Ryan Giggs’ brother Rhodri has branded the Premier League Hall of Fame a “sham” after seeing the Manchester United legend overlooked again.
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Everton are now reportedly prioritising a deal to sign a Premier League gem as part of The Friedkin Group’s impressive plan to splash as much as £150m this summer.
The Toffees have already seen a glimpse of Friedkin’s spending when they secured deals for Thierno Barry, Mark Travers and Carlos Alcaraz. But they may just be getting started.
As Everton enter a new era at The Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new owners are reportedly keen to make a statement with a spending spree that will hit the £150m-mark this summer and several targets have already entered their radar as a result.
After recently welcoming Barry and Travers, Everton have reportedly made their first offer to sign Douglas Luiz on loan with an obligation to buy from Juventus. The Brazilian endured a nightmare first season in Turin and now desperately needs a return to the Premier League just one year on from leaving Aston Villa.
It would be quite the move from Everton if they managed to win the race for the midfielder’s signature, especially after losing Abdoulaye Doucoure at the end of last season. Luiz, meanwhile, would undoubtedly be keen to get back to his best at long last.
Luiz isn’t the only name who’s threatened to steal the headlines as of late, however. The Toffees have also reportedly set their sights on West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish.
Like Luiz, the latter needs a fresh start this summer if he is to get back to his best. But even as a serial winner at The Etihad, it’s actually Grealish’s City teammate who sits top of Everton’s shortlist of targets.
As reported by The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Everton are now prioritising a move to sign James McAtee as part of their £150m spending spree this summer. The midfielder was often left frustrated at Manchester City last summer, as Pep Guardiola opted for other options even as his side faced some of their worst form of his incredibly successful tenure.
Everton bang in the race to sign "terrific" star who Moyes personally wants
He’s on the move this summer.
By
Tom Cunningham
Jul 18, 2025
Now, in search of the game time that he requires, McAtee is likely to be on the move. And it’s not just Everton who are interested. The talented midfielder has also attracted the interest of Entracht Frankfurt and others from around European football, handing the Toffees a difficult battle to land his signature.
Previous reports have suggested that the 22-year-old will be available for just £25m, but whether competition for his arrival increases that price remains to be seen.
Praised for a “fantastic” start to 2025 by scout Jacek Kulig, McAtee could yet find himself in new surroundings by the time that the year comes to an end and the new season is well underway.
Cristiano Ronaldo was seen consoling an emotional Portugal mascot ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Armenia. One little boy, overwhelmed by the gravity of the occasion, broke into tears as he realised he was walking beside his idol.
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Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique showed off a new shaved look ahead of Les Parisiens' Ligue 1 clash with Lens on Sunday. The Spaniard was seen with his arm in a sling after undergoing surgery for a broken clavicle he sustained in a bike accident during the international break. It had previously been reported the manager could miss the game as he recovers, but he said he is "ready".
Tottenham have set their sights on another quality attacking midfielder after seeing Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White commit his future to the City Ground.
£190k-per-week Tottenham star now close to agreeing exit as talks advance
He would be a sore miss.
1
By
Emilio Galantini
Jul 29, 2025
Thomas Frank’s side are arguably in dire need of more creativity. The Lilywhites struggled to break down League One outfit Luton Town in the second of their two Saturday pre-season friendlies last weekend, despite fielding a strong side loaded with key first-team players.
While it’s important not to overanalyse summer preparations for the new Premier League season, with Frank’s players regaining match fitness and sharpness right now, the signs were not overly encouraging.
|
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 |
|
In an ideal world, Tottenham would have welcomed new playmaker Gibbs-White to N17 by now, having scheduled a medical on July 11 whilst attempting to trigger his past £60 million release clause.
However, in what was an unprecedented turn of events, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis put a halt to the transfer, threatened legal action against Spurs and somehow convinced Gibbs-White to pen a contract extension instead.
Signing the 25-year-old was Tottenham’s priority for the previous fortnight, but those precious two weeks of the transfer window were seemingly wasted. Technical director Johan Lange and his recruitment team must now turn to different attacking targets, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that Tottenham are working on signing alternatives to Gibbs-White.
Despite serious links to north London rivals Arsenal, Spurs have been targeting Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze this window, and whilst Mikel Arteta’s side prioritise outgoings right now (Fabrizio Romano), perhaps Lange can use this time to beat the Gunners to his signature.
Eze would be a phenomenal alternative to Gibbs-White, following his campaign of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions at Palace, including their FA Cup-final winning strike against Man City.
However, in the event Arsenal beat Spurs to Eze, there are other viable candidates for the number 10 role at Tottenham.
According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, one of them is Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.
The 21-year-old was a shining light in an otherwise dismal Foxes side who were relegated right back down to the Championship last term, averaging more key passes per 90 in the final third than any of his teammates in the top flight (WhoScored).
Bailey reports that Spurs are now targeting El Khannouss, coming after they unceremoniously missed out on a deal for Gibbs-White and reports that the Morocco international’s contract includes a £22.5 million release clause (talkSPORT).
The clause was tied in with Leicester’s drop to the second tier, and means the young El Khannouss is available for a very astute fee.
Members of the media, like journalist Antonio Mango, have heralded the African as a “genius” attacking player, with El Khannouss now emerging as a very intriguing option for Lange as we enter the final few weeks of the summer.
Former MLS forward and current CBS Sports analyst Mike Grella praised Christian Pulisic's impact at AC Milan, suggesting that the USMNT star’s success at one of Europe's most storied clubs represents a milestone for soccer development in the U.S. Grella said Pulisic, who scored twice Saturday for Milan, has changed perceptions of American players in Europe.
It’s almost time for Chelsea to return to action.
The Blues will very much undergo a truncated pre-season schedule, having won the Club World Cup on 13 July, surprisingly defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.
Thus, Enzo Maresca’s team will have just two pre-season fixtures before their Premier League opener, welcoming Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge on Friday night, before taking on AC Milan in West London on Sunday.
Before then, will the Blues continue to make more signings?
Fair to say, Maresca has plenty of attacking options at his disposal.
Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens, João Pedro, and Liam Delap have all already arrived this summer, but the Blues are far from done yet, with potentially two new forwards on their way.
First, as reported by James Olley of ESPN, Chelsea are close to signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of €50m (around £44m), with the Dutchman eager to make the move.
Meantime, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, adding that “no talks” have begun just yet, but the Argentine is “keen” on the move.
Elsewhere, Romano notes that the transfer is “not expected to be imminent” but that Garanacho is prioritising a move to Chelsea, with the Blues focussing on outgoings for now.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Garnacho was told to find a new club by manager Rúben Amorim back in May. Currently part of Man United’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, not with the first-team squad in the US, rather left behind at Carrington, alongside fellow outcasts Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia.
Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that Man United valued Garnacho at £70m. Still, now that it’s public knowledge he has been cast aside, James Ducker of The Telegraph believes he is available for £40m, with Chelsea in pole position to snap him up.
At the start of the window, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that Chelsea are ‘prioritising the addition’ of a right-footed left-winger, with Garnacho very much their top target for this role.
His performances for Manchester United have certainly caught the eye, with Statman Dave labelling him one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet” as recently as October, alongside Lamine Yamal, which is high praise indeed.
Elsewhere, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘reliable attacking outlet’ who still has ‘room for improvement’, with Andy Mitten of The Athletic believing his ‘work rate’ and finishing have both got better in recent times.
When looking to compare Garnacho to a former Chelsea player of the not-too-distant past, he is stylistically most similar to Joe Cole.
Like Garnacho, Cole arrived from a Premier League rival as a 22-year-old back in 2003, namely West Ham United, having come through the Hammers’ academy, and made quite an impact during his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
In Chelsea blue, Cole made 282 appearances, scoring 39 goals and registering 47 assists, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the EFL Cup.
At his best, Tom Mason of The Guardian believes Cole was ‘breathtaking’, praising his ‘creativity, flair, technical ability and vision’, adding that he was ‘always willing to receive a pass and take on the responsibility’.
Meantime, Sam Wallace of the Independent heralds his ‘silky touch’, noting that his best years came under José Mourinho when deployed as a left-winger in a ‘clearly defined’ role.
Well, in Maresca’s current set-up, Garnacho, who was hailed as “electric” by Statman Dave, could certainly thrive in a similar way.
So, let’s assess how Cole at West Ham and Garnacho at Manchester United compare to one another.
|
Joe Cole at West Ham vs Alejandro Garnacho at Man United comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Cole |
Garnacho |
|
Appearances |
184 |
144 |
|
Minutes |
13,250 |
8,359 |
|
Goals |
18 |
26 |
|
Assists |
9 |
22 |
|
International caps |
10 |
8 |
|
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt |
||
As the table documents, when comparing Garnacho of the present day to Cole just before his move to Chelsea, the Englishman was more experienced, but the Argentine had produced a greater output in terms of goals and assists.
Cole arrived in the summer of 2003 as part of Roman Abramovich’s first spending spree, alongside Claude Makélélé, Hernán Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Juan Sebastián Verón, Scott Parker, Glen Johnson, Alexey Smertin, Geremi, Wayne Bridge, Damien Duff, and many, many others.
Well, 22 years on, Chelsea are adopting a similar approach in the transfer market, and all available evidence suggests that Garnacho could thrive in a similar way.
Chelsea looking to do "early deal" for potential £44m-plus striker after Hato
Another centre-forward signing on the horizon?
By
Emilio Galantini
Aug 2, 2025
After a long summer, Arsenal finally kickstart their fourth attempt at winning the Premier League tomorrow afternoon.
It feels like it could be the competitive title race for some time, but thanks to their summer business, Mikel Arteta’s side feel well-placed to attack it head-on.
Sporting Director Andrea Berta and his team have overseen six first-team additions so far, with the most significant undoubtedly being Viktor Gyokeres, and if that wasn’t enough, they are still being linked with a move for the sensational Eberechi Eze.
However, if Arsenal really want to make a splash and complete a signing that’d be better than the Swede and Englishman, they should go back in for a player they were linked with earlier this summer.
While there are always a multitude of motivations behind every transfer, it’s not hard to work out why Arsenal decided to splash £63.5m on Gyokeres this summer: goals.
The Gunners have needed a new goalscoring centre-forward for some time now, and when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net, it’s hard to think of many players as good as the Swede.
For example, in just 52 appearances last season, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a staggering 54 goals and provided 13 assists to boot.
In other words, the 27-year-old international averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.40 minutes, which is frankly ridiculous.
When it comes to their interest in Eze, there is perhaps a little more to it.
For example, on top of his brilliant haul of 25 goal involvements in 43 games for Crystal Palace last season, the former QPR gem can play as a traditional number ten or fill in on the left, which is an area of concern for the Gunners.
Moreover, he is Premier League-proven and proved he has what it takes to step up in the biggest games last season during the Eagles’ incredible FA Cup triumph.
In short, Gyokeres is a brilliant signing, and Eze would be as well, although if Arsenal want to make an even better purchase than both, they should go out and get someone they were linked with earlier this summer: Bradley Barcola.
While the reports touting Barcola for a move to Arsenal seem to have disappeared in recent weeks, he was briefly linked with the club back in June, and since then, stories have claimed that Paris Saint-Germain value him at around £87m.
So then, if Berta were to go out and get the young Frenchman, why would he be a better signing than Gyokeres and Eze?
Well, the first argument comes down to this output, as even though he plays on the wing, the Lyon-born superstar, whom Mattinson has dubbed “one of the best LWs in Europe,” scored 21 goals and provided 21 assists in 64 appearances, totalling 3927 minutes, last season.
|
Barcola in 24/25 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
64 |
|
Minutes |
3927′ |
|
Goals |
21 |
|
Assists |
21 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.65 |
|
Minutes per Goal Involvement |
93.5′ |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
That works out to a sublime average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games, or every 93.5 minutes, which trumps the Palace star’s average of one every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
Now, you might be thinking that the Frenchman’s numbers still pale in comparison to the Swede’s, and while that is correct, you have to take into account the competitions they play in, as, according to Opta Analyst, the Portuguese league is only the eighth toughest in the world. At the same time, Ligue 1 makes it into the top five.
The second reason the “world-class” PSG gem, as dubbed by journalist Dougie Critchley, would be a better signing is down to what he team needs, as while a new striker was important, Kai Havertz was on 15 goals before his injury last season.
In contrast, neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard have impressed off the left for some time now, making it a real weak point in the side.
Finally, and this is important when it comes to squad building and future success, the Champions League winner is still just 22 years old. In contrast, the other two are both 27, meaning they will likely start becoming less effective in three to four years, compared to eight or nine.
Ultimately, Gyokeres is an excellent signing, and Eze would be as well, but from his output to his position and age, we can’t help thinking Barcola would be the best addition of the lot.
Best signing since Rice: Big-money target "in favour" of moving to Arsenal
The international entertainer could be a game-changer for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Aug 14, 2025
Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has reiterated the club's commitment to Harry Kane, stating that they have no intention of parting ways and are focused on helping him succeed. The comments were prompted by Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, who had publicly expressed his openness to Kane rejoining the Premier League club. Coach Vincent Kompany subsequently declined to comment on the matter.
Arsenal have some squad trimming to do after a summer of lavish spending, with sporting director Andrea Berta spending around £270 million on new recruits, not including their latest deal for Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen.
|
Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings |
Price tag |
|---|---|
|
Kepa Arrizabalaga |
£5m |
|
Martin Zubimendi |
£60m |
|
Christian Norgaard |
£15m |
|
Noni Madueke |
£52m |
|
Cristhian Mosquera |
£13m |
|
Viktor Gyokeres |
£55m |
|
Eberechi Eze |
£67.5m |
|
Piero Hincapie |
Loan |
To combat the loss of Jakub Kiwior, who’s now joined FC Porto on loan with an obligation to buy in 2026, the Gunners struck a similar arrangement with Leverkusen for Hincapie as a direct replacement for the Pole.
The 23-year-old jumps into Kiwior’s shoes as a back-up to the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, or even someone who can provide stiff competition for the imperious centre-back duo after many impressive years in the Bundesliga.
Arsenal have agreed a loan deal which will become permanent for around £45 million in 2026, with Leverkusen also boasting a significant 10 per cent sell-on clause to gain a further profit off any future sale of the defender.
Barring any late surprises, it would appear that Arsenal are now done with incomings for the window, unless they mount a dramatic late swoop for long-time target Rodrygo after recent links.
In the meantime, Arsenal do have players to get out of the door.
Mikel Arteta has no use for the likes of Reiss Nelson, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira, who’ve all been repeatedly tipped to leave in the final days of the window, with left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko also up for grabs.
The £150,000-per-week defender has attracted interest from Italy and Turkey this window already, but now a move to Ligue 1 could be on the cards instead.
According to David Ornstein, Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille are in talks with Arsenal to sign Zinchenko before the Monday 7pm cut off, and are exploring a permanent deal for the Ukraine international, who barely got a look-in last season.
The former Man City defender has quite simply fallen down the pecking order after Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival last summer and the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, but when called upon, Zinchenko always put a shift in.