Glasgow Rangers are now “hopeful” of signing a £75,000-a-week Leicester City player alongside midfielder Joe Rothwell, according to a recent Ibrox transfer report.
Rangers are close to signing Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth
It has been a busy time of late for the Gers, as they finally found their successor to Philippe Clement in the form of Russell Martin and have since added their first addition, with Max Aarons joining on loan from AFC Bournemouth.
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Martin and the Gers have now returned to the Cherries to complete another signing. According to Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam, Rangers have agreed a deal with Bournemouth to sign Rothwell on a permanent basis, despite the fact the midfielder did have offers to move to La Liga.
It isn’t clear how much the Gers are willing to spend on the midfielder, but given he has entered the final year of his contract at Bournemouth, it is probably for a relatively low fee. The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Leeds United, where he played 36 times in the Championship, as the Whites secured the title to seal promotion back to the Premier League.
Before his stint in Yorkshire, Rothwell spent the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan at Southampton, where he worked with Martin and helped the Saints to promotion to the Premier League. The pair are now set to work together once again, this time in Scotland.
Rangers "hopeful" of signing £75K-p/w Conor Coady
As the Gers close in on a deal for Rothwell, according to STV Sports presenter Raman Bhardwaj, Rangers remain “hopeful” they can get a deal agreed to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City.
It was reported a couple of days ago by the Daily Record that talks are ongoing between both Rangers and the Foxes over a deal for Coady. The England international is under contract at the King Power Stadium until 2026, but it isn’t clear how much Leicester are asking for to sell the defender, as they are not willing to let him leave for free.
As well as agreeing a deal with Leicester, the Gers have also got to agree personal terms with the former Everton and Wolves defender, as he reportedly earns £75,000 a week at the King Power Stadium.
Apps
22
Starts
19
Goals
1
Clean sheets
2
Interceptions per game
0.6
Tackles per game
0.6
Balls recovered per game
2.8
Ground duels won
0.7 (53%)
Aerial duels won
0.6 (37%)
Total duels won
1.3 (45%)
The Scottish giants do already have a few options at the heart of their defence, but given how far behind they were of Celtic last season, Martin obviously feels he needs more experience and leadership qualities in his defence.
Coady’s struggles at Leicester continued last season, as he only played 22 times in the Premier League, and a lot of those appearances came towards the back end of the season under Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has now left. A move to Scotland may make sense for Coady now, as he looks to continue playing at a high level as long as he can.
Looking to finally seal their second signing of the summer, INEOS have now reportedly submitted a “new” £60m+ offer for Manchester United to sign an attacking reinforcement who has been likened to Kevin De Bruyne.
INEOS keen to get Man Utd deals done by pre-season
Having already welcomed Matheus Cunha to get their summer plans off to the perfect start, Manchester United are now targeting a number of further much-needed reinforcements. And INEOS want things wrapped up fairly quickly ahead of the next campaign. According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, Manchester United are trying to get their business done by the time that pre-season commences on 7 July.
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Man United have wanted to sign this “superstar” forward for a while.
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That gives those at Old Trafford around two weeks to seal any further business and assemble a squad capable of instant improvement under Ruben Amorim next season. It, therefore, comes as little surprise to see the rumours already coming thick and fast as to who the Red Devils could welcome in the next fortnight.
One of the most prominent names on that front has been Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine shot-stopper could be among those shown the door in the Midlands as Villa attempt to comply with PSR rules and Manchester United are reportedly lying in wait.
A World Cup winner and one of the more experienced Premier League goalkeepers these days, there’s no doubt that Martinez would be an instant upgrade on Onana. But he’s not the only one who could arrive in the next two weeks after INEOS reportedly submitted a new bid to sign an impressive attacking reinforcement.
Man Utd submit "new" £60m+ Mbeumo offer
According to Fabrizio Romano, INEOS have submitted a “new” £60m+ offer to sign Bryan Mbeumo for Manchester United this summer. The player is reportedly prioritising a move to Old Trafford this summer and talks are ongoing with Brentford as all parties attempt to reach an agreement for his signature.
Alongside Cunha, Mbeumo could finally transform United’s attack, which often struggled when forced to rely on the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last season.
Whilst both players were struggling for the Red Devils, Cunha and Mbeumo were thriving for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford with the latter particularly standing out – scoring 20 Premier League goals.
Brentford's BryanMbeumoreacts
Mbeumo earned high praise as a result and has even been likened to Manchester City legend and recent Napoli signing De Bruyne by Football Transfers.
The Brentford star won’t come cheap but all signs point towards a player who would finally live up to the hype at Old Trafford.
It’s been a jam-packed summer for Chelsea so far this year.
On top of making it through to the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup, the Blues have already been very active in the transfer window.
Enzo Maresca’s side have bought in a number of young talents to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with perhaps the most exciting so far being Liam Delap.
However, in exciting news, the club appear close to securing the services of another young star who could be an even bigger talent than the former Ipswich Town star.
Chelsea target young talents
So far this summer, Chelsea seem to be continuing their habit of targeting young, up-and-coming talents, with names like Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho linked with them over the last few weeks.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, with the former now looking set to join Barcelona and the latter not exactly the most popular candidate, thanks to how things appear to have ended at Manchester United, the Blues have also looked at a host of other youngsters.
Fortunately, the West Londoners now appear to be closing in on one of those prospects, someone who’s arguably a bigger talent than Delap: Jamie Gittens.
Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing the Borussia Dortmund star.
In fact, the Italian journalist has revealed that an “agreement is getting closer” as the two sides continue their talks over the player in the US.
Jamie Gittens
A price is not mentioned in the update, but according to other reports from this week, it looks increasingly likely that the Englishman will cost around £55m.
It might be a lot of money for a 20-year-old, but based on his ability and potential, it could be worth it, especially as he might be a bigger talent than Delap.
How Gittens compares to Delap
So, the first thing to say is that both youngsters look destined for brilliant careers at the very top of the game, but if we had to come down on who we think is just about the bigger talent, it would be Gittens, and there are a few reasons why.
The first is that, while the former Ipswich Town gem was honing his skills in the Championship last season, the Dortmund prospect was making a name for himself in the Bundesliga and even made seven appearances in the Champions League, despite being just 19 years old.
Moreover, this season, when both players were competing in one of Europe’s top five leagues alongside other competitions, the 20-year-old prospect was, in fact, more effective for the German outfit than the 22-year-old was for the Tractor Boys.
Jamie Gittens
For example, the “explosive” Reading-born winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances, totalling 2,803 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 164.88 minutes.
In contrast, the Winchester-born poacher scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2,670 minutes, for the Suffolk side this year, which comes out to a goal involvement every 190.71 minutes.
Finally, when we examine their underlying numbers, it becomes impossible to ignore just how much better the talented winger fares than his potential new teammate.
For example, not only does he do better in the most critical attacking metrics, like non-penalty goals plus assists and key passes, but also tackles, blocks and interceptions, so he can be trusted to contribute to the dirty work while also impacting play at the sharp end of the pitch.
Non-Penalty G+As
0.56
0.42
Progressive Passes
2.13
1.04
Progressive Carries
5.74
2.12
Shots
2.64
2.29
Shots on Target
1.22
1.01
Expected Assists
0.21
0.05
Passing Accuracy
76.5%
61.3%
Key Passes
1.07
0.73
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.22
0.21
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.20
0.00
Shot-Creating Actions
3.70
2.15
Goal-Creating Actions
0.51
0.24
Tackles
1.57
0.38
Tackles Won
0.96
0.28
Blocks
0.81
0.28
Interceptions
0.51
0.07
Clearances
0.20
0.97
Successful Take-Ons
3.91
1.39
Carries into the Final Third
2.84
1.60
Carries into the Penalty Area
3.20
1.04
Ultimately, both Delap and Gittens will be excellent players for Chelsea, but as things stand, the latter appears to be a more promising talent than the 22-year-old striker.
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Chelsea – as ever – are likely to spend big this summer on new additions…
It’s all gone a bit quiet at Rangers recently, hasn’t it? Russell Martin was unveiled as the new manager a week ago but, since then, very little to report from Ibrox, with supporters eager to see a new signing or two through the door.
Southampton manager Russell Martin.
On Tuesday, Rangers will learn the identity of their first opponents of the Martin era, with a Champions League second round qualifier to come, a tie coming up as soon as 22/23 July.
Needing to act fast in the transfer market, could the Gers be about to make a big splash?
Rangers targeting a new midfielder
A range of youth and experience could be targeted by the new manager this summer. Jamie Vardy has already been touted with a move to Ibrox, but he’s not the only Premier League stalwart in the club’s crosshairs.
According to a report by Mick Brown of Football Insider, Rangers are ‘considering’ a move to sign midfielder Christian Eriksen this summer, believing he could ‘play an orchestrating role’.
The 33-year-old is a free agent, having left Manchester United following the expiration of his contract, but still showed his quality in a Denmark shirt this week, scoring against both Northern Ireland in Parken and then Lithuania in Odense during friendly victories for de Rød-Hvide.
So, despite his age, data analyst David O’Brien believes Eriksen is still a “world-class playmaker”, so signing him would represent a massive coup for Rangers, albeit salary could be a stumbling block, considering he was earning £150k-per-week at Manchester United, according to Capology.
Nevertheless, his arrival would get the Ibrox faithful excited, especially considering he would be reminiscent of a fans’ favourite from yesteryear.
How Eriksen could emulate Brian Laudrup at Rangers
A certain Brian Laudrup joined Rangers from Fiorentina for £2.3m in the summer of 1994, and this was certainly a solid investment, widely considered to be amongst Rangers’ greatest players of modern times, as well as one of their most ‘gifted and talented entertainers’.
Eriksen’s fellow countryman, who had won the European Championship against all odds two years earlier, played 150 times for the Light Blues, scoring 44 goals, winning three league titles, the Scottish Cup, a League Cup and was named SFWA Footballer of the Year twice, before being inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Derek Clark of the Rangers Review labels Laudrup the greatest ever player to grace Scottish football, while Craig Williams of Football Scotland outlines how the ‘special’ Denmark international is a bona fide club legend.
So, could Eriksen have a similar impact to that of his compatriot?
Well, at his best, Adam Smith of Sky Sports argued that Eriksen was the ‘Premier League’s best creative midfielder’, while Duncan Alexander of Opta’s the Analyst agrees, labelling him ‘one of the most effective attacking midfielders’ in Premier League history having racked up 81 assists in the competition’s history.
Premier League
310
55
81
Champions League
53
7
14
Europa League
55
10
14
FA & EFL Cups
41
11
12
Denmark national team
144
46
34
Having made 649 club appearances for Ajax, Tottenham, Inter, Brentford and Manchester United, Eriksen does boast serious pedigree, just as Laudrup did.
However, at 33 years old, there could be concerns that he is over the hill. Well, let’s assess his statistics from this season to find out if that is the case.
Minutes
1,737
16th
Goals
5
7th
Assists
5
5th
Goals – xG
+1
3rd
Goals per shot
0.15
4th
Progressive passes
77
9th
Key passes
47
4th
Shot-creating actions
84
6th
Goal-creating actions
12
4th
As the table outlines, despite only featuring in 31.6% of Manchester United’s total minutes this season, Eriksen was actually one of their most-impressive performers, ranking highly for goals and assists, as well as metrics relating to chance creation, passing and shooting accuracy.
Christian Eriksen
Following the Red Devils’ victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season, Eriksen said about his future “we’ll see”, adding “there’s options” but nothing has been decided just yet, possibly opening the door to a move to Glasgow.
It’s certainly ambitious, but Rangers do have a history when it comes to recruiting Great Danes, and Eriksen would certainly make an impact, should he choose to make the move to Govan.
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Chelsea are leading the race for a £67m “monster”, and they are now pushing hard to get a deal over the line, according to reports.
Blues set sights on another striker after Delap
The Blues are looking to make improvements to their squad prior to the Club World Cup later this month, and they now appear to be closing in on an early deal for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with the signing set to be announced imminently.
However, perhaps given that Delap is still relatively inexperienced, the Blues remain keen on bringing in another striker this summer, and they continue to battle it out for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.
RB Leipzig centre-forward Benamin Sesko is another name to have regularly been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, and a report from Caught Offside has now revealed that Chelsea are leading the race for the Slovenian, alongside competition from Arsenal.
Leipzig are set to hold out for a fee of €80m (£67m) for Sesko, with the Blues among the frontrunners, having identified the 22-year-old as the perfect fit for BlueCo’s long-term project, given his eye for goal and raw power.
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The Gunners could provide competition for the striker’s signature, however, with Mikel Arteta believed to be a fan, and sporting director Andrea Berta has already held direct talks with the German club over a potential deal.
"Monster" Sesko could be fantastic signing for Chelsea
The deal for Delap may well be edging closer to completion, but it would not be a bad idea to bring in another top striker this summer, and the Blues are now believed to be pushing hard to get a deal for the Leipzig star over the line.
With Enzo Maresca’s side set to return to the Champions League next season, the manager could do with greater strength in depth, and the Slovenia international is held in high regard by scout Ben Mattinson, who described him as a “monster”.
The 6-foot-5 forward also maintained a solid record in front of goal throughout the 2024-25 campaign, regularly finding the back of the net in all the competitions he featured in for Leipzig.
Competition
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Bundesliga
33
13
5
Champions League
8
4
0
DFB-Pokal
4
4
1
As such, Sesko could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, as they look to build on the 2024-25 campaign and start competing for major trophies once again.
It’s been an extremely long time coming, but after eight years outside of the Premier League promised land, Sunderland are finally back.
Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats would go on to stun Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United 2-1 at Wembley courtesy of a last-gasp effort from Tommy Watson, with the tense tie looking to be going in the favour of the Blades, before a remarkable Sunderland comeback was kick-started.
Now, an exciting summer awaits the newly promoted side as they attempt to land some statement deals ahead of the challenge of top-flight football.
One deal that will go through is Enzo Le Fee joining Le Bris’ camp permanently after his standout loan stint more than helped the Wearside outfit seal a dramatic path back up to the Premier League.
Le Fee's heroics at Sunderland
Whilst the skilful Frenchman didn’t pick up a goal or an assist at Wembley, he would still prove his worth during the two semi-final clashes versus Coventry when collecting two assists.
Therefore, nobody will be up in arms about the Black Cats having to fork out £20m to land Le Fee for good, with that fee coming in as a mandatory amount to fork out if the high-flyers were to win promotion.
There will also be an expectation in the air that Le Fee can deliver when making the gigantic leap-up, considering he does have plenty of top-flight experience in his native France up his sleeve with soon-to-be ex-side Lorient, when tallying seven goals and 14 assists from 132 Ligue 1 encounters.
Moreover, despite only being 25 years of age, the entertaining number 28 is arguably one of the more senior members of Le Bris’ promotion-winning side, meaning he shouldn’t hopefully fold when the Premier League spotlight is beamed onto him.
1. GK – Anthony Patterson
25
2. RB – Trai Hume
23
3. CB -Daniel Ballard
25
4. CB – Luke O’Nien
30
5. LM – Dennis Cirkin
23
6. RM – Chris Rigg
17
7. CM – Dan Neil
23
8. CM – Jobe Bellingham
19
9. LM – Romaine Mundle
22
10. ST – Enzo Le Fee
25
11. ST – Eliezer Mayenda
20
To help calm down the inexperienced team’s nerves more, Sunderland could go all in to land this former star who knows the Premier League inside out.
The incredible signing Sunderland could make
The Black Cats will already be up against it reentering the top-flight, with the last six teams that went up all coming straight back down miserably.
Therefore, if Sunderland are able to win back the services of former homegrown ace Jordan Henderson – with Football Insider reporting a return could be on the cards – they should go full steam ahead to snap him up, with this signing potentially as exciting as Le Fee’s was when he surprisingly entered the building in the second tier.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson
Henderson, before his career fell somewhat to the wayside in Saudi and now at Ajax, was the heartbeat of many a successful Liverpool side in the daunting division, skippering the side to Premier League and Champions League glory.
Jurgen Klopp referred to the midfield veteran as “incredible” during their memorable days together at Anfield, with the 34-year-old’s numbers below speaking for themselves in terms of how he could offer plenty of know-how.
Games played
492
Goals scored
33
Assists
58
Premier League titles
1x
Champions Leagues
1x
Footballer of the Year
1x
So good has Henderson been at the top level that he amazingly picked up a Footballer of the Year accolade at the close of the 2019/20 season, with a hope now that the former Reds captain can roll back the years upon his potential return to the Stadium of Light.
Indeed, with Sunderland in need of a calming and steady presence to complement the more livewire figures of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg and the attack-focused Le Fee, the local lad would be the dream addition for Louis-Dreyfus and Co as they enter a new dawn.
Surely a return to your hometown club on the eve of their first Premier League season in eight years is motivation enough to get back to your dominating best, with this deal perhaps going down as another steal like Le Fee’s if all goes to plan, particularly if he can keep his boyhood side afloat.
Forget Jobe: Sunderland may have their next Jordan Henderson in 8/10 star
Sunderland are finally back in the Premier League after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sheffield United.
Wolverhampton Wanderers know that a couple of their prized assets could very well be sold this summer.
Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause certainly looks like it could be triggered by Manchester United. Elsewhere, Rayan Ait-Nouri has attracted interest from some of Europe’s heavyweights, including Liverpool.
Much will depend on how much money Vitor Pereira will have to spend when the window opens, but there are several players who have already been eyed up.
Wolves plotting move for Premier League youngster
With Wolves having secured their Premier League status weeks ago, one eye has been turned towards the transfer market.
Midfielder Morten Frendrup was linked with a move recently, while defender Dennis Cirkin has also emerged on the club’s radar.
Player
Club signed from
Sam Johnstone
Crystal Palace
Tommy Doyle
Man City
Craig Dawson
West Ham United
Ki-Jana Hoever
Liverpool
Matija Sarkic
Aston Villa
The pair would make solid signings, but it is the Old Gold’s interest in a current Premier League midfielder which could eclipse both deals.
Indeed, according to Caught Offside, the club are plotting a move for Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott, although he could cost around £50m.
Competition comes from Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Bournemouth, indicating how tough a job Pereira has in convincing the Englishman to move to the Wolves.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
How Harvey Elliott could replace Pedro Neto at Wolves
Since selling Pedro Neto last summer, the Molineux side have failed to adequately replace his influence on the right flank.
Neto enjoyed a superb five-year spell with Wolves. Across 135 matches, he scored 14 goals and recorded 27 assists. These figures would have been much more impressive if he hadn’t missed 112 games through a succession of injuries.
This term, Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Forbs and Marshall Munetsi have tried to fill the gap left by Neto, either playing out wide on the right or as a number ten.
But, could Elliott – a left-footed player who thrives on the right – be the ideal candidate to fill the void left by the Portuguese winger?
The Liverpool ace, who can operate either out wide or as an attacking midfielder, has the skillset to finally allow the club to replace one of their former talismans.
Lauded as a “special talent” by former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor, Elliott has demonstrated his attacking qualities over the previous 12 months.
Liverpool'sHarveyElliottcelebrates after winning the Premier League
When compared to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues, the 22-year-old ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, assists, shot-creating actions and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
Additionally, he even ranks in the top 4% for progressive carries, passes and total shots, proving that he has the required abilities to shine for Wolves on the right flank where Neto was such a carry-heavy player himself.
As a left-footed player, Elliott would likely cut in on his stronger foot when he has the ball in the final third.
If given consistent gametime, there is no reason why the Englishman cannot improve his goal-involvement tally at Molineux.
Liverpool's HarveyElliottcelebrates
This season may not have been great, but under a manager who will give him plenty of opportunities in the starting XI, the youngster can sparkle at Wolves.
Wolves flop is now a Ballon d'Or contender and a bigger name than Cunha
Wolverhampton Wanderers must surely rue losing this talent who is now arguably better than Matheus Cunha.
Following a campaign full of attacking struggles and injuries, Arsenal are now reportedly pushing to sign a Serie A talent worth as much as £81m who Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer of.
Arsenal's striker problem explained
Although Bukayo Saka’s mid-season hamstring injury hardly helped their cause, Arsenal’s attack simply hasn’t been sharp enough throughout the current campaign. Even with the best defence in the league statistically, the Gunners have been unable to mount a serious title challenge on Liverpool, who have sealed their Premier League crown with four games to go, and the blame for that lies in Arteta’s frontline.
2024/25
63 (*before Bournemouth)
2023/24
91
2022/23
88
In the last three season that they have competed for the Premier League title, the current campaign has been Arsenal’s worst in front of goal by far and the last four games are unlikely to help change that.
Many have had their say on the Gunners’ goalscoring struggles, including Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher, who said in March: “But the problem they have is not a finishing problem. It’s a creation problem. They don’t create enough chances. That’s the biggest problem that they’ve got right now.”
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The creative maverick could be Arsenal’s missing piece.
ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025
It’s a problem that reared its head against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek and one that Arteta will be desperate to solve ahead of his side’s trip to face the French champions next week. 1-0 down on aggregate, Arsenal have an uphill battle to gain a place in the Champions League final.
At this stage, however, it seems unlikely that Arteta will be able to solve his attacking issues within his current squad. Instead, new sporting director Andrea Berta must turn towards the summer transfer market, which may yet see the arrival of a Serie A talent that Arteta has become convinced by.
Arsenal now pushing to sign £81m Yildiz
According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are now pushing to sign Kenan Yildiz from Juventus this summer with Arteta convinced that the 19-year-old winger can provide a much-needed solution to his side’s offensive troubles. The teenager won’t come cheap, however, given that Juventus have reportedly slapped a hefty €90m (£81m) price-tag on their young star.
Kenan Yildiz
2,223
6
2
48
Bukayo Saka
1,454
6
10
49
Gabriel Martinelli
1,956
7
4
34
Leandro Trossard
2,264
8
5
36
Still just 19 years old, Yildiz’s output may not have exploded into life just yet but the number of key passes that he has managed this season suggests that there’s a creative player there waiting to thrive once at the peak of his powers.
Dubbed “exciting” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Yildiz could find himself at the heart of Arsenal’s frontline for the next decade if he decided to swap Juventus for North London this summer.
Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates
With Arteta already convinced by his talents, it will be interesting to see whether Berta is on the same page in pursuit of the teenage sensation when the summer arrives.
Last night’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain was a game to forget for Arsenal fans.
While Mikel Arteta’s side are still just about in the tie, they were incredibly disappointing against the French Champions, and failed to show any of the grit and determination that saw them get past Real Madrid earlier this month.
There were lacklustre performances across the pitch from the hosts, but arguably the most underwhelming starter was Martin Odegaard, who picked up a 4/10 match rating from the Independent’s Jamie Braidwood and amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of just 0.08, which is unacceptable from the team’s supposed chief creator.
So, fans should be excited about recent reports that have linked the club to one of the most exciting players in Europe, someone who could be a massive Odegaard upgrade.
Arsenal could sign £30m Odegaard upgrade
Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other midfield talents linked with a move to Arsenal ahead of the summer transfer window, such as Oihan Sancet.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Athletic Bilbao ace was touted for a move to the Emirates earlier this month, and it’s not hard to understand why he’d interest the club, as in just 32 appearances this season, he’s scored 17 goals and provided three assists.
In what would be a summer-defining move, the Gunners have also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz this month.
The German international has already racked up a sensational haul of 15 goals and 13 assists in just 42 games for the reigning champions of Germany, although, with a reported price tag of at least £111m, this feels like more of a pipe dream than a realistic transfer, unlike stories around Rayan Cherki.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the French phenom, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and more.
While the level of competition is far from ideal, the good news is that this wouldn’t be a particularly expensive transfer to get done, with the report claiming that Lyon value their star at up to €35m, which is about £30m.
It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Cherki’s immense ability and potential, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he could be the perfect Odegaard upgrade.
How Cherki compares to Odegaard
So, the first thing to say is that while Cherki has primarily played off the right this season, his most played position across his whole career is attacking midfield, and with Bukayo Saka currently Arsenal’s best player, the Frenchman would almost certainly join the club to play in the middle of the park.
Rayan Cherki in action for Lyon
Therefore, his primary competitor for game time would be Odegaard, but how do the pair stack up against one another?
Well, when it comes to their pure output, it’s hardly fair to call it a competition, as the Lyon gem comes out miles ahead.
For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 2894 minutes, the 21-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.32 games or every 93.35 minutes.
In contrast, the Gunners’ captain has scored five goals and provided ten assists in 40 appearances, totalling 3072 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.66 games, or every 204.8 minutes.
Rayan Cherki
Things don’t get any better for the Norwegian international when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers either.
For example, in practically every metric, the “future Ballon d’Or winner,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, comes out on top.
Delving into the other stats, Cherki also comes out on top in metrics such as progressive carries, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90 minutes.
Progressive Passes
9.31
10.2
Progressive Carries
4.17
3.48
Key Passes
3.33
2.47
Shot-Creating Actions
6.23
4.95
Goal-Creating Actions
0.93
0.57
Ball Recoveries
3.92
3.79
Finally, the Lyon-born dynamo is ambipedal, meaning he can use both feet, so he’d be able to effect play across the entire frontline from the attacking midfield role, which in turn could see Gabriel Martinelli get better service out on the left.
Ultimately, Cherki is younger, has better underlying numbers, is an output machine and has the added benefit of being able to use both feet, so if Arsenal have the opportunity to sign him this summer, they should, as he’d be an incredible Odegaard upgrade.
£21m star who agreed to join Arsenal last year teases potential 2025 move
Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy have splashed the cash on a number of attacking players in recent years after losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
The likes of Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson joined in big-money deals from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively, but before the duo moved to north London, Richarlison was a marquee signing from Everton.
Costing in the region of £60m, big things were expected from the Brazilian, but it hasn’t worked out for Richarlison at Tottenham. The attacker, who has been used through the middle and on either wing during his time at Spurs, has also suffered various injury problems and is on the treatment table again as the run-in begins.
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Richarlison did hit double figures for goals in the Premier League last season, but he failed to hit these heights in his other two campaigns for Spurs and was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last year and a return to the Toffees in 2025.
And with Tottenham’s forwards drawing another blank in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in midweek, another striker will surely be on Levy’s wishlist in the summer.
Here, we’ve looked at a handful of centre-forwards Spurs could target to replace Richarlison.
1 Jonathan David Lille
One centre-forward set to be a man in demand this summer is Jonathan David, who is on course to become a free agent at the end of the 2024/25 season.
The Lille star has scored more than 100 goals for his current employers, taking his overall career tally to over 170 goals. He’s been linked with a move to Tottenham in recent times. The Canada international appears to be keen on a move to Barcelona, though, so Spurs may find it difficult to persuade David to move to north London.
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ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025 2 Liam Delap Ipswich Town
Liam Delap has been a shining light in a struggling Ipswich Town side this season and looks set to be on the move even if the Tractor Boys avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The former Man City youngster is into double figures for top-flight goals this season and starred at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 2-1 win for Ipswich in November, grabbing a goal and an assist.
Spurs have since been linked with a move for Delap, who could prove to be a long-term upgrade on Richarlison.
3 Ademola Lookman Atalanta
Atalanta's Davide Zappacosta celebrates scoring their fifth goal with AdemolaLookman
Ademola Lookman appears to be at the peak of his powers and has starred in Italy for Atalanta in recent years, including scoring a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Nigeria international came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic, but struggled to make a telling impact at Everton and RB Leipzig, as well as during loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City.
However, with Atalanta, Lookman has impressed in a new central role as a second striker or as a centre-forward, finding the net regularly in Serie A and the Champions League.
He’s been linked with a Premier League return, and perhaps Spurs should be in the race if they want to replace Richarlison adequately.
4 Mateo Retegui Atalanta
Atalanta's MateoReteguicelebrates with the match ball
Another attacking star playing for Atalanta is Mateo Retegui, who is the current top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals in 28 games at the time of writing.
The Italy international is averaging a goal every 79 minutes and one of the best goal conversion records in the league, resulting in rumours of a £50m move to Arsenal.
At 25 years of age, he could be an ideal replacement for Richarlison, though Spurs may need to act fast if they want his services.
5 Randal Kolo Muani PSG & Juventus
Before signing Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich, Tottenham were heavily linked with a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani, only for the Frenchman to join Juventus on loan.
There is an option for Juventus to make their move for the forward permanent in the summer, but if they don’t and Spurs decide to send Tel back to Bayern with an upgrade on Richarlison on their shopping list, they could look at returning for Kolo Muani.
He scored five goals in his first three games as a Juventus player, showing his quality in front of goal – something Richarlison has struggled with during his time with Spurs.
6 Evann Guessand Nice
Another forward who was recently on Tottenham’s radar was Evann Guessand of Nice, who, at 23 years of age, could be a smart signing in the long term in north London.
Like Richarlison, the Ivory Coast international has played across the front three and is having his best career to date in terms of both goals and assists. He appears to be a star in the making, so Spurs could be on to a winner with Guessand should they go back in for him this summer.
7 Serhou Guirassy Borussia Dortmund
If experience is what Spurs feel they need in the final third, Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy could be the man to replace Richarlison.
The Guinea international was reportedly open to joining Spurs before his move to Dortmund in 2024 and has continued to score goals on a regular occurrence at the Signal Iduna Park.
Now in his late 20s, Guirassy has already scored more than 10 goals in the Bundesliga and 10 in the Champions League this season, so he could be an excellent addition at the right price.
8 Moise Kean Fiorentina
Moise Kean in action for Fiorentina
One forward who already has Premier League experience is Moise Kean, albeit during a period in his career he’d probably want to forget.
While playing alongside Richarlison at Everton, Kean struggled at Goodison Park, but has since found form once again in Italy, firstly with Juventus and now with Fiorentina.
Still only 25 years of age, Kean has already enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his career in 2024/25, and he may feel he has unfinished business in the Premier League.
9 Brian Brobbey Ajax
Spurs reportedly made a late enquiry for Ajax forward Brian Brobbey during the January transfer window, with some claiming he could be a dream addition for Dejan Kulusevski.
A powerful striker who has been dubbed as a future star by many, Brobbey now has more than 50 goals for Ajax in over 150 games, hitting double figures in the last two Eredivisie campaigns.
With Tottenham keen, he could be another to keep an eye on heading into the summer.
10 Lois Openda RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda.
Lois Openda was mooted as an “interesting Richarlison replacement” in 2024, but as we know, a move never materialised.
Plying his trade for RB Leipzig, the Belgium international has continued to impress in the Bundesliga, reaching 21 goals and assists combined in 2024/25 heading into April.
Primarily an out-and-out centre-forward, Openda could form an eye-catching partnership with Solanke, with the former’s pace and the latter’s strength possibly causing havoc for defences.