Despite the lowly Premier League finish of 15th last season, there is a sense of optimism building at Manchester United, given the work done behind the scenes this summer.

The Red Devils have been active within the transfer market, already backing Ruben Amorim with over £130m worth of new additions in his quest for success at Old Trafford.

He only managed to achieve a 40% win rate after taking the reins back in November, but had to work with the players already at the club upon his arrival.

The summer window has given him the chance to land key targets, leading to Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo making the move to the Theatre of Dreams ahead of the new campaign.

However, despite the mammoth funds already splashed this window, multiple other players could yet join Amorim’s side, with one deal edging ever closer in recent days.

What Benjamin Sesko will bring to United in 2025/26

A new striker has been desperately needed at United during the off-season, unsurprisingly so given the lack of goals from current options Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last season.

Whilst the pair cost upwards of £100m, they only managed to net seven league goals between them in 2024/25, leading to the club’s hunt to land Benjamin Sesko.

The Red Devils made a £74m offer for the RB Leipzig forward earlier this week, with the player himself accepting the proposal and wanting a move to Old Trafford over a switch to join Newcastle United.

It may be another hefty fee forked out by the board, but it’s one that would hand Amorim the tools he needs to succeed, especially considering the 22-year-old netted 13 league goals in the Bundesliga last season.

Such a tally is nearly two times higher than United’s current number nine options combined, evidently providing an upgrade on Zirkzee and Hojlund – fulfilling the club’s ambitions for the current window.

However, if he is to carry on his tremendous form from his time in Germany, Sesko will need added reinforcements behind him to help provide him the goods he desires in front of goal.

The player who could get Sesko firing at United

The additions of Cunha and Mbeumo to the number ten roles at United will have already injected needed quality into the front line, with the pair notching 13 combined assists in the Premier League last season.

However, other areas of the pitch could well also be bolstered in an attempt for immediate success, with more depth needed in the wing-back areas to suit Amorim’s system.

Such a need could see the hierarchy return to a deal for Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, after previously registering interest in his signature earlier in the window.

The Dutchman may be a full-back, but he has all the tools needed to thrive going forward, which could ultimately allow Sesko to have those key chances he craves at Old Trafford.

Dumfries achieved a total of five assists across all competitions in 2024/25, with three of which coming in the Champions League – highlighting his ability to star at the top level of European football.

However, his underlying stats from his recent year in Milan are arguably more impressive, further reinforcing the quality he possesses with the ball at his feet in forward areas.

The 29-year-old, who’s previously been labelled “one of the best right-backs in the world” by Jeremie Frimpong, registered 2.3 progressive carries per 90 last season – highlighting his talent at getting the ball forward into dangerous areas.

Games played

29

Goals & assists

9

Pass accuracy

73%

Progressive carries

2.5

Key passes

1.3

Crosses completed

3.6

Shot-creating actions

2.5

Touches in final third

21.1

Carries into final third

1.3

He also completed 1.3 key passes per 90 and 3.6 crosses per 90, having the creative nature to pick out the Slovenian and enabling him to unlock his aerial ability, which saw him score three headers in the Bundesliga last season.

Dumfries’ ability to thrive in the attacking third is further highlighted by his tally of 2.5 shot-creating actions, whilst registering 44% of his touches last season in such an area – subsequently being able to help the potential new signings with countless opportunities.

It’s unclear if the Red Devils will reenter the race for the Inter star, but it’s clear the Dutchman would add serious quality to the wing-back department at Old Trafford.

The pair linking up together in the Premier League is certainly a scary prospect, potentially topping off what has been a sensational window for United and Amorim.

Perfect for Mbeumo & Cunha: Man Utd in talks for another deal after Sesko

Manchester United could be about to make another huge move before the end of the window.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 6, 2025

The 2024/25 campaign was certainly a disappointment for West Ham United. Graham Potter’s side ended up finishing 14th in the Premier League, but given some of the talent in their squad, it could be seen as a disappointing campaign overall.

Indeed, one of the biggest issues last term for the Hammers was putting the ball in the back of the net. They did not find it easy to score goals, scoring 46 in total, better than only five sides, as per Understat. Worryingly, they underperformed on their expected goals tally, which was at 50.59xG last term.

Despite losing the attacking talent of Mohammed Kudus this summer, with the Ghanaian joining Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham are looking to add firepower in forward areas to their squad.

West Ham’s latest attacking target

Of course, losing a player with the attacking quality of Kudus is a blow for the Hammers, but they still have the likes of Jarrod Bowen in their side who can contribute in attack. To add to the depth in forward areas, the Hammers seem to be plotting a shock move this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a recent report from Graeme Bailey, West Ham are one of the sides ‘to have registered their interest’ in signing Real Madrid’s new breakout star Gonzalo Garcia on loan this summer, suggesting they have opened up talks to sign him.

The striker, who made a name for himself at the recent Club World Cup in America, is also wanted by newly promoted pair Leeds United and Sunderland, and the Hammers’ London rivals, Brentford.

Although this is a loan deal, previous reports suggested that Chelsea were ready to fork out £34m for his signature, as per reports in Spain.

Why Garcia would be a good signing

It is fair to say that the last month or so has been a whirlwind for Garcia. He got his chance at the Club World Cup for Los Blancos after Kylian Mbappe fell ill at the start of the competition, and certainly took his opportunity.

Before the start of the tournament in June, the 21-year-old had only played six times for Madrid’s senior side, scoring once. His record for Real Madrid Castilla was impressive, with 30 goals and seven assists in 73 appearances.

Yet, since becoming a key player in the Club World Cup, the Madrid-born attacker has been “sensational”, according to former striker Joselu. He bagged four goals and grabbed an assist in six games in the tournament, which included strikes against Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

Those sorts of numbers will surely pique the interest of West Ham fans, and maybe even their captain, Bowen.

The 28-year-old was sensational once again last term, with 13 goals and ten assists in 34 Premier League games, in a season where they were lacklustre in front of goal.

Indeed, some of the numbers the England star put up last term, via FBref, suggest that he might link up well with the Los Blancos man.

For example, he averaged 0.24 crosses and 1.39 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes last season, ranking him in the top 17% and 14% respectively.

Passes into the penalty box like the one above for Danny Ings last season could make Bowen and Garcia a deadly combination. Some of his numbers from the Club World Cup suggest they could form a dangerous duo.

According to the stats from Squawka, the Los Blancos academy star scored four goals from inside the penalty box in the competition. Not only does that highlight a great centre-forward’s instinct, but also suggests he is capable of getting on the end of Bowen’s crosses. He also had a 44.44% conversion rate.

Those kinds of numbers, coupled with Bowen’s tendency to get crosses into the box and create chances, with his ten Premier League assists last term, are evidence enough to suggest these two could become a deadly partnership.

Whilst it is initially only a loan deal, a £34m fee has been reported. If the temporary move goes well, perhaps it can become permanent and turn into one of the bargains of the summer.

Even "better" than Declan Rice: West Ham make offer for £138k-p/w "engine"

West Ham might finally have found their Rice replacement

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Jul 16, 2025

Thomas Frank claimed that Micky van de Ven's goal against West Ham did not count as he explained what he really demands from the Dutch defender. Tottenham outclassed West Ham 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday to move up to the second position in the table, tied on nine points with rivals Arsenal, who are ahead on goal difference.

• Spurs outclassed West Ham

  After a quiet first half at the London Stadium, Spurs went all guns blazing as they scored three times shortly after the break. Pape Matar Sarr opened the scoring only two minutes after the interval, while Lucas Bergvall and Van de Ven added to the team's tally to complete the rout. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Frank explains his demands from defender

  Van de Ven was subbed off in the 80th minute as Frank brought in Kevin Danso on the pitch. While walking towards the dugout, the Dutch defender was seen sharing some laughs with the manager. When asked about their conversation, Frank told reporters: "Yes, I want a goal from him from set-pieces! It was a second phase set-piece but it didn't count if it was left or right foot. I need a header."

• Maddison raised questions on refereeing

  On-field referee Jarred Gillett and VAR John Brooks came under the radar for ruling Cristian Romero's first-half goal as Van de Ven was accused of pushing Kyle Walker-Peters from the back inside the penalty box. Injured Spurs star James Maddison shared his opinion on social media and called out the officials for poor refereeing. 

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• AFP
  

  When are Tottenham playing next?

  Spurs will be back in action on Tuesday as they kick off their Champions League campaign against Villarreal at home. 

خاض فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، مباراته في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم موسم 2025/26، مساء يوم الأحد.

واستضاف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وريال سوسيداد في خضم لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإسباني، لذلك الموسم.

وتمكن برشلونة من تحقيق فوز صعب على ريال سوسيداد بهدفين لهدف، ليعتلي صدارة الدوري الإسباني، مستفيدًا من خسارة ريال مدريد في مباراة الديربي أمام أتلتيكو مدريد بهدفين لهدف (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وحسبما أُعلن، فاز نجم برشلونة بيدري بجائزة رجل مباراة يوم الأحد ريال سوسيداد، بعد أدائه المميز في ذلك اللقاء، كعادته بقميص البلوجرانا.

ويستعد برشلونة لخوض مباراة صعبة ضد باريس سان جيرمان يوم الأربعاء المقبل في الجولة الثانية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، بعدما فاز على نيوكاسل يونايتد بهدفين لهدف في الجولة الأولى.

A major row has broken out in English cricket, with T20 freelancers claiming they have been blindsided by a new ECB policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs). Players have requested an emergency meeting next week as they work out the implications of changes that ECB chief executive Richard Gould says are designed to “protect the integrity of our sport”.A group of England’s leading T20 freelancers – players without national contracts who are on white-ball-only deals with their counties – feel the move is designed to restrict their opportunities, with a handful of them said to have reacted furiously to the new policy. They are discussing their options both with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), and among themselves in a WhatsApp group chat.These could include a legal challenge, citing restraints of trade. “The PCA’s legal team is currently completing a thorough check of the implementation of the policy,” Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’ s interim chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “The PCA is continuing to source considered opinions and potential consequences of this policy from players and player representatives.”The PCA was aware of potential changes in how counties and the ECB would approach the granting of NOCs, but Mitchell said there was “clear frustration at the lack of time given for consultation, discussion and debate” before the ECB published the policy on Thursday. He added that players had “strongly expressed their concerns” over elements of the new NOCs policy, including “the inconsistencies [at the way] in which players are likely to be treated.”The ECB’s new policy, which was granted board approval on Wednesday, comes in response to the proliferation of new franchise leagues during the English season. The most significant among these is Major League Cricket (MLC), but English players have also featured in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), T10 competitions in Zimbabwe and the Cayman Islands, and the long-established Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Next year, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has shifted its usual dates and will be held in April-May, clashing with the early months of the County Championship season. The ECB’s move is designed to avoid a significant talent drain away from English domestic competitions, and players with standard all-format county contracts will not be granted NOCs to play in the PSL.Most significantly, the ECB’s new approach will be to deny NOCs for any league that overlaps with the T20 Blast or the Hundred on the basis that granting them could “compromise the predictability, stability and consistency of the ECB competitions.”The move would affect players such as Jason Roy and Alex Hales, who skipped parts of the Blast in 2024 to instead feature in MLC and the LPL respectively. One UK-based player agent told ESPNcricinfo: “The problem is that everything clashes with the Blast, because it’s so bloody long.”Some players feel as though the changes are designed primarily to protect the Hundred during the ongoing sales process, with the tournament’s salaries seen as uncompetitive. The ECB is planning significant wage hikes in the 2026 season once deals to sell stakes in the eight teams to private investors are fully signed off, with smaller increases expected ahead of the 2025 edition.The IPL will retain its outlier status, with the ECB continuing to issue NOCs for English players unless they are centrally contracted and having their workloads managed. Twelve England players were signed in last weekend’s mega-auction, including two — Moeen Ali and Jamie Overton — without any form of ECB contract, while others could yet sign replacement deals.Several players who either went unsold in the auction, such as Adil Rashid and Tymal Mills, or did not register for it, like David Willey and Dawid Malan, could instead play in the PSL, though players are awaiting details over the recruitment process for the 2025 season. These could be determined at an upcoming meeting in early December.The ECB also intends to avoid granting NOCs in situations which it feels could compromise the integrity of overseas leagues, under their new policy. ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this year widespread concerns around the scenarios emerging during the packed franchise calendar in February, which saw some players standing to earn more money if their teams were eliminated early than if they reached the knockout stages.Players without England contracts must have NOCs signed off by both their primary domestic teams and the ECB. Under the new policy, the ECB will not grant an NOC if it has “any concerns that the [relevant] overseas tournament poses or may pose a risk from a corruption perspective, or may put… the integrity of the game at risk.”Gould said: “There’s never been a better time to be a cricket player, with more opportunities than ever for players to compete in competitions around the globe and be well paid for it. But we need to protect the integrity of our sport and the strength of our competitions in England and Wales as well.”This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No-Objection Certificates. It will enable us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to take up opportunities to earn and gain experience, while also protecting the integrity of cricket globally, ensuring we don’t undermine our own ECB competitions, and managing the welfare of centrally contracted England players.”There are also concerns that several players will seek to renegotiate their county contracts as an unintended consequence of the new policy. Some players may consider moving from all-format deals to white-ball deals which contain a ‘pay-as-you-play’ red-ball element to them – similar to those signed by Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood at Lancashire.

Newcastle United are now “expected” to complete the signing of an “exceptional” player in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Howe shares latest on Isak's Newcastle future

Magpies-related transfer rumours are continuing to make the rounds, but Alexander Isak’s future is still understandably the big current talking point.

Newcastle are desperately trying to convince the Swede to stay put and not join Liverpool this summer, and Eddie Howe has now provided some fresh comments on the situation.

“He is still our player. He’s contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.”

One of the few pluses to Newcastle selling Isak is that they could receive the biggest fee in the history of English football for his signature, allowing Howe to build his squad in various positions. A goalkeeper has been an area of focus throughout the summer and a big update has now dropped regarding their search for someone new between the sticks.

Newcastle "expected" to sign £120k-a-week ace

According to Romano on X, Newcastle are “expected” to sign Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has “said yes” to a move to St James’ Park.

Missing out on James Trafford to Manchester City is an undoubted setback for Newcastle, considering he is such a highly-rated young ‘keeper, but Ramsdale could be an astute signing instead.

Granted, the £120,000-a-week England international has just suffered relegation with Southampton, but he knows Howe extremely well from their Bournemouth days, so there will be no concerns about him being the wrong type of character to come in.

Ramsdale may have left Arsenal after David Raya took his spot in the team, but Mikel Arteta was always a big admirer of his, once saying of him: “He’s been exceptional around the place with the situation. Like everybody. We love him more for sure. We have him every day. We know him, we know his character and we are really happy to have him. I don’t think I’m the one to answer the question about Aaron Ramsdale’s quality because I’m the one who signed him when everyone else was questioning that decision.”

There may be some Newcastle fans who aren’t necessarily overwhelmed by the signing of Ramsdale, especially with Trafford seen as the ideal addition, but at 27, he is still relatively young for a ‘keeper.

More prolific than Wissa & Sesko: Newcastle join race for £26m "monster"

Newcastle United set to battle Manchester United and Tottenham for Al Hilal striker’s signature

1

By
Will Miller

Jul 29, 2025

His likeable personality has the potential to make him a popular figure at St James’ and the hope is that his best years are still to come, making him a seamless long-term replacement for Nick Pope.

Manchester United have had a busy summer, bringing in players like Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo to ensure that the team doesn’t suffer from the same inability to score goals that they did last season.

Despite this extensive business, Ruben Amorim still has positions he wants to fill, including a defensive midfielder. Currently, the team has Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro to fill these roles, but there have been question marks over Ugarte and Casemiro, and Mainoo and Fernandes’ best qualities are mainly shown in attack.

There had been reports suggesting that youngster Toby Collyer could make the step up and fill this role, but he has since been loaned out to West Bromwich Albion. Over the recent weeks, United have been heavily linked with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, but the south coast side’s asking price exceeded £100 million, which put the Colombian out of their budget.

With previous pursuits turning fruitless, Amorim has turned his attention away from the Premier League and back towards the Portuguese Primeira Liga as he considers reuniting with one of his former players.

Man Utd and Amorim target Hjulmand keen on move

Manchester United are considering signing Sporting Lisbon’s Morten Hjulmand. The 26-year-old Denmark star was signed by Amorim from Lecce in 2023, and the club now see him as a potential solution to their midfield woes.

Fabrizio Romano spoke about the interest on his YouTube channel, via Stretty News, saying “he’s a player who has always been appreciated by Amorim”. He went on to reveal that this interest is mutual and that “Hjulmand will be interested in a move to Manchester United”. Amorim loved him at Sporting, and he played him on 65 occasions.

It’s currently uncertain how much of their transfer budget Manchester United has left. Reports from The Athletic have indicated that United may have opened another Rotating Credit Facility in order to finance more deals this summer. It also looks likely that United will receive money from the sale of the remaining members of the so-called “Bomb Squad” (Antony, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho), which can help them facilitate a move for Hjulmand.

The defensive midfielder currently has a release clause of £68 million, so unless United can negotiate Sporting down, they’ll once again have to spend big.

Hjulmand is an expensive gamble

While things look positive between two of the three parties, the sticking point in this deal will be Sporting Lisbon. The club have already sold Viktor Gyokeres, Marcus Edwards and Dário Essugo to Premier League clubs this summer, and Romano has expressed their reluctance to let go of any more of their first-teamers.

However, as Hjulmand has the previously mentioned release clause, United could go straight into negotiations with the player and circumvent Sporting if they were willing to pay the £68 million. Amorim’s system involves playing out from the back, and United need players who are both capable of contributing defensively and connecting the defence to the attack.

While Hjulmand will likely be able to contribute defensively, the stats indicate that he won’t do much in the way of connecting the team. Last season, he registered in the 19th percentile for progressive carries and the 13th percentile for key passes, meaning he would be a very similar profile signing to Ugarte.

The alternatives for United is that they try to find a new midfielder, or they wait to sign Hjulmand next summer, when they’ll have a better chance of negotiating Sporting down from his release clause price. However, this would mean another season without midfield reinforcements, which could create major issues for United on the pitch.

MatériaMais Notícias

Criciúma e Avaí abrem a terceira rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro nesta sexta-feira, às 19h, noEstádio Heriberto Hülse, em Santa Catarina. O duelo será transmitido por SporTV e Premiere.

+ Confira a classificação e a tabela completa da Série B

O Tigre pode assumir a liderança da competição em caso de vitória sobre o Avaí, desde que Vitória e Guarani, que também jogam nesta sexta não vençam Londrina e Ituano, respectivamente.

CRICIÚMA X AVAÍ
Data/Horário: 28/04, sexta-feira, 19h
Local:Estádio Heriberto Hülse
Arbitragem:Wagner do Nascimento será o árbitro, Thiago Henrique Neto e Thayne Marques Fonseca os assistentes
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

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Leeds United are in the market for Premier League experience and have now been offered the chance to sign an established star who wants to return to England, according to a report.

Leeds United take strict stance on transfers

Despite the urge to get quality through the door at Elland Road, Daniel Farke won’t be bullied into carrying out drastic measures to improve the chances of his side surviving in the top-flight this term.

Providing a case study, Alex Crook has confirmed Leeds United have dropped their pursuit of Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to the England international’s exorbitant £150,000 per week wage demands.

He stated on talkSPORT’s Youtube channel: “I was told that Calvert-Lewin is looking for 150k a week. Which is why he held talks with Leeds and they backed off.”

Moving on to other matters, Leeds have made contact with Benfica over midfielder Florentino Luis and the Primeira Liga giants may be willing to offload the 25-year-old after Ricardo Rios joined from Palmeiras.

Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara has emerged as a Whites’ alternative to Igor Paixao after Farke’s men lost out on the Feyenoord man to Marseille, illustrating their willingness to move swiftly in the market when things take a turn in the wrong direction.

Leeds now in talks over deal for "elite" £30m striker with 21 G/A last season

The Whites have lodged an enquiry over a centre-forward, who is also being targeted by West Ham United.

ByDominic Lund Jul 30, 2025

Through the middle, Roma striker Artem Dovbyk could be a high-profile Leeds addition, offering a major upgrade on the likes of Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph amid the duo being set to leave the Yorkshire giants.

Introducing top-flight experience will also be key to staying up, and Farke has now been offered the chance to bring in a Premier League veteran who wants a return to familiar surroundings.

Leeds "offered" chance to sign Lyon's Ainsley Maitland-Niles

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with Leeds United News, Leeds have been offered the chance to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon as they search for full-back options.

He stated: “Leeds are one of the clubs who have been offered Ainsley Maitland-Niles. I’m told lots of Premier League clubs have been offered him. He’s the sort of player Leeds need in terms of both full-back positions.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the Premier League

Appearances

109

Goals

1

Assists

5

“Leeds are one of the teams who have been offered him. He’s available, intermediaries doing the work, he’s been pushed to a few clubs. What I can say, is he does want to come back to England.”

With the former Arsenal man keen on a move back to the Premier League, Leeds fans will be encouraged to note that he registered one goal and seven assists in 44 appearances last season.

Versatile by nature, the 27-year-old can feature in either full-back slot or in midfield, while he would also carry the carrot of being a homegrown star in line with squad regulations.

The London-born man has two years left on his deal at Lyon, opening up the prospect of a financially favourable deal in light of the French giants’ recent financial problems.

It’s been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side have left a lot to be desired with wins over AC Milan and Newcastle United, but losses against Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal.

However, off the pitch, it would be fair to say that Andrea Berta and his team have exceeded expectations so far with smart depth additions and a couple of big-money deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi.

Moreover, the North Londoners look primed to do more business, with both Eberechi Eze and Ademola Lookman touted for moves to the Emirates.

Why Arsenal want to sign Eze & Lookman

As things stand, Arsenal continue to be linked with both Eze and Lookman, with the former having a release clause worth £68m in his current contract that’ll expire in a week, and the latter reportedly being available for a fee of around £43m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

While it seems unlikely that the Gunners would sign both internationals, it’s easy to see why they are interested in them.

For example, despite playing in a mid-table team at best, the Englishman managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes, last season.

That means the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

On top of that, he also scored in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final of the FA Cup, leading the Eagles to the first major trophy in their existence.

On the other hand, the Nigerian star has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine for several years now.

For example, since moving to the Bergamo outfit in August 2022, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has scored 52 goals and provided 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

In other words, the former RB Leipzig star has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes over the last three seasons, which is a level of output that could fire the Gunners to glory next year.

In all, it’s easy to see why Arteta and Co would want to splash the cash on one of these stars, although whoever they decide on will have to smash all expectations to see their valuation even approach that of another Arsenal star.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Eze & Lookman

While they’re yet to win anything with them, Arsenal are a club blessed with an abundance of incredibly talented stars in their squad, although it’s still really quite easy to pinpoint their most important player: Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End icon has developed from an exciting academy graduate into a fully-fledged superstar and the poster boy of Arteta’s project over the last few years, and his valuation reflects that.

Transfermarkt, for example, now prices the 23-year-old game-changer at a staggering €150m, which converts to about £130m, or at least £19m more than Lookman and Eze combined.

While some might question such a valuation, we reckon it’s pretty spot-on, and the first reason why is down to his output.

For example, despite missing almost four months of action with a hamstring injury last season, the Gunners’ “future legend,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was still able to rack up a sensational haul of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances, totalling just 2619 minutes.

Appearances

37

43

40

Minutes

2619′

3303′

2871′

Goals

12

14

20

Assists

14

11

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

0.58

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

132.12′

106.33

Not only did that make him the most effective player in the North Londoners’ squad, but the dynamic winger maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or 100.73 minutes, which is not only world-class, but better than Eze and Lookman.

On top of that, the Ealing-born monster has also established himself as an essential member of the national team, earning 44 senior caps, in which he’s produced 20 goal involvements, and winning back-to-back Player of the Year awards.

Ultimately, while Lookman and Eze are brilliant players who’d make excellent signings for Arsenal, we don’t think their valuations will ever be able to reach Saka’s.

Not Eze: Arsenal ready to pounce for "superstar" in Berta's best deal yet

The international would be a game-changer for the Gunners.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 8, 2025