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Wolves are thought to be interested in signing Uruguayan midfielder Emiliano Martinez in the summer transfer window, according to a recent rumour.

Who is Emiliano Martinez?

The 23-year-old, who isn't to be confused with his namesake who plays in goal for Aston Villa and Argentina, is currently at FC Midtjylland, one of Denmark's biggest clubs, and he has grown into an important player for them.

Having arrived from Red Bull Bragantino in 2022, Martinez has made 33 appearances for his current club, seven of which came in the Europa League last season, with six starts coming his way. He has also won two caps for Uruguay in a star-studded side that has featured the likes of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Darwin Nunez and Fede Valverde.

The midfielder is currently contracted to Midtjylland until the summer of 2027, meaning it may not be easy for clubs to sign him on the cheap, but there could still be interest in him during the summer transfer window.

Wolves are on the lookout for new signings, as they aim to improve on a fairly underwhelming 2022/23 campaign, and it looks as though Martinez has emerged as a target to come in and make up for the loss of Ruben Neves.

Are Wolves signing Emiliano Martinez?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are "among a number of English clubs" interested in signing Martinez this summer, with West Ham also mentioned in the report. He has been receiving "rave reviews" for his performances for Midtjylland, highlighting why Wanderers are seemingly in the mix to acquire his signature.

The player's father and agent, Luis Ferrer, is thought to have been "instrumental" in Kylian Mbappe's move to Paris Saint-Germain and is looking to seal a big move for his son and client somewhere across Europe, amid plenty of intrigue in him.

Martinez may be an unknown to many, with all due respect to Midtjylland, who aren't necessarily Europe's most closely-followed team by fans of other clubs. It seems clear that he is a standout figure in Denmark, however, so it is exciting to Wolves in the mix to sign him before the new campaign kicks into gear.

The fact that he has forced his way into Uruguay's plans from a weaker league says a lot about his ability, given some of the midfield quality at their disposal, from Valverde to Manuel Ugarte, and he is still a young footballer who should only develop over time.

It is essential that Wolves fill the void left by the influential Neves this summer, and while Martinez may not be able to do that alone, given his lack of experience in an elite league, he could still make a noticeable difference in the middle of the park.

Last season, he averaged an eye-catching three tackles per game in the Europa League – no Wolves player matched or had a higher tally in the Premier League – so he could be a real force out of possession, but he also enjoyed an 81.4% pass completion rate, showing that he is also perfectly good on the ball.

West Ham United have so far been unable to build on their Europa Conference League success, with their supporters growing more and more concerned ahead of the start of the new Premier League campaign.

The Irons are about to lose skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal and have yet to make any new signings, but a new possible target has now emerged for David Moyes' side.

What is the latest West Ham transfer news?

Rice's £105m exit should at long last be finalised in the coming days, which is expected to spark a frenzy of sorts in terms of incoming activity at the London Stadium.

Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria is widely expected to be first through the door, while Real Betis centre-back Luiz Felipe and Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse are two others that have been strongly linked.

According to FootballTransfers, West Ham have shown an interest in signing Alex Iwobi from Premier League rivals Everton, with the Toffees aware that they have to sell players before they can bring in new signings of their own.

What is Alex Iwobi's weekly salary?

Iwobi has just a year to run on his contract, which Capology reports is worth £120k-per-week, meaning he should be available for a fairly reasonable transfer fee this summer.

However, that is a large salary for a player who many will feel has yet to fulfil the potential he showed early on in his Arsenal career across four seasons at Goodison Park.

Iwobi impressed when moved into a central role last season, though, and led the way among Everton players in terms of Premier League assists with seven – more than double that of any of his team-mates.

Iwobi also chipped in with a couple of goals and was top of the charts for key passes per game (1.7), as per WhoScored, while he was bettered only by winger Dwight McNeil (1.5) in terms of dribbles per game with 1.4.

The Nigeria international certainly played his part in Everton's escape from relegation, and he may now be on his way back to London if West Ham's interest becomes anything more concrete.

That would mean Moyes raiding the club he spent more than a decade managing, but he has history when it comes to that, not least when taking Marouane Fellaini with him to Manchester United in 2013.

Fellaini's time at Old Trafford will forever be associated with a hugely underwhelming period for the club, but he was Moyes' man and he did exactly what was asked of him in midfield.

As Moyes said at the time, Fellaini "can play higher up, behind the striker or as a defensive or holding midfielder. In any position in the middle of the field, he's comfortable."

That sounds very familiar to Iwobi, who effectively played in as many as six different positions across midfield last season.

Whether on the right, left, through the middle, in an attacking position or defensive, he was able to fill in as and when.

It was while playing in central midfield against Liverpool last season that Iwobi earned huge praise from former Chelsea and France defender Frank Leboeuf for his "absolutely exceptional" performance.

Their paths may not have crossed on Merseyside, but it may well be that Moyes gets to manage his Fellaini 2.0 of sorts in east London next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly close to striking a deal with Matt Doherty to bring the Irishman back to Molineux this summer.

The 31-year-old is currently a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid and could be a valuable member for Julen Lopetegui to reintegrate into his side.

Could Wolves sign Matt Doherty?

As reported by The Athletic yesterday, Wolves are in ‘advanced talks’ to bring the defender back to the Midlands.

After three years away from the Old Gold the 31-year-old looks ‘set to seal’ a move back to the club, with ‘positive discussions’ reported via The Athletic’s Steve Madeley.

How could Matt Doherty fit in at Wolves?

After 10 years at Wolves, Doherty opted to join Tottenham Hotspur in 2020 before leaving north London in a surprise move to Atletico Madrid in January 2023.

Things didn’t work as planned for the Irishman in the Spanish capital, as he departed this summer having made only two LaLiga appearances in a move that deprived him of playing time.

A return to Molineux could come at a perfect time for the 31-year-old and Lopetegui, as he looks to rebuild the foundations of the club after a decrease in squad names this summer.

Names such as Ruben Neves, Conor Coady, Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho departed Wolves this summer after each spending five or more years on the books at Molineux, leaving Lopetegui open to a rebuild.

The return of Doherty could reinstall some structure to the Spaniard’s plans to sculpt his side in preparation for his first full season in charge.

Sitting at the bottom of the table on Christmas day left the Old Gold wondering if their time in the top-flight was up, however, Lopetegui managed to turn fate around in ending the campaign in 13th.

While it’s integral that the former Real Madrid boss addresses the issues in the goal-scoring department, regaining defensive structure is key to bridging the gap between Wolves and the bottom third of the table.

Doherty could act as a familiar face to Molineux in a time of change, in a place that he impressed for years, making a total of 302 appearances for the club.

Once hailed as a “machine” by writer Tim Spiers during his time at Wolves, the Irishman could add competition and an authoritative figure to Lopetegui’s squad which has already changed drastically since the end of the season.

During the 2019/20 campaign, the Dublin-born gem averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game at right-back, as well as contributing strongly in the final third with four goals and three assists, via WhoScored.

The £74k-per-week defender could not only arrive back in the Midlands with experience and a love for the club under his belt, but with a competitive streak worthy of prompting Nelson Semedo to raise his performance.

The Portuguese ace’s future is still not confirmed to be at Molineux, however, Lopetegui could be in a positive stance should Doherty arrive to either compete with the 29-year-old or cover his place.

It’s been a hectic summer already for the Old Gold, who seem to have got their finances under lock after making almost £80m in sales, so the rebuild for Lopetegui begins now with trialling times ahead, one that can be kickstarted with the return of a fan-favourite.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier was taken into custody on Friday morning amid allegations of discrimination by his former club Nice, as per Goal.

In a fresh update, it's now been revealed that he will go on trial in December as a result of the investigation (via BBC Sport).

Why has PSG boss Christophe Galtier been taken into custody?

An investigation into the alleged discrimination initially began back in April, based on accusations of homophobic and Islamophobic remarks made during Galtier's time at Nice in the 2021/22 season.

Since the start of the allegations, Galtier has reiterated his innocence, with his lawyer previously releasing a statement, which said (via Goal): "Christophe Galtier was amazed to learn of the insulting and defamatory remarks of Mr. Julien Fournier against him.

"Given the seriousness of the charges against him, which he disputes with the greatest firmness, Christophe Galtier immediately seized his lawyer… to initiate, without delay, the necessary legal proceedings which are necessary.”

Galtier also previously said, via BBC: "I have decided to take legal action against those who have violated my honour and I can only be satisfied with the opening of an investigation.

"I was stunned by the comments that were attributed to me and that were relayed in an irresponsible manner.

"I am a child of the HLM estates (subsidised housing estates), raised in diversity, raised to respect others no matter their origin, their colour or their religion."

Meanwhile, PSG backed the boss back in April, saying they: "wish that the judicial system will shine a light on the truth on the serious allegations against our coach".

The investigation into Galtier

A number of key figures have been involved in the investigation, with the PSG manager's son, John Valovic-Galtier, also taken into custody amid the accusations. Both Galtier and his son went to the police station at 8:45am on Friday, June 30.

Following this, the 56-year-old will now stand trial on December 15 before the Nice Criminal Court.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has been interviewed as part of the investigation, alongside former football director Julian Fournier, the man who made the investigation happen after an alleged leaked email. We will know the outcome of the arrest in the next 24 hours.

The news comes with his PSG future already up in the air, with their on-pitch form coming into question. After all, according to Fabrizio Romano, the French champions were close to reaching a termination agreement with the manager's contract earlier this month.

It remains to be seen if these off-pitch issues will play any sort of role in deciding his coaching future in Paris.

If you told us that the same Gary Neville who won eight Premier League titles – before going on to make questionable noises on the gantry for Sky Sports – would join Dragons’ Den, we’d have a lot of questions.Yet, here we are, with the Manchester United legend joining Steven Bartlett, Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman, Peter Jones, Emma Grede, and Deborah Meaden on the show, as confirmed by the BBC.It’s not as random a move as you may think, however. The former right-back actually does have plenty of business experience.

What is Gary Neville’s net worth?

Since retiring in 2011, Neville has gone on to have huge success off the pitch, becoming a constant feature on Sky Sports as one of their main pundits, and opening his own hotel, as well as a number of other businesses.

The Sky Sports pundit also owns an investment company, a property developer, a programme of study, a hospitality company. On top of this, Neville owns part of Salford City alongside other members of Man United’s class of 92.

So, it’s fair to say that he has been a busy man since hanging up his boots, arguably becoming more famous than in his playing days.

As of today, Neville’s net worth is reportedly as much as $25m (£19.65m), giving him plenty to invest with while on Dragons’ Den.

Why is Gary Neville joining Dragons’ Den?

As explained on the BBC, Neville is joining the show for series 21, which will air in 2024, to “shake things up and impart their unique business advice on those entering the Den”.

Speaking about joining the show, the Premier League winner told BBC: “I am excited to join the Dragons, and to meet the entrepreneurs brave enough to face us in the Den.

“I hope my personal journey shows that you can take the experiences you’ve had in one part of your career and use them to do something entirely different and make it a success.

“Business is all about managing people and managing yourself, and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience to help the entrepreneurs we’ll meet in the Den reach their potential.”

It will certainly be an interesting watch, with Neville’s involvement potentially attracting a new range of viewers to the show, given his popularity in football.

If it goes anything like his punditry career, too, then we’re bound to get moments worth watching over and over again. Although it must be said, Neville will want to avoid a debut similar to his first Sky Sports appearance when he famously attempted to interview then-Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini after his side’s game.

Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing a Chelsea swoop for highly rated Arsenal teen Ethan Nwaneri during the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Ethan Nwaneri to Chelsea?

That’s according to The Evening Standard, who claim that Chelsea, alongside Manchester City, are fighting it out to land the teen sensation during the transfer window.

His schoolboy registration runs out on Friday, meaning the Gunners have until then to agree scholarship terms with the 16-year-old and they face competition from the Blues and City, with the report indicating that these are the two clubs who are renowned for being the highest payers when it comes to academy talents.

With Arsenal making an offer to Nwaneri, it will be up to Pochettino to improve on that and outline his thoughts for the youngster over the coming years.

Who is Ethan Nwaneri?

The teen starlet made his Arsenal debut aged just 15 last September against Brentford, becoming the youngest-ever player to make their Premier League debut in the process.

He was lauded as a “wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig following this momentous occasion, whilst his former Arsenal U18s coach Dan Micciche also lavished praise on the teen after his impressive debut for the U18s against Reading, saying:

"He's someone very highly thought of here as there are other boys at Hale End as well.

"I trusted him to perform today and he got two assists. Knowing him, he will leave here disappointed that he has not scored a goal or he's misplaced a few passes because he's got that champion mentality."

This mentality could stand the 5 foot 10 gem in good stead and if he did make the move to the Stamford Bridge outfit, he could very well become the next Ashley Cole.

Having emerged from Hale End, Cole went onto become the first-choice left-back under Arsene Wenger between 2000 and 2006, before departing the club to join Chelsea in the summer of 2006.

He made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, but the lure of money and chances of winning the Champions League were too much to turn down for the 107-cap star and although Cole was one of the finest defenders in Europe when he left Arsenal, Pochettino will be aiming to pinch another talented player off the club in the form of Nwaneri this summer.

The move could turn heads, yet over the coming years, it may very well pay dividends for the Argentinian as he aims to significantly bolster the young talent available to him at Chelsea and in Nwaneri, they have one of the most promising gems in England.

Newcastle United are willing to pay the £80m fee that Real Madrid initially paid AS Monaco last year in order to sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, according to reports in Spain.

Newcastle United – are they signing Aurélien Tchouaméni?

Even though reports suggest that the Magpies are willing to pay a hefty fee for Tchouameni, Defensa Central have also suggested that the Spanish giants are not willing to sell the former Monaco man this summer.

Of course, there is still a lot of the summer transfer window to go, however, and a lot can change.

Such is Newcastle's spending power, if the move did become realistic, then the Magpies have the ability to make their move.

Eddie Howe has also been linked with a long-standing pursuit of James Maddison this summer.

Aurélien Tchouaméni would be Newcastle's biggest signing yet

The fact that Newcastle are even being linked with a move for Tchouameni shows just how far they've come in such a short space of time. Better yet, it could be said that they're more than capable of landing such a player.

The Magpies turned heads by splashing out on Alexander Isak back in January, but a move for the Real Madrid man would result in a reaction of jealousy from rivals and awe from the on-watching fans.

After the recent arrival of Jude Bellingham, too, Tchouameni may just begin to worry about his place at the Santiago Bernabeu, having played 2120 minutes in LaLiga last season – the equivalent of 23 games.

Add in the presence of the England international and the Frenchman may just struggle for game time. potentially opening the door for a shock move to St James' Park.

He could be Newcastle's answer to Declan Rice, who looks more and more likely to join Arsenal this summer, according to reports, with Newcastle known to have held an interest in recent months.

As per FBref, when compared, the Real Madrid man has a better pass completion rate, as well as more tackles and interceptions, won per 90 than the West Ham United midfielder.

With Champions League experience under his belt, too, Tchouameni represents the perfect option for clubs all around Europe at just 23-years-old.

His rise to the top has attracted praise from players of a similar calibre, with Paul Pogba speaking about his France teammate back in 2021, telling Ouest France (via the Daily Mail):

"It was a pleasure to play next to him. He brings a lot of energy. A lot of energy, extraordinary technical and physical quality.

"We wish him to play lots of matches and that I am always at his side."

It would be a landmark day for Newcastle if they did manage to sign Tchouameni, who journalist Lucas Navarrete once hailed as a "ball-recovering machine", that's for sure.

This would also be the moment that Howe's side pull up a chair at Europe's forcer expanding top table, where they would sit alongside the likes of Manchester City and co, especially with the Premier League runners-up closing in on a deal for Rice.

Although Real Madrid are currently unwilling to sell the French star, there's a long summer ahead, and anything could yet happen.

Leeds United's summer seemed destined to be dominated by the takeover rumours, and yet just last week it was revealed that the 49ers had finally completed the deal to push Andrea Radrizzani out the exit door.

This is a move fans will likely welcome, especially after the recent antics of the Italian, who even put Elland Road up as security as he sought to purchase a different club. Following on from his role in their relegation from the Premier League too, his position had become untenable.

These new owners will know how commercially viable the top flight can be when combined with a club of this size, thus making it a must-achieve if they are to turn a profit on this venture. However, such a goal will only be reached if they invest themselves this summer.

Reports from earlier this month of their interest in Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres will be welcome news to a fanbase desperate for some added firepower given the mass exodus now expected throughout the Yorkshire club.

However, the €20m (£17m) price tag could prove a stumbling block, alongside the subsequent interest from a host of Premier League teams. It would mark a massive statement of intent should the 49ers complete this coup, suggesting that their stay in this division is to be short-lived.

How good is Viktor Gyokeres?

As painful as it is to admit, the Whites are officially now a Championship club again. Despite their immense standing in the English game, and the stature that has often led to an unprecedented transfer allure, their presence in the second division diminishes this massively.

The quality of where they can now find their new targets from has dropped significantly, and in an effort to earn an instant promotion, perhaps within the league could be the best port of call for dominating it.

Therefore, to tempt one of its most prolific scorers in recent years makes perfect sense, as this Swedish marksman would surely fire them towards a playoff push at the very least. In his most recent term, the 25-year-old scored 21 times in the league and assisted a further ten.

Standing at 6 foot 2 but possessing frightening speed too, the powerful forward proved that he could create and score all on his own. This nearly culminated in the Sky Blues' playoff promotion too, although they were felled on penalties by a resolute Luton Town.

With 17 goals from the campaign prior too, this is a level he is clearly well above, with teammate Maxime Biamou even branding him "unplayable".

By joining Leeds, he could hope for one final year in the Championship before either moving elsewhere or leading the Yorkshire side back to where they will feel they belong under this new ownership.

Everton are interested in a summer deal to bring Angers SCO midfielder Batista Mendy to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Batista Mendy?

Mendy first arrived at the Raymond Kopa Stadium from FC Nantes on a free transfer back in 2021, and he’s since gone on to make a total of 73 appearances to date. The Frenchman started 35 out of the 38 Ligue 1 games last season and established himself as Alexandre Dujeux’s third best-performing defensive player, but despite his displays, his future is up in the air.

The Kelyxane Sport Agency client will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will be his club’s final big opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and if he was to depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors in the top-flight.

Are Everton signing Mendy?

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Mendy is being “followed” by Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the midfielder having “emerged as a target” for the trio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Angers are expected to sell their prized asset in the coming weeks and months and have already placed a €6m (£5m) price tag on his head, a fee that they would be happy to receive in order to “part ways” with him.

The Toffees and Sean Dyche “want to take advantage” of his side’s relegation to see if they could “lower” the demanded sum, but it’s currently “not clear” whether they would be willing to do such a thing.

Should Farhad Moshiri move for Mendy?

Everton will be in need of several new reinforcements over the summer to ensure that they don’t find themselves in danger of relegation again next season, but Mendy is not a player that they should be aiming to bring to Merseyside.

France’s former U19s international was ranked by WhoScored as Angers’ 16th overall worst-performing player last campaign with a match rating of 6.35, not to mention that he was averaging 1.9 fouls per league game which was higher than any other of his fellow teammates.

The 6 foot 3 defensive midfield colossus also lacks any kind of threat going forward having posted zero goals or assists across all competitions during the previous term, so fails to have a positive impact at either end of the pitch, therefore making this a deal that the hierarchy should avoid.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui is set for a 'really important week' as he reflects on what the club can change going forward at Molineux, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Wolverhampton Wanderers and Julen Lopetegui?

According to BBC Sport, Lopetegui thinks that it will be difficult for Wolves to compete in the English top flight next term amid Financial Fair play issues at Molineux, as he stated: "I have had that meeting [with chairman Jeff Shi] and there are some Financial Fair Play problems I didn't know before. I hope we will solve this issue. It's very difficult to compete in the Premier League without investment."

The report states that the Old Gold posted a £46.1 million deficit in their last financial results in an environment where Premier League clubs are only allowed to record £105 million of losses in a three-year period.

Several first-team players could be on their way out at Wolves this summer in order to balance the books, one of them being club captain Ruben Neves, who is being courted by La Liga giants Barcelona, as per AS.

Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Roma and Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan, who could become another asset used to raise funds to combat their financial restrictions, as per The Mirror.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Lopetegui will be anxious to seek clarity over what the future may hold for Wolves next season.

Jones told FFC: "I think it's going to be a really important week or so to reflect on what Lopetegui has actually changed about the club and what he's going to be able to change going forward. That's what he needs to be assured of, that the work that's gone in over the past five or six months can continue and that's, I think, is his big concern."

Who could Wolverhampton Wanderers bring in to supplement potential departures?

Obviously, Wolves will also need to try and bring in players in the summer to supplement prospective departures to build a team capable of competing in the Premier League in 2023/24.

Writing in his column for Caught Offside, journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that Liverpool youngster Fabio Carvalho has emerged as a target for the Old Gold, with a loan deal in the off-season believed to be a possibility.

FC Metz forward Georges Mikautadze has also cropped up on the Old Gold's radar according to reports in France, potentially adding some quality to Lopetegui's forward line.

talkSPORT understand that Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres is someone Wolves want to bring in ahead of next season; however, it may cost the best part of £25 million to bring him to Molineux.