Wayne Rooney has reportedly braced himself for an 'awkward' possible meeting with Ruben Amorim after criticising the Manchester United head coach. This is partly because the ex-Red Devils striker picks his son up from the club's training ground – a place the Portuguese regularly frequents.
Despite already spending big this summer, Chelsea are now reportedly dreaming of signing a Premier League rival who Cole Palmer already knows well.
As ever, Chelsea’s spending is far from over in the summer transfer window. With Jorrel Hato signed and delivered, the Blues have instantly turned their focus back towards attacking reinforcements and, more specifically, Xavi Simons. The RB Leipzig midfielder could be on his way out of the German club this summer, and it is Chelsea who are reportedly advancing towards his signature.
The former Barcelona talent isn’t the only one on Chelsea’s list, either. As Fabrizio Romano claimed, Alejandro Garnacho is also on their shortlist of targets in a separate deal to Simons. As things stand, those at Stamford Bridge could yet land a double swoop to complete an impressive attacking overhaul this summer.
Garnacho, in particular, is destined to be on the move if the right offer arrives this summer. Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim told reporters when asked about the Argentine recently: “Garnacho is a really talented boy, but sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is.
“But I have the feeling that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. And I can understand that. It’s not a problem. Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection.
“Other times, you want a new challenge. We try to make everything okay to all the parts, to the club, to the coach and to the players. It’s a natural thing in football.”
That said, as much as they may be on their shortlist, neither Garnacho or Simons sit at the very top of Chelsea’s dream wishlist this summer. Instead, another Premier League rival has taken that place.
According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Chelsea are now dreaming of signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa this summer and have increased their interest despite the midfielder’s £80m price tag.
The deal won’t be an easy one to negotiate, either, thanks to Villa’s reluctance to sell one of their most important players. But there’s no denying that an £80m sale would instantly relieve any PSR strain that they’re still dealing with.
The Blues’ dream signing likely sits near the top of Palmer’s wishlist too. The Chelsea star is, of course, close with Rogers from their time together at Manchester City and even stole what is now his infamous celebration from the Aston Villa midfielder.
A player who Glenn Hoddle dubbed “excellent”, Rogers is capable of taking Chelsea from top four hopefuls to shock title contenders, but it remains to be seen whether Aston Villa will sell their star man this summer.
Manchester City are aiming to reclaim the Premier League title this season and could take a step in the right direction if they can push their latest pursuit over the line, per reports.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Manchester City were in advanced talks to sign Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, and it is now more of less confirmed that he will be on his way to the Etihad Stadium courtesy of Fabrizio Romano.
Taking to social media platform X, he stated: “More on exclusive story on James Trafford joining Manchester City: understand medical tests will take place early next week, main part on Monday. Man City to pay £27m fee to Burnley for the goalkeeper, as revealed.”
Now that the saga of bringing in a new goalkeeper is over, Pep Guardiola will be keen to swiftly move onto other targets and the Citizens are looking to bolster their backline.
In what would be a statement signing, Manchester City are preparing a £69 million bid for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, though the Catalan giants are said to be working on tying him down to an extension.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are among rival sides that have moved to strengthen their ranks ahead of the new campaign, laying the gauntlet down to Guardiola’s men after a disappointing campaign last time out.
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Undeterred by the challenge, the former Barcelona man could now look to sanction a deal to bring one of England’s brightest talents to the Etihad Stadium from one of their domestic rivals.
According to TBR, Manchester City have made a fresh approach for Tino Livramento and would be willing to pay over £50 million to sign the Newcastle United full-back.
With three years left on his deal on Tyneside, the Magpies are keen to offer him a contract extension. Should he opt to remain in the North East, the Citizens could turn their attention to either of Juventus duo Andrea Cambiaso and Nicolo Savona.
|
Five similar players to Tino Livramento (FBRef) |
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Dennis Appiah |
Saint-Etienne |
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Joe Scally |
Borussia Monchengladbach |
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Destiny Udogie |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
Pep Chavarria |
Rayo Vallecano |
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Gideon Marsh |
Auxerre |
Labelled someone who is “developing into a top player” by legendary Premier League star Ashley Cole, Livramento registered a solitary assist in 45 appearances across all competitions last term as Newcastle secured Champions League qualification and won the EFL Cup.
Eddie Howe has no intention of selling the right-back this summer, but he is at the top of Manchester City’s shortlist, creating an intriguing scenario that may last the length of the window.
Time is of the essence as the league season draws closer, so it will be interesting to see if Guardiola and company can successfully progress in negotiations.
Xabi Alonso's side scored two good goals and overcame a silly sending off to stay undefeated in La Liga.
Kylian Mbappe scored one and assisted another, and Real Madrid overcame a silly Dean Huijsen red card to grind out a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad.
Los Blancos were on it from the start. They had a goal ruled out after three minutes, when Arda Guler's clever strike was chalked off due to an offside in the build up.
VAR didn't intervene 10 minutes later. Madrid's opener was classic Mbappe, a dart in behind and drilled finish to give his side a 1-0 lead. He almost made it two shortly after, but his curled effort clipped off the post. But Los Blancos made it interesting. La Real threatened here and there, and were handed a lifeline on half an hour when Huijsen was sent off for dragging down Mikel Oyarzabal as he ran through on goal. Still, Madrid added a crucial second just before half time. Mbappe made it, beating his man and cutting back to a grateful Arda Guler, who poked home.
Los Blanos insisted on making it difficult for themselves, though. Dani Carvajal handled the ball in the box, and Oyarzabal converted the ensuing penalty with ease. La Real never found a crucial second, though. Thibaut Courtois made a handful of impressive saves and timely interventions to maintain the lead. It wasn't pretty, but Madrid got the job done
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Reale Arena…
After finally agreeing a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United are now set to intensify their efforts to sign another impressive attacking addition.
After a long few weeks, United are finally set to get their man after reportedly agreeing a deal worth as much as £70m+ all-in to sign Mbeumo. INEOS had been spending recent weeks attempting to get that price tag down, but Brentford’s stubborn stance soon forced their hand. Putting the hefty fee aside for the moment, however, there’s no denying that Mbeumo will be an instant upgrade at Old Trafford.
The forward’s arrival will take United’s spending to around the £133m-mark after welcoming Matheus Cunha for a reported fee of £63m at the start of the summer transfer window. For all the criticism that they have received, INEOS have so far backed Ruben Amorim in the summer transfer window.
|
Premier League 24/25 (via FBref) |
Mbeumo |
Cunha |
|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
38 |
29 |
|
Goals |
20 |
15 |
|
Assists |
7 |
6 |
|
Expected Goals |
12.3 |
8.6 |
Not only did Mbeumo and Cunha score a combined 35 Premier League goals last season, but they also stood out for how they outperformed their expected total. Their records suggest that Manchester United are set to welcome two much-needed clinical finishers to their side.
To give context for just how much of an upgrade they’ll provide Amorim, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund managed a combined seven Premier League goals last season.
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1
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Ethan Lamb
Jul 19, 2025
After Mbeumo and Cunha, however, the Red Devils are reportedly not done there in the summer transfer window.
According to TeamTalk, Manchester United are now set to intensify their move to sign Benjamin Sesko, who is valued at a hefty £67m by RB Leipzig this summer.
The 6 foot 5 Slovenia star initially caught United’s eye in 2022, when they first contacted the forward whilst he was still at Red Bull Salzburg. And, having worked on their relationship with player and camp ever since, the Red Devils are in position to step up their interest and complete their attacking overhaul in style.
|
League stats 24/24 (via FBref) |
Sesko |
Hojlund |
Zirkzee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
30 |
23 |
14 |
|
Goals |
13 |
4 |
3 |
|
Assists |
5 |
0 |
1 |
|
Expected Goals |
10 |
5.3 |
4.8 |
Like Mbeumo and Cunha, Sesko outperformed Zirkzee and Hojlund last season, with his clinical nature in front of goal also standing out when compared to their underperformance. If Sesko arrives to join the incoming duo then United could be going from one of the most disappointing frontlines to one of the most promising in the Premier League.
Described as a “menace” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the 22-year-old is ready to take the Premier League by storm after stealing countless headlines in the Bundesliga.
Jobe Bellingham’s father, Mark, has been told he was fortunate not to run into the "feisty" Niko Kovac during his half-time substitution rant.
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Sunderland are building an impressive summer transfer portfolio and could now be about to accelerate their pursuit of an England international, according to reports.
The Black Cats have made some intriguing signings under Regis Le Bris and appear primed to continue their hot streak in the market after wrapping up a five-year deal for Simon Adingra.
Joining for a fee of £21 million plus add-ons, the Ivorian stated after his official announcement: “It’s a pleasure to be here, and I cannot wait to get started. The club and the project are really exciting. I spoke with everyone and their interest in me made the decision easy – I wanted to be part of Sunderland’s future. Playing in the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so to continue doing that is incredible.”
With Habib Diarra, Reinildo, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi and Enzo Le Fee also in the building, Sunderland briefly turned their attention towards Marseille midfielder Valentine Rongier but have decided against an £8.6 million move.
Sassuolo star Armand Lauriente is also on the Black Cats’ radar, signalling that Le Bris is keen to strengthen the flanks as his side aim to consolidate themselves in the Premier League.
Stepping up from Serie B to the top-flight in England would be a major adjustment, but there is no doubt that the Wearside giants will need to be creative in their bid to sustain themselves in the world’s most competitive league.
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Taking advantage of their recent promotion, Sunderland could now raid a familiar foe of recent years for one of their prize assets, per recent developments.
According to TBR, Sunderland are preparing a bid to sign Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and have made contact with the representatives of the England international.
The former Arsenal man is understood to be open to a move to the North East, and he would see the opportunity to remain in the Premier League with Le Bris’ men as an ideal opportunity to strengthen his bid to make England’s World Cup squad next summer.
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Aaron Ramsdale’s Premier League season in 2024/25 – should Sunderland bring him in? (FBRef) |
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|
Save percentage rate |
67.6% |
|
Shots faced |
188 |
|
Appearances |
30 |
|
Goals conceded |
66 |
|
Clean sheets |
3 |
Labelled “exceptional” by Mikel Arteta, Ramsdale would cost in the region of £25 million to bring to the Stadium of Light and has been earmarked as a potential successor to Anthony Patterson.
Sunderland’s opening offer is set to be close to Southampton’s asking price, which is, incidentally, the same fee as he was brought to the South Coast for from Arsenal, hence they would break even on the 27-year-old.
Now, it remains to be seen if Le Bris can force a deal over the line to bring another recognisable face with considerable pedigree to the North East.
Underestimate Birmingham City at your own peril next season.
Already, the ultra-ambitious Blues have welcomed in seven new faces to the St. Andrew’s camp with more surely expected as they go about continuing to construct a side ready to compete, and potentially soar, at Championship level.
The most high-profile signing of Birmingham’s hectic summer so far has come in the form of £10m attacker Kyogo Furuhashi leaving Rennes behind for pastures new in the West Midlands, with lots expected of the Japanese forward in his fresh second-tier surroundings.
Whilst he has never got going in France with zero goals or assists next to his name from six Rennes appearances, Birmingham will feel they’ve made a worthwhile investment in the 30-year-old striker based on his blistering output at Celtic alone.
From 165 clashes donning the famous green and white jersey, Kyogo would tally up a stunning 85 strikes in total, alongside also chipping in with a healthy 19 assists for his troubles.
Everyone at St. Andrew’s will be praying he can get back to the clinical best he managed in Scotland when now plying his trade in nearby England, with his former Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou once even labelling the four-time Scottish Premiership winner as “outstanding” for his constant magic in Glasgow.
Kyogo will surely give the likes of Jay Stansfield and Alfie May a run for their money in the forward areas, but another exciting signing up top would be seen as even more of a coup than the 23-time Japan international’s arrival onto the scene.
Birmingham fans might well feel let down by the millions splashed out on Kyogo if he doesn’t instantly hit the ground running, fearful that another Rennes crisis of confidence has enveloped him.
Whilst it could take time for Kyogo to warm up to the challenges of the Championship, Danny Ings would surely feel instantly more comfortable dropping back down to the EFL, after finding his recent Premier League stints to be full of injuries.
As per a report earlier this summer from journalist Graeme Bailey, Birmingham have considered a move for Ings, knowing full well what he’s capable of in front of goal when injuries aren’t dominating his playing time.
All this talk might well have died down now – with Bailey further revealing that Wrexham and Burnley were even eyeing up the goalscoring veteran – but if Birmingham want another top-quality attacker to add to their glittering striker options, and a star who is an even bigger talent than Furuhashi for free, this is a move they should try to get back into motion.
|
Ings’ G/A record by club |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Club played for |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Burnley |
130 |
43 |
14 |
|
Southampton |
100 |
46 |
10 |
|
West Ham |
69 |
5 |
5 |
|
Aston Villa |
52 |
14 |
8 |
|
AFC Bournemouth |
30 |
8 |
3 |
|
Liverpool |
25 |
4 |
1 |
|
Overall number |
406 |
120 |
41 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|||
After all, it’s clear from the table above – unlike Kyogo, who fired blanks in Ligue 1 – that Ings has shown off his goalscoring prowess all across his career, even when issues have arisen, with a hefty 120 career goals next to his name from 406 clashes. It was only four years ago that Aston Villa forked out £30m for his services.
43 of those strikes would come about on the books of Burnley, with the three-time England international chomping at the bit to return to the Championship where he first honed his potent craft, as seen in him bagging a healthy 21 strikes during the 2013/14 season to seal promotion for the Clarets.
From then on, it’s been a career mainly played at the pinnacle of English football, with Ings dropping back down to the Championship with Birmingham seen as a statement of intent on Davies and Co’s end of where they want to be in the very near future.
Once labelled as “clinical” by football journalist Leanne Prescott, Ings would be raring to go donning Birmingham blue if a move was sealed, with the experienced attacker perhaps pipping Kyogo to a starting spot in the process.
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By
Kelan Sarson
Jul 8, 2025
It’s been a jam-packed summer for Chelsea so far this year.
On top of making it through to the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup, the Blues have already been very active in the transfer window.
Enzo Maresca’s side have bought in a number of young talents to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with perhaps the most exciting so far being Liam Delap.
However, in exciting news, the club appear close to securing the services of another young star who could be an even bigger talent than the former Ipswich Town star.
So far this summer, Chelsea seem to be continuing their habit of targeting young, up-and-coming talents, with names like Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho linked with them over the last few weeks.
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However, with the former now looking set to join Barcelona and the latter not exactly the most popular candidate, thanks to how things appear to have ended at Manchester United, the Blues have also looked at a host of other youngsters.
Fortunately, the West Londoners now appear to be closing in on one of those prospects, someone who’s arguably a bigger talent than Delap: Jamie Gittens.
Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing the Borussia Dortmund star.
In fact, the Italian journalist has revealed that an “agreement is getting closer” as the two sides continue their talks over the player in the US.
A price is not mentioned in the update, but according to other reports from this week, it looks increasingly likely that the Englishman will cost around £55m.
It might be a lot of money for a 20-year-old, but based on his ability and potential, it could be worth it, especially as he might be a bigger talent than Delap.
So, the first thing to say is that both youngsters look destined for brilliant careers at the very top of the game, but if we had to come down on who we think is just about the bigger talent, it would be Gittens, and there are a few reasons why.
The first is that, while the former Ipswich Town gem was honing his skills in the Championship last season, the Dortmund prospect was making a name for himself in the Bundesliga and even made seven appearances in the Champions League, despite being just 19 years old.
Moreover, this season, when both players were competing in one of Europe’s top five leagues alongside other competitions, the 20-year-old prospect was, in fact, more effective for the German outfit than the 22-year-old was for the Tractor Boys.
For example, the “explosive” Reading-born winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances, totalling 2,803 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 164.88 minutes.
In contrast, the Winchester-born poacher scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2,670 minutes, for the Suffolk side this year, which comes out to a goal involvement every 190.71 minutes.
Finally, when we examine their underlying numbers, it becomes impossible to ignore just how much better the talented winger fares than his potential new teammate.
For example, not only does he do better in the most critical attacking metrics, like non-penalty goals plus assists and key passes, but also tackles, blocks and interceptions, so he can be trusted to contribute to the dirty work while also impacting play at the sharp end of the pitch.
|
Gittens vs Delap |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Gittens |
Delap |
|
Non-Penalty G+As |
0.56 |
0.42 |
|
Progressive Passes |
2.13 |
1.04 |
|
Progressive Carries |
5.74 |
2.12 |
|
Shots |
2.64 |
2.29 |
|
Shots on Target |
1.22 |
1.01 |
|
Expected Assists |
0.21 |
0.05 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
76.5% |
61.3% |
|
Key Passes |
1.07 |
0.73 |
|
Passes into the Penalty Area |
1.22 |
0.21 |
|
Crosses into the Penalty Area |
0.20 |
0.00 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
3.70 |
2.15 |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.51 |
0.24 |
|
Tackles |
1.57 |
0.38 |
|
Tackles Won |
0.96 |
0.28 |
|
Blocks |
0.81 |
0.28 |
|
Interceptions |
0.51 |
0.07 |
|
Clearances |
0.20 |
0.97 |
|
Successful Take-Ons |
3.91 |
1.39 |
|
Carries into the Final Third |
2.84 |
1.60 |
|
Carries into the Penalty Area |
3.20 |
1.04 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season |
||
Ultimately, both Delap and Gittens will be excellent players for Chelsea, but as things stand, the latter appears to be a more promising talent than the 22-year-old striker.
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By
Robbie Walls
Jun 26, 2025
Manchester United have now reportedly submitted a huge offer to sign a much-needed attacking addition who would instantly make any potential Bryan Mbeumo rejection an afterthought.
For a moment it looked as though Manchester United were out on their own in the race to sign Mbeumo only for Tottenham Hotspur to burst onto the scene. With Thomas Frank now by their side, the Lilywhites have reportedly matched Brentford’s asking price and could instantly reunite Mbeumo with his former manager.
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United haven’t simply stepped aside, however. Reports are now claiming that they’ve reached an agreement on personal terms with the talented winger and club chiefs believe that they will complete a move to land his signature this summer.
There was always likely to be interest in Mbeumo following yet another excellent campaign at Brentford. At just 25 years old, there may not be a better time to move than this summer, but he must still get his next decision right.
As for United, whether it’s Mbeumo or another option, signing an attacking reinforcement seems to be at the very top of their wishlist. The Red Devils suffered going forward last season, with both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund at the centre of those struggles which culminated in a 15th-place finish.
|
Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Joshua Zirkzee |
Rasmus Hojlund |
|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
14 |
23 |
|
Goals |
3 |
4 |
|
Assists |
1 |
0 |
|
Expected Goals |
4.8 |
5.3 |
Ruben Amorim will be desperate for some added firepower and if it’s not Mbeumo, then rumours suggest that it could yet be an excellent alternative.
INEOS already proved that they’re willing to spend when they welcomed Matheus Cunha for around £63m and now they could spend more than ever amid reports that they’ve submitted a hefty £120m+ bid for one particular talent.
According to reports in Spain, Manchester United have now submitted a shock €150m (£128m) offer to sign Raphinha from Barcelona this summer. The Spanish giants have reportedly been left surprised by the bid, but their financial situation could yet force them to consider it.
It would instantly be one of the standout deals of the summer if Manchester United made it happen. The Brazilian winger is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or this year and would instantly ensure that the Red Devils forget all about Mbeumo.
|
24/25 stats |
Raphinha |
Mbeumo |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
57 |
42 |
|
Goals |
34 |
20 |
|
Assists |
24 |
8 |
With 59 goal involvements in 57 appearances, it’s no surprise that Raphinha has found himself in Ballon d’Or conversations and, as talented as Mbeumo is, there is no denying that the Barcelona star is the standout option.
The winger earned plenty of deserved praise last season, including from Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who told reporters: “He has good dynamics with the ball and he has had an extraordinary match. His offensive and defensive dynamics, and his good technique, are something special. I have never had a player like him and he helps us a lot.”