for next season’s Champions League, Spurs have wasted no time in getting his successor through the door.

Postecoglou was a popular figurehead among the squad, with James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pedro Porro all speaking publicly in defence of the Australian before his dismissal, so Frank has big shoes to fill.

The Dane’s experience of overperforming on a very limited transfer budget, not to mention his work under a data-driven recruitment model similar to Tottenham’s, makes him a solid candidate to replace Postecoglou.

The downsides of this prospective appointment lie with Frank’s inexperience managing an elite-level side or competing in the Champions League, and the 51-year-old has no major honours to boast of heading into the biggest job of his career.

Frank will need plenty of backing this summer from Levy and technical director Johan Lange, who he already knows very well from their time together working in Denmark, and they’ve been familiar with one another for many years.

Tottenham are set for a significant financial boost due to their confirmed place in the Champions League next season, and they’ll no longer have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer as a result (Michael Bridge).

Reports suggest Frank has already identified transfer targets ahead of his arrival at Spurs, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze firmly in his thinking (GiveMeSport).

Tottenham consider "bold" move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite

As per TEAMtalk, Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is another player admired by Frank.

The 22-year-old has been a star mainstay of the Toffees backline since returning to Merseyside from a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/2023 season, and England fans were left shocked when Gareth Southgate omitted Branthwaite from his Three Lions squad for Euro 2024.

Branthwaite is attracting interest from across the Premier League, and Tottenham are certainly in the mix for his services, despite Everton slapping a £70 million price tag on his head.

That is according to TT, who also claim that Frank sees Branthwaite as the ideal Spurs signing to prepare for Champions League football, with Tottenham considering a “bold” move to bring him down south.

A move to N17 is also described as “appealing” to Branthwaite, considering their state-of-the-art set-up and place in Europe’s most prestigious competition, but remaining at Everton is also tempting for him given their new stadium and promise shown under David Moyes.

The Toffees will apparently fight tooth and nail to keep hold of him for next season, so a lot will hinder on how high Tottenham are ready to bid.

Birmingham City showed this time last summer that they are content with punching above their weight when a dramatic transfer window is open.

Indeed, it was somewhat of a shock to see Chris Davies’ men win the services of Jay Stansfield, considering the Blues had just been relegated all the way down to League One. Still, at a price tag of £15m, Birmingham sent shockwaves through the third tier with this statement purchase.

Birmingham will likely try to operate in a similarly flashy fashion moving up a division, with that approach clear for all to see again as Demarai Gray is now tipped to make a dramatic return to St. Andrew’s.

Gray's potential return to Birmingham

Gray isn’t the only former Birmingham player on the club’s radar this summer with Che Adams’ name having also been thrown out as another high-profile face who could soon return to their boyhood employers as Birmingham aim to take their new league by storm.

Gray is the latest rumour in this regard, with journalist Ben Jacobs taking to social media earlier this month to confirm the Blues’ interest and even reveal an enquiry had been made.

It would take around a fee of £8m for Birmingham to win back their former homegrown product, which is a steep amount to fork out, irrespective of his previous blistering eight-goal stint in the West Midlands.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has only tallied up a meagre nine goal contributions from 50 games for current employers Al-Ettifaq.

Off the back of this, Davies and Co might set their sights elsewhere.

The "special" target who is more exciting than Gray

The concern would be that the 28-year-old flounders back on the St. Andrew’s stage and tarnishes his reputation in the process.

On the other hand, an alternate target in attack in the form of NEC Nijimegen ace Sontje Hansen would have nothing to lose on his arrival in Birmingham.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph recently revealed that the newly promoted outfit has expressed an interest in landing the entertaining Dutchman.

Much like Gray, Hansen has been under an intense spotlight most of his senior career, having initially exploded onto the scene as a promising young starlet at Eredivisie behemoth Ajax.

He would only go on to make two first-team appearances in Amsterdam, but he has more than made a name for himself at Nijimegen in the here and now, as seen in the breathtaking solo goal above and when further assessing his standout numbers in the table below.

Hansen has been very consistent for his Dutch top division employers over the last two seasons, with a hefty 20 goal contributions picked up across his last two league campaigns.

To add context, despite Gray being able to boast Premier League experience with Everton, he has only been able to collect a flat seven goal contributions over the same period, even whilst plying his trade out in the weaker Saudi Pro League.

Hansen has even been branded as a “special” talent in the past by his former U17 coach in Peter van der Veen, with plenty more to come from the 23-year-old potentially if he uproots to the Blues shortly.

Whereas Gray has arguably had his moment in the sun at St. Andrew’s, with more exciting, up-and-coming stars now needing to be prioritised.

Birmingham could sign a big upgrade on Paik in "first-class" £2m sensation

Birmingham City could now win themselves a new midfield talent to upgrade on Paik Seung-Ho.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 6, 2025

As Aston Villa prepare for a busy summer in the transfer market, how they would love to unearth a forward as prolific as Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker scored 49 goals in just 101 appearances for the Villans, thereby averaging a goal every 172 minutes, despite the fact they were struggling throughout his time at the club.

Having arrived from Genk for just £7m in 2012, Benteke was sold to Liverpool for £32.5m three years later, quite the return on investment.

A decade on from his departure, could Villa be about to make a Benteke-esque striker move in this transfer window?

Aston Villa targeting new striker

According to a report by Football Transfers, Monchi has made Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro a ‘high-priority’ target this summer, adding that the Brazilian is valued at around £58m by the Seagulls.

Pedro has not been seen since being sent off at Brentford on 19 April, first serving the customary three-match suspension.

However, despite then being available for Brighton’s final two fixtures of the campaign, Fabian Hürzeler chose not to select him.

This is because, as outlined by Pedro was involved in a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke, merely fueling speculation around his future.

Sam Dean of the Telegraph has previously documented that Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all ‘interested’ to Pedro this summer, but could Aston Villa position themselves at the front of the queue by acting swiftly?

Why Pedro would be a better signing than Rashford

Now that his loan spell has come to an end, there was always going to be much speculation about Marcus Rashford’s future.

In 17 appearances for Villa, he looked like a different player, enjoying a ‘career rehabilitation’ in the Midlands as he scored four goals and registered six assists, on target against Brighton and Manchester City in the Premier League, also bagging a brace at Preston North End in the FA Cup.

Nevertheless, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reports that, even though he is contracted to the club until 2028, Rashford has no future at Manchester United, who value him at £40m, with reports in Spain documenting Barcelona’s long-standing interest.

However, rather than pushing to make Rashford’s deal permanent, would Villa be better served signing Pedro?

Well, let’s attempt to find out.

As the table outlines, Rashford and Pedro’s statistics this season are remarkably similar.

In around 300 more minutes across all competitions, the Englishman scored one more goal, registered two more assists and accumulated more shot-creating actions per 90.

Nevertheless, Pedro came out on top for carrying metrics across passing and dribbling, suggesting he’s even more of a livewire than Pedro in forward areas.

Presenter Sam Ucko labels the Brazilian a ‘special player”, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic praises his ‘technical prowess’, which enables him to drop deep and be involved in the build-up play.

So, the smarter business decision would be to spend big on the younger Pedro, rather than splurging on a 27-year-old whose best days could be behind them.

Pau Torres 2.0: Aston Villa submit offer to sign £21m "big game player"

Aston Villa are looking to do their transfer business early

By
Joe Nuttall

May 28, 2025

Everton are thought to have held talks with a “really good” player over a summer move to Merseyside, but they are far from alone in showing an interest.

Everton already lining up summer deals

David Moyes will know the importance of the Blues nailing their summer transfer business, as the Scot looks to transform them back into a mid-table Premier League team who look upwards at the European spots rather than over their shoulder. In fact, with a move to a new stadium coming and funds expected to be available, the club needs to have lofty ambitions moving forward.

Sunderland captain Dan Neil has been linked with a move to Everton ahead of next season, with the midfielder set to lead the Black Cats out at Wembley in the Championship playoff final against Sheffield United later this month. Failure to get promoted could only improve the Merseysiders’ chances of getting their man.

The Blues are also reportedly interested in signing Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, whose stock has dropped after a disappointing season. The Republic of Ireland ace has struggled out on loan at West Ham, but it may still be that Moyes believes he can turn his fortunes around.

Meanwhile, a John Stones reunion has been mooted at Everton, should the England international leave Manchester City at the end of the season, which could be a popular piece of business among the Blues fanbase.

Everton in talks with Tomas Soucek

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Everton remain “keen” on completing the signing of West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek this summer. It is claimed that “up to five Premier League clubs have held talks” with the Czech over a move, with the Blues deemed to be one of the teams in question.

The £90,000-a-week-earning Soucek could be a shrewd signing by Everton, even though he may not be the young, creative midfielder that some fans would like to see come in. Now 30 years of age, the West Ham ace admittedly isn’t getting any younger, but he still has plenty to offer, having scored 41 goals in 243 appearances for the Hammers and offering a real physical presence at set pieces.

He'd be Moyes' next Cahill: Everton plot move for "incredible" EFL star

Everton could be about to land a player who could follow in the footsteps of a former fan-favourite.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 15, 2025

The fact that Moyes knows him so well from their time together at the London Stadium together can only bode well – they won the UEFA Europa Conference League together – and the Everton manager has lauded him in the past.

Ultimately, if Moyes believes Soucek can be a strong signing this summer, he needs to be trusted by The Friedkin Group, and there is no reason why he couldn’t be an effective figure who chips in with goals, having even scored three times against Everton in the past.

The summer transfer window officially opens for business next month and Celtic have already completed their first signing, although he will not officially join until the start of July.

Kieran Tierney will re-join the Scottish giants in the summer after his contract with Arsenal expires at the end of June, which means that the Scotland international will return on a free transfer.

The former Hoops academy graduate enjoyed a terrific first spell at Parkhead, racking up 37 assists in 170 matches in all competitions before his £25m move to The Emirates in 2019.

This suggests that Brendan Rodgers is set to have a brilliant attacking left-back option at his disposal when the 2025/26 campaign gets underway later this year.

Celtic are also set to be in the market for a player to play ahead of Tierney in the left wing position after it was revealed that Jota could be on the sidelines for up to nine months with a knee injury.

That could put the Hoops on alert for a new winger in the summer transfer window because losing the Portuguese talent to a long-term injury is a big blow.

Why losing Jota is a big blow for Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions reportedly paid a fee of £8m to bring the attacker back to Parkhead from Rennes in the January transfer window, 18 months after they sold him to Al Ittihad for £25m.

This shows that the Hoops were willing to pay big money to reunite with the exciting winger, and for good reason, after his first spell on the flanks in Glasgow.

As you can see in the graphic above, Jota was an absolute joy to watch during his time in the team under Ange Postecoglou in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, as he delivered goals and assists on a regular basis, whilst playing on the left and the right wing.

Prior to his recent injury, the former Benfica starlet showed that kind of form again with a return of four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Premiership during the second half of this season.

The Celtic star hit the ground running on his homecoming to Glasgow, despite scoring just one goal for Rennes in the first half of the campaign, and looked set for a strong end to the season after his fast start to life back at the club.

Unfortunately, the Scottish giants will now have to deal without having Jota for the best part of a year, which is a blow because they have lost a star who has proven that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis in Scotland.

Celtic could, however, find a perfect replacement for the Portuguese gem for the start of next season by signing their latest reported transfer target.

Celtic eyeing move for English attacker

According to The Herald, Celtic are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign 23-year-old attacker Tyrhys Dolan from Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring his situation with the English side, as Rodgers seemingly lines up a swoop for the talented forward.

Transfer Focus

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

Dolan’s current contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of June and this means that the Scottish giants could swoop in to land him for a compensation fee, as he came up through the youth ranks at Blackburn and they would still be entitled to a nominal fee. This is quite remarkable considering the Scottish Sun suggests that he is actually valued around the £10m mark.

The Herald adds, though, that fellow Premiership side Rangers have already made contact with the player to be informed about his situation, which shows that Celtic are not the only side interested in a swoop for the English attacker.

It is now down to the Hoops to win the race for the Championship star’s signature because he could come in as a perfect replacement for Jota for Rodgers.

Why Dolan would be a perfect Jota replacement for Celtic

Like the Portuguese forward, Dolan is a versatile right-footed winger who can play out on the right or on the left flank, which means that he can play down the line as a touchline winger on the right or on the left as an inverted winger who cuts inside to create space for an overlapping full-back.

That could make him an ideal left-winger for Tierney to play with because the English ace could drift infield onto his stronger right foot and drag the right-back, which could provide the Scottish defender with opportunities to deliver crosses in from the space that creates.

This means that the Blackburn star could be the perfect Jota replacement from a stylistic perspective, because of his ability to fulfill the tactical roles that the £8m signing could play for Rodgers.

Of course, Celtic also need a winger who has the quality to provide goals and assists at the top end of the pitch to help them win matches and trophies, and Dolan also has the potential to be that forward as well.

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star has delivered seven goals and six assists in the Championship this term, which is a respectable, but not outstanding, return.

It is more impressive when you consider that Blackburn rank 16th in the Championship for xG, with 51.7 xG in 46 games, which shows that they are not a front-footed team that consistently creates chances.

Celtic, meanwhile, racked up 84.0 xG in 33 matches before the split. This means that Dolan, who Tony Mowbray once hailed as scoring a “wonderful” goal, would be in a team that creates significantly more chances for their attacking players.

Therefore, the English star could add far more goals and assists to his game by playing in an attacking, dominant, side in Glasgow, which could turn his decent haul of 13 goals and assists into Jota-esque contributions over the course of a Premiership season.

Worth less than Scales: Rodgers must axe Celtic's "fantastic" star

Celtic must ruthlessly cash in on the defender who is worth even less than Liam Scales.

By
Dan Emery

May 11, 2025

Therefore, Dolan could be the perfect replacement for the injured Jota as a low-cost signing, given his contract situation, who fits tactically and has the potential to be an excellent operator in the final third.

After turning their season around in excellent fashion, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly turned their attention towards keeping hold of one of Vitor Pereira’s star men.

Wolves' resurgent run under Pereira

When Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil before replacing him with a manager who had never stepped foot in the Premier League, there were plenty of concerns over their ability to avoid relegation. Five months on, however, Pereira has silenced doubters and even shared a few drinks with his fans following a recent run of six-straight Premier League victories. The Midlands club haven’t just survived under their new manager, they’ve thrived.

What makes that record even more impressive is the fact that star man Matheus Cunha has missed four of those 19 games, including three of Wolves’ six-consecutive wins between March and April.

It’s an absence that Wolves fans would have feared, but one that they now know Wolves can perform with. And that’s something that Pereira’s side will likely have to get used to amid rumours that Cunha will be on the move this summer.

The Brazilian has a release clause worth around £63m and has attracted interest from Manchester United and others as a result. Following an excellent campaign, there’s no doubt that the forward deserves a big move. Whether that big move will be to Old Trafford and a side who are on course to finish below Wolves remains to be seen, however.

Wolves set to make enquiry for £50m Liverpool ace; will be key for Pereira

Wolves are now the latest team show a significant interest in a player who looks set to leave Liverpool.

By
Brett Worthington

May 7, 2025

If the former Atletico Madrid man does depart, meanwhile, then those at Molineux will be in for an important summer. With money to spend, they would have to instantly replace Cunha whilst also keeping hold of their other star men amid similar interest.

Ait-Nouri set for new contract talks

According to the Express and Star, Wolves are now set to offer Rayan Ait-Nouri a fresh deal in an attempt to keep hold of their versatile left-back just over a year before his current deal expires.

Although the Algerian has gone under the radar at times this season thanks to Wolves’ early struggles, there’s no denying that it’s been another fantastic season. With three Premier League games to go, the defender has scored five goals and assisted another seven in all competitions to significantly improve on last season’s numbers.

As important to Pereira as he was O’Neil, Ait-Nouri found himself at the centre of the latter’s praise last season when his former manager told reporters: “It’s very important being able to use him in a few different positions out of necessity.

“He could roll inside and play in midfield from left back, he played as a 10 in the second half. He’s a great lad. He’s come on professionalism-wise and asks loads of questions now.”

Whilst reports suggest that Wolves value their full-back at £40m this summer, Ait-Nouri’s time at the club may not be coming to an end any time soon with a new contract seemingly set to be on the table.

Manchester United were left frustrated once again in the Premier League on Sunday when they had to fight to scrape a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

It took a 96th-minute goal from Rasmus Hojlund, who deflected an effort from Manuel Ugarte into the bottom corner, to secure a point against the Cherries, after Antoine Semenyo rifled the home team in front in the first half.

Ruben Amorim’s side created more than enough chances to win the match, though, as they racked up 2.52 xG and failed to make the most of their opportunities.

Bruno Fernandes, in particular, must have been particularly frustrated by the team’s wasteful finishing. The Portugal international created seven chances, including one ‘big chance’, and came off the pitch without an assist to show for his efforts.

Manchester United’s captain has been a shining light in a dim season for the Red Devils, once again, with the quality that he has provided in the middle of the park on a regular basis.

It is now down to the club and Amorim to ensure that they bring in the right players to complement his play in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Why Manchester United have let Bruno Fernandes down

The owners, the previous owners, the manager, and the previous manager, or managers, have all failed to build a squad that is equipped to make the most of Fernandes’ talent in the final third.

Manchester United’s captain has now created 14 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League this season and has only been rewarded with nine assists for his creative brilliance, which shows that his teammates have not done enough with the opportunities that he has created.

That is the story of Fernandes’ career at Old Trafford, particularly recently, as he has been an exceptional creative talent for the club throughout his time in the English top-flight.

The 30-year-old superstar, who has also scored 17 goals in all competitions this season, needs teammates who can make the most of the ‘big chances’ that he consistently creates.

As you can see in the table above, Fernandes’ teammates have only scored 50 goals from 62.7 xA created by the former Sporting star, which shows that they have significantly underperformed in front of goal.

These statistics show that Manchester United have not been able to recruit the quality of centre-forward that the attacking midfielder needs to finish the chances that he creates on a weekly basis for the Reds.

Manchester United are now, reportedly, eyeing up a deal to sign a player who would love to play alongside Fernandes, and who has the quality to thrive alongside him.

Manchester United close in on Premier League star

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Brazilian forward is ‘very close’ to joining the Red Devils from the Premier League side, as Amorim looks to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch.

Revelo adds that the Brazil international has a release clause, worth £53m, in his current contract with the Old Gold, and that United are ready to pay it to bring him to Manchester in the ‘coming weeks’.

It claims that there is already a verbal agreement in place between Cunha and Manchester United to join the club, which suggests that personal terms have already been agreed between the two parties.

Transfer Focus

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

INEOS must, now, pay the release clause to wrap a deal up as early as possible in the summer transfer window, to avoid any other clubs swooping in ahead of them, as the attacker could be a dream signing for Fernandes next season.

Why Matheus Cunha would be a dream signing for Bruno Fernandes

The former Atletico Madrid attacker could be an ideal addition to the squad because he is a proven Premier League performer who could hit the ground running at Old Trafford, in theory.

This is Cunha’s second full season in the top-flight, having also been on loan at Wolves in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, and he has shown himself to be a classy operator at the top end of the pitch for the Old Gold.

The 25-year-old star, who was directly involved in 22 goals as shown in the video above, could come in to provide Amorim’s side with a boost as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

His finishing qualities, in particular, will be of interest to Fernandes because his record in the Premier League since the start of last season suggests that the United captain would love him.

As you can see in the table above, the Wolves superstar has vastly outperformed his xG, scoring 27 goals from 17.35 xG, and delivered 13 assists.

Cunha, dubbed a “special” player by his manager Vitor Pereira, has the quality to take high-quality chances when they come his way, outperforming how many goals the average player would be expected to score from the shots that he takes.

This is why Fernandes, who has consistently been let down by his teammates in that respect, would love the Brazilian ace at Old Trafford, because the forward could provide the finishing quality to make the most of his creativity.

Cunha and Fernandes could be a lethal pairing in the Premier League for United next season because the Portuguese ace could consistently create chances for the ex-Atletico Madrid ace to find the back of the net week-in-week-out, improving Manchester United’s attack.

Man Utd preparing £40m bid to sign full-back who is also wanted by Arsenal

Man Utd face a battle with Arsenal to sign an experienced defender.

By
Brett Worthington

Apr 28, 2025

This is why INEOS must get a deal done for the Wolves star as quickly as possible because he could be a fantastic signing to bolster Amorim’s squad, improving the team’s chances of success next term.

The last week or so has been nothing short of spectacular for Arsenal.

Yes, they may have dropped more points in the Premier League, but in the Champions League, they’ve beaten the holders Real Madrid 3-0 at home and then 2-1 away, becoming the first English team to win their first two matches against Los Blancos at the Bernabeu.

It’s been a miraculous turnaround in what’s been a surprisingly tough season for the Gunners, both due to poor form and a seemingly never-ending slew of injuries, which have, at points, left their frontline precariously thin on the ground.

Fortunately, the board seem intent on ensuring this problem doesn’t arise again next year, as recent reports have linked the club with one of the best attackers in Europe, someone compared to Alexander Isak and Kylian Mbappé.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other stars who have been heavily touted for moves to the Emirates in the summer, such as Nico Williams.

Transfer Focus

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

The Athletic Bilbao star reportedly has a £50m release clause in his current contract, and with an impressive tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances this season, he’d be a fine addition to Arteta’s array of young wingers.

Down the middle, the name most heavily linked with a potential move to N5 in recent weeks has been Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres, who would reportedly cost around £60m.

While that is a lot of money, it could still prove to be a bargain, as in just 45 appearances this season, the Swedish tour de force has scored 44 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.22 goal involvements per game.

However, there is still an element of doubt over the Stockholm-born monster as he remains relatively untested when it comes to a top-five league, unlike Ousmane Dembélé.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a few ‘clubs showing an interest in an ambitious potential summer transfer’ for the French international.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are all big admirers of the versatile forward, which could make an already complicated move even more so.

It would undoubtedly be a costly move as well, but given Dembélé’s immense ability, and the fact he’s been compared to Isak and Mbappé, it’s one worth fighting for.

How Dembélé compares to Isak and Mbappé

Okay, before getting into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should sign Dembélé, it’s worth examining these comparisons to Isak and Mbappé and where they come from.

Well, in this instance, they stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Real Madrid star is the third most similar forward to the Frenchman and the Swede is the sixth.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio rank closely, including, but not limited to, goals per shot, crosses into the penalty area, non-penalty expected goals per shot, tackles won, percentage of successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

However, while sharing some similarities with two of the best forwards in the world is undoubtedly one argument for signing the French international, it’s not the only one.

Another is the fact that he’s been in simply sublime form this season, with former professional-turned-pundit Joe Cole labelling him “the most in-form player, let alone winger, in European football.”

It’s not hard to see where Cole’s coming from either, as in just 42 appearances, totalling 2815 minutes, the former Barcelona star has scored 32 goals and provided 11 assists.

That means he is currently averaging 1.02 goal involvements every game, or one every 65.46 minutes, which is a world-class level of output.

Ultimately, it could be an incredibly difficult transfer to get over the line, but if there is a chance Arsenal can sign Dembélé this summer, they have to take it, as he could be transformational.

Arsenal ask Real Madrid about signing £62m forward in William Saliba talks

The Gunners are fresh off the back of an historic Champions League tie with Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 17, 2025