Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is showing little sign of slowing down after their now-completed deal for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.

Arsenal seal Christian Norgaard signing after deal agreed

The 31-year-old, as per widespread reports in the last two days, will be Arsenal’s third summer capture after midfielder Martin Zubimendi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Related Mikel Arteta personally wants Arsenal to sign £94m forward this summer

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Zubimendi has finalised a £56 million move to N5, as per Fabrizio Romano, with Arsenal also activating the £5 million release clause in Kepa’s contract. The Spanish duo are now set to be joined by Norgaard, following a whirlwind last 48 hours.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Interest in the Denmark international emerged earlier this week, but talks for Norgaard soon intensified, and before long, a deal was agreed for the midfielder to replace the exit-bound Thomas Partey.

While Romano states that Arsenal will pay around £9 million, there are some discrepancies over the 31-year-old’s final price tag, with the BBC reporting that his actual fee is closer to an initial £10 million plus an additional £5 million in performance-related add-ons.

“Norgaard is a modern defensive-anchor player. There’s no doubt he can rival Partey, or offer more options to Arteta – offering him more depth in his squad,” said former West Ham, Crystal Palace and Wolves coach, Edu Rubio, to the BBC.

“Christian can break up play, intercept, tackle, block and win aerial duels. He can let Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice do their thing while he protects their backs. He can also recycle the ball and play forwards effectively. In a league where there are so many transitions, a player who senses danger and has a great ability to regain the ball can be a must-have in your team. His physicality, and the fact it’s been tested at the Premier League, also makes him a very sensible signing. He can be a great addition to Arsenal.”

After Norgaard, and Arsenal’s negotiations over a deal for young Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, links continue to surround Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.

Arsenal working on Noni Madueke deal with Chelsea

As per TUTTOmercatoWEB, Berta is leading the charge for Madueke, who cost Chelsea around £30 million to sign from PSV Eindhoven in 2023.

The England international was called one of Chelsea’s “best players” by manager Enzo Maresca, and he earned recent praise from Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel for his performances in their latest round of fixtures.

According to TMW, Arsenal and Chelsea are working on a deal for Madueke in ongoing talks, with the 23-year-old potentially up for sale given the sheer competition for places in Maresca’s preferred attacking formation.

With Kepa about to join the club, and Raheem Sterling signing on loan last summer, the two sides already have an excellent business relationship – so this one could have legs.

The South American market seems to be at the heart of Nottingham Forest’s plans this summer, and they have now reportedly made their first move to sign yet another talent after Cuiabano, Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha.

Nottingham Forest focusing on South American incomings

Perhaps hoping to find a star who could reach the same level as the likes of Murillo, Nottingham Forest’s focus has been set on welcoming South American talents this summer. Already, they’ve reportedly reached an agreement to complete a triple swoop for Botafogo stars Jesus, Cunha and Cuiabano and, if reports are anything to go by, they’re not stopping there.

As well as the aforementioned trio, Nottingham Forest have also reportedly received the green light to sign Romulo Cardoso from Goztepe this summer. The impressive striker scored 17 goals in Turkey last season and could now be on his way to the Premier League as a result.

With Jesus already on his way, the arrival of Romulo would instantly add depth to Nuno Espirito Santo’s frontline and potentially even create quite the partnership between the two countrymen.

The striker position will certainly be up for grabs sooner rather than later too, given that Chris Wood is 33 years old and likely to move past the peak of his powers in the coming years.

Even after Romulo, however, it looks as though Nottingham Forest’s search for South American talent will continue. As the Midlands club set their sights on qualifying for European football for a second season on the bounce, Marinakis is clearly keen to ensure that his side’s place in the top half comes as an expectation and not a major shock.

Nottingham Forest make first Kaio Jorge approach

According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have now made their first approach to sign Kaio Jorge from Cruzeiro, who are demanding as much as €30m (£25m) to sell their striker this summer.

The 23-year-old could be the third Brazilian striker that Forest have signed by the time the Premier League season gets underway, with adding fresh faces to Espirito Santo’s frontline a clear priority. Whether they are willing to splash out £25m to sign Jorge when they already have Jesus and have the green light to sign Romulo is the big question, however.

It’s clear to see why Cruzeiro value Jorge so highly, though. The 23-year-old has enjoyed an excellent campaign in Brazil – scoring 10 goals – and has done more than enough to secure a European move.

Nottingham Forest join race for £85m star who’s starred at Club World Cup

He’s a man in demand…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 18, 2025

Meanwhile, although negotiations with Cruzeiro may prove to be tough, Nottingham Forest could enjoy a far easier task when negotiating personal terms with Jorge thanks to the fact that he is represented by the same agent as Midlands-bound Cunha.

While this season might have felt like one big disappointment for Arsenal fans, their team is still brilliant.

In spite of injuries, suspensions and a lack of cutting edge at points, Mikel Arteta’s side still managed to finish second in the Premier League and make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and League Cup.

However, that lack of cutting-edge options up top and out wide was likely what ultimately prevented the North Londoners from getting over the line in any of their competitions this season and also explains the abundance of links to superstar attackers that have started popping up in recent weeks.

One of the links in question is particularly interesting, as it concerns an incredibly exciting English talent who has won comparisons to someone else touted for a move to the club: Rodrygo.

Arsenal's winger search

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other wide talents linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like the aforementioned Rodryo and Kaoru Mitoma.

Transfer Focus

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

The latter is reportedly available for around £80m, and while that is a lot of money, he might be worth it, as not only did he score 11 goals and provide four assists in 41 games this season, but he’s also Premier League-proven.

Yet, the Real Madrid star would undoubtedly be the more exhilarating addition to the team, as on top of producing a better tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 51 games this season, he’s simply the bigger name and would be joining the club from arguably the biggest team in the world.

However, at a reported £85m, not to mention the interest from other parties and the chance he might not even want to leave Los Blancos with Xabi Alonso at the helm, Artete a Co may have to look elsewhere, at a player who’s won comparisons to the Brazilian, such as Jamie Gittens.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in the Borussia Dortmund star, but they are in a race against time if they are serious about signing him.

This is because the report has revealed that Premier League rivals Chelsea have already submitted a £55m offer for the young Englishman and are already in talks over a potential deal.

It’s unclear whether that fee will be enough, but if it’s close, then the Gunners should be doing all they can to get ahead of the Blues, as the 20-year-old’s ability and potential are undeniable, and the comparisons to Rodrygo a big bonus.

How Gittens compares to Rodrygo

Before getting into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should be signing Gittens this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Rodygo and where it has come from.

In this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it has been concluded that the Real Madrid star is the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Dortmund ace across the last 365 days.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.31

0.32

Non-Penalty G+As

0.56

0.51

Shots

2.64

2.52

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.22

1.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.42

Successful Take-Ons %

45.0%

44.1%

Ball Recoveries

3.20

3.32

Aerial Duels Won

0.25

0.33

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots, goal-creating actions, passes into the penalty area, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

However, this flattering and encouraging comparison to one of Europe’s most exciting wingers isn’t the only reason the Gunners should be after the 20-year-old.

Another is that, despite still being so young, the dynamic outlet, whom Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley dubbed “England’s best LW,” managed to score 12 goals and provide five assists in 48 appearances, totalling 2790 minutes this season.

That comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.82 games, or mre crucially, every 164.11 minutes of action.

Finally, per FBref, the Reading-born gem sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, at 3.57, which is just the sort of aggressively direct winger the Gunners could use to help them terrify teams next year.

Ultimately, while it might be hard to get ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal have to try, as Gittens looks destined to reach the very top of the game, at least based on the calibre of player he’s currently being compared to.

Arsenal's own Wirtz: Berta now eyeing "one of the best 10s in the world"

The incredibly gifted attacking midfielder would add some much-needed dynamism to Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 4, 2025

Group 2 of the Super Eight stage is headed for a three-way race for the semi-final spots, with two matches to go

S Rajesh22-Jun-2024If England and West Indies win
That will leave three teams – England, West Indies and South Africa – on four points each. West Indies’ huge win against USA means they will finish with a higher net run rate than South Africa if they beat them by any margin on Sunday night. So West Indies will qualify for sure with a win, regardless of the England-USA result.For England to go past South Africa’s NRR, the sum of margins of the two results will have to be 10 runs (assuming first-innings totals of 160). That means, if England win by 10 runs, they will go ahead on run rate even if South Africa lose in the Super Over. If the margin of result is under 10, South Africa will stay ahead and qualify with four points.If USA and South Africa win
South Africa will top the table with six points, while the other three teams will finish on two points each. If England lose in the Super Over chasing 160, West Indies will have to lose by 43 or more runs for their NRR to drop below that of England. If England lose by a bigger margin, West Indies will have more leeway, which means in such a scenario South Africa and West Indies are the likely semi-finalists.Related

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USA’s poor run rate means they’ll need two huge results to stand any chance of finishing in the top two: they will first need to beat England by at least 56 runs (assuming a total of 160) to go past them on NRR, and then hope that West Indies lose by at least 91 runs for their run rate to drop below USA’s.If USA and West Indies win
In this case, West Indies and South Africa will qualify with four points, while England and USA will finish on two.If England and South Africa win
South Africa, with six points, and England, with four, will be the semi-finalists.

Chelsea have already wasted no time in addressing one of their biggest issues of the 2024/25 campaign, helping Enzo Maresca in his quest to take the club back to their glory days.

The Italian has already landed the signature of striker Liam Delap, joining the club in a £30m deal from relegated Ipswich Town after triggering his relegation clause.

Hugo Ekitiké is another name that has been on Chelsea’s shortlist over the last couple of months, as the club look to add key depth to the centre-forward role ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

The Frenchman has caught the eye in the Bundesliga this campaign, scoring 15 times in his 33 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt, leading to rumours around his long-term future.

However, he isn’t the only other forward being considered by the hierachy this window, with multiple other targets already on their radar ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for a new attackers this summer

Delap is understandably a player who will improve the options at the manager’s disposal, but, it appears as though Chelsea are also further looking to bolster the front line.

Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Emanuel Emegha are just three players who have been touted with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer in recent weeks.

However, they’ve turned their attention to another target in the former target, Samu Omorodion, reigniting interest in the Spanish forward, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

The journalist claims that the Blues have made a bid for the 21-year-old, who’s scored 25 goals across all competitions this season, with his valuation undoubtedly rising as a result.

He currently has a £84m release clause within his deal at Porto, but the report doesn’t make it clear how much Maresca’s side have offered, despite looking at a potential move for the forward in the coming months.

Why Chelsea’s £84m target would be perfect with Kudus

Despite the interest in new strikers this summer, wingers have also been high up on Maresca’s list at the Bridge – looking to add further depth to the club’s already potent front line.

Mohammed Kudus is the latest name in their sights, with the Ghanian set to leave West Ham United this summer after being offered to the West London outfit as of late.

It’s been reported that the 24-year-old currently has an £85m release clause in his current deal until the middle of July, but it’s likely that Graham Potter’s side would part ways with him for a lower fee.

He could potentially link up with Samu at the Bridge should the pair both make the switch to join the club, handing the manager the added quality he’s desired as of late.

When delving into their respective stats from the current campaign, the Porto talent has managed to thrive in numerous key areas – with the Spaniard having the ability to link up with Kudus and take the club to new heights.

The 21-year-old, who’s been labelled “unstoppable” by one analyst, has scored 19 goals this season – a tally that would’ve been the highest in the Blues squad, potentially thriving with Kudus, given the 25-year-old’s tally of 1.1 chances created per 90.

He’s also managed to win 52% of the aerials he’s entered – handing Maresca an all-round option within the final third at the Bridge, able to make the most of the Ghanian’s threat in attacking areas whoch has seen him complete 26% of crosses in 2024/25.

Samu Omorodion’s stats for Porto in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	30
Goals scored	19
Shot-on-target accuracy	39%
Pass accuracy	78%
Aerials success rate	52%
Fouls won	1.3
Goals per 90	0.8
Aerials won	1.9
Take-ons attempted	1.6
Stats via FBref

Samu has also managed nearly a goal per game this campaign, with his talent in the final third undoubtedly handing the side the added goal threat they’ve craved in recent months.

Despite the signing of Delap, it’s clear that the manager still wants another body in the attacking department to help push his side to the next level in his quest for Premier League glory.

Whilst Samu would be another hefty investment from the hierarchy, it’s one that would hand the club the added goal threat Maresca has been searching for, potentially creating a deadly partnership with Kudus in the process.

Caicedo revenge: Liverpool can hijack Chelsea move for "England's best LW"

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2

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 5, 2025

Manchester United have already completed one of the signings of the summer transfer window to date, with Matheus Cunha joining in a £62.5m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian was a man in extreme demand, beating the likes of Nottingham Forest and Arsenal to his signature despite the lack of European football next campaign.

He will certainly hand boss Ruben Amorim a new dimension within the final third, subsequently being able to operate in either a centre-forward role or as a number 10.

Cunha thrived at Molineux this season, scoring 15 goals and registering six assists, a tally that would’ve seen him end the year with the most Premier League contributions in the Red Devils squad.

However, despite the big-money addition, more activity is expected in the coming months, with countless top-level talents still on the hierarchy’s radar.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

Victor Osimhen has been a player who has been firmly on United’s radar over the last couple of windows, with this summer no different, but a deal appears unlikely this window given his hefty wage demands.

Christopher Nkunku is another player who has been of keen interest over the last few weeks, as the Red Devils have made contact with his representatives over a move to Old Trafford.

However, another name has emerged as a key target, with Sporting CP talisman Viktor Gyokeres once again being mentioned with a switch, according to The Mirror.

They claim Amorim’s side are in pole position to land the Swede, after a change of heart which has seen him be open to a move after previously turning down the Red Devils’ interest.

The report also states that he’s desperate for a move after scoring 54 goals in just 52 outings this campaign, leading to a £68m price tag being mooted for his signature.

Why Gyokeres would be a bigger talent than Mbeumo & Cunha for United

As previously mentioned, Cunha has become United’s first big-money addition of the window, but Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo appears to be the next to join the club after the progress made this week.

The Red Devils submitted a bid in the region of £60m for the 25-year-old forward, with the two sides appearing to be edging closer to agreeing on a fee.

A deal should be a formality when the fee is agreed, with the Cameroonian already agreeing personal terms over a £250k-per-week deal at the Theatre of Dreams.

Such a deal would be another excellent one for the club, adding another 20 league goals to Cunha’s tally of 15, with the pair only scoring nine fewer than the whole side managed throughout 2024/25.

However, a deal for Gyokeres would see Amorim’s side land an even bigger talent, considering the Swede’s sensational goal return in the top-flight of Portuguese football.

He’s outscored the pair alone, whilst also massively outperforming the aforementioned duo when delving into his underlying stats from the recent campaign.

Gyokeres, who’s been labelled a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has achieved a better shot-on-target accuracy rate, demonstrating the clinical nature he possesses.

Games played

33

38

33

Goals scored

39

20

15

Shot on target accuracy

52%

43%

40%

Progressive carries

4.3

3.4

3.8

Key passes

2

1.8

1.9

Take-on success

48%

46%

44%

Carries into opposition box

3.1

1.9

2.8

Aerials won

51%

31%

31%

He’s also registered more progressive carries and more carries into the opposition box, showcasing the threat he carries when having the ball at his feet.

The Swede has further demonstrated his impressive all-round ability, completing more key passes per 90, and having the tools to provide others with opportunities in the final third.

It would be another huge addition from the hierarchy this summer, but it shows they mean business in taking the club back to their former glory in the near future.

The prospect of Cunha, Mbeumo and Gyokeres linking up together is one the fanbase should be extremely excited by, handing Amorim the added attacking threat he’s craved since taking the reins.

He's better than Gyokeres: Wilcox plots Man Utd move for £150m talisman

Manchester United have joined a long list of suitors in the race to sign a new striker.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 27, 2025

Since taking charge of Arsenal back in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has done an awful lot to bring the club back to the top.

One of the areas he has had the most influence over has been transfers, and while he has overseen some poor signings, he’s overseen just as many, if not more, brilliant ones.

The likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, David Raya and Gabriel Magehelese have all joined the club under the Spaniard’s tutelage and are now some of the first names on the teamsheet today.

However, arguably one of the most crucial cogs in the Arsenal machine and one of the best defenders in the world, William Saliba, was signed by Unai Emery, although if recent reports are to be believed, Arteta might be about to welcome in someone who could be the next version of the incredible Frenchman.

Arsenal's search for young talent

Arsenal might be on the hunt for their first Premier League title in two decades next season, but that hasn’t stopped the club from looking for more talented youngsters in recent weeks and months.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, just a few weeks ago, the club was linked with a £38m move for Greek wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas, who is just 17 years old and managed to produce seven goal involvements in 39 games for Genk this season.

After that, reports began appearing linking the club with a £85m move for Juventus gem Kenan Yıldız, who only turned 20 last month but has been able to score 12 goals and provide eight assists in 50 games this season.

However, while both prospects are incredibly exciting and look set for bright careers, it would be hard to describe either one as being the next Saliba, unlike Jorrel Hato.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Ajax star.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now ‘accelerating their move’ for the Dutchman and that ‘talks are scheduled for this week’ with the player’s camp.

In terms of the price of a potential deal, the report claims that the youngster is valued at around €50m, which comes out to about £43m.

It might sound like a lot of money for a young defender, but with how well he’s played in the Netherlands and the potential so many believe him to have, it might be a fee worth paying, especially as he could be the next Saliba.

Why Hato could be Saliba 2.0

So, the first thing to point out here is that, over the last season and a bit, Hato has progressed from a centre-back who can play at left-back into someone who is now more of a left-back than anything else.

However, just because he’s no longer playing in the exact same position as Saliba does not mean he couldn’t emulate the Frenchman’s move, career and eventual importance, as there are more than a few similarities between the pair.

The first of which is the hype and expectation around the young Dutchman and the resulting line of teams who are seemingly interested in signing him.

Appearances

111

Starts

102

Minutes

9121′

Goals

4

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

Minutes per Goal Involvement

701.61′

Points per Game

1.86

For example, even though he’s still just 19 years old, the Rotterdam-born gem has not only made 111 senior appearances for Ajax but also captained them on a few occasions.

Such a rapid ascent to senior football only lends credence to respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he has the “potential to be an elite lockdown FB.”

This has, unsurprisingly, led to massive teams like Chelsea and Premier League champions Liverpool being heavily linked with the superb prospect.

This isn’t too dissimilar to the situation in 2019 when, before the Gunners secured the services of Sailba, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were also interested in signing him thanks to a brilliant 18/19 with Saint-Étienne.

Moreover, just as the Frenchman was included in UEFA’s ’50 for the future’ list in July 2019, Ajax’s “exceptional” gem, as dubbed by Mattinson, was named in GOAL’s 2025 NXGN list, which highlights the 50 best teenage talents in the game.

Finally, if this deal werewere to happen, the six-capped international would be joining the North Londoners at 19 years old, just a year younger than the Frenchman when he completed his move in 2019.

Ultimately, while a comparison to someone as talented as Saliba invites an immense amount of pressure, Hato looks like he really could go on to be as good a defender for Arsenal as the world-class centre-back.

Better than Williams: Arsenal open talks to sign ex-Spurs player for £50m

The dynamic winger could provide Arsenal with another avenue of attack next season.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 24, 2025

It will be interesting to see how the summer transfer window unfolds for Celtic ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as Brendan Rodgers enters his third season back at Parkhead.

The Northern Irish head coach has failed to land the treble, falling short with two out of three trophies in both of his two seasons, since returning to Glasgow in the summer of 2023.

He may want to push for most domestic success, as well as pushing on in the Champions League, and big signings could contribute to that, including the addition of Kieran Tierney.

The Scotland international is the only confirmed incoming of the window for the Hoops so far, as the left-back will officially sign for the club at the start of next month after his contract at Arsenal expires.

It has been six years since Tierney left the Scottish Premiership giants to sign for the Gunners in a reported £25m deal, and now he is returning for nothing.

Whilst the experienced defender is coming in as a high-profile signing for Celtic, the club have had success in plucking out lesser-known gems, including from the lower leagues in England, with Matt O’Riley a recent example of that.

How Celtic hit the jackpot with Matt O'Riley

The English-born central midfielder was playing for MK Dons in the 2021/22 campaign and had racked up seven goals and five assists in 26 appearances in League One heading into the January transfer window.

Despite the fact that he was playing in the third tier of football in England, Celtic were willing to gamble on his talent and reportedly spent £1.5m to sign him from MK Dons in January 2022.

The left-footed magician hit the ground running with four goals and three assists in 16 appearances in the Premiership during the second half of that season under Ange Postecoglou.

O’Riley followed that up with a return of three goals and 12 assists in 38 appearances in the division in the 2022/23 campaign, before really hitting his stride in Rodgers’ first year back in Glasgow.

Sofascore rating

7.91

1st

Goals

18

1st

Assists

13

1st

Big chances created

14

1st

Key passes per game

2.5

1st

As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international was incredibly influential for the Northern Irish head coach with his contributions at the top end of the pitch from a central midfield position in the Premiership.

O’Riley was the team’s biggest threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the league, with 31 combined goals and assists, which led to a move to Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee of more than £25m.

Overall, Celtic hit the jackpot with O’Riley, as evidenced by his performances and the huge profit they made on his services, because the club were willing to gamble on a talent from the lower leagues in England.

Celtic's interest in League One starlet

The Scottish giants could repeat that masterclass in the current summer transfer window amid their reported interest in a star who played in League One in the 2024/25 campaign.

GIVEMESPORT reported at the end of last month that Celtic are one of a staggering 26 clubs interested in a deal to sign Kwame Poku when his contract at Peterborough United expires at the end of June.

Transfer Focus

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

The outlet named the Hoops and Rangers as suitors for the Ghana international and noted that they would not have to pay as much in compensation as English clubs would due to UEFA’s cross-border compensation rules.

Championship side Birmingham, who won League One with a whopping 111 points, have already made an offer, via Zoom, to the player’s representatives, though, which means that Celtic could need to move quickly to snap him up.

If the Premiership champions can win the race to land the left-footed star, though, then they could repeat the blinder that they played with Matt O’Riley.

Why Kwame Poku would be a Matt O'Riley repeat

As aforementioned, Celtic hit the jackpot with the Danish midfielder because they were willing to gamble on his form in League One in England translating well to the top tier in Scotland.

O’Riley, as Poku would be, also arrived as a young player with time ahead of him to grow and develop, which was illustrated by the way he grew into becoming a superstar at Parkhead in his final season under Rodgers.

At the age of 23, Poku still has plenty of time left to improve as a player and could be a long-term signing for the Hoops, with a view to them making a significant profit on him in the future.

In fact, Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony believes that he has the potential to be worth £30m: “He’s top drawer. He has everything, a great technique, pace and physicality. He will be a Premier League star in the future and that next move will probably cost £30m.”

Do his performances back up that hype from the Posh owner, though? Poku’s output in the final third in the last two League One seasons suggests that they do.

Appearances

37

27

Goals

11

12

Big chances missed

11

3

Big chances created

10

9

Key passes per game

1.5

1.2

Assists

7

8

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic transfer target has been an incredibly productive forward in the third tier as a right winger for Peterborough, delivering 23 assists and creating 19 ‘big chances’.

The Posh magician, who was hailed as “unplayable” by manager Darren Ferguson, has the potential to be an influential figure at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops because he has the ability to provide goals and assists at an impressive rate.

Whether he will go on to be worth £30m is up for debate but that is the potential that he has, as evidenced by MacAnthony’s comments and his statistics in League One, and that is why it would be a worthwhile gamble by the club.

Celtic have shown that they will take a risk on young players, like O’Riley, and that is why they should repeat that masterclass by pushing to win the race for this third tier starlet.

After Bain: Rodgers must ruthlessly axe Celtic flop who's a "bit soft"

Celtic must ruthlessly move on from this flop after they already let go of Scott Bain.

ByDan Emery Jun 4, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have already signed Mathys Tel in a £30 million deal from Bayern Munich, but they’re by no means done there, as new manager Thomas Frank seeks to bring in another wide player.

Related Tottenham plan bid for "top" £60m attacker after talks in the last week

Spurs have reached out to him.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025

Spurs face the very real prospect of losing Son Heung-min this summer after 10 years of faithful service, with chairman Daniel Levy poised to demand around £50 million for the Lilywhites legend as he looks to make a significant sale.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Time will tell whether any interested sides are willing to pay that amount for a 32-year-old with just one year left on his contract, but in the meantime, Spurs are very much in the market for a potential replacement, with Timo Werner also returning to parent club RB Leipzig.

Technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team have been linked with a host of top wide players, including the likes of Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling, Lazio’s Gustav Isaken and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is also reliably believed to be a top target for Tottenham, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is a name to be regularly mentioned over the last fortnight.

The Cameroonian is fresh off the back of a productive campaign under Frank, where he bagged 20 goals in all competitions, and reports claim that Tottenham held talks over signing Mbeumo as they looked to compete with Man United.

However, since then, United have submitted an improved £60 million bid for the forward, and they’re believed to be closing in on a deal for him as things stand.

Tottenham match Bryan Mbeumo offer

Interestingly, according to former Brentford manager Martin Allen, Tottenham have “matched” the £60 million proposal for Mbeumo.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Allen claims that Levy and co are ready to pay that price, but the wages on offer at United mean that the African is still far more likely to join United as things stand.

“From what I’ve been told, Tottenham have matched the offer of Manchester United of £60million,” said Allen.

“However, the wages available at Manchester United, I’m led to believe, is £240k-a-week, Tottenham won’t pay that. The player will go where the biggest salary is.

“I know Thomas Frank is a big supporter of Mbeumo, but I think he’ll end up going to United.

“At £60m and £240k-a-week, it’s as good as a done deal.“

Both United and the Bees apparently remain in talks over add-ons, which could take the deal to around £63 million (Standard Sport). The negotiations are at a crucial stage, but given the sometimes-wacky nature of football transfers these days, you can never definitively rule out a late Spurs hijack until the paperwork is signed.