All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

If we just forget about yesterday afternoon’s rather underwhelming North London Derby – it was just a friendly after all – it would be fair to say this has been a largely positive summer for Arsenal.

Aside from yesterday’s minor blip, Mikel Arteta’s side have looked good on the pitch, and the board have been hard at work in the transfer market off of it.

The North Londoners have made six permanent first-team additions thus far, and while the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke are certainly exciting additions, the most significant is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who finally completed his £63.5m transfer from Sporting CP last week.

However, even then, the club continue to be linked with a host of talented players, including the superb Rodrygo, although they may be wise to opt for another, cheaper international they’ve been linked with, someone who could be described as another Gyokeres.

Arsenal's pursuit of Rodrygo

There is no doubt that one of the most exciting transfer links for Arsenal fans this summer has been to Rodrygo, as the Brazilian international has been at the heart of so much of Real Madrid’s domestic and continental success over the last six years or so.

Transfer Focus

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

However, over the last two and a bit seasons, he has been playing out of his favoured left-wing position, and that, combined with an absurd amount of talent at the Bernabeu, has supposedly seen him become available this summer.

There have been a host of top clubs linked with the 24-year-old so far this summer, and according to reports from earlier in the window, the Gunners are very much interested.

It’s not hard to see why Arteta and Co would be keen to bring him to London, as even when not in his best position, the former Santos gem is still effective.

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 3452 minutes, he was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.08 minutes.

However, with a price tag of up to £86m, according to some reports, Arsenal may want to look elsewhere for an attacker they’ve previously linked with, one who could be described as Gyokeres-esque: Ademola Lookman

Arsenal could sign Lookman instead

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that for much of the last couple of weeks it’s looked like Lookman would be heading to Inter Milan, but as things stand, that move appears to have stalled.

So, with Arsenal already being linked with him several times this window, there is no reason they couldn’t hijack the move.

With that said, three reasons make the Nigerian international a Gyokeres-esque signing, with the first reason being his senior journey.

Like the Swedish international, the former Everton ace spent some time in English football but was never really able to establish himself in the Premier League, as in total, he has a record of just 11 goals and six assists in 96 games across spells with the Toffees, Leicester City and Fulham.

Then, instead of accepting a bit-part role in England, the London-born dynamo decided to move to Europe, joined Atalanta in Serie A and has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine ever since.

Appearances

33

45

40

Minutes

1858′

2809′

2871′

Goals

15

17

20

Assists

8

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.60

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.78′

104.03′

106.33

In fact, in the three seasons he’s spent in Bergamo, the “world-class” star, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has an incredible record of 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

In other words, the 29-capped international has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since joining the Serie A side, which is probably reason enough for the Gunners to consider him over Rodrygo.

Finally, at 27 years old, the Europa League winner is the same age as Gyokeres and should be ready to have an instant impact at the Emirates in a season in which the North Londoners have to win something.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a great signing, but at potentially just £43m and with the incredible record he has, Lookman might just be the better option.

Ian Wright 2.0: Arsenal in talks for PL "magician" who's their "top target"

The international game-changer would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 31, 2025

With all signs currently pointing towards the departure of Alexander Isak this summer, Newcastle United are already reportedly planning how to spend the hefty transfer fee that they’ll receive if the Swede does seal his exit in the coming weeks.

In what has already been a summer transfer window to forget, the last thing that Newcastle needed was the bombshell that Isak sent their way last week. After missing out on Hugo Ekitike at the hands of Liverpool, there would have been plenty of hope that the Magpies would at least keep hold of their own star man. And in truth, it seemed as though that would be the case until Isak, himself, unexpectedly opened the door to a departure this summer.

Now, Liverpool are reportedly expected to make their move for the talented forward and continue a spending spree which is likely to reach the £400m-mark if they welcome Isak this summer. Whilst Arne Slot is left spoilt for choice, Eddie Howe and his transfer team have been forced back to square one for the umpteenth time.

Amid all of their transfer frustration, however, there is some good news for those at St James’ Park. Having identified the goalkeeper position as one that needs upgrading, as Nick Pope continues to fall short of his best form, the Magpies have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Aaron Ramsdale for Southampton.

The former Arsenal man solves one of Howe’s biggest problems and could be the beginning of a change in fortune, given Newcastle’s reported plan if they sell Isak this summer.

Newcastle targeting Barella in post-Isak spending spree

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now plotting a summer swoop to sign Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan in what will be a post-Isak spending spree. The superstar midfielder has been strongly linked with Real Madrid this summer, but their interest seems to have stalled over his price tag reaching €65m (£56m).

Isak is expected to cost any side around £150m ahead of next season, which would hand Newcastle the ultimate freedom to spend. And that’s when they could make their move to hijack Madrid’s interest in Barella.

The Italian would arguably form the Premier League’s most combative midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, with Joelinton also adding depth in that same role. Whilst Howe’s frontline would take a major hit, his midfield could reach a new level entirely courtesy of Isak’s potential departure.

Starts

29

38

Progressive Passes

235

271

Tackles Won

31

47

Ball Recoveries

165

188

Ask Howe to name his perfect midfielder and the answer is likely to be Guimaraes. It’s, therefore, no surprise that Newcastle reportedly have Barella in their sights.

He's like Isak & Wissa: Newcastle in talks to sign "monster" £65m striker

Newcastle United target a new striker as their replacement for Liverpool-bound Alexander Isak

ByWill Miller Jul 30, 2025

In nine less games last season, the Italian almost matched Guimaraes all the way in several key areas. Put them together at the heart of Howe’s side and Newcastle’s midfield – both in and out of possession – could dominate almost every Premier League side.

Sunderland might well have been slapped in the face recently with Armand Lauriente’s move to the club falling through at the last minute, but it’s still been a largely successful transfer window to date, truth be told.

Indeed, the Black Cats of yesteryear, who were marooned in League One, could only dream of the millions now being splashed to upgrade the side all over the pitch, with Habib Diarra the main standout purchase at a club-record £30m fee.

Excited Sunderland supporters had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Diarra in action against Sevilla last Saturday, alongside fellow fresh recruits in the form of Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra, as the Wearside outfit continue to gain more valuable minutes ahead of the brand new Premier League season starting.

However, even with the new signing count coming in at six, it doesn’t look as if Regis Le Bris and Co are done and dusted with all their summer activity just yet, as more rumours are relentlessly churned out.

Sunderland continue negotiations with £22m star

The newly promoted side would love nothing more than to bounce back with another statement deal shortly, off the back of Lauriente’s deal collapsing.

Le Bris could soon welcome in some new defensive bodies to his ever-expanding camp, with ex-Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos reportedly taking up some space on the Premier League side’s rumoured shopping list, alongside Igor Julio being touted to potentially copy Adingra by leaving Brighton and Hove Albion behind for Wearside.

Yet, they aren’t completely done in the attacking positions, either, as journalist Loïc Tanzi now reveals via X that the ambitious Black Cats are locked in negotiations with wantaway Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss over a summer switch.

It’s stated that Sunderland want a cheaper deal than the £22.5m one on the table, which is the Moroccan ace’s release clause, with Nottingham Forest and Villa also named as being in the intense race to land the 21-year-old’s services, alongside admirers from France in the form of AS Monaco.

Once noted as being on Arsenal’s list of targets, too, it’s clear that the Foxes youngster has a bright future in the game away from Leicester’s recent relegation mess, with the 5-foot-11 star ready to take the Premier League by storm under Le Bris’ wing, alongside an equally silky Adingra.

Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Adingra

Much like El Khannouss now being eyed up, Adingra would have been purchased knowing he has what it takes to become an exceptional talent in the Premier League in the long run, having shown significant flashes of his excellence for the Seagulls over his two seasons at the elite level.

Transfer Focus

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

Despite only being gifted 12 Premier League starts last campaign under Fabian Hurzeler, the electric Ivorian would still prove his worth with two goals and two assists coming his way.

His debut season in England also saw him labelled as an “explosive” talent by analyst Ben Mattinson – menace up top from limited opportunities, as seen in his six-goal tally in league action, despite only amassing an xG of 4.31.

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches per game

42.5

Accurate passes per game

42.5 (80%)

Key passes per game

1.3

Big chances created

8

He might well be able to reach these same impressive heights again when partnered next to El Khannouss at the Stadium of Light, therefore, with the Moroccan playmaker going down as a standout creative menace for the Foxes even as they depressingly succumbed to relegation, resulting in El Khannouss coming out of the bleak season with his head held high after creating a hefty eight big chances.

This follows on from the 21-year-old’s mighty haul of 21 big chances being created in total for ex-side Genk in Jupiler Pro League action, with this same flair perhaps coming to the forefront once more if he excels in another relegation-threatened environment at Sunderland.

Adingra would love to latch onto some killer through balls, such as the superb assist he managed above when donning Genk blue, as the pair prepare to terrorise Premier League defences together.

Further lauded as a “sensational prospect” by the aforementioned Mattinson, Le Bris will hope he can get the very best out of El Khannouss as well as Adingra, with any relegation concerns hopefully pushed to one side with ease as a result.

Better than Lauriente: Sunderland make contact to sign "crazy" £34m star

Sunderland could seal a better signing than Armand Lauriente at the Stadium of Light.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 20, 2025

Manchester City have reached an “agreement” over the signing of a talented former Paris Saint-Germain youngster, according to a new update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Man City set to miss out on key target to Spurs

It has already been a productive summer transfer window for Pep Guardiola, who will have known the importance of adding fresh blood to his squad, following a tired-looking 2024/25 season.

The likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki will add quality and youth to the team, but City have suffered a blow regarding Morgan Gibbs-White.

Despite agreeing personal terms with the Nottingham Forest star, it now looks as though the Englishman is off to Tottenham, with the North Londoners triggering the £60m release clause in his contract. A move is expected to be completed in no time at all, with a medical pencilled in for Friday.

Missing out on Gibbs-White would be a setback for City, considering what an excellent season he enjoyed last time round, and it is now a case of them looking at alternative attacking options instead. Now, a fresh claim suggests a different player is now on his way to the Etihad instead.

Man City reach "agreement" and sign ex-PSG youngster

According to Romano on X, Manchester City have signed of young Paris Saint-Germain forward Mahamadou Sangare, with an “agreement” reached over a move to the Etihad after winning the race to snap him up. He has also “signed his contract” with the Sky Blues.

Sangare isn’t necessarily a player who will arrive at City and be a huge player for Guardiola from the off, with his lack of experience making him more of a long-term acquisition.

That’s not to say that he couldn’t be a fantastic signing for the Premier League giants, though, with the France Under-18 international someone with so much potential.

Sangare has scored an incredible 33 goals in just 35 appearances for PSG’s Under-19s, highlighting what an impressive emerging striker he is.

Man City agree personal terms with £60m star but he may now join Tottenham

City are making progress in their pursuit of a midfielder…

ByDominic Lund Jul 10, 2025

Planning for the future is essential for City, ensuring they remain a dominant force in English football for generations to come, and the teenage attacking ace can be a big part of their future.

Everton are starting to make progress on transfers this summer and find themselves ready to put together a package for a solid performer who is now on their radar, according to reports.

Everton close to making first summer signing

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ashley Young were among high-profile departures at Everton this summer, but they are now close to making their first capture of the window.

Reports suggest Villarreal striker Thierno Barry is on his way to the Toffees for a fee in the region of £30 million, while Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic is another potential recruit if they can come to an agreement on a deal to sign the Serbia international.

Defensively, free agent Nicolas Tagliafico is in advanced talks to join Everton after leaving financially unstable former club Lyon at the end of last campaign, providing competition for Vitaly Mykolenko without David Moyes having to take a significant chunk out his budget.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has also claimed that Ipswich Town midfielder Omari Hutchinson could be interested in joining the Toffees after suffering relegation at Portman Road.

He stated: “Privately, the player would love the chance to return to the Premier League. Ipswich, on the other hand, will be hoping to keep hold of him because he’d be a key man for them next season, as they try and win promotion back to the Premier League.”

Gueye upgrade: Everton now preparing bid to sign £75k-p/w "monster"

Everton are interested in signing a Premier League mainstay in a bargain deal this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2025

Later, he added: “There will be Premier League clubs sitting up and taking notice of him, and we know that Everton are in the market for wingers.”

While it remains to be seen if Everton could sign Hutchinson, they are in the market for a goalkeeper from the EFL that could be on the move this summer.

Everton look to sign Sheffield United stopper Michael Cooper

According to reliable reporter Alan Nixon on Patreon, Everton are keen on Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper following his excellent displays for the Blades last term.

The Toffees are ready to pay £5 million plus add-ons to bring the 25-year-old to Merseyside. However, Ruben Selles wants a higher amount and the Exeter-born man is in no hurry to leave unless he has guarantees of first-team football elsewhere.

Michael Cooper’s excellent campaign for Sheffield United – all competitions

Appearances

46

Goals conceded

35

Clean sheets

23

Everton may gain an advantage given he has the same agent as Dwight McNeil and Jake O’Brien, who are also clients of Unique Sports Group alongside Cooper.

Jordan Pickford is the only senior goalkeeper on the books at Finch Farm amid Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia’s departures. Should they act to bring in a supplementary figure to the England international, someone with a 79.6% save percentage in England’s second-tier would be the profile you would want to acquire.

Moyes is beginning to make tracks as his side undergo a rebuild, and Cooper could fit the bill as a progressive signing under the guise of the Friedkin Group.

Arsenal have suddenly sprung to life in the last few days.

For much of the last few weeks, fans were beginning to worry that Mikel Arteta’s side were being left behind by their Premier League rivals like Liverpool and Manchester City, who have been incredibly busy in the transfer window thus far.

However, seemingly out of nowhere, the North Londoners appear to have wrapped up deals for Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and now it looks like they are making progress on a deal to sign Christian Mosquera.

On top of that, the Gunners are now being linked with Crystal Palace’s incredible Eberechi Eze, although there is another international touted for a move to the Emirates this summer, someone who’d be a better signing than the Englishman.

Arsenal target international talent

Considering Arsenal scored 17 goals fewer than eventual Premier League champions Liverpool this season, it’s no surprise that most of their rumoured targets this summer are attacking players, with a real focus on left-wingers, such as Nico Williams and Eze.

Transfer Focus

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

The former looked like he could be the answer to the Gunners’ problems in that area of the pitch, but as things stand today, he looks more likely to move to Barcelona than England.

Eze, on the other hand, does feel like a realistic target, as he’s proven himself in the Premier League for years now and has a release clause worth around £68m in his contract, which would make signing him relatively straightforward.

Yet, if Arteta and Co really want to take the team to the next level this summer and bring in someone who’d represent a real signal of intent, they might be better off signing Rodrygo.

The good news is that they might have the same idea, as, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Gunners are now preparing to make an offer of around €80m for the Brazilian international, which translates to around £68m.

Interestingly, the club want to stagger the payments into three installments, with the first being around €50m and the next two being €15m each, which is something they might not be able to do with the Palace star due to his release clause.

It would still be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s ability, experience and stature in the game, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Eze.

Why Rodrygo would be a better signing than Eze

Okay, the first thing to say is that both players are incredibly talented footballers and would, therefore, make excellent additions to Arsenal’s squad.

After all, their raw output from this season isn’t all that far apart, as the Palace star scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes, while the Real monster produced the same goal involvements in 3448 minutes across 53 games.

However, the first real argument for the latter being the superior player emerges when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.51

0.52

Progressive Passes

5.05

3.37

Progressive Passes Received

11.8

5.31

Progressive Carries

5.28

2.40

Shots

2.52

3.48

Goals per Shot

0.11

0.07

Shots on Target

0.93

0.94

Goals Per Shot on Target

0.30

0.26

Expected Assists

0.20

0.16

Key Passes

2.29

2.01

Passes into the Final Third

3.08

1.70

Shot-Creating Actions

4.95

4.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.42

0.35

Tackles Won

0.65

0.76

Blocks

0.84

0.94

Interceptions

0.51

0.38

Clearances

0.42

0.35

Carries into the Final Third

4.07

1.67

Carries into the Penalty Area

2.34

0.76

Aerial Duels Won

0.33

0.24

For example, even though the former QPR star comes out on top in some metrics, like shots and shots on target per 90, he does far worse in the vast majority of relevant statistics.

In fact, not only does the former Santos gem do better in most attacking areas, like progressive and key passes, but also in some of the defensive metrics as well, like interceptions and clearances, highlighting his willingness to do the dirty work and help out his team.

Finally, in addition to being vastly superior in a statistical sense, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, is two years younger and has significantly more experience at the highest level.

For example, he has won two Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and a host of other trophies, so he knows exactly what it takes to play at the very top of the game, which is something the Eagles ace just doesn’t have in his locker.

​​​​

Ultimately, both players would be excellent signings for Arsenal, but due to his incredible experience, age and superior statistics, Arsenal should be looking to sign Rodrygo over Eze this summer.

Better than Sesko & Gyokeres: Arsenal have "looked at" signing £82m star

The incredible goalscorer would be an unreal addition to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 27, 2025

As their search to sign a striker continues, Manchester United are now reportedly being pushed by their scouts to sign a fresh option who even outscored Matheus Cunha last season.

Man Utd still on the hunt for a striker

Whilst Manchester United can celebrate that they’ve already signed Cunha and are reportedly closing in on Bryan Mbeumo, they haven’t had the same transfer luck when attempting to sign an out-and-out No.9. Instead, they’ve faced a flurry of rejection.

After missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, the Red Devils seemed to turn their attention towards Viktor Gyokeres in an attempt to form a reunion between the Swede and Ruben Amorim. Reports have since emerged that the Sporting Club star prefers a move to Arsenal over Old Trafford, however, to potentially leave Manchester United back at square one.

Without European football to offer, those at Old Trafford are seemingly struggling to convince all of their top targets to join. Even if it’s not Gyokeres or Delap, though, Manchester United simply must sign a striker this summer.

Having already added Cunha and with Mbeumo reportedly on his way, a fresh face to lead the line would complete United’s attacking transformation. From the struggling Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Amorim could have true quality to choose from next season and that would be vital to his chances of turning things around in Manchester.

The new McTominay: Man Utd moving to sign "one of the best CMs in Serie A"

Manchester United have a player in their sights who could replicate Scott McTominay’s success.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 19, 2025

With that said, United’s search is still ongoing and scouts have now even reportedly had their say, pushing the Red Devils to sign an unexpected name in the coming months.

Scouts pushing Man Utd to sign Arokodare

As reported by Graeme Bailey, scouts are now pushing Manchester United to sign Tolu Arokodare from KRC Genk this summer. The forward is now also reportedly on the radar of club chief Jason Wilcox, who could yet solve Amorim’s striker problems by signing last season’s Belgium Pro League Golden Boot winner.

Bailey told United in Focus when speaking about the Red Devils’ interest in Arokodare: “Ruben Amorim knows what he wants, he wants that target man – we know the club are moving on from Rasmus Hojlund.

“Victor Osimhen and Victor Gyokeres, these are targets for a reason, but their first choice was Liam Delap – we know that – but we also know he [Amorim] wasn’t that keen. So could Arokodare emerge as a target? It’s not impossible – he is a huge talent, in every way.”

Starts

28

29

Goals

17

15

Assists

5

6

Expected Goals

22.7

8.6

A player who outscored Cunha last season, Arokodare could reportedly be available for just £20m this summer in a deal that Manchester United should take full advantage of.

Russell Martin is the 20th permanent manager in Rangers’ 153-year history, but he’s got plenty of work to do if he’s going to be a success at Ibrox.

Last season, the Gers finished second in the Premiership, a whopping 17 points adrift of the champions, and ended the campaign trophyless, most notably dumped out of the Scottish Cup having suffered their first-ever home defeat against lower-league opposition in the competition.

So, if the Light Blues are going to be ready for the start of Champions League qualifying next month, Martin is going to want to be very busy in the transfer market, so could he be reunited with a player for the third time?

Rangers targeting a new centre-back

According to a report by EFL Analysis, Rangers remain interested in signing centre-back Harry Darling, labelling this potential move to Glasgow a ‘very intriguing prospect’, with Norwich City also pursuing the defender.

The 25-year-old is a free agent, having left Swansea City, and has twice played for Martin before, first at Milton Keynes, before the new Rangers manager signed Darling three years ago when he was in charge of the Swans.

Recently-appointed Norwich boss Liam Manning, who replaced Martin at MK, described Darling as “outstanding”, adding that he is more than “capable” of playing at a high level, so could he turn down the Canaries and reunite with Martin once more?

How Harry Darling compares to Robin Pröpper

According to reports in the Netherlands, Robin Pröpper is set to re-join FC Twente this summer, with the Eredivisie side willing to pay around half of the £2.5m they received for the centre-back a mere 12 months ago.

The Dutchman made 43 appearances during his first, and potentially only, season at Rangers, scoring during victories over both Celtic and Dundee United, but more notably getting sent off just 13 minutes into the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club.

Pröpper himself admitted that “maybe I underestimated” the level of competition one faces in the Scottish Premiership, with his performances often widely criticised, including by Aaron Nijjar of Football Insider, who noted that his ‘struggles continued’ following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in December.

Meantime, Ewan Paton of the Rangers Review believes that Scottish football is ‘too quick and physical for his capabilities’, suggesting that supporters would be pleased to see the back of him.

But, would Darling be an upgrade? Let’s assess the pair’s respective statistics to answer that question.

Appearances

39

43

Minutes

3,337

3,210

% of dribblers tackled

56.5%

55.6%

Tackles per 90

0.8

1.2

Interceptions per 90

0.6

0.9

Clearances per 90

5

3.8

Ball recoveries

152

36

% of aerial duels won

64.2%

54%

% of ground duels won

66%

53.25%

Average Sofascore Rating

7.23

6.69

As the table outlines, pretty much across the board, Darling comes out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics included.

Worth considering that also, according to Global Football Rankings, the EFL Championship is the 11th strongest division in the world, with the Scottish Premiership down in 43rd, albeit 11 of Pröpper’s outings did come in either Champions League qualifying or the Europa League.

Writer Kai Watson believes that Darling would be ‘perfect’ for Martin’s system, labelling him ‘very comfortable on the ball and a brilliant passer’, underlining that this deal is a no-brainer for Rangers, especially considering he’s a free agent.

Martin's own Kamara: Rangers exploring move to sign "ridiculous" £10m star

Rangers have explored a deal for a £10m-rated star who could be Russell Martin’s own Glen Kamara.

ByDan Emery Jun 12, 2025

With all eyes on their Premier League return, Leeds United are reportedly looking to get their summer business underway by securing a double swoop for two Ligue 1 talents.

49ers aiming to back Leeds in transfer market

Whilst the 49ers group have been busy completing their takeover of Scottish giants Rangers, they’ll still be focused on ensuring that Leeds have a side capable of avoiding the drop at the first time of asking. In doing so, the Whites would become the first promoted side to keep hold of their Premier League status in the last six attempts. That’s the extent of the task at hand for the 49ers and Daniel Farke’s side.

Chairman Paraag Marathe is ready to back Leeds in the transfer market this summer, however, having told reporters last month when asked about potential business: “I’m not really ready to go into that, but yes, your speculation is probably right.

“It’s going to be a mix of seeing if there are inbounds along with outbounds. And that’s probably, that’s probably accurate, but really not ready to go into more detail than that. But we are looking at maximizing what we can do, and so that involves the whole bag, ins and outs.”

Just who arrives is the big question. The transfer window is now open and those at Elland Road will be desperate to see the 49ers get their business underway as soon as possible.

To that end, Dara O’Shea could be one to watch. Recent reports revealed that Leeds are interested in signing the Ipswich Town star and granting him an instant return to the Premier League following relegation.

49ers spend £90m: AI predicts 5 players Leeds United will sign this summer

It’s set to be a busy few months at Elland Road.

2 ByCharlie Smith Jun 7, 2025

Back in the top flight, the impressive defender would be an impressive first pick. He ticks the box for experience both in the Premier League and now a relegation battle. On a personal note, O’Shea himself will be desperate to avoid the drop for a second season on the bounce.

He’s not the only target on Leeds’ radar, however. The 49ers are also reportedly targeting a double swoop to land a Ligue 1 duo this summer.

Leeds chasing double swoop for Fofana and Abdelli

As reported by Ouest France, the 49ers and Leeds are now chasing a double swoop to sign Yahia Fofana and Himad Abdelli from Angers this summer. The former would be an instant upgrade on Illan Meslier at just £8m, whilst the latter would offer plenty of leadership from midfield following his captaincy of the French side in recent years.

Clean Sheets

7

21

Saves per 90

4.09

1.62

Save Percentage

74.2%

72.7%

Having been dropped by Farke at the back end of last season as Leeds secured promotion, Meslier’s place remains in question and the arrival of Fofana could see the Frenchman exiled altogether at Elland Road.

Alongside Fofana, Abdelli would make an impact in his own right. The midfielder completed the same amount of progressive passes as £100m+ Liverpool target Florian Wirtz last season and two more than Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers. He was a standout in Europe’s top seven leagues on that metric and could now be on his way to Elland Road.

Manchester United have been in contact to sign a “standout” £10m midfielder this summer ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

Fernandes hints he could leave Man Utd after Europa League final

The nail in the Red Devils’ coffin for the season was hammered in by Spurs on Wednesday night, with Ange Postecoglou getting the better of Ruben Amorim in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A 1-0 win for Tottenham ensured they’d win their first trophy in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League, whereas United will now have to make do with no European football and one of their worst seasons for more than 50 years.

Bruno Fernandes captained Man Utd in Bilbao but failed to take his side to glory, and with a summer of uncertainty at Old Trafford incoming, spoke about his future in Manchester.

“I will be here until the club tells me it is time to leave. I am available to make the club have great days again.

“The day the club thinks I am too much, or it is time to leave, football is like that and you never know. If the club thinks it is time to leave, because they want to make some money, that is what it is and football is like that sometimes.”

The Portuguese star is wanted in Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal, and with the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen also ageing and on big money, a new midfield gem could be on the to-do list for the Red Devils and Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of his first summer transfer window as co-owner.

Man Utd in contact to sign £10m midfielder ahead of Spurs

According to TBR Football, Man Utd are one of numerous clubs who have been in contact with Motherwell over a deal to sign midfielder Lennon Miller.

The 18-year-old is emerging as one of Scotland’s most exciting talents and has had approaches from the Red Devils, Spurs, Arsenal, Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham.

Games

39

Goals

4

Assists

8

Minutes played

3,398

Atalanta, Bologna and Como in Italy are all keen on Miller, as are French side Strasbourg and Scottish champions Celtic, with reports earlier this year claiming Motherwell would want £10m for the teenage gem.

Set to turn 19 in August, Miller has already made more than 75 senior appearances for Motherwell, even captaining them between November and December last year.

Talking during that time, Barry Ferguson called Miller a “standout” performer for Motherwell and said “he has the potential to play at the highest level”.

The Red Devils have already shown they are looking at the future with recent deals for Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi-Martin, and by the looks of things, Miller could be the next if they manage to win the huge race for his services.