This summer appears to be massive for Tottenham Hotspur if they are to leap back up the Premier League table throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

Thomas Frank will be the latest manager tasked with taking the Lilywhites back towards the top end after the side registered a 17th-place finish this time around.

However, the Dane will have to find the balance between the league and Europe, with the club entering the Champions League as a result of their Europa League triumph.

Squad depth will be vital if they are to be competitive across both competitions, needing to strike a balance between the two to avoid any further embarrassment.

If the 51-year-old is to have the depth he desires, he will need the board to back him in the transfer market to allow him to land the stars he wants to be a success in his stint in North London.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Antoine Semenyo has emerged as a key target for Spurs this window, with the Ghanaian high on their list of priorities after netting 11 goals and registering five assists at the Vitality this season.

He’s not the only one on their radar, with Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz another talent on their radar, but it could cost a pretty penny with the Cottagers demanding £50m to part ways with the Brazilian.

However, despite the interest in the aforementioned duo, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has once again emerged on their shortlist, according to TBR Football’s latest update.

They claim that the Lilywhites are prepared to trigger his £68m release clause in his contract, with Frank’s men confident of completing a deal for the England international.

It also states that the 26-year-old is very keen on a move to join the North London outfit this window, even preparing to push for a move to depart his current employers during the off-season.

Why Eze would be Frank’s answer to Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo is a player who’s made a name for himself under Frank at Brentford over recent years, being a key reason for the success endured across the capital.

The Cameroonian international has endured his own rise after joining from French side Troyes back in 2019, registering 70 goals for the Bees in the last six seasons.

He’s exploded into life in 2024/25, notching 20 league goals – the best return of his professional career – cementing himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening talents.

After the Dane’s switch to join Spurs, he’s already attempted to bring the attacker to the club with him, but faces stiff competition from Manchester United for his signature.

It’s unclear whether the Lilywhites will be able to land the 25-year-old in this window, with attention potentially being turned in the direction of Eze as a result.

The attacking midfielder has caught the eye this campaign, registering 16 combined goals and assists in the league, even scoring the winner in their FA Cup triumph.

He could become Frank’s next version of Mbeumo should he complete a move, being his new talisman that can create endless opportunities – as seen with his respective tallies.

Eze, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by journalist Adam Keys and as a “superstar” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has registered 3.5 shots per 90, with 37% of his efforts going on target, showcasing his clinical edge in attacking areas.

His creative nature is also reflected in his tally of 2.1 key passes per 90, whilst also registering 3.4 progressive carries per 90, having the skillset to take the ball into attacking areas and carry the threat that Frank desires.

Games played

34

Goals & assists

16

Shots taken

3.5

Shot on target accuracy

37%

Key passes

2.1

Progressive carries

3.4

Take-on success

49%

The midfielder has also completed 49% of the take-ons he’s attempted, with 4.7 shot-creating actions per 90, having the tools to create and score on his own – replicating that of Mbeumo at Brentford.

Whilst £68m appears to be a hefty figure, it would be a deal that could hand Frank a completely new dimension within the final third during his first season at the helm.

Should he replicate the levels produced by the Cameroonian across the capital, it would be a superb piece of business, handing the side the best chance of returning to a European battle next season.

A better signing than Semenyo: Spurs set to make approach for £50m striker

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to make a move for a star who would improve Thomas Frank’s options in the final third.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 25, 2025

Notts Outlaws avenged a heavy defeat at Derby with a eight-run victory at Trent Bridge to keep their Vitality Blast season just about alive.Joe Clarke’s side climb off the bottom of the North Group table for the first time with their second win. After losing their first five matches, qualification for the quarter-finals will be a tall order but it remains mathematically possible.Clarke, still searching for his first half-century of the season, hit 47 from 28 balls with Tom Moores (31 from 27) and Matt Montgomery (28 not out from 31) adding useful late runs to give Falcons a target of 174, skipper Samit Patel taking 2 for 24 on his first visit to Trent Bridge as a Derbyshire player, supported by Pat Brown’s 2 for 39.Aneurin Donald hit a 26-ball 52 and veteran Wayne Madsen 40 from 35 in Falcons’ response but a solid performance with the ball by the home side, led by New Zealand left-arm quick Ben Lister taking 2 for 24 in his final appearance, ensured there would be no fairytale return for Patel.After opting to bat first, Clarke hit 36 out of 59 for 1 in the powerplay. He was dropped just behind square off Patel on 24, but responded with three fours in an over off South African quick Daryn Dupavillon before slog-sweeping Ross Whiteley for his second six. Ben Martindale, in his maiden Blast innings, fell to a well-judged catch at long-off for 16.Controversy followed before Outlaws reached half-way on 89 for 2, Clarke putting himself at serious risk of sanction after being given out caught at short third man.As Dupavillon insisted he had his fingers fully under the ball to take Clarke’s reverse-scoop just above the ground, the Notts skipper stood his ground, shooting alternate glares at standing umpire Graham Lloyd and the fielders, before ex-colleague Patel persuaded him he should leave the field.Alex Hales (26 off 23) and Jack Haynes (18 off 13) both made starts before being caught off Patel in the deep and it took some enterprising batting from Moores and Montgomery to give the Outlaws bowlers something to defend, Moores hammering Patel for six over long-on before being athletically caught at short fine leg by 40-year-old Madsen.Giving early impetus to the chase, Donald’s extraordinary hitting power lifted the Falcons to 70 for 1 in their batting powerplay after David Lloyd had hoicked Olly Stone to midwicket for 7, the former Glamorgan batter completing a 21-ball half-century with his fifth six as Liam Patterson-White’s first over went for 27 runs.But the Outlaws left-arm spinner responded superbly, having Donald caught on the slog-sweep before bowling Zak Chappell in a second over that conceded only two runs. With legspinner Calvin Harrison miserly at the other end, Falcons were 87 for 3 from 10, the outcome squarely in the balance.Cam Fletcher was well caught at long-off but Madsen stepped up to damage Harrison’s figures with a four drilled through the on side and a six over long-off to bring the requirement down to 46 from five overs before Ross Whitely cleared the rope off Stone but holed out off Lister.Patel’s visions of being the match-winner vanished when he bottom-edged Stone into his stumps and when Madsen slashed Lister to be caught on the point boundary – a second wicket in two superb death overs – Outlaws were favourites, Falcons needing 19 from six balls, which proved too much.

This summer has been a testing one for Arsenal fans so far.

Unlike Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, the North Londoners are yet to confirm a single signing, with the one positive piece of news coming out recently being that of Gabriel Magalhaes’ contract renewal.

Moreover, following reports from Fabrizio Romano, it looks like there is a real chance that Thomas Partey could be the latest player to leave for free this summer, following fellow midfielder Jorginho.

Fortunately, the club seem incredibly close to securing the services of Martin Zubimendi, and if reports are to be believed, they are looking to sign another international star who’d be an even more exciting acquisition.

Arsenal's next transfer after Zubimendi

After months of speculation following Sami Mokbel’s initial exclusive around Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal back in January and the countless times it looked like he might be heading elsewhere since then, Romano helped to reassure fans on Friday evening by confirming that the Spaniard’s £55m move to the club was signed.

The Real Sociedad ace, who has long been a target for top sides from Liverpool to Real Madrid, will add some real quality to the middle of the park for the Gunners’ and if his performances for Spain are anything to go by, he is more than just a defensive midfielder.

However, given how long we’ve known about this potential deal and the fact he is, first and foremost, a six, it’s easy to understand why the excitement might not necessarily be there for some fans. After all, the North Londoners’ biggest problem this season was scoring goals.

Transfer Focus

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

So, there’s a hope and an expectation that the next player the club focuses on will be an out-and-out attacker, potentially someone like Rodrygo.

The good news is that that may be what happens, according to a recent report from The Mirror.

The story has revealed that while a deal may take some time to happen this summer, the Gunners’ interest in the Real Madrid star is ‘genuine.’

Moreover, while he won’t come cheap, the report claims that a fee in the region of £70m may be enough to tempt Los Blancos into selling.

While that is still a lot of money, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Arsenal, and as he’d be a far more exciting signing than Zubimendi, this is a deal they should be pushing for.

Why Rodrygo would be a more exciting signing than Zubimendi

Well, simply put, while Zubimendi might be able to have just as much of an impact on the team’s performances from the base of midfield, Rodrygo would be a more exciting signing because attackers are what get people on their feet.

It might sound terribly reductionist, and we are sure there are a few purists who prefer to watch a defensive midfielder, but when it comes down to it, the vast majority of fans want to see goals, and with the Real Madrid gem, that’s what they’d get.

Since the start of the 23/24 campaign, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 32 goals and provided 20 assists in 104 appearances, totalling 7,202 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 138.5 minutes over a two-year period.

Appearances

52

52

Minutes

3777′

3425′

Goals

18

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

0.48

Minutes per Goal Involvement

139.88′

137′

What makes those numbers all the more impressive is that for most of the last two campaigns, the Brazilian international has been forced to play out on the right or up top, and while he can evidently still do that to great effect, he is primarily a left-winger, so just imagine how good he could be in his natural position.

However, perhaps just after goals, the next most exciting thing to see on a football pitch is a winger who runs at, takes on and beats his opposing defender, which is a skill the former Santos gem has in spades.

According to FBref, he sat in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers for carries into the final third in La Liga this season, the top 12% for carries into the penalty area and the top 15% for successful take-ons, all per 90.

Those stats help to show that not only is the 24-year-old an incredibly positive runner with the ball and someone who can spearhead attacks, but he also possesses the ability to get past full-backs and centre-backs.

For comparison’s sake, Gabriel Martinelli sits in the bottom 42% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for successful take-ons per 90, so fans would notice a big improvement on the left in that regard.

Ultimately, Zubimendi looks like a great signing for Arsenal and someone who can help them control games next season, but due to his output, tenacity and ability on the ball, Rodrygo would be a far more exciting addition to the team.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 23, 2025

Following reports that Bryan Mbeumo favours a move to Manchester United this summer, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards a £51m alternative and PIF could soon open talks.

Mbeumo deals Newcastle frustrating blow

After qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last season, it wouldn’t be absurd to assume that Newcastle entered this summer in a position of strength in the transfer window, especially compared to Manchester United. By contrast, the Red Devils suffered their worst-ever finish in the Premier League and compiled their misery by suffering defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

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Without Champions League football or European football at all, for that matter, it was easy to predict that the lure of Old Trafford simply wouldn’t be the same this summer. That assumption would have been wrong, however. The Theatre of Dreams seemingly remains exactly that. Already, Matheus Cunha has picked the Red Devils in a move worth £63m and now Mbeumo looks destined to follow suit.

It’s frustrating news for Newcastle, who will feel as though they did everything right to put themselves in a position to sign such talents. Nonetheless, they’ve been forced to look towards alternatives in hope of signing the winger that they’ve been searching for across the last 12 months.

To that end, Anthony Elanga has been the main alternative mentioned in recent weeks with Newcastle reportedly making the Nottingham Forest star their top target. But he’s not alone on their shortlist, with reports now indicating that Newcastle are also targeting a move to sign a £51m winger.

Newcastle and PIF could open Catamo talks

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle and PIF could now open talks to sign Geny Catamo from Sporting Club this summer. The Magpies are one of a number of clubs interested in the young winger in a race which includes Atletico Madrid as well as Arsenal, and may now make their move.

Sources told Caught Offside there is an expectation that some clubs test the waters with an opening offer worth as much as €30m (£25m) in the coming months. Given that Catamo reportedly has a release clause worth €60m (£51m), it seems unlikely that they will accept a sale worth less than half of that price this summer.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Geny Catamo	Bryan Mbeumo
Minutes	1,911	3,414
Goals	5	20
Assists	2	7
Expected Goals	5.4	12.3

Whilst he did add another two goals to take his total to seven outside of league action, Catamo’s numbers should be seen as a concern for Newcastle. If they were forced to pay the winger’s full release clause, then they should keep their focus on Elanga rather than spending big on a talent who is yet to prove himself on the big stage.

It’s been a non-stop summer for those at the Stadium of Light as the reality of the Premier League begins to dawn on Sunderland.

By the time Sunderland’s opener comes around versus West Ham United, the complexion of Regis Le Bris’ starting lineup could look very different from the playoff final success against Sheffield United, with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson already nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, there will no doubt be a lot of new faces vying for game-time after joining the newly promoted club, with Marcin Bulka perhaps taking over first-team goalkeeper duties from Anthony Patterson if he does join from OGC Nice.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that the Black Cats have opened talks regarding a potential move for the Polish stopper, as they seek to win the race ahead of a long list of other suitors.

He might not be the only defensive addition coming in this summer to bring extra competition, however, as Sunderland now find themselves locked in a race to sign a promising centre-back.

Sunderland in the race to sign £7m defender

As per a report by OnTheMinute, Sunderland remain in the race to land 21-year-old defender Saba Goglichidze.

Transfer Focus

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

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The Empoli centre-back is attracting lots of interest despite his current employers’ recent relegation from the Serie A, with the report adding that the Black Cats’ fiercest rivals in Newcastle United are now keen on the Georgian as well, alongside fellow Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest.

It’s even been speculated that the Tricky Trees are now ready to place a £7m bid for the 6-foot-4 colossus, with OnTheMinute stating that a bid around this region could be enough for Empoli to part ways with their main asset.

Sunderland will hope they can gain an advantage in this race somehow, with Goglichidze’s potential arrival – on top of Bulka walking through the door – undoubtedly strengthening Le Bris and Co. at the back ahead of their uphill Premier League climb.

How Goglichidze could shine with Bulka

After all, when assessing Goglichidze’s stay at Empoli up to this point, it’s clear he isn’t fazed by the bright lights of a top division.

Indeed, the up-and-coming 21-year-old has even had suitors from AC Milan and Juventus look at him, with his sparkling form in Italy seeing him pick up a solitary assist from his 33 league encounters last season, on top of also bravely battling away for his basement side with 3.9 duels won on average.

With four clean sheets in league action next to his name, too, it’s clear that Goglichidze is destined for bigger and better things than slumping down to the Italian second division, and with Bulka behind in him the sticks, he could go on to look even more confident and assured knowing he has a top-drawer shot-stopper by his side.

Across his four seasons in between the sticks for Nice, the reliable Pole has managed to collect 30 clean sheets, with a hefty 18 of those coming just last campaign. To add context, Patterson would finish his own individual season with a lesser 14 next to his name, even from 45 games overall.

Sunderland’s league numbers when they were last relegated (16/17)

Stat

Sunderland

Games played

38

Goals scored

26

Goals conceded

69

Goal difference

-40

Sourced by Transfermarkt

That is still a respectable tally, but there will be a real worry in the air about the intense jump-up in quality, considering Southampton – who were the reigning playoff champions before Sunderland’s big moment at Wembley – are just fresh off leaking a dire 86 strikes stuck at the bottom of the division, which is 17 more than the Black Cats gave up during their last relegation horror-show in the top-flight.

The Saints looking so porous could be sounding the alarm bells for Le Bris and Co. as we speak, with the Black Cats giving up a high 44 strikes last season themselves. Amazingly, both Leeds United and Burnley only gave up 46 goals combined.

The arrival of fresh blood in the form of Saba Goglichidze and his potential new Polish teammate might be just what the newly promoted side needs, therefore, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig even going as far as to declare the 21-year-old a “wonderful” talent.

It will be a turbulent ride ahead for Sunderland, but if Le Bris can work his magic on this fresh defensive pairing, survival might be reached.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 26, 2025

Leeds United have now identified a “world-class” goalkeeper as a prime target to replace Illan Meslier, with Daniel Farke now open to sanctioning the Frenchman’s departure, according to a report.

Leeds planning to replace error-prone Meslier

Speaking back in February, former Leeds man Paul Robinson praised Farke for the way in which he had dealt with Meslier, saying: “He’s a confidence goalkeeper and the manager has been excellent with him. That’s one thing you can ask for as a goalkeeper.”

However, the 48-year-old ultimately lost faith in his goalkeeper, with Karl Darlow being given the nod between the sticks during the promotion run-in, and the manager’s lack of trust in the shot-stopper may have damaged his confidence.

With Meslier’s blunders costing Farke’s side 10 points last season, it would be a huge risk for the manager to persist with the 25-year-old as his number one, and a report from TEAMtalk has revealed the German is now open to a sale this summer.

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2

By
Dominic Lund

Jun 11, 2025

It is also detailed that Leeds have now identified Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic as a prime target to replace Meslier, with the Blues making the decision to place the Serbian on their transfer list, and they are open to offers of around £25m.

The Whites have registered their interest in Petrovic, but there is widespread interest in the goalkeeper’s signature, with the likes of Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brenford also keen, alongside some top clubs from across Europe.

The Championship title-winners are seemingly very keen to get a deal done, despite potentially having to do battle with Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, with the report stating they are now ready to step up their pursuit of the goalkeeper.

"World-class" Petrovic could be ideal Meslier replacement

It is no surprise that Farke is willing to cash-in on Meslier this summer, and there are plenty of indications the Chelsea shot-stopper could be an ideal replacement, with his performances on loan at Strasbourg last season deemed to be at a very high level.

Indeed, manager Liam Rosenior was left enamoured by the Serbia international’s development, saying: “We have seen huge progress from Petro.

“He is a world-class goalkeeper. We see it every day and it is still paying off today.”

It is a bold claim to put the former New England Revolution man in the world-class category, but to a certain extent Rosenior’s assessment is backed up by the underlying data, as his save percentage over the past year has been very impressive.

Statistic	Average per 90
Save %	78.9% (98th percentile)
Clean sheet %	32.3% (76th percentile)
Crosses stopped %	8.4% (82nd percentile)

As such, it could perhaps be considered a little unusual that Chelsea are willing to part ways with Petrovic this summer, but their loss could be Leeds’ gain.

The South Africa opener knew conditions in St Lucia were not the same as previous matches at night

Matt Roller21-Jun-20241:21

Morkel: De Kock doesn’t overthink the game

Quinton de Kock attributed his match-winning 65 off 38 balls against England to his Caribbean Premier League experience, which informed his attacking intent in the powerplay.De Kock has only played seven CPL games, all of them for Barbados Royals in the 2022 season. But three of those came at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, including two day games and one under lights.Related

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It gave him enough evidence to believe that a par score would be significantly lower in South Africa’s game against England – which started at 10.30am local time – than in the previous four T20 World Cup fixtures at the venue, which were 8.30pm starts. He also quickly realised that the powerplay would be the best time to bat, and so it proved.De Kock scored 49 runs off 20 balls in the powerplay, including sixes off Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer (twice) and Sam Curran, and believed that his fast start had made a “massive” impact. “I’ve played a lot of day T20 cricket in the West Indies and generally that is the most important time to score runs,” he said.South Africa’s total of 163 for 6 looked under-par in the context of the four games in St Lucia across the previous six nights, where Australia and England both chased totals of 181 and Sri Lanka and West Indies successfully defended scores in excess of 200. But de Kock said that when he walked out to bat, he was clear that they would only need a slightly lower total.”I don’t know if the rest of the guys knew, but I had a fair sense: I’ve played here quite a bit in the Caribbean league and it’s the same thing: the wicket looks beautiful. At night, it plays most different but in the day, 160-170 are winning scores here in the day. Generally, it goes like that in the Caribbean: I think the lights and maybe a bit of dew at night help the ball skid on a bit better.”The easier time to score runs is in the powerplay. When the ball’s old and as the wicket deteriorates, it gets harder.” Asked if that phase proved match-winning – as Jos Buttler believed – de Kock said: “There were other moments, but obviously that’s probably one of our better powerplays in this whole World Cup – so it could be.”Quinton de Kock raced away in the powerplay•ICC/Getty ImagesHe also used the stiff cross-breeze to his advantage, with the wind helping to carry the ball over the boundary when he hit back-to-back sixes off Archer. “Wind’s definitely a big factor, especially opening the batting when you’ve only got two guys out,” de Kock said. “You’ve got to use that wind as much as you can: don’t fight it, just try and use it.”None of England’s XI on Friday have played a CPL game in St Lucia but they have significant experience in the Caribbean due to regular away series against West Indies. They also have significant local knowledge in their dressing room, with Kieron Pollard – the most capped T20 player in the format’s history – involved as an assistant coach at this World Cup.Yet Buttler suggested they were surprised by how the pitch played on Friday, compared to how it had under lights two days previously. “It looked a similar wicket,” he said. “This has been, so far in the tournament, the best batting pitch… I think the wicket was probably a little bit slower than everyone expected. 160 was about a par score. We bowled really well in the back 10-15 overs to restrict them.”South Africa adjusted more quickly to conditions with the ball, limiting England to 41 for 1 the powerplay compared to their own score of 63 for 0. Jonny Bairstow was caught at point off Keshav Maharaj for 17 off 20 in the seventh over, while Buttler himself fell in Maharaj’s next over for 16 off 20 while slog-sweeping to deep midwicket.”I felt like the powerplay was the difference in the game, and the way Quinny could bat at the rate that none of us could bat at… I think the way Quinny played at the top really put us under a lot of pressure,” Buttler said. “[He] played some great shots and we weren’t able to match that.”

Manchester United now have a “dark horse” candidate in their quest to sign a new striker, potentially turning to hijack a player who has spoken to Arsenal on multiple occasions this year.

Man Utd want Mbeumo through the door before new striker

It’s been a while since the Red Devils wrapped up the transfer of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the hope would have been that they had secured a deal for Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo by now as well. However, United have been unable to reach an agreement with their fellow Premier League side, seeing one bid already turned down.

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The Cameroon international is still seen as a likely arrival at Old Trafford, but the time it has taken to work on the transfer has probably gone on longer than many at United expected, with Thomas Frank’s arrival at Tottenham complicating matters.

But this week there could finally be some good news for the Premier League side. That is because, according to journalist Rudy Galetti, Man United have agreed personal terms with Mbeumo and are now willing to pay £63 million to get a deal done.

The 25-year-old netted 20 goals in the Premier League last season, and his impending arrival at Old Trafford is expected to see him join Cunha as United’s two new number 10s in Ruben Amorim’s system.

Attention will then turn to finding the right number nine to play in front of the pair, with neither of Rasmus Hojlund or Joshua Zirkzee expected to be the man to lead the line.

Man Utd keen on signing £40m star Ollie Watkins

According to a report from Spain, Man United are considering a move to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa this summer, and he has become the “dark horse” target in their race for a new centre forward.

The Red Devils see Watkins as a ‘reliable alternative’ who may not cost as much as other forwards who have been linked with a move to Old Trafford. He is under contract until 2028, but Villa’s PSR complications will force them to sell at least one key player this summer.

It isn’t a straightforward deal for United to complete however, as it’s already been reported that Arsenal have held talks with Watkins, who has been dubbed “the best striker in the world” by analyst Raj Chohan, both in January and again this summer.

Watkins emerging as a target for United also comes as the Red Devils are working on a deal to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Watkins

Ekitike

Apps

38

33

Starts

31

31

Goals

16

15

Assists

8

8

xG

15.3

21.6

Goals per 90

0.55

0.53

Shots per 90

2.84

4.00

Goals per shot

0.17

0.12

It’s been claimed that United have held talks with the representatives of the Frenchman over a move to Old Trafford, and a formal bid is expected to arrive soon. However, it’s been well publicised that he could cost as much as £85 million, so Watkins is seen as a cheaper option, as he is valued at around £40 million by the Villans.

Andries Gous made an unbeaten 80 for the co-hosts but in the end it wasn’t enough

Firdose Moonda19-Jun-2024Another game, another close one for South Africa and they seem to be making a habit of sneaking over the line at the T20 World Cup 2024. This time, they were pushed by USA, who gave an excellent account of themselves in their first Super Eight match.On a batter-friendly pitch, USA kept South Africa to under 200 from 126 for 1 in the 13th over. Quinton de Kock’s first half-century of the tournament set South Africa up, before Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh took 3 for 15 between them, but the rest of the attack could not provide enough support. Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 53 to give South Africa a competitive total to defend.USA were off to a bright start thanks to Steven Taylor but Kagiso Rabada’s double strike in the Powerplay kept things even. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi squeezed USA through the middle but South African born Andries Gous very nearly had a decisive say on proceedings. His unbeaten 80 and his 91 run-stand with Harmeet – the second-highest for the sixth wicket or lower in all T20 World Cups – took USA to within 28 runs of victory, with two overs left. Ultimately, Rabada and Anrich Nortje kept USA at bay and South Africa earned their first Super Eight points.Only a matter of time for de KockIt had to be. After scores of 20, 0, 18 and 10, de Kock, in what could be his last international assignment, finally brought out the big guns. He didn’t hit South Africa’s first boundary – that was Reeza Hendricks’ six over cover – and waited until the fourth over before he properly got hold of one but when he did, he did not stop. De Kock pulled Jasdeep Singh through midwicket and then hit him for three successive sixes, all with the wind into the leg side. Jasdeep’s first over cost 28 runs, just 10 fewer than South Africa’s highest Powerplay of the tournament before this match, and set them up for a score of 64 for 1 at the end of the fielding restrictions. De Kock went on to bring up fifty with a six off Corey Anderson, off the 26th ball he faced and to his highest T20 World Cup score: 74.Catching on point. The bowling? Not always.USA’s fielding got them back into the game from Anderson’s excellent judgement to take a skier off Hendricks’ top-edge in the third over to Shayan Jahangir judging his distance from the boundary rope well at cow corner to end de Kock’s knock. But it was Ali Khan, who dived forward as he ran in from the deep backward point fence and held on to the grab that could have changed the innings. Aiden Markram was on 46 and hit the last ball of the 15th over in Ali’s direction. He took a stunner to deny South Africa’s captain the chance to push the score above 200. Despite all that, USA still gave away 53 runs in the last five overs and will not be entirely happy with some of their bowling. While Netravalkar and Harmeet’s eight overs cost just 45 runs with four wickets and only four fours, the other five bowlers delivered 12 overs for 148 runs, took no wickets and gave away nine fours and 10 sixes.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rabada roars backRabada has operated somewhat in the shadows in the group stage of the T20 World Cup and took just four wickets for 84 runs in four matches. With South Africa looking at using two specialist spinners, the debate ahead of this match was which of the three seamers to leave out. On form, both Nortje and Ottneil Baartman made strong cases to stay in the XI ahead of Rabada but the decision was made to leave Baartman out in favour of Rabada’s experience. He repaid that call by removing an aggressive-looking Taylor with his third ball, in the fourth over, and seemed to be ramping up his pace as his spell developed. In his next over, Rabada had Nitish Kumar caught at deep square leg off a length ball on the pads and put South Africa in front with USA 53 for 2 after the Powerplay. He came back to bowl the penultimate over, with USA needing 28 runs off the last 12 balls and broke the partnership that threatened to take the game away. Gous and Harmeet shared a sixth-wicket stand of 91 before Harmeet hit a Rabada full toss to Stubbs at midwicket and departed, along with USA’s hopes.Gous gets a hold of some of home Welkom’s Andries Gous is from the same place as Dean Elgar and was part of the group of South Africans who took up offers to play in the Minor League just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. He made his international debut three months ago and relished the chance to play against the country of his birth and let them have it. He gave himself some time to get his eye in and hit his first boundary off the sixth ball he faced, off Rabada. He sent Marco Jansen for six over long-on and then laid into Nortje, 18 runs off the last four balls of his third over. That included back-to-back sixes; the second was over midwicket and also brought up Gous’ half-century, off 33 balls. But he saved the best for the 18th over, when he hit Shamsi for successive sixes to keep USA in the game. They needed 50 from the last three overs and then just 28 off the last two. Gous finished unbeaten on a career-best 80.

It wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret this summer that Birmingham City were interested in landing Peterborough United superstar Kwame Poku.

Unfortunately, the Blues’ drawn-out pursuit of the entertaining Ghanaian has seemingly gone cold now, as the likes of Russell Martin’s Rangers accelerate to the front of the queue for his coveted services instead.

This would have been a knock to Chris Davies and Co.’s confidence as they navigate up to the Championship, but it hasn’t stopped them from pressing on with other attacking targets, as the ambitious Blues look to close in on another statement addition up top.

Birmingham close in on statement reunion

As per a recent report from journalist Alan Nixon, the newly promoted outfit look to be edging ever closer to bringing former star Demarai Gray back to their ranks this summer.

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Much like their chase for Poku, it had been well publicised that the Blues wanted to make such a stunning reunion happen.

Now, it might well become a reality, with both Sunderland and Fiorentina, who had also been looking at signing the experienced Jamaica international in an £8m deal, left in Birmingham’s dust to seal the sublime move.

Whilst the Rangers-bound attacker had been viewed as the flavour of the month in the EFL after a sensational season on the books of Posh, landing Gray might well be an even more exciting pick-up than the 23-year-old.

Why Gray would be a more exciting signing than Poku

If Birmingham are deadly serious about going after back-to-back promotions, Gray joining will undoubtedly help them to pull off such an arduous feat, with the former Blues prodigy going on to have a lengthy career at the very top after waving St. Andrew’s goodbye in 2016.

Indeed, Gray is likely more well-known in English football now for being a Premier League regular on the books of Leicester City and Everton, than a one-time academy product emerging up the Blues ranks.

In total, the Birmingham-born forward has amassed over 200 Premier League appearances for the likes of the Foxes and the Toffees, with an impressive 19 goals and 14 assists coming his way from those contests, on top of a Premier League title astoundingly being lifted when situated at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester

169

13

14

Birmingham

78

8

4

Everton

75

12

6

Al-Ettifaq

50

4

5

Bayer Leverkusen

12

1

2

Poku might well have a certain level of freshness on his side – considering he has just tallied up a blistering 12 goals and 11 assists for Darren Ferguson’s men last campaign – but the table above really does speak for itself when judging the 28-year-old’s pedigree alone, with a season even under his belt in the Bundesliga when lining up for Bayer Leverkusen.

Moreover, whilst Poku was a breakout success for Posh last season, he has never actually bagged a goal in the Championship, despite ripping up the third-tier, with just a meagre two goal contributions next to his name at the difficult level from 20 clashes.

An “electric” attacker on his day – in the words of journalist Scott Saunders – his first major steps in the senior game did actually come in the Championship with his hometown club, notably netting a memorable hat-trick above three of the eight strikes he has managed in the division when donning Birmingham blue.

It will now be up to Gray to roll back the years on his expected return, with more Premier League appearances perhaps coming his way down the line.

Whilst Poku is the talk of the town as an up-and-coming ace, Gray has already cemented himself as a Championship-capable talent and beyond across his vast playing days, with another chapter soon to be added to his packed story when hopefully starring for Davies and Co.

Birmingham want to sign "fantastic" £8m ace who scored in St Andrew's win

He could be an excellent summer addition.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jun 22, 2025