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Harry Kane has been informed of the “obvious choice” he should make in the summer of 2026 if exit doors do swing open at Bayern Munich. The former Tottenham striker has seen a return to the Premier League speculated on. There is said to be a clause in his contract that could be triggered in 2026, with leading sides in England keeping a close eye on his situation.

GettyKane lifted trophy curse with Bayern

Kane, who is the all-time leading goalscorer for Spurs and the Three Lions, has been in Germany since 2023. He opted to step out of his comfort zone at that point and take on a new challenge. A move to the Allianz Arena was made with the intention of lifting a much-publicised trophy curse. Kane was able to achieve that when becoming a Bundesliga title winner in 2024-25.

He has gone on to savour Supercup success with Bayern and maintained remarkable individual standards. His stunning strike rate in Bavaria, which includes several hat-tricks, currently stands at 98 goals through 103 appearances in all competitions. He has won the Bundesliga Golden Boot in both of his seasons in the German top-flight and is already up to 13 efforts this term – with praise raining down on the prolific 32-year-old.

AdvertisementPremier League return: What next for Kane?

Bayern are understandably reluctant to part with their fearsome No.9 and have him tied to a deal through to 2027. There are said to be exit clauses in that contract, though, which mean Kane may be on the move again after captaining England at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham can see his fellow frontman heading home and trying to chase down Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goals record. Sheringham told : “It’ll be interesting if Harry Kane returns to England. Football can change very quickly, so to say where he could go next at the season is anyone’s guess. Despite his age, he’d still be one of the most sought-after players in world football if he was to become available.

“The way it’s looking for Manchester United, they still could do with a player like him, but I think it’s unlikely that they would get him. For me, Tottenham would be the obvious choice. I couldn’t see why the club wouldn’t want him back if that became a possibility and I’m sure the Spurs supporters would welcome him back with open arms.”

Getty Images SportWhat does success look like for Frank at Spurs?

Spurs included an option in Kane’s sale to Bayern that allows them to match any bid for the England skipper. They may decide to make a move as Thomas Frank could do with a proven goalscorer to lead the line in north London.

Sheringham added on the progress being made at Tottenham since replacing Europa League-winning coach Ange Postecoglou with Danish tactician Frank: “Thomas Frank has been very good at Tottenham so far; he’s had a great start in the dugout. They’re third in the league after five games and on the board in the Champions League which is an encouraging start. I like his style of play and tactics, it’s good to watch and they’re winning games. Hopefully, they can keep that level of form up and go far in competitions this season.

“They look a lot more solid defensively, which needed improving on last season. The new signings look to be gelling well with the squad, and they’ve got better depth this time around which should stand them in better stead this time.

“That said, we will have to wait and see if it’s any better than Ange Postecoglou winning a trophy. Many criticised the way that he set his teams up, but he was the only manager that finally delivered a trophy in the end, so I think we need to see Thomas Frank do the same thing.”

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Next up: Tottenham & Bayern fixtures

Spurs, who saw off Doncaster last time out to keep themselves in contention for Carabao Cup honours, will be back in Premier League action on Saturday when playing host to Wolves. Kane, meanwhile, will be looking to help Bayern maintain their perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign when they face Werder Bremen on Friday.

Tottenham Hotspur have held a fresh round of talks over a deal for a “brilliant” star, and they are now ready to submit a huge bid, with chiefs “hoping for a twist” as we enter the final week of the transfer window.

Tottenham pushing to sign forward before transfer deadline

Thomas Frank has made a fantastic start to life as Tottenham boss, winning his opening two Premier League games, and the most recent victory was undoubtedly the most impressive, with his side extending their fantastic record against Manchester City.

Spurs ran out 2-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium, with Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha getting on the scoresheet, while Richarlison grabbed an assist, with the Brazilian following up a brilliant performance against Burnley on the opening day, during which he bagged a brace.

The Lilywhites’ attacking quality has been on full display in their first two matches, but they are evidently a little light on options, given that Wilson Odobert, who the north Londoners are willing to sell, has featured in both Premier League games thus far.

As such, it is vital that Daniel Levy brings in another winger before the rapidly approaching deadline, and according to a report from TEAMtalk, a huge bid for Man City’s Savinho is now ready, with Tottenham prepared to pay over £69.2m for the Brazilian.

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Spurs have held a fresh round of talks over a deal for the winger, but City have been reluctant to sanction a departure, which means many club chiefs now believe that a deal will not be possible.

However, according to reporter Rudy Galetti on X, the north Londoners are still attentive to the situation, and are “hoping for a late twist”.

Savinho could be "brilliant" signing for Tottenham

A fee of over £69m would be a huge outlay for the Brazil international, but he could kick on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he would be more likely to receive more game time, given the lack of depth at Frank’s disposal.

The starlet made a fantastic start to life in the Premier League last season, picking up 11 goal contributions in 29 outings, and Pep Guardiola described the City forward as “brilliant” back in May.

Savinho still needs to improve some aspects of his game, with Guardiola admitting the youngster struggles in “final positions”, which is evidenced by the fact he scored just one Premier League goal last season, but the City ace clearly has a lot of potential.

Newcastle United frustratingly drew blanks across the entire 90 minutes away at Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day.

The obvious question on everyone’s minds post-match was whether the Magpies would have been so wasteful if Alexander Isak were leading the line, but the superstar Swede was notably absent, as he remains insistent on a summer switch away from St James’ Park.

With the ex-Real Sociedad striker seemingly set on leaving, Eddie Howe and Co. will be desperate to land a striker in a similar vein to their potent number 14 before the transfer window slams shut, with plenty of targets popping on the Toon shortlist.

Newcastle given encouragement over striker deal

It’s not exactly been a closely guarded secret this summer that the Magpies are in the market for an explosive, new centre-forward.

They could finally be about to land long-term target Yoane Wissa, with the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope recently revealing that a deal could be wrapped up by next week for the 28-year-old to leave Brentford behind for pastures new on Tyneside.

While his 19 goals last season would make him a suitable Isak replacement, he isn’t the only clinical attacker on Newcastle’s shopping list.

Indeed, Hope has also revealed that the Isak-less Toon have been handed some “encouragement” over securing the services of Paris St. Germain hotshot Goncalo Ramos, who has also been reportedly looked at by the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa this window.

Transfer Focus

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

Hope said: “Goncalo Ramos, the PSG striker, is back on the agenda. He was and then he wasn’t, I was told last week that it’s not happening. Then I was told yesterday [Friday] that actually there’s a chance it might, Newcastle have been given some encouragement there.

“But again, I think that would be a really hard one to do. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one for want of a better phrase. But they are looking, he is an option absolutely. I’ve had that confirmed, that’s why I put the story out there last night.”

How Ramos possesses shades of Ekitike

It’s still some way off from being near completion, but landing the Portuguese attacker could see the Magpies win a striker who possesses shades of Hugo Ekitike’s clinical game.

Amazingly, Ekitike was yet another striker Howe and Co. missed out on this summer, as Arne Slot’s Reds ultimately won his signature over picking up Ramos.

The Magpies must be forlorn that the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker decided to uproot to Anfield over St James’ Park, considering he already has two goals next to his name for the reigning top-flight champions, which included a fierce strike getting Liverpool up and running on the entertaining opening night of the campaign.

Any lingering disappointment surrounding the Frenchman choosing the luxuries of Liverpool over Newcastle would soon be forgotten about, however, if Ramos were to make the switch to Howe’s men, with the 24-year-old a recognised goalscoring menace in Europe, much like Ekitike was before Merseyside came calling.

Already, Tottenham Hotspur are aware of his red-hot instincts in front of goal, with Ramos only needing 14 minutes of action against Thomas Frank’s Spurs in the Super Cup final before delivering this sucker punch of a header to level proceedings at 2-2.

This has been a tale of his entire stay in Paris to date, with only 28 Ligue 1 starts coming his way across his last two seasons in the French capital.

However, that hasn’t stopped him from going on to bag a mightily impressive 21 league goals across those limited opportunities.

Coincidentally, Ekitike also struggled for gametime during his own up-and-down stay at the Parc Des Princes, but slipped up in the goalscoring department with only four strikes registered.

Games played

248

153

Goals scored

102

52

Assists

29

26

Trophies

10

3

Top goalscorer accolades

3

0

The brand new £79m Reds signing, of course, fought back from this underwhelming stint in Paris, with a promising return of 26 goals from 64 games for Frankfurt winning him the lavish move.

However, when assessing the table above, the “outrageous” 24-year-old – as he’s been lauded previously by scout Jacek Kulig for his unerring accuracy in front of goal – has actually had a far more glittering career path than his Anfield counterpart, with 50 more career strikes next to his name.

Therefore, the former Benfica marksman will be loving the prospect of having his own moment in the Premier League spotlight with Newcastle, as he potentially goes head-to-head with Ekitike in the demanding division.

Once hailed by Bruno Fernandes as having “all the qualities to play in the Premier League”, the proof will soon be in the pudding if Ramos does make the move, as Newcastle’s hunt for a fresh striker looks to go the distance.

Better than Ramos: Newcastle set to see bid accepted for "outstanding" CF

Newcastle United are closing in on a deal to sign a Premier League forward to bolster their squad.

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Leeds United have seemingly made it a priority to improve their defensive options in the first phase of the summer transfer window ahead of their return to the Premier League.

The Championship champions only conceded 30 goals in their 46 matches in the second tier last season, but that has not stopped them from wanting to improve their backline.

Daniel Farke has swooped to bring in Jaka Bijol from Udinese and Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg to add to his centre-back options, with Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Ethan Ampadu already in the building.

The German head coach has also moved quickly to replace Junior Firpo, who officially left the club at the start of this month, by signing Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille.

Leeds have reportedly paid a fee of £10m to sign the Sweden international from the Ligue 1 outfit, and he is now in place well ahead of the season opener against Everton at Elland Road.

What Gabriel Gudmundsson could bring to Leeds

One of the main reasons why this appears to be such a sensible signing for Leeds is Gudmundsson’s readiness to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

At the age of 26, the Swedish star is in the prime years of his career and is not a young player with a lot to learn, or a veteran who is past his best and struggling physically.

He also has 103 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille and 15 caps for Sweden, which means that he is experienced at the top level and knows what it takes to play in a major European league, and for his country against the best of the best.

This suggests that Gudmundsson has the experience and quality to slot straight into the team as Firpo’s replacement for the Premier League season.

However, despite scoring two goals in Ligue 1 last term, the £10m-rated full-back may not offer much to the team as a creative threat down the left flank for Farke.

Appearances

30

Starts

20

xG

0.73

Goals

2

Big chances created

1

xA

1.97

Key passes per game

0.5

Assists

0

Dribble success rate

44%

As you can see in the table above, Gudmundsson did not offer a big threat at the top end of the pitch from a left-back position for Lille in the French top-flight, with one chance created every other game on average and zero assists in 30 games.

The solid full-back, who won 54% of his duels in the division, is not a Firpo like-for-like who is going to replicate the four goals and ten assists that the former Barcelona man delivered in the Championship last season.

That may be why Leeds are also reportedly interested in another left-sided option who could be a dream for Gudmundsson in the team next term.

Leeds in the race for versatile left-footed star

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs in the race to sign Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer.

The reporter claims that Serie A side Atalanta are weighing up a move for the Senegal international, who would take up the last non-EU slot that they have available in their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

Longari adds that Premier League teams West Ham United and Leeds are also in the race, as they have been keeping tabs on the left-footed star for some time.

It has previously been reported that Slavia Prague are looking for a final fee that is close to £22m (£21.6m) in order to allow the 20-year-old talent to move away from Czechia before the summer transfer window slams shut.

However, it now remains to be seen whether Atalanta, West Ham, or Leeds are prepared to spend that kind of money to snap him up in the coming weeks.

Why Diouf would be a dream for Gudmundsson at Leeds

If the Championship champions are able to win the race for Diouf’s signature this summer, the 20-year-old talent would be a dream signing for Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

The Senegal international has played as a left-back, a left wing-back, and as a left winger in his short career to date, which shows that he can operate in pretty much any role down the left flank.

This suggests that Farke could deploy him ahead of Gudmundsson as a winger, in order to provide the attacking quality that the Swedish ace lacks, but without weakening the defensive structure of the team.

Diouf could operate as a back-up left-back to the Sweden international as well, given that it is his natural position for his national team, but his attacking output for Slavia Prague last season suggests that he could have a lot to offer in front of the former Lille man.

The £22m-rated star, as shown in the post above, ranked highly among his positional peers outside the seven major leagues in a host of key attacking metrics.

Appearances

27

8

Goals

7

0

Big chances missed

3

1

Big chances created

10

3

Key passes per game

1.3

1.6

Assists

2

1

Completed dribbles per game

0.9

1.3

As you can see in the table above, Diouf provided outstanding quality at the top end of the pitch, largely from a wing-back role, with seven goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in 35 appearances in the Chance Liga and the Europa League combined.

The Senegalese star, who analyst Rohit Kumaran hailed as “physically dominant”, is a forward-thinking full-back who wants to get into the final third to score goals and create chances for his team, as shown by his impressive statistics in those departments.

That is why Diouf could come in as the perfect foil for Gudmundsson on the left flank for the Whites, because Farke would then have a solid and experienced defensive left-back and an attack-minded, yet defensively and physically capable, left midfielder in his starting XI.

Their respective qualities could complement each other well and help Leeds in their bid to avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League next term.

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca remains keen to upgrade his attacking options, despite having already signed Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.

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That is according to recent reports, specifically from Stamford Bridge journalist Simon Phillips, who states that signing new forwards is still a top priority for Maresca after his side’s struggles against the low block throughout 2024/2025.

“Chelsea are going about their transfer business to have a strong end to the window and make sure they are fully equipped to capitalise on this success and go into the new Premier League season,” wrote Phillips on his Substack earlier this week.

“Enzo Maresca has prioritised the attack as his point of improvements, and they want to have deep cover and quality in all areas of the attack to make sure they can break down low blocks – something they all collectively saw as one of the biggest problems they faced last season and will continue to face in the Premier League into next season.”

More player sales will be key to this, however, with UEFA putting pressure on Chelsea to sell squad members and balance out the team, or face not being able to register new signings for the Champions League next season (Kaveh Solhekol).

Having just won the Club World Cup, granting Chelsea a seismic £87.5 million financial windfall, they’ve also sold Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli and Djordje Petrovic for a combined rumoured fee of around £96 million – which will be closer to £100 million when taking into account Mathis Amougou’s move to Strasbourg.

The cost of that transfer was undisclosed, but factoring in their near-£187.5 million cash boost, Chelsea have actually made a profit so far this summer – so there is still money left to spend whilst comfortably avoiding the PSR threshold.

Chelsea are also looking at ‘unofficial swap deals’ as a means to balance out their squad and land key transfer targets (Simon Phillips), with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze chief among the options on their shortlist.

Chelsea given free run at signing Eberechi Eze after Arsenal decision

Earlier this week, it was reported that Chelsea held fresh talks with Eze’s representatives, and TEAMtalk now claim that the Blues could have a free-run at signing the England international, who has a £68 million release clause in his contract.

TT back up suggestions that Chelsea are talking to the 27-year-old’s camp, and what’s more, it is believed that Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in Eze.

Tottenham pulled away in recent weeks too, so Chelsea could now have a free run at signing Eze this summer, and they’re prepared to offer him a “lucrative contract” to tempt the attacker across London to Stamford Bridge.

Eze bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, including the game-winning FA Cup final strike against Man City to hand Palace their first ever major trophy.

“Everyone who loves football should enjoy seeing Eze on the pitch,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva in 2024.

“He is a top, top young player and has so much quality with everything he does on the pitch.”

The Premier League fixtures were announced this week and Liverpool will kick start their reign as champions by welcoming Bournemouth on Friday August 15, but who will make their starting XI?

The Reds face the Cherries, a trip to Newcastle and a home clash with Arsenal in their first few fixtures, and have already been very busy in the transfer market in preparation for the new season.

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Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are expected to follow Jeremie Frimpong through the Anfield door, so Arne Slot’s side could have a totally new look to it come August, as the club’s leadership opt to attack from a position of strength this summer.

But with plenty of new faces and the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and possibly Andy Robertson departing, what will the manager’s first team of the season look like? We’ve asked Grok, the AI tool on X, to find out, as it set the Reds up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

AI predicts Liverpool's starting XI vs Bournemouth Defence: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez

There are few surprises in the prediction for Liverpool’s defensive set-up, with all signs pointing towards Kerkez being the next new face through the door.

An international teammate of Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian star’s father all but confirmed the move this week, and Bournemouth have already signed his replacement in the shape of Adrien Truffert.

On the other side, Konate is flanked by Frimpong, who’s incredible goal threat from a wide position should go some way to filling the void left by Alexander-Arnold – the flying Dutchman registered five goals and five assists in 33 Bundesliga games last season.

Defensive midfield: Gravenberch, Mac Allister

Again we see the beauty of building off the back of a stunning title-winning season, as there is plenty of consistency through the spine of Liverpool’s predicted set-up.

Ryan Gravenberch was crowned the top flight’s young player of the season last term, starting 37 of his side’s 38 league matches, and will look to continue his development alongside World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.

Attacking midfield: Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo

If fans were worried about the creativity lost by their vice-captain’s departure, then the arrival of Wirtz to slot in alongside Salah should ease those concerns. The Germany international and the Egyptian King were the only two players across Europe’s big five leagues to score ten or more goals and assist ten or more goals across the last two seasons.

League Stats 2024/25

Mohamed Salah

Florian Wirtz

Goals

29

10

Assists

18

12

Shot-creating actions

169

148

Successful take-ons

58

82

Crosses

79

101

On the left the nod goes to Gakpo, perhaps lending credence to the idea that Luis Diaz will depart the club amid links to Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League.

Striker: Alexander Isak

With Darwin Nunez expected to leave Merseyside this summer and join a club in Serie A, there is plenty of speculation about who takes the number nine role under Slot, and Grok predicts it will be Newcastle superstar Alexander Isak.

The 25 year-old is thought to hold a price tag of £150m with his current employers, which would smash the top flight record and Liverpool’s own top signing, which will soon be Wirtz at £116m.

Could anyone stop Liverpool’s newfound domestic dominance if they added Isak to their already illustrious attacking options?

Arne Slot became the first manager in Liverpool’s history to win the Premier League in his first season at Anfield since the inception of the division in 1992.

There were concerns about what life would look like after Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the Reds at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, having been at the club for nine years.

Slot came in to replace a legend and had huge shoes to fill, arriving from Feyenoord last summer, and was not heavily backed in the summer transfer window.

Federico Chiesa was the only signing of the summer, joining on a permanent deal from Juventus, and the forward only made six appearances in the Premier League.

Slot, instead, won the division with the same players that he inherited, given Chiesa’s lack of involvement, which speaks to the quality of the recruitment work done in recent years.

You could pick so many members of the squad as examples of excellent recruitment by Liverpool, but Alexis Mac Allister stands out as a particularly impressive deal.

Why Liverpool struck gold with Alexis Mac Allister

The Reds swooped in to sign the World Cup winner from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £35m, which could rise to £55m in total, in what has turned out to be a bargain deal.

In that same summer, Chelsea spent £115m to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Arsenal splashed the cash to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United for £105m, which illustrates how expensive it can be to land top talent from other Premier League teams.

This shows how much of a bargain Liverpool got with their deal for Mac Allister because they did not have to pay over the odds for him, spending less than half as much as Chelsea and Arsenal did on their midfield signings with the initial fee of £35m.

The Reds have hit the jackpot with the Argentina international because he has proven to be well worth the money, playing 35 times out of 38 matches in the Premier League this season to help the team to the title.

Appearances

35

Goals

5

Big chances created

6

Assists

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

Ball recoveries per game

4.2

As you can see in the table above, the former Brighton star delivered quality in and out of possession throughout the campaign, scoring and assisting goals whilst also being reliable defensively.

Mac Allister ended the season with a squad-leading 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League, which proves how effective he was at winning the ball back to regain possession for his side, whilst cutting out opposition attacks.

Liverpool could, now, repeat their Mac Allister masterclass, as they are reportedly interested in another bargain deal from a Premier League rival.

Liverpool eyeing move for Brighton star

According to a report in Spain, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs that are eyeing up a potential swoop for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh in the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business on Sunday.

The report claims that the Premier League champions have set their sights on a deal for the Gambia international, but they are facing competition from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for the attacker.

Transfer Focus

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

It reveals that all three clubs are monitoring the 20-year-old forward, previously of Newcastle United, as a possible signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The outlet adds that the left-footed dynamo, who typically plays on the right flank, is valued at around £35m by Brighton, which is the same fee that Liverpool paid them for Mac Allister.

With this in mind, Minteh could arrive at Anfield this summer to bolster Slot’s squad in a deal that could be very similar to the one that brought the Argentine star to Merseyside.

Why Yankuba Minteh could be Alexis Mac Allister 2.0

Of course, the two players play in different positions, one in midfield and one on the wing, but there are also a lot of similarities in the sense that they would both have been signed from Brighton and both signed for a bargain £35m fee.

As aforementioned, it can be incredibly expensive to shop in the Premier League market because teams do not want to strengthen their rivals, which is why a £35m fee for Minteh could be a big bargain for Liverpool if they were able to get a deal over the line in the coming months.

At the age of 20, though, he may not be a signing to instantly become a starter like Mac Allister was, and the youngster could be more of a signing with the long term in mind, whilst also being able to make an impact immediately as a squad option.

That being said, Minteh has delivered some exciting performances, including the one against Chelsea in the clip above, in the Premier League this season, and shown signs of being a top player at that level.

The left-footed star, who was described as “extremely dangerous” by Pierre van Hooijdonk, only started 20 of his 32 appearances in the division, but delivered quality in those outings.

Appearances

32

Starts

20

xG

4.11

Goals

6

Big chances created

8

xA

5.02

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, he outperformed his xG by almost two goals and was let down by wasteful finishing from his teammates as a creator, as they failed to make the most of the ‘big chances’ that he created for them.

Now, imagine Minteh in a dominant and free-scoring Liverpool team that would be able to make the most of his creativity, whilst also creating more opportunities for him to show off his finishing skills. That could increase his output of goals and assists and lead to him becoming a very valuable member of the squad.

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The 20-year-old could, in theory, take his game to the next level with such a move, which is why this could be a brilliant signing for the Reds and be a repeat of the Mac Allister deal due to the finances involved.

Celtic are thriving on the field under Brendan Rodgers, but they may now be set for an unexpected turn of events behind the scenes following recent developments.

Brendan Rodgers aims to maintain Celtic winning culture

Evaluating the landscape of Scottish football, Celtic find themselves head and shoulders above the rest as they close in on another domestic treble.

Brendan Rodgers knows his side only need to defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month to achieve that feat, while he is also the third-most successful manager in the club’s illustrious history behind Willie Maley and Jock Stein.

However, there has been some speculation surrounding the Celtic boss as he heads into the final year of his contract at Parkhead with little to no update on a potential extension.

Like any manager worth his salt, Rodgers wants full backing from the Hoops hierarchy before his side take on the challenge of facing whoever they draw in the final round of Champions League qualifying.

Citing the need for signings, Celtic are very interested in Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic, potentially laying down a marker with regard to what supporters can expect from their club in the summer market.

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Stability at Parkhead has led to a steady stream of success. That hasn’t just come from the manager, but the rank and file department members that exist below his sphere of influence.

Nevertheless, everyone at one point will look to strike out on their own should the opportunity present itself. That is just the reality of career progression in the cold light of day.

With that in mind, Celtic could face a fight to hold onto one of their trusted coaches after the club were approached over his availability, per recent developments.

Swansea City approach Celtic to land Darren O'Dea

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph on X, Swansea City have approached Celtic as they look to appoint Darren O’Dea as their assistant manager following Alan Sheehan’s appointment as head coach at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Former Republic of Ireland international O’Dea is currently the Bhoys’ Professional Player Pathway Manager, though he could now be set to swap Glasgow for the EFL Championship side if all parties agree on a deal.

O’Dea has also managed Celtic’s B Team in conjunction with Stephen McManus, and his departure may come as something of a surprise despite his ambitions of entering the dugout at senior level.

Either way, Hoops fans and figures from inside the club will wish him well if he were to take up Swansea on their offer, given his reputation as a bright young coach who has worked his way up the Lennoxtown ranks.

It’s no secret that a striker will be at the top of Arsenal’s transfer wishlist this summer.

However, with Liverpool having scored 17 goals more than them in the Premier League alone this season, a centre-forward won’t be enough; the Gunners will also need a new winger to complement Bukayo Saka.

Fortunately, there have been more than a few reports linking the club to a whole host of sensational wide talent in recent weeks, but perhaps the most consistent since last year has been to Nico Williams.

The Spanish superstar is an incredibly exciting player, but the North Londoners might be after a more sure bet, as recent reports have linked them with a Premier League star who’s like a better version of the Athletic Bilbao star.

Arsenal's summer transfer window

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other stars Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing this year, with one of the leading names still being Viktor Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

The Swedish international has been in sensational form this term, scoring 44 goals and providing 11 assists in 45 appearances for Sporting CP, and, according to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, remains a firm target for the Gunners.

Another attacker who seems to be on the North Londoners’ radar is Kingsley Coman, who looks set to leave Bayern Munich in the summer and could be available for around £39m.

However, given the Frenchman’s injury record and lack of involvement this term, he’s not a player that’s likely to excite the Emirates faithful, which couldn’t be said about Anthony Gordon.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Arsenal hold a ‘strong interest’ in the former Everton star.

However, there are a couple of problems, with the first being interest from Liverpool and the second being the fact that Newcastle United will not want to let one of their star players leave, and should they qualify for the Champions League, it’s unlikely that they’d have to.

Moreover, reports from last year claimed that he’d cost at least £100m, meaning it would require a near club-record offer from the Gunners.

However, while it would be an expensive and complicated transfer to get over the line, Gordon would be worth it, as he’s a better version of Williams.

How Gordon compares to Williams

So, before we get into their output, it’s worth examining where the comparisons between the two wingers come from, beyond their positional similarities, of course.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Spaniard is the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Englishman.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot and shot on target, expected assists, passing accuracy, progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.47

0.35

Progressive Passes

3.73

3.14

Goals per Shot

0.10

0.10

Goals per Shot on Target

0.33

0.26

Passing Accuracy

72.1%

70.4%

Expected Assists

0.20

0.20

Key Passes

2.08

1.86

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.62

Successful Take-On %

37.6%

36.6%

However, while they do rank closely for many of those metrics, it’s important to note that the Newcastle United gem actually does slightly better in the majority.

This superiority over the Pamplona-born international extends into their output as well.

For example, in his 35 appearances this term, the “exceptional” Toon ace, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has scored nine goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.18 games.

In contrast, the 22-year-old has scored ten goals and provided seven assists in 41 games for Bilbao, which comes out to a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.41 games.

Finally, while both players would undoubtedly improve Arteta’s squad, it might take the La Roja ace some time to get used to the Premier League, whereas the Liverpool-born maestro has already proven himself in the league and could make a real difference from the word go.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive and complicated transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Gordon this summer, as he’d be an even better signing than Williams.

He's like Saka & Yamal: Arsenal in talks to sign "world-class" £39m star

The incredible winger would bring so much experience and quality to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 15, 2025

His loyalty to the game, and to the people who win his respect and friendship, has been remarkable, and his writing has embodied something of that

Sambit Bal24-Feb-2025I was on another call when his name flashed on my phone, and instinct told me what it might be about. I have known Ian Chappell for about 25 years and he rarely calls. He usually emails, or if the matter is immediate, he will text. SMS was replaced by Whatsapp in recent years, but it would take something exceptional for him to call.Of course, it wouldn’t have been like him to not call about something like this. Email or a text just wouldn’t do.Before I called him back, I showed the missed-call notification to a colleague. This could be it, I told him. We had discussed the possibility a few times since Ian retired from broadcasting in 2022, but I nurtured the fond wish that he would carry on with the writing for as long as I was in this job.Related

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Ian Chappell never quit on people.I first interacted with him in the year 2000, when I worked for total-cricket.com, an ambitious digital venture that assembled a galaxy of international broadcasters to work for it. Ian wrote a weekly column for the site on Sundays, and his piece would be in the mailbox every Friday, without a typo, every paragraph neatly marked, the wordcount roughly the same each time, dateline on top, and “ATTENTION: Sambit Bal” just below.The venture ran into trouble after a while and only a skeletal version remained after most of us were relieved of our jobs. I soon moved on to wisden.com, which would become wisdencricinfo.com, and eventually espncricinfo.com. When I sought to enlist Ian to write, he declined politely. He couldn’t abandon the site he was writing for, more so when it was struggling. He remained the last and sole columnist for total-cricket till it wound up.Once he was in your corner, his loyalty was absolute and unflinching. I once interviewed the late Terry Jenner, the Australian legspinner, who played all of his nine Tests under Ian’s captaincy. A decade after his retirement, Jenner was imprisoned upon being convicted for a white-collar crime. The only team-mate to visit him in jail was Ian Chappell. Jenner remembered being embarrassed and overwhelmed.”Ian looked me in the eye,” said Jenner, who mentored Shane Warne, and would go on to become an advisor to the Australian Cricket Academy, “and said, ‘Once captain, always captain.'”Ian finally came on board a few years later, but there was one condition. He had also been approached by Clayton Murzello, the sports editor of , an afternoon paper in Mumbai, so we would have to share the column. We did and that continued for close to 20 years.Chappell in his Sydney home in 2006. “Writing has been a favoured task,” he wrote in his farewell column•Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesWe never spoke money. And till corporate norms mandated it, we didn’t even have a contract. He accepted whatever we could afford to pay then, and whatever we could raise it to in subsequent years. He would introduce me to people as “Boss”, and however much in jest those people might have taken it, it left me utterly embarrassed. Through these 20 years, whenever he was approached by another website for the odd article, he would either decline or seek permission from me, though no exclusivity clause was ever written, or implied, in our agreement.Over the years he also worked in our studios for our video analysis shows, and apart from his sharp insights and exemplary professionalism, what stood out was how he made everyone around him feel. Generous and warm, he tried to make sure he knew, and remembered, people by their first names, made sure he greeted everyone around him, and was always quick with a joke or a story. (And how vividly and with what relish he reeled them off.) The idea of equality wasn’t just a catchphrase but a way of life for him. Our crew looked forward to the days he was around.His writing – punchy, sharp, and anecdotal – stayed consistent to his beliefs and values. Non-partisan and non-parochial, he called it as he saw it. He had strong opinions and the backbone needed to express them without fear of consequences. People knew better than to try to sway him to toe the party line. It was impossible to win an argument with him, but you could disagree with him and retain his respect if he knew you came from an honest place.At the heart of his belief system was a deep love of the game, and he raised his voice to the point of repetition against everything that threatened its welfare in his eyes.As always, he knew when to stop. When I got on that call with him, he told me about a thing he had learnt from Richie Benaud: when it’s time to retire, you just know. Writing lasted the longest of his careers, but 50 years later was a good time to go. I didn’t try to talk him out of it. The game gives to everyone who comes in touch with it, and the most to the players who grace it, but Ian has more than settled his debts.I didn’t watch him play, but the idea of Ian Chappell – fierce competitor, beloved leader, and the very embodiment of Australianism as we knew it – was very much a part of my consciousness. You know what they say about meeting your heroes, but with Ian, there was never a chance of disappointment. As a cricketer and captain, he will always count among the greats, but the man I came to know is extraordinary. It’s been an honour, absolutely.