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Everton centre-back Michael Keane is admired by West Ham United but isn’t regarded as a ‘tier-one target’. 

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who was speaking to GiveMeSport on Sunday evening.

The lowdown

The Daily Star’s Harry Pratt reported last month that West Ham want to sign another centre-back ahead of next season, and Keane features their shortlist.

Current West Ham manager and former Everton boss David Moyes is said to rate Keane highly after their brief time together at Manchester United.

Moyes is ready to offer the Englishman an ‘immediate route back to the Premier League’ if his team are relegated – the 29-year-old would apparently cost the Irons as much as £20million.

Everton are currently in the bottom three, two points behind Leeds and Burnley with a game in hand. A ‘major exodus’ is anticipated if they fall into the second tier.

Keane has played 182 times for the club to date, scoring ten goals and providing seven assists, and also racked up 12 caps for his country.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Jones tells GMS that West Ham are ‘definitely’ fans of Keane but expects them to assess other options on the continent and potential free transfers before turning to the Everton man.

“I think they’ll look on the continent first and also the free agent market is opening up quite nicely,” he said.

“It’s a tricky one because they definitely like him, but he’s not a tier one target, I wouldn’t say.”

The verdict

If West Ham do make a move for Keane, then Everton may already have a potential replacement in mind.

The Daily Mail claim that they like Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch, who’s set to be a free agent come the summer when his contract expires.

Grillitsch is listed as a defensive midfielder but he’s played the majority of his football this season as a centre-back.

Three years Keane’s junior, he’s combative, strong in possession and reads the game well (going by his WhoScored profile). It could be a smart, frugal move from the Blues to offload Keane for a decent fee then replace him with a Bosman deal.

In other news, Adam Jones was stunned by one thing that happened at Sunday.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport have shared a big Manchester United transfer update involving Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and incoming new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: ten Hag revolution underway?

The 52-year-old, coming as the latest elite boss in a long line tasked with steering United back to the Premier League summit, has already been making his mark behind-the-scenes – according to reports.

Ten Hag is allegedly working on summer transfer targets with a central defender first and foremost on the Red Devils agenda, as per reporter Rudy Galetti, but that hasn’t stopped the Old Trafford side also making pre-summer moves for attacking targets.

ESPN journalist James Olley revealed just the other day that they had made an approach for soon-to be free agent and Juve star Dybala with La Gazzetta, a big name newspaper, now backing this update with their own bit of news.

The Latest: La Gazzetta make big Dybala claim…

According to the publication in their print edition, as shared by Sport Witness, United have indeed made ‘first contact’ to sign the Argentine.

Following on, they claim that ten Hag could play a major role in luring Dybala to Manchester, even wanting to hijack Inter Milan’s move for the player.

Indeed, while the European heavyweights are also in contact over signing the £222,000-per-week star, it is believed ten Hag could ‘cut them out’ with his own ‘speech’ – meaning he may be able to personally persuade Dybala to choose a move to England instead.

The Dutchman is also apparently a huge fan of the player as United take a step pre-summer by making early contact.

The Verdict: Good move?

A proven attacking threat in Serie A, scoring nearly a century of goals in the division combined with 51 assists (Transfermarkt), signing the £36 million-rated man for nothing would be a real statement by ten Hag and the club.

English pundits, like former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson, have previously raved over the ‘world class’ Dybala as a potentially ‘massive addition’ for any squad (Football Insider).

Set to become one of the biggest free agents of 2022, the race will be competitive for his signing, but perhaps ten Hag’s allure and United’s status as a household name could tempt Dybala.

In other news: Rangnick has set his sights on another one of Serie A’s brightest talents…find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers finally confirmed their new head coach on Monday afternoon after a search that lasted just over two weeks, following the sacking of Russell Martin.

The Light Blues decided to part ways with the former Scotland international after their 1-1 draw with Falkirk, but they were unable to have a manager in place for their next Scottish Premiership match against Dundee United two weeks later.

Danny Rohl has, now, come through the door at Ibrox, though, and will be in charge of the Scottish giants when they face Brann in the Europa League on Thursday.

The German head coach has signed a deal that will take him through to the summer of 2027, having left Sheffield Wednesday at the start of this season.

After five wins in 18 matches so far this season in all competitions, supporters are understandably lacking in patience and want to see an instant improvement in the team’s form.

So, with this in mind, what can the fans at Ibrox expect from Rohl once his team walks out onto the pitch to play their first game against Brann on Thursday?

What Rangers fans can expect from a Danny Rohl team

The word ‘pragmatism’ is often misused in football. It gets used as a substitute for saying a manager plays defensive or passive football that is awful to watch, instead of the actual meaning of the word, which is to play logical football that makes sense with what you have at your disposal and who you are up against.

Rohl, fans may be pleased to read, is a pragmatist in the literal sense of the word. The German tactician, who worked as an assistant at Bayern Munich and for the German national team, changes his tactics and style of play to give his team the best chance of winning.

An interesting example of this came in March when Sheffield Wednesday travelled to Norwich City. They went direct in the first half, attempting to use physicality to gain possession, and found themselves 2-0 down at the break.

At half-time, Rohl brought on Nathaniel Chalobah and Michael Smith and looked to take control of the game in possession, dominating in midfield, and it led to a brilliant comeback to secure a 3-2 win, capped off by a winning goal from Djeidi Gassama.

League finish

20th

12th

Points

53

58

xG

50.2

62.7

Goals scored

44

60

Goals conceded

68

69

xGD

-8.4

-0.2

As you can see in the table above, the Owls significantly improved from the start of Rohl’s tenure to the end of it, as a result of his pragmatism and willingness to adapt and evolve his side.

Despite his willingness to change styles and formations, one thing that was almost a constant for the German boss was that he played with one striker. Per FBref, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 5-4-1, and 3-4-3 were his most-used formations in the Championship last season.

This suggests that, irrespective of what style he chooses to go with for each match, he is likely to go with one central striker in his team for the Light Blues.

With this in mind, there is a centre-forward on the books at Ibrox who could find himself on the chopping block when the January transfer window opens for business.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The first player Rohl should look to brutally ditch from his Rangers squad after the turn of the year is Brazilian forward Danilo, as it seems unlikely that he will play a major role for the new head coach.

Why Rangers should sell Danilo in January

Rangers splashed a whopping £8m on Youssef Chermiti and another £4.2m on Bojan Miovski to bolster their options in the number nine position.

This means that the club have spent over £12m on two strikers to be ahead of Danilo in the pecking order, which makes him the third-choice striker for a manager who predominantly wants to play with one player in that role.

Danilo, therefore, is in a difficult position at Ibrox. That is further evidenced by the fact that he has not played a minute in the Scottish Premiership since August, and has been an unused substitute in four of his last five appearances in the matchday squad.

The Brazilian striker started against Motherwell on the opening day of the season, and pundit Kris Boyd immediately stated that it was not working with him in the team.

Danilo has scored one goal and provided one assist in 11 appearances in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, so it is hard to disagree with Boyd’s assessment.

The £26k-per-week centre-forward, who was once described as being “sloppy” on the ball by pundit Steven Thompson, is also a constant injury concern for the Light Blues, as he has missed far too many games through injury in the last couple of years.

Type of injury

Broken cheekbone

Knee injury

Knee injury

Date of injury

September 2023

December 2023

September 2024

Return date

October 2023

May 2024

November 2024

Days out

43

171

65

Matches missed

9

32

12

As you can see in the table above, Danilo has missed 53 matches through injury since his move to Ibrox to join Michael Beale’s side from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023.

This means that there should be doubts over both his durability and his quality in a Rangers shirt, which is not a good combination for a player who reportedly earns £26-per-week.

Therefore, Rohl should immediately sell the Brazilian striker from the squad when the January transfer window opens for business, to save money on wages and bring in funds to bring in players in other positions.

As the manager typically likes to play with one centre-forward, it makes logical sense to go with Miovski and Chermiti, who were both signed in the summer, and sell Danilo instead of paying a third-choice striker £26k-per-week to sit on the bench, or miss out on the matchday squad.

Danny Rohl can help "complete" Rangers star emulate Lewandowski at Ibrox

Danny Rohl could unearth his next Robert Lewandowski in this Rangers star at Ibrox.

ByDan Emery Oct 20, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl got off to the worst possible start in charge of the Ibrox giants with a 3-0 defeat to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Light Blues boss arrived at the club earlier this week to replace Russell Martin in the dugout and got a firsthand look at the issues that have plagued the season so far.

Three avoidable goals were conceded, only one ‘big chance’ was created, no goals were scored. Rohl will be struggling to come up with positives to take away from the game, beyond the performance of Jack Butland.

Why Jack Butland is already undroppable for Danny Rohl

The former England international showed his class against Brann, in spite of the result, with some excellent work between the sticks to help his side out.

Butland made an excellent early save down to his right after Nasser Djiga was caught out, but had no chance for the opening goal that was converted from close range.

Per Sofascore, the experienced shot-stopper completed all three of his run-outs, which shows that he was proactive in sweeping up behind his defenders to prevent the hosts from creating even more chances.

Despite conceding three goals, Butland only conceded 0.45 more than expected, per Sofascore. This means that there was little more that he could have done to affect the result.

Whilst Butland may already be undroppable for Rohl, because of his strong display in the loss, Joe Rothwell is one of the players who should be immediately dropped.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Joe Rothwell

The German tactician should immediately drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up because the Russell Martin signing failed to impose himself on the game in midfield.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As aforementioned, Rangers were too easy to create chances against and they did not create enough quality chances of their own to get back into the game.

Rothwell’s performance played a part in their struggles in and out of possession, as the experienced Englishman offered little to the team aside from composure in his passing game.

Minutes

64

Pass accuracy

93%

Accurate long passes

1

Dribbles completed

0

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Tackles attempted

0

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder did not create any chances for his teammates in 64 minutes on the pitch, and he failed to win a single duel in the middle of the park.

These statistics show that the summer signing from Bournemouth did not get about the field to disrupt the opposition, who strolled to a 3-0 win, and he did not show enough creativity in his use of the ball to drag Rangers back into the match.

Rothwell had fewer touches (31) than Butland (48) did between the sticks, per Sofascore, which further speaks to the lack of influence that the 30-year-old midfielder had for the Light Blues.

Rohl, therefore, should brutally ditch the central midfielder from the starting XI ahead of the club’s trip to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, because he did not show enough on or off the ball.

"Disgrace" – Cavenagh told who to "fire" after Rangers defeat to Brann

Gers fans are furious after Danny Rohl’s first match in charge.

1 ByBen Goodwin Oct 23, 2025

It is a concerning trend for Rothwell, signed by Martin, because he has also lost 54% of his ground duels and assisted one goal in eight appearances in the Premiership, which shows that he has not been outstanding domestically or in Europe.

The 30-year-old midfielder may need to show Rohl more, on and off the ball, to prove to the manager that he deserves a regular place in the starting line-up.

Eddie Howe believes Dan Burn was probably worth £30m rather than the £13m Newcastle paid for him when they brought him home from Brighton.

Burn was one of Howe’s first signings in January 2022 as the club’s new owners flexed their financial muscle for the first time and he has since become a key member of the team which won the Carabao Cup last season and is playing Champions League football for the second time in three years.

Howe hails Burn and says Newcastle got him on the cheap

Asked if the versatile England defender has proved to be worth every penny of his £13million fee ahead of Saturday’s trip to his former club, head coach Howe said after a pause:

Burn reported back from England duty dreaming of a trip to next summer’s World Cup but facing a gruelling schedule for his club, who have seven games in the space of 23 days before the next international break, starting with the trip to Brighton.

Howe shares Newcastle injury updates on star players

Howe, who welcomed the appointment of Ross Wilson as the club’s new sporting director, could have Jacob Ramsey back following his recovery from an ankle injury, while fellow midfielder Joelinton is expected to be fit after returning from his exertions with Brazil nursing a minor groin problem.

However, full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall and striker Yoane Wissa, who continues to work his way back from posterior cruciate ligament damage, are still out.

Joe Willock will be in the squad after finding himself at the centre of a viral social media hoax in which it was claimed he had to be rescued after getting lost in York Maze for six hours.

Asked if he had spoken to the midfielder about the story, Howe said with a smile: “Yes, I did discuss it with him – just to check whether it was true or not, probably like everybody else. Thankfully it wasn’t.

“Joe’s fine, he’s good. He’s got the ability to laugh with it rather than be concerned by it.”

It was an extremely underwhelming season for West Ham United last time out as a low 14th spot in the Premier League pile had to be stomached.

The Hammers would finish in a far more impressive ninth spot the season before, with a Europa League quarter-final even coming their way. But, this short-term success just couldn’t be sustained, leading to David Moyes losing his job, only for Graham Potter to struggle in equal measure when taking on the London Stadium hot seat.

There will be a hope that Potter can turn around West Ham’s fortunes as he prepares for his first full season at the helm, but he will have to try and add to his meagre five wins in charge of the Iron without Mohammed Kudus at his disposal, with the once popular Ghanaian defecting over to enemy lines to join Tottenham Hotspur for £55m.

That £55m injection to the Hammers’ bank account will no doubt be put to good use, especially as Potter and Co chase down an immediate replacement for Kudus.

West Ham make enquiries over £30m ace

Away from looking for replacements for the ex-Ajax attacker, it looks as if that bumper amount will help the Iron bolster all over the pitch this summer, with a move for Slavia Prague’s El Hadji Malick Diouf to join the East London side edging ever closer to completion.

Moreover, it is also being reported that Harvey Elliott is on West Ham’s radar as a potential midfield option, but there is another move in the pipeline that will seriously excite the Hammers faithful as they attempt to sweep this Kudus saga quickly under the rug.

Transfer Focus

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

As per French outlet L’Equipe, West Ham have now been in contact with Leicester City to make an enquiry concerning the availability of Bilal El Khannous. They are joined by both Sunderland and AS Monaco in the race to sign the promising Foxes gem.

Recently on Arsenal’s shopping list for around the £30m ballpark, this would be a significant move on West Ham’s end in trying to win an ideal replacement for Kudus, with the Moroccan attacker ready to explode into life even more in the Premier League.

Why El Khannous could be a dream Kudus replacement

Whilst Kudus did suffer from an off-season last campaign by his high standards – with only eight of his 32 overall goal contributions for Potter’s men coming across the 2024/25 season – he will still be a big hole for West Ham to fill, considering Lucas Paqueta is now the only recognisable number 10 in the Hammers camp currently.

Moreover, there is only really Jarred Bowen who can cause damage down the right now with Kudus off to Spurs, and whilst El Khannouss might not be the most instantly exciting signing when you view his recent relegation blemish, he could be just the versatile spark West Ham need to stitch up their wounds.

Amazingly, despite Kudus costing £55m to sign, El Khannouss would match his ex-West Ham counterpart when looking at their numbers from last season, as a standout three goals and five assists came the 21-year-old’s way, even as the Foxes fell back down to the EFL in depressing fashion.

On top of that, El Khannouss, when plying his trade in Belgium with Genk, would dazzle fans of the Jupiler Pro League side – much like Kudus managed with Ajax – with his constant creativity and eye for goal.

That was notably seen in his high goals and assist tally of 18 from 94 outings. Kudus would register 21 more goal contributions for the Amsterdam giants, in contrast, but the 21-year-old will hope he can reach these Genk levels again and beyond, lining up next to the likes of Bowen in East London.

AM

112

6

15

LW

4

0

0

LM

3

1

2

CM

1

0

1

El Khannouss might not be able to offer another electric body down the right, but he would be able to offer a similar adaptability that Kudus possessed in spades elsewhere, as seen in his promising career haul of three goals and assists when patrolling the left flank.

Once hailed as a “special” talent by football journalist Buchi Laba, on top of also being lauded as having a “killer final ball” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, it does feel as if this could be a sterling deal to secure now, particularly if the likes of Arsenal are also keen.

After all, West Ham were certainly left to feel smug snapping up Kudus when they did, as Liverpool and Newcastle also circled, with El Khannouss the next Kudus-like star who could burst into life at the London Stadium.

West Ham may get Kudus revenge with £35m Spurs target tempted by Irons move

The Hammers have opened negotiations to sign a “phenomenal” player.

1 ByDominic Lund Jul 13, 2025

Manchester United’s hunt for new attacking reinforcements has been evident over the last couple of weeks, with the hierarchy making key moves in the transfer market.

Matheus Cunha has already arrived at Old Trafford in a £62.5m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, looking to provide the firepower needed within the final third.

Bryan Mbeumo is another player who’s been firmly on their radar over the last couple of weeks, with multiple bids already being made for the Brentford talisman.

The Cameroonian international has stated his desire to join Ruben Amorim’s side this window, but he could still stay with the Bees if his asking price isn’t met during the off-season.

However, despite the interest in his signature, moves are being made elsewhere this summer to try and provide added depth and quality in the final third.

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

Given the tally of just 44 goals scored in the Premier League last season, United have been desperately hunting for a new talisman to lead the line in 2025/26.

The likes of Dušan Vlahović, Victor Osimhen and Moise Kean have all been touted with moves to the Theatre of Dreams, but no deals have yet been agreed for any of the aforementioned stars.

However, a new name has been mentioned over the last couple of days, in the form of free agent forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, according to Sun Sport.

The 28-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Everton at the end of his current contract, with the Red Devils already making contact with his representatives, as per the report.

It also states that Amorim is a keen admirer of the attacker with a surprise move on the cards this window in an attempt to add depth to the current forward line.

Why United’s latest target could be Weghorst 2.0

Wout Weghorst joined United on loan back in the 2022/23 season, looking to provide squad depth in the front line during the Erik ten Hag era at Old Trafford.

The Dutch international made 31 appearances for the Red Devils during his temporary stint, scoring just twice and leaving the club – leaving at the end of his short-term stint.

He struggled to capture the hearts of the fanbase during his spell at Old Trafford, often missing numerous gilt-edged chances, as seen by his tally of four big chances missed in the Premier League.

However, a deal for Calvert-Lewin could see a repeat of a move for the 32-year-old, with the Englishman possessing a similar frame and skillset given their target man role.

The former Toffees star has previously been a top-level Premier League forward, with his best season coming back in 2020/21, where he managed to net 21 goals across all competitions.

Such form led to him being labelled as just “like Cristiano Ronaldo” by former teammate Richarlison, but it’s safe to say he’s failed to replicate such levels in the last couple of years.

He’s only managed 18 goals in the last four seasons, often struggling with injuries and only making more than 30 appearances in one of those campaigns.

Games played

26

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

63%

Passes made (per 90)

9

Successful dribbles

0.5

Times dispossessed

1.8

Aerials won

49%

Chances created

0.3

When delving into the stats he’s produced in recent seasons, they showcase how much he’s struggled, with his potential move to the Theatre of Dreams one they desperately need to avoid.

Calvert-Lewin would likely also command a hefty pay packet if he were to move to the club, earning an estimated £100k-per-week in his last season at Goodison Park, according to Capology.

There’s no denying that the Red Devils need another striker this summer if they are to push up the table in 2025/26, but it’s evident that he’s not the man to fill the void.

A deal for his signature is reminiscent of that for Weghorst from a couple of years ago, with the hierarchy needing to pursue alternative targets to hand the manager the tools and ambition for success.

Bad news for Bruno & Amad: Man Utd want to have deal "finalised by Monday"

Manchester United appear to be edging closer to another summer addition for Ruben Amorim.

13 ByEthan Lamb Jul 5, 2025

The SPFL fixtures are out, meaning Celtic supporters can start looking forward to the new season as Brendan Rodgers’ side go about defending their crown.

The Hoops will begin their Premiership title defence at Parkhead on Sunday 3 August, before a Scottish Cup Final rematch a week later for Rodgers’ Bhoys, seeking revenge following that penalty shootout defeat at Hampden.

With an Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 31 August, as well as a season-defining Champions League play-off, their opponents in that tie will be confirmed on 4 August, there’s plenty for Celtic supporters to look forward to on the park.

Off the pitch, they’re making a splash in the transfer window.

Celtic seeking midfield reinforcements

Before pre-season begins against Glasgow neighbours Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden on Friday week, focus remains on transfers, with Rodgers looking to bolster every area of his squad.

So far, Kieran Tierney has re-joined Celtic, while Ross Doohan has arrived to be the new third-choice goalkeeper, replacing Scott Bain, with Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren expected to be through the door soon.

Now, according to a report by Africa Foot, Celtic are interested in signing Moussa Baradji, facing competition from Sunderland, who have been promoted back to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old defensive midfielder currently plays for Yverdon-Sport, who finished bottom of this season’s Swiss Super League, thereby relegated, hence why Baradji is expected to be on the move again this summer, just one year after arriving from Legnago Salus in Serie C.

Baradji is valued at €3m (around £2.5m), described as a versatile midfielder by Drissa Traoré of Africa Foot, who adds that Galatasaray are amongst a number of European heavyweights vying for his signature.

Now though, could he be on his way to Glasgow?

How Baradji could replicate Victor Wanyama's Celtic career

Similar to Baradji, Victor Wanyama was not a known quantity when he joined Celtic from Beerschot in 2011, costing a reported fee of £900k, having made only 54 senior appearances for De Mannekes.

Nevertheless, just two years later, he was sold to Southampton for £12.5m, a Scottish record fee at the time, having impressed during his 91 appearances in hoops, most notably starring during the famous 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, heading home the night’s opening goal.

That night, according to Ewan Murray of the Guardian, up against Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and others, the Kenyan was the best player on the pitch, with then-manager Neil Lennon labelling him “world class”.

After three seasons by the South Coast, Wanyama would join Tottenham, a key figure in Mauricio Pochettino’s successful Spurs side.

He was then not quite so impactful at Club de Foot Montréal, spending a large period of his four-year stay in Quebec injured or not contributing much, before returning to Scottish football in March, linking up with Lennon again at Dunfermline Athletic.

So, could Baradji be the new Wanyama? Let’s assess his statistics from this season.

Appearances

27

111th

Minutes

2,104

77th

Goals

4

51st

Shots

45

29th

Fouls

41

13th

Interceptions

24

71st

Tackles

72

12th

Average SofaScore rating

7.14

37th

As the table outlines, Baradji is something of an all-rounder, as Wanyama was, ranking pretty highly when it comes to shots, fouls and tackles, made all the more impressive considering his team finished rock-bottom of the Swiss top-flight.

Wanyama was particularly strong in the tackle, notably ranking as the tenth-best midfielder in the 2014/15 Premier League season for tackles per game (2.9). Thus, there are certainly similarities here.

Patrick Juillar of Sport 365 further describes him as a “box-to-box midfielder” who has just enjoyed an “outstanding” campaign, so if Celtic can secure his services, he could offer a big return on investment.

Celtic have made an approach to beat Premier League club to sign £2.5m ace

He is wanted by a host of teams.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 25, 2025

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta personally wants the Gunners to seal a statement signing before summer deadline day on September 1, and they’ve been alerted to the marquee costs of a potential deal.

£150k-per-week Premier League star in London after agreeing Arsenal move

Arsenal are about to make a signing.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025

It is absolutely imperative that the new sporting director, Andrea Berta, starts making progress soon when it comes to the club’s key forward targets, and in an ideal world, Arteta would be able to work with them for pre-season.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

According to some reports, Arteta personally wants Arsenal to bring in their desired new striker in time for their tour of Asia late next month, with the Spaniard seemingly keen to assess his squad in detail ahead of another Premier League title race.

Alongside their chase for a new number nine, links are also seriously re-emerging in regard to a potential swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Arsenal held some talks over signing the Brazil international last month, and between “all parties”, meaning both club officials and the player’s representatives were involved in discussions over a switch to the Premier League.

Rodrygo has bagged 14 goals and 11 assists throughout 2024/2025, including their Club World Cup campaign, and teammate Jude Bellingham is convinced that the 24-year-old is Real’s most underrated player.

“Rodrygo, so underrated,” Bellingham said to CBS Sports.

“For me he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football — we’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow, and you’re like, ‘How do you do that?’. I’m trying to do it, twisting up my ankles and everything like that. He’s a pleasure to play with.”

Mikel Arteta personally wants Arsenal to sign Rodrygo

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, though, Los Blancos ideally want around £94 million for their top talent – even if there is a theory behind-the-scenes that they could accept closer to £72 million.

This, combined with Rodrygo’s £205,000-per-week wages, would surely make him one of the most expensive signings of the summer in terms of overall cost – but it is an option now under serious consideration by Arsenal due to Nico Williams’ pending switch to Barcelona.

Arteta personally wants Arsenal to strike a deal for Rodrygo over the coming months, and he is believed to be a big fan of the South American who Xabi Alonso would ideally like to keep at the Bernabeu.

Man United and Chelsea are named as other suitors for the ex-Santos star, so this could potentially drive the price up even more.

Sunderland’s summer transfer window has been choppy so far, with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson deserting the Black Cats after the ecstasy of promotion.

It hasn’t been all doom and gloom for Regis Le Bris and Co, however, as Enzo Le Fee has at least put pen to paper on a permanent Wearside stay to bolster the midfield areas.

Still, the Frenchman will want more and more new signings to enter the Stadium of Light in their unlikely bid to survive in the Premier League.

The former Lorient boss will surely be prioritising some defensive additions to help his team navigate the frightening step-up in quality, with a new, imposing target now reportedly on their agenda.

Sunderland interested in former Leeds colossus

As per a report from French outlet Jeunes Footeux, Sunderland are interested in landing former Leeds United centre-back Charlie Cresswell this summer, off the back of his impressive stint out in Ligue 1 with Toulouse.

It’s stated that Le Bris wants young, solid players who are already seasoned at the highest level, with Cresswell ticking those boxes for sure, considering he was also in and around the senior picture at Elland Road during the Whites’ brief stays in the Premier League.

Japhet Tanganga s also very much on the Black Cats’ radar as they look to add in some new defensive bodies here and there, with the Millwall brute perhaps gaining somewhat of an advantage when you glance at his modest £1.2m valuation.

But, if Sunderland are willing to pay a few million on top of Tanganga’s price-tag, they could win themselves an upgrade on the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth product in Cresswell, with the 22-year-old no doubt champing at the bit to return to England to prove himself further.

Why Cresswell would be an upgrade on Tanganga

Cresswell has settled into life in the top division in France swimmingly, meaning he could be ready to take the plunge back into the English game with the newly promoted Black Cats.

This season for Toulouse, Cresswell would chip in with four strikes when putting his lofty 6-foot-3 frame to effective use, alongside also coming away from his 31 appearances in Ligue 1 with a respectable tally of nine clean sheets.

Tanganga did end up with 14 clean sheets of his own in the Championship, but he was present for nine more games at the heart of defence for the Lions than Cresswell was for Carles Martínez Novell’s men, away from falling short of the 22-year-old’s goal total by one.

Regardless, Cresswell has actually shown off his strengths as a no-nonsense centre-back option at the Den himself away from Tanganga’s standout campaign, with the table below further backing up why he might be worth the extra cash at around the £8m ballpark, as per Transfermarkt.

Games played

28

31

Goals scored

4

3

Assists

2

1

Touches*

53.5

63.3

Accurate passes*

28.1 (71%)

41.2 (83%)

Total duels won*

7.6

4.9

Clean sheets

5

9

Indeed, the table proves that Cresswell can battle it out in England, away from just his spells in the Leeds senior mix, with a ridiculous 7.6 duels won on average during his breakout 22/23 campaign in South East London. To add context, Tanganga only won 5.8 last season, on the contrary.

Moreover, with a full Ligue 1 season now under his belt which saw him collect nine clean sheets – which is two more than his former Spurs counterpart ever managed in North London in the elite division – Sunderland could now direct all their focus on attempting to land the Preston-born youngster, over winning a cut-price deal for Tanganga.

Currently out with England at the U21s Euros, where he’s rubbing shoulders with the likes of Premier League regulars Harvey Elliott and Elliot Anderson, the “outstanding” star – as he’s been glowing labelled in the past by Leeds content creator Joe Wainman – will believe the time is right for him to make this next move.

Sunderland will be hopeful he can be one key part of the puzzle that secures survival.

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