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Leeds United have missed out on signing some brilliant players in recent years after Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites back to the Premier League in 2020.

Those at Elland Road struck transfer gold on Raphinha, with the Brazilian winger starring in Yorkshire before sealing a big-money move to Barcelona in 2022.

However, Leeds could have signed icons Diego Maradona and Frank Lampard once upon a time, and more recently, plenty of other star names came close to joining the Whites.

Leeds United's most expensive sales of all time

A look at the record departures from Elland Road.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025 10 star players Leeds United almost signed 10 Diego Maradona

A year on after Diego Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 saw Leeds make an ambitious move to sign the icon from Napoli.

A Division Two side at the time, Whites director Bill Fotherby was ready to spend a whopping £8m on Maradona and opened talks with the player’s agent. However, Leeds would eventually pull the plug and Maradona would remain with Napoli until 1991.

9 Frank Lampard

Following Rio Ferdinand’s move to Elland Road in 2000, Leeds looked to raid West Ham again a year later, this time for Frank Lampard.

The Whites were thought to be ready to pay £10m for the midfielder, but as we know, he’d instead join Chelsea.

Lampard has since gone on to become a rival of Leeds and was manager of Derby County during the famous ‘Spygate’ scandal during Bielsa’s time as Whites boss.

8 Erling Haaland

Striker Erling Haaland was born in Leeds and has openly admitted he is a Whites supporter, and those at Elland Road passed up on the chance to sign the Norwegian when he was at Molde.

Now a global superstar, Haaland was 17 at the time and Leeds were in the Championship when the failed transfer happened, with the forward instead signing for RB Salzburg.

7 Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson was a striker who would have loved the Elland Road atmosphere as a home player, and Leeds almost signed him in 1993.

Dundee United even accepted an offer worth £3.25m from the Whites, however, he would sign for Rangers instead before making a move to England with Everton 12 months later.

6 Josko Gvardiol

Manchester City signed Josko Gvardiol in 2023 for a world-record fee for a defender worth more than £77m. However, three years prior to his move to England, Gvardiol could have signed for Leeds following their promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds even agreed a fee with Dinamo Zagreb, but the Croatia international snubbed the Whites for RB Leipzig.

5 Rodrigo De Paul

During the summer of 2020, Leeds missed out on central midfielder Rodrigo De Paul as well as Gvardiol.

De Paul was a Udinese player at the time and would instead sign for Atletico Madrid, before helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar two years later.

4 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Now a Paris Saint-Germain star and one of the best in Europe, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is another case of what could have been for Leeds under Bielsa.

Following their successful first season back in the Premier League, Bielsa wanted attacking additions, with Victor Orta and co targeting Kvaratskhelia from Russian club Rubin Kazan.

Instead, Leeds signed Dan James from Manchester United with Bielsa losing his job during the 2021/22 season.

3 Cody Gakpo

Leeds were desperate to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven late in the summer transfer window in 2023, with Orta and co flying out to the Netherlands looking to bring the star attacker back to Yorkshire.

Gakpo even recalled the story of how he placed his fate in the hands of God the night before the transfer window slammed shut.

Gakpo scored a hat-trick for PSV that night in a 7-1 win over FC Volendam so remained with PSV, eventually moving to Liverpool six months later.

2 Viktor Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres signed for Arsenal in 2025, but years before his big-money move to the Emirates from Sporting CP, Orta nearly signed him for Leeds.

The Swedish striker was scoring for fun at Coventry City in the Championship, however, Leeds would instead break the bank in 2023 for Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim.

Coventry City

Sporting CP

Games

116

102

Goals

43

97

Assists

17

28

1 Ollie Watkins

When Leeds were looking for a new striker in 2020 upon their return to the Premier League, they targeted Ollie Watkins who was starring for Brentford in the Championship.

Watkins admitted himself that the Whites were keen on him, however, Leeds instead decided to sign Spanish international Rodrigo to lead their line.

Rodrigo had his ups and downs at Elland Road, whereas Watkins would sign for Aston Villa and regularly hit double figures for goals in the Premier League.

On Sunday afternoon, Alexander Isak will sit on the bench at Burnley’s Turf Moor. Perhaps he will be introduced in the second half, playing 20 or 30 minutes of football for his new club, Liverpool.

The main thing is that Liverpool prevailed in their summer-stretching bid to sign Newcastle United’s talisman, completing the highly-charged transfer on deadline day for a British-record £125m fee, not long after the Reds had broken the previous record when signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m.

Liverpool’s summer spending spree was conducted with the view from the FSG offices that it would be something of a one-off, a remarkable statement of strength that would secure Anfield’s future for many years to come.

And though some felt the deal was somewhat unnecessary after Hugo Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the summer, it was absolutely right that Liverpool pushed hard to land the signature of one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards.

How Isak compares to Premier League strikers

Liverpool spent more this summer than any team had spent before across a single transfer window, and now Arne Slot’s side are expected to deliver: they must defend their Premier League title; they must battle against the continent’s finest for a seventh Champions League triumph.

Isak will help in the pursuit of all that. The 25-year-old scored 27 times for Newcastle last season and has emerged over the past few years as one of the best strikers in world football, so intelligent and influential and clinical in front of goal.

Mohamed Salah is known for his success in the final third, but Isak has actually been scoring at a more prolific rate since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, and the overload of creative quality at Slot’s disposal suggests the Swede will only go from strength to strength on Merseyside.

PL – Top Scorers Since 22/23

Player

Apps

Goals (per 90)

Erling Haaland

100

88 (0.88)

Mohamed Salah

111

67 (0.60)

Alexander Isak

86

54 (0.63)

Ollie Watkins

115

50 (0.43)

Chris Wood

95

39 (0.41)

Bryan Mbeumo

101

39 (0.39)

Data via Transfermarkt

However, as already suggested, there are some who maybe feel that a record-breaking bid for Isak was superfluous, especially with Slot already having an Isak-esque talent in the ranks.

Liverpool already sold an Isak-esque talent

Sadio Mane was considered an irreplaceable part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, and he was, but FSG hit the jackpot in signing a positional successor in Luis Diaz, who proved instrumental in winning a horde of silverware across his three-and-a-half years at the club.

A left-sided forward by trade, Diaz was regarded as a “magical” player by the likes of Liverpool reporter Matt Addison, not quite hitting the same clinical heights as Mane before him but still contributing crucially throughout his spell at the club.

And last year was his best of the bunch, posting 17 goals and eight assists across the campaign. While consistent performances as a striker were bound to raise his output, Diaz still played the role extremely well, never goal-hanging and instead adding a dimension to Liverpool’s build-up play and altogether widening the scope for the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo, who both enjoyed terrific campaigns in front of goal.

Long regarded as one of the most electric and direct wingers in the Premier League, Slot opted to refashion Diaz into a centre-forward last season, with Darwin Nunez toiling in front of goal.

And the results reinforced that decision, just one of a myriad of tactical enforcements that have established Slot as a Premier League champion and “one of the best coaches” in the world, as remarked by analyst Joe Baker.

Isak arrives at Liverpool as an upgrade in regard to being a centre-forward, but Diaz offered something very distinctive, a blend of sharp-paced athleticism and nifty tricks on the ball, all translatable to an unnatural berth at number nine.

After all, Diaz ranked among the top 3% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for non-penalty goals scored per 90, statistics courtesy of data-led platform FBref.

This much-improved focus in the final third, combined with a dynamic approach to the physical side of the game, led FBref to liken Diaz to Newcastle’s Isak, who had been named by pundit Ally McCoist as being “the best all-round centre-forward” in England.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland might have more of a predatory instinct in front of goal, but you can see why Liverpool invested such an effort into signing Isak, who brings more to the table, who will carry something of Diaz’s style of play through the campaign.

Diaz was an immense and perhaps even underrated member of a multi-title-winning Liverpool side, but he appeared to have been pining for a transfer, first looking toward Barcelona and then Manchester City and the Saudi Pro League too, before eventually completing a move to Bayern Munich, where he is thriving.

It’s the news that Pep Guardiola’s side had come close to signing him that perhaps rankles some within the Reds fanbase, with Liverpool proposing to the Sky Blues a scenario in which City signed the Colombia international and Liverpool got Julian Alvarez in return upon realising that Diaz wanted to join their domestic rivals.

Diaz’s desire to leave Liverpool and join a domestic rival underscores a further similarity between his case and that of Slot’s new focal frontman, and let’s just be grateful that he was at least willing to remain at the club and continue to ply dutifully toward the outfit’s goals.

The versatile forward, in any case, served Liverpool extremely well, and though he carried some similarities to Isak, there’s no question that Liverpool fans and those involved at the club will consider the arrival of the Sweden star a significant upgrade and a fantastic deal, even though Isak’s signature came at such a premium.

Related FSG have already sold Liverpool's homegrown Zubimendi for just £15m

Former Liverpool player is now starring as a deep-lying playmaker reminiscent of Zubimendi.

Posts ByWill Miller Sep 12, 2025

Tottenham's Carabao Cup clash with Doncaster has been thrown into the spotlight after a bizarre twist in the script as academy gem Damola Ajayi is set to line up against his parent club. The 19-year-old attacker, who only burst onto the scene last January with a thunderbolt debut strike against Elfsborg in the Europa League, was sent on loan to Rovers in the summer. Now, in a rare exception to the usual rules, he's been given the green light to feature on Wednesday night against Spurs.

• Ajayi chasing big moment

  Ajayi had only one senior Spurs outing to his name before being loaned out. And now, head coach Thomas Frank, who took the reins at Tottenham earlier this year, insists he has no problem with him taking to the field in north London. 

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  Frank remains unfazed

  Frank said: "I think it's OK. He's on loan at another club. I know the Premier League have this if you're on loan from a club, you're not allowed to play [rule]. We decided to loan him out because it was good for his development. I've done that a thousand times. Maybe not a thousand times, a lot of times at Brentford, but we haven't been that lucky to face one of our own players. It is what it is. I think it's a great opportunity for him."

• Frank vows strong side despite rotation

  Frank has made it clear that Tottenham won’t take the contest lightly. The manager confirmed that backup goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky will start, but promised a heavyweight lineup otherwise. Injuries have forced a few changes. Ben Davies and Randal Kolo Muani are sidelined, but there is hope that youngsters Kota Takai and Dominic Solanke will at least make the bench after returning to training.

  "Of course I’d like to win. No doubt about that. For me, I think we probably need to take one game at a time," Frank added. "I’m very aware (of the expectation). I think it’s that balance that as I said, I would like us to get there where we can compete in all four tournaments throughout the year. If you want to compete in all four tournaments, you need to be good enough to pick the right team every single time. And I promise you before I pick the team, it looks like an unbelievably good plan. I think we’re also aware that no players can play 60 games x 90 minutes. So, it’s that balance we need to hit throughout the season. Not only because we are facing Doncaster. We need to hit that perfect number of players that rotates and then a strong team. And it will be a strong team.”

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  Wolves up after in hectic week

  After Wednesday night’s clash with Doncaster, Spurs are back in Premier League action at the weekend, with Wolves arriving in north London on Saturday. Frank will hope his balancing act keeps the squad fresh enough to avoid any slip-ups.

Fenerbahce president Ali Koc has lifted the lid on one of North London's transfer sagas, revealing that the club came agonisingly close to landing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma before an untimely injury torpedoed the deal. Giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce were both circling, sensing an opportunity to snap up a proven Premier League talent. Yet despite heavy speculation and weeks of negotiation, no agreement has been reached.

• Fenerbahce confirm failed Bissouma pursuit 
• Spurs midfielder’s injury scuppered Turkish move
• Bissouma keen to extend England stay 

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bissouma’s future at Tottenham has been clouded for months. Since Thomas Frank’s arrival as manager, the 29-year-old has slipped down the pecking order, sparking rumours that Spurs were open to offloading him before his contract winds down. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Several reports suggested Bissouma was torn between chasing a lucrative move to Turkiye and staying in England for another year to secure a British passport, a factor that would make any exit trickier. While some Turkish outlets claimed he was eager to join Fenerbahce, others hinted he was reluctant to leave the Premier League just yet.  

• WHAT KOC SAID

  Speaking to , Koc cleared the air and admitted Bissouma was the man at the very top of their shopping list. 

  “We all want a number 8. Bissouma was close, but he got injured,” he said. “We want a smart number 8. She can distribute the ball intelligently and play box-to-box. We’re working on a young player. Transfers at Fenerbahce don’t end until the last minute. Those coming in and out never end. We’ll push the envelope until the last moment.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Koc’s explanation raises eyebrows, as Bissouma was reported to have shaken off a muscle problem and returned to training on August 30. With the Turkish deadline not closing until September 12, sceptics believe the injury line might be more of a smokescreen than a genuine obstacle. Adding fuel to the fire, a report from Turkey last week alleged that Fenerbahce officials had been handed “a whole sheet of paper” outlining personal concerns and red flags over signing the player. 

A Manchester United forward, who Michael Carrick described as “terrific”, is now heading for the exit door, as a new club have agreed a transfer fee, according to a report.

Man Utd's attacking rebuild underway

There were many reasons behind Man United’s extremely disappointing 2024-25 campaign, but their attack was one of the most glaring issues, scoring just 44 goals all season in the Premier League.

Consequently, it is no surprise Ruben Amorim has set out to strengthen his forward line as a priority, having already sealed deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, and the next task for recruitment chiefs will be to bring in a new striker.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now revealed United have two main options in mind at centre-forward, saying: “Ollie Watkins has options and Aston Villa are looking at their options too – there is a real chance that he could leave Villa Park this summer, and Man United like him a lot – he is seen as a very good fit.”

“Sesko is ongoing too – United, though, are working on this situation. Could it be Watkins or Sesko? United certainly believe so,”

However, considering the Red Devils are well-known to be treading a fine line PSR-wise, there will also have to be some outgoings this summer, and they are now close to sealing a deal to sell one of their forwards.

That is according to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), which states a deal is now in place to sell Jadon Sancho to Juventus for £15m, and the winger has already agreed personal terms with the Italian club.

Related Man Utd present offer to agents of "phenomenal" £78m star, talks ongoing

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Posts 5 ByDominic Lund Jul 29, 2025

However, the deal is currently on pause, with Juventus looking to offload Timothy Weah and Nico Gonzalez, while they could also look to move on Dušan Vlahović before fully turning their attentions to Sancho.

Some final details also need to be finalised, such as bonuses, and the player himself is now growing impatient, as he is keen to seal a move to the Serie A side.

Sancho needs to move on this summer

Despite once being described as “terrific” by Michael Carrick, the English winger has never really managed to make an impact at United, and he clearly didn’t do enough to impress Enzo Maresca last season, with Chelsea paying a £5m penalty to avoid signing him.

As such, a move abroad could be ideal for the £25-year-old, given that his best years were spent outside England, picking up a combined 34 goals and assists for Borussia Dortmund in the 2019-20 Bundesliga season.

It is disappointing that Man United are only set to recoup £15m for Sancho, but he clearly has no future at Old Trafford, and there is every indication that Cunha and Mbeumo could be real upgrades.

Player

PL appearances in 24/25

Goals

Assists

Jadon Sancho

31

3

5

Bryan Mbeumo

38

20

8

Matheus Cunha

33

15

6

Benjamin Sesko has been a player who has been massively on the radar of Manchester United this summer, unsurprisingly so given his goalscoring form in recent times.

The RB Leipzig striker managed to score 21 times for the Bundesliga side across all competitions, undoubtedly improving the situation within the final third at Old Trafford.

He’s found the net 39 times in his 87 outings for the German side, evidently ready for the next step in his career, which could see him move to the Red Devils this summer.

However, any deal for the Slovenian could be an expensive one, with a fee in the region of £80m constantly being mooted to see him move clubs this summer.

Their interest has been growing throughout the summer transfer window, leading to a huge update being dropped on his future over the last couple of days.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

The Red Devils made their opening offer for the 22-year-old this week, with their bid totalling £74m including add-ons, but it’s unclear if such a bid will be accepted by the Leipzig hierarchy.

However, they’re not alone in their hunt for his signature this window, with fellow English side Newcastle United in the hunt for his signature – leaving the player with a decision to make before the end of the window.

He’s not the only player currently in their sights, which could see Galatasaray star Gabriel Sara also make the move to England, according to Takvim via Sport Witness.

They claim that the Red Devils are preparing a €40m (£35m) offer for the 26-year-old central midfielder this summer, just one year after he joined the club from Norwich City.

It also states that the player would be open to a move to join Amorim’s side, but the Turkish side are in no rush to offload him and will only part ways if his asking price is met in this window.

Why United’s latest target would be their next Bruno

Bruno Fernandes has been one of the key members of the United squad in recent years, playing a vital role despite the club’s lack of success in England’s top-flight.

The Portuguese international has often been the go-to man in terms of contributions within the final third, scoring a staggering 98 goals in his 290 appearances for the Red Devils.

Such a deal will go down as one of the best in the club’s history, with his £47m move from Sporting CP back in January 2020 now looking like an excellent piece of business.

However, the club have the opportunity to replicate such a move this summer with a deal to sign Sara, with the Brazilian potentially following suit of the 30-year-old and his own move to Manchester.

The 26-year-old could replicate such a move by joining the club from another European side outside the top five divisions – before making an impact with his creativity.

If he can replicate such figures from his recent season in Turkey, it would be a superb addition and one that could add another dimension to Amorim’s already impressive attack.

Sara, who’s been labelled “outstanding” by former boss David Wagner, registered 7.6 progressive passes per 90, along with 2.4 passes into the opposition’s box – with both figures ranking him in the top 7% of all players in Europe.

Games played

31

Goals & assists

10

Pass accuracy

82%

Progressive passes

7.6

Progressive carries

2.7

Passes into final third

6.3

Passes into opposition box

2.4

Take-ons completed

65%

Aerials won

68%

He also completed 2.7 progressive carries per 90, helping him complete 65% of the take-ons he attempted – showcasing his impressive ability with the ball at his feet.

The Brazilian’s talents are also reflected out of possession, winning 65% of the aerial battles he entered, whilst registering 1.6 tackles won per 90 – arguably being a perfect box-to-box option.

£35m for a player of Sara’s quality this summer would be great business by the club, adding needed depth within the midfield department in their quest for success.

If he can replicate the levels achieved by Bruno at Old Trafford, it would go down as another brilliant piece of work by the recruitment team – handing Amorim the platform he needs for success.

More crucial than Sesko: Man Utd prepare £26m bid for "phenomenal" star

Manchester United are making a move to land a star who’d be better than Benjamin Sesko.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 5, 2025

أعلن نادي برشلونة عن ملعب مباراة الفريق المرتقبة أمام فالنسيا، بمنافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

ويلاقي برشلونة خصمه فالنسيا في المباراة المقررة ضمن الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإسباني يوم الأحد المقبل.

وكان ملعب المباراة أمرًا محاطًا بالغموض، خاصة في ظل عدم الحصول على ترخيص اللعب بملعب “كامب نو” الشهير، ولا إمكانية اللعب على ملعب “مونتجويك” لإقامة حفل هناك.

وبحسب ما أوضح برشلونة في بيانه ستقام مباراة الفريق أمام فالنسيا على ملعب “يوهان كرويف” الخاص بالفريق الكتالوني، والذي سبق وخاض عليه مباريات ودية من قبل.

وصرّح برشلونة في بيانه الرسمي بأن النادي يعمل بجهد للحصول على التصاريح الإدارية اللازمة لافتتاح ملعب كامب نو المُزوّد ​​بخدمة سبوتيفاي في المستقبل القريب، ولهذا السبب، وحرصًا على ضمان أفضل الظروف الممكنة للفريق والجماهير، ستُقام المباراة في النهاية على ملعب يوهان كرويف.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيجو يختار لاعبًا من برشلونة يرغب في انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد

كما توجه نادي برشلونة بالشكر إلى أعضائه ومشجعيه وداعميه على تفهمهم ودعمهم لحين العودة لملعب سبوتيفاي كامب نو.

وستُقام مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا بحضور 6000 مشجع في مدرجات ملعب يوهان كوريف، بعد استثناء رابطة الليجا من اللوائح التي تشترط سعة 8000 متفرج في الدرجة الأولى.

وبحسب ما ورد، من المتوقع صدور الموافقة النهائية يوم الأربعاء بعد أن يتحقق المفتشون من إجراء التعديلات اللازمة على الملعب، كتركيب جميع كاميرات حكم الفيديو المساعد (VAR)، وتوصيل الألياف الضوئية لتجنب الأعطال الفنية، بالإضافة إلى تفاصيل نظام الري. 

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.

2

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.

Wrexham will no doubt be a busy club this summer as they attempt to tweak their personnel to fit into their fresh Championship surroundings.

The Red Dragons finally got the ball running with their first pick-up recently, with second-tier goal machine Ryan Hardie leaving Plymouth Argyle behind for a new adventure in Wales.

The now former Pilgrims number nine has an impressive 22 Championship strikes next to his name from 77 appearances at the level, with a hefty ten of those coming just last campaign, even as Argyle heartbreakingly slipped down to League One.

He will get more chances to strut his stuff in the EFL’s elite league with Phil Parkinson’s men, however, with this already bumper goal tally hopefully rising even more at the Racehorse Ground.

Hardie's reputation as a goal machine

The lethal Scotsman ended up being one of the very few select players to come out of Plymouth’s relegation season with their heads still held high.

Even if his individual season didn’t turn out to be that memorable, he still will have departed Home Park this summer as a modern icon of the club.

In total, Hardie bagged a colossal 74 goals from 248 appearances in Devon, with Wrexham excited to see what heights the 28-year-old can soar to as one of their main marksmen after promotion.

After all, with Paul Mullin rumoured to be off, the Red Dragons needed to bolster up top. But, the attacking signings might not be done just yet, as another statement deal involving a Championship regular could be in the offing to help Hardie become even more potent.

The "vital" star who could make Hardie even better

Whilst Hardie’s goal tally last season was seriously impressive, he might well have been hampered by the situation he found himself in at the foot of the second tier.

Wrexham will be aiming not to get sucked into any similar battles against the drop, and with potential signings such as Barry Bannan entering the door, no such dog-fights should be on the agenda.

On the contrary, Bannan’s potential arrival on the scene could have Wrexham dreaming of back-to-back promotions, with a report from football journalist Alan Nixon earlier this month talking up the prospect of the skilful 35-year-old midfielder swapping Hillsborough for pastures new in North Wales.

Of course, the Owls wouldn’t just let their long-standing servant leave so easily, but the Red Dragons have already poached one Championship superstar in Hardie, with Bannan perhaps the next to link up with Parkinson’s men to enhance the ex-Plymouth striker’s output.

Games played

374

77

Goals scored

18

22

Assists

51

7

Evidently a legend of the EFL now, even as he reaches the twilight years of his career, Hardie’s fellow compatriot continues to deliver the goods in terms of goals and assists in the taxing division, as seen in nine of his 69 overall goal contributions in the Championship coming in 2024/25 for Danny Rohl’s men.

Creating eight big chances along the way too, Bannan would be desperate to slot straight into his new Wrexham side and be as classy, with Hardie equally champing at the bit to line up alongside such illustrious company to try up his second-tier goal haul.

There has been talk to suggest that the much-loved figure at Hillsborough could opt to sign a new Owls deal before the month is out, with former Wednesday boss Darren Moore once labelling the diminutive ace as “vital” to the team’s cause.

But, if the clock continues to tick away and a deal isn’t struck, Wrexham will feel quietly confident that they could win his services for zilch, with Hardie potentially going on to be an even more effective goal machine partnered next to Bannan.

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Arsenal have now received the green light to sign their “number one striker target” for a fee of just over £60m this summer, with talks now advancing, according to transfer expert Pete O’Rourke.

Gunners ramping up striker pursuit

In many ways, Mikel Merino has done an impressive job since being forced to fill in as a makeshift striker, scoring at Anfield in the recent 2-2 draw against Liverpool, while also assisting both goals in the 2-1 victory against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

However, with the Spaniard more accustomed to being a midfielder, it is looking increasingly likely the Gunners will bring in a new striker this summer, and there are signs that £75m-rated RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko could be a huge upgrade on Kai Havertz.

Sesko is believed to be one of the north Londoners’ top targets, alongside Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with sporting director Andrea Berta understood to be a huge fan of the Swede, who recently led his side to Liga Portugal title glory.

There has since been a new update on Arsenal and Berta’s pursuit of Gyokeres, with O’Rourke telling Football Insider: “For Gyokeres, talks are advancing between Arsenal and his representatives,“

“[Gyokeres] is emerging as the number one choice for Arsenal, and it seems there’s a willingness from all parties to get the deal done.

“The player is happy to come and Sporting CP are happy to sell for just over £60million.”

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In the same report, it is revealed that Mikel Arteta isn’t totally sold on the idea of signing the 26-year-old, which indicates that Berta is driving the move.

Despite the manager’s concerns, however, it appears as though the deal is edging closer to completion, having received the green light from Sporting.

"Sensational" Gyokeres could be final piece of the jigsaw

Arsenal’s reluctance to sign a new striker in recent transfer windows has been much-maligned, with the decision arguably costing Arteta’s side in their Premier League title pursuit this season, considering they have had to make do without an out-and-out striker since February.

Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the season was a major blow for the Gunners, particularly considering he is not the only player to spend a long period of time on the sidelines, with Bukayo Saka also missing large parts of the season.

Player

PL matches missed

Kai Havertz

13

Bukayo Saka

13

Gabriel

9

Gabriel Jesus

17

As such, Arsenal should undoubtedly be looking to bring in a new striker this summer, and it is exciting news that a deal for Gyokeres, who was once lauded as “sensational”, is now edging closer to completion.

The Sporting star has been simply incredible in front of goal this season, netting 39 goals in 33 Liga Portugal games, while also scoring six times in the Champions League, indicating that he could be the final piece of the jigsaw for Arteta.