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Jude Bellingham scored and assisted but Real Madrid otherwise struggled against a resolute Elche in a disappointing 2-2 draw. Los Blancos will take heart from overturning a deficit, but were admittedly sloppy for long stretches against a side they are expected to beat.

Elche enjoyed the majority of the play in the first half, repeatedly hitting on the break. But they were met each time by the impervious Thibaut Courtois, who came up with three big saves to deny the home side. Madrid had their chances, though. Alexander-Arnold delivered smartly for Kylian Mbappe, but the Frenchman fired right at Inaki Pena. 

The home side finally made the break through in the second half. It only took two passes, a quick interchange to take two Madrid defenders out of play before Aleix Febas poked past a diving Courtois. Xabi Alonso responded in turn, introducing Vinicius Jr for an extra attacking spark. The result was a Madrid resurgence of sorts. They applied pressure, and were finally rewarded. A corner did the trick, Dean Huijsen turning home after a Jude Bellingham flick on. 

And from there, it should have been all Madrid. But Elche had another moment in them. Alvaro Rodriguez, a Madrid academy graduate, gave his side a 2-1 lead with a fine effort from distance. Yet Madrid responded again. This time, Bellingham scored it, side footing into an empty net from Mbappe's clever cutback. 

There were more forays forward from both sides, and a third goal seemed possible. Still, it never came, and Madrid were left to settle for a frustrating point.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Martinez Valero…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

  Made a few tidy saves in the first half. Beaten twice in the second – and might feel as though he should have denied one of them.

  Raul Asencio (6/10):

  A bit erratic at the back while covering for Trent. Failed to track a man on a goal. 

  Dean Huijsen (7/10):

  Grabbed a goal, did his defensive work well. 

  Alvaro Carreras (6/10):

  Looked a bit less certain in a back three, and wasn't sure whether to cover the wing or the middle, at times. 

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  Midfield

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):

  A typically mixed performance. Fell asleep on the goal but also moved the ball wonderfully. More to come. 

  Dani Ceballos (5/10):

  Pretty tepid in midfield. Threw some silly tackles and was easily bypassed by a direct Elche side. 

  Arda Guler (6/10):

  Outmuscled for the most part. Created two chances but a deeper lying role didn't quite suit him without Aurelien Tchouameni for cover. 

  Fran Garcia (6/10):

  Scampered up and down the left. Made a load of selfish runs, but didn't connect particularly well.

  Jude Bellingham (9/10):

  Excellent throughout. Scored Madrid's second, put in some lovely defensive work and assisted Huijsen's equaliser. Absurd that anyone questions his England credentials. 

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (6/10):

  Didn't exactly seize the moment in his first start since October 19. A few nice touches and put a couple of efforts on target, but nothing quite came off for him. 

  Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

  Made some dangerous runs, saw a shot well saved in the first half. Provided a clever assist for Bellingham. Impactful, even if he didn't score. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Federico Valverde (6/10):

  Full of legs but no real impact. 

  Vinicius Jr (6/10):

  A bit mixed, all said. Took on his man with regularity in a lively 30 minutes, but never came up with a moment of magic. 

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Snapped into tackles – most of which he won. Provided some valuable forward thrust, too. 

  Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

  Missed an open goal in stoppage time. 

  Brahim Diaz (N/A):

  No time to make an impact. 

  Xabi Alonso (5/10):

  Mixed things up with a 3-4-2-1, but Madrid never really had any control. Didn't deserve more than a point. A poor evening. 

Prime Video play-by-play announcer Al Michaels was in rare form on Thursday night.

When he wasn't poking fun at Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for a poorly-aged comment, Michaels was taking aim at the game as a whole, a 6–3 Seattle Seahawks' victory over the Chicago Bears in the lowest-scoring game of the NFL season.

NFL fans who braved the full 60 minutes of action between the Bears and Seahawks, which featured 13 punts, 10 sacks and five fumbles, were treated to a perfect joke by a tongue-in-cheek Michaels, who summed up the contest as only he could.

Sure enough, Seattle paid a visit to Chicago on the baseball diamond in July, resulting in a 6–3 affair. Unfortunately, the midsummer baseball game between a Mariners team ultimately eliminated from the postseason and the White Sox, the worst MLB team in modern history, just may have been more exciting than Thursday night's football game.

Kylian Mbappe has hailed Rayan Cherki as a "spectacular talent" after seeing his France team-mate "integrate very well" into Manchester City's team. After starring for Lyon with 13 goals and 21 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, Cherki was signed by City in the summer transfer window, while Didier Deschamps handed him his France debut in June.

• How is it going for Cherki at City?

  Cherki struggled with a thigh injury at the start of the 2025-26 campaign but now that he has recovered, the Frenchman has started to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola's team. He has appeared in nine matches across all competitions for the Cityzens, registering three goals and three assists. Cherki is slowly establishing himself as a key member of the City squad and is building an understanding with Erling Haaland, having set up both of the Norwegian's goals against Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier this month. 

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  'He's a special talent'

  Cherki has now linked up with his France team-mates for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. After watching the City star training with the squad, captain Mbappe spoke highly of the youngster, telling reporters: "He's a special talent. I think he has a gift, which he's making the most of. It's an innate, spectacular talent. He's integrated very well into the group and into Manchester City, which isn't easy. I hope he continues like this. He's started well with us. Now he has the opportunity to return, and I hope he's as good as he was at Manchester City."

• Guardiola blown away by Cherki

  Guardiola has coached some of the greatest players in the world, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and considers Cherki to be in a similar talent bracket. He declared in October: "Rayan is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career. His talent… he is top. The question is how he settles and how he needs to read actions. He started well at the Club World Cup but then had a few weeks off. I have the feeling most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation is better. But not all the time you have to do exceptional things – just play football. He has something. He is a player who doesn't feel pressure. He is like a street player. He wants the ball when he doesn't have it. But he is here a short time – he needs a little bit of time because in football you learn to play with your mates. But these types of players are intelligent. They see everything."

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  Cherki tipped to reach De Bruyne's level

  Former City, Arsenal and France full-back, Gael Clichy has also heaped praise on his compatriot, backing Cherki to reach the level of Etihad Stadium legend Kevin De Bruyne. Clichy told GOAL, via : "If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good. That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City. When you play against a low block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit. You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against Chelsea, their fifth in a row against the Blues, was undoubtedly the bleakest and most concerning result of Thomas Frank’s reign so far.

The one-goal affair felt wholly different to Spurs’ recent losses against their nemesis when led by Ange Postecoglou, but gone was any form of entertainment value this time, and the post-match reaction from fans and players underscored the issues that Frank contends with just a few months into his tenure.

Still, things aren’t all that bad. Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League, just two points away from second-place Manchester City. Furthermore, they are unbeaten across three Champions League fixtures.

We were always going to see a bedding-in period, and Tottenham have put last season’s lowly league form behind them, but there’s much more to be desired all the same.

And in the case of Xavi Simons, it’s probably fair to say that more would have been expected from the diminutive playmaker by this stage.

Xavi Simons' slow start at Spurs

When Tottenham signed Simons from RB Leipzig for £52m in August, they knew they had sealed a coup. After all, the Netherlands international had been courted by Chelsea all summer, with analyst Ben Mattinson claiming he is “destined for greatness”.

But it’s been a tough start to life in England, alright, and the 22-year-old has been one of the most saliently poor Spurs stars this season, with his performance against Enzo Maresca’s side drawing plenty of backlash.

It’s a collectively shared opinion within the Lilywhites fanbase that Simons has lacked composure and presence in his creative midfield berth this season. The Chelsea match was a defeat in isolation, but Sofascore record that Simons is averaging only 0.9 key passes per Premier League game this term, having featured seven times and started five of those games.

Having replaced the concussed Lucas Bergvall after only seven minutes at the weekend, Frank saw it fit to hook his summer recruit just over an hour later.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison both sidelined with injuries and still not expected back for the foreseeable future, Simons has been tasked with serving as Spurs’ chief creator, but he’s fallen by the wayside in this regard.

He’s young enough and talented enough to kick on after this early blip, but there’s little question that more is needed – and quickly.

Tottenham have further players who have struggled to impress this season, though, and there’s another midfielder with a wealth more experience in the English game who may well be playing himself into a corner in Frank’s system.

Frank must axe Spurs' "lucky boy"

Frank is far more pragmatic in his tactical set-up than his predecessor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the general disgruntlement around the club at the moment emphasises the need for greater balance between the thirds.

The midfielders are the connective tissue, though, and while Joao Palhinha has been lauded as a shrewd summer signing, on loan from Bayern Munich, there’s not enough impetus and dynamism in midfield, and Rodrigo Bentancur is becoming a problem in that regard.

Bentancur, 28, has racked up 128 appearances since joining Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022 (initially on loan), but injuries have kept him at an ebb and flow in north London, never quite reaching the full fluency that his talent and athleticism could lead him toward.

His consistent unavailability might have been stretched this season but for a fortuitous VAR call that kept him on the field after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the weekend. Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after the game.

The £120k-per-week ace signed a new long-term contract only last month, which does stand as a marker of his standing under Frank’s wing, but his connection with Palhinha in the middle of the park has not made him undroppable by any stretch, and there are bound to be concerns relating to the stodginess of Spurs’ general play in the centre.

Of course, he’s not without his uses. The South American ranks among the top 6% of Premier League midfielders this season for ball recoveries, the top 13% for clearances and the top 11% for blocks per 90, data via FBref, but this isn’t enough to secure his long-term place in Frank’s engine room, especially since he is not progressive enough on the ball and thus part of the wider creative problem.

Whereas Simons has time on his side, Bentancur is a seasoned Tottenham star who is supposedly in the prime of his career. This was clearly the view of the powers that be down N17, having rebuffed summer interest from Atletico Madrid and indeed rewarded the midfielder with improved terms.

But he is not proving his worth at this moment in time, and Frank will expect that to improve swiftly, especially with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Bergvall gunning for more prominent roles.

Against Chelsea, Bentancur did himself few favours, even if he did manage to avoid a red card for that stamp on James. Writing of his performance in the derby, the Evening Standard criticised the hosts’ midfield controller for being unable to provide protection from Chelsea counters, with his caution on the ball directly hindering Spurs’ fight for quality in attack. He was hit with a lowly 4/10 match rating.

Much for Frank to chew on. However, it might be that Bentancur is beginning to demonstrate that he does not get into Tottenham’s brightest 11, and that’s a topic that will only intensify when the injured playmakers return. With that in mind, maybe he should be axed down the line.

3/10 Spurs flop is now very quickly becoming the new Tanguy Ndombele

Spurs were far from their best as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 2, 2025

Detroit Tigers ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal had no trouble handling the Cleveland Guardians lineup during Game 2 of the American League Division Series, as he pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight batters to help his club earn the victory.

But Skubal did get himself into trouble with his mother.

After inducing a grounder that resulted in an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the fifth inning, Skubal yelled, "Shut the f**k up" at the Progressive Field crowd as he walked off the mound.

Skubal's mother was not a fan of the language, and she let him know it in a post on X (formerly Twitter), even resorting to using his middle name—the universal sign that a line has been crossed.

Making an appearance on on 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday ahead of Game 3, Skubal shared that he also received an admonishing text message from his mother in addition to the scolding tweet.

"She texted me after the game, 'Love you,' whatever, but she was saying the same thing, she's like, 'You can't do that on the road,' " Skubal said. "And I'm like, 'I know, Mom, I know. I don't what got into me.'"

"That was really funny."

Skubal, the presumptive AL CY Young award winner, has been lights-out for the Tigers this season, and in the postseason, where he has yet to allow an earned run in two starts. But apparently, one is never too old—or too successful—to avoid being reprimanded by their middle name.

"Tarik Daniel is when I was in trouble growing up, so I haven't got that in a while, probably since high school is the last time I was really in trouble with my mom."

While Skubal acknowledged that the moment gave him an adrenaline boost, he also admitted that getting so fired up towards fans was probably not wise.

"I guess I wish I would have just kept it within our team and our guys and not really interact with the fans, just because it becomes a slippery slope and some bad things can happen, especially if fans are drunk, whatever, (stuff) happens," Skubal said. "I should probably just keep that within our team going forward, but it was fun. Obviously, I fed off of it."

Skubal's Tigers won Game 3 on Wednesday by a score of 3–0. Unless Cleveland forces a Game 5, Tigers fans are unlikely to see Skubal on the mound again until the American League Championship Series.

Burnley will be striving to return to their Premier League glory days under Scott Parker with the Clarets once a top-flight regular when Sean Dyche was positioned at the helm.

Indeed, the former Turf Moor favourite even steered Burnley to a very impressive seventh place finish come the end of the 2016/17 season, before the close of his up-and-down reign at the club saw relegation down to the Championship served up.

Vincent Kompany failed in his efforts to reinstate Burnley as a Premier League staple when he was in charge, meaning Parker will now be hopeful he can buck the trend, especially if a number of new, impactful signings enter through the door to help him out.

Transfer Focus

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

Burnley's list of summer targets

Unfortunately, the majority of the transfer gossip coming out of Turf Moor currently involves outgoings rather than incomings, with CJ Egan-Riley reportedly closing in on a move away to RC Strasbourg.

But, there have been a few names in the air to excite Burnley fans regarding incomings, with Zian Flemming now a permanent part of Parker’s camp after a bright loan stint, alongside the newly promoted side showing a keen interest in the Swedish leagues when it comes to 20-year-old forward Abdoulie Manneh.

But, one of the freshest reports involving the Clarets sees them allegedly chasing down the services of £10m Union Berlin right-back Josip Juranovic alongside Daniel Farke’s Leeds United.

Journalist Graeme Bailey revealed a development recently, stating that Burnley are one of four Premier League clubs – which includes Fulham and West Ham United alongside the Whites and the Clarets – keeping close tabs on the attack-minded full-back.

Juranovic’s eye for an assist could see Burnley win their best option down the right flank since Kieran Trippier donned a Clarets strip, with the now Newcastle United man first earning his stripes in the Premier League on the books of the Lancashire side.

How Juranovic can be Burnley's best right-back since Trippier

It might well be forgotten about now that Trippier began his journey in the top-flight with the Clarets, considering his name is now synonymous with the elite division.

Indeed, the Magpies veteran has notched up a mammoth tally of 203 games in the Premier League, with a healthy 38 assists also coming his way across that stretch of clashes.

But, whilst his consistent heroics at St James’ Park have seen him win multiple England call-ups alongside lifting a solitary EFL Cup, his sturdiest overall career total of assists still stands with Burnley, with 37 coming his way from 185 games.

Juranovic will be aiming to come in and be as explosive down the right channel for Parker’s men, therefore, with the Zagreb-born defender already proving across his varied career to date that he can cut open a team for fun much like Trippier at his peak.

Looking at the table above, it’s clear Juranovic has been able to thrive when launched into some tough domestic divisions previously, with a high ten goal contributions coming his way from 62 games at his current employers in Berlin, alongside also starring in Scotland, Poland and his native Croatia.

Off the back of this, he should be able to come in and succeed in the Premier League, with his performances for Croatia on an international stage even seeing European football expert Zach Lowy label the 29-year-old as “immense.”

Further capable of lining up as a winger, a centre-back or a midfielder if needed, he could also be a perfect utility body for Parker to depend upon, away from potentially being Turf Moor’s second coming of Trippier.

Forget Egan-Riley: Burnley can find their next Mee in "unbelievable" star

Scott Parker could well have Burnley’s next Ben Mee with this defensive warrior.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 19, 2025

As rival fans have been so intent on reminding the Arsenal faithful in recent weeks, this season is yet another that the team are set to finish second in the Premier League.

Instead of Manchester City, it’s Liverpool who have pipped them to the post this time, although, with the Reds now 15 points ahead, it’s not been all that close.

Frustratingly, Mikel Arteta’s side still have the best defence in the competition, so the failure to finally get over the line once again falls at the feet of their faltering attack, which has scored 14 fewer goals than the Champions.

So, with it clear where the club need to strengthen in the summer, it’s hardly been a surprise to see endless reports linking them to some of the most exciting strikers around, such as Viktor Gyokeres and, previously, Alexander Isak.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, Andrea Berta and Co could now be looking at a cheaper alternative to the former, who is currently outscoring the latter.

Arsenal's striker search

Arteta and Co’s desire to sign Isak is hardly a secret, and considering he’s racked up a brilliant haul of 26 goals and six assists in 39 games this season, it’s hardly surprising either.

Transfer Focus

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

However, with a price tag that could exceed £150m, it’s a transfer that looks like it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Gyokeres, on the other hand, feels a little more realistic.

The Sporting CP monster has been in absurd form this season, scoring 52 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 games, and it looks like he could be available for around £70m.

Yet, even then, that’s a lot of money to spend on a single player if the Gunners want to improve other areas of the squad as well, which might explain the links to Daizen Maeda.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in the Celtic star.

Alongside the Gunners, the report revealed that Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and other Premier League sides have watched the Japanese international this year.

While the level of competition for the attacker is far from ideal, the fact he could be available for a fee of just £25m is undoubtedly positive news.

It might not be a transfer that excites the fans, but given his price tag and his incredible output, it might be one worth fighting for.

Why Arsenal might want to sign Maeda

The first thing to say is that we aren’t claiming that Maeda is a better player than Isak or Gyokeres, but there are certainly a few arguments for why Arsenal might want to sign him over the latter.

Obviously, the first reason is the price, as at just £25m, the Japanese international’s arrival would conceivably allow the club to go big on at least one or two other attacking players to completely rejuvenate the entire frontline.

However, saving money is not going to excite the fans, so what are the tangible reasons that the Gunners may opt to pull the trigger on him?

Well, first and foremost, he’s proven himself to be a lean, mean output machine north of the border.

For example, this season alone, he has racked up an unreal tally of 33 goals and 11 assists in just 47 first-team appearances, totalling 3711 minutes of action.

That means the Osaka-born “physical beast,” as dubbed by former boss Ange Postecoglou, is averaging a goal involvement every 1.06 games, or every 84.34 minutes, and on top of that, he’s outscoring Isak.

Moreover, he’s a versatile attacker and can play off either wing or straight down the middle, and if we know anything about Arteta, it’s that he appreciates players who are comfortable in more than one position.

Ultimately, while Gyokeres would be the more exciting signing, Maeda still looks like he’d be a fine addition to the Gunners attack, and if he can replicate even half of his form north of the border in the capital, then the Emirates might finally see the Premier League trophy next season.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal racing to sign £70m goalscoring "powerhouse"

Martin Odegaard could do with some additional firepower with him at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 1, 2025

Chelsea have now held internal talks over the possibility of re-signing a star former player, with Enzo Maresca’s side now looking to strengthen yet another area of the squad which could soon be weakened.

Chelsea firmly in Champions League race after win over Fulham

The Blues were staring down the barrel of west London derby defeat to Fulham on Easter Sunday, but thanks to two dramatic late goals from Tyrique George and Pedro Neto, Maresca’s blushes were spared.

Chelsea preparing £43m offer for "surprising" new striker target

The west Londoners have another name on their agenda.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 23, 2025

The 2-1 win at Craven Cottage keeps Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification firmly alive, and there are more than four spots up for grabs this year amid a tight race for fifth with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United.

Defeat at Fulham would’ve spelled disaster for Maresca, but Neto’s 93rd minute winner sparked jubilation in the away end and could come as a season-defining strike.

“Personally, the goal from Pedro doesn’t change my view from the season,” said Maresca on Neto’s late goal.

“I said three or four days ago, and I will repeat, Chelsea in the last two years have never been in a Champions League spot and this season we spent the whole season there. So today’s win doesn’t change my view.

“It’s already a good season and can become very good if we finish in a Champions League spot, no doubt. But for sure today was an important win because first of all it’s a derby, second it gives us the chance to be there and probably was the most difficult win and the reason why is because they all played yesterday, so for us it was a must-win game. And I think after we conceded the goal is the reason why we struggled a bit more because for the players it became more difficult and second half we were much better.”

The race for Europe will also be crucial in determining the club’s transfer plans for this summer, as it will boost the club’s budget and do wonders in attracting their top targets for next season.

Chelsea discuss re-signing Man City legend Kevin De Bruyne

Now, as per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, an attacking midfielder could be on the agenda for Chelsea, with Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Carney Chukwuemeka all likely to be sold or loaned out in the summer.

They’ve also refused to rule out bringing in veteran players if they come as good value, prompting them to consider a move for Man City legend and former Cobham star Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian is out-of-contract and set to leave Eastlands this summer, bringing an end to 10 years of major success at City where he’s been right at the heart of their dominance.

He is undoubtedly one of the best creative midfielders the Premier League has ever seen, and Phillips now reports that Chelsea are internally discussing re-signing De Bruyne, 11 years after Jose Mourinho sold the player to Wolfsburg for just £17 million.

His “beloved” status at the Blues follows a decade of stunning performances, where he’s also managed 107 goals and 177 assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old has suffered from his fair share of injury problems in the last two seasons, though, and would likely need to take a cut on his sky-high £400,000-per-week salary.

Manchester United have made a £115m+ offer for the services of an “exceptional” attacking player, according to an exciting new transfer update.

Man Utd eyeing high-profile signings

The Red Devils and INEOS continue to be linked with some massive talents ahead of the summer transfer window, including Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling. The Englishman has been one of the new bright sparks in an otherwise hugely disappointing season for Saint, and Ruben Amorim could snap him up if his side win the Europa League.

Meanwhile, United are said to be leading the race to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who has enjoyed an excellent campaign for an impressive Cherries side. Amorim reportedly loves him as a player, with the Ghanaian registering 12 goal contributions (eight goals and four assists) in the Premier League in 2024/25 to date.

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is also seen as an option for the Red Devils before next season gets underway, following some eye-catching performances for the Bundesliga side. That said, rivals Liverpool are also firmly in the mix and may even be winning the race to sign him.

In terms of potential outgoings at United in the summer, Rasmus Hojlund could depart Old Trafford, following a tough season. The Premier League giants may be happy to accept offers of £55m.

Man Utd make £115m+ offer for Netherlands star Simons

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United have made a huge £115.7m bid for RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons ahead of the summer.

The story describes him as “one of the most promising players in Europe”, following a strong campaign for the Bundesliga side, having joined permanently from Paris Saint-Germain after an initial loan spell.

Simons is a young player with a huge amount of promise, and it is encouraging for United supporters to see the club being so ambitious in the transfer market.

A lot may depend on whether Amorim’s side are back in the Champions League next season by virtue of winning the Europa League, with the Dutchman arguably wanting to play in Europe’s top club competition.

Simons could be such an asset for United, combining great technical ability with end product and versatility in the final third, with Christoph Freund saying of the 21-year-old:

“He is a very good player. He had a very good European Championship and a great season with Leipzig. He’s developed really well. I think he’s going to have a really good career at the highest level. He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player.”

This season, Simons has scored nine goals and bagged five assists in the Bundesliga, and he also enjoyed a good EURO 2024 campaign with the Netherlands last summer, assisting three times and netting in his country’s eventual 2-1 defeat to England in the semi-finals.

Man Utd want new forward with £100m price tag if Amorim wins Europa League

There could be a statement arrival at Old Trafford.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Apr 19, 2025

His aforementioned versatility allows him to thrive as both an attacking midfielder and out wide, which would immediately add a huge amount of depth to United’s attack.

Birmingham City are thought to be in talks with an EFL star after clinching promotion back to the Championship.

Birmingham City going for silverware after League One promotion

The Blues have had a brilliant campaign under Chris Davies and sealed promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking in midweek.

A 2-1 victory at Peterborough United sealed a guaranteed top-two spot, and the League One title could also be won if Wrexham fail to beat Wigan Athletic on Saturday lunchtime.

Birmingham are on course to comfortably clear the 100-point mark in the third tier, however, they are actually preparing for Wembley this weekend.

The Blues will once again take on Peterborough in the final of the EFL Trophy, so it could be a double celebration if things go to plan this weekend.

Birmingham eyeing free deal to sign "fantastic" Championship contract rebel

He’s yet to sign a new deal at his current club.

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 8, 2025

Ahead of the summer transfer window, Tom Wagner and Tom Brady already appear to be working on St Andrew’s signings ahead of the 2025/26 Championship campaign, and one player who the Blues will face this weekend is a target.

Birmingham City in talks to sign Kwame Poku for free

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, talking to EFL Analysis, Birmingham City are in talks to sign Peterborough United star Kwame Poku.

The 23-year-old actually scored the Posh’s goal against the Blues in midweek and has enjoyed a fine season in the third tier.

However, according to Bailey, Birmingham aren’t the only side in discussions, including Premier League side Crystal Palace and Scottish giants Rangers.

“His people are in talks with a number of clubs – and yes, one of them is Birmingham. There are others, though – Crystal Palace, Millwall, Luton and Norwich among them.

“However, the big danger is Rangers – they want him and have watched him numerous times. Talks have continued but complicated by their takeover and then new manager.”

The winger has impressed Sky Sports co-commentator and pundit Don Goodman this season, who said last month that Poku appears to be ready for the step up to the Championship.

“Kwame Poku, 10 goals and six assists this season from just 20 games, 19 starts, is very impressive. It’s on the back of 11 goals and seven assists last season.

“He’s been on my radar for a couple of seasons now, along with Ephron Mason-Clarke, who is now doing really, really well at Coventry.

“So whether he’s ready for the Premier League just yet is a debate to be had, but certainly if I was a Championship club and I needed an exciting, ball-carrying winger that both scores and creates goals, he would be on my radar.”

It looks as if a move to the Midlands will be one to watch over the coming months, with Poku actually out of contract at the end of the season, meaning a transfer may not cost a penny.