Chelsea have made a winning start to their Club World Cup campaign.

On Monday night, Enzo Maresca’s team easily swatted aside MLS outfit Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, with Pedro Neto breaking the deadlock on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández, teed up by debutant Liam Delap, made the points secure.

The major talking point was all the empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with around 22,000 in attendance, but this is not a good look in a venue that holds up to 75,000; for context, Atlanta United average around 45,000 in Major League Soccer this season.

Nevertheless, Maresca won’t care about that one jot, as his team prepare to take on Flamengo at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, after the Brazilian outfit were also 2-0 winners on Monday, beating Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Philadelphia.

Back at home, Chelsea continue to be busy in the transfer market, so are they about to land yet another wide-forward?

Chelsea's search for a new winger

Signing new forwards is clearly the order of the day for BlueCo this summer with Delap already in the door and Hugo Ekitike also touted with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Now, the Blues have another target in mind according to the latest reports.

As per David Ornstein of the Athletic, Chelsea ‘have made a verbal enquiry’ as they seek to sign Olympique Lyonnais winger Malick Fofana.

Meantime, French outlet L’Equipe add that Lyon value the forward at around £50m.

Transfer Focus

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

The 20-year-old began his senior career at Gent, before joining les Gones for a reported fee of £14.5m in January 2024, making 62 appearances for Lyon to date, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him a “magnificent winger prospect”, so could he be set to swap France for West London?

Why Chelsea should sign Malick Fofana not Jamie Gittens

After deciding not to make Jadon Sancho’s loan from Manchester United permanent, paying a £5m penalty fee as a result, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reports that Chelsea are ‘prioritising’ signing a right-footed left-winger this summer.

Well, BBC Sport claimed last week that the Blues had seen a £42m rejected by Borussia Dortmund for 20-year-old Englishman Jamie Gittens, who they claim has already agreed personal terms.

But now, are the Blues turning their attention to Fofana, and who is actually the bigger prospect? Let’s find out.

Appearances

41

48

Minutes

2,280

2,790

Goals

11

12

Assists

6

5

Goals – xG

+5

+6.7

Expected assists

4.4

3.5

Shots on target %

54%

40.3%

Progressive carries

157

161

Attempted take-ons

83

232

Take-on success %

39.8%

44.8%

Shot-creating actions per 90

3.43

3.57

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.61

0.45

Average SofaScore rating

7.24

7.05

As the table outlines, Gittens is much more of a prolific dribbler; in fact, across Europe’s top five leagues, only six players attempted more take-ons, according to FBref.com.

However, Fofana is a significantly more of a direct goal-threat, underlined by the fact he registered more assists and a higher amount of expected assists, as well as goal-creating actions per 90 and a better shots on target percentage.

​​​​​​​

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes the Belgian international possesses “enormous potential” and has a “big future ahead”, while Brandon Liss of Total Football Analysis outlines how Fofana likes to hold width on the left side, tasked with taking on opposition full-backs, “working tirelessly” and demonstrating “excellent work rate”.

Meantime, Astorre Cerebróne of Breaking the Lines asserts that Fofana ‘has huge potential’, describing him as an ‘explosive winger​​​​​​​’ who ‘combines well with teammates’ and is a threat in front of goal.

Lyon are currently under pressure to sell and fast because they have been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial irregularities, a situation that remains up in the air.

Thus, if Chelsea are able to take advantage of Lyon’s predicament and get a deal done, Fofana is unquestionably a top-class talent.

Maresca must sign an upgrade on 5/10 Chelsea dud who lost the ball 10 times

Chelsea beat LAFC 2-0 in their first game of the Club World Cup.

3 ByKelan Sarson Jun 17, 2025

Sunderland are looking to build a squad capable of thriving in the top-flight and have now entered the race to sign a striker who excelled last season, according to a report.

Sunderland begin exciting summer of recruitment

Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra have been brought in at the Stadium of Light from Roma and Strasbourg, respectively, with the former becoming the Black Cats’ first addition of the window after a fine loan spell last season.

However, another brilliant piece of news for Sunderland is that Florent Ghisolfi has now arrived as their new Director of Football in the North East, and BBC radio’s Simon Pryde believes his remit will be solely focused on recruitment with Kristjaan Speakman handling external matters.

He stated: “I think Ghisolfi will be on recruitment. His umbrella will be over player recruitment and the first team squad. Speakman has a wide brief at the moment and this will allow him to focus because the structures in the Premier League are vastly different than those in the EFL.”

He added: “Ghisolfi has plenty of experience. (He was) assistant manager at Lorient for two years. (As a football director) he’s been at Lens, and he’s been at Nice, so he has a glowing reputation within football as a director.”

With that in mind, who could arrive to bolster the ranks? Reports suggest Lorient star Arthur Avom Ebong could be next to join Sunderland and discussions are an advanced stage between all parties over a £4 million deal.

Sunderland’s first five Premier League fixtures
West Ham United (H)	Stadium of Light
Burnley (A)	Turf Moor
Brentford (H)	Stadium of Light
Crystal Palace (A)	Selhurst Park
Aston Villa (H)	Stadium of Light

Now, the Black Cats are reportedly in the hat to sign a striker who showed a clinical edge in front of goal last term that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Sunderland position themselves to sign Luis Suarez

For the avoidance of doubt despite a name that will attract attention, Sunderland have entered the race to sign Almeria forward Luis Suarez this summer alongside Sporting Clube de Portugal, according to reports in Spain via Sport Witness.

The Colombia international registered 31 goals and eight assists in 43 matches across all competitions, though his side failed to gain promotion to the top-flight of Spanish football in the end.

Sunderland plotting bargain swoop to sign "great" Premier League midfielder

The Black Cats could land an excellent deal.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 30, 2025

Notably, Sunderland and Ghisolfi are willing to pay the £21.5 million fee needed to tempt Suarez to England, while Sporting feel that figure is excessive.

However, they have doubts the Santa Marta-born man would favour a switch to the Stadium of Light as he is being lined up in Lisbon as a replacement for Viktor Gyokeres.

Talks have taken place with ‘several’ clubs regarding his future, though the Black Cats’ interest in the 27-year-old is said to be fresh, so it remains to be seen how this one pans out as Regis Le Bris looks to bolster his side’s chances of remaining in the Premier League.

It’s hard to think of another summer quite like this one for Arsenal.

Preseason hasn’t even started yet, and the club has already signed four players, including Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, for a combined £112m.

Moreover, talented centre-back Christian Mosquera is set to have a medical today, Viktor Gyokeres looks likely to have his on Friday, and Eberechi Eze continues to be linked.

As if that wasn’t enough, rumours concerning a £80m move for Rodrygo keep popping up, although to complete a deal to sign him on top of everyone else, the Gunners will surely have to make some sales, and it looks like they will.

Why Arsenal want to sign Rodrygo

Even though it would require a massive financial commitment, and he’d become their second most expensive signing of all time, it’s really not hard to understand why Arsenal would want to bring in Rodrygo.

Firstly, he may be a natural left-winger, but as the last couple of seasons have shown us, he can still be incredibly effective off the right and even up, which could help massively if the Gunners endure another torrid year with injuries.

More importantly, though, is the fact that the Brazilian has remained incredibly effective even out of position over the last few years.

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

For example, since the start of the 23/24 season, the “special” talent, as dubbed by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That means the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is undoubtedly impressive.

Finally, with two La Liga titles and two Champions League titles among an array of other trophies under his belt, the 24-year-old dynamo would bring a real know-how to the Emirates, which is something the team have been lacking in recent years.

However, to afford Rodrygo’s wages and transfer fee, Arsenal will surely have to offload a few players this summer, and based on reports, it looks like one out-of-favour ace could be nearing the exit.

The Arsenal star who could be sold

With the signings already made, those set to be completed soon, and the additional links to players like Rodrygo, it’s no surprise to see speculation arise around the possible sale of certain players.

Transfer Focus

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

At first, there were reports about a possible move for Gabriel Martinelli by Al-Nassr, reports that were quickly rubbished.

Since then, Leandro Trossard has been linked with several moves, including a potential transfer to Bayern Munich, and Jakub Kiwior is also reportedly no longer in the manager’s plans.

However, there is now another player being linked with an official exit from the club this summer, someone who wasn’t even part of the squad last season: Fabio Vieira.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, the player’s representatives are currently working on getting him to a new team this summer, and have even been in talks with several interested clubs from ‘Turkey and Germany’s top divisions.’

Interestingly, the report reveals that an unnamed Serie A side would be willing to pay €18m for the Portuguese ace in a deal structured like Nuno Tavares’ to Lazio, but as Arteta and Co paid £34m for the player just three years ago, that is not a price they would entertain.

Whatever the final fee ends up being, it is probably time to move the 25-year-old on, as after two underwhelming campaigns in England in which he amassed 13 goal involvements in 49 games, he enjoyed a decent enough spell with Porto last year.

Appearances

39

33

16

42

Goals

7

2

1

5

Assists

16

6

3

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.24

0.25

0.26

For example, the “exceptional” midfielder, as talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed him, produced 11 goal involvements in 42 games, but eight of those came in just 26 league clashes.

In other words, this summer may well be the last time Berta and Co will be able to get decent money for the Santa Maria da Feira-born ace.

Ultimately, Vieira is not a bad player, but it just has not worked out for him in an Arsenal shirt, and if selling him this summer frees up space to sign Rodrygo, then that is a no-brainer.

Shades of Trossard: Arsenal target is now in London to undergo his medical

Arsenal could sign a player with shades of Leandro Trossard.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025

A Test that seemed destined for a draw is set for a thrilling final day, weather-permitting, after South Africa grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck on the fourth evening. Despite having only two hours of play on Saturday, South Africa took a 124-run first-innings lead after they bowled West Indies out for 233 and then scored 30 runs in five overs to put themselves in a position to push for a win.Rain has affected every day of this Test so far. It seemed as if play wouldn’t get underway today as more than 50mm of rain in some areas of the island had raised a yellow-level alert. But, after a six hour delay, play did start at Queen’s Park Oval and South Africa took control. They forced a West Indian collapse of 6 for 60 in 16.1 overs to ensure they were batting again by the end of the day.Given the amount of time lost overall, and particularly on the first and fourth days, that this much has happened is impressive enough. Only 15 overs were possible on day one and 30 were scheduled for day four and though the action was truncated, it was absorbing.Rain has affected every day of this Test so far•AFP/Getty Images

Matters resumed with South Africa 13 overs away from the second new ball, and they restarted with spin from both ends, which meant Aiden Markram had to begin the day’s proceedings. Jason Holder immediately took the opportunity to put pressure on South Africa’s white-ball captain by creaming the first ball through the covers for four. He went on to hit Markram over mid-off and toward deep midwicket, but Markram won the mini-battle when he flattened Holder’s off stump in his tenth over. Three balls later, Keshav Maharaj had Joshua da Silva caught at mid-on to claim his fourth wicket of the innings.Maharaj would have had five in his next over when Kemar Roach, on 0, popped a chance up in the direction of David Bedingham at silly point. It needed quick reactions and a bit of luck to stick, but the ball just evaded Bedingham’s outstretched right hand.The new ball was taken as soon as it became available but South Africa stuck with the spinners. Markram went on to bowl an eight-over spell before being replaced by Kagiso Rabada, who took his 292nd Test wicket with this fourth ball. Bedingham made no mistake at first-slip and took the catch to dismiss Kavem Hodge. Rabada’s discipline continued to dismantle West Indies’ lower order. Gudakesh Motie met a full delivery by closing the face of the bat too early and edged to Markram at second slip, and Roach was struck just under the knee-roll on the front pad to be given out lbw. He reviewed only to see three reds from ball-tracking on the replay.Jomel Warrican made an unbeaten 35 off 32 balls•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end, Maharaj kept going and only ran into trouble when Jomel Warrican took him on. Warrican hit Maharaj over his head for six at the start of his 38th over – and he bowled all 38 in succession – and then over long-on for six more two balls later.Jayden Seales also showed some positive intent and ended Maharaj’s 39th over by hitting him over midwicket for four. Maharaj was denied the opportunity to get his tenth Test five-for by Lungi Ngidi, who replaced Rabada and bowled Seales to take his first wicket of the match. Maharaj bowled 40 overs in total, unchanged – from the Media Centre end – across two days.With more rain expected on Sunday, South Africa were in a hurry to score as many runs as possible. So, Markram and de Zorzi went out with intent. They were busy at the crease and quick between the wickets. Markram showed his class with back-to-back cover drives off Roach’s second over. In the last over of the day, de Zorzi hit Seales in the air through point for four. Two balls later, he reached for a wide ball and got a thick outside edge. Hodge, at first slip, hesitated for a millisecond and ended up getting both hands to the ball but dropped it to end a disappointing day for West Indies.

Despite a sunny day, parts of the ground in Greater Noida remained unfit to play on

Ekanth09-Sep-2024The first ever day of Test cricket at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground was abandoned due to a wet outfield. The weather was fair all day, with the sun out, but the drainage facilities could not dry the playing area entirely, leaving New Zealand and Afghanistan to wait at least another day to begin their first ever Test encounter.There has been significant rain over the past few days and the challenge, according to chief curator Amit Sharma, was to keep the outfield fit for play if the wet weather continued. However, on Monday, there was not a single cover on the ground all day and the super-soppers were at work, but wet patches on the outfield and the bowlers’ run-up remained a concern.Multiple inspections took place, with the last one scheduled at 4.30pm local time, but the day was abandoned at 4.05 pm. The toss has been scheduled for 9am tomorrow and the remaining four days will have 98 overs each starting at 9.30am, instead of 10am.Related

Greater Noida under the weather ahead of Test debut

The match is not part of the World Test Championship cycle but gives New Zealand an opportunity to acclimatise to subcontinent conditions, with two Test series against Sri Lanka and India lined up in the next couple of months.Afghanistan have played two one-off Tests in this year so far, both in different countries against different opponents, and are looking for their first win since 2021.

Mitesh Velani spent a decade working for the English rugby union club

Matt Roller30-Aug-2024

Mitesh Velani, right, spent a decade working for Saracens•Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Yorkshire have appointed Mitesh Velani, who left Saracens as part of the fall-out from their salary cap scandal, as their new chief financial and operations officer.Saracens, the London-based rugby union club, were fined over £5 million and docked 35 points in 2019 after they were found guilty of breaching the English Premiership’s salary cap across three seasons.Mitesh Velani, who will join Yorkshire in a newly-created role on September 16, spent a decade working for Saracens. He was the club’s finance director from 2010 until 2017, before taking over as chief executive – initially in an interim capacity – until 2020. He was replaced as chief executive in January 2020, initially moving into a consultancy role before leaving the club soon after.Velani was mentioned repeatedly in the independent disciplinary panel’s report detailing the charges against Saracens, and was the principal witness when the club attempted – unsuccessfully – to make the case that the league’s salary cap was anti-competitive.Related

Graves: Private ownership at Yorkshire 'essential for club's future'

Graves returns to Yorkshire board ahead of reappointment as chair

Former Wasps chief Vaughan appointed as new CEO at Yorkshire

The panel found that Velani’s witness statement had “largely been copied verbatim” from one made by his predecessor, Ed Griffiths, in a previous disciplinary case. The panel’s report said it was “regrettable” that Velani did not “make clear the extent to which his written statement simply reiterated Mr Griffiths’ earlier statement and addressed matters on which he had no first-hand knowledge”.Yorkshire mentioned Velani’s experience with Saracens in a club statement announcing his appointment, but did not address the salary cap scandal, instead saying that he had “brought transformation and innovation to the operating of the club during a decade of sustained success both on and off the field”.Velani said it was “an honour” to join Yorkshire. “I am looking forward to using everything I have learned to help support Yorkshire at this exciting time,” he said. “Working alongside the Board I am determined to help deliver success at Headingley and produce exceptional results, underpinned by robust commercial foundations and our vision to make Yorkshire Cricket a place for everyone.”Colin Graves is planning to demutualise Yorkshire•Getty Images

Velani’s appointment comes at a time when Yorkshire are in transition on and off the field. They are recruiting for a new director of cricket – with Essex’s Anthony McGrath considered the favourite for the role – and a new head coach, with Ottis Gibson stepping down at the end of the season.Colin Graves, Yorkshire chair, will ballot members in November as he seeks to demutualise the club, which would require a 75 percent vote from a minimum 50 percent turnout. “If people don’t vote for demutualisation, then unfortunately, Yorkshire’s going to fall into these financial problems time and time again,” Graves told the last week.Graves said that he has been speaking to IPL franchises and American investors about the prospect of buying stakes in the club, while Yorkshire will soon be gifted a majority stake in Northern Superchargers by the ECB. “They will not even consider investing in Yorkshire as a members’ club – that is fact,” Graves said.Yorkshire also announced on Friday that Sanjay Patel, the main architect of the Hundred, will become their interim chief executive when Stephen Vaughan leaves the role next month.Sanjay Patel is Yorkshire’s interim chief executive•Getty Images

Patel was the ECB’s chief commercial officer from 2015 and took charge of the creation of the Hundred from 2018, acting as the tournament’s managing director until the end of last summer. He has been a member of Yorkshire’s board since February, when Graves returned to the club as chair.”I am delighted to be joining Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” Patel said. “The board have been extremely open with me, sharing their learnings and challenges over the past few years, and importantly their bold and ambitious goals for the future. Together as an organisation, we will do the best we can for the members and supporters aiming to move forward in all areas.”Vaughan, who joined the club in late 2022, said that he was “very proud” of Yorkshire’s achievements during his tenure: “Yorkshire Cricket has faced some significant and well documented challenges that needed to be faced head on, and the club is now in a much better place and ready to continue its journey back to sustainability and success on and off the field.”It has been a real team effort, and I’d like to thank all of the staff that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, often in extremely challenging circumstances for their support and dedication.”Velani and Yorkshire have been contacted by ESPNcricinfo for comment.

أفادت تقارير صحفية أنه تم اعتقال مشجع لنادي ريال أوفييدو بعد ضبطه وهو يوجه إشارة عنصرية إلى كيليان مبابي نجم ريال مدريد خلال المواجهة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في الدوري الإسباني هذا الموسم.

وكان الحادث قد وقع في 24 أغسطس الماضي أثناء توجه ريال مدريد إلى ملعب كارلوس تارتيري لمواجهة ريال أوفييدو في مباراته الثانية هذا الموسم.

وأكدت الشرطة الإسبانية اعتقال المشجع وقد قامت بتصنيف هذا الفعل أنه جريمة ضد النزاهة الأخلاقية وجريمة كراهية.

وبحسب صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فقد أصدر نادي ريال أوفييدو تحديثاً جديداً بشأن هذه الواقعة بالإضافة لتقديم اعتذار علني لفريق ريال مدريد وكيليان مبابي.

أقرأ أيضاً.. “قلّد صوت القرد”.. الشرطة الإسبانية تلقي القبض على مشجع أوفييدو بسبب مبابي

وقد أوضح نادي ريال أوفييدو أنه لا يستطيع حالياً الوصول لهوية المتهمين بسبب قوانين حماية البيانات، ومن المنتظر أن تتولى لجنة الانضباط الاجتماعي بالنادي اتخاذ الإجراءات التأديبية بعد الإعلان الرسمي عن المعلومات.

وجاء في بيان نادي ريال أوفييدو: “يرفض ريال أوفييدو بشدة أي سلوك ينتهك مبادئ العنف والعنصرية والكراهية والتعصب في الرياضة”.

وأضاف :”سنعمل بكل صرامة قانونية للقضاء على هذا النوع من السلوك في ملعبنا، هذه التصرفات فردية ولا تعكس رأي الجمهور، يقدم النادي اعتذار صادق لريال مدريد وكيليان مبابي الذي كان هدفاً لهذا الحادث المؤسف”.

Everton are looking to strike on the market and could now have moved ahead of their rivals in the race to sign a midfielder with Premier League experience, according to a report.

Everton ready to bring in new recruits

The Toffees have added Carlos Alcaraz and Thierno Barry to their ranks as they begin to step up their hunt for reinforcements, and they could now look to fight Manchester United for the signing of Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in a bargain £9 million deal off-set by his relegation release clause.

Shedding some light on the situation, Pete O’Rourke stated: “I think he will leave Leicester this summer. Obviously, this release clause in there makes it easier for clubs to try and sign Ndidi.

“I think it could be one of the bargains of the transfer window due to that £9million release clause. I’m not surprised Everton have been having a look at him. There’s also interest from Crystal Palace, Fulham and Manchester United as well. There will also be interest from abroad, as Juventus are very much interested in the midfielder.”

In recent weeks, Everton have also made an enquiry to sign Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, though they were rebuffed in their approach despite being willing to pay £30 million for the Scotland international.

Abdoulaye Doucoure and Orel Mangala have left vacancies to be filled within David Moyes’ engine room, and the Friedkin Group have their sights on premium arrivals to replicate their impact at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton’s first five Premier League fixtures

Leeds United (A)

Elland Road

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Aston Villa (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

With that in mind, the Toffees could now burst ahead of their rivals to bring in a midfielder who has already enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League.

Everton in active negotiations to sign Douglas Luiz

According to TEAMtalk, Everton are in active negotiations to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, and they could now leap ahead of several rival suitors in the race for the Brazil international.

Moyes views the former Aston Villa man as an ideal addition to solidify his engine room due to his top-flight experience and quality in possession, and he may be available for a bargain fee of £21.6 million after a disappointing campaign in Turin.

Everton now want to sign new Premier League 26 y/o with Moyes a "big fan"

The Toffees are in the market for reinforcements.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 9, 2025

After a return of 27 appearances across all competitions, Olympic gold medallist Luiz is also being tracked by Fulham, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Still, Everton appear to be the ‘most active’ club when it comes to pursuing a transfer with the Toffees ‘serious about making a move’.

Now, it is expected that they will up their bid to bring him to Merseyside in the coming weeks and hope to convince the Rio De Janeiro-born star that his future lies under the guise of Moyes.

Previously, Luiz has been labelled “amazing” by Roy Keane and clearly has a lot left to give at the elite level and a change of clubs could be the perfect tonic to reignite his career.

Tottenham Hotspur’s European success at the back end of this season is evidence that are capable of competing at the top level in the near future.

Thomas Frank will be the man to hopefully sustain their success in North London, taking the reins after Ange Postecoglou was dismissed despite the Europa League triumph.

The Dane will want to make his own mark on the first-team squad this summer, with numerous incomings and outgoings expected over the next couple of weeks.

Work is already being done behind the scenes to provide the 51-year-old with the tools for success as he undertakes his first year in charge as the Lilywhites manager.

Numerous players have already appeared on their radar over recent days, but no deals have yet been completed after the window reopened in the last fortnight.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Bryan Mbeumo has been a player who has been largely touted with a move to join Spurs this summer, but it appears as though they will be missing out on his signature, after he agreed to move to Manchester United.

Mohammed Kudus is another Premier League talent on the club’s radar, with West Ham United willing to part ways with the Ghanaian, but he may cost a pretty penny given his £85m release clause.

However, another name has entered the mix over recent days, with Liverpool star Harvey Elliott a player they are closely monitoring, according to TBR Football.

They claim that Frank’s side have made an enquiry to land the 22-year-old forward, who could be available for a fee in the region of £40m during the summer window.

It also states that he is willing to depart Anfield this summer for regular game time, after the Reds forked out a staggering £116m to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

Why Spurs’ £40m target is a bigger talent than Eze

Just like previous transfer windows, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has once again appeared on Spurs’ shortlist, as Frank looks to strengthen within attacking areas during the off-season.

The 26-year-old has been a key target for the Lilywhites, understandably so, after the England international managed to net eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season.

However, competition for his signature appears to be high, with North London rivals Arsenal also in the running to sign Oliver Glasner’s star man this summer.

It’s been reported that Eze currently has a £68m release clause in his current deal at Selhurst Park, but it remains to be seen whether he would prefer a move to Spurs or the Gunners.

However, they should look past a move for the attacking midfielder and pursue a deal for Elliott during the off-season, with the Reds star certainly a bigger talent.

The Liverpool ace is four years younger than the Palace star, having further time to develop, but also still managing to better the fellow target in numerous key areas.

Elliott, who’s been labelled “sensational” by journalist Jonathan Higgins, has posted a better goal per shot on target rate, handing Frank a better option in front of goal.

Games played

18

34

Goals & assists

3

16

Goals per shot on target

0.3

0.2

Pass accuracy

82%

74%

Key passes

2.4

2.1

Progressive passes

10.7

3.3

Carries into final third

2.7

1.6

Aerials won

33%

15%

He’s also completed more passes and made nearly three times more progressive passes per 90, having the tools to provide others with chances in front of goal – offering an added creative threat in the final third.

The youngster’s dominance doesn’t stop there, making more carries into the final third per 90 and coming out on top in more aerial battles, with his skillset making him a real all-round talent for the Lilywhites.

£40m for a player of his ability and potential could prove to be a potential bargain deal for Spurs, offering versatility to the frontline throughout 2025/26.

Given the difference and price tag between him and Eze, it is a no-brainer for the hierarchy to make a move for the Liverpool star in the coming weeks, having the chance to develop into an elite talent under Frank’s guidance.

A better signing than Mbeumo: Spurs plot move for "world-class" £76m star

Tottenham Hotspur are making moves to land a star who would be a better addition than Bryan Mbeumo.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 28, 2025

After welcoming a wrath of new signings to Anfield already, Liverpool are not showing any signs of slowing down in the transfer market.

If you thought the arrival of Florian Wirtz for a Premier League record fee of £116m was a big splash, then think again. The Reds could be set to break the British record again before transfer deadline day.

With Darwin Nunez reportedly on his way out of Merseyside, Liverpool’s desire to sign a new striker has been no secret.

Their admiration for a certain Alexander Isak is no secret either, and that move looks as though it’s now gathering momentum.

The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool

What a move this would be, and despite the obstacles surrounding a deal, it does look more likely than it ever has done now.

Indeed, on Tuesday afternoon, The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that Liverpool have made an approach to sign Isak from Newcastle.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

A formal offer has yet been made and the Toon’s stance remains that they do not want to sell him this summer. Alas, the Reds have signalled their intention to do a deal at £120m.

While the fee certainly complicates things, so does Hugo Ekitike. Newcastle submitted their first bid for the Eintracht Frankfurt attacker on Monday and the word on the street is that he wasn’t going to be an Isak replacement, but someone capable of playing alongside the Swede.

The trouble is, Liverpool are also interested in Ekitike and, according to Fabrizio Romano, Arne Slot’s men will likely look towards signing the Frenchman if they cannot get their hands on Isak.

Liverpool pursuing Isak alternative

With that situation a rather sticky one as far as Liverpool are concerned, perhaps they will look elsewhere in the Premier League.

Reports from French outlet Foot Mercato reported at the start of the week that Liverpool reps have flown to Paris to speak with the agents of Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

While the likes of Isak and Ekitike will cost a shedload, any deal for Mateta is likely to be considerably cheaper, with the report stating that he could be sold for something between £43m-£52m if he leaves Selhurst Park this summer.

So, if all else fails, he’d be a great signing right? Well, he certainly stacks up well to Mr Isak.

How Mateta compares to Alexander Isak

Of course, Isak is the dream signing this summer, the Toon’s main man always has been. You don’t score 23 Premier League goals in a single season without catching the eye of other clubs.

Yet, we must not turn our noses up at Mateta either. In the words of the Sportsman he is a “goal-scoring machine” and as Reds writer Ben Bocsak notes, he is one of the “best finishers in the Premier League.”

Indeed, during the 2024/25 campaign, only Isak (25%) and Bryan Mbeumo (24.3%), registered a better season in terms of goal conversions than Mateta’s 23.3%. Mo Salah, for context, delivered a goal conversion rate of 23%. The Eagles centre-forward is already in the conversation of being among the division’s elite attackers.

He ended that term with 14 league goals in 37 outings and has been one of the top-flight’s leading figures in the last two seasons, notably bagging 16 in 35 during 2023/24.

The French sensation is not just a goalscorer either. Like Isak, he’s a proven bagsman in England’s top-flight, but like Isak, he’s also capable of the extraordinary, something we saw when Mateta travelled to the Emirates Stadium and scored an audacious lob against Arsenal.

Isak might be more of a direct runner but they’re both powerful and some statistical similarities can be drawn upon.

Assessing the data, via FBRef, it becomes clear where the key similarities and differences lie.

Mateta vs Isak in 2024/25 PL

Stat (per 90 mins)

Mateta

Isak

Shots

2.31

3.10

Shots on target

0.99

1.34

Shot on target %

42.6%

43.2%

Shot distance

15.6 yards

14.5 yards

Key passes

0.99

1.34

Passes into final 3rd

1.16

1.14

Touches

25

33

Successful take on %

43.5%

46.2%

There are obvious differences in the way they beat a player. Isak is more fleet-footed, possessing that dangerous burst of pace to get beyond the defensive line. Mateta, on the other hand, is more likely to outmuscle a centre-back and hold the ball up.

He’s like an “old-fashioned” striker as Thierry Henry once said. Yet, they are actually involved in the play at a similar rate.

They touch the ball a similar number of times per 90 minutes, register a similar number of shots on target and shoot from a similar distance, just beyond the penalty spot. On that evidence, they’re not just out-and-out poachers; they offer goals from distance too.

Isak would be an unbelievable signing for the Reds but in Mateta they could sign a Premier League-proven forward with a similar conversion rate for a fraction of the price. Just imagine what he could do in a team where more chances are created. This move feels like a no-brainer if Ekitike and Newcastle’s number 9 are off the table.

Related Better than Wirtz: Liverpool preparing £113m bid to sign superstar winger

Liverpool could sign another marquee player this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025