All posts by z3u9t.icu

2025 has been the year of the returning hero at Celtic Park so far.

Kieran Tierney has returned to Celtic, six years after departing, following in the footsteps of Jota, who re-joined the Hoops during the January transfer window.

So now, could Brendan Rodgers, who is no stranger to a Glasgow return himself, be re-united with a star he once labelled one of Europe’s best young players?

The reaction to Kieran Tierney's Celtic return

After completing his return to his boyhood club last week, Tierney said it “feels amazing” to be back, adding “my ambition is just for Celtic to be as successful as possible”.

Rodgers too exclaimed that he’s “delighted” to add a “talented and high-quality” player to his squad, while Tierney is unquestionably a fans’ favourite in Glasgow’s East End, having come through the academy to make 170 appearances for the club during his first spell, winning 11 major trophies.

So, while there is major excitement about seeing the left-back bedecked in green and white hoops once again, could an even bigger talent also be back later this summer?

Celtic's search for a new striker

Tierney’s return to Parkhead this summer has been met with glee, but when has a left-back ever been more exciting than a new striker? Arguably never.

The Scot has the potential to come back and be a roaring success down the left channels, carving out goalscoring opportunities at will for teammates, but who will be on the end of his teasing balls into the box? Well, another Celtic return could be on the cards and it’s more eye-catching than Tierney.

Indeed, as noted by Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record, Celtic could re-sign striker Odsonne Édouard this summer, with ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believing the club shouldn’t think twice if they are able to add a “fantastic player” to their ranks.

The striker initially arrived at Parkhead on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, scoring on his debut against Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park, before his move was made permanent the following summer, costing a then-club-record £9m.

In total, Édouard scored 87 goals in 179 appearances for the Celts, numbers that are comparable with the club’s other great centre-forwards of modern times.

Kyōgo

165

85

126

Giakoumakis

57

26

97

Édouard

179

87

140

Dembélé

94

51

120

Griffiths

262

123

118

Hooper

138

82

136

The numbers above rubberstamp why he was more exciting than Tierney in green and white, with only Leigh Griffiths having scored more goals for Celtic since Henrik Larsson’s departure in 2004, with the Scotland international doing so in 83 more appearances.

Édouard ultimately departed for Crystal Palace in August 2021, costing around £18.5m, scoring 21 times for the Eagles, including bagging a memorable double on his debut against Tottenham, but his career has gone off the rails in the last year or so.

Not in Oliver Glasner’s pre-season plans, the Frenchman joined Leicester City on a season-long loan last summer, but this has to go down as one of the most disastrous loan spells of all time, now valued at just £7m by Transfermarkt.

Appearances

6

Minutes

113

Starts

1

Matches an unused sub

3

Matched not in the squad

31

Total matches

40

Édouard was completely frozen out by both Steve Cooper and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester, most recently a substitute on Boxing Day, his last appearance coming on 10 November, while his one and only start for the club came in the Carabao Cup at Walsall in September.

Odsonne-Edouard

As outlined by John Percy of the Telegraph, having featured for both Palace and Leicester in 2024/25, FIFA regulations stipulate that he was unable to represent a third club in the same season.

Thus, Édouard remained stranded in the proverbial wilderness from January onwards, despite the fact the Foxes broke all sorts of records when it came to not scoring, most notably losing eight successive Premier League home games to nil, an unprecedentedly miserable run.

Nevertheless, still 27 years old, the striker certainly still has plenty to offer.

When Édouard signed permanently for Celtic in the first place, Rodgers labelled him one of European football’s “elite young talents”. While he may not still be too young, he still has elite potential, particularly if it took him to Scotland again.

Still searching for a Kyōgo Furuhashi replacement, if the Frenchman becomes available at a cut-price, this would surely be a no-brainer.

More exciting than Tierney: Celtic expected to complete "no-brainer" deal

Celtic are expected to seal the signing of a star who would be more exciting than Kieran Tierney.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 14, 2025

After Pep Guardiola revealed the news that Kyle Walker will not be at the Club World Cup as he prepares to leave the club this summer, Manchester City have reportedly made one particular target their no.1 priority.

Kyle Walker set to leave Man City

Following a loan spell at Milan, Walker is set to leave Manchester City on a permanent basis this summer. The veteran defender looks set to bow out as one of the best defenders to play for the Citizens and will forever have his part cemented in their history books. After eight successful years, however, he’s set to bring his Manchester City career to an end.

Guardiola confirmed the news that the defender will not be at the Club World Cup, with Fabrizio Romano then revealing that he is on course to depart Manchester City in the coming months.

Man City now eyeing shock chance to sign £84 million Arsenal contract rebel

This would certainly steal headlines…

ByTom Cunningham May 23, 2025

Walker’s exit should come as little shock. For all of his impressive work in Manchester, the England international was beginning to fall away from his best form before his loan spell away at AC Milan. Often at the centre of moments to forget for Guardiola’s side, a departure always seemed inevitable.

By the time his exit is confirmed, however, fans around The Etihad won’t remember Walker for this season’s defensive blunders. Instead, they will remember a right-back who became a mainstay in one of, if not the most successful side in Premier League history.

Replacing such a player should be among City’s priorities this summer in a task that certainly won’t be easy. Without Walker, Guardiola has been forced to turn towards some surprising options at right-back, including the likes of Matheus Nunes and the impressive Nico O’Reilly.

If the Spaniard wants to take his side back to Premier League glory after a season away, he will know more than anyone how important it is that City welcome a right-back this summer.

Man City prioritising Livramento move

According to Romano, Manchester City are now prioritising a move to sign Tino Livramento from Newcastle United this summer and have made the right-back their No 1 target.

The former Chelsea youngster has impressed at St James’ Park ever since arriving, but nailed his place down in Eddie Howe’s side ahead of Kieran Trippier once and for all this season. Now, he could be on his way to The Etihad if City get their way.

At 22 years old, Livarmento’s best years are yet to come and may well come under Guardiola as has been the case for several stars over the years. As Walker prepares to leave, the Newcastle man, who Howe described as “excellent” in April, should be seen as the perfect heir to his Manchester City throne.

Clearing £75,000 a week from their wage bill whilst welcoming a player who could spearhead a new era at The Etihad would, in many ways, represent an ideal way for Manchester City to commence their summer spending.

It is no understatement to say that Glasgow Rangers require a major overhaul this summer.

Not just in the playing squad or staff members, but in mentality. Since the Ibrox side won the Premiership title in 2021, the Gers have won only two trophies since.

In comparison, Celtic have won every available league title on offer and have clinched a domestic double this season, although they did lose to Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final.

Things have to change at Ibrox, and fast. The 49ers’ involvement should give those at the club a boost, but the priority is a new manager.

The likes of Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti have been linked with a move to Glasgow, while several other candidates have been touted for the vacant role.

Whoever becomes the next permanent manager will have work to do in order to improve the first-team squad this summer.

There are various positions that need urgent improvement, no doubt about that. Furthermore, several players could be sold to raise funds and help reduce the wage bill.

Cyriel Dessers may finish the season as the top scorer in the Premiership, but if a reasonable offer comes in this summer, the club should cash in.

Why Rangers must sell Cyriel Dessers

Never has a Rangers player exuded more Jekyll and Hyde-like qualities than Dessers. One minute, he is simply unplayable, causing chaos for opposition defenders domestically and in Europe.

Next, he struggles with the easiest of chances and offers next to nothing in the final third.

There is no doubt about his record in front of goal for the Light Blues since he joined in a deal worth £4.5m from Cremonese in the summer of 2023. Indeed, the Nigerian striker has scored 51 goals and grabbed 16 assists across 109 games for the club during his first two seasons.

On the surface, this is an impressive record in front of goal. He has shone in Europe, with his display against Fenerbahce one of the finest by a Gers forward in quite a while.

Unfortunately, these performances are few and far between. Throughout the 2023/24 league season, Dessers missed a staggering 27 big chances across 35 matches.

Over the same number of games in 2024/25, he missed 21 big chances, a slight improvement, but still not great.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

16

18

Assists

4

2

Shots per game

2.9

2.4

Big chances missed

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

16%

22%

During the winter transfer window, several clubs were linked with making a move for Dessers. Saint-Étienne, Cagliari, and Empoli were all showing interest in securing a move for the 30-year-old.

Much to the disappointment of large sections of the support, the centre-forward remained in Glasgow until the end of the season at least.

He has two years left on his current contract, which suggests now would be the ideal time to cash in and secure a decent fee for the player.

This could be used to fund future signings, especially a couple of younger players with a higher ceiling for growth.

Dessers shouldn’t be the only player to be moved on this summer by the new manager. Nedim Bajrami is reportedly attracting interest from afar, and now might be a good time to part ways with the Albanian.

Nedim Bajrami has offers on the table

According to reports in Albania (as relayed by Glasgow Times), Bajrami has two options on the table with regard to a summer exit away from the Light Blues.

One comes from the Italian top flight, while the other is from the Bundesliga, and the report states that the midfielder is likely to leave Glasgow when the transfer window finally opens.

Much will depend on the price, however, as the 49ers will be keen on recouping much of the £3.4m that was spent on the Albanian last summer.

It’s safe to say he hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of campaigns in Scotland, despite arriving with plenty of hype.

What exactly went wrong with Bajrami?

Why Rangers must sell Nedim Bajrami this summer

The 26-year-old had impressed for his country at Euro 2024, scoring an incredible opener against Italy after just 23 seconds.

A move to Ibrox in the final days of the summer transfer window looked like a real coup for Philippe Clement.

What looked like a potentially transformative signing for the club eventually turned into a waste of money. Across 44 games for Rangers, he only scored five goals and chipped in with four assists, showing that he has rarely made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Considering the sum of money the club had paid, this was hardly the best of returns, especially following a decent start to life in Glasgow.

The midfielder only started 15 Premiership matches, creating only four big chances, averaging one key pass and succeeding with just one dribble per game in the top flight.

In Europe, Bajrami didn’t fare much better. Indeed, he could only muster a single goal from 11 appearances, winning less than half of his total duels per game and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, which shows how ineffective he has been on the European stage since his move to Ibrox.

The nadir came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup back in February. Rangers suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat – arguably one of their worst domestic losses – but Bajrami was subbed at half-time following a dismal display.

Stevie Clifford, who runs Four Lads Had a Dream, criticised the Albanian a month before, saying:

“I’ll highlight it again, it’s not singling him out, but Nedim Bajrami is not offering enough at all.

“We need him to influence games & be involved, largely anonymous so far, again.

“£4m is big money to do it in these type of games & he’s miles off it so far.”

All of these points point towards a likely summer exit when the window opens next month. Should Rangers receive a bid that is deemed acceptable, then they must be ready to cash in.

He didn’t live up to initial expectations, and regardless of who the new manager is, Bajrami’s future already looks settled with the offers that are on the table from other clubs.

Hopefully, he can make better signings this summer.

Gerrard's next Defoe: Rangers could sign PL "living legend" this summer

Rangers must make a move for a current Premier League striker this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 24, 2025

Last night saw the final nail hammered into Arsenal’s season.

Mikel Arteta’s side were unable to overturn their one-nil deficit away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and will now end the year trophyless for the fifth campaign in a row.

While the Gunners were not terrible in the French capital, they struggled to make much happen after the first 20 minutes, and like he was in the first leg, Gabriel Martinelli was quite ineffective on the wing.

So, with that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to see reports linking the club to a potential upgrade on the Brazilian, from PSG of all teams.

Arsenal's winger search

With how ineffective Arsenal’s left-hand side has been this season, there have been a whole host of talented wide players linked with a move to the Emirates in recent weeks, with Nico Williams and Kingsley Coman perhaps being some of the more prominent ones.

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 famously has a release clause of around £50m, and while that’s a lot of money to pay upfront, he’s undoubtedly worth it, as not only is he still just 22 years old, but he’s also already performing at a top level, amassing a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season.

It’s a bit harder to say whether Coman would be such a brilliant addition, though, as at 28 and with an extensive and worrying injury history, the reported price tag of around £34m feels like it would be something of a gamble.

However, a transfer that feels like it certainly wouldn’t be a gamble is that of Lee Kang-In.

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are interested in the South Korean international ahead of the summer transfer window, with Arteta a particular fan of the 24-year-old.

A potential price tag is not mentioned in the story, but another report from earlier this week claimed that PSG will demand prices in excess of £17m for the player, who is keen to leave over a lack of game time.

He might not be the biggest name around, but considering his ability and the relatively low price, this is a transfer that feels like a no-brainer for Arsenal, especially as Kang would be an upgrade on Martinelli.

How Kang compares to Martinelli

So then, one of the really significant advantages of signing Kang is that he has the experience and ability to play in various roles, which, if we know anything about Arteta, is a trait he loves in players.

For example, across his career to date, the South Korean dynamo has made a significant number of appearances in attacking midfield, off both wings, up top and even as a second striker.

However, if he were to join Arsenal in the summer, his primary role would likely be off the left, which in turn would put him in direct competition with Martinelli for game time.

So then, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, from a pure output perspective, the PSG star comes out on top, even with fewer goals and assists to his name.

For example, in just 2307 minutes, across 44 appearances, the Namdong-gu-born dynamo has scored six goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.66 games, or more crucially, every 192.25 minutes.

Appearances

44

48

Minutes

2307′

3313′

Goals

6

9

Assists

6

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

0.31

Minutes per Goal Involvement

192.25′

220.86′

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 11 has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 48 appearances, totalling 3313 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.2 games or a significantly worse average of every 220.86 minutes.

What about when we take a look under the hood, then? Who comes out on top when we compare their underlying numbers?

Unfortunately for the former Ituano gem, it’s the Parisian’s talented ace, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims is blessed “with purpose and precision” in almost everything he does who comes out ahead.

For example, in practically every relevant metric, the maestro with a “left foot made of gold,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes out on top, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, passes into the penalty area and final third, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.52

0.47

Non-Penalty G+As

0.69

0.49

Progressive Passes

7.66

2.07

Progressive Carries

2.74

4.93

Shots

2.29

2.07

Shots on Target

0.80

0.88

Passing Accuracy

87.4%

71.0%

Key Passes

3.20

1.63

Passes into the Final Third

5.54

0.48

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.46

1.41

Shot-Creating Actions

5.56

2.91

Goal-Creating Actions

0.34

0.26

Tackles Won

0.97

0.66

Interceptions

0.11

0.18

Blocks

0.63

0.44

Successful Take-Ons

1.66

1.41

Ultimately, while Martinelli is still a useful player in the squad, Kang appears to be superior in practically every way. Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him this summer.

Lost the ball 19x: Arsenal must axe 3/10 dud who was worse than Odegaard

Arsenal bowed out after a 3-1 aggregate defeat against PSG.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 8, 2025

Glasgow Rangers delivered a resolute display in their Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against La Liga side Athletic Bilbao, despite being reduced to ten men early on.

Robin Propper was sent off after he was deemed to have prevented a scoring opportunity and from then on, it looked as though the Spanish side would go on to score a few goals.

Bilbao had 19 shots throughout the match, yet couldn’t find the back of the net. They even had a penalty saved following a decision by the referee after a VAR review and this set up the match nicely ahead of the second leg.

One person who will miss that game, however, is Propper. Perhaps this could work wonders as the Light Blues look to reach the semi-finals.

Why Robin Propper was sent off against Athletic Bilbao

Prior to being dismissed, the Dutchman had yet to win a single duel contested while he lost possession twice, failed to deliver an accurate long ball from two attempts, and took just 16 touches.

After fouling Nico Williams on the edge of the penalty area, Propper was initially given a yellow card for his troubles.

Metric

Highest-ranked

Accurate passes

Daniel Vivian (84)

Key passes

Nico Williams (6)

Tackles

James Tavernier (5)

Shots on target

Oihan Sancet, Maroan Sannadi and Alex Berenguer (1)

Ground duels won

James Tavernier (7)

Following a VAR review, however, referee Istvan Kovacs upgraded this yellow to a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

According to IFAB rules, denying an opportunity outside the box results in a red card, although the sentiment wasn’t quite shared by the Ibrox crowd.

Thankfully, the Gers were able to secure a 0-0 draw that puts them in a solid position heading into the second leg.

Propper hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best maiden season at Ibrox. Did the club sell a player last year who is better than the former FC Twente captain?

The former Rangers star who is miles better than Propper

After spending six seasons with Rangers, making 309 appearances for the club in that time, Philippe Clement sold Connor Goldson last summer to Aris Limassol.

The timing was right, as the centre-back wasn’t at his best throughout 2023/24, but there is no doubt he still would have been a better option than Propper.

Hailed by former manager Steven Gerrard as being “an absolute mountain” back in 2021, Goldson’s influence waned, hence his move to Cyprus.

The English titan averages a 90% pass success rate this season in the Cypriot top flight, along with winning an impressive 75% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 53% of his long ball attempts.

Comparing this to Propper, who has an 89% pass success rate domestically, while winning 64% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 48% of his long ball attempts, proves that Goldson is enjoying the best campaign from a statistical viewpoint.

Furthermore, Propper simply cannot handle the physicality of Scottish football, as opposition attackers can get the better of him, having been dribbled past ten times in the Premiership so far.

Of course, I’m not saying Goldson is the answer to the club’s prayers, but given the choice, he appears to be a better option in comparison to Propper, based off their respective form this season.

As bad as Propper: Ferguson must axe Rangers dud who made just 4 passes

Having battled to a goalless draw at Ibrox, Rangers manager Barry Ferguson must axe his “frustrating” star at San Mamés in next Thursday’s second leg.

Apr 11, 2025

This is why the Gers messed up when they cashed in on the former Brighton man last year because he is currently miles better than the Dutch dud, who is yet to prove his worth at Ibrox.

Since taking the Arsenal job, when the club were at their lowest point in a generation, Mikel Arteta has made some seismic changes.

Some of the most significant have come in the transfer market, as the Spaniard spent a massive sum of money building a squad capable of challenging for major honours domestically and on the continent.

In doing so, the former captain has signed an enormous number of players over the years, and while some haven’t exactly panned out, like Willian, Pablo Mari and Nuno Tavares, others, like Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya, certainly have.

In fact, it would be fair to say that one of Arteta’s acquisitions is now comfortably the club’s best signing since Mesut Özil joined the team over a decade ago.

Özil's Arsenal career

It’s a moment that no Arsenal fan who was around at the time will forget, Özil being announced on transfer deadline day 2013, in what was a club-record £42.4m deal at the time.

The German international was leaving Real Madrid to come to the Emirates, and saying that fans were excited about it would be a colossal understatement.

It didn’t take long for the mercurial midfielder to make good on his transfer fee either, as on his debut, away to Sunderland, he provided a brilliant assist for Olivier Giroud.

Throughout his stint in North London, the World Cup winner made 254 appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals, providing 75 assists, and playing a significant role in three FA Cup triumphs.

Unfortunately, after signing his bumper £350k-per-week deal in 2018, things started to go wrong, and he began to face criticism for his perceived lack of work rate, which worsened when Arteta took charge.

However, while things ended poorly, and he eventually left for nothing to join Fenerbahçe in January 2021, it cannot be forgotten that in his pomp, Özil was an incredible footballer to watch and, had the club built around him, he may have led them to league glory.

There have been some great signings made in the years since he left, but one potentially era-defining acquisition under Arteta could be fairly described as the club’s best since the German.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal's best signing since Ozil

As we mentioned above, Arteta has made his fair share of impressive signings since taking the job at Arsenal, but in terms of needle-moving purchases, the spotlight falls on one player: Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain moved to the Emirates for a club-record fee of £105m in the summer of 2023, and while there was a mountain of pressure on him, he’s since surpassed every expectation people had of him.

In fact, the fans often sing about signing him for half-price, and while that is somewhat tongue in cheek, there is likely an increasing portion of the support that is genuinely starting to believe it.

Appearances

94

Minutes

7640′

Goals

14

Assists

18

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

Minutes per Goal Involvement

238.75′

For example, since moving to North London, the “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, has made 94 appearances, in which he’s scored 14 goals and provided 18 assists, despite moving between the six and eight positions.

We saw just how devastatingly effective the Englishman can be last night when he scored two stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid to give his side an incredible opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 08/09 season.

On top of his impressive level of output, the 26-year-old also has some sensational underlying numbers.

For example, FBref places him in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, the top 6% for assists, the top 7% for goals plus assists, the top 8% for shot-creating action from dead-ball passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Arsenal would have expected Rice to perform to a high level considering his price tag, we are not sure they nor anyone else expected him to be this good, and that’s why he’s their best signing since Ozil.

Arsenal have struck gold on "unplayable" star who's their own Bellingham

The incredible talent looks destined for greatness with Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 9, 2025

Arsenal are ready to swoop for a young centre-forward very soon, and it is believed Mikel Arteta’s side are in pole position to secure his signature ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool.

Andrea Berta to target new striker for Arsenal this summer

The club’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, is set to target a new striker for Arsenal this summer.

Arteta wants "world-class" player with Arsenal in advanced talks to sign him

The Spaniard is a major admirer.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 29, 2025

Berta put pen to paper on a contract to replace long-serving transfer chief Edu Gaspar around three weeks ago, according to Fabrizio Romano, and a new number nine is said to be high on the Italian’s agenda heading into this summer.

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 26th

Arsenal have already identified targets, with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres all linked to joining Arteta’s side before the start of next season.

As well as the aforementioned trio, Arsenal have been sporadically linked with homegrown stars like Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, who former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood recently urged Berta to sign.

“That is a no-brainer for me,” said Sherwood.

“I put Delap in front of [Ollie] Watkins, considering what Arsenal need at the moment. And he’s ahead of [Benjamin] Sesko, who Arsenal have been touting around for. Ipswich would be consigned to the Championship already without him. I think £40m would get him now.

“He would really develop under [Mikel] Arteta and give Arsenal something different, he’s strong, holds the ball up, runs from deep. He knows the league. I think he is an absolute no-brainer for Arsenal. If Ipswich get relegated, his value will still be up there, about the same price. £40m is nothing for Arsenal, he’s got a huge future ahead of him.”

Both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz won’t be available for quite a long time after sustaining serious injuries, so a prolific new forward is quite simply imperative for Arsenal, with the only question being who is their most ideal fit.

Arsenal ready to make "imminent move" for Blackburn starlet Harvey Higgins

Alongside the senior team, Berta will be overseeing the development of their youth setup, and Arsenal reportedly have their eyes on one of England’s brightest, up-and-coming forward talents.

That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who writes that Arsenal are ready to make an “imminent move” for Blackburn Rovers sensation Harvey Higgins.

The Gunners are apparently “in the driving seat” to strike a deal for Higgins, who is “regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the country”. The 16-year-old is also attracting attention from Chelsea, City, and Liverpool, but Arsenal are hoping to win the race for his services by swooping first.

Higgins could even end up replacing former Arsenal youth striker Chido Obi-Martin, who departed N5 for Man United recently and has already made senior appearances under Ruben Amorim.

A “world-class” striker has identified Manchester City as a destination in the summer transfer window, having made it clear he wants to move to the Premier League, according to a report.

Man City planning major rebuild

After winning an unprecedented four titles on the spin, Man City have finally dropped off this season, having lost nine of their 28 Premier League games up to this point, and manager Pep Guardiola is now planning a major summer rebuild.

The overhaul got underway back in January, with the likes of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov moving to the Etihad Stadium, but Guardiola has his eye on several other targets.

A report has suggested City may have closed a deal for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, with Rodri’s absence exposing the need to bring in additional options in midfield, while they are also weighing up a move for Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga.

Guardiola is also keen on bolstering his wide options, with SC Braga winger Roger Fernandes recently emerging as a target, amid the uncertainty surrounding Jack Grealish’s future.

Man City send scouts to watch 21-year-old midfielder compared to Bellingham

He’s been superb this season when not injured.

ByBarney Lane Mar 10, 2025

One position in which there is seemingly little need to strengthen is striker, given that Guardiola has Erling Haaland at his disposal, however a new report has suggested there could be an opportunity to bring in a new option in the summer.

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres wants to move to the Premier League, and he has made it clear he wants to join either Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool.

Gyokeres’ summer exit is described as ‘inevitable’, and a move to the Etihad Stadium could be on the cards, should the Sky Blues be willing to stump up the €70m (£59m) asking price, which could rise even higher if a bidding war breaks out.

"World-class" Gyokeres in red-hot form

The Swedish striker has been extremely impressive this season, scoring 39 goals in 40 games in all competitions, 11 more than Haaland, albeit in a much weaker league.

The 26-year-old has had a steady rise to the top since emerging as a consistent goalscorer for Coventry City in the 2021-22 Championship campaign, and he is on course to record his best-ever goal return this term.

Season

League appearances

Goals

2021-22

45

17

2022-23

46

21

2023-24

33

29

2024-25

24

27

Having been lauded as “world-class” by members of the media, there is every indication the former Coventry man could make a real impact at one of Europe’s top clubs, but there are major doubts over whether he would be a necessary addition to Guardiola’s side.

It is unlikely any player in the world would be able to dislodge Haaland in the City starting XI, and Guardiola would risk both strikers becoming unsettled if he decided to bring in Gyokeres this summer, so it is probably wise to focus on strengthening other areas of the squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters will have renewed optimism now that their lowly side can beat the Premier League drop with Vitor Pereira picking up some standout results since taking on the reins.

Indeed, the Portuguese manager has inspired his relegation-threatened troops to pick up some big victories against the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa since replacing Gary O’Neil, with the Old Gold now up to 17th after looking doomed to be heading for the Championship under the previous regime.

Whilst Pereira will be happy with the fight on display for the most part, he will perhaps want a little more from the attackers at his disposal, away from Matheus Cunha continuing to dominate the spotlight.

The numbers behind Wolves' attack this season

The ex-Al Shabab boss has had to deal with some bad luck in the striker department when it comes to unfortunate injuries, with one of his stars up top – alongside Cunha – in Jorgen Strand Larsen now sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Before this unwanted development, the Nordic sharpshooter was up to a sizeable seven goals in the Premier League for the season, with Cunha only boasting more top-flight strikes in the Old Gold camp at 11.

With Larsen now out, it has exposed the lack of attacking quality in the striker positions, with Hwang Hee-Chan way off the boil so far this campaign.

From 21 appearances across 2024/25 to date, the out-of-sorts South Korean only has two strikes next to his name, which is a disappointing return so far considering he managed to bag 12 top-flight strikes during a far more successful 2023/24 campaign.

Whilst Pereira laments his striker options, there is a former Old Gold hero who is currently outscoring both Hwang and Larsen at his current employers.

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The former Wolves striker who is now outscoring Larsen & Hwang

Wolves have had their fair share of modern-day legends in recent years as the club rose from the doldrums of EFL obscurity to Premier League glory.

One of those faces that is definitely well-liked to this day is Raul Jimenez, with the Mexican a long-standing servant of the club over many seasons before his departure in 2023.

Across five celebrated campaigns in the West Midlands, Jimenez would help himself to a hefty 57 goals and 22 assists, with the now 33-year-old even having to battle back from a serious injury during his goal-laden spell at Molineux to continue to prove his worth.

Whilst he is now firmly in the twilight years of his career, the goals haven’t dried up for the Mexican donning his new Fulham colours, with Jimenez bettering both Larsen and Hwang this season in terms of output.

24/25

24

9

2

23/24

24

7

0

22/23

15

0

1

21/22

34

6

4

20/21

10

4

0

19/20

38

17

6

18/19

38

13

7

Amazingly, Jimenez is close to eclipsing his Premier League best at Molineux strutting his stuff now at Craven Cottage, with the veteran attacker boasting 11 goal contributions this season in the top-flight to beat Larsen and Hwang’s weaker numbers consequently.

Marco Silva would even describe Jimenez as “incredible” this season when he became Mexico’s highest-ever goalscorer in the elite division, with the ex-Everton boss thankful that Wolves decided to offload the towering 6 foot 3 striker when they did. On the flip side, the Old Gold must regret letting him go.

In an alternate reality, Pereira wouldn’t turn his nose up at having Jimenez in his Old Gold camp, but the popular Wolves boss will just hope the goals keep flowing in big games to come near the foot of the division away from looking back at past attackers.

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Whilst they must act with caution amid their PSR concerns, Aston Villa are now reportedly keen to sign a Serie A midfielder who kept Morgan Rogers quiet last season.

Aston Villa still face PSR concern

With June 30 and the PSR deadline approaching, Aston Villa are running out of time to sell players and face what could be the most important week of their summer. At this stage, the likeliest players to depart seem to be Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey. The former has been the subject of interest from Manchester United and although Villa won’t be desperate to sell a key man to a rival club, they may have no choice before next month.

Of course, the departure of Bailey would be far easier to stomach this summer. The Jamaican winger fell down the pecking order last season following the arrival of Donyell Malen and even after the loan spells of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio came to an end, he remains a player who Villa could be wise to sell this month.

Whether the likely sale of Philippe Coutinho to Vasco da Gama solves Villa’s problems completely is also a big question. To that end, reports have claimed that it will help them on the PSR front but it will not solve their issues entirely. Even after the former Liverpool star’s exit, Villa may still require one more sale before a much-needed PSR reset.

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It’s then that those in the Midlands will be able to shift their focus back towards incomings and potentially a Serie A midfielder who pocketed Rogers last season.

Aston Villa keen to sign Jens Cajuste

According to Area Napoli, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen to sign Jens Cajuste from Napoli this summer. Following a season on loan at Ipswich Town, the midfielder will now reportedly be allowed to leave the Italian club for as little as €10m (£8.5m) in the coming months.

Whilst his first season in the Premier League featured a relegation, Cajuste still stood out at times for Ipswich Town. In fact, one of his best games came against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.

Keeping attacking midfielder Rogers quiet, Cajuste made three interceptions – more than any other central midfielder on the pitch – and completed five recoveries. Rogers, meanwhile, was limited to just one successful dribble and won a third of his duels in a frustrating afternoon.

One of several solid performances, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was often full of praise for Cajuste during his time at the club – telling reporters when asked about the midfielder in April: “He’s a really terrifically talented footballer, but in terms of his robustness he’s making really good progress and he’s improved as the season’s gone on.”