Aston Villa are on the verge of signing their first major signing of the transfer window with OGC Nice’s Evann Guessand. The deal is expected to be worth around £26m, plus more than £4m in add-ons.

Guessand has been with Ligue 1 side Nice since 2014 and rose through their academy to become a first-team player and earn himself a place in the Ivorian national team. Manager Unai Emery will be hoping that the goals and assists Guessand brings to the team will ensure they don’t have an end-of-season drop-off this time around, after the sale of Jhon Duran depleted their depth in the number nine position last term.

It won’t take long from Guessand’s debut for his versatility to be on full display for Villa fans. Last season, under Franck Haise, Guessand was utilised both as a centre forward and a winger. This fluidity in attack is similar to what Emery implemented in the latter half of last season with loan players Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.

However, with the previously mentioned loanees returning to their respective parent clubs, Villa are still somewhat shorthanded up front. Due to this, Emery has identified a new striker target to help rectify the situation.

Emery "eager" to reunite with Jackson

Caught Offside have reported that Aston Villa have identified Chelsea and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson as an ideal target. Jackson previously worked with the Villa boss while the pair were at Villarreal.

With the departure of Duran and an exit for Ollie Watkins still on the cards this window, Villa need to strengthen their attack, and Jackson is seen as a possible solution. Caught Offside’s source stated that “Villa are among the clubs most keen on Jackson. Unai Emery is eager to work with him again after their time together at Villarreal”.

Aston Villa don’t have a clear run at Jackson presently, with Newcastle United having held “informal talks” with Jackson’s representatives and Juventus monitoring the situation in the event they sell Dusan Vlahovic.

An even bigger hurdle for Villa will be finances, with owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens potentially needing to sell to buy, according to the same report. If Villa can navigate the PSR hurdles and retain Watkins however, they could have a very dangerous attack on their hands.

Emery’s Potential Striker Options

2024/25 Stats

Watkins

Jackson

Guessand

Games Played

38

30

33

Goals

16

10

12

Assists

8

5

8

Xg per 90

0.53

0.5

0.32

Goals Per 90

0.55

0.41

0.42

Stats via: FBREF

All three players are averaging close to a goal every other game. Watkins is the best in this regard, but he is the oldest and most developed player; there is still plenty of time for Jackson and Guessand to match him.

While it may look like Jackson is massively underperforming against his Xg compared to the others, there is an explanation for this. When evaluating Jackson as a Manchester United target, The Athletic’s JJ Bull explained how Jackson’s Xg underperformance has been misinterpreted as him missing a lot of goals he should score, when in reality it’s distorted by him taking a lot of shots he shouldn’t take and often shooting too early.

These three players, alongside the other attacking options they have in the squad, could see Villa push for Champions League football once again and help the club away from its financial issues.

Australia allrounder Cameron Green will undergo lower spine surgery and looks set to miss at least six months of cricket after being diagnosed with his fifth stress fracture in his lower back.After lengthy consultations with Cricket Australia medical staff over the past two weeks following the initial injury in the UK on September 24, Green is set to follow the same path that Jason Behrendorff, James Pattinson, Ben Dwarshuis and New Zealand quicks Shane Bond and Matt Henry have taken by having screws and a titanium cable fused into his lower back to stabilise the stress fracture and prevent future occurrences. Green has spoken to WA and club team-mate Behrendorff about his experience.Related

• Green unlikely to play Shield cricket before county stint

• Cricket Australia looks to unify approach to managing quicks

• Mitchell Starc: Green absence changes dynamic for quicks

• Marsh ready to bowl as much as Cummins needs him against India

• Steven Smith's Test opening stint over with middle-order return for India

The recovery ranges depending on the player but it is usually a minimum of nine months, although CA believes it will only take six months. That rules him out of the entire summer of cricket, which includes the five Tests against India, the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy. The IPL, the World Test Championship final in June, if Australia make it, and the three-Test tour of the Caribbean in June and July of next year are possible given CA’s timeframe, especially as a batter only but bowling is a different story.Scans had shown the fracture in the UK but further assessments were required back in Australia as it is understood to be a different fracture to his previous stress injuries. Green has previously had four stress fractures in his lower back, which were recurring through his junior days all the way up to 2019, a year prior to his Test debut.CA’s medical staff are understood to be flummoxed by how this fracture has occurred after successfully managing Green through the past four years of international cricket, although he has always been vulnerable to another fracture given his history. CA released a statement outlining the reasoning for the surgery.”Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury,” the statement said. “After thorough consultation it was determined Cameron would benefit from the surgery to stabilise the defect and reduce the risk of future recurrence.”He had a routine scan in August, something he does regularly, that showed up clear. That paved the way for him to bowl in the UK. He sent down 21.2 overs in the UK across five T20Is and two ODIs. The most he bowled in a match was the six overs at Chester-le-Street where he did deliver a barrage of short balls as Australia chased wickets, before pulling up sore.There are conflicting views within Australian cricket over his loads in the UK considering how carefully Mitchell Marsh was managed by comparison with the India Test series in mind. Marsh only bowled four overs for the whole tour, and they came in the game after Green flew home.But it is understood there were no indicators that Green was vulnerable in the lead-in and his bowling loads this year have been far lower than in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He bowled more than 230 overs in matches in 2021 and 2022, and 190 overs in 2023. But he had only bowled 124.3 overs to-date in 2024, albeit there were four Test matches to come for him. He was coming off a rare 10-week break from playing prior to the UK tour.The particular surgery Green will have has been very successful for many players including Behrendorff, who underwent the procedure in 2019. CA team physio Nick Jones oversaw Behrendorff’s recovery in 2019-20 when he was with WA having done extensive research on the surgery and the recovery process.ESPNcricinfo understands that the specific type of surgery has been performed on 26 patients over the course of nearly two decades by New Zealand-based surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten with 24 of them successfully returning to full fitness. New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson is one of the unsuccessful ones so far but his specific case is understood to be very unusual and over the weekend Gary Stead said Jamieson was on track for a comeback during the Super Smash which starts in late December.Dwarshuis had the surgery in 2019 and was back bowling in grade cricket just seven months later and played domestic cricket within 10 months. He has played first-class cricket in the years since but has only appeared in nine red-ball matches.Behrendorff had surgery in October 2019 and did not play until December 2020. He has not returned to play first-class cricket but has had no real problems with his back since then.Pattinson took 12 months to return to first-class cricket and it was another 22 months before he played Test cricket, although he had been out of the Australian set-up for 18 months prior to the surgery due to his injury issues. He retired from professional cricket at just 32 as his body wilted.Henry had the surgery in 2012 when he was just 20 years old. His recent success against Australia in Test cricket earlier this year as a 32-year-old is an indicator of the long-term success that can be had.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” عن حكم مباراة منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا ضد نظيره الياباني، التي تقام ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للشباب.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم للشباب، التي تقام في تشيلي خلال الفترة من 27 سبتمبر حتى 20 أكتوبر المقبل.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من البطولة بجانب منتخبات تشيلي واليابان ونيوزيلندا.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع اليابان، غدًا السبت في تمام الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى من منافسات المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العالم للشباب.

طالع | رسالة تحفيزية من عضو اتحاد الكرة لـ منتخب مصر للشباب قبل انطلاق كأس العالم حكم مباراة مصر واليابان في كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا

ويقود مباراة مصر واليابان، في كأس العالم للشباب، الأرجنتيني داريو هيريرا، ويعاونه كل من نافارو كريستيان كمساعد أول، وسافوراني خوسيه كمساعد ثان، بالإضافة إلى بينهيرو جواو كحكم رابع.

Sunderland have unveiled their new striker, Marc Guiu, after he completed his season-long loan move to the Stadium of Light. Régis Le Bris is building a side he hopes can do more than just fight for Premier League survival, and Guiu may play a pivotal role in the team’s attack.

The deal is structured heavily in Chelsea’s favour, with Sunderland paying a loan fee, all of his wages and a fine if Guiu doesn’t receive an adequate number of minutes. In his interview that served as an introduction for Sunderland fans to their new striker, Guiu spoke about what he believes he can bring to the team.

When asked about his thoughts ahead of the new season, Guiu described it as an “opportunity to get this club to where it deserves”. The youngster will likely feature prominently, and given his team-based answers in the interview, fans may enjoy seeing him receive the minutes Chelsea demand.

Guiu is the ninth arrival at the club this summer, but Le Bris and Kristjaan Speakman are not done yet and have shifted attention to the other end of the pitch.

Centre-back next for Sunderland

While Sunderland have already conducted a number of big deals this window, the club aren’t done yet. A report from Dominic Shaw in The Northern Echo has stated that the club is “prioritising the capture of a central defender”. Shaw also added that another wide attacker is on Speakman’s shopping list, but the current priority is to bring in a centre-back first.

Sunderland entered this window with the budget available to them to build a dream squad, and they have made tremendous progress so far, but now is the time for Speakman and Le Bris to polish off the squad with some final touches.

Sunderland's search for a centre-back

Sunderland have been named as one of three Premier League teams that are showing interest in Fiorentina defender Pietro Comuzzo. Italian outlet tuttomercatoweb has reported that Le Bris’s team, alongside Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, have an interest in the centre back, but none of the three have yet to make a formal bid.

While the links have persisted last month, Fiorentina manager Stefano Pioli was asked about Comuzzo and the transfer rumours: “Comuzzo? He’s a strong player, he’s here to compete for a place and be a starter.”

Earlier in the window, Sunderland were also linked to Jhon Lucumí of Bologna. Unfortunately for Sunderland fans, Sky Sports’ Tom White dampened hopes that this rumour may become reality when speaking on the Haway the Podcast: “I know we have been in for him… Whether we’ve pulled the plug or whether he’s rejected us, I don’t know.”

While it looks at present like Sunderland won’t be able to make either of these deals happen, there is still plenty of time left in the transfer window for Le Bris to identify a new centre-back and bring them to the club.

Sunderland made shock bid to sign striker similar to Arsenal star Gyokeres

Sunderland made an approach for a Premier League-proven free agent.

ByCallum Kemp Aug 6, 2025

Everton are now going to step up their efforts to complete the signing of a “magnificent” attacking player this summer, according to a fresh transfer report.

Everton suffer Dibling transfer blow

Late last week, the Blues saw a £27m bid for Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling rejected, having been linked with him during the summer transfer window.

Everton clearly see the 19-year-old attacking midfielder as an exciting long-term option, with the Englishman catching the eye for Saints in the Premier League last season, despite their eventual relegation to the Championship. He scored twice in the league and generally looked like a class act who was playing with a maturity beyond his years.

It remains to be seen if the Blues will table an improved offer for Dibling in the coming days, but it would be a surprise if he didn’t leave Southampton before the window closes on September 1st, considering he is too good to be playing in the Championship.

Everton will know that alternative options are needed for the Saints ace, though, should they miss out on him, with Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo one right-sided player who has been mentioned as an option for David Moyes. Now, another winger has been touted as a target.

Everton step up efforts to sign "magnificent" ace"

According to Football Insider, Everton will now push to sign Lyon star Malick Fofana this summer, seeing him as an alternative option to Dibling.

While a move to a Champions League team is the 20-year-old’s preference, with Liverpool linked with a move, their focus on signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United means that the Blues “could seek to use that to their advantage” and snap him up instead.

Fofana is a player who has been backed to join Everton earlier in the summer, and it is easy to see him being a fantastic signing, having been described as “magnificent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Fofana can flourish on both wings, immediately giving Moyes extra attacking depth in key areas, and his end product is far superior to Dibling, averaging 0.47 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, almost five times more than the Saints gem’s rate of 0.10.

At 20 years of age, the Belgian is still raw, but six goals in the Europa League last season shows what he is capable of. He could prove to be a cheaper option than Dibling because he isn’t a young English player, but one who has just as much potential moving forward.

Leeds United are looking to buck a trend in the Premier League this season and avoid relegation in their first season back in the top flight. The last six teams to get promoted have all gone straight back down, but after a strong season in 2024/25 and plenty of new signings, the Whites could rewrite the narrative.

Indeed, Daniel Farke’s side have already signed seven new players. They have added more Premier League experience to their squad in the form of Sean Longstaff, as well as defensive reinforcements by signing three defenders, including Jaka Bijol.

However, Leeds are not done yet, and seem keen to strengthen the squad further ahead of a huge campaign, with another top-flight star linked with a move.

Leeds’ next transfer target

There seems to be a clear emphasis on Farke signing Premier League-proven players to help supplement a squad that got 100 points last season. Signing Longstaff, a man with 171 top tier appearances, certainly ticks that box.

Transfer Focus

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

Now, the Yorkshire side are looking to bring another man with top-flight experience to Elland Road, according to journalist Sebastien Vidal. They are said to be ‘keen’ on signing Manchester City and England under-21 star James McAtee this summer.

The Citizens’ valuation of the attacking midfielder is said to be around £40m, with Sky Sports reporting earlier in the window that Nottingham Forest had a £25m bid rejected.

With Forest also interested in signing the youngster, this will by no means be a straightforward deal for the Whites to do.

Why McAtee would be a good signing

Despite making fleeting appearances for boyhood club City last season, Salford-born McAtee left a real impression when he got his opportunity. Pep Guardiola even called him a “special” player after scoring a hat-trick against Salford City.

Indeed, the 22-year-old made just 27 appearances for the Citizens last season, accumulating just 936 minutes. He still managed to find the back of the net seven times, averaging a goal every 133 minutes.

The 22-year-old captained the England under-21 side to victory in this summer’s European Championships. He played all six games for Lee Carsley’s side, scoring once and grabbing two assists, setting up Omari Hutchinson in the final against Germany.

If the Whites are able to sign McAtee this summer, he could prove to be a huge upgrade on their current number ten, Brenden Aaronson. The USA international played in every single one of Leeds’ games last season in the Championship, but struggled for consistency at times.

On the face of things, his numbers in the second tier last term were strong. He scored nine times and grabbed two assists in 46 games. Yet, spells of six, seven and eight games without a goal involvement were far from ideal for Farke’s side.

On top of that, McAtee has a far better record in the top flight. Aaronson has played one full season in the Premier League, bagging once and assisting three goals, featuring in 36 games and 2383 minutes.

In contrast, the Man City academy graduate has a full season of top-flight football under his belt from Sheffield United. In 30 games, or 1827 minutes, he scored three times and assisted the same number. He also bagged three goals for City in 15 games last term.

The numbers from FBref from their full seasons in the Premier League suggest that McAtee is an upgrade on Aaronson, too.

For example, he averaged 1.23 passes into the penalty area and 2.76 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to the American’s 0.61 passes into the penalty area and 1.63 progressive carries each game.

For a fee of around £40m, McAtee would be able to massively upgrade Leeds’ midfield. Whilst Aaronson has put in some good performances under Farke, the consistency with which the City star plays, and the impact he can have in such a short amount of time, stands out.

The 22-year-old could be Farke’s dream option to strengthen Leeds’ midfield and bring more Premier League quality to Elland Road.

Even better than Muniz: Leeds lining up move to sign "dominant" £30m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a striker who is even better than Rodrigo Muniz.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 31, 2025

They might not have an awful lot to show for it, but Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with an abundance of talented superstars over the years.

The two players who’ll likely stand out in the minds of fans today are probably Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

However, as talented as both of them are and for everything they did for Spurs, particularly in the case of the latter, we reckon the best player to have played for the club over the last two decades was Gareth Bale.

At his peak, the Welshman was utterly unplayable, and while he enjoyed most of his success away from the Premier League, he still managed to score 71 goals and provide 53 assists in 237 appearances for the Lilywhites.

Spurs could do with a player of his ability in their current squad, making reports linking them to someone who could develop into another Bale particularly exciting.

Spurs target their new Bale

There are still a few weeks until the transfer window slams shut, and while it’s not been perfect, it would be fair to say Spurs haven’t had a bad summer thus far.

Transfer Focus

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

They might’ve missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White, but Daniel Levy and Co completed the statement signing of Mohammed Kudus early on, and on top of making Mathys Tel’s move permanent, added another exciting youngster into the mix in Kota Takai.

However, the North Londoners are not done yet, as they now appear to be going after a Premier League ace who could develop into their new Bale.

At least that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed that Spurs are very interested in Savinho.

The Italian journalist goes further than that, though, revealing that the Lilywhites have already made an offer of around €50m – £43m – for the Brazilian, although Manchester City quickly rejected it.

According to other reports, the Citizens would accept a fee of around £50m, and while that’s undoubtedly a lot of money, Savinho could well end up being worth it in the long run, especially as he could be another Bale.

Why Savinho could be Spurs' new Bale

Okay, so before the pitchforks and torches come out, we are not for one second suggesting that Savinho is already at the level that Bale reached at his zenith at Spurs, not even close.

However, there is every chance that the Brazilian could end up having a similar career with the North Londoners, especially when you take into consideration the fact that the Welshman wasn’t exactly a hit from the word go during his time with the club.

One of the key similarities between the players is that they’re both left-footed wide players, and while the City gem spends plenty of time out on the right, he’s also more than capable of playing on the left.

Another key overlap is in how their style, as during his time in North London, the multiple Champions League winner was known for his brilliant ability to beat opposition players with the ball at his feet, either through a burst of pace, or some trickery.

This is something the “unbelievable” 21-year-old, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, is also capable of doing, and his underlying metrics prove it.

Total Carrying Distance

323.26

Top 1%

Progressive Carrying Distance

174.43

Top 1%

Progressive Carries

6.61

Top 4%

Progressive Passes Rec

12.99

Top 4%

Touches (Att 3rd)

39.62

Top 4%

Carries into Penalty Area

3.61

Top 4%

SCA (Take-On)

0.73

Top 5%

Touches (Att Pen)

7.57

Top 6%

Successful Take-Ons

2.69

Top 6%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.08

Top 7%

Passes into Penalty Area

2.42

Top 9%

According to FBref, he sits in the 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for total and progressive carrying distance, the top 4% for carries into the penalty area, the top 5% for shot-creating actions from take-ons, the top 6% for successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

These numbers make it abundantly clear that, like the Wales legend, the São Mateus-born ace is world-class at getting the ball into dangerous areas.

Moreover, while he might not have the goal-scoring numbers just yet, his strike against Juventus in the Club World Cup proves he is capable of producing a wondergoal.

Ultimately, Bale is one of the greatest players to have represented Spurs in the modern era, and while he won’t be at that level right away, Savinho looks like he could become as crucial for Frank and Co.

Romero & Gabriel hybrid: Spurs to bid for £43m titan as soon as "next week"

The international star would be a perfect signing for Spurs and Romero…

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 11, 2025

The Mumbai captain says Shaw needs to “figure out himself” how to get things back on track

Himanshu Agrawal16-Dec-2024

That Prithvi Shaw is a gifted player was there for all to see when he scored a hundred on Test debut just before turning 19 in late 2018. He has since played only 11 international games in six years and if he wants to reach the peak of his game again, he needs to get his “work ethics right,” his Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer has said.Shaw was recently dropped from the Mumbai side during the first leg of the Ranji Trophy because of fitness issues and he has since returned to the T20 side during their victorious 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) campaign, where Mumbai beat Madhya Pradesh in the final on Sunday in Bengaluru. Shaw batted in all of Mumbai’s nine games for 197 runs at a strike rate of 156.34 while averaging a shade under 22, and his five impressive cameos were otherwise interspersed with four low scores.”He needs to get his work ethics right, and if he does that, the sky is the limit for him,” Iyer said.Related

Prithvi Shaw joins Maharashtra ahead of 2025-26 domestic season

Prithvi Shaw dropped from Mumbai squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Chappell to Shaw: 'Visualise the cricketer and person you want to become'

Shedge, Suryakumar power Mumbai to Mushtaq Ali Trophy title

Earlier this year, Shaw was also dropped by his IPL side Delhi Capitals before being released by them and going unsold in the recent IPL 2025 auction.”We can’t babysit anyone, right? Every professional who is playing at this level, they need to know what they should be doing,” Iyer said. “And he has also done it in the past; it’s not that he hasn’t. He has to focus, he has to sit back, [and] put a thinking cap on, and then figure out himself. He will get the answer by himself.”Last month, former Australia captain Greg Chappell wrote a letter to Shaw, where he insisted that the India batter should embark on a “journey of self-reflection”. But Iyer said that “no one can force” Shaw to do anything, given he “has played so much of cricket, and everyone has given him inputs”.Iyer impressed with Mumbai’s ‘fearless’ youngstersThe victorious Mumbai team with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy•PTI

While showering praise on his team-mates, Iyer said that “each and every individual stepped up at the right time” for Mumbai in their title-winning run at SMAT. It was Mumbai’s second title across formats since the last domestic season, when they had won the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy.Iyer was particularly pleased with the younger crop of players who performed in Mumbai’s triumph this season, and said “the way they showcase their talent is simply phenomenal”.”You should see their character and their approach outside the dressing room and also on the field,” he said. “They’re fearless in their approach, and this is the kind of players we need to back going up. And for me, personally, whenever I go out there, I want to win each and every game. It doesn’t matter who we play; winning is something that makes me feel happy, and it is everything for me.”Although Mumbai had an experienced top five of Ajinkya Rahane, Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Iyer – all of whom have played for India – they lacked in exposure in their bowling line-up. Allrounder Suryansh Shedge made his T20 debut in this tournament, while five of Royston Dias’ nine career T20 matches came this season.Others like Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi and Tanush Kotian entered the tournament with 12, 20 and 24 games, respectively. Shardul Thakur was Mumbai’s only bowler who had played plenty of T20 cricket, including 25 for India.”If you see, in our bowling line-up, there are hardly any Indian players,” Iyer said. “We struggled a bit right from match one [where they conceded 224 against Goa], but the way they showed their skills in the last two games, I think they stepped up at the right time when the team needed them. Conceding around 170 on such a wicket [in the final, in Bengaluru], where you know the wicket tends to get better when the lights are on, it’s easy for the batters to come and bat.”I think [it was] a commendable performance from them. All in all, I would say it’s fun to be having such a great squad.”

It’s an exciting time to be of a Chelsea persuasion. Enzo Maresca led the Blues to two major titles last season and finished fourth in the Premier League to open the doorway to this year’s Champions League proper.

And the signs throughout pre-season are promising. Though it’s important not to get carried away by the happenings of this off-season hinterland, Chelsea look fluid and dangerous in attack, with the summer signings widening the scope of Maresca’s tactical vision.

New players have arrived, and old players have locked their lockers at Stamford Bridge. Everything is primed for the 2025/26 campaign.

To lose one of the club’s superstars now would be a vicious blow, but, according to reports, that’s something Maresca and the board might have to contend with.

Chelsea receive record-breaking offer

Chelsea might fork out a fair bit each year, but they also recoup plenty of money from cashed-in surplus. Indeed, the Blues have mastered the art of pawning off unwanted players, thus mitigating their losses when Todd Boehly doesn’t receive bang for his buck.

While players such as Nicolas Jackson are touted to leave west London this month, moves are being made to welcome a series of further attacking signings.

If rivals feel that means one of Chelsea’s main men could be leaving, they are wrong.

But even so, Spanish sources have reported that Manchester City are preparing an audacious £200m +£50m in add-ons offer to sign Cole Palmer, having already seen an approach rejected for the England international.

In September 2023, Chelsea signed Palmer from Pep Guardiola’s side for £42.5m. He was unknown at the time, but now stands as one of football’s poster boys.

For all the money in the world, losing the 23-year-old at this stage of his career and this stage of Chelsea’s development is unacceptable.

Another Salah situation for Chelsea

Were Chelsea to sell Palmer, they would not, at least, be blighted in terms of depth. Not really. The Blues have welcomed many players into the fold over the past few years, and are in talks with RB Leipzig to sign versatile playmaker Xavi Simons for £60m, with Christopher Nkunku headed the other way.

But Palmer was named “the best player in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season, and indeed, he’s been nothing short of a revelation for the Blues, talismanic in winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup last season.

Across two seasons in all competitions, Palmer has scored 43 goals and supplied 23 assists across 97 matches for Chelsea.

Were BlueCo to let him leave and grow into an even bigger sensation with a Premier League rival, it might just prove to be Chelsea’s biggest mistake since selling Mohamed Salah to Roma in 2016.

Salah, as we all know, has since returned to the Premier League and cemented himself as one of the division’s greats with Liverpool, winning two top-flight titles and the Champions League among many other honours, posting 245 goals and 113 assists across 402 matches for the Reds.

As Arne Slot won England’s biggest prize in his debut campaign last year, somehow replacing the irreplaceable Jurgen Klopp, it was Salah who knuckled down and ensured the Anfield side claimed their prize, breaking the record for goal involvements in a 38-game top-flight season, notching 47 all told (29 goals, 18 assists).

Carragher might feel that Palmer is English football’s finest player, but it was Salah’s season. However, a decade the Chelsea star’s senior, there could be a passing of the torch in a short time, with Palmer dominating such conversations over the coming decade.

The nature of Chelsea’s transfer model means that letting certain stars-in-the-making slip through the cracks is unavoidable, but that’s why cashing in on Palmer would be such a bleak transgression.

Could it be that Palmer has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s greatest players of all time? One of the most revered and the most decorated in Chelsea’s long history? Big, bold claims, but not without substance. Palmer, to be sure, has started in such a vein, and if he’s started as he means to go on, there’s every chance such predictions could come true.

Transfer Focus

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

At least Salah was sold to a team out on the continent, where he found his footing and cut his teeth on the Serie A scene, working toward elite status.

Now, he’s peerless at the top of the English charts. But Palmer is gaining, and he’s gaining fast. Since joining, Chelsea’s star attacking midfielder has notched just one goal involvement fewer than Man City’s Erling Haaland, who is the most prolific striker in the world and has assumed second place.

Salah

70

47

28

75

Haaland

62

49

9

58

Watkins

75

35

23

58

Palmer

70

37

20

57

Isak

64

44

8

52

Ultimately, Chelsea have shown that they can stretch out their financial arm and match the biggest hitters in the Premier League and across Europe in the transfer market.

Were £250m banked for Palmer, it stands to reason that several new offensive signings should be brought in.

But the Three Lions “superstar”, as he has been called by journalist Jonathan Northcroft, is a transcendental player, utterly brilliant and one-of-a-kind. To lose him would be to lose the nucleus of Maresca’s side, unthinkable when looking at the progress made: two trophies last season and a reclaimed seat at the Champions League table.

When Chelsea got rid of Salah way back when, he was a talented but unproven up-and-comer. To part with Palmer when he’s already one of the best players in Europe would be a far more egregious mistake.

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Manchester United’s activity within the transfer market over recent years has been questionable to say the least, wasting a whole host of money in the process.

Erik ten Hag’s tenure was arguably one of the worst for the club, with the hierarchy providing the Dutchman with over £600m worth of funds to improve the first-team squad.

However, his highest finish in the Premier League at Old Trafford was third place, but ultimately his additions failed to make the desired impact – which led to his dismissal in October last year.

The Red Devils’ failures in the transfer market have made Ruben Amorim’s task in the role a tad harder, having to work with the players already at the club – which has seen him notch a measly 40% win rate.

That could all be about to change this summer, with the hierarchy already backing the new boss, whilst also preparing other offers for additional signings before the transfer deadline.

Man Utd targeting Bruno Fernandes midfield partner

The midfield department is next on the agenda for United, with Fermin Lopez one of the players in their sights, according to some of the latest updates on the 22-year-old’s future.

It’s been reported that the Red Devils have already made a £69m offer for the Barcelona star, with the player himself keen on a switch to the Premier League this summer.

However, he’s not the only player currently being considered by the club’s hierarchy, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba also firmly in their sights, according to David Ornstein.

Speaking on the Sports Agenda podcast, the journalist claimed that the 21-year-old is now Amorim’s top target this summer, after securing a move for Benjamin Sesko last week.

He also confirmed that talks have already been held with the players over a switch to Old Trafford, but it could prove to be a mammoth addition, given his current £100m asking price.

Why United’s latest target will be the best signing since Bruno

Despite United struggling over recent years, Bruno Fernandes has been the club’s captain and still managed to provide some incredible numbers in the process.

He registered a total of 37 combined goals and assists last season, helping the Red Devils reach the Europa League final and undoubtedly preventing the side from finishing further down the table.

However, other big-money additions haven’t been as successful, with Rasmus Hojlund unable to make the desired impact after his £72m move from Atalanta back in the summer of 2023.

The Dane has only scored 26 times in his 95 outings to date, subsequently being strongly linked with a cut-price departure to join Italian giants AC Milan this window.

Undoubtedly, there will be hope that some of the big-money additions from the current summer will have more of a positive impact – with Baleba potentially falling into that category.

The Cameroonian international has all the tools to be the perfect ball-winner at the heart of the squad, that’s if he can replicate his stats from the recent campaign at the AMEX.

Baleba, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, managed to win 2.7 tackles per 90 and make 1.6 interceptions per 90 last season via FBref.

Carlos Baleba’s stats for Brighton in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

34

Goals & assists

4

Pass accuracy

87%

Progressive passes

4.1

Tackles made

2.7

Interceptions made

1.6

Blocks made

1.6

Clearances made

1.5

Take-on success

58%

Stats via FBref

Such numbers could see him add the needed presence in the middle of the park, but he has also showcased he has the tools to provide others with chances around him.

He completed 87% of the passes he attempted in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, 4.1 of which per 90 were progressive – able to give the new additions in the final third the opportunity to succeed.

As seen by the recent reports, it’s clear that the staff behind the scenes rate him highly, subsequently making him the next key target in their overhaul of the squad.

If Baleba can have the success Bruno has endured since his own big-money move to Old Trafford, it would be a deal worth every penny despite the massive transfer fee.

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