All posts by z3u9t.icu

Alongside the avalanche of major honours, Chelsea fans have been able to watch some genuinely incredible superstars play for their club over the last two decades.

The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Eden Hazard are some of the best players to have ever graced the Premier League, and are unquestionably legends of the game.

Another, perhaps somewhat underrated, superstar who consistently dazzled the Stamford Bridge faithful during his time in West London was Cesc Fàbregas.

The former Arsenal gem was a key member of the Blues side that won two league titles in the mid-2010s and beat the Gunners in the 2019 Europa League final.

Therefore, fans should be excited about reports linking them to another midfield gem who could be their new Fabregas.

Chelsea target their new Fabregas

As they are every year, Chelsea have been busy in the market this summer, as on top of selling a host of players they don’t really need, the club have made several exciting additions to Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, while they didn’t look great on Sunday, the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens should make the side far more dangerous this season, and it feels like a matter of when, not if, Alejandro Garnacho joins them.

Yet, even with the Argentine set to join, the West Londoners look set to make more signings before the window slams shut and are eyeing a midfield talent who could be their new Fabregas.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed that Chelsea are very interested in Marc Casado.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues have now made an offer for the Barcelona gem, which could be worth up to €50m, which is about £43m.

Interestingly, the story claims that Hansi Flick does not want the 21-year-old to be sold, but that the Catalans need to raise funds, which is why they have not outright rejected the offer yet.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Casado’s ability and immense potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Chelsea’s new Fabregas.

How Casado compares to Fabregas

It should go without saying that, at just 21 years old, Casado is not at the level Cesc was when he first joined Chelsea, but with time, he could certainly get there.

After all, there are several key similarities between the players and their moves.

For example, it would be another instance of the Blues going all out to sign an exciting Spanish midfielder from Barcelona.

Additionally, while the “spectacular” prospect, as dubbed by Sergio Busquets, does play that little bit deeper than Cesc did during his time at the Bridge, he is still a creative force from the middle of the park.

In 36 appearances for the Catalan outfit last season, he scored one goal and provided six assists, which comes out to a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement every 5.14 games.

His underlying numbers are even more impressive and point to a player who could be a metronomic midfielder for the West Londoners.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the middle third, the top 6% for completed passes and touches, the top 7% for passes into the final third, the top 9% for goal-creating actions from live passes and more, all per 90.

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

2.01

Top 1%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

58.41

Top 2%

Passes Completed

68.11

Top 6%

Live-ball Passes

73.50

Top 6%

Touches

85.36

Top 6%

Pass Completion %

90.0%

Top 7%

Passes into Final Third

7.23

Top 7%

Total Passing Distance

1049.21

Top 8%

Tackles Won

1.88

Top 8%

Assists

0.21

Top 9%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.38

Top 9%

Tackles

3.05

Top 10%

Carries

46.04

Top 11%

In other words, the midfield “genius,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, can take the ball from deep and either control the pace of the game or kickstart an attack, just like the World Cup winner used to.

Finally, despite still being so young, the twice-capped international shows he isn’t one to be overawed by the big occasion, nor was he flustered by the task of helping Barcelona win a league title last season, which is just the sort of player Maresca would want in his side.

Ultimately, it might not be a cheap transfer to get over the line, but Casado looks like the real deal and could be Chelsea’s new Fabregas.

Garnacho upgrade: Chelsea in agent talks to sign "world-class" £43m star

The dangerous international would be a far better signing than Garnacho for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 21, 2025

While it’s not quite panic stations just yet, it would be fair to say that the shine has been taken off of Arsenal’s pre-season preparations over the last week or so.

It started with an underwhelming defeat to Tottenham Hotspur out in Hong Kong, and then the mood around the club got even worse following the 3-2 loss at home to Villarreal on Wednesday.

It wasn’t just the losses that shook confidence in some supporters, but also the nature of them, the lack of genuine cutting-edge, and specifically, Viktor Gyokeres’ ineffectiveness in the latter match.

However, the good news is that, based on reports, it looks like Arsenal are targeting someone who’d be able to get the Swede firing in no time at all.

Arsenal target perfect teammate for Gyokeres

While the last two games have certainly dented the excitement that some fans were feeling ahead of the new Premier League season, it should be said that this summer has still been a largely positive one, especially when it comes to transfers.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, in addition to Gyokeres, Andrea Berta and his team have made five first-team additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad, with the likes of Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard looking like excellent depth options and Martin Zubimendi the perfect long-term six.

Yet, things could still get better as the club are still looking to bring in at least one more player, someone who could help the former Sporting CP star explode next season.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastian Vidal, who has reaffirmed that Arsenal are very interested in signing Eberechi Eze this summer.

The journalist has revealed that even though talks have somewhat stalled, the Englishman remains a key target and that a player sale may make it easier to secure his services.

It’ll likely be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze has more than proven his ability and would be more than worth the effort it takes to get him, especially as he could get Gyokeres firing right away.

Why Eze would get Gyokeres firing

Okay, so while there is every chance that things will naturally improve the more games he plays in the team, it was obvious that the biggest problem for Gyokeres against Villarreal was the lack of opportunities being created for him.

Unlike Kai Havertz, who likes to drop back into midfield whenever he can, the Swedish superstar is very much your archetypal centre-forward, someone who spends most of his time in and around the penalty area, and rarely takes his shots from outside the area.

In this case, it’s clear that Arsenal need someone who can get the ball to him with relative ease, either through brilliant ball-carrying or passing, and fortunately, it looks like Eze would be excellent at the former.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for successful take-ons per 90.

In other words, the Palace “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, is elite at getting past opposition defenders and driving into dangerous areas before firing off a shot or laying the ball off for a teammate.

Another reason to believe the £100k-per-week gem could be the one to help the former Sporting star explode next season is the output he managed in a mid-table side last season.

In 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old game-changer managed to find the back of the net 14 times and provide 11 assists for good measure.

Appearances

36

43

Minutes

2285′

3303′

Goals

11

14

Assists

6

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

134.41′

132.12′

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, which is the sort of output that could seriously boost Gyokeres’ own goal and assist tally.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to add another attacking dimension to the team before the end of the summer, and not only would Eze do that, but he’d also get the most out of Gyokeres.

A dream for Saka: Arsenal plot move to sign "world-class" £43m sensation

The incredible attacker would help Arsenal and the Englishman reach another level.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 6, 2025

In what would almost be a repeat of last season’s deal to sign Ben Chilwell, Crystal Palace have now reportedly joined the race to sign a £30m Chelsea defender.

Crystal Palace make Europa League appeal

It’s been a quiet summer for Crystal Palace so far on the incomings front, having only welcomed experienced goalkeeper Walter Benitez and former Ajax left-back Borna Sosa. But their hesitation to act can be blamed on the ongoing saga regarding their Europa League place.

After it emerged that Palace were in breach of multi-club ownership rules thanks to John Textor’s involvement with both the South London club and French side Lyon, UEFA decided to relegate the Eagles down to the Europa Conference League. Palace, as expected, believe that decision is unfair given how little influence Textor has at the club and have lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

It’s set to be a nervy couple of weeks for Palace as they await the official verdict and one that they hope will end with their Europa League place restored.

Having his say on the matter, Palace chairman Steve Parish recently told The Rest is Football Podcast: “We don’t think this is the right decision by any means. We know, unequivocally, that John [Textor] didn’t have decisive influence over the club. We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it’s a fact.”

Crystal Palace now planning to accelerate move for "super" £20m midfielder

They now believe they’re ahead of Everton in the race…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 23, 2025

As they wait for the decision, however, Palace simply must kickstart their summer transfer business as next season continues to close in. And that could see them land a rival defender for Oliver Glasner.

Crystal Palace now racing to sign Adarabioyo

According to Caught Offside, Crystal Palace are now jostling to sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea, who value their defender at just £30m this summer. The centre-back only arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer in a free transfer from Fulham, but could now be on his way to another London club just one year on.

Having started 15 of 38 Premier League games last season, Adarabioyo will be keen to nail down a starting place next season even if that comes away from Chelsea. With Palace joined by AC Milan, Napoli and Newcastle United in the race to secure his signature, the former Fulham man certainly has plenty to think about.

At his best, Adarabioyo found himself at the centre of praise from Fulham manager Marco Silva, who told reporters: “He is a key player for us. He is one of the leaders in our dressing room and we need these guys to step in in the right moments and he did it.

“We missed him a lot, we missed him because he didn’t play the first three months of the season. Tosin is a special player for us, I can’t hide that situation.

Now, to get back to that “special” level, a move across London to Crystal Palace could be the perfect summer switch for the talented defender.

The promoted sides last season found out the hard way how cruel a beast the Premier League can truly be, with Sunderland desperate to buck that trend.

Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton all sank back down to the Championship in depressing fashion, having conceded a combined total of 248 strikes, with Regis Le Bris the manager now tasked with changing this dire narrative as his side make their return to the unforgiving division.

The majority of the Black Cats’ signings that have stolen the limelight so far this summer have centred on the midfield and attacking spots, with Simon Adingra a brand-new exciting option down the flanks, away from Habib Diarra adding more quality centrally for £30m.

But, to ensure survival can still be reached against all the odds stacked against them, more defensive purchases must surely be prioritised now.

Sunderland exploring move for new goalkeeper

Already, the Black Cats have added in a new left-back to their ever-expanding camp, with Le Bris welcoming in ex-Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo on a free transfer deal recently.

This is unlikely to be the only major defensive addition, however, with Le Bris presumably worried by the prospect of his underdog outfit conceding goals for fun, much like the relegated sides before them.

Off the back of that, a new first-choice goalkeeper might be on the agenda to replace Anthony Patterson, with a new report from Dutch outlet Gazet Van Antwerpen linking Sunderland with a swoop for Royal Antwerp stopper Senne Lammens.

The report – which has been relayed by Sport Witness – reveals that Antwerp are looking to offload Lammens this summer, having already purchased his long-term replacement, which has alerted English clubs in the form of Sunderland, Leeds United, and Manchester United to his services.

Antwerp’s recent Player of the Season winner would be available for just £17m, according to the report, meaning he might just be the ‘keeper addition Sunderland desire now, over pursuing past target Aaron Ramsdale to add strength in depth in goal.

Why Lammens would be a better signing than Ramsdale

Ramsdale – who is reportedly open to the move – would have the immediate advantage of Premier League experience on his side, considering he has a sturdy haul of 183 top-flight games in England next to his name.

However, it’s fair to say his recent experiences in the demanding division have been fraught with difficulties, with Ramsdale adding a worrying third relegation down to the EFL onto his CV last season when attempting to try his best for the basement Saints.

Games played

40

30

Goals conceded

52

66

Goals conceded per game

1.3

2.2

Saves

173

125

Saves per game

4.3

4.2

Clean sheets

9

3

Penalties saved

4/8

2/7

Goals prevented

+15.57

+0.14

Unfortunately, even as Ramsdale averaged a high 4.2 saves per league clash, all his efforts would be in vain as the declining 27-year-old kept a weak three clean sheets. In contrast, whilst the ex-Arsenal keeper continues to experience a crisis in confidence, Lammens’ stock in the game appears to only be rising.

When glancing at the table above, he wipes the floor with his English counterpart in every area of their respective games, with Lammens amazingly preventing +15.57 goals last season in league action when confidently placing himself in between the sticks for Stef Wils’ men.

Le Bris would no doubt be more at ease offering Lammens the first team reins over Ramsdale, therefore, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig even going out of his way to label the 6-foot-4 stopper’s individual campaign as “simply phenomenal”.

Ramsdale also once lapped up compliments in the same glowing manner, but with a mere five clean sheets next to his name across his last two Premier League campaigns, it’s an almighty gamble on Sunderland’s end to trust him as their number one option.

On the contrary, after such a standout season in the Belgian top-flight, Lammens might well be ready now for the test of a Premier League dog-fight, having also been heralded as possessing “elite potential” by football analyst Ben Mattinson.

The next Isidor: Sunderland showing strong interest in "electric" £22m star

Sunderland might be about to win their next Wilson Isidor by picking up this electric £22m attacker.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 15, 2025

West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.

Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.

It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.

Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom

After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.

Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.

In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.

Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.

Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.

However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.

West Brom's answer to Kyogo

Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.

West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.

Games played

163

182

Goals scored

32

66

Assists

20

36

Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.

The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.

To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.

It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.

Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star

West Bromwich Albion could think outside of the box when pursuing a Mikey Johnston upgrade.

2 ByKelan Sarson Jul 16, 2025

Chelsea continue to be extremely busy in the transfer market.

Just last week, both João Pedro and Jamie Gittens arrived, with the Brazilian thrown straight in for his debut off the bench against Palmeiras in Friday night’s Club World Cup quarter-finals.

That 2-1 victory in Philadelphia means Enzo Maresca’s team faced Fluminense in the semi-finals, and Pedro truly delivered, scoring twice as the Blues progressed through to Sunday’s final, where Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid will await at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Meantime, back at home, Chelsea’s recruitment staff continue to be the hardest-working people in football, so could the Blues snap up yet another highly-rated young talent?

Chelsea's search for more attacking talent

With all their arrivals, The Times are reporting that Chelsea ‘need to raise’ in excess of £60m through player sales to be compliant with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations.

With that in mind, reports suggest that Arsenal are ‘advancing their pursuit’ of Noni Madueke, who they believe is valued at around £50m, noting that personal terms have already been agreed.

If that deal goes through, will they be able to use that money to sign another English talent?

Well, Simon Johnson of The Athletic notes that the Blues are ‘big admirers’ of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, adding that Chelsea’s summer transfer activity is unlikely to be finished yet.

One sticking point is likely to be the player’s price, with talkSPORT previously quoting that the England international is valued at something in the region of £100m.

How Morgan Rogers would improve Chelsea

Should this come to fruition, he would be yet another former Manchester City academy player, or indeed coach, to end up at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca

2022-23

2024

Cole Palmer

2010-23

2023

Liam Delap

2019-20

2025

Jamie Gittens

2018-20

2025

Roméo Lavia

2020-22

2023

Tosin Adarabioyo

2003-20

2024

Rogers featured for Manchester City in the UEFA Youth League, EFL Trophy, FA Youth Cup and PL2, without ever making a senior appearance, departing for Middlesbrough before exploding on the scene at Aston Villa.

Now though, could the 22-year-old swap the West Midlands for West London?

Rogers certainly impressed at Villa this season, registering 14 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, including a Champions League hat-trick against Celtic in January.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserted that he enjoyed a “magnificent campaign”, while former defender Jamie Carragher noted that he was truly “unstoppable” in the Premier League.

Another former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood, also an ex-Villa boss of course, believes Rogers is worth at least £80m, underlining his exponential improvement, having joined the Villans for up to £15m just 18 months ago.

But the question remains: is Rogers a bigger talent than the recently arrived Gittens, as well as the potentially departing Madueke? Let’s find out.

Games

54

45

49

Minutes

4,496

2,625

2,803

Goals

14

11

12

Assists

15

5

5

Stats below: per-90 league & UCL only.

Shots

1.5

2.6

1.8

Shooting accuracy %

50.84%

56.14%

50.74%

Chances created

1.5

1.4

1.1

Take-on success %

50.3%

49.45%

49.53%

Touches

46

47

49

Touches in the box

4.6

8.8

6.2

As the table outlines, many of the attacking metrics included are generally comparable across all three players assessed.

Rogers scored more goals and registered significantly more assists than both Madueke and Gittens, albeit doing so in almost twice as many minutes on the pitch, albeit he also came out on top for chances created, on a per-90 basis, and take-on success percentage too.

That suggests that Rogers isn’t just a livewire in the final third but he’s also got the end product to boot.

Where he would fit in, and how much it would cost to get him out of Aston Villa, well, those would be the tough questions? Either way, coming off the back of an outstanding campaign, he would well be set to better Madueke and Gittens.

A better move than Nwaneri: Chelsea looking to land their own Rice for £51m

Chelsea are in the market for another defender or two this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 7, 2025

It’s now less than three weeks until Aston Villa’s pre-season schedule begins.

The Claret and Blue Army will take on neighbours Walsall at the Bescot on Wednesday 16 July, before heading to Germany where they’ll face Hansa Rostock at Ostseestadion.

Unai Emery’s team will then head stateside for a three-game series, facing Eintracht Frankfurt in Louisville and then a pair of MLS outfits, namely St. Louis City and Nashville, before returning to the Midlands for a meeting with Roma.

Before any of that, will President of Football Operations, Monchi, land any new signings?

Aston Villa targeting new attackers

As outlined by Jacob Tanswell and Gregg Evans of the Athletic, Aston Villa are in serious danger of breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules​​​​​​​, having recorded losses of £195m over the last two seasons.

Transfer Focus

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

This predicament forced them to sell, namely losing Jhon Durán back in January when Saudi came calling.

Al-Nassr paid a reported fee of £71m over the winter, with Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford arriving to replace him, albeit it’s unclear if either will be returning, following the expiration of their loans.

With Rashford certainly the less likely of the two to be back in claret and blue, John Townley of Birmingham Live is reporting that the Villans are targeting a move to sign Jesús Rodríguez.

He adds that the Real Betis winger is ‘attracting widespread interest from across Europe’, namely from RB Leipzig, Como and others.

Nevertheless, Villa are purportedly ‘confident’ of convincing Rodríguez that linking up with Emery ‘would best support his development’, with a report by Spanish outlet Marca stating that 19 year old has a €35m (around £30m) release clause.

Why Jesús Rodríguez is a bigger talent than Marcus Rashford

As alluded to earlier, it seems very unlikely that Rashford will be returning to Villa next season, despite a generally successful loan spell, in which he scored four goals and registered six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions.

Manchester United’s reported £40m price tag is seemingly putting off all potential suitors, hence why Jamie Jackson of the Guardian is reporting that Barcelona would be interested in taking Rashford on loan, but cannot sanction a permanent deal.

Thus, the Villans have seemingly turned their attention to Rodríguez, so let’s compare the duo.

Appearances

32

17

Minutes

1,739

940

Goals

3

4

Assists

2

6

Shots

1.6

1.6

Chances Created

0.6

1.7

Take-ons completed

3.1

1.7

Take-on success %

47%

34%

Touches

53

47.5

Touches in the box

6.4

5.6

As the table outlines, while Rashford’s raw data, goals and assists are better, Rodríguez’s underlying numbers are more impressive, while the pair are stylistically very different.

Rashford is about end-product, while the Spanish teenager is much more of a dribbler, as underlined by his higher take-on statistics, as well as the fact he registered more touches, both in the opposition’s penalty area and in general.

John Menzies of Football España documents how the 19-year-old enjoyed a ‘breakout season​​​​​​​’ at Betis, making his senior debut against Gévora in the Copa del Rey as recently as last Halloween.

By the end of the campaign, he had established himself as a key figure in Manuel Pellegrini’s team, starting 15 La Liga matches from 1 December onwards, as well as four matches during the Conference League knockout stages, on target during the quarter-final victory over Jagiellonia Białystok, en route to the final in Wrocław.

This summer, Rodríguez has been away at the U21 European Championships, starting and netting against Italy in Trnava, before Santi Denia’s side were dumped out by England in the quarter-finals last weekend.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him an “explosive winger”, asserting that his best attributes are his “acceleration, dribbling and work rate”.

Meantime, Luke Petty of Breaking the Lines believes the teenager is ‘already an outstanding asset’ thanks to his high-quality dribbling and ‘exceptional athleticism’, which allows him to cover ground easily, leaving him in the 99th percentile when it comes to regaining the ball via pressing, according to Statsbomb.

Thus, it is clear that Rodríguez is a highly talented youngster, perhaps even more so than Rashford, meaning he would be an excellent addition for cash-strapped Villa.

​​​​​​​

Rashford upgrade: Monchi looking to sign £68m "superstar" for Aston Villa

With Marcus Rashford seemingly unlikely to be returning to Aston Villa next season, has Unai Emery identified a “phenomenal” star as an alternative?

Jun 26, 2025

Leeds United are close to securing their first signing of the 2025 summer transfer window. The Whites are now back in the Premier League following promotion success in the 2024/25 campaign, and are now seemingly ready to splash the cash in order to survive, something that has been a struggle in recent seasons for newly-promoted sides.

Highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano gave his famous “here we go” tagline to Leeds’ move for Jaka Bijol.

The Slovenian centre-back will join the club for £18.7m from Italian side Udinese, as their first major signing of the summer.

Daniel Farke’s side are now lining up their next signing, who could prove to be an even better addition than their new centre-back.

Leeds' next signing after Bijol

It is certainly an early statement of intent from the Yorkshire side. Bijol is an “immense” player according to Sky Sports’ Dougiue Critchely, so for Leeds to have all but confirmed his move to Elland Road is a strong start to the window.

Transfer Focus

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

Things could be about to get even better for the 2024/25 Championship winners. TEAMtalk are now reporting that Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz is a target, with Leeds ‘ready to make a fresh push’ for the 24-year-old Brazilian.

However, this will not be an easy deal to do, with the report describing it as ‘difficult’.

The two clubs are some way apart in their valuation of the striker at this stage. Whilst the West Londoners want upwards of £50m, Leeds are hoping to do a deal around the £35m mark. Thus, ‘there remains lots of talking to be done’ in order for this transfer to progress.

Why Muniz would be a good signing

Bringing Muniz to Elland Road could be a huge addition for the Whites this summer. Crucially, he is a Premier League-proven player, with a track record of scoring goals in the English top flight during his two seasons at Craven Cottage.

Last term, the former Flamengo player found the back of the net on eight occasions in 31 appearances, grabbing an assist along the way, too.

He played just 950 minutes, the equivalent of ten full 90-minute games, meaning he was not far off a goal per game on average.

There is no doubt that Bijol is an excellent addition for the Whites. Pundits like Critchley rate him highly, and he helped keep eight clean sheets in 34 games last season for Udinese, captaining them at times, too.

He will certainly help to strengthen at the back at Elland Road, and will add some more leadership to Farke’s squad. That will be invaluable going into what will be a tough campaign in 2025/26, avoiding relegation.

However, perhaps there is a strong case to be made that Muniz will be an even better signing for Leeds, and for one reason. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer, having notched up nine in 2023/24 and, of course, eight last term.

In the last two seasons, all six newly-promoted sides have been relegated, and Leeds have a chance to buck that trend. Well, an experienced top-flight striker will count for lots. They will surely need his goals.

Of those six relegated sides, he was outscored by two Luton Town players in 2023/24, namely Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo, who scored 11 and 10, respectively. Last season, Liam Delap, now a Chelsea player, scored 12 goals, and the evergreen Jamie Vardy outscored him by one.

That said, Muniz was not always a regular starter and did actually score considerably more goals per 90 minutes which bodes well should he become Farke’s number one choice.

Liam Delap

Ipswich

12

0.42

Carlton Morris

Luton

11

0.35

Rodrigo Muniz (2023/24)

Fulham

9

0.51

Jamie Vardy

Leicester

9

0.29

Rodrigo Muniz (2024/25)

Fulham

8

0.75

Jacob Bruun Larsen

Burnley

6

0.33

Brereton Diaz/McBurnie

Sheffield United

6

0.25 & 0.42

Paul Onuachu

Southampton

4

0.34

Generally speaking, you need a top striker to regularly score goals and help keep you in the Premier League. Well, Muniz could be the guy for Leeds.

Not only did he score eight times in ten full 90-minute games last term, but his non-penalty expected goals of 0.75 per game as per FBref, was among the best 5% in the top flight.

He has the potential to explode if given a run of games by Farke. He could become a “revelation” in a Leeds shirt, a word football talent scout Jacek Kulig once used to describe him. £50m is a big investment, but it could be worth it if Leeds stay in the top flight.

A Chris Wood repeat: Euro club in talks to sign "dynamite" £13m Leeds star

This Leeds United attacker is in talks to move on from Elland Road this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 16, 2025

Viktor Gyokeres has been the name on the lips of Manchester United supporters over recent months, with the Sporting CP striker widely linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim previously worked with the forward during his time in Portugal, with such a scenario likely to have fuelled the rumours over a potential switch.

Talks have previously been held between the 27-year-old’s representatives and the United hierarchy, but no deal has yet to progress, with Arsenal also in the race for his signature.

Such a move is likely to create excitement within the fanbase, given his record of 54 goals scored in just 52 games across all competitions throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

However, with negotiations seemingly not heading any closer to completion, other targets will likely be considered ahead of next season, with numerous names emerging over recent weeks.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

United’s need for a new striker has become evident over the course of this season, with Amorim’s side only finding the net on 44 occasions in the league – an average of 1.15 goals per game.

Such a record is unacceptable, subsequently leading to links with the likes of Gyokeres and, in the last 24 hours, Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who is also on the radar of Liverpool and Chelsea.

However, it appears that Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has once again appeared as an option, according to Football Insider’s latest update.

It’s been claimed that the Red Devils have been in talks with Oliver Glasner’s side over a move for the Frenchman, who managed to find the back of the net on 17 occasions across all competitions.

The report also states that the hierarchy have been keeping a close eye on the 27-year-old’s progress at Selhurst Park, with a £40m price tag previously being mooted.

Why United’s £40m target would be better than Cunha

Over the last couple of days, United confirmed the signing of Brazilian international Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, forking out a fee in the region of £62.5m for his services.

The 26-year-old has made a huge impact in the Premier League in recent times, managing to register 15 goals and six assists in his 33 appearances in 2024/25 – undoubtedly the shining light of the West Midlands outfit.

Such a tally will massively bolster the options at Amorim’s disposal next season, hopefully looking to catapult the club back to the fringes of the Champions League places.

However, it remains unclear if he will feature as a striker or in one of the number 10 positions, opening the door to another attacking addition like Mateta or Gyokeres.

If the Frenchman is to move to the club this summer, it’s imperative that the manager drops the Brazilian into a deeper role and utilises Mateta at the top end of the pitch.

When comparing their respective figures, the current target has dominated the new United signing in the final third – showcasing why he’s better suited to the centre-forward position.

Mateta, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one analyst, may have registered fewer goals, but has a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – demonstrating his clinical edge in front of goal.

Games played

37

33

Goals scored

14

15

Shot-on-target accuracy

43%

40%

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.3

Take-on success

45%

44%

Aerials won

2.2

0.4

Aerial success rate

37%

31%

He’s also managed to complete more of the take-ons he’s attempted, having the ability to beat the opposition with the ball at his feet before firing at goal, something which he’s done countless times this season.

The Palace star has also been dominant in the air, winning over four times more aerials per 90, whilst also posting a higher success rate in such a department – handing the side the focal point they’ve craved.

Such a fee appears to be somewhat of a bargain, with his experience in the Premier League key to the club’s ambitions of returning to their former glory in the coming months.

The prospect of the striker starring alongside Cunha at Old Trafford is one for the fanbase to get excited about, with the pair able to work together to overturn what’s been a dismal period for the Red Devils.

Van Persie 2.0: Man Utd set to be offered "incredible" Gyokeres alternative

Manchester United could be about to make a move for a player who could follow in Robin van Persie’s footsteps.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 12, 2025

Birmingham City are now set to sign a “fantastic” £5,000-a-week Premier League player on loan, according to a new report.

Birmingham stepping up transfer plans in preparation for Championship season

As expected, the Blues walked the League One season with relative comfort and are now heading back to the Championship, where they will be hoping to continue their fine form and be a side competing in the top half of the table at the bare minimum.

To do just that, Chris Davies will want to improve areas of his team, and already the club have confirmed three arrivals in the shape of Phil Neumann, who was announced in January, and the permanent captures of loan stars Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Alfons Sampsted.

Birmingham could sign big £12m Anderson upgrade who's "incredible"

Birmingham could land an upgrade on Keshi Anderson by signing this attacker.

ByDan Emery Jun 4, 2025

It’s also been reported by Give Me Sport that Birmingham have submitted a contract offer to sign Kwame Poku on a free transfer from Peterborough United. Poku is wanted by several teams, and the Blues have made their intentions clear over a possible deal and hope it is enough to convince him to move to St Andrews.

As well as looking at Poku to improve their attacking options, the Blues are also interested in reuniting with Che Adams this summer. Birmingham are looking to tempt Adams into leaving Torino and moving back to England, where he has had some memorable moments during his career.

But the most surprising transfer story to come out of Birmingham is the fact that Tom Wagner and the Blues have held internal talks over signing Louie Barry from rivals Aston Villa. Barry may be allowed to leave the Villans on loan once again this summer, and Birmingham could be a surprise destination after seeing what he did during his time at Stockport County.

Birmingham now set to sign Beadle on loan from Brighton

While the Blues line up several attacking targets, they are also looking at ways of improving their spine, and according to TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Birmingham are closing in on the signing of James Beadle from Brighton.

Beadle, who has been with the Seagulls since January 2022, has spent the last few seasons on loan at various clubs throughout the EFL. The 20-year-old has spent the last 18 months at Sheffield Wednesday, where he’s played a key role in a damaged club remaining in the Championship.

During his time with the Owls, Beadle, who earns £5,000 a week at Brighton, really impressed manager Danny Rohl, who labelled the goalkeeper “fantastic”.

Appearances

57

Goals conceded

83

Clean sheets

17

Given Brighton are agreeing to loan Beadle to Birmingham in search of development, it is expected that the Englishman will be the Blues’ number one next season in the Championship.