Chelsea are now preparing a £21m offer for a “dominant” defender, having been in regular contact over a deal, according to a report.

Blues set sights on new centre-back

The Blues are looking to bolster their defensive options this summer, and AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen has emerged as one of their key targets, although it may be difficult to win the race for the Spaniard, with a number of Premier League clubs in the race.

As such, the aforementioned report states the west Londoners could look to bring Marc Guehi back to Stamford Bridge, and a £40m move is being plotted, with the Englishman potentially in line to join for a cut-price fee, given that his contract expires in 2026.

There is no shortage of options from within the Premier League, with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo also being identified as a target, although the Brazilian will not come cheap, with a £80m asking price being touted.

He's better than Hato: Chelsea in the running to sign £68m "elite talent"

Chelsea could shift their focus away from signing Jorrel Hato if they can land this defensive titan instead.

ByKelan Sarson May 5, 2025

Not only are Enzo Maresca’s side considering moves for some of the Premier League’s top defenders, but they are also making moves to sign a young centre-back from La Liga.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now preparing a €25m (£21m) opening offer for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has been one of the revelations in La Liga this season.

Mosquera has been a key player for Valencia, and his impressive performances have led the Blues to make regular contact, with several other unnamed European clubs also expressing an interest.

There is a feeling that the 20-year-old could be allowed to leave this summer, given that his contract is set to expire in 2026, and there is a feeling that a bid of around £21m could be enough to get a deal over the line.

"Dominant" Mosquera impressing in La Liga

The Spanish youngster has managed to establish himself as a key player for Valencia this season, featuring 33 times in La Liga, and his performances have caught the eye of football scout Ben Mattinson, who believes he is underappreciated.

Mattinson points out that the Valencia ace is comfortable in possession, which is exemplified by the fact that he ranks in the 87th percentile for his pass completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs.

Of course, in a Maresca system it is important for every player to have quality on the ball, so Mosquera could be a perfect fit, and the proposed £21m fee should be no problem for a club of Chelsea’s stature.

Wolves have made contact over the signing of a “brilliant” Manchester United player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Man Utd circling for Cunha after Wolves win at Old Trafford

Wanderers are sweating over the future of star man Mathues Cunha, with United looking like they are leading the race to sign him at the end of this season. The Brazilian has been such an impressive performer for Wolves, in what has largely been an underwhelming season for too many players, scoring 14 goals in the Premier League and once again shining in the recent 1-0 win at United.

If Cunha does leave Wanderers this summer, a top-quality player needs to come in and replace him, and Chelsea’s Joao Felix has been mentioned as a loan target. The Portuguese hasn’t reached his potential, having won the European Golden Boy award back in 2019, but he could still be an exciting addition.

Aside from Cunha, there could be other exits at Wolves in the coming months, with Tommy Doyle expected to move on to pastures new, in order enjoy more regular playing time. Now, a well-known central defender has been backed to head to Molineux in the next transfer window.

Wolves make contact with Man Utd's Lindelof

According to the latest from Caught Offside, Wolves have “been in contact” with United centre-back Victor Lindelof over a summer move to Molineux. The 30-year-old is expected to leave the Reds Devils on a free transfer at the end of the season, and Wanderers are among a host of clubs who are keen on snapping him up. Fulham, Everton and West Ham are all mentioned in the report, too.

The £120,000-a-week Lindelof could be a shrewd signing by Wolves, even though his best days may arguably be behind him, hence United being willing to lose him on a free. The defender is a hugely experienced figure, making 277 appearances for the Red Devils and winning 71 caps for Sweden, while Fraizer Campbell lauded a performance against Everton last season.

“He was brilliant. He’s not let his man have time or space, [Jack] Harrison, who started on the right fot them, he’s a good player, he could have caused us a lot of problems, he snuffed that out. He did really well. That’s exactly what the manager wants. He wants people he can trust when he picks them, whatever position they play in, to do a job for him. He’s demonstrating that by playing left-back.”

There is a certain gamble Wolves would be taking in signing Lindelof, especially as he has had lots of injury problems at United, but the free aspect of the transfer would take out some of the risk element.

Wolves must rue selling sensational star who is worth £40m more than Cunha

Wolves sold a player in 2022 who is now worth around £100m

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 21, 2025

The Swede can come in and be a strong squad option for Vitor Pereira, putting his experience to good use and adding the much-needed depth that Wanderers crave ahead of what is hopefully a more positive 2025/26 campaign.

Ahead of what could be a summer full of many changes at Old Trafford, one Manchester United player is now reportedly pleading with his agent to make a move to Real Madrid happen in the coming months.

Biggest game of Amorim's Man Utd tenure awaits

In his six months in charge, there’s no doubt that Ruben Amorim has experienced more moments to forget than moments to savour. Yet, the Europa League has consistently provided the former Sporting Club boss with a beacon of hope. Even when his side looked destined to exit the competition against Lyon in the last round, Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header in extra-time rounded off one of the most frantic affairs that Old Trafford has ever seen.

Now, one step away from the final, the Red Devils play host to Athletic Bilbao looking to complete what they started in Spain last week. After smashing the La Liga outfit 3-0, Manchester United are well and truly in the driving seat.

Amorim recently spoke about this week’s second-leg, reiterating that anything could still happen: “If you look at our team, we cannot say today what is going to happen,’ said Amorim, whose side also conceded four at Brentford on Sunday.

“Some teams, the story is going to be like this and control the narrative – we cannot do that. I feel we need to score to go to the next round. Then we use Brentford, we are near a draw then we suffer a goal and another one. We will have to suffer a bit to go to the final, and we are ready to suffer. Sometimes during the game we are one team and then we lose our mind a little bit.”

Man Utd set to open contract talks with 18 y/o gem who has impressed Amorim

United now want to tie down a young player to a new contract after impressing in recent weeks.

ByBrett Worthington May 7, 2025

Meanwhile, another problem at Old Trafford has seemingly emerged away from the pitch which may take place with or without a place in the Europa League final.

Yoro now desperate to leave Man Utd

According to Defensa Central in Spain, Leny Yoro is now pleading agent Jorge Mendes to make a move to Real Madrid happen after regretting his decision to join Manchester United last summer. Since arriving for a reported £52m, the central defender has been given ample opportunity, but has not been able to drag the Red Devils back towards their perch at such a young age.

Now, it seems as though he’s ready to quit the Manchester club for a side unlikely to linger in the bottom-half any time soon. Whether Florentino Perez comes calling and matches United’s asking price remains to be seen, however, especially since Yoro only arrived last summer.

Dubbed “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Manchester United should be desperate to keep hold of Yoro, who could become the future of their backline. Whether the 19-year-old shares that sentiment remains to be seen, however.

Manchester City aren’t exactly the most conservative club when it comes to splashing the cash, with their business back in January showing off a club that’s still unafraid to flex their muscles in the transfer market.

Omar Marmoush would join the elite Premier League side’s ranks for a whopping £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt, with his unbelievable goal return of six strikes from 13 league outings already justifying the excessive spending.

Moreover, both Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov would relocate to Manchester for a combined £83.6m, with City’s notable transfer activity showing no signs of slowing down as we head towards the dramatic summer window reopening.

Manchester City's pursuit of Florian Wirtz

Already, Pep Guardiola’s men have been linked with a barrage of exciting names to improve their midfield options, with Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White reportedly attracting the attention of those at the Etihad.

Other midfield targets on City’s radar include ex-Norwich City ace Gabriel Sara and Newcastle United fan’s favourite Sandro Tonali, but the main superstar that is dominating most of the conversation in this regard is Bayer Leverkusen hero Florian Wirtz.

The FA Cup finalists have been linked frequently with the electric German, with a wild price-tag of £101m allegedly above the 21-year-old’s head amidst growing interest.

The latest on any such deal is that Man City are still in the conversation for his signing, but according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich are ‘continuing to work on a deal behind the scenes.’

City will still hope they can power ahead to the front of the queue to land the much-talked-about Leverkusen number ten, but they could have avoided another splurge in the transfer department…

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse Man City sold their own Florian Wirtz

City have dropped the ball a few times in recent years when letting some top talents depart the Etihad, with the example of Cole Palmer no doubt stinging to this very day.

Julian Alvarez is another sale that will hurt Guardiola and Co.

Across 103 games donning City sky blue, the explosive Argentinian would notch up a sturdy 36 strikes and 19 assists, with Alvarez adept at either leading the line for his ex-employers or slotting in as an option just behind the lone striker.

As it happens, his form since leaving Manchester behind has seen him compared to Wirtz, with data-led website FBref determining that the German is the third most similar player in this season’s edition of the Champions League.

Why? Well, Wirtz also boasts similarly devastating numbers for Leverkusen – seen in his ever-growing count of 56 goals and 63 assists from 194 clashes.

But, sticking with Alvarez, not allowing him to leave for pastures new at Atletico Madrid would have saved Guardiola’s men a lot of hassle and cash in their ongoing pursuit of a new classy performer in attack.

Alvarez’s G/A numbers for Atletico

Competition

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

La Liga

33

15

2

Copa Del Rey

7

5

2

Champions League

10

7

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, the 25-year-old is now tearing it up in his new Spanish location as a force to be reckoned with, seen in his mightily impressive tally of 27 goals and five assists from 50 appearances at Atletico.

This amazingly betters Wirtz’s own total for the season under the tutelage of Xabi Alonso who has 28 goal contributions next to his name, culminating in Alvarez being heralded as the “best forward in the world” at the moment by journalist Roy Nemer.

City won’t be plagued with regret for too long if they do end up winning the services of their £101m-rated target, but in an alternate reality, Guardiola’s men wouldn’t need to flex their muscles again, knowing they had a Wirtz-like talent already at their disposal.

Related Better than Sara: Man City keen on signing "world-class" £55m star

Manchester City might well have an upgrade on Gabriel Sara up their sleeve.

Posts ByKelan Sarson May 1, 2025

Ask an Everton fan what their club’s priority should be as they step into the looming summer transfer window, they will tell you that David Moyes’ side need more quality in the final third.

Recent losses in the Premier League have highlighted the Toffees’ deep-rooted offensive issues that need sorting out if the 2025/26 season is to promote a new breed of success.

New owners, The Friedkin Group, ran the gauntlet when bringing Moyes back to the club in January, but it certainly seems to have worked out, Everton leaping away from the relegation fodder.

The seeds have been planted, but Everton need to fix some playing-squad issues in offence. However, defensive problems also simmer under the surface, with plenty set to change this summer.

The state of play in Everton's defence

Last time out at Goodison Park, Everton fought hard to get something from their match against Manchester City but ultimately fell short in the second half, losing 2-0.

Compounding the defeat, James Tarkowski was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury, since confirmed to be a muscular tear that will require surgery. The unflappable centre-half will miss the rest of the season, his recovery creeping into pre-season.

With Jarrad Branthwaite’s future reportedly not necessarily at Bramley Moore, there’s plenty of uncertainty around Moyes’ backline.

Furthermore, Everton’s contractual situation is going to have a marked impact on the defence, with Michael Keane, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young all out of contract this summer.

Moyes recognises skipper Coleman’s value and would allegedly like to extend his deal for the leadership and experience benefits, but Young is not a spring chicken anymore and must leave, having become the Scotsman’s new version of Phil Neville.

Moyes must ditch Moyes' new Phil Neville

Neville is fondly remembered for his time at Everton, and Young will depart with a similarly positive legacy, having arrived as an ageing veteran – previously of Manchester United’s parish – but putting in a shift and a half during his time.

However, the 40-year-old needs to leave when his contract expires in the coming months.

Like Neville, Young formerly played for United and was capped by England, working industriously even earning praise from Antonio Conte for being a “machine” of an athlete when plying his trade with Inter Milan.

The 48-year-old completed 385 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Everton for a fee in excess of £3m. He was 28 at the time, a further similarity to Young given he spent a good chunk of his prime years in red before moving to Inter Milan, then back to Villa, then finally settling at Goodison.

Ashley Young’s Senior Career by Club
Club	Apps	Goals	Assists
Man United	261	19	33
Aston Villa	247	38	53
Watford	110	22	9
Everton	66	2	4
Inter Milan	59	5	9
Stats via Transfermarkt

Not just walking the same pathway toward Merseyside as Young, Neville was also a versatile defender, chiefly placed as a right-back but wandering over to the alternate side and even featuring in a deep-lying midfield position.

Since starting Moyes’ first game of the (second) Moyes era, a home defeat against Aston Villa, Young has been consigned to cameos ever since.

Young has earned his keep at Everton over the past few years, but he’s now 40 years old and must not see his contract renewed ahead of the new chapter at Bramley Moore.

He was worse than Harrison: 5/10 Everton dud proved that TFG need to spend

Everton have lost back-to-back matches in the Premier League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 28, 2025

Celtic romped to a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in their final away match of the Scottish Premiership campaign on Wednesday night, despite playing a much-changed side.

Brendan Rodgers opted to hand opportunities to several players in the comprehensive victory for the Hoops, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Maik Nawrocki, among others.

Nawrocki made just his third appearance in the Premiership this season and scored the opening goal in the match with a fine header, and he made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions.

Rodgers was also quick to point out how well the Polish colossus performed in possession, as the boss said: “I thought he (Nawrocki) played through the lines really, really well, defended well, and obviously, he was very dangerous in the box.”

The former Legia Warsaw central defender was not the only rarely-seen star who caught the eye for the Northern Irish head coach, though, as Irish striker Johnny Kenny made his first senior start for the club and impressed against the Dons.

Why Johnny Kenny could be a future star for Celtic

The Celtic manager was “pleased” for the 21-year-old centre-forward after the reserve striker scored his first goal for the club with a fine header in the second half.

Rodgers said: “Johnny, we’re also pleased for because he works so hard, he is a natural goalscorer. I think when you see his movement for the goal, it’s so, so good and everyone was delighted for him.”

The young attacker did brilliantly to get across his man to redirect the header into the opposite corner from Luke McCowan’s cross to make it 4-1 on the night.

That was one of the five shots that Kenny managed against Aberdeen, which shows that he provided a constant threat in front of the opposition goal, whilst it was one of two shots on target for the forward.

The Celtic striker, who had only made six substitute appearances in the league prior to that game, had not made a single first-team appearance for the club prior to his return from Shamrock Rovers in January.

Kenny did, however, showcase his potential whilst on loan in his home country, with a return of 26 goals and eight assists in 76 matches for Shamrock Rovers in all competitions.

Appearances

6

xG

3.78

Goals

5

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

1

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman caught the eye in the Conference League during the first half of this season, scoring five goals in six matches, before his return to Celtic at the turn of the year.

Kenny is a young talent who has shown potential to shine in the future for the Hoops, given his performance against Aberdeen and his goalscoring record in Ireland, but he is also 22 this summer and potentially at a crossroads in his career, where he will have to decide whether it is worth fighting for a spot at Parkhead or going elsewhere to be guaranteed regular game time.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Meanwhile, Celtic could unearth an even bigger talent than the 21-year-old Irishman by continuing to integrate 17-year-old Sean McArdle into the first-team.

Why Sean McArdle could be an even bigger talent than Johnny Kenny

It took Kenny until the age of 21 to make his senior bow for the Hoops. McArdle, on the other hand, has made his Scottish Premiership debut before turning 18.

The teenage talent has come off the bench in the last two matches, since the club were confirmed as champions of the division, as Rodgers has decided that he is ready to play in the first-team.

McArdle made his debut against Hibernian at Parkhead last week before coming on for the final nine minutes against Aberdeen away from home on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Scottish ace was praised by Rodgers after his debut, as the head coach said: “I like him, he’s got decent legs, he’s got a nice football brain, left-sided, he’s got culture when he plays, and now he’s got the best role models you can have in some of the players that we have here, like Callum and these guys, to learn from.”

Minutes

9

Passes completed

11/12

Shots

1

Shots on target

1

Chances created

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

Duels won

1/1

Possession lost

1x

As you can see in the table above, McArdle followed up on that praise by delivering an impressive cameo off the bench against Aberdeen, completing 92% of his chances and showing a few nice touches, creating one chance in the process.

After that display, Rodgers praised the teenager once again: “Yes, I liked him when he came on. I like the young players, and any player that you play for Celtic, you have to have personality. And you could see at 17, he comes into the game, he takes the ball, he passes the ball. He’s got a wee edge to him as well that I like.”

The manager was not the only person impressed by McArdle, though, as teammate and experienced midfielder McCowan described him as a “great” player.

This shows that he has gained respect from the manager and at least one of the senior players in the first-team with his performances in training and in Premiership matches, despite being just 17.

McArdle, who scored five goals in 25 Lowland League games this season, could, therefore, be an even bigger talent than Kenny because he has already made more progress than the Irishman did at his age.

Kenny is five years older than the Scottish midfielder and only made his Premiership debut for Celtic at the start of this year, whilst the teenager has played twice in the division already and could establish himself as a regular in the coming years, potentially before he gets to the age the Irish striker is at now.

Dream Jota replacement: Celtic line up move for "wonderful" £10m-rated star

Celtic could land a dream replacement for the injured Jota by signing this star.

ByDan Emery May 14, 2025

To make his breakthrough at such a young age, whilst earning plaudits from Rodgers and McCowan, speaks to his potential and suggests that he could be a future star for the Hoops for many years to come if he continues his progression.

Burnley will head back into the Premier League desperate to stay there for the long term, with Scott Parker also having plenty to prove as a top-flight worthy manager.

Parker has now impressively sealed three promotions up to the big time on his managerial CV, but he’s never looked like the most comfortable figure plying his trade in the top-flight away from the Championship, with a dire 30 defeats next to his name when managing at the elite level.

He will no doubt be eager to prove all his doubters wrong from the Turf Moor hot-seat, but he will be very aware that any chance he has of establishing himself as a top manager at the level will rest on the newly promoted side keeping talents such as Josh Brownhill around.

Why Burnley must keep Brownhill

Jumping up a division and staying put there is going to be a very difficult ask for Burnley, especially when you weigh up the ongoing fate that every newly promoted side that triumphantly tastes promotion immediately falls straight back to the EFL.

That’s before you further factor in the grim fact that Burnley could lose a large portion of their promotion-winning heroes this off-season, with 18-goal star Brownhill allegedly on the summer shopping lists of both Everton and West Ham United.

Losing their beloved captain to a top-flight rival would be nothing short of disastrous for Parker’s men, with Brownhill’s 18 strikes and six assists across 44 league games undoubtedly playing a huge part in Burnley’s push back up to the top-flight.

The in-demand 29-year-old has also shown he can perform up a level previously, with six goals and six assists next to his name in the Premier League to date, meaning he could be just the steadying presence the Lancashire club need to try and secure survival.

Away from Brownhill, Burnley will also need to ensure they keep their formidable defence around to try and stave off relegation, with one stern Clarets defender actually boasting a higher worth than the electric midfielder now after a breakout promotion-winning season.

The "exceptional" Burnley star worth more than Brownhill

Remarkably, across the full 46-game marathon, Burnley would only ship a minuscule 16 goals in total, leading to first-choice goalkeeper James Trafford reprotedly being on the radar of Newcastle United.

He isn’t the only defensive star being eyed up by a higher suitor, however, with Crystal Palace also reportedly keeping tabs on Clarets number 16 Maxime Esteve, after the French colossus looked near faultless all season long alongside Trafford.

The former Montpellier man would deservedly slot into the Championship team of the season, with Esteve operating as both a classy performer on the ball with 60.5 accurate passes averaged per league game, but also acting as a forceful presence when needed by picking up a whopping 30 clean sheets.

Unsurprisingly, off the back of such a sterling individual season alongside his standout teammates, Esteve’s transfer value has shot up, with Burnley definitely winning themselves a golden bargain when purchasing the 22-year-old for around the £12.5m mark just last year.

Esteve’s league numbers for Burnley (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Esteve

Games played

46

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

78.0

Accurate passes*

60.5 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

3.7

Clearances*

5.0

Total duels won*

3.6

Clean sheets

30

Transfer value when joining

£12.5m

Transfer value now

£19.3m

Stats by Sofascore

Now, the in-demand centre-back is worth a far heftier £19.3m – as per Football Transfers – with Brownhill’s own value of £9.6m falling way short of Esteve’s bumped up valuation.

Therefore, it will likely have to be an astronomical offer put on the table for Burnley to consider parting ways with their “exceptional” – as he has been previously labelled by Parker – centre-back.

Further billed as possessing “undeniable” Premier League potential by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it will be intriguing to see if does become even more of an imperious defender next season, whether that be lining up for Parker’s men, for Oliver Glasner’s Eagles or moving elsewhere.

Related Burnley have struck gold on "superstar" talent who's as good as Trafford

Burnley will hope they can succeed in the Premier League next season with this superstar already possessing top-flight quality.

Posts ByKelan Sarson May 12, 2025

After a diabolically poor season, Tottenham Hotspur stand ready to play their biggest game in years.

Ange Postecoglou’s side might well be 17th in the Premier League, but in Europe, they’ve been sensational and, as a result, have a Europa League final to contest.

However, alongside having to get the better of Manchester United for the fourth time in a row this season, the North Londoners will also have to do without several key players, most notably Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison.

Their absence has left a hole in the midfield, which the manager will have to get creative about filling.

Tottenham Team News

As we’ve already mentioned, the most significant absences for Spurs ahead of tomorrow’s all-important final are Kulusevski, Bergvall and Maddison.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former started the league game against Crystal Palace last week but came off with what was initially described as a “knock” in the first half, only for said knock to require knee surgery, which will keep him out until next season.

While Maddison hasn’t had surgery for the knee injury he picked up in the first leg of the semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, he too, will be out of action until next season.

Likewise, the boss confirmed that the young Swede will not feature again this season, as he injured his ankle in the training session before that first leg earlier this month.

Finally, both Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner remain out for the long term, with the former injuring his ACL and the latter his hamstring.

The Spurs star who should start in place of Kulusevski

Okay, so with Kulusevski, Bergvall and Maddison now out, Wilson Odobert hardly doing himself any favours on Friday night, and Son Heung-min not being the dynamic player he once was, there are no ideal solutions to this massive issue.

However, one somewhat outside-the-box option Postecoglou could opt to go with is moving Pape Matar Sarr slightly further up the pitch and into that more attacking midfield role.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, we are well aware that this is an unfamiliar position for the Senegalese ace, but he’s an incredibly talented midfielder, and we reckon that there are some elements of his game that could make this work for a one-off match.

Firstly, while he tends to play in central or defensive midfield, the 22-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Mitch Fretton, has a decent shot on him – much like Bergvall.

For example, he scored a brilliant long-range effort against Manchester City earlier this season and then, while it was ruled out for a dubious foul, scored another from outside the box against Chelsea.

Moreover, in 80 Premier League appearances, he has managed to amass six goals and six assists, which isn’t a terrible return and that, combined with his ability to strike a ball from range, could give United’s defence something to think about in the absence of the Swedish duo.

Furthermore, his underlying numbers from the Europa League this season only further indicate that he’s got more attacking ability than perhaps people give him credit for.

Penalty Kicks Won

0.16

Top 2%

GCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.16

Top 4%

Total Carrying Distance

261.61

Top 5%

Shots on Target %

71.4%

Top 6%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

92.8%

Top 6%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.32

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.29

Top 9%

Goals

0.32

Top 10%

Shots on Target

0.81

Top 11%

For example, FBref places him in the top 2% of midfielders for penalties won in the competition, the top 5% for total carrying distance, the top 6% for percentage of shots on target and medium passes completed, the top 9% for non-penalty goals and goals per shot, the top 10% for goals and more, all per 90.

Finally, unlike his captain, the former Metz gem would add even more dynamism and athleticism to the North Londoners’ midfield, which could be key to getting the better of the likes of Casemiro and Harry Maguire on the night.

Ultimately, as we’ve already said, there is no ideal solution to this problem, but starting Sarr in the more attacking midfield role might be the closest thing Postecoglou has to one that will allow the team to keep its intensity.

Spurs could land a major Spence upgrade with move for £30m star

As Tottenham Hotspur prepare for a massive squad rebuild this summer, could they sign a “versatile” new 23-year-old defender for just £30m?

ByBen Gray May 18, 2025

Leeds United can somewhat relax across their final two Championship games, knowing their position in the Premier League for next campaign is already set in stone.

Of course, there is still the tantalising prize of the title, but it won’t be the end of the world for Daniel Farke and Co if this isn’t won with the hard work already done.

Farke will hope – regardless of recent rumours popping up surrounding his future – that he is backed in the transfer market ahead of Leeds voyaging up to the big time, with the Whites already being linked with this Premier League regular.

Leeds eyeing up move for top-flight stalwart

As per a report from Football Insider, Leeds are eyeing up a move for West Ham United stalwart Tomas Soucek, with experience added into the building seen as key, who could be signed for a fee of up to £15m.

Indeed, the report states that Soucek is viewed as an ‘ideal’ option in terms of giving Farke some more seasoned Premier League heads, with the long-standing Hammers servant also keen on a move away, having found his game-time as of late limited under Graham Potter.

Soucek has also been linked with a move to Everton to reunite with former West Ham boss David Moyes, but Leeds will pray the Czech enforcer chooses Elland Road over Merseyside, knowing that the 30-year-old could potentially strike up a healthy relationship with Ao Tanaka in the holding midfield positions.

Sealing the £15m signature of the ex-Slavia Prague man could also see Leeds move away from attempting to bring Kalvin Phillips back to West Yorkshire, with Soucek a definite improvement on the hot-and-cold Ipswich Town loanee.

What Soucek would offer Leeds

Gaining a player of Soucek’s calibre would undoubtedly help Leeds navigate the choppy waters of the Premier League, considering the 30-year-old has tallied up 189 top-flight appearances for Potter’s side.

Across 240 games in total, Soucek has also been a constant, reliable, source of goals and assists for the Hammers, with 39 strikes and 13 assists notched up proving his importance to the cause over many seasons.

Therefore, winning such a comfortable performer in the tricky division is a no-brainer move for Farke, with Soucek able to gift Leeds grit and quality in equal measure alongside the likes of Tanaka in the midfield areas.

After all, the Japan international will be beaming at the prospect of challenging himself in England’s elite league having impressed throughout the Whites’ promotion success story, seen in the new fan’s favourite picking up four goals and two assists across 41 Championship encounters.

But, away from his impressive output, Tanaka is also tuned into his dogged game as much as Soucek, with the number 22 winning 4.5 duels per league game this season on average. To add context, his potential new Czech teammate playing in the division above has won 5.1 on average.

With seven goals under his belt too in the Premier League for 2024/25, Soucek is more than proving – despite talk of him exiting the London Stadium – that he is still a composed performer at the level deep into his playing days, with another of Leeds’ targets in Phillips unfortunately not able to boast such glowing numbers donning Ipswich blue.

Games played

30

18

Goals scored

7

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

37.5

42.7

Accurate passes*

19.9

23.2

Total duels won

5.1

3.6

Playing a background role in Ipswich’s fight against the drop, Phillips is now way off what his previous best once was at Elland Road, with Soucek way more effective and impactful in games compared to the former England international.

Therefore, gambling on him to come good again would be an almighty risk, away from any sentimental reasons for a move being back on the table.

Winning Soucek would show that Leeds are serious about staying put in the top-flight, meaning his signature should be a top priority to obtain.

20 summer transfer window targets Leeds United are linked with (2025)

The 49ers could spend big looking to keep Leeds in the Premier League.

1 ByCharlie Smith Apr 25, 2025

Leeds United ended their Championship season by beating Plymouth Argyle in stoppage time to claim the title ahead of Burnley, whilst also hitting a century of points.

Since then, it has been a week full of parades, celebrations, and interesting chants and dance moves from members of the squad and management.

Once the celebrations are over, or at least subdued, Daniel Farke and his staff will have to start to think about plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Leeds are in a party atmosphere right now, and rightly so after their incredible achievement, but they know how hard the task ahead of them will be.

In fact, Football Insider reports that the Whites already have doubts over Joel Piroe and are not expected to build their attack around the Dutchman next season, which suggests that the club will be in the market for a new centre-forward.

This means that Leeds will need to find a lethal number nine to come in and provide the team with goals on a regular basis, as they look to land their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Leeds United's strikers since Chris Wood

The New Zealand international set the bar high when he plundered an exceptional haul of 27 goals in 44 Championship matches for the West Yorkshire outfit in the 2016/17 campaign.

His incredible form in the second tier led to interest from the Premier League, though, and Burnley swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £15m, which was a club-record deal for the Clarets at the time.

Wood has gone on to score 88 goals in the Premier League for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest combined, which shows that he has proven himself to be a reliable scorer in the top-flight.

Leeds, meanwhile, have not found a striker of Wood’s quality or potential since his move to Turf Moor, as none of their former or current strikers since the New Zealand international have gone on to achieve what he has.

Leeds United’s top scorers since Chris Wood left
Season	Top league scorer	League	Goals
24/25	Joel Piroe	Championship	19
23/24	Crysencio Summerville	Championship	20
22/23	Rodrigo	Premier League	13
21/22	Raphinha	Premier League	11
20/21	Patrick Bamford	Premier League	17
19/20	Patrick Bamford	Championship	16
18/19	Kemar Roofe	Championship	15
17/18	Kemar Roofe	Championship	11
Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, no striker has hit 20 goals in the league for the Whites since Wood’s return of 27 goals, with winger Crysencio Summerville the only player to hit that mark in the last eight seasons.

Patrick Bamford showed great potential to kick on when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, but the former England international has failed to score more than eight goals in a season in any of the last four years.

Football Insider’s report that the club have doubts over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight does not suggest that the Dutchman is set to be the next Wood by going on to be a success in the Premier League, either, and this means that Leeds have to nail their next striker signing this summer.

The Whites have already been linked with an interest in new players ahead of the summer transfer window and one of their targets, Troy Parrott, could be their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Why Troy Parrott could be the best striker signing since Chris Wood

What made Wood such a successful signing for Leeds was that he developed during his time at Elland Road, as the forward scored 13 goals in his first Championship season before hitting 27 goals in his second.

The Whites were, then, able to cash in on him for a significant amount of money, which is not something that they have been able to do since then.

Parrott is reportedly one of the names on the club’s shortlist of striker targets ahead of the summer transfer window, and the Ireland international is a forward who has the potential to be the best centre-forward signing since Wood.

Firstly, the Irish striker has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve at the age of 23, which means that he could grow in value throughout his time at Elland Road before being sold for a profit in the future, as was the case with the current Nottingham Forest star.

Secondly, Parrott is a player with the physical attributes to compete at the top level, as he is a nimble and quick forward who can race away from opposition defenders, whilst Piroe, for example, is not blessed with lightning-quick speed or athleticism.

Finally, the 23-year-old star’s form in the Netherlands over the past two seasons suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable goalscoring threat for the Whites.

Parrott, who was described as a “phenomenal” marksman by former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, has caught the eye with his performances in the Eredivisie for Excelsior and the Eredivisie and the Europa League for AZ Alkmaar.

Troy Parrott	23/24 Eredivisie	24/25 Eredivisie + Europa League	Overall
Appearances	29	40	69
xG	9.49	20.22	29.71
Goals	17	18	35
Big chances created	5	10	15
Assists	4	3	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has plundered an eye-catching 35 goals in those two competitions in the last two seasons combined, outperforming his xG by roughly five goals in that time.

These statistics suggest that Parrott, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this term for AZ Alkmaar, is already a player who can deliver goals on a regular basis at the top level, because he has proven himself in a big European league and in a big European competition.

If you take his form in the last two seasons, his physical attributes, and his age profile into account, the Leeds target has the potential to be the club’s best striker signing since Chris Wood.

No centre-forward since the ex-Burnley man has gone on to thrive in the Premier League on a consistent basis, or be sold on for a major profit, and Parrott is a striker who seemingly has the potential to go on to achieve both of those things, which is why the Whites must swoop for his services this summer.

Rio Ferdinand 2.0: Leeds want to sign "extraordinary" £20m defender

Leeds United are keen on signing a £20m star who could be the next Rio Ferdinand at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

May 5, 2025