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Manchester City are among the front-runners to sign an "exceptional" world-renowned star this summer, and are confident of beating some big rivals to his signature.

Man City transfer news

Pep Guardiola's side are looking to seal a historic back-to-back treble this season and Sunday's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Premier League suggests that they are clicking at just the right time. This is a club that refuses to rest on its laurels, however, and once the summer transfer window arrives, Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain will be eyeing up fantastic new signings.

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been a long-time target who nearly moved to the Etihad last summer, and it would be a surprise if City weren't back in for him in the coming months, assuming his gambling related charges are cleared.

The Brazilian suits Guardiola's football perfectly, not only because of his elite technical ability, but also due to his work ethic. This season, he has averaged 2.4 tackles per game in the league, for example, which is a better tally than any City player, with Rodri (2.1) leading the way in the current squad.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is also being linked with a move to City this summer, with Guardiola believed to be a big admirer of the Brazilian, who spent two years at the club between 2017 and 2019.

Man City confident of signing superstar

According to a new update from The Daily Star, Manchester City are favourites to sign Bayern Munich starlet Jamal Musiala this summer, along with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old has reportedly rejected Bayern's £150,000-a-week contract offer, instead eyeing a fresh challenge and a move to the Premier League at the end of the current campaign.

Both Liverpool and City are thought to have scouted him a number of times recently, with the rivals locking horns over the signing of one of Europe's premier talents. Chelsea are also in the mix, but the Cityzens are confident of getting their man, who is rated at £80m and will want £200,000 per week.

Musiala is a special young player who has already achieved so much in his short career, winning four Bundesliga titles and one Champions League crown, not to mention being hailed by Michael Owen.

Man City chiefs now “crazy” about signing huge talent who “fears nothing"

Pep Guardiola’s side want to beat Arsenal to his signature.

By
Henry Jackson

Mar 2, 2024

Still only 21, Musiala could be seen as a left-sided attacking option to rival Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku this summer – he can also excel centrally, as has often been the case this season – potentially proving to be an upgrade on both over time.

Real Madrid have revealed the date of Endrick's presentation with the Brazilian wonderkid braced for a special reception at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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• Endrick has already flown to Madrid
• Will formally sign six-year contract with Los Blancos
• Bernabeu is to be decked up for his presentation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fresh from the blockbuster unveiling of Kylian Mbappe, the Spanish giants are preparing themselves for another glitzy spectacle. The highly-anticipated event of Endrick's presentation will take place at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Saturday July 27. The deal to bring Endrick to Madrid was struck with Brazilian club Palmeiras for an initial fee of €35 million (£30m/$38m), with an additional €25 million (£21m/$27m) in potential bonuses.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Endrick will be officially eligible to sign the Real Madrid contract on July 21, when he turns 18. However, the formalities are slated to be completed on July 27 with president Florentino Perez in attendance.

• WHAT REAL MADRID SAID

  Real Madrid put out an official statement revealing the date, which read: "Real Madrid CF announces that on Saturday 27 July, at 12:00, the presentation of our player Endrick will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Previously, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez will welcome Endrick to Real Madrid City for the signing ceremony that will bind our new player to the club for the next six seasons."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

  Soon after his presentation, Endrick will join Real Madrid on their pre-season tour in the United States where he will get an opportunity to integrate with his new teammates and adapt to the team's style of football.

Following the positive outcome of their appeal, which has seen their point deduction reduced to six, having initially been as many as 10, Everton can finally shift their focus to staying up in the Premier League and then targeting some summer additions as a result. With that said, talks are already reportedly underway to welcome a future star for Sean Dyche.

Everton transfer news

The majority of the headlines regarding Everton have been stolen by their FFP issues and rumours regarding the futures of current stars Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite. The former has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in the past and those rumours will likely only come back around when the summer transfer window swings open.

Everton want "terrific" Boro youngster who has "hugely impressed" Carrick

His manager has been “hugely impressed” by him.

By
Tom Coates

Mar 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Branthwaite, after an incredibly impressive breakthrough season, has been mentioned alongside Tottenham Hotspur and even Real Madrid in what would be a sensational move. Reportedly valued at £75m, the centre-back could be involved in one of the deals of the summer.

Among the concerning news about financial breaches and departures, however, those at Goodison Park do at least have some positives to focus on with one of those being the potential arrival of an Irish sensation.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Everton have opened talks to sign Mason Melia and are in pole position to sign the St Patrick's Athletic forward this summer. Just 16-years-old, Melia is reportedly considered one of the best young talents to emerge from Ireland and now looks set to get a Premier League chance in the form of a summer switch to Everton.

What's more, as per Football Insider, the teenager even attracted the interest of Liverpool last summer, which makes Everton's move all the more satisfying should they get the deal over the line in the coming months.

"Terrific" Melia is one for the future

At just 16-years-old, Melia is already making strides into senior football in Ireland with seven appearances and even a goal and an assist to his name for St Patrick's Athletic this season. The centre-forward has also featured for Ireland's U19 side in a sign of things to come for what is looking likely to be an impressive career both at club level and international for Melia.

It is Everton who will be hoping to reap the rewards of his rise, however, as they look to finalise their move. Melia, meanwhile, if he completes his Premier League switch, will be hoping to make an instant impression on his way to Dyche's first team.

The likes of Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have struggled to lead the line for the Toffees this season, creating the opening for a new star to emerge. And the Republic of Ireland Player Tracker X account will certainly believe that Melia has the ability to become that star, having previously sung his praises.

After impressing in Ireland, Melia is one to watch, whether that be in Merseyside this summer or elsewhere.

Wrexham have arrived in America for the 'WrexCoastTour', as they step up their pre-season preparations.

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• Wrexham's pre-season underway
• Men's squad arrive in America
• Gearing up for life in League One

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Wednesday, the Red Dragons took to social media to announce their arrival in the United States. Before heading to their training camp at the University of California, a smiling Elliott Lee, James McClean and more stepped off the plane at Los Angeles.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After winning the National League and securing automatic promotion from League Two, Wrexham are aiming to get out of League One at the first attempt. If they do so, they will become the first team to secure a third straight promotion in the top five levels of the English football pyramid.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham side begin their League One campaign against Wycombe Wanderers on August 10 at home, before taking on Sheffield United in the first round of the Carabao Cup three days later. Their full fixture list can be seen here.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  First up on their pre-season tour is a clash against Premier League teams Bournemouth and Chelsea – who thumped them 5-0 last year in an friendly – on July 20 and 24 respectively, before heading to Canada to take on Vancouver Whitecaps three days later.

Arsenal are flying this season, and it looks like they have just one thing on their mind: trophies.

Mikel Arteta's side are back atop the Premier League table and through to the Champions League quarter-finals to boot.

The Spaniard seems to be getting everything right at the moment, and his decision to sign Kai Havertz is looking better with every passing game.

Although, for as good as the German has been, a former academy gem who left for nothing has actually outperformed him over the last two years and is now worth a lot of money.

Kai Havertz performances for Arsenal

The Gunners completed the £65m signing of Havertz from Chelsea last July, and while Arteta was delighted, describing the German as "top quality," there were plenty of detractors in the media.

In fact, talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor was still firing shots at the Spanish manager earlier this year, criticising him for "spending money very stupidly" and arguing that he had "cost Arsenal the title" by signing the former Bayer Leverkusen ace. However, the Arsenal boss has had the last laugh.

In the last four league matches, his £65m ace has scored four goals, including the winner against Brentford, and provided two assists to help the team reclaim top spot ahead of the international break.

So far, the 24-year-old has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances this season, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 3.25 games. That isn't too bad for a player who's primarily played in midfield and was cast aside as a flop before he even had a chance to prove people wrong.

What's even more impressive is that the Aachen-born dynamo has already surpassed his tally of nine goals and one assist that he registered with Chelsea last season, and he still has at least 12 more games to add to his tally this season.

While he hasn't been a world-beater, it would be hard to call Havertz's first season at the Emirates anything other than a success, although a former academy gem has outperformed him over the last two years. The player in question is Crystal Palace sensation Eberechi Eze.

Why Arsenal released Eberechi Eze

Eze played in Arsenal's academy between the ages of nine and 13 before being released. Why? Well, he was allegedly too small.

Opening up on such a cruel period in his development as a teen, the now Palace star once told the press: "It started at Arsenal. I was 13 [when I was released]. That was the worst one. I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it’s going to be OK but not being able to get over it."

This setback was followed by spells in Fulham and Millwall's youth setups before he finally found a more permanent place to settle at Queens Park Rangers.

The Greenwich-born gem spent four years with QPR, making 112 appearances across three and a half seasons, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists.

Eberechi Eze's transfer valuation in 2024

His impressive form and silky skills subsequently saw Palace spend £20m to sign him in August 2020.

In the seasons since, the twice-capped international has made 115 appearances for the Eagles, in which he's scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists.

However, 23 of those goal involvements have come since the start of the 2022/23 season, coincidentally just edging out Havertz's return of 22 in the same period.

This impressive form from the 5 foot 10 dynamo has understandably caught the attention of some of the biggest teams in the world, including Manchester United.

The Red Devils were reportedly interested in signing the Palace star in January, but it would have cost them around £77m, which might just make the person in charge of releasing him at Arsenal wince a little.

Ultimately, clubs release talented youngsters all the time in football, and while Arteta may wish he could call upon the mercurial brilliance of Eze at the Emirates, he seems happy enough with his new German goalscorer.

Tammy Abraham could still make a summer transfer to AC Milan in a deal that would see him reunite with ex-Chelsea team-mate Christian Pulisic.

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• AC Milan still interested in Abraham
• Striker also wanted in Premier League
• Wants Pulisic & Loftus-Cheek reunion

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Milan have been flirting with the potential signing of the English attacker from Roma for weeks, though the clubs have not been in contact for some time, according to in Italy. New Rossoneri boss Paulo Fonseca is eager to bring Abraham to San Siro this summer, though, and sees him as a top priority as he looks to strengthen the team's attack even further after signing Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid.

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  The 26-year-old is eager to make the move to Milan, having endured a difficult time at Roma as an anterior cruciate ligament injury saw him miss the majority of last season. He has also been linked with a return to the Premier League with Everton and West Ham reportedly interested, but he would much rather remain in Italy and link up with his former Stamford Bridge co-stars Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fikayo Tomori at Milan, according to the report.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite the ongoing links to Milan and reports that Roma are prepared to sell him, coach Daniele De Rossi insisted recently that Abraham still has a future at the capital club, saying that he is "banking" on the forward for next season. Roma have lost another former Chelsea striker in Romelu Lukaku, who won't be returning on loan.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ABRAHAM?

  After three seasons at his current club, the 11-time England international appears ready to embark on a new adventure by swapping Roma for Milan in the current transfer window.

The future looks extremely promising as a Tottenham Hotspur fan, with a relatively young squad being managed by the fantastic Ange Postecoglou.

In fact, the season as a whole has been a breath of fresh air for Spurs fans, with the new signings limiting the blow of losing Harry Kane to a degree.

However, what’s most impressive are the fees paid for such talent, along with signing them on far from extraordinary contracts, with Micky van de Ven being a prime example of that.

Yet, that’s not always the case, with plenty of Lilywhites’ players in the past failing to justify the money spent on them via transfer costs and wages.

What Yves Bissouma and Micky van de Ven earn at Spurs

There’s no debating that both Yves Bissouma and Van de Ven are key players for Postecoglou’s system and style of play, with the duo arguably irreplaceable in the side at this current moment.

The number eight has featured 20 times in the Premier League this campaign, whereas the Dutch defender has started 18 and missed 12 games due to two hamstring injuries.

Nevertheless, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star is currently earning £55k-per-week, which equates to just short of £2.9m per season.

On the other hand, Van de Ven’s salary is £50k-per-week or £2.6m per campaign, and both players are among the lowest earners for Spurs’ frequent first-team players, which is excellent considering their input.

However, it also works the other way around, where some individuals earn more than what they’re justifying on the field.

Giovani Lo Celso’s salary at Spurs

It’s well known that Giovani Lo Celso’s time at the Lilywhites hasn’t gone to plan, with the Argentine spending a lot of his time out on loan rather than playing for Spurs.

In the summer of 2019, Mauricio Pochettino made the permanent signing of Lo Celso from Real Betis for a fee of £55m, but the midfielder has only tallied up 18 goal contributions in 99 appearances since.

Four of those have actually come this season in just 15 matches across all competitions, but with the signing of James Maddison in the number-ten role, it seems that the former PSG star’s best chance of reviving his club career is away from Tottenham.

Luckily for the number 18, he’s still heavily involved in the Argentina squad, even scoring in the recent friendly against El Salvador, which could provide him with much-needed game time that will benefit both Spurs and Lo Celso.

Nonetheless, according to Capology, the 27-year-old is earning £70k-per-week, which is clearly more than both Bissouma and Van de Ven, while also being similar to plenty of vital players.

He’s on a similar salary to Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Guglielmo Vacario, who are all guaranteed starters for Postecoglou.

However, the ex-Betis gem’s contract does expire in June of next year, which means that the upcoming summer could potentially become the last opportunity for Spurs to recoup any of the money they once spent on purchasing Lo Celso.

Between now and the expiration of his contract, it’s incredibly difficult to imagine the creative maestro getting continuous game time unless there’s a tweak to the system or an injury to Maddison, which means Spurs will continue to be rinsed unless they put him up for sale. It's something they must consider doing in the coming months.

La Liga chief Javier Tebas has revealed that this season's fixture between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid could be played in the United States.

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• La Liga ready to shift key fixtures to the USA
• Seeking to match Premier League's financial match
• Both Barca & Atletico are keen to move match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Efforts are underway to take two of Spain's biggest teams to the United States. This move would mark the first time in the 95-year history of the Spanish league that a match is played abroad. Although past attempts have failed, the proposal is gaining momentum, and the 18th matchday fixture between Barcelona & Atletico, scheduled for between December 20 and 22, is targeted for this historic occasion, as reported by .

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The idea of playing a La Liga match in the U.S. is not new. In 2018, La Liga, in partnership with Relevent Sports, attempted to bring a game between Barcelona and Girona to American soil. However, the plan was thwarted by opposition from FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Despite the setback, Tebas has not given up on his vision. This time, the proposal has reached a more advanced stage, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both expressing support for the idea.

  For Tebas, the United States is a priority market. The appeal is clear: with the FIFA World Cup set to take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 2026, and the inaugural Club World Cup planned for the U.S. in 2025, the American market is ripe for expansion. The U.S. is home to nearly 300 million potential consumers, and La Liga wants a share of this lucrative market.

• WHAT TEBAS SAID

  Tebas is cautious but optimistic. “It does not depend only on us, but if we are able to do it, we will. The idea is to do it as soon as possible,” he said in an interview with

  “I cannot put a timeframe, but we are already working on it. The teams that take part will do so voluntarily. I will not decide it for them. We have to find a good date in the calendar, but we are going to try to do it in Miami, where we tried previously. We are not going to do a whole gameweek. It will be one game (per season), and that’s it.

  "There are always going to be people against (an idea). We will to try to provide solutions to those who usually go to the stadium of the affected teams. We will try to be didactic in the explanations. We are talking about a single game, we are not talking about the entire competition. It is a single game among 380 in a season and it can help us maintain the economic level of our league.”

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  WHAT ATLETICO SAID

  Atletico Madrid’s chief operating officer, Oscar Mayo Pardo, has made it clear that the club is eager to be part of this historic event. When asked how La Liga could challenge the Premier League’s dominance in the U.S., Mayo responded unequivocally: “Play a match in the U.S.”

  He further added: "We would love to be one of the first two clubs in the history of European leagues to play (competitively) in the U.S.. La Liga knows we are totally available for that and, when it will be possible, it will be a pleasure for us.

  "We have to explain it properly. When we see the NBA coming to Europe, we all say these people are smart and they know how marketing works. But when we try, it always is a little bit more difficult. But, as a club, being one of the first in the history to play a match in the U.S., we (would) have to be proud of this milestone. The U.S. is our second-biggest market. The World Cup is coming. It’s an industry of entertainment. Football is growing. So to me, in the next five years, the market is the U.S.”

Manchester United have finally broken their rule that saw them refuse to sign players from Bayern Munich.

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• Ed Woodward previously refused to buy Bayern players
• Jose Mourinho denied Jerome Boateng when in charge
• Red Devils broke rule with De Ligt and Mazraoui signings

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward put a rule in place during his time at the club that meant no players would be purchased from Bayern Munich. This was due to the signings of Owen Hargreaves and Bastian Schweinsteiger failing to live up to expectations after the club spent hefty transfer fees on the midfielders.

  It was revealed by ESPN that ex-head coach Jose Mourinho wanted to sign defender Jerome Boateng in 2018 but was denied by Woodward, who at the time played a key role in squad planning. That rule has finally been broken after Erik ten Hag finalised the signings of Mattijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui this summer.

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  WHAT WAS SAID?

  ESPN revealed how Mourinho was denied his dream signing six years ago. They said: "In the summer of 2018, Jose was keen to sign another centre-back. There was a warm-up match against Bayern. There were only a few journalists there. Jose took a few of us aside and said he wanted to sign Jerome Boateng from Bayern. A player who was getting on in years but was still a good player.

  "On deadline day that summer, there was a press conference at United. We were sitting in the small press room at Carrington and Ed Woodward came in. He told us that the club would not sign a new center back, not even the one Jose wanted. The reason he gave was that they had learned their lesson from signing players from Bayern."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is a positive sign that Man Utd have moved away from their previous superstition surrounding Bayern Munich and will hope that both De Ligt and Mazraoui can repay their transfer fees swiftly.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Having utilised both De Ligt and Mazraoui in Man Utd's Premier League win against Fulham last week, Ten Hag will be keen to push on with his strengthened squad when they visit Brighton this weekend.

Newcastle United are interested in completing the signing of a “magic” player in the summer transfer window, in a deal that could be worth under £5m.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies could revamp their squad once a disappointing campaign reaches its conclusion in May, with reinforcements arguably needed all over the pitch. Long-term injuries to centre-back pair Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles mean that defensive additions are essential, not only centrally but also at full-back, considering Kieran Tripper and Dan Burn are now 33 and 31 years of age respectively.

According to a fresh report, Newcastle are interested in acquiring the signature of Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand, but face stiff competition from Napoli, who could snap him up by offering as little as £1.7m more than the Magpies.

Rumours continue to link them with Sporting CP duo Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande, too, with the Portuguese giants already thought to be planning for life without at least one of their young defensive gems.

Away from the back-line, Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra has been lined up as a target for Newcastle this summer, with the Spaniard likened to his legendary compatriot Xabi Alonso. In goal, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale could head to St James' Park, too, coming in and providing great competition for Nick Pope. Eddie Howe knows him well from their time together at Bournemouth.

Newcastle want to sign "magic" shot-stopper

According to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath and John Percy, Newcastle are keen on signing Middlesbrough goalkeeper Seny Dieng this summer, with the report stating that Boro want to sell him for double the £2m they paid for him in 2023.

The 29-year-old is believed to have caught the eye of numerous Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, while Championship leaders Ipswich Town are also interested.

Assuming Newcastle don't go and buy Ramsdale this summer, Dieng may represent a really shrewd backup option to Pope, but having all three in Howe's squad could feel needless.

The Middlesbrough man is now a hugely experienced player who has made 145 appearances in the Championship, not to mention winning five caps at international level for Senegal. Former manager Michael Beale once hailed a brilliant moment in which he scored a late equaliser for QPR against Sunderland in 2022/23, saying: "Seny is a modest young man, says a few words.

"What a magic moment for him. He is the first goalkeeper to score for QPR and the 900 or so fans who have made the round trip with the train strike, they get to say I was there. He has made a couple of great saves as well."

Newcastle now leading race to sign “orchestrator” likened to Xabi Alonso

An approach has been made.

By
Henry Jackson

Apr 4, 2024

Dieng would surely jump at the opportunity to move to Newcastle, given their status as one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, and he would also likely be content with playing second fiddle to Pope, pushing him for playing time but accepting that he isn't first choice straight away.