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Shifting their focus towards further incomings, Aston Villa are reportedly ready to launch their second offer to sign a versatile target for Unai Emery.

What Aston Villa could do after Ramsey sale

It’s been an open secret all summer long that Aston Villa need to sell before they can buy. The big question that remained unanswered for some time was just who would be sacrificed in order for them to push on with their own business. Now, however, those at Villa Park have received their answer and Jacob Ramsey has joined Newcastle United for an initial £39m fee.

Whilst there has been plenty of disgruntlement over the sale of an academy graduate – mainly aimed towards PSR rules more than anything else – the Villans may now at least be in a position to spend.

As such, the rumours have already started circulating. Names such as Nicolas Jackson have particularly threatened to steal the headlines amid reports that Emery is a huge admirer of the Chelsea forward.

After being dropped at Stamford Bridge, Jackson desperately needs a move before the transfer window slams shut at the start of September. Whether that move comes courtesy of those at Villa Park remains to be seen, however.

Of course, the Midlands club have already welcomed one attacking addition in the form of Evann Guessand this summer. The former OGC Nice forward snuck through the door to hand Emery an instant boost.

So it would come as no surprise if Villa decided to boost their backline rather than their attacking options this month, which could see a versatile addition arrive.

Aston Villa ready to launch improved Canvot offer

As reported by RMC Sport, Aston Villa are now ready to make an improved offer for Jaydee Canvot after seeing an opening bid rejected by Toulouse last month. The versatile defender is reportedly valued at around €20m (£17m), but it remains to be seen whether the Villans decide to match that fee and leave no room for further rejection with their next bid.

A player who would be an “exciting signing for Aston Villa” according to U23 scout Antonio Mango, Canvot can play both in midfield and a centre-back in what would kill two birds with one stone for Emery.

Aston Villa on verge of selling £90k-p/w earner for nothing with deal close

He’s on the verge of leaving Villa Park permanently.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 18, 2025

Also described as “strong” by Mango, it should come as no surprise that Canvot is on Villa’s radar. At just 19 years old, he’s someone who is likely to get even better with time and potential Premier League opportunities.

Nine new faces have already entered the Birmingham City camp this summer, with that number surely set to increase before September’s looming deadline.

It has gone somewhat quiet on the Blues transfer front after signings galore joined the building at breakneck speed, but another striker must surely be on Chris Davies’ shopping list now that Alfie May has officially sealed a move away to Huddersfield Town.

May would go on to fire home a devastating 17 goals for the Blues across 57 appearances, but the leap up to the Championship was presumably judged to be too much for the 32-year-old to adjust to.

Instead, Birmingham have managed to recuperate £1.2m by selling him on, with that money set to be put to good use in chasing after an immediate replacement.

The blow of May moving on has also been softened by Kyogo Furuhashi’s £10m arrival on the scene, which will also undoubtedly improve Birmingham’s firepower heading into the Championship.

Why Kyogo should be a big success at Birmingham

When looking at Kyogo’s well-travelled career to date, he has more hits on his resume than notable blunders.

In Japan, for both Vissel Kobe and FC Gifu – before embarking on a transformative Celtic move – Kyogo would show early signs of his blistering edge in front of goal, with a promising 66 strikes tallied up from 182 clashes.

That sturdy number would be amazingly eclipsed in Glasgow when leading the line for Celtic, with a whopping 85 strikes coming his way from 165 total contests.

He did then fall victim to a zero-goal stint at Rennes, but he will hope he can write that short stay off in France as a fluke on his otherwise sparkling CV.

More strikers entering the Blues camp will hopefully take the pressure off Kyogo’s shoulders to be Birmingham’s sole leading man, with these fresh arrivals to Davies’ side also potentially getting even more out of the Japanese gem.

One potential new purchase, in particular, has shown he is content with being an assist king, as much as he enjoys chipping in with a strike or two of his own.

Extraordinary Blues target could be a dream for Kyogo

May will be mainly remembered for his 17-goal heroics last season, but he also provided a healthy nine assists for the attacking bodies around him.

New Blues target Marvin Ducksch should be able to come in and fill this void effectively when looking at his standout Werder Bremen numbers, with Football League World reporting that Davies and Co. are close to landing the well-rounded German as an attacker who could fire them up to the Premier League.

24/25

36

9

11

23/24

34

13

10

22/23

35

12

9

21/22

29

20

10

Whilst it’s clear from glancing at the table above that Ducksch shares Kyogo’s clinical nature with an explosive 54 strikes picked up across his last four campaigns for Bremen, he also has the added plus of being a creative machine on his side, with an impressive 40 assists next to his name.

Last season, in particular, saw the Dortmund-born attacker’s goalscoring exploits take a backseat for his unselfish nature to come to the forefront.

He produced 11 assists next to his nine goals, with his FBref numbers over the last year also seeing him come away with a noticeable 3.20 progressive passes on average per clash, enough to rank him in the top 7% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Being this consistent creative spark for Bremen has even resulted in Ducksch being called up to the Germany national side, on top of the 31-year-old being hailed as “extraordinary” by teammate Mitchell Weiser for what he can provide.

All of this will be music to the ears of a poacher-like presence such as Kyogo, who has been donned as “exceptional” himself in the past for his finishing ability under pressure by ex-Hoops comrade Joe Hart.

The struggle here might well come in getting both the German and the £10m attacker in the same XI, owing to Davies’ regular 4-2-3-1 set-up, but this is a selection headache Davies won’t be dreading, as his attacking personnel is strengthened regardless.

Birmingham City could sign dream May replacement in "dynamite" £10m star

Birmingham City will want to replace Alfie May swiftly as this £10m star comes onto their agenda.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 22, 2025

Fast bowling consultant believes England’s options are expanding ahead of next winter’s Ashes

Matt Roller13-Oct-2024

Chris Woakes speaks with James Anderson•Getty Images

England want to arrive in Australia next winter with a “battery” of fast bowlers and James Anderson believes the list of candidates for that tour is “growing and growing”. Anderson has worked as their fast-bowling coach since he was ushered into retirement in July and said on Sunday that he is excited by the emergence of a new generation of seam bowlers.Rob Key, England’s managing director, has been vocal in his ambition to bring through a stock of quicks who bowl “85mph-plus with high skill” as they look to replace Anderson and Stuart Broad. Last year, he offered two-year contracts to four seamers – Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matt Potts and Josh Tongue – whom he believes have the attributes to succeed at Test level.Tongue has spent the last 14 months sidelined with a pectoral injury, while Potts has only played two Tests since June 2023. But Atkinson has thrived, taking 38 wickets at 21.86 in his first seven Tests and scoring a century against Sri Lanka, while Carse impressed on debut in Multan last week with his speed, skill and stamina.Related

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“[Atkinson] seems to rise to every challenge that’s put in front of him,” Anderson said. “Brydon was outstanding… To bowl 90mph in that heat, pretty consistently, was an amazing effort. He was accurate, he bowled good short stuff when we needed him to do that, and he bowls wicket-taking balls – and that’s what we’re after, as a bowling group.”He has always been on the radar of the selectors for the away Ashes… It looks like he has all the attributes to do well there. He has got pace, bounce and he is accurate, and he has skills and he can bat. He is ticking a lot of boxes. Hopefully, he can stay fit and get a lot of confidence from how he bowled the other day.”England are missing Mark Wood in Pakistan due to his elbow injury, while they still hope that Jofra Archer might return to Test cricket next year after a three-year absence. Archer has spent most of that time sidelined with back and elbow issues but has gradually stepped up his workload over the past six months and still has ambitions to play all formats.”The list is not endless, but it feels like it is growing and growing,” Anderson said. “We’ve got the likes of Woody and Jofra [to come back in] but also Olly Stone and Josh Tongue. It feels like there’s loads of guys coming through – Josh Hull as well, who we think has got a good future.”It does feel like there are options there. It is really exciting for an England group at the minute, thinking of what we have ahead with India next summer, then Australia, and then going forward over the next three years.”Anderson’s involvement with England’s fast bowlers is officially as a consultant coach for their winter Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, with his longer-term future with the team unclear. He left open the possibility of extending his role further down the line, potentially including next winter’s Ashes tour.”I’m really enjoying it,” Anderson said. “We have an amazing coaching group who have been really helpful. I’ve not officially done this job before, but I feel like it’s not far off where I was for the last few years of my career: trying to be there for bowlers, help them as much as possible, come up with ideas when we’re in the field. It’s been great… so far, so good.”He also played down the significance of his late arrival for the tour, having missed England’s three training days and the first day of the first Test. Anderson was instead playing in a pro-am golf tournament at St Andrews, but said that he had only agreed to participate after running the idea past England coach Brendon McCullum.”I’m not full-time with England, I’m a consultant,” Anderson said. “I was still in contact with the bowlers and in the end, it didn’t really matter that I wasn’t here. I thought we bowled really well… The last few tours I went on, we didn’t have a bowling coach and it is good for the lads to take some responsibility.”

Are Celtic set to make more signings soon?

So far, the Hoops have unveiled six new recruits, the most exciting of which is the returning hero Kieran Tierney, while Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmund, Ross Doohan and Japanese duo Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada have also arrived.

Nevertheless, speaking ahead of Thursday night’s pre-season friendly against Ajax in Como, manager Brendan Rodgers stated that he requires new players “for the present”, adding that “I want players in tomorrow, but I understand the market”, so could he be set to finally secure the signature of his number one target?

Celtic's search for attacking reinforcements

Following last mid-week’s friendly victory over Sporting CP in the Algarve, Rodgers said that he wants “to add [more] to our front line” because “we’ve lost a lot of goals”, following the departures of both Kyōgo Furuhashi and, more recently, Nicolas Kühn this year.

The table below underlines this point.

Daizen Maeda

43

Yes

Kyōgo Furuhashi

31

No

Adam Idah

29

Yes

Nicolas Kühn

24

No

Matt O’Riley

19

No

Reo Hatate

14

Yes

Callum McGregor

12

Yes

Arne Engels

10

Yes

Luis Palma

10

No

As the table outlines, three of Celtic’s top five scorers from the last two seasons have departed, very thankful that Daizen Maeda is still at the club, following his 33-goal haul last season, picking up pretty much every individual accolade going.

So now, could the Bhoys secure the signing of a long-term target reminiscent of the Japanese forward?

Well, according to a report by The Daily Record, Celtic are set to step up their interest in Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Fair to say, this has entered into saga territory, with the Hoops having been chasing the Belgian for weeks now, if not months, and Antwerp manager Stef Wils admitting publicly that Celtic’s offers so far ‘have been below’ his club’s valuation.

Transfer Focus

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

Just last week, speaking on Off The Underside, Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports stated that Balikwisha “would like to join Celtic”, with the winger valued at around £5m, despite being in the final year of his contract.

So, could this storyline finally be coming to an end, with Balikwisha ending up at Parkhead?

How Michel-Ange Balikwisha would improve Celtic

One of the reasons Celtic appear hesitant to sign Balikwisha is his injury record, missing significant periods of time in recent seasons due to a thigh issue.

​​​​​​​

Nevertheless, his talent is clear for all to see, with analyst Will Glavin describing him as a “direct wide threat” who is “creative​​​​​​​” and “technically sharp”, concluding that he would represent a “potential bargain”, given his contractual situation, and the fact Antwerp may be under pressure to sell, having failed to qualify for European competition.

Meantime, Ben Mattinson describes him as “two-footed” and “capable of beating a defender” both inside and out, which makes him so “unpredictable”.

So, let’s analyse how his statistics compare to those of Maeda.

Appearances

141

158

Minutes

10,089

11,213

Goals

29

62

Assists

17

28

Shots per 90

1.47

1.97

Shots on target %

42%

44.7%

Goals – xG

+3.9

+0.1

Big chances missed

16

60

Take-on success %

39%

37.8%

As the table outlines, Balikwisha and Maeda are stylistically very similar players, with both men comfortable operating off the left flank, or in a centre-forward berth.

The Japanese international does boast the better end product, scoring more goals, providing more assists and mustering more shots, but their similarities are most obvious when it comes to dribbling, the Belgian having the slight edge in that regard.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout supports this by praising the Antwerp attacker’s “pace and dribbling” ability.

Meantime, Balikwisha is the more clinical finisher, hence why his goals – xG figure is better, while missing exponentially fewer Opta-defined big chances during the timeframe analysed.

Blair Meikle of the Herald documents how Maeda was Celtic’s most influential player last season, constantly delivering in big moments, but he cannot shoulder the attacking burden by himself, so Balikwisha would surely be an excellent addition, with a huge, season-defining Champions League play-off tie now less than four weeks away.

Better than Balikwisha: Celtic pursuing deal for "underrated" £5m star

Celtic could have identified a perfect alternative to Michel Ange Balikwisha…

ByRobbie Walls Jul 23, 2025

Adam Rossington gives Essex chase a chance but hosts fall short

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2024

Will Jacks cracked 86 from 46 balls•Getty Images

Will Jacks hammered five sixes in a scintillating 86 to consolidate Surrey’s place at the head of the Vitality Blast South Group and guarantee a home match in the quarter-finals.Jacks hit five sixes in his 46-ball knock and put on 63 in five overs in a stand with Jordan Clark that constituted a record for the sixth wicket against Essex. That rescued Surrey after they suffered a mid-innings collapse before the reset that helped them post 189 for 9 and eventually prevail by 13 runs.Surrey had struggled against the Essex spin pair of Matt Critchley, who took 2 for 22, and Simon Harmer, whose 3 for 44 was a season’s best. Paul Walter chipped in with two late wickets to finish with 2 for 26 to take his tally to 15.Adam Rossington tried manfully to take Essex to a third win in four days, and qualification for the knockout stages, but he fell for a 49-ball 78 with five sixes and with it went home hopes. Essex now need at least a point from Friday’s final match at Hampshire to reach the quarter-finals.Chasing 190 to win, Essex lost Dean Elgar in the third over as he slapped Clark to cover point, but that was before Rossington and Michael Pepper got moving. Sam Curran was lofted for sixes by both batsmen in one over to square leg as they put on fifty inside five overs.When he reached 12, Pepper, a centurion at Hove 24 hours earlier, passed 500 runs in this season’s Blast. But he had added just 15 more when he skied Cameron Steel to short extra cover. Steel struck again five balls later when he bowled Charlie Allison with one that kept low.Steel had piled pressure on Essex by conceding just seven runs in his first two overs before Rossington smashed him for six over long-on shortly after he reached a 33-ball fifty.Clark got lucky with a full-toss that Walter hit vertically into orbit, giving Rory Burns time to run round and take the catch in front of the stumps. And Critchley followed quickly when he lifted Chris Jordan to deep midwicket.However, with Jordan and Curran both conceding single-figure overs, the required run-rate rose towards 15 with 47 runs needed from the last three overs. And that became an impossible target when Rossington fell to the third ball of the 18th over, flailing Curran to the mid-off boundary.Surrey, put in on a used wicket, moved along serenely initially, reaching the end of the powerplay at 62 for the loss of Dom Sibley, lbw to Shane Snater to one that kept low. However, the stuffing was knocked out of their stride when Critchley and Harmer shared three wickets in eight balls and stemmed the mid-innings runs.Laurie Evans was first to go, bowled by one that turned appreciably from Critchley before Harmer accounted for Burns and Curran in consecutive balls. Burns was beaten by on the outside of his bat to dislodge his stumps and Curran misjudged his first ball and was lbw.Jamie Overton was typically belligerent, hitting a six off Luc Benkenstein over midwicket and smashing another past the bowler for four. But he then picked out Eathan Bosch on the long-off boundary to give Critchley a second wicket.All the time Jacks was quietly accumulating. He had already swept Harmer for a huge six, launched Snater for another, and reached his half-century from 28 balls with a straight maximum off the Essex captain.Jacks hammered Harmer for two more sixes off successive balls but departed to the next ball trying for a third, caught on the boundary at cow corner. But his sixth-wicket stand with Clark got Surrey back on track.Jacks’s departure signalled another clatter of wickets as Clark, Jordan and Tom Lawes all fell to catches in the deep.

They might not have won the Premier League, but the Tottenham Hotspur team of the mid to late 2010s was stacked with seriously entertaining players.

Whether it was Harry Kane and Son Heung-min scoring for fun or Christian Eriksen playing sensational pinpoint, accurate passes from the middle of the park, fans were guaranteed a good time when watching the North Londoners.

Yet, there was another starter of that time who was perhaps the best to watch out of the entire team, someone capable of starting an unreal move or thundering the ball into the back of the net himself: Dele Alli.

The midfield maestro was a superb footballer, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club could be about to pull off a transfer reminiscent of his all those years ago and land Thomas Frank his own Dele.

Tottenham looking to sign new midfielder

Spurs have been linked with plenty of midfield talents in recent weeks, most notably Adam Wharton and Quinten Timber.

Transfer Focus

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

The former would be a brilliant signing for the club to make, as the young Englishman has more than established himself as a Premier League quality player, but with a reported price tag of up to £60m, he might just be out of reach.

Timber, on the other hand, could be a far smarter acquisition at a reported price of just £25m and with a tally of seven goal involvements in 26 games this season.

However, neither the players nor their potential moves could really be compared to Dele, unlike Hayden Hackney.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Spurs are now interested in the Middlesbrough gem.

The report claims that the North Londoners have entered the race to sign the young talent alongside Manchester United, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Fortunately, while the competition will be a significant hurdle for the Lilywhites to contend with, the potential price tag shouldn’t be, with the story claiming the gem in question could be available for just £20m.

It would be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Hackney’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Frank’s own Dele.

Why Hackney could be the new Dele

So, we know it’s a fairly bold opinion to suggest that Hackney, who might still be a relative unknown to many fans in the top flight, could be a Dele-esque signing for Spurs and Frank, but there are a few reasons why we think this.

The first is that, even though the former Tottenham star was more of an attacking midfielder than the Boro ace is, the latter is somewhat versatile in the roles he can play, something the former was known for during his time in the capital.

For example, while the Redcar-born gem is at his best at the base of midfield, he is more than capable of playing a more central role, has ventured further up the pitch into attacking midfield, and has even made a few appearances out wide.

Defensive Midfield

113

9

13

Central Midfield

54

6

4

Attacking Midfield

17

3

4

Left Midfield

10

1

2

Right Midfield

3

0

1

The second similarity is in relation to their transfers or potential in the 22-year-old’s case.

When he joined the Lilywhites, the former England international did so from an EFL club, moving from MK Dons for a significant, but not outrageous fee of £5m, and should this deal go through, the 5 foot 10 dynamo would also be moving from an EFL club for a fee that, in today’s game, certainly isn’t too dear.

Finally, and this is an important one, there is an expectation from many that the “immense” gem, as dubbed by manager Michael Carrick, could develop into a truly exceptional player.

For example, respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “special player” and someone who should be a “high priority” signing; Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder called him a “super” talent, while another analyst proclaimed him a “progression monster.”

Ultimately, while he might not be a name everyone is familiar with, Spurs should do what they can to sign Hackney this summer, as with his potential, he could be Frank’s own Dele.

Dream Romero replacement: Spurs ready to launch bid to sign £70m "beast"

The impressive Premier League ace would be an excellent signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025

Manchester City will stop at nothing this summer to build a side which is capable of winning both the Champions League and Premier League once again.

Pep Guardiola will be losing Kevin De Bruyne when the season finishes, but he is already eyeing up a move for Florian Wirtz or Morgan Gibbs-White to replace him.

Elsewhere, several ageing City stars could find their positions in the squad under threat when the transfer window opens as a summer overhaul is needed.

Could the manager turn to Spain in order to further bolster his team?

Man City now want to sign Real Madrid superstar

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid could be willing to sell Rodrygo, but only if the price is right. If a club bids €100m (£85m), then it appears Los Blancos will cash in on the Brazilian, and he isn’t short of admirers.

Indeed, City, Liverpool and PSG are all keen on snapping up the forward this summer in a bid to improve their own squads.

Despite having a contract until 2028, the expected arrival of Xabi Alonso as manager could see Rodrygo moving away from the Spanish capital.

Bringing in a new forward or two could certainly help Guardiola revitalise this area of his team. Omar Marmoush may have only joined in January, but Rodrygo could be an instant upgrade for him.

Why Man City must sign Rodrygo this summer

Since making the move to Spain from Brazil in 2019, the 24-year-old has been a consistent figure for Madrid over the previous six years.

During that time, he has registered 118 goal contributions – 68 goals and 50 assists – across 267 games. His performances have helped the club win two La Liga crowns as well as winning the Champions League in 2022 and 2024.

Rodrygo’s stats for Real Madrid this season
Metric	Champions League	La Liga
Goals	5	6
Shots per game	2.1	1.8
Assists	2	5
Big chances created	2	5
Successful dribbles per game	1.5	1.6
Via Sofascore

Fluid across the front three, Rodrygo is perhaps best on the right flank, but he could also offer plenty on the left or through the middle.

Lauded as “world-class” by Luka Modric, the former Gremio man could be an instant upgrade on Marmoush for Guardiola heading into next season. As indicated above, he has repeatedly delivered the goods at the elite level for a number of years now, while it was just under two years ago that Marmoush was allowed to walk out of Wolfsburg for nothing.

Indeed, in domestic and European competitions this season, Rodrygo has registered more touches in the attacking third (1161 vs 870) than Marmoush, while also registering a higher percentage of successful take-ons (47.2% vs 39.5%) and more carries into the final third (124 vs 82).

The Egyptian might have scored more goals this season, with Rodrygo not hitting the heights of the previous few campaigns. But perhaps a fresh start is required, especially as Madrid have largely underperformed as a whole throughout 2024/25.

By signing the Brazilian star, Guardiola would be bringing in a player who has seen and done it all on the club scene. He would help revive Erling Haaland, especially if operating in a wide position, which could be another bonus for the manager.

Transfer Focus

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

Spending £85m on one target might not be ideal. But for that price, City might have a great chance of claiming back the Premier League title.

Pep's next Yaya Toure: Man City set sights on "incredible" £30m midfielder

Pep Guardiola could soon transform the midfield positions at Manchester City with his next Yaya Toure.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 9, 2025

As rumours continue to arrive over Arsenal’s summer transfer plans, new sporting director Andrea Berta is now reportedly keeping a close eye on a somewhat cheaper attacking option who has scored 25 goals this season.

Arsenal looking to ease goalscoring woes

Whilst it’s easy to list the absurd number of injuries that Arsenal have suffered throughout the current campaign, their Premier League form since the return of Bukayo Saka has highlighted their clear problems for all to see. And Berta must address those issues in his first summer in charge.

Arsenal’s last 5 Premier League games

Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth

Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace

Ipswich Town 0-4 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Brentford

Everton 1-1 Arsenal

Even though their form has come at a time when the Premier League title has drifted away from them and into Liverpool’s grasp as official champions, Arsenal still have Champions League qualification to worry about. Mikel Arteta, with three games to go, simply has to seal a place in the top five amid concerns that a disappointing campaign could still turn disastrous.

Related Mega upgrade on Odegaard: Berta lining up Arsenal move for £100m "machine"

The £100m-rated star would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2025

The Spaniard recently had his say on Liverpool’s title win and the Gunners’ failure, telling reporters: “Winning trophies is about being in the right moment in the right place. Liverpool have won the title with less points than we have in the last two seasons. With the points of the past two season we have two Premier League [titles].”

What would certainly help ensure that Arsenal are in the right moment in the right place, however, is the arrival of a pure goalscorer this summer. Amid links to the likes of Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko, those in North London must get things right this summer and solve Arteta’s greatest problem.

Meanwhile, if it’s a question of money, then Berta may yet turn towards a cheaper options who could turn into the summer’s best bargain if all goes to plan.

Arsenal plotting £34m Patrik Schick move

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now plotting a move to sign Patrik Schick from Bayer Leverkusen this summer with Berta keeping a close eye on the Czech Republic forward. Valued at around €40m (£34m) by the Bundesliga club, the Gunners could swoop in and solve their attacking problems for far cheaper than if they signed Isak or Sesko.

Despite his bargain price, Schick has enjoyed a season worthy of a far higher valuation – scoring 25 goals in all competitions – and could yet prove that in the Premier League. At 29 years old, the only concern for Arsenal should be his age, but as Chris Wood has proved at Nottingham Forest this season, players are more than capable of making the difference even when outside of what are considered prime years.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Patrik Schick

Leandro Trossard

Minutes

1,562

2,354

Goals

19

8

Assists

0

5

Expected Goals

11.5

6.8

Smashing his expected goals in the Bundesliga this season, Schick is the pure goalscorer that Arsenal have so desperately lacked all season. His name wouldn’t steal the same headlines as an Isak or Sesko, but he would arguably be just as clinical. Previously dubbed “great” by former Sampdoria boss Marco Giampaolo, Schick is one to watch this summer.

Everton are set to embark on an exciting new era at Bramley-Moore Dock and could make a bargain signing to kick off their summer business, according to a report.

Everton preparing for summer of mass changes

David Moyes has comfortably ensured top-flight survival for Everton and has managed to revive a squad that has plenty of uncertainty hanging over it heading into the summer.

With the Toffees set to say farewell to Goodison Park, key figures such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are yet to commit to extensions, while several loanees find themselves in limbo.

Abdoulaye Doucoure has commented on his future at the club, stirring debate among supporters, stating: “There’s not been any talks so far with Everton. I think personally, I don’t wait for them to give me a contract or not, because my contract is finished. I already have some proposals on the table, to be honest, and I think in the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision — whether I stay or not.”

Clearly, Moyes has plenty of work to do in the market before his squad is in ideal shape for next season. Ipswich Town pair Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson have emerged as Everton targets, offering an inkling of the direction his recruitment strategy could take.

Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could join the Toffees on a free transfer, which would be a wise move in the face of PSR regulations, which could otherwise create problems in a moment of positivity.

Sky Sports reporter says 49ers want to sign £20m+ Everton star for Leeds

Leeds have added a new attacker to their transfer shortlist heading into the summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Tapping into that theme, another star from the EFL Championship may also arrive this summer without the Toffees having to spend a penny in transfer fees.

Everton want to land Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo

According to Everton News, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Junior Firpo could make a surprise move to Everton this summer on a free transfer once his contract expires at Leeds United.

While Spain is thought to be his preference, Everton appear to be at the front of the queue if the defender opts to remain in England.

Labelled “immense” by Conor McGilligan, the Dominican Republic international has registered four goals and 10 assists this campaign, playing a major role in the Whites’ promotion back to the top flight.

Ricardo Chavez Soto

Monterrey

Ryan Hollingshead

Los Angeles FC

Jesus Gallardo

Toluca

Anton Gaaei

Ajax

Juan Sanabria

Atletico San Luis

Earning £60,000 per week at Elland Road, it is said that Firpo also has admirers from Spain, where he came through the ranks at Real Betis before joining Barcelona back in 2019.

Previously, the Santo Domingo-born defender struggled with life in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but he has been a key attacking force down the left flank this term and appears primed for another tilt at the top flight.

Now, Everton’s task is to put forward a convincing argument that they are a better proposition than Leeds in the long run. Given their newfound stability, they stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

Italy captain says when he is asked about the plan for the 2026 World Cup, his reply is, they’re planning to “win every game”

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025At least one will play at a next year. Italian football is in chaos: their men’s national team have a proud World Cup history but have failed to reach the last two, and sacked their manager after losing the opening match of their qualifying group for the 2026 edition. But in a small Dutch town on Friday, their cricketers created their own legacy.Italy lost by nine wickets to Netherlands in Voorburg, but Jersey’s win over Scotland earlier in the day – and their own results over the previous week – meant that it did not matter. Instead, Italy wrapped up one of the two spots available at the European Qualifiers for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the first time that Italy have reached a major ICC event.”It’s still very surreal,” Joe Burns, Italy’s captain, told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday morning. “We’ll probably take a few weeks to get home and decompress a bit to fully realise the impact that the occasion will have on so many people. It was an emotional moment that we’re going to try and reflect on as a group as much as we can over the next few months.”The crucial result for Italy was their 12-run win over Scotland on Wednesday. It was launched by Emilio Gay, the Durham opener, who cracked 50 off 21 balls; set up by Grant Stewart, the Kent allrounder, who hit 44 not out off 27; and sealed by Harry Manenti, who has played a couple of BBL games for Adelaide Strikers, and took 5 for 31 with his medium pace.Those names are reflective of a disparate group of players who are based all over the world, but their heritage provides a common thread. Burns’ own story is typical: his roots are in Calabria, in southern Italy, but his grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in North Africa during the second world war and the family relocated to Australia. He has always felt a connection with Italy, and made his debut for them last year.

“I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion”Joe Burns

It was a long way removed from his first international career, which saw him hit four hundreds in his 23 Tests for Australia. “When you play for Australia, there’s such a history to the baggy green that you’re honouring the past and representing the people that have gone before,” Burns said. “When you’re playing for Italy, it’s very much a blank canvas, trying to shape the future.”Burns first reached out to Cricket Italia in 2009, when qualification rules were stricter, and had to undergo a three-year cooling-off period from his final Australia appearance, in 2020, before he became eligible. But he has thrown himself into his new challenge, taking over the captaincy this summer, and has worn the number 85 shirt in tribute to his late brother, Dominic.”A lot of our grandparents left Italy after World War II, so it’s very much a shared story to come together and to represent past generations,” he said. “I know my grandparents would be very proud, and I know mum and dad have been following the games really closely. There are Italians dispersed all over the world, and I hope this team is a beacon for Italians everywhere.”Burns admires his medal•International Cricket CouncilItaly ramped up preparations for the qualifiers last month with a training camp in Rome, and Burns has demanded the full focus of his team-mates: “I told the guys that I don’t care if we’re playing Luxembourg in the sub-regional qualifiers or India in a T20 World Cup final: I want our team to be the most prepared team in world cricket for every game that we play.”This has all come together on the back of a lot of planning. People ask me what the goal for the World Cup is and I say, ‘Look, we’re planning and preparing to win every game – so we’re planning to win the World Cup.’ I want the guys to enjoy the experience and play with freedom – but you have to earn the right to play with freedom on the back of really solid preparation.”Cricket is a niche sport in Italy, but World Cup qualification will unlock new sources of funding. “It will go a long way for us,” Burns said. “We don’t have any turf facilities, and very little facilities in general, but this gives us an opportunity to develop the game. We’ve had a lot of support from CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) which keeps building in the background.Time to celebrate after Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time•International Cricket Council”Associate cricket is very much the grassroots of international cricket, so for us, it’s about trying to unlock funding and build facilities to create opportunities for future generations to come. It’s very rewarding. At different stages in your career, you have different motivations, and I think this came at a really good time for me. It really reinvigorated my love for the game.”Italy will welcome back Wayne Madsen – a man with more than 20,000 runs in county cricket to his name – for the World Cup after he missed the qualifiers due to his Derbyshire commitments, but Burns hinted that he himself may step aside before the main event. “This [qualification] was such a big goal for me,” he said. “It’s probably going to take me a few months to think about it.”But if Burns, 35, does play on, there is one team he would relish the chance to face next year. “We’ve said briefly as a group that we want the big stage. We want to be drawn against the best in the world, and we want to take it on. I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion.”