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Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Who is leaving Arsenal?

Manager Mikel Arteta, from reliable media sources, is said to be closing in on a deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer as Arsenal finally agree a fee after multiple rejected bids.

Alongside the 24-year-old, Emirates transfer chief Edu also reached an agreement over the signing of Kai Havertz, who has joined Arsenal in a £65 million deal from Chelsea.

Talks apparently continue over more targets as well, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber remaining firmly on their radar.

It's certainly one of the busiest summers in recent memory at Arsenal, but to make room for these potential arrivals, certain squad members will inevitably have to make way.

The standout names who could make way come in the form of defender Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Balogun and faithful servant Granit Xhaka (Goal).

Jorginho, after reports of a potential exit, has confirmed plans to remain in north London but his midfield partner, Thomas Partey, is being "pushed" towards the door.

Going back to Balogun, there has been an update on his prospective sale, as journalist O'Rourke details in a piece for Football Insider.

The reporter writes that he is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", and Crystal Palace has emerged as a credible landing spot.

The Eagles have apparently set their sights on Arsenal's exciting young striker, who seriously impressed on loan at Reims in Ligue 1 last campaign.

Arteta's side are likely to hold out for a £35 million fee as the Eagles become interested in striking a deal, but they aren't the only side, with European giants AC Milan monitoring the situation.

Balogun has already ruled out another loan move publicly, so any possible transfer will be a permanent one.

What's been said about Folarin Balogun?

The 21-year-old bagged an impressive 21 goals and two assists in 37 French top flight appearances over 22/23, with Kevin Betsy calling him "phenomenal" for his pace and acceleration.

Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is another to have heaped praise on Balogun, with the World Cup winner drawing attention to his "refreshing" mindset.

“He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels but he was missing something, which was his finishing," said Henry to Amazon Prime (via The Evening Standard).

“He’s now starting to score goals regularly and I’m happy for that – happy he has gone abroad.

“When I heard he was coming to France, it made me think he has a refreshing mindset.”

Manchester United are one of the clubs in the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, according to a report from 90min.

Which defenders are Man United signing?

As per Football Insider, Man United are set to pull out of the race for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, amid growing interest from Bayern Munich, meaning Erik ten Hag may have to move on to other targets to bolster his backline.

The Red Devils "remain keen" on AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi, who is reportedly set to be available for around €50m (£40m) this summer, while Juventus' Gleison Bremer is also an option following a scouting mission last season.

With Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly reportedly heading for the exit door, United may look at bringing in multiple new defenders this summer, and they have now emerged as potential suitors for Tapsoba – although there will be fierce competition.

According to 90min, Man United are in the race for the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back, though the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United have also been informed about his situation.

Tottenham Hotspur are also progressing in talks with the 24-year-old and he would be willing to make the switch to north London, but there is still time for the Red Devils to hijack the move.

Who is Edmond Tapsoba?

The Burkina Faso international plays for Bayer Leverkusen at club level, joining the German side back in January 2020 after impressing the club's former sporting director, Rudi Voller, during his time with Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.

Upon his arrival in the Bundesliga, Voller praised the centre-back for his defensive capabilities, while also adding that he is "dangerous" in front of goal and possesses "really big potential."

Hailed as "solid as a rock" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 4 colossus has certainly fulfilled some of that potential during his time in Germany, establishing himself as a key player for Leverkusen last season by making a total of 33 appearances in the Bundesliga.

The former Guimaraes man averaged 1.1 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga last season, ranking him fourth in the squad. However, there are question marks about whether he would be a real upgrade to United's defence.

Despite his height, the centre-back is quite poor in the air, placing in just the 37th percentile for aerials won per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and he does not particularly impress on any defensive metric.

As such, Man United should perhaps avoid signing Tapsoba, as he is not yet at the level required for a club with aims of going far in the Champions League.

Manchester United have held transfer talks over a move for Leeds United defender Robin Koch, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Koch?

The Red Devils appear to be working behind the scenes looking to make some additions to Erik ten Hag’s quad ahead of hi second Premier League season in charge.

The club’s takeover saga is still ongoing, meaning that the Glazers are still in control at Old Trafford. Reports previously suggested that Ten Hag wanted a midfielder and forward brought in over the coming months, however, a new centre-back also appears to be on the wishlist.

Ten Hag gave the green light to exits for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof earlier this year, with Napoli’s Kim min-jae reportedly a top target. However, Bayern Munich now appear to be firmly in the race to sign the South Korea international, and United seemingly have their eye on a new target in Koch.

According to Sky Sports’ Plettenberg in the last 48 hours, Manchester United have placed Koch on the shortlist and have held transfer “talks” over a potential deal.

“News Koch: He‘s on the shortlist of Man Utd! Loose talks took place. Confirmed.”

Who is Robin Koch?

Koch is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out in a holding midfield role if needed and currently holds a career-high €18m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 26-year-old made the move to Elland Road back in 2020 from German side Freiburg and has made 77 appearances across three years in Yorkshire, 39 of which came last season.

The German, hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Clinton Morrison for his display against Brentford’s Ivan Toney last year, couldn’t help keep Leeds in the Premier League.

He did average more clearances and won more aerial duels than any other Leeds player last season, though, as per WhoScored, while also ranking highly for number of passes and long balls.

Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Koch, who could well be available on a cut-price deal following Leeds’ relegation, and with Maguire and Lindelof potentially departing, United may need to bolster their defensive options.

Therefore, it looks as if a move to Old Trafford could be one to keep an eye on following this update from the reliable Plettenberg, in what could be a busy few months off the pitch for United.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster their defensive options in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Jonathan Panzo to Rangers?

According to the Daily Record, the Light Blues are 'edging closer' to securing a £2.5m deal to sign central defender Jonathan Panzo.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are closing in on a swoop for the left-sided ace as they remain in talks to secure the Englishman's signature.

It states that Gers head coach Michael Beale wants to add a left-footed defender to his squad before the end of the window, and they now appear set to do that by beating Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion to the signing of the 22-year-old Nottingham Forest man.

Would Jonathan Panzo be a good signing for Rangers?

The talented Forest enforcer could be an excellent addition for the Ibrox giants as the defender could be a dream heir to current first-team star Ben Davies.

Former Gers sporting director Ross Wilson snapped the defender up from Liverpool last summer and the battler, who turns 28 later this year, enjoyed a strong debut campaign in Scotland.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 27 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and displayed his defensive attributes with 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 67%.

These statistics show that the ex-Preston North End man maintained a strong performance level and was able to dominate opposition forwards on the floor and in the air over the course of the season.

Panzo, who was once described as an "exciting" young player by Forest boss Steve Cooper, could come in with the aim of competing with Davies before eventually taking his place in the XI.

Indeed, Premier League prodigy is five years younger than the Gers talent and has time on his side to dislodge him.

The 22-year-old spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Coventry in the Championship and caught the eye with his performances in the division.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 outings and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a 58% success rate in his battles, which shows that the youngster is capable of winning the majority of duels and is not bullied by opposition forwards.

His form for Mark Robins' side suggests that the young star has the potential to be an upgrade on Davies by maintaining a higher performance level whilst also making far more defensive interventions per match to cut out opposition attacks. That said, there is no guarantee that he would be able to translate that form over to the Premiership.

Despite that, Panzo has the potential to be a success at Ibrox as the Englishman could be a dream heir to eventually take over from the former Liverpool defender.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was in agreement with the club not to overpay for Manuel Ugarte amid the competition from Paris Saint-Germain.

How much are PSG paying Ugarte?

The Blues endured a hugely underwhelming 2022/23 campaign which saw them finish in a disappointing 12th spot of the Premier League table.

But it is apparent Todd Boehly will not allow that to happen again with the American owner already putting plans in place to bring change ahead of next season.

Indeed, Pochettino has already been appointed as the new Chelsea manager and they have been involved in a transfer saga this early in the summer.

However, this was not a transfer saga which ended in Chelsea's favour after they bowed out of the race to sign the Uruguay midfielder, Ugarte, following the competition from the Ligue 1 champions.

Although the west London side had submitted a significant bid for the 22-year-old, they were forced to move away from the negotiations after PSG trumped their financial proposal to the player.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided an insight to the discussions behind the scenes at Staford Bridge amid their negotiations with the Sporting CP midfielder.

It is apparent the Blues were keen to strengthen their midfield with the addition of Ugarte, however, Pochettino was not in favour of overpaying for the 22-year-old with PSG offering a reported £2.6m more in annual salary:

"I wanted to tell you something behind the scenes about the situation that Chelsea had regarding Manuel Ugarte."

"I can tell you that Mauricio Pochettino was always involved in the conversation with the Chelsea board. Of course, Pochettino will be into the market this summer together with the board, and also Pochettino when Chelsea told him: 'We are not going to make another bid [for the] player because the idea is not to match Paris Saint-Germain's salary proposal for Ugarte'.

"Also the position of Mauricio Pochettino was like: 'Okay, Ugarte is a great player, but we don't want to enter into any crazy proposal to players, especially'."

Will Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo?

Now the Blues are expected to see N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic depart the club over the coming days, midfield reinforcement will be on the mind for Pochettino.

And with that in mind, it is believed the west London side are eyeing a potential move for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

However, the Blues are not believed to be the only London side keen to potentially bring Caicedo to the capital with Arsenal all credited with interest.

But this is a deal which will not come on the cheap with the 21-year-old having signed a new deal on the south coast following the January transfer window.

As a result, it is suggested the Seagulls will be looking for a fee in the region of £80m – all in – for their midfielder.

The Ecuadorian is believed to be earning in the region of £60k-per-week at Brighton, so if he is to make a big-money move to Stamford Bridge it would be expected his wages will increase significantly like his former teammate, Alexis Mac Allister.

The race for coveted Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella is heating up, with a wealth of top Premier League outfits contesting for the Italy international's signature this summer.

What's the latest on Liverpool's pursuit of Nicolo Barella?

Liverpool are at the forefront of the race, joined in their intrigue by Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United, all said to be 'crazy' about the prospect of signing Barella, according to FCInterNews.

Touted at as much as €100m (£87m) by his team's hierarchy, the vested interest in his services by English football's most prominent teams could create an exorbitant transfer battle.

Barella could be headed for the Nerazzurri exit door when considering reports that he is personally pushing for a departure in search of new horizons, but contracted with until 2026, it could be a taxing pursuit indeed.

Should Liverpool sign Nicolo Barella?

The obvious stumbling block for Klopp and co is, of course, Barella's price tag, which is not too far away from the €103m (£88m) initial fee that Real Madrid have paid to prise Jude Bellingham away from Borussia Dortmund.

However, should Liverpool's technical director Jorg Schmadtke manage to whittle the Inter ace's jaw-dropping valuation down over the next few weeks, the Reds would glean one of Europe's superlative maestros.

Indeed, having made 51 appearances this season, the 26-year-old has posted nine goals and ten assists and been hailed as a "genius" for his exploits by reporter Mike Piellucci, with the chance for glory awaiting in the Champions League final against Manchester City this weekend.

With Anfield waving goodbye to a host of departees this summer, space has been opened for someone of Barella's ilk to forge a career as the Merseyside club's new general, reinstating the cohesion and verve that blinked out of existence as Liverpool slipped into obscurity this season, failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Alexis Mac Allister has already been signed by Anfield's powers that be, penning a long-term contract after his £35m release clause at Brighton & Hove Albion was met, a shrewd move heralded as a "bargain" by Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool acted with the ruthless incisiveness that has become a staple point of Klopp's tenure at the club, and the energy and dynamism that the 24-year-old brings will undoubtedly provide a shimmering new sheen to a central midfield requiring comprehensive reconstruction.

Barella would ice the cake, blending his maestro-like skill set with Mac Allister's box-surging, progressive presence and digging up the dynamism and intensity required for success in a Klopp system.

As per FBref, the 43-cap Italy gem ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals, the top 21% for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for progressive passes and the top 11% for progressive carries per 90.

Mac Allister, comparatively, ranks among the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 20% for progressive carries and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90, which illustrates an interconnection of skill sets, pushing the ball upfield and suffocating opposition with first-rate creativity and crisp passing play.

Whether Liverpool decide to bite the bullet and acquiesce to Inter's monetary demands remains to be seen, but unquestionably, Barella is a midfielder of every bit the calibre to take Anfield back to the peak of the mountain of aspiring European outfits.

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has told Derby County supporters to hold their horses after some contract news this week prompted excitement about Chris Kirchner’s potential takeover.

The Lowdown: Buchanan signs

Kirchner announced on Twitter last week that he has secured a deal to become the new owner of the Rams, but it is still dependent on the sale of Pride Park.

Mel Morris’ ownership of the ground has been a huge roadblock throughout the takeover process, but a recent contract development had fans thinking maybe things were on the up.

Indeed, the news that the club have triggered Lee Buchanan’s contract extension seemed to imply a takeover was as good as done, given the fact that Phil Jagielka was unable to extend his deal in January due to the ownership situation.

The Latest: Not so fast…

After hearing of the developments on Buchanan, Nixon offered a worrying reaction, urging supporters to ease their excitement.

“Before anyone gets ahead of themselves…” he said on Twitter.

“Taking up contract options and making contract offers on time is SEPARATE from any suggestion takeover deal is done. It had to be then or players would walk. The takeover thing depends on stadium and is being worked on.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying that the situation with the stadium is still not resolved – Kirchner only has until May 31 to complete the finer details on the takeover, so time is running out to pry the ground away from Morris.

Wayne Rooney’s team have already been threatened with more points deductions both for outstanding loans and separately for failure to pay playing staff, so the fact Buchanan’s contract is sorted is of course good, but it’s seemingly not the sign of things to come fans were hoping it was.

Time is ticking for Kirchner to get his deal over the line, and it looks like it’s all going to come down to Pride Park in the next seven days.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips has warned Sunderland of a ‘horrible’ let-down if they get too complacent following the celebrations for reaching the League One play-off final.

The Lowdown: Route to Wembley

The Black Cats went into the second leg of their third-tier play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday with a 1-0 lead following Ross Stewart’s goal at the Stadium of Light, but the game looked set to be going to extra-time at Hillsborough after Lee Gregory found an equaliser for the Owls on 74 minutes.

However, winger Patrick Roberts came up with the goods for Alex Neil’s outfit by adding a winner in stoppage time to give Sunderland the 2-1 aggregate victory, meaning that they will now head to Wembley to take on Wycombe Wanderers in the ultimate showdown on May 21st.

The Latest: Phillips reacts to celebrations

After seeing his former side’s epic celebrations at Wednesday, Phillips has urged them to remain fully focused, telling ChronicleLive: “Enjoy tonight, rightly so and they get ready and start preparing for a week Saturday which is so important because you don’t want to go there and let you down.

“I’ve been there with Sunderland and it’s horrible to lose in a play-off final but believe me when you do win a play-off final it’s one of the best ways to get promoted and I hope these guys feel that on the 21st.

“They’ve [Sunderland] been stuck in it [League One] for four years, they’ve got another opportunity on the 21st to get out of it, but it’ll be a tough tough match. Everyone will make Sunderland the favourites.

“Ultimately, as Clinton [Morrison] will tell you, when these moments come around, you have to enjoy them. Definitely go and have a beer tonight, enjoy yourselves tonight and tomorrow and then come back in whenever you do refocussed to go again.”

The Verdict: Neil’s the perfect man for the job

Alex Neil first joined the Black Cats on an initial 12-month rolling deal back in February where he took over as Lee Johnson’s successor following their 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Bolton Wanderers, which ultimately saw his time at the club come to an end.

The 40-year-old took charge of the last 15 league games of the season after arriving and has quite literally transformed Sunderland’s record, having won eight, drawn six, and lost just one of those outings, as per Transfermarkt, so it’s no wonder they managed to secure a play-off place after displaying such scintillating form.

The Bellshill-born manager already has experience of being in this position having guided Norwich City and Hamilton up through the play-offs and there’s no reason why he won’t be able to do it again later this month.

In other news… a finance expert has dropped a huge claim regarding the club’s potential takeover.

Newcastle United are planning to recruit between four and six players this summer, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards says. 

The lowdown

Newcastle are gearing up for their first summer transfer window since their Saudi-led takeover went through in the autumn.

In January, the new owners sanctioned a record £90million spend on five new players – Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and loan signing Matt Targett.

Edwards has previously reported that they’re unlikely to shell out quite that much in the summer market.

The goal may now be to secure at least a top-half finish after Eddie Howe guided his bolstered squad away from relegation trouble.

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The latest

Edwards tweeted on Monday afternoon that ‘multiple sources have confirmed’ Newcastle’s ‘plan’ to bring in ‘between four and six’ new faces ‘to boost first team strength’.

The amount the club can generate through sales will be important, he adds.

They’re also ‘looking closely’ at the loan market and are ‘likely’ to dip into it for ‘at least one’ player ‘towards the end of the window’.

The verdict

Who might some of the new faces be at St James’ Park? Well, one likely addition appears to be Targett on a permanent deal.

Transfer insider Dean Jones said recently the Aston Villa-owned defender had become their ‘number one’ target and that they were looking to swiftly tie up a deal that could be worth £15million.

And according to The Daily Mail, they’re also working on a deal for Jesse Lingard, who wouldn’t demand a transfer fee as he reaches the end of his Manchester United contract.

Predominant frugality could theoretically allow the Magpies to make one blockbuster addition and stay within the confines of their budget.

In other news, Frank McAvennie warns Newcastle against this mooted move.

Adam Jones has been left stunned by what Mason Mount did which saw him get a yellow card for Chelsea against Everton in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Mount cautioned

The 23-year-old found himself cautioned by the referee after he appeared to push Yerry Mina to the ground after a collision between the two players in the first half.

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This sparked a brawl between both teams on the pitch, as things started to get a little heated at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones gave his instant reaction to Mount’s antics, claiming that it was ‘very strange’ and ‘unnecessary’ from the England international.

In response to the incident, he tweeted: “Very strange one, that. Looked very off-the-ball and unnecessary.”

The Verdict: Unnecessary

As Jones rightfully points out, Mount pushing Mina back to the ground after their collision was completely unnecessary, and almost warranted the yellow card more than his actual challenge.

Still, the Colombia international did not let that faze him, as Everton got to half-time on level terms, before Richarlison gave them an early lead in the second half.

Nonetheless, the important thing was that Mina did not react to Mount’s antics, instead keeping his cool as the Toffees fought for all three points to close the gap on both Leeds United and Burnley.

In other news, find out what big Everton injury blow has now emerged