Aston Villa are now willing to meet the price tag to sign an “explosive” new attacking talent this summer, according to a new report.

Several ins and outs expected at Villa with PSR deadline looming

The Villans have until the end of this month to balance their books with PSR’s hammer looming, so before any incomings can happen, there needs to be some movement in the exit department. That may not be far away now, as it appears there are already two players on their way out of Villa Park, as Emiliano Martínez and Lucas Digne look to seal permanent moves away.

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Martinez has attracted strong interest from Manchester United in the last week or so, as the Argentine is said to favour a move to Old Trafford over joining FC Barcelona, who are also interested in a transfer.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Digne is in talks with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid over a move to Spain, as they look to bolster their options in that area of the team. The Frenchman is in the final 12 months of his contract at Villa, and it now seems he is free to leave the Premier League side, after being in and out of the team last season.

These potential exits could allow Villa to enter the market and bring in players who they believe can improve Unai Emery’s options. According to ex-Villa chief scout Mick Brown, Aston Villa could look to make a move for Manchester United’s Mason Mount, with Emery a fan of the midfielder.

Aston Villa willing to pay £27m+ transfer demand for Paixao

The Villans don’t just have their eyes on Mount as a new attacking option; according to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen on signing Igor Paixão from Feyenoord.

Feyenoord have already received record sales from the departures of Santiago Giménez and Mats Wieffer in recent times, but the Dutch side are now open to selling Paixao, as long as they receive a larger transfer fee. The report states that Feyenoord are looking to get more than €32 million for the winger, which is roughly £27 million.

This fee has done nothing to put Villa off, as the report adds that the Premier League side are willing to pay this transfer fee, although as things stand a transfer is still a “long way off at the moment”.

The 24-year-old, who can operate on both flanks, has emerged on Villa’s radar after scoring 16 goals in 34 Eredivisie games last season, and a further two in the Champions League.

Apps

129

Goals

39

Assists

29

Paixao, who has been dubbed “explosive” by scout Jacek Kulig, recently spoke in an interview with Globo Esporte and revealed he “dreams of playing for a big club”.

Paixao said, as quoted by Sport Witness: “Showing my football, being recognised by the big clubs, is gratifying. I dream of getting to a big team; it is the fruit of my work. If it is meant to happen, it will happen.”

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Sunderland are in talks with OGC Nice over a deal to sign Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bulka this summer.

The Black Cats are interested in a swoop for the former Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper to bolster Regis Le Bris’ squad, as he would come in as competition for Anthony Patterson.

If they can sign the Ligue 1 star, the Premier League side will also need to bolster the defence in front of him, but Chris Mepham is unlikely to be a part of that.

Journalist Graeme Bailey reported earlier this month that a move back to the Championship is more likely than a permanent return to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland eyeing up new centre-back

Whilst a deal for the Bournemouth central defender seems unlikely, given Bailey’s report, the Black Cats reportedly have their eye on another centre-back option.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to the Sunderland Echo, Sunderland are eyeing up Lyon defender Duje Caleta-Car as a potential signing to bolster their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Croatia international – who is valued at £6m, according to Football Transfers, has been transfer-listed by the French club, despite starting 17 of his 19 appearances in the league this season.

It adds that Lyon have been relegated to Ligue 2 following a financial audit, which could provide Black Cats with further encouragement in their pursuit of Caleta-Car, but that they are set to appeal that decision.

Why Sunderland should sign Duje Caleta-Car

The newly-promoted side should pursue a deal to sign the Croatian giant this summer because he could come in as an upgrade on Mepham, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland will need strong defenders to protect their goal, which could be guarded by Bulka, as they battle against relegation next season, and the Lyon titan’s performances in Ligue 1 suggest that he would offer more to the team than the Wales international would.

Caleta-Car, whose former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl claimed he has a “big presence” on the pitch, also caught the eye for his country recently, winning seven of his nine duels and making eight clearances combined in a 7-0 win over Gibraltar and a 5-1 win over Czechia.

Stats

Caleta-Car (24/25 Ligue 1)

Mepham (23/24 Premier League)

Appearances

19

10

Tackle + interceptions per game

2.0

1.9

Clearances per game

5.1

2.9

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.5x

Blocks per game

0.2

0.0

Ground duel success rate

44%

37%

Aerial duel success rate

75%

60%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Croatian star’s defensive performances in Ligue 1 this season were simply better than what Mepham produced in his last season in the Premier League.

These statistics suggest that Caleta-Car would be far more dominant defensively, particularly in aerial battles, whilst also making more interventions, with tackles, interceptions, clearances, and blocks, each game to stop attackers from troubling the goal.

The Lyon defender would also arrive with Premier League experience under his belt. He started nine matches for Southampton in the 2022/23 campaign, winning 57% of his duels and making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Caleta-Car – who transfer insider Dean Jones lauded for having “major quality” – was not available enough to make a telling contribution to their season, though, and they were relegated from the top-flight that term.

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However, his form for Lyon since returning to France suggests that he does have the quality to be an impressive performer in a major European league, particularly in comparison to Mepham.

Therefore, Sunderland should pursue a deal to sign the Croatia international after a move for Bulka this summer to improve their defensive options, whilst removing any need to bring Mepham back on a permanent transfer.

Manchester City now want to sign a “world-class” £67m full-back, and he could join alongside Rayan Ait-Nouri this summer, according to a report.

City making progress in Ait-Nouri pursuit

Man City have set their sights on signing a new left-back this summer, with Pep Guardiola perhaps not overly convinced by Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly, and there has been a recent update in their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ait-Nouri.

Indeed, reliable reporter David Ornstein has now revealed that City “expect” to complete a deal for the Algerian this summer, although there is still work to be done before they are able to strike an agreement with their Premier League rivals.

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Ait-Nouri’s arrival would leave Guardiola fairly well-stocked at left-back, given that Gvardiol and O’Reilly featured in that area regularly throughout the 2024-25 campaign, but a new report has suggested the manager could be keen to bring in another full-back who can play on both flanks.

According to GiveMeSport, Man City now want to sign Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, with the Italian being shortlisted by Guardiola, who has also personally requested the defender in the past.

It could be difficult to agree a deal for Cambiaso, with his current employers making it tricky to enter talks, but the full-back, who was valued at £67m back in the January transfer window, remains of interest to the Blues.

Guardiola’s side are confident about sealing the arrival of Ait-Nouri, but the Juventus star could join regardless of whether they complete a deal for the Wolves man, given he can play in a back four or five on both sides of the defence.

Cambiaso putting in "world-class" performances for Juventus

The 25-year-old is particularly impressive in an attacking sense, as highlighted by his dribbling ability, which is important for City, considering they are likely to be the main aggressors in the majority of the Premier League games they play next season.

Journalist Zach Lowy has also been left particularly enamoured by the Italy international’s ability to create chances for his teammates in the past, singling him out for praise last April.

That said, with Gvardiol and O’Reilly already on the books, and the move for Ait-Nouri seemingly advancing well, there are doubts over whether the full-back would be a necessary signing for Man City.

£67m is a huge asking price for any player, and it may be wise to invest the money into other areas of the squad, perhaps between the sticks, having been keen on signing an Ederson replacement for quite some time, and City have a number of options in mind.

Goalkeeper

Current club

Potential cost

Gianluigi Donnarumma

PSG

£25m+

Joan Garcia

Espanyol

£21m

Diogo Costa

FC Porto

£51m

Senne Lammens

Royal Antwerp

£21m

All-round contributions from Luke Wells, George Balderson see Foxes well beaten

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024Lancashire 162 (Wells 35, Currie 4-25) beat Leicestershire 137 for 9 (Patel 43, Balderson 2-15) by 25 runsLancashire Lightning continued their strong start to the North Group by making it five wins from six matches, overcoming Leicestershire Foxes by 25 runs in their Vitality Blast clash at the Uptonsteel County Ground.The group leaders failed to bat out their full 20 overs, dismissed for 162 in 18.5 by a Foxes bowling attack led by seamer Scott Currie’s 4 for 25 and on-loan left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy’s 2 for 25.It was a total that looked potentially a little below par after Lightning’s Luke Wells (35 off 18 balls), Matty Hurst (32 from 24) and veteran Steven Croft (29 from 20) had all been dismissed when threatening to inflict major damage but, in the face of some disciplined Lancashire bowling, Foxes were always behind the required rate.Rishi Patel hit 43 from 31 balls including two sixes, and skipper Peter Handscomb 33 from 26, but only two other batters made it into double figures as Wells (2 for 24 from four overs), George Balderson (2 for 15 from two on his Blast debut) and Luke Wood (1 for 20 from four) returned some mean bowling figures as Foxes were restricted to 137 for 9.Asked to bat first, Lightning had built their innings on the foundation of 65 runs in the powerplay, a decent return even at the cost of three wickets. Josh Hull was involved in all three, holding a good, low catch at short fine leg as Josh Bohannon fell to Wiaan Mulder in the opening over before knocking out Keaton Jennings’s off stump and Tom Bruce’s middle in two superb overs of his own.Wells and Hurst combined to take 23 off Ben Mike’s second over. The pair added 57 in 32 deliveries but Lancashire lost both in close succession as Wells holed out to long-off for 35 of 18 balls and Currie bowled Hurst for 32 off 24.Croft brought Hull back to earth with 19 off an over that cost 24 in total, including a six crashed over cover from a free hit, but another promising Lightning partnership was broken when Balderson (22 from 18), having cleared the long-on boundary off Goldsworthy, attempted a repeat and was caught by Currie, who picked up his second wicket as Croft was leg before.Lancashire needed a big finish but suffered the opposite, failing to bat out their full allocation as their last three wickets fell for 10 runs in 11 deliveries.After Leicestershire’s batting powerplay, though, Lightning were squarely back in the game, pace bowlers Saqib Mahmood and Wood combining to restrict the home side to 31 runs, with Harry Swindells, making his first appearance since his heroic match-winning hundred in last summer’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final, run out for a somewhat tortured 4 from 11 balls.Patel raised the scoring rate with a couple of big sixes against Wells and Blatherwick but his departure via an uppercut to backward point left the Foxes 66 for 2 at halfway, needing 97 and 13 off the pace according to the Duckworth Lewis Stern calculation.As scoreboard pressure built, Handscomb – dropped on 26 – and then Louis Kimber fell trying to clear the boundary off Balderson, Mulder falling in similar fashion off Wood.Ben Cox was bowled with a swing and a miss off Green, Rehan Ahmed likewise off the spin of Wells, who found a way past Mike’s attempted sweep two balls later. A requirement of 59 from the last five overs had turned into 43 off 12 deliveries when Goldworthy top-edged Mahmood to be ninth out and an impossible 32 off the last over.

Player of the Match Bumrah lauds India’s bowlers for keeping calm even as conditions eased out for batting

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-20243:15

Kirsten: ‘Pakistan made poor decisions at important phases’

Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten has put the team’s defeat down to poor decision-making, after they had “the game for 35 of 40 overs”, while Jasprit Bumrah commended the calmness shown by India’s bowling unit even though the conditions eased out for batting.”Disappointing loss, that’s for sure,” Kirsten said. “I knew 120 was not going to be an easy target. If India got only 120, it was always going to be not the easiest. But I think we had the game at 72 for 2 with six or seven overs left. Disappointing not to get across the line from the position we got ourselves into.”Kirsten was asked where the game slipped from their hands. “Decision-making,” he said. “Maybe not so great decision making. You have got the game on, run a ball, eight wickets in hand, decision making at that point. That’s the game. That’s international cricket for you. You make mistakes like that, you are going to pay. I thought we made some poor decisions at important phases of the game. I thought Rizwan played well for us. We knew it was going to be a tough wicket to bat on. We managed the chase very well but then just let it slip in the end.”Related

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Mohammad Rizwan scored 31 off 44 but fell trying to slog the first ball of a new Bumrah spell. Bumrah went on to win his second Player-of-the-Match award in two matches.”The biggest positive for us was the calmness because when we were batting in the morning, there was a lot more help,” Bumrah said. “And when we started bowling, the skies cleared up and the ball stopped seaming and there wasn’t a lot of lateral movement. So, we had to be more consistent and more accurate and we as a unit were very calm and very clear on what we wanted to do. So, we are very happy that as a unit we were able to contribute and created that pressure and then we were able to get the win.”Bumrah said taking the emotion out of his bowling helps him.”I was trying to focus on what is the best option over here on a wicket like this,” he said. “How do I make shot-making difficult? What are the best options for me? So that way, I try to stay in the present and focus on what I have to do. Because if I look at the outside noise, if I look at people and pressure and emotion takes over, then things don’t really work for me. So, I was trying to do that, trying to create my own bubble, and trying to focus on that and try to put my best foot forward.”Kirsten knows Pakistan’s chances of making it to the Super Eight now rely on other teams’ results, but he also knows they need to improve a lot to even rely on other teams to push them through.”It wasn’t a small total on that wicket,” Kirsten said. “It was a good total. We knew that. But we have still got a chance in this tournament. We are still hopeful that things can play into our hands. Obviously we have got to play a lot better cricket than we are playing. It just comes down to executing our skills together as batters and bowlers. We had that game for 35 of the 40 overs. We played good cricket, we did everything we needed to.”Kirsten said he needed some time to start getting the best out of the players. “Everyone’s responsible,” he said. “We accept the loss and we take the heat because the team has not done well. And we will do what we can to try and rectify it. I have been here for 12 days so it is a new journey for me understanding the players that are going to win games for Pakistan, which is what you are looking for.”

Liverpool have been busy already in the 2025 summer transfer window. It has been a remarkable show of intent from Arne Slot’s team, who, as defending champions, are making a clear step towards strengthening their side to defend the Premier League next season.

Jeremie Frimpong has already joined the club, and a deal for Florian Wirtz cannot be more than a few days away now. Fabrizio Romano gave the move his famous “here we go” confirmation, citing the price of the move as £128m including add-ons.

With that much money spent on the German star, you might think there is not enough money left for the Reds to spend.

However, a recent report implies they could splash the cash even more.

Liverpool's next big signing earmarked

If Liverpool were to spend big after signing Wirtz, it would be a huge statement to the rest of the Premier League, and arguably make them favourites to retain their crown. There certainly seems to be money left for another marquee addition.

That player could be Alexander Isak of Newcastle United.

Transfer Focus

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

At least, that is according to a recent report from Lewis Steele, the Daily Mail’s Merseyside-based reporter. The journalist explained that a move for Isak could materialise and that he ‘wouldn’t completely rule it out’ this summer.

However, unsurprisingly, this is not a deal that would come cheap for the newly-crowned Premier League champions. Steele explained that ‘Newcastle don’t want to sell him for cheap’, before naming a ‘ballpark figure’ starting at around £130m and reaching as much as £140m.

That makes any move extremely unlikely but TEAMtalk do reveal that the Swede is Liverpool’s number one striker target this summer.

How Wirtz could improve Alexander Isak

There is a very strong case to be made that 25-year-old is the best number nine in the Premier League. He was sensational last season for Eddie Howe’s side, helping claw them into a Champions League spot.

Last season for the Magpies, Isak played 34 Premier League games, scoring 23 goals and registering six assists. No striker managed to find the back of the net more often, and Mohamed Salah, Isak’s teammate if he moves to Anfield, was the only player to bag more.

Of course, Liverpool know all too well the dangers that Isak has to offer, having been on the receiving end of his goal threat plenty.

In six matches against the Reds in his career, the Sweden international has scored four goals and grabbed an assist. One of those strikes came in the Carabao Cup final in 2025.

The Anfield faithful could be in dreamland if they get to see Wirtz and Isak link up next season. The Bayer Leverkusen star has been in sensational form in 2024/25, with 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 games for the German side.

The crucial thing there is the assist number. At just 22 years of age, Wirtz is already a player who creates an obscene number of goals for his side. However, if you combine him with a player as good as Isak, who is a natural killer in front of goal, he may only get better.

The assist below is an excellent example of how the two new potential Liverpool recruits can combine.

With Wirtz receiving the ball out on the left, he is able to beat the defender and play a perfectly weighted pass to Patrick Schick, who scores.

Now, imagine the passage of play takes place in Liverpool colours at Anfield, with Wirtz’s pass going to Isak, and it is not hard to see why the pair could become unstoppable. The deadly striker could turn his potential new teammate into an even better creative force in the final third.

Isak’s stats from the Premier League last term via FBRef are exceptional, too. The Sweden international ranks highly for most metrics, including goals per shot on target, which was 0.46 each game, showing just how efficient he is with his shooting.

Isak key stats and rank in 2024/25 PL season
Stat (per 90)	Isak number	Percentile vs. PL strikers
Goals and assists	0.95	97th
Expected goals	0.66xG	94th
Shots on target	1.34	83rd
Goals per shot on target	0.46	88th
Goal-creating actions	0.46	88th
Stats from FBref

There is no doubt that £140m is a huge investment for Liverpool, on top of the money they already spent on Wirtz. However, Isak is an “elite” striker, as Statman Dave said, and he could make this Liverpool side virtually unbeatable.

If this is a deal they get over the line, it would be a huge statement of intent, and a signing that could make Wirtz even better, too.

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Might Unai Emery be preparing for life at Aston Villa without mercurial striker Ollie Watkins?

The Englishman has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, according to a report from the Athletic earlier this week.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

54

17

14

2023/24

53

27

15

2022/23

40

16

6

2021/22

36

11

2

2020/21

40

16

5

He is valued at around £60m by Villa and the report says that a deal would only develop towards the end of the transfer window.

Emery will be keen on bringing in a potential replacement or two should Watkins seek a move elsewhere, that’s for sure.

Could the Spaniard reignite a swoop for a player he was aiming to sign last summer?

Aston Villa’s search for a forward

Across the transfer window so far, Villa have been linked with various forwards. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson emerged as a target, as too Porto sensation Samu Aghehowa.

Transfer Focus

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

Much depends on how much Emery will need to spend to sign either one this summer, as the club could be priced out of moves for both.

As such, he has returned to a target whom the club came close to signing last summer. According to reports in Turkey (via Sport Witness), Villa are once again chasing a move for Semih Kılıçsoy, with talks having got underway.

The Besiktas forward looked like he could join Villa last year, but the Turkish outfit rejected their offer. 12 months later, however, the youngster might well seal his dream move.

Besiktas are looking for offers in the region of €15m (£13m) and this would allow Emery to sign a talented striker for a knockdown price. Could he become his new Watkins at Villa?

Why Aston Villa must sign Semih Kılıçsoy

Since joining Villa in 2020, the former Brentford striker has racked up 87 goals and 42 assists across 223 matches for the club.

Last season, he netted 16 Premier League goals, yet this was down from his tally of 19 the season prior.

He will turn 30 in December and if Emery can get £60m for him, it would be a shrewd piece of business.

Kılıçsoy, on the other hand, is only 19 and has an extraordinarily bright future ahead. He made his breakthrough in the 2023/24 campaign, registering 12 goals and three assists for Besiktas, emerging as one of the next big talents in European football.

Progress stalled slightly last term, as only eight goal involvements were recorded, but it looks as though a fresh start is required for the teenager.

Hailed as part of the “golden trio” alongside Mustafa Hekimoğlu and Demir Ege Tıknaz by talent scout Jacek Kulig in August 2024, Kılıçsoy has the potential to be a wonderful signing for Villa.

When compared to his peers in the Europa League last term, the Turkish starlet not only ranked in the top 12% for shot-creating actions (3.46), but he also ranked in the top 9% for successful take-ons (1.95) per 90 in the competition.

While goals and assists are his trademarks, the teenager can also dribble effortlessly into dangerous areas and create chances for others.

He is certainly still raw, but as long-term prospects go, Kılıçsoy is as exciting as they come.

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يخوض منتخب مصر، بقيادة مديره الفني حسام حسن، مباراة مصيرية أمام بوركينا فاسو، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع بوركينا فاسو، على ملعب الأخير، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثامنة من عمر مباريات المجموعة الأولى لـ تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم.

طالع| تشكيل منتخب مصر أمام بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم.. محمد صلاح ومرموش في الهجوم

ويسعى منتخب مصر، إلى الفوز من أجل حسم التأهل بشكل رسمي إلى نهائيات بطولة كأس العالم القادمة لتكون المرة الرابعة في تاريخ الفراعنة.

ويتصدر منتخب مصر حاليًا ترتيب المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 19 نقطة، بعد مرور 7 جولات، فاز في 6 وتعادل في لقاء.

طالع | موعد القنوات الناقلة لـ مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

ويتضح من التدريبات الأخيرة للمنتخب أنه من المتوقع أن يشهد تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع لمباراة بوركينا فاسو، تواجد ثلاثي في خط الدفاع، رامي ربيعة مع خالد صبحي ومحمد ربيعة، كما يفضل حسام حسن الدفع بـ محمود صابر مع مروان عطية في وسط الملعب بدلًا من أحمد سيد زيزو وحمدي فتحي المصاب.

ويقود هجوم الفراعنة، الثنائي محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول الإنجليزي مع عمر مرموش لاعب مانشستر سيتي. تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام بوركينا فاسو اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد حمدي ورامي ربيعة وخالد صبحي ومحمد ربيعة ومحمد هاني.

خط الوسط: مروان عطية ومحمود صابر وتريزيجيه.

خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش

Thomas Frank hasn’t been short of talented attackers during his time as a manager, hoping to attract similar talent during his stint as Tottenham Hotspur boss.

The Dane has overseen the development of the likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, with the trio sitting at the top for most Premier League goals scored in the Bees’ history.

Toney left in a big-money deal to move to Saudi Arabia last summer, but Mbeumo is also expected to follow suit, as a £70m deal to join Manchester United appears to be edging closer.

Frank even tried to convince the Cameroonian international to move to North London with him, but the winger stated his desire to move to Ruben Amorim’s side instead.

Such a decision has left the new Lilywhites’ boss with the challenge of landing a new star forward, already making huge waves in the transfer market to potentially land his next big talent in the final third.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new attacking talent this summer

Antoine Semenyo was seen as one of Spurs’ biggest targets in this transfer window a couple of weeks ago, with real belief they could land the Ghanaian if they offered £65m for his signature.

However, it looks as though they are set to miss out on a deal to land the Bournemouth star, after he put pen to paper on a new five-year deal, which will see him remain at the Vitality until 2030.

Such a decision has seen other targets being considered, with West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus someone who’s been mentioned nonstop in recent days.

However, CaughtOffside’s latest update has stated the Hammers star has emerged as the Lilywhites’ number one target this summer, despite having a £85m release clause in his current deal.

It also states that the hierarchy are willing to back the manager in his quest within the market, seeing the 24-year-old as a statement signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, potentially able to negotiate a deal at around the £70m mark.

Why Spurs’s number one target could be Frank’s answer to Bale

Gareth Bale was a player who was responsible for countless moments of magic during his spell as a Spurs player, reaching levels that no supporter could ever have imagined.

The Welshman joined the club from Southampton back in 2007, originally as a left-back, before making the shift up the field into a winger – a decision that would transform his career tenfold.

In his three years at the Lilywhites, operating in a more attacking role, he registered 50 goals and 26 assists, resulting in an £85m transfer to join Spanish giants Real Madrid back in the summer of 2013.

12 years on from his departure, the club have lacked a real elite-level right-sided attacker, but that could be about to change this summer with a move for Kudus, who possesses some similar traits to the Welshman.

The biggest one is his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, subsequently being able to fire the ball into the back of the net – having the ability to hand the fanbase the chance to get off their seats when he’s on the ball.

His underlying stats in 2024/25 are just as impressive, with such figures certainly helping him reach his tally of five goals and four assists across all competitions.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “generational” by journalist Gary Al-Smith, completed 3.2 take-ons per 90 in the Premier League last season, showcasing his ability to drive inside past the opposition.

Games played

32

Goals & assists

8

Shot on target accuracy

28%

Pass accuracy

84%

Take-ons completed

3.2

Carries into final third

2.1

Carries into opposition box

1.5

Fouls won

2.2

He also registered 1.5 carries into the opposition box per 90, subsequently able to go round the outside of the full-back before cutting the ball back to a teammate and providing them with the tools for success too.

The Ghanaian’s talents don’t stop there, managing to get 28% of his shots on target, whilst also winning 2.2 fouls per 90, highlighting how much of a threat he poses to the opposition.

If the club can land the West Ham star this summer, it would be a tremendous piece of business, having the opportunity to develop further given the fact he’s just 24 years of age.

Should Kudus manage to get anywhere near the levels produced by Bale in North London, it would be a bargain transfer, subsequently allowing Frank to have his next attacking star in 2025/26.

Upgrade on Kudus & Eze: Spurs in contact to sign "world-class" £43m star

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be plotting moves for various attackers during this summer window.

5 ByEthan Lamb Jul 1, 2025

Everton are in the infancy of their summer transfer window plans but could be about to step things up a notch after making an approach for a Club World Cup star, according to reports.

Everton close in on Thierno Barry and announce new contract

David Moyes and his side have been slow off the mark this summer as they take time to assess where to strengthen before advancing, though supporters will be relieved to hear the Toffees are closing in on a deal to sign Villarreal striker Thierno Barry.

Set to arrive for around £30 million, he could kickstart a period of significant change for Everton as they finally begin to experience life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Michael Keane has also put pen to paper on a one-year extension on Merseyside and will help shore up Moyes’ backline after rejecting interest from elsewhere to stay at the club.

Upon renewing his terms, the 32-year-old stated: “I love Everton and have been massively proud to play for this club since the day I joined so I’m delighted to extend my stay here. The manager wants a competitive squad and I still feel I have a lot to give to Everton.

“We’ve been through a difficult few years but it’s an exciting time ahead for us as players and our brilliant fans. We’ve got a world-class new stadium to play in, and our form under the manager last season shows there’s a lot of reasons to be positive. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

Everton’s first five Premier League matches

Leeds United (A)

Elland Road

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Aston Villa (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

While some things stay the same, Everton’s latest target could open up the possibility of a change in the guard involving a key position if reports are to be believed.

Everton rival Man Utd for Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor

According to Globo, Everton have made an approach to sign Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor to compete with Jordan Pickford for a starting slot after losing Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia this summer.

Manchester United are also keen on his services, and both clubs have moved to sound out his camp over a potential swoop amid recent reports he may be available for only £6 million.

Related Everton hold advanced talks to sign "superb" free agent in bargain deal

The Toffees have stepped things up…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jul 5, 2025

Labelled a “warrior” by Botafogo counterpart Philipe Sampaio, John has kept ten clean sheets in 29 appearances this campaign and was instrumental in Botafogo’s run to the last 16 stage of the Club World Cup.

Naturally, his displays have created a wealth of interest in his services, though it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to battle it out with club icon Pickford for the number one jersey under Moyes.

Either way, Everton are beginning to motor in their hunt for signings, and it feels like the Friedkin Group’s reign in charge could be about to take off.