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Chelsea have raised £239 million in player sales after Carney Chukwuemeka’s £24m move to Borussia Dortmund, but another could soon be following him.

Thanks to their plethora of exit deals, Enzo Maresca’s side possess an excellent summer net spend of just £3 million heading into deadline day, so they’re under no pressure from the Premier League’s PSR rules to balance their books.

However, due to their pact with UEFA, Chelsea still need to sell certain members of the squad.

They reached a settlement with the governing body last month after Chelsea breached FFP laws, and a condition of this pact is that they must produce a positive transfer balance by the end of the window.

Failure to do so will result in them being unable to register new signings for Maresca’s Champions League squad, and only players who were involved in their Conference League squad last season will count towards viable outgoings.

This is why the sales of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are viewed as crucial to Chelsea’s remaining transfer plans for the window.

BlueCo have been in talks over signing Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons for weeks, and reports now claim that Chelsea are also eyeing Barcelona star Fermin Lopez as an alternative to the latter.

A sell-to-buy policy appears very much in effect at Stamford Bridge, but a potentially imminent exit for Jackson could be on the cards to allow Maresca’s side to make room.

Bayern Munich are in negotiations over the Senegal international, valued at £80 million, who has also attracted rumoured interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Now, the player’s own agent has shared an intriguing update on his future.

Nicolas Jackson tipped to leave Chelsea within 24 hours

Speaking to Wiw Sports on Tuesday morning, Jackson’s representative, Diomansy Kramara, claimed that the striker is expected to leave Chelsea in the next 48 hours, so at the time of writing now, this is now 24 hours.

The former Villarreal star was a key member of Maresca’s first team last season, bagging 13 goals and six assists in all competitions, including a strike in the Conference League final.

However, the additions of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have pushed Jackson down the pecking order, and he’s not been involved in any of Chelsea’s opening Premier League games as Maresca confirms he can leave.

The team made gains on the bowling rankings as well with Kuldeep Yadav ranked third and Jadeja tenth

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2025After India’s unbeaten run through the Champions Trophy, several of their star performers have moved up the ICC’s ODI rankings. They make up four of the top-eight batters in the world with Shubman Gill still at No. 1. Rohit Sharma, Player of the Final for his match-winning 76, has moved up two places to No. 3, and Virat Kohli, with 218 runs in the tournament, is at No. 5. Shreyas Iyer has retained his No. 8 spot.The side’s third Champions Trophy title was set up by their spinners and two of them have made it to the top ten on the bowlers’ rankings. Kuldeep Yadav, who began his spell in the final with a wicket, is up at third place, and in tenth is Ravindra Jadeja, who had a miserly economy rate of 4.35 in the tournament.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

India’s next ODI assignment is away in Bangladesh in August, followed by ODIs in Australia in October-November. South Africa and New Zealand then tour India over December and January, and one question has been whether Rohit and Kohli continue playing the format with the 2027 ODI World Cup still quite far away.Ricky Ponting, though, believes Rohit certainly has some unfinished business in the ODI game. “I think probably the fact that they lost the last one [2023 World Cup in India] and he was captain, that might be the thing that’s playing on the back of his mind,” Ponting told . “Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup. I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn’t say that his time is up just yet.”Santner, Bracewell, Ravindra zoom upNew Zealand’s players made significant gains as well after their team’s run to the final of the Champions Trophy. Captain Mitchell Santner is ranked second on the ODI bowlers’ list, moving up six places on the back of several eye-catching performances. Santner finished with nine wickets in the tournament with an economy rate of 4.80.Santner is also fourth on the ODI allrounders’ rankings with Michael Bracewell, who made a fifty in the final and was New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy, in seventh place.The other standout New Zealand player, Rachin Ravindra, who was the highest-scorer of the competition, jumped 14 places to 14th on the ODI batters’ rankings and eight places up to eighth in the allrounders rankings.

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.

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England take series to decider after completing second-highest run-chase in the Caribbean

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Nov-2024 England 329 for 5 (Livingstone 124*, Salt 59, Bethell 55, Curran 52, Forde 3-48) beat West Indies 328 for 6 (Hope 117, Carty 71, Rutherford 54) by five wicketsIn the battle of captain’s centuries, there was one clear winner. Liam Livingstone’s devastating 124 not out from 85 balls trumped Shai Hope’s far more sedate 117 as England sealed victory in the second ODI by five wickets.That it was Livingstone’s maiden 50-over century is one thing. But leading an inexperienced group, the responsibility he assumed to see England home in a chase of 329 – and thus square the series at 1-1 – in such jaw-dropping fashion is worthy of the highest praise.The tourists looked up against it after Phil Salt’s 59 and Jacob Bethell’s 55 – his maiden international half-century – had beenthe only scores of note in the top four. But a watchful stand between Livingstone and Sam Curran (52) evolved into a match-twisting epic of 140 from just 107 balls.The acceleration at the end that brought victory with 15 balls to spare is showcased best in the breakdown of Livingstone’s approach into the final 10 overs, with 100 still to get. He headed into this period on 46 from 57, before striking 78 off his final 28 deliveries.Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie – 4 for 41 in the first ODI – was taken down for 14 and 16 at the start of the back straight to nurse his worst figures of 0 for 71. Jayden Seales was carted for 26 in an over, before debutant Shamar Joseph was thumped for 24. No one was safe. All in all, Livingstone thumped nine sixes among his 14 boundaries.Aside from a hacked edge from Livingstone on four that flew between Hope and a wide first slip, there was little Hope could do to turn back the tide. Earlier in the day, his 17th century had seemingly done the main graft to put West Indies at a commanding position at the halfway stage with 328 for 6, meaning England needed to complete the second-highest ODI run-chase in the Caribbean.Hope arrived at the start of the fourth over and batted through to the end of the 47th. There was vital support from Keacy Carty – whose 71 came in a third-wicket stand of 143 – and Sherfane Rutherford – his punchy 54 providing the majority of 79 for the fourth. Cameos from Shimron Hetmyer and Matthew Forde helped ransack 93 from the final 10 overs, even if Livingstone’s final flourish make that look well below par.Shai Hope made his 17th ODI century to propel West Indies to 328 for 6•Getty ImagesLivingstone’s decision to bowl after winning the toss was immediately vindicated by the removal of both West Indies openers in the first 19 deliveries. John Turner was responsible for both initial strikes for his first wickets in international cricket, the second of which was the prized wicket of Evin Lewis. The hero of the first ODI was snared down the leg side for just four following Thursday’s match-winning 94.But things unravelled, characterised by England’s use of nine bowlers for only the second time in ODIs. That they could have dismissed Hope on 60 also cut them deep.From 12 for 2, consolidation was the initial aim for Hope and Carty, who could have been removed on eight. An English squeeze involved three fielders at backward point, but Bethell – the middle of them – could only palm a skewed drive from Carty which would have given Turner a third dismissal.The pair made it out of the Powerplay on 41 for 2, a figure bumped up in the 10th over by Hope’s first boundary – a stunning back-foot launch over extra cover for six off Turner. A brace of straight drives off Saqib Mahmood – the only change to the XI from the first ODI, with Jamie Overton sitting out – and a second six, lofting Adil Rashid over cover, was then followed by some quiet rotation.Once satisfied the early losses had been offset, risks were taken to lift the run-rate. However, having cleared midwicket after Bethell dropped short to bring up his 42nd fifty-plus score, from 66 deliveries, it was a botched defensive push that should have brought his innings to an end on 60. A edge of Bethell bounced out of the hands of Salt behind the stumps.Carty was soon moving to his fourth ODI fifty from 62 deliveries. He was then given two lives when a top-edge took Turner over the boundary at deep fine leg, then the fielder dropped a far simpler chance off the very next ball. Both came as Archer nailed his short-ball plans.That miss would only cost three runs, as Rashid returned to bowl Carty through the gate at the start of the 31st. But that brought Rutherford to the crease, who ended up striking seven boundaries – three of them sixes – for a fifth half-century from just 35 deliveries.Though he was dismissed a ball later – caught at deep cover attempting to replicate the six over the same region that took him to fifty – Hetmyer’s breezy 24 off 11 kept the pressure on. He was also dropped on 2 by Will Jacks down at long-on.Related

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Once Hetmyer was dismissed, caught by Archer at gully off a Rashid googly, Hope pressed down on the accelerator. After leaning into a drive off his 118th delivery to move to 100, he smeared Rashid for a four and six to wide long-on as 13 was taken off the 36-year-old’s final over.Hell-bent on throwing his bat at everything sent his way, Hope misread a slower delivery from Archer that was well-taken by Livingstone charging in from long-off. Forde then picked up the baton for the final straight, striking three successive sixes off Mahmood in the final over to lift the hosts to 328 for 6.Though England shot themselves in the foot with four drops, they were also guilty of spurning opportunities to make immediate amends with the bat. Salt looked on his way to redemption, carrying the start of the innings on his back, shrugging off the loss of Jacks in the fifth over to contribute 36 of England’s first fifty runs.When Shamar Joseph, making his ODI debut with his namesake Alzarri rested, bounced out Jordan Cox for an agonising 4 off 19 deliveries, Bethell arrived to take England to 107 for 3 by the 20-over mark.Both were culpable for relinquishing control. Salt skied the first ball of Forde’s new spell at the start of the 21st for 59, then Bethell dumped Roston Chase into the hands of long-off after reaching a maiden international fifty.But the duo of Livingstone and Curran, players still with much to prove despite their experience, refused to panic. Curran initially took the reins as the aggressor, starting smartly with a six off Motie having noticed an extra fielder in the outfield meant the umpires would call it a no-ball. He contributed 31 of the initial 50 for the fifth wicket before Livingstone, after five overs without a boundary heading into the final 10, decided it was going to be all on him.The starter pistol was set with a charge off Motie down the ground to bring up Livingstone’s fifty from 60 deliveries, before he signed off the 41st over with a slog-sweep over deep midwicket off the very next delivery. Back-to-back sixes in Motie’s next over – the second bringing up the century stand from 92 – also found the grass banks.Pace was then put back on the ball, which played further into Livingstone’s favour. When Curran was dismissed a ball after the skipper had nudged his 77th ball down the ground to move to 100, Dan Mousley played his part to a tee – simply dabbing singles. The most important came at the start of the 48th over, giving Livingstone the strike for the honour of hitting the winning run.

Chelsea are now ready to offer Blues players as part of a swap deal for an “unbelievable” Premier League and England star, according to a report.

Blues set sights on another attacker

The Blues have already strengthened their forward options considerably this summer, with the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens sealing moves to Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca remains keen on adding another attacking midfielder to his ranks.

The west Londoners have ramped up their interest in a number of playmakers over the past few days, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers being identified as their top target, although there are two other exciting options on the shortlist.

Target

Current club

League G/A in 2024-25

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

19

Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig

17

Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace

16

Maresca’s squad is arguably already bloated, meaning it could make sense to offload some unwanted players in swap deals for new signings, and a new report has revealed the Club World Cup champions plan to do exactly that.

Indeed, according to a report from The Boot Room, Chelsea are ready to offer players as part of a swap deal for Aston Villa’s Rogers, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile among the potential options.

Villa have also expressed an interest in Nicolas Jackson, as Unai Emery is keen on reuniting with the former Villarreal man, so it may also make sense to use the 24-year-old as a makeweight in negotiations.

The Blues can arguably afford to get rid of Jackson, given that Delap and Pedro have arrived this summer, with the latter playing a major role in their Club World Cup triumph, scoring three goals throughout the tournament.

Should a swap deal not be possible, Chelsea may have to spend big to get a deal over the line, with Villa reportedly looking to receive over £90m.

"Unstoppable" Rogers could be statement signing for Chelsea

The west Londoners should be in a strong financial position after winning the Club World Cup, having raked in around £85m, meaning they may be able to afford to make another statement signing this summer.

The Villa star would be exactly that, having performed remarkably well across the 2024-25 campaign, proving himself in his debut season in the Champions League by collecting four goals and three assists in 12 outings.

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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has also been left impressed by the 22-year-old England international, describing him as “unstoppable”, and given the attacking midfielder’s age, he still has plenty of time to develop further.

Rogers could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, and it would be an added bonus if they were able to get Jackson off the books as part of the deal, given that Pedro has already proven he is capable of leading the line next season.

Leeds United have welcomed Sean Longstaff to Elland Road as their latest arrival of the summer transfer window, after they officially announced a deal for the midfielder on Friday night.

Fabrizio Romano reported that the Whites have paid a fee in excess of £12m to Newcastle United to bring the experienced midfield star to West Yorkshire ahead of next season.

The Magpies academy graduate may not be the only central midfielder to come through Thorp Arch this summer, though, as Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach has also been linked with a move to the club.

Leeds have reportedly held talks with the Bundesliga club and agreed personal terms with the players, but they are yet to agree a fee for his services.

Leeds enquired about LaLiga star

Whilst they appear to be heavily pursuing a deal for Stach, the Championship champions also have other options on their shortlist of targets to bolster their options in midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

According to The Athletic, Leeds United made contact with Getafe over a potential deal for versatile star Christantus Uche several weeks ago this summer.

The report claims that the Whites enquired about his situation and did not opt to make an official offer for his services, although it remains to be seen if they are planning to submit a bid for him later in the window.

It adds that the 22-year-old talent has a release clause of around £22m (£21.6m) in his contract with the Spanish side, which means that Leeds could trigger that to land him.

The Athletic also reveals that the Nigeria international, who made his debut for his country in May, is open to the idea of joining a Premier League club.

Leeds could find their own Joelinton

Daniel Farke could unearth his own version of Joelinton by signing Uche and moulding him into a midfield destroyer to bolster his team ahead of next season.

The Brazil international joined Newcastle United as a striker for a reported fee of £40m from Hoffenheim in 2019 under Steve Bruce, before Eddie Howe spotted his potential to be a central midfielder.

Since making the transition, Joelinton has emerged as one of the Premier League’s top midfield destroyers, making 2.8 tackles and interceptions and winning 5.7 duels per game in the division last term.

Uche has started more games as a striker (18) in his career than any other position, but has also started 15 times as a defensive midfielder in the past, and U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that he could be turned into a “midfield monster”.

Tackles won

0.76

Top 11%

Duels won

8.13

Top 13%

Aerial duels won

3.31

Top 28%

Interceptions

0.36

Top 25%

Ball recoveries

3.96

Top 8%

Possession won in the final third

0.90

Top 11%

Fouls committed

1.98

Top 29%

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old star thrived out of possession in LaLiga for Getafe last season, ranking highly among forwards in a host of defensive metrics, notably winning duels and recovering the ball off the opposition to regain possession for his side.

Meanwhile, the Leeds target only scored four goals in 33 appearances, along with six assists, which does not suggest that his future lies as a prolific centre-forward option, just like when Joelinton scored two goals in 38 Premier League games in his first season at Newcastle as a striker.

Therefore, Farke could be the coach to help Uche follow in Joelinton’s footsteps by transitioning from a low-scoring, defensively savvy, centre-forward into a ‘midfield monster’, as Antonio Mango put it.

The Getafe attacker has played in midfield before, as aforementioned, and has the strong physical and defensive attributes to suit playing as an enforcer in front of the back four, which is why this is a move that could be a very interesting one for Leeds to make.

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It may now be down to Leeds to decide whether they want to go through with a swoop for Stach or if they want to activate Uche’s release clause, so there could be an intriguing few weeks to follow.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be desperate to ensure that his decision to sack Ange Postecoglou won’t come back to bite him, and he’s apparently prepared to back new manager Thomas Frank so he can give the Australian’s replacement the best-possible chance of success.

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Postecoglou ended the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy by guiding them to an historic Europa League final victory over Man United last month, a result which also gifted them a spot in the Champions League next season, but Spurs’ torrid 2024/2025 domestic form meant that Levy was forced into the tough call of letting him go.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank is now tasked with re-settling the dressing room whilst helping Spurs to kick on from their memorable night in Bilbao, and the Dane has already paid homage to his predecessor’s work at N17.

“I think Ange has done something special. He’ll forever be a legend in Tottenham,” Frank said in his first interview as Tottenham boss.

“It’s important to understand we all stand on the shoulders of others. I’m going in on the foundation Ange built, and his coaching staff, and I’m very humble about that. I’ll do my very best to continue the great work he put in.

“The feeling, the excitement, the joy and the happiness in the fans’ faces, the pictures were ‘wow’. Hopefully, we can create more of those moments. That will be the ultimate dream: to do that and build on that.”

The 51-year-old is reportedly keen to upgrade his new ranks by signing a proven wide-attacking player, especially considering Son Heung-min may have already played his last competitive game for Tottenham amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Many high-profile Premier League names have been linked already, but chief among them is Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The England international guided Palace to their first ever major trophy last season, bagging the winner in a 1-0 victory over Man City in the FA Cup final, adding to his impressive tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze has been a star player at Selhurst Park ever since his move there from QPR, and Eagles chairman Steve Parish was left “astounded” by the lack of interest in him last summer.

Tottenham ready to pay £68 million for Eberechi Eze

The £100,000-per-week forward, who can play both as a CAM and out wide, has certainly got admirers this time round, and Spurs are one of the chief contenders for his signature.

Reports have suggested that Frank has personally recommended Eze as a target for Tottenham, with TEAMtalk now sharing an update on the situation amid rumours that the player would also be keen on a north London move.

The outlet states that Tottenham are ready to meet the price required to sign Eze, his £68 million release clause, and the ex-Arsenal academy man is “enthusiastic” about swapping south London for a place in Frank’s side.

Frank also apparently believes that Eze would be a stellar addition for the Lilywhites, and one capable of thriving both on the wing and as a complement to James Maddison in the centre of attacking midfield.

Palace are also open to receiving Eze’s final fee in installments, even if they’d want an upfront payment of £45 million, something which Tottenham are prepared to offer as well.

This could be one to watch in the coming days/weeks, as Spurs want to act “swiftly” and provide Frank with fresh additions ahead of a crucial campaign.

Chelsea are now in “ongoing” negotiations over a deal to sign an “incredible” striker, with a meeting taking place “in recent days”, according to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins.

Blues looking to bolster squad before Club World Cup

The initial summer transfer window is set to close on June 10th ahead of the Club World Cup, before reopening on June 16th, and the Blues are looking to get a number of deals over the line before the first deadline.

Jamie Gittens has emerged as a major target since it was confirmed Jadon Sancho will not be making a permanent move to west London, while there have long been doubts over the goalkeeper options, with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen being used interchangeably last season.

The interest in Hugo Ekitike is a little stranger, given that Enzo Maresca has already added Liam Delap to his squad this summer, but the manager may feel he needs a more experienced option at centre-forward, with the former Ipswich Town man yet to prove himself at the top level.

There has now been a new update on Chelsea’s Hugo Ekitike pursuit, with Hawkins taking to X to reveal they are in “ongoing” negotiations over a deal for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, having held a meeting with his camp “in recent days”.

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The Blues are still considering a move for the forward, with contact yet to be broken off, despite talks not progressing, but a deal will not be cheap, with Frankfurt currently unwilling to compromise on their asking price of €100m (£84m).

Ekitike could be "incredible" signing for Chelsea

While the 22-year-old is the same age as Delap, he has more experience than the Englishman, having regularly provided goals and assists for Reims, Paris Saint-Germain and Frankfurt across spells in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Bundesliga

47

19

10

Ligue 1

52

13

8

Teammate Rasmus Kristensen has also been left impressed by the Frenchman, lauding him as “incredible” back in January, so it is little wonder that Chelsea are keen to take him to Stamford Bridge, although there are doubts over whether he is worth £84m.

With the Frankfurt star contracted until 2029, the German club are in a strong negotiating position, but the Reims-born striker is yet to prove himself in the Champions League, while a return of 15 goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season isn’t out of this world.

As such, while Ekitike could go on to be a top striker, the £84m asking price is a little steep, so the Blues should continue to try and negotiate a lower fee.

Leeds United have already secured promotion back to the Premier League and the next step for them will be how they plan to avoid an instant relegation.

The Whites can hit 100 points in the Championship with a win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, having beaten Bristol City 4-0 at Elland Road on Monday, but then all focus will be on how the club can build a team for the top-flight.

Daniel Farke will have some incredibly difficult decisions to make, and one player whom he will have to make a quick decision on is Sam Byram, whose contract at Elland Road is up this summer.

What the English defender will not want to hear at this moment, though, is that Leeds are reportedly interested in signing a new player in his position.

Leeds eyeing move for new right-back

According to a claim from Turkish reporter, as relayed by LeedsUnitedNews, Leeds are one of a number of clubs who want to sign Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons in the summer transfer window.

The journalist claims that the Whites will attempt to swoop for the former England U21 international in a loan deal when he returns from his loan spell at Valencia ahead of next season.

Marseille, Lille, and Sheffield United are also said to be keen on the English right-back, however, which means that there could be plenty of competition for his services.

Transfer Focus

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

Leeds could have a unique advantage in the race, though, because Farke is the manager who gave Aarons his first-team debut and won two Championship titles with him during their time together at Norwich City.

Why this is bad news for Sam Byram

The news that the West Yorkshire outfit are interested in signing another right-back this summer will come as bad news to Sam Byram, who has started just 15 league matches this term, and any hope he has of penning a new contract at the club.

Leeds already have Jayden Bogle as the first-choice right-back at Elland Road and bringing in another player in that position could mean that there is no place for the veteran Englishman in the squad at Premier League level, with Aarons competing with Bogle for a starting berth.

Whilst it remains to be seen what the club’s decision will be in regards to Byram’s future, this latest news does not suggest that they are planning to give him an extension to be a key first-team player next season.

Starts

41

45

Goals

2

2

Assists

6

2

Clean sheets

11

17

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

1.6

Duel success rate

58%

53%

As you can see in the table above, Aarons provided defensive strength and offensive quality during Farke’s two title-winning seasons at Carrow Road.

The German head coach, as shown in the clip above, described him as “outstanding”, which shows how highly he rates the £34k-per-week full-back.

Aarons, whose most recent appearance came in a 2-1 win for Valencia over Real Madrid, has only started 14 Premier League matches since the start of last season for Bournemouth, and Farke could provide him with a chance to revive his top-flight career.

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Leeds would then have healthy competition between him and Bogle for the right-back spot, whilst it could mean that Byram’s time at Elland Road comes to an end this summer.

They are still in the Champions League, but we reckon most Arsenal fans just want this season to end.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been hit with injury after injury this year and look more than likely to end the campaign without any silverware for the fourth time in a row.

The good news is that new Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, is now through the door, and the transfer window is just a couple of months away.

One of the names heavily touted for a move to the Emirates has been Spanish superstar Nico Williams. While he’d be an exciting addition, reports suggest Berta is now gunning for someone even more dangerous, someone compared to Dennis Bergkamp.

Arsenal's transfer targets

Ahead of the club’s game against Fulham on Tuesday night, Arteta told the media that the club’s transfer window is “going to be a big one” this summer, and if the reports we have seen so far are anything to go by, that certainly seems to be the case.

As mentioned above, Williams seems to be a key target for the club, and, as he has a £48m release clause in his contract, one that doesn’t seem all that unrealistic.

Moreover, with Copa del Rey and European Championship medals already in his collection at just 22 years old, he might bring that cutting edge that the North Londoners have seemingly lacked at points over the last few years.

However, Berta and Co may now be considering another attacking option much closer to home this summer: Matheus Cunha.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur are incredibly keen on signing the Wolverhampton Wanderers star in the coming months.

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However, the report has revealed that the Gunners are leading the chase for the player’s services ‘due to Berta’s links’ with him from their time together at Atlético Madrid.

The Brazilian’s current contract includes a release clause worth €75m, which is about £62.5m, although there is a chance that they could accept a lower amount.

It will be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line, but considering Cunha is outscoring Williams this season and has been compared to Bergkamp, it’s one worth pursuing.

How Cunha compares to Williams

Okay, so before the pitchforks come out, it is true that Cunha tends to play more down the middle while Williams is an out-and-out left-winger, but across his career, the Brazilian has spent a good amount of time out wide as well.

In fact, he’s an incredibly versatile player, having made 145 appearances up top, 47 across both wings, 29 in attacking midfield, 22 as a second striker, and even one in right midfield.

Centre-Forward

145

32

24

Attacking Midfield

29

15

6

Left Winger

27

11

5

Second Striker

22

7

4

Right Winger

20

3

2

Right Midfield

1

0

0

This ability to thrive in multiple attacking roles is reminiscent of Bergkamp, who played as a nine, ten, and a second striker at times. However, that isn’t the only characteristic he shares with the Flying Dutchman, at least not according to former Wales captain Ashley Williams.

Speaking on Match of the Day following a particularly impressive performance against Fulham last year, the pundit described the Wolves ace as “Bergkamp-esque” for the way he controlled a long ball and poked it into the net for an exquisite goal.

With all that said, how does the former Atlético ace compare to Williams this season?

Well, from a pure output perspective, which is what ultimately matters most for an attacking player, it’s a comfortable win for the Old Gold’s talisman.

Appearances

29

38

Minutes

2376′

2689′

Goals

15

9

Assists

4

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.42

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.05′

168.06′

For example, in just 29 appearances, totalling 2376 minutes, he’s scored 15 goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games or every 125.05 minutes.

In contrast, the Spanish ace has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2689 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games or every 168.06 minutes.

Ultimately, if Arsenal can only get one of these two players this summer, and goals are what they are after, then it makes more sense to sign Cunha – the comparisons to Bergkamp certainly help as well.

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