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Nottingham Forest are set to embark on a new era under Ange Postecoglou, though their newly-appointed boss has been dealt a serious injury blow at the City Ground.

Ange Postecoglou set to get to work at Nottingham Forest

Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic fans will attest to the notion that Nottingham Forest fans will experience an exciting rollercoaster under Postecoglou’s stewardship. Still, his trophy-winning exploits at both have created an intriguing dynamic on the River Trent.

Speaking after his arrival to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, the Australian has made it clear he feels the Tricky Trees have a squad capable of competing on all fronts while he is in charge.

Intriguingly, Nottingham Forest star Jota Silva is set for Besiktas in a deal that could be worth over £17 million by next summer, offering an early boost to the coffers ahead of 2026.

After a mixed start to the campaign, the Tricky Trees will have designs on creeping up the Premier League table, and there will be plenty of positivity among supporters that they can begin to strike up a run of results.

However, Postecoglou may now have suffered a blow upon entering the dugout as one of his players could be out until the New Year with an injury concern.

Nottingham Forest see Ola Aina sustain serious injury

According to National World, Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina has been ruled out for around three months due to a hamstring injury, signifying that he may not return to the pitch until 2026.

John Percy described it as a “big early setback” for Postecoglou, and addressing his status, Postecoglou stated before his side faced Arsenal:

Ange must now unleash Nottingham Forest star who "spelt the end for Nuno"

It isn’t just Omari Hutchinson who Nuno didn’t appear to fancy at Nottingham Forest.

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 12, 2025

The Nigeria international has featured in all of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League fixtures until this point. However, it may now be over to Nicolo Savona to take over the mantle while he works his way up to full fitness.

Postecoglou had to deal with widespread injury concerns at Tottenham last term, so if anything, the Australian boss will hope this is an isolated setback.

Derby County are now interested in signing an experienced defender to add to their already busy summer window, according to a recent report.

Derby announce the signing of Owen Beck from Liverpool

On Friday afternoon, the Rams announced that Owen Beck had joined the club on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool. The left-back becomes Derby’s first loan signing of the summer and their sixth arrival altogether. This is the 22-year-old’s sixth loan spell away from Anfield, after spells at Famalicao, Bolton Wanderers, Dundee on two separate occasions, Blackburn Rovers and now Derby.

Derby County fighting to sign 17-goal striker available for £2.2 million

The Rams are looking to recruit a new frontman…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 25, 2025

During his time at Ewood Park, Beck worked with John Eustace, and the defender has admitted it was a “no-brainer” to reunite with the Derby boss once again. Beck also went on to add to Derby’s media team that Eustace “got the best out of him” during his time at Blackburn.

“Obviously, I know the gaffer well from last year. I spoke to him with that experience of working with him before in mind. It moved pretty fast and was a no-brainer for me.

“We built a really good connection. I feel like he got the best out of me. When he called up and we had that conversation again where he was looking to bring me in, it was a no-brainer, really!

“I enjoyed playing under him. As I said, I feel like he got the best out of me. I feel like he can get even more out of me this season, and I can push that step further.”

Derby County interested in 32 y/o defender

As the Rams wrap up a deal for Beck, they have now turned their attention to another defensive signing. According to the MailSport, relayed by Football League World, Derby are keen on signing Jake Bidwell from Coventry City.

Bidwell only signed a new contract with the Sky Blues in January of this year, extending his stay until 2027, but the Championship side are open to offers for either Bidwell or Jay Dasilva this summer, after bringing Miguel Angel Brau to the club as their new left-back.

32-year-old Bidwell has been with Coventry since January 2022, when he joined on a free transfer from the Swans. The left-back, who can also play centre-back and left midfield if needed, has been a consistent performer for the Sky Blues. Last season, he started 23 of the 29 Championship games he played, as he featured heavily under Frank Lampard, but it appears as though now he’s fallen down the pecking order.

Apps

29

Minutes per game

72

Goals

1

Assists

1

Big chances created

5

Key passes per game

0.8

Clean sheets

6

Interceptions per game

0.6

Tackles per game

0.7

His potential arrival at Pride Park would be an interesting one, as the Rams have just brought Beck in, and they already have Callum Elder and Craig Forsyth at their disposal.

However, the Rams may hold an advantage in the race to sign Bidwell, as the Englishman is represented by Wasserman, which is the same agency as Andreas Weimann, meaning the club have a familiar path to negotiations on the personal side of things.

Manchester United are now preparing an offer to sign an “incredible” £6.2 million Brazilian who wants to join the Red Devils, according to a new report.

Man Utd move on to new targets after finalising Mbeumo deal

The Red Devils have spent the last six to eight weeks working on a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. They had seen two bids turned down for the Cameroon international, but on Friday it was confirmed that they had finally agreed a deal with the London side.

The forward underwent his medical at Carrington over the weekend, with pictures emerging of him wearing the club’s training kit, and now an official announcement is expected soon.

Now that United have wrapped up that deal, they are turning their attention to their next set of targets, and they include signing a goalkeeper and a striker. United have been linked with moves for Nicolas Jackson and Randal Kolo Muani most recently, but the Premier League side have also held internal discussions about signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

In fact, TEAMtalk report that United are set to intensify their efforts to sign Sesko, who is said to be valued at £67 million by the Bundesliga giants.

Man Utd now set to intensify move for 6'5 "menace" after 3 years of talks

He could arrive after Bryan Mbeumo…

2 ByTom Cunningham Jul 19, 2025

Meanwhile, signing a new goalkeeper is also considered a priority for United, and on Sunday, Fabrizio Romano reported that the Red Devils made initial contact to be informed on a deal for Senne Lammens, who currently plays for Royal Antwerp.

The 23-year-old is among the options on United’s list, but he is not their only target, as they are also looking at another name.

Man Utd preparing bid to sign John Victor

According to Goal Brasil, relayed by Sport Witness, Man United are now expected to make an offer in the coming days to sign John Victor from Botafogo.

The report states that United have been in contact with Victor’s entourage since December last year, and he is now considered their top target in their search for a new goalkeeper. It isn’t clear what United’s offer will be, but the 28-year-old does have a release clause worth €7.4 million, which is roughly £6.2 million, and that figure would need to be paid in full to bypass Botafogo.

It goes on to add that other Premier League teams have approached Victor’s agent in recent days, but the goalkeeper is prioritising a move to Old Trafford. However, a deal will only progress when United have made an offer.

Apps

4

Starts

4

Goals conceded

3

Goals conceded per game

0.8

Saves made

13

Saves per game

3.3 (81%)

Passing accuracy per game

18.0 (65%)

Clean sheets

1

Clearances per game

2.8

The Red Devils are well stacked in the goalkeeper department, as they still have Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, and Tom Heaton in their ranks. The latter pair played in their opening pre-season game against Leeds United over the weekend, but it remains unclear if Bayindir has a future at the club.

Onana has also been linked with a move away and is now dealing with a hamstring injury that could see him miss the start of the season, so Victor, who has been dubbed “incredible” by FIFA’s official media channels, could arrive and have a good chance of being the club’s number one.

Celtic are interested in adding another centre-forward option to their squad during the summer transfer window, despite already bringing Callum Osmand in from Fulham.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph recently reported that the Hoops have made contact with Napoli to discuss a deal for Italy U21 international Giuseppe Ambrosino.

The 21-year-old marksman is said to be keen on a potential switch to Glasgow, which would be an initial loan move with the option for the club to make it permanent next summer.

However, the Napoli youngster is reportedly not the only striker on the radar of the Scottish Premiership champions, who are seemingly weighing up a number of options to potentially improve Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

Celtic have an interest in LaLiga forward

The Hoops are said to have an interest in a former Premiership striker who is now plying his trade in one of Europe’s major leagues, after leaving Scotland last year.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Macedonian outlet Gol Mk, Celtic’s interest and love for Girona centre-forward Bojan Miovski is ‘no secret’, as they are one of the teams in the race to land the attacker.

The report claims that Hamburg and Freiburg have both lodged enquiries about a potential deal to snap up the 26-year-old marksman before the end of the summer transfer window.

It adds that there is a chance that there will be a battle, though, between Celtic and Rangers, who are also interested in him, to sign the left-footed number nine in the coming weeks.

Why Celtic should sign Bojan Miovski

The Hoops should swoop to sign the striker, who was signed from Aberdeen for around £7m last year, because he could be an even better option than Ambrosino for Rodgers in the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst the Italian ace, at the age of 21, is a young talent who may have the potential to be a star for Celtic, he has yet to prove himself on a regular basis at senior level.

The Napoli forward has yet to make his Serie A debut and has only scored ten goals in 83 matches in the Serie B across various loan spells, which shows that the Celtic target would arrive with no guarantees that he can deliver consistently in front of goal.

Miovski, meanwhile, is a proven performer in the Scottish Premiership who could be reasonably expected to come in and hit the ground running as a huge goal threat for the Hoops.

The former Aberdeen star scored four goals in nine games against Rangers and three goals in seven outings against Celtic during his two-year stint in Scotland, which shows that he has the quality to deliver in the big games in the division.

Appearances

37

38

Goals

16

16

Big chances missed

15

16

Big chances created

6

4

Assists

2

2

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed consistently scored goals in the league, with 16 each in both of his seasons for the Dons, and scored more goals than he missed ‘big chances’.

Pundit Kris Boyd described Miovski as a “refreshing” player because he is a goal-hungry forward who stays down the middle of the pitch to hunt goals, rather than looking to get involved all over the pitch.

That is backed up by his impressive goal return of 32 goals in 75 games in those two Premiership seasons with Aberdeen, and this is why he could be even better for Celtic than Ambrosino, who has only scored ten league goals in his entire career.

At the age of 26, Miovski is still in the prime years of his career and could bring almost guaranteed goals to the Celtic team, whilst the Italian striker would be a big gamble given his record at first-team level to date.

More exciting than De Haas: Celtic in talks to sign "creative" £5m star

Celtic are in talks to sign a star who would be even more exciting than Justin De Haas.

ByDan Emery Jul 8, 2025

Arsenal have attacking reinforcements in their sights and are willing to put one of their key targets in the top bracket of earners at the Emirates Stadium, per a report.

Arsenal's search for attacking reinforcements rumbles on

Truthfully, it is impossible to avoid the discussion of Arsenal adding attacking reinforcements this summer when it comes to assessing their scope to do transfer business.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres are the Gunners’ two main targets through the middle. However, with neither prospective deal near completion, other names will begin to be thrown into the hat as a consequence.

Speaking about what he would do in his old side’s situation, William Gallas has backed Arsenal to enter the race for Alexander Isak despite the Sweden international being a difficult star to sign this summer.

He stated: “Isak is perfect for Arsenal and they should be going all out to sign him. He would adapt instantly and give them the best chance of winning the title out of any player in the world, they don’t have time to let a striker adapt.

“Arsenal should go and break the bank for Isak. He is a 20-goal-a-season striker, and he would be surrounding himself with quality players.”

A bigger star than Zubimendi: Arsenal make approach to sign £50m midfielder

The midfield monster would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 23, 2025

Boyhood Arsenal fan Ollie Watkins is wanted at the Emirates and would offer proven top-flight pedigree, even if he is firmly in the prime of his career. The race remains open to find out who will be Mikel Arteta’s new centre-forward come the end of the window.

Supporters will already be buckled up and ready to experience a chaotic few months in the market, though they could be in for a treat if recent reports are to be believed.

Arsenal willing to make Rodrygo one of their highest earners

According to TBR in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Andrea Berta is willing to make Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo one of their highest earners should he pitch up at the Emirates this summer.

Berta has engaged in ‘preliminary talks’ with his camp over recent weeks, and it is said that the La Liga giants could be open to offloading him for £70 million despite believing he is someone worth around the £100 million mark.

Rodrygo in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

52

Goals

14

Assists

11

Dubbed “top drawer” by former Chelsea star Joe Cole, there is a realisation among his entourage that he won’t be guaranteed a starting spot this campaign due to competition within the forward areas, which could lead to a departure as he would be allowed to operate in his favoured left wing berth.

Arsenal are looking to tie Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to new deals, though Rodrygo would be expected to hold parity with most of their top bracket, with a suggestion that he could even become the Gunners’ top earner.

Of course, that is all theoretical at this point, but it does show how serious Berta and company are about trying to pull of what would be one of the deals of the summer.

Rangers are set to be very busy in the transfer market in the next few weeks.

Ever since Russell Martin was unveiled as the new manager last week, the Ibrox side have been linked with umpteen new signings and rightly so, considering their squad requires a major overhaul this summer.

So, could the Gers’ land an attacker labelled “unplayable” in a move reminiscent of a recent fans’ favourite?

Rangers' interest in a new midfielder

According to a report by Joshua Barrie of the Rangers review, Rangers are ‘interested’ in signing Kwame Poku this summer.

The 23-year-old is a free agent having left Peterborough United, with there unsurprisingly plenty of competition for his signature, including from newly-promoted Championship side, Birmingham City.

Poku began his senior career in non-league, representing Cray Wanderers and Worthing, earning a move to Colchester before joining Peterborough in 2021, making 147 appearances for Posh, most notably winning back-to-back EFL Trophies at Wembley.

Transfer Focus

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

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes he will “be a Premier League star in the future”, estimating that he’ll one day “cost £30 million”, so could Rangers tempt him north of Hadrian’s Wall on a Bosman?

Joe Aribo's Rangers career

Six years ago, in an eerily similar deal, Joe Aribo arrived at Rangers as a free agent, a reported £300,000 in compensation was paid, from Charlton Athletic, who were also in EFL League One at the time.

Aribo would go on to make 149 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 26 goals and registering 25 assists, most famously breaking the deadlock in the Europa League Final against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

A few days later, the Nigerian international helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup at Hampden, but this would prove to be his last outing in a blue jersey, sold to Southampton for £6m in the summer of 2022.

So, could Poku have a similar impact to that of Aribo? Let’s compare the duo to find out.

Appearances

31

39

Minutes

2,364

3,413

Goals

12

10

Assists

11

5

As the table outlines, Poku’s statistics this season were actually more impressive than those of Aribo from his final season at Charlton, despite the fact the former sat out three months of the campaign following hamstring surgery in December.

Writer Kai Watson labels the Ghanian international a “strong ball carrier” who is excellent at “cutting in on his left and getting a shot away”, concluding that he would be a “bargain” on a free transfer. Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson, meanwhile, asserts that he can be “unplayable” at times.

Meanwhile, Oliver Walton of Football League World described him as ‘one of the most in-form players in English football’ earlier this season, while Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis outlines how he boasts the best ‘attacking numbers’ across the entirety of the EFL, praising his ‘excellent finishing’.

So, let’s assess that assertion.

Minutes

2,058

223rd

Goals

12

11th

Goals per 90

0.52

7th

Assists

8

5th

Assists per 90

0.35

1st

Shots per 90

2.71

12th

Goals per shot

0.19

18th

Big chances created

9

28th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.9

2nd

As the table highlights, Poku had an exceptional season at Peterborough, ranked first for assists per 90 and second for successful dribbles per 90 as well, on top of his generally impressive attacking statistics across the board.

Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis also believes his best position is as an attacking midfielder, albeit he can be deployed out-wide, noting that his ‘biggest strength’ is his ability to progress the ball through midfield.

Meanwhile, Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘thrilling playmaker’ who is ‘great in tight spaces’ and a ‘very intelligent passer’, destined to go to the very top, so Rangers should do everything in their power to make this deal come to fruition.

Russell Martin considering selling "brilliant" Rangers 22 y/o who wants to stay

He wants to stay at Ibrox, but the decision could be made up for him.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 10, 2025

A busy summer awaits for Rangers.

Now that Russell Martin has officially been unveiled as the new Rangers manager, he has plenty of work to do if his team are going to be ready for the start of Champions League qualifying on 22/23 July, with Panathinaikos, Servette or Brann their potential opponents; the draw takes place next Tuesday.

With pivotal European ties just around the corner, Martin is eager to get his transfer business done early, so could it be all change in the striker department?

Rangers seeking a new striker

According to a report by Scott McDermott and Anthony Evans of the Daily Record, Rangers remain in talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv over the signing of striker Dor Turgeman, who they claim is valued at £4m.

Liav Nachmani of Israel Hayom previously documented that Turgeman has ‘expressed a willingness’ to join the Scottish giants, who have ‘been monitoring him for several months’, although the Israeli champions do not want to let him leave easily.

Born in Ashdod, Turgeman joined the Yellows as a 15 year old, making 109 senior appearances since his senior debut five years ago, scoring 32 goals.

This season, he was the third-highest scorer in Ligat HaAl with 16 goals, also on target four times in the Europa League, netting against Panevėžys and then TSC Bačka Topola twice as Maccabi Tel Aviv made it through qualifying, before also getting on the scoresheet against Real Sociedad in October.

Turgeman has international experience too, a key figure in the Israel side that reached the U21 Euros semi-finals two summers ago, earning eight senior caps to date, scoring against Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Debrecen back in March.

So now, could the 21 year old swap the Israeli Mediterranean coastline for Glasgow’s west end?

How Turgeman compares to Dessers

According to a report by Andrew Newport of the Daily Record, Greek side AEK Athens ‘are willing to spend big’ to sign Cyriel Dessers this summer, adding that the Nigerian striker is valued at £5m.

On top of this, Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos of SporTime claims that the Yellow-Blacks are “in talks” with Rangers, so is now the right time to cash in?

Let’s assess Dessers’ statistics for the club since he arrived from Cremonese for a reported £4.5m two summers ago.

Appearances

109

Minutes

6,845

Goals

51

Assists

16

Big chances missed

58

As the table outlines, Dessers’ scoring record at Rangers has been impressive, on target every 134 minutes on average, but the fact he has missed 58 big chances across the Scottish Premiership and Europa League goes a long way to explaining why Alan Pattullo of the Scotsman describes him as a complex ‘enigma’.

So, would Turgeman be an upgrade? Let’s try and find out.

Appearances

55

44

Minutes

3,423

2,887

Goals

29

20

Minutes per goal

118

144

Assists

7

6

Big chances missed

31

4

Big chances created

4

12

Shots on target (per 90)

1

0.7

Shots on target %

50%

37.5%

Touches per 90

29.1

31.6

Touches in opposition box per 90

5.5

3.1

Average Sofascore Rating

6.81

7.10

As the table outlines, while Dessers did score more goals this season, Turgeman’s underlying statistics are broadly more impressive, missing 27 fewer big chances, creating eight more big chances and registering a greater number of touches per 90.

Writer Kai Watson describes the Israeli international as a strong ball carrier and “lethal inside the box”, while Nene Afadzinu of Football Talent Scout praises his ‘excellent first touch’, hold-up play and close-control, adding that he is capable of being deployed as a team’s ‘focal point’ considering he ‘relishes a duel’ and ‘presses intensely’.

Meantime, Rui Martins of Total Football Analysis outlines how Turgeman’s physical attributes give him a ‘significant competitive advantage’, believing he ‘is ready to be tested at a higher level’.

Thus, if Rangers are able to sell 30 year old Dessers and sign 21-year-old Turgeman for a lower fee, this would appear a no-brainer of an upgrade.

The new Lundstram: Martin wants to make £18m star his first Rangers signing

As Russell Martin starts his overhaul of Rangers’ squad, could he sign a “class” midfielder in a deal reminiscent of John Lundstram’s move to Ibrox?

ByBen Gray Jun 8, 2025

There have been a lot of players who have tormented Arsenal over the years, from Roberto Firmino to Jamie Vardy and Mohamed Salah.

However, when it comes to the striker who has scored more goals against the North Londoners in the Premier League than anyone else, it’ll come as no surprise to most that it is Harry Kane.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star scored 14 goals against the club in 17 appearances before moving to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, and then added another in the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

So, the Gunners faithful should be excited about reports linking them to a free-scoring striker who’s won comparisons to the England captain.

Arsenal's striker search

With Arsenal’s need for a striker this summer practically undeniable, the last few weeks have seen the club linked with a host of talented options, from Benjamin Sesko to Evann Guessand.

The club are reportedly in talks for the former at the moment, who could cost around £67m, which might just prove to be a bargain price, as in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig this season, the 22-year-old dynamo was able to score 21 goals and provide six assists.

Coming in with a cheaper price tag that is said to be around the £25m mark, Guessand would be the more economical option, and with a tally of 13 goals and ten assists in 42 games, it would be a tempting one at that.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, there is now another forward whose price fits nicely between both and has been compared to Kane: Nick Woltemade.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several teams incredibly interested in the VfB Stuttgart poacher.

In fact, the report reveals that the Gunners, as well as Liverpool, have made contact with the German outfit over their star striker, who could be available for around €50m, which comes out to about £42m.

He might not be a known quantity to fans in England, but given Woltemade’s ability and potential, this is a deal worth pursuing – with the comparison to Kane a nice bonus.

How Woltemade compares to Kane

Now, there are several reasons why Arsenal might want to go out and sign Woltemade this summer, but before getting to them, it’s worth examining this comparison to Kane and where it originated from.

In this case, it stems from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the Bundesliga this season and came to the conclusion that the Englishman was the second most similar forward to the German.

The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, live passes, expected assists, passes into the penalty area, tackles won and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.70

0.70

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.16

Expected Assists

0.19

0.21

Live Passes

26.5

23.4

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.28

1.36

Tackles Won

0.39

0.42

Successful Take-On %

43.7%

43.4%

However, while the comparison to England’s captain and one of the best strikers in the game is certainly encouraging, it’s not the only reason the Gunners should be looking to sign the Stuttgart star.

For example, despite playing for a midtable side, the “exceptional” marksman, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was able to rack up an impressive haul of 17 goals and three assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2039 minutes.

That means the 23-year-old goalscorer maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games this year, or every 101.95 minutes, which is undeniably impressive.

On top of that, the Bremen-born star comes in at a massive 6 foot 6 but remains agile and quick on his feet, so not only could he interchange with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard at the Emirates, but he’d add even more height and physicality into the Gunners’ squad.

Ultimately, Woltemade has been incredible this season, and his goalscoring abilities combined with his physical characteristics make him someone Arsenal should not miss out on – the comparison to Kane is just another reason they should be going all out to sign him.

A Rodrygo clone: Arsenal could hijack Chelsea move for "England's best LW"

The sensational talent could add so much to Arsenal’s attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 5, 2025

A Premier League star is now more inclined to join Chelsea over Man Utd after a U-turn behind-the-scenes, with both clubs reaching out for talks recently.

Chelsea kickstart transfer plans amid Champions League qualification

Levi Colwill’s second-half tap-in against Nottingham Forest on Sunday arguably came as Chelsea’s most important goal of the 2024/2025 campaign, with Enzo Maresca’s side confirming their place in the Champions League next season as a result.

£172k-per-week striker is waiting for Chelsea to contact him about joining

Chelsea are set for a big summer after qualifying for the Champions League.

2 ByEmilio Galantini May 26, 2025

This will have a profoundly positive effect when it comes to Chelsea’s recruitment drive over the summer window, as the west Londoners are set for a considerable financial windfall and gifted far more pull in the market, given they will be competing in European football’s most prestigious competition.

Rank

Team

Points

GD

Man City

71

+28

Chelsea

69

+21

Newcastle

66

+21

6

Aston Villa

66

+7

7

Nottingham Forest

65

+12

Finishing in the top five could truly prove to be season-defining for 2025/2026, with Chelsea setting their sights on a proven goalscorer as one of their many transfer priorities before the next campaign kicks off.

It is believed that Chelsea could even bring in two strikers this summer, which is made all the more possible by their Champions League place, and journalist Simon Phillips reports that the Blues want to register one of them before the Club World Cup next month.

That man could well be Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, following his excellent 12-goal season in an otherwise dismal side, according to various reports.

Fabrizio Romano backs up whispers that Chelsea have held talks with Delap’s camp, and other media sources claim that the Englishman is set to make a decision on his next destination “this week” (Simon Phillips).

Liam Delap inclined to join Chelsea over Man Utd

This is echoed by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, who told the broadcaster that Delap is actually more inclined to join Chelsea over Man United, after the former qualified for Champions League football next season.

While the 22-year-old’s spoken to United, Newcastle and Everton as well as Chelsea, it appears the latter are in pole position as things stand.

“My understanding was that he was leaning towards Manchester United because he wanted to go back and live in the north west. He’s a former Manchester City player,” said Crook on air.

“But he does want to play in the Champions League. So I wonder if that may have scuppered United now.

“And the noises I’m hearing this morning are more that maybe he’ll end up at Chelsea.”

Delap’s sky-high potential stretches far beyond just goals, as the ex-City starlet’s power, speed and physicality also make him a real force to be reckoned with. Teammates like Alex Palmer have endorsed Delap’s talent as well, calling him a “monster” up front.

“You look at him and he’s a monster,” said Palmer.

“He’s a young lad that’s got the enthusiasm and energy – and also the talent.”

Liverpool are now “seriously pursuing” a £34m defender, and advanced talks have already taken place, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Liverpool searching for Trent replacement

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time at Anfield isn’t ending the way he would’ve liked, having confirmed his decision to leave his boyhood club at the end of the season, with the right-back entering the field to a chorus of boos after being brought on as a substitute against Arsenal on Sunday.

Jamie Carragher has since criticised the reaction to Trent entering the field, encouraging supporters to sing other players’ names, rather than booing one of their own.

Conor Bradley, on the other hand, received a good reception on Sunday, but having made an error in the build-up to the Gunners’ first goal, Arne Slot could have some reservations about the Northern Irishman becoming the first-choice right-back immediately.

As such, Slot may choose to enter the transfer market to find a replacement for Trent, and Plettenberg has now taken to X to provide an update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong.

The Sky Sports reporter states the Reds are now “seriously pursuing” Frimpong, with the right-back “planning to move this summer”, and he should be available for a relatively affordable fee, given that he has a release clause of around €35m – €40m (£29m – £34m) in his contract.

The 24-year-old is also described as “one of the top options” to replace Alexander-Arnold at the end of the season, underlining the Merseysiders’ level of interest, with advanced talks taking place.

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1 BySean Markus Clifford May 12, 2025 "Monster" Frimpong could be ideal Trent replacement

Trent has received criticism for his defending during his time at Anfield, but the England international has more than made up for it with his quality going forward, picking up three goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season.

Much like his potential predecessor, the Leverkusen star also excels on the front foot, ranking in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, and the 89th percentile for assists, when compared to other full-backs.

Amid previous links to Manchester United, the Dutchman was also described as a “monster” in the attacking third by the United Stand’s Beth Tucker, which is underlined by his contributions going forward over the past three Bundesliga seasons.

Season

Bundesliga appearances

Goals

Assists

2022-23

34

8

7

2023-24

31

9

9

2024-25

33

5

6

A fee of just £29m – £34m could be a bargain for Frimpong, who could be the ideal replacement for Trent, given his attacking quality, although it would also be good to see academy graduate Bradley receive more game time next season.