Everton need to trim the fat this summer. Oh, while excitement is in the air as David Moyes gears up for what may be the club’s biggest summer of spending, there’s plenty going on out the exit door too.

As many as 15 first-team players are out of contract at the end of the season. Some will stay. Many will go. Two of these quandaries take the shape of the culminating loan spells of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, neither of whom has enjoyed the best of terms. Several more are made from flotsam drifting out on short-term stints elsewhere.

There are too many profiles to dig into, but one curious expected outgoing is the man who earns more than any of his Toffees teammates: Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Everton set to part with Abdoulaye Doucoure

Back in 2020, Everton signed Doucoure from Watford in a deal worth £20m, and he’s since made 162 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 21 goals.

Regarded as a ‘pressing machine’, the Malian ace is now 32 and while he still works industriously in the middle, three goals across 29 matches is hardly a prolific return for an attacking midfielder whose duel success rate stands at just 39% in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, one of those facing the end of their contract this summer, the £130k-per-week Doucoure is Everton’s top earner. Given the amount of shuffling set to take place over at Bramley Moore this summer, it would be a grave error to renew Doucoure’s deal on the same terms.

1.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

32

2025

£130k-per-week

2.

Jordan Pickford

30

2027

£125k-per-week

3.

Idrissa Gueye

35

2025

£120k-per-week

=4

James Tarkowski

32

2026

£100k-per-week

=4

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

27

2025

£100k-per-week

He’ll be midway through his 33rd year by the end of next season and, despite scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest a few weeks back, no longer carries the same swagger in the final third.

Everton need a new star in attacking midfield. Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil make three exciting options, three good reasons why Doucoure’s influence is waning.

That said, the fans could be in for an even more thrilling ride if Everton’s new version of Ross Barkley hits his stride after flourishing for the academy.

Everton's new Ross Barkley

Barkley featured 179 times for Everton’s first team after breaking from the Finch Farm youth ranks, notching 52 goal involvements and drawing inevitable comparisons to Wayne Rooney.

However, he left for Chelsea in January 2018 for a £15m fee, now long archived as a bygone part of the Merseysiders’ history.

It’s been a while since such a player rose to the fore (Anthony Gordon notwithstanding), but Moyes might just find he holds the keys to unlocking the next prodigy, with 17-year-old Braiden Graham making waves for the development outfit.

Graham’s still in that unsure maiden stage, struggling to find his best position. However, a four-goal performance from attacking midfield for the U21s last time out in the Premier League 2 suggests that maybe he has a future as a ten.

Attacking midfield

5

7

1

Centre-forward

5

3

0

Right winger

2

1

0

Left winger

2

1

1

Central midfield

2

0

0

With such dynamism, ranged in his ability to make a positive impression on the pitch, Graham’s surely going to go a long way, not least because his shooting boots seem to stay intact wherever he features.

The Northern Ireland youth international has been hailed as a “fearless” forward and an “incredible player” by his former Linfield boss David Healy, prior to transferring to the Toffees. In short, there’s an ever-loudening buzz around this young talent, whose eye for goal and crisp, powerful dribbling offer shades of Barkley in his Everton days.

Having scored four goals in a single game against Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s – away from home – makes a firm comment on this young man’s potential, not least because Spurs’ U21s won the Premier League 2 last season.

One to watch, and maybe one whose professional Everton debut lingers not too far away.

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Battling Premier League rivals on and off the pitch, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly joined the race to sign a 12-goal star who will be available for as little as £30m this summer.

Nottingham Forest's summer plans

They may still be battling to secure their Champions League place in a race which could yet end in defeat, but nothing can take away from Nottingham Forest’s excellent season. With or without a place in the top five, it’s been one to remember for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who are likely to find themselves playing in some form of European football next season.

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All of a sudden, a move to the City Ground is a seriously attractive one. It’s not one that will leave players scrapping to keep the club in the Premier League. Instead, the chance to join the current Forest side is arguably one of the most exciting prospects in English football, given how they’ve cut through teams with pace and the rapid counter-attacking football that the Premier League has desperately lacked in recent times.

With that said, it’s no surprise that owner Evangelos Marinakis has already set his sights on the summer transfer window. Already, names such as Baris Alper Yilmaz and Yeremay Hernandez have been mentioned as potential targets in recent weeks, with Forest’s transfer plan becoming clearer by the day.

As the Midlands club look to repeat their success next season, it looks as though welcoming additional attacking support behind and around Chris Wood will be among Forest’s priorities.

The 33-year-old won’t be at the peak of his powers forever and after the City Ground got a glimpse of what life will be like without his goals in recent games, signing a striker should sit top of Espirito Santo’s wishlist.

Nottingham Forest join Liam Delap race

According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Marinakis has now registered Nottingham Forest’s interest in signing Liam Delap, joining the race to sign the Ipswich Town star who has a release clause worth just £30m after the Tractor Boys suffered Premier League relegation.

One of the most sought-after stars ahead of the summer transfer window, Forest would do well to win the race for Delap’s signature against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

With 12 goals to his name in all competitions this season, Delap earned the praise of football talent scout Jacek Kulig in April, who described the forward’s campaign as “superb”.

At just 22 years old, there’s every chance that the former Manchester City man is only just getting started. Wood, meanwhile, is coming towards the end of his career – making the arrival of a younger, in-form forward something that would be timed to perfection at the City Ground this summer.

Delap undoubtedly deserves to be playing Premier League football. Whether that’s for Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Man Utd or another club remains to be seen, however.

Aston Villa have now held talks to sign an in-demand attacker who has been likened to boyhood Villa fan Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa looking for more Champions League football after PSG exit

The Villans nearly produced a memorable Champions League comeback in the week against Paris Saint-Germain after finding themselves 5-1 down on aggregate early in the second leg.

Goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa meant that Villa would win the second leg 3-2 in front of their fans, but they fell agonisingly short of progressing to the semi-finals.

Talking after the game, Unai Emery challenged his Villa side to qualify for the Champions League again next season in the Premier League run in. “It is now most important to get Europe again. The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches is to try and get Europe and the Champions League.

“The players showed their capacity to compete at this level. Hopefully we can come back quickly to play in the Champions League. This is our objective and to play in the FA Cup as well for a trophy.”

Aston Villa’s Premier League run-in	Date
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United	April 19
Man City vs Aston Villa	April 22
Aston Villa vs Fulham	May 3
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa	May 10
Aston Villa vs Tottenham	May 18
Man Utd vs Aston Villa	May 25

With six games to go, Villa go into this weekend’s crucial top flight clash against Newcastle United a point off Manchester City in fifth. A win would see them go level on points with the Magpies who currently sit third, and they also have an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley to prepare for later this month against Crystal Palace.

It is promising to be an eventful end to the campaign on the pitch, and behind the scenes, NSWE and Monchi appear to be working on potential new signings.

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Apr 18, 2025

Recently, it has been reported that Aston Villa are looking to close a deal to sign Rosenborg star Sverre Nypan, with the 18-year-old also wanted by Arsenal. Now, Villa have made their move for another in-demand teenager.

Aston Villa hold talks to sign Crystal Palace youngster Derry

According to TBR Football, Aston Villa are in talks to sign Crystal Palace gem Jesse Derry. Son of former Crystal Palace and QPR midfielder Shaun Derry, the 17-year-old has been catching the eye coming through the Eagles’ academy.

Derry, called a “talented ball carrier”, has even been likened to Grealish due to his hair and having low socks when playing, and he has rejected the chance to sign professional terms with Crystal Palace.

As a result, Villa are looking to take advantage, alongside Manchester City, whereas other huge European clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and PSG have also made contact.

Capable of playing anywhere across a front three or even as an attacking midfielder, Derry looks set to be one to watch over the coming months.

Patrick Dorgu has become a key player at Manchester United since his January move from Lecce. The Dane, who cost the Red Devils £25m up front, has already played ten times for his new club this term, although he did miss three games due to suspension.

The 20-year-old is yet to score or assist for the first time in a United shirt. However, he did win a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted in the Europa League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad, showing just how deadly he can be.

With that being said, it has not all been smooth sailing for the wing-back. Aside from his red card, he was recently rotated out of the team for United’s 4-1 loss away to Newcastle United, with Harry Amass stepping into his shoes.

Amass’ full debut for United

For a football fan, there probably aren’t many better birthday presents than making your professional debut, and for Man United, nonetheless. Well, that was the case for Amass, who made a substitute appearance away to Leicester City in the Premier League on his 18th birthday.

Just weeks later, the youngster, who was born in London and played for Watford’s academy originally, made his first start in the top flight. The youngster was selected to start ahead of Dorgu at left wing-back.

Indeed, it was an impressive showing from Amass, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. The 18-year-old had 31 touches of the ball, completed 85% of his passes and won two duels. He certainly performed well.

That was certainly a sentiment that football statistician Statman Dave seemed to agree with. He was full of praise for Amass, explaining that he “didn’t look out of place in senior football” at St James’ Park last weekend.

There is certainly no worry about squad depth for the Red Devils at left-wing back, with the emergence of Amass and the signing of Dorgu. Incredibly, they are adding to that depth over the summer with another new signing.

United’s latest left wing-back signing

One of the continents where big European clubs tend to find hidden gem players is South America. Well, United may have pulled off a masterclass of their own in that sense, with the signing of youngster Diego Leon.

In the middle of January, it was confirmed by BBC Sport that the 18-year-old undertook a medical at United’s Carrington training ground. The reported fee is £6m, with the left-back set to join in the summer.

Now, United are not just signing a player without first-team experience who could one day break into the fold at Old Trafford. No, Leon has actually had years of experience at first-team level for Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.

He has already played 26 times for the club over the past couple of years, and has even managed three goals in that time, from left-back. His 2092 minutes so far equate to 23 full 90-minute games, showing his importance to the Cerro Porteno side.

In fact, his underlying stats via Sofascore from his time in professional football so far are impressive. For example, Leon played nine key passes last term, and five this season, as well as making 45 tackles and interceptions in 2024, and 11 in 2025.

Minutes

1643

450

Key passes

9

5

Pass accuracy

71.5%

76.8%

Tackles and interceptions

45

11

Aerial duels won

21

11

One person who rates the youngster highly is football analyst Ben Mattinson. Discussing Leon in December 2024, just one month before his United medical, the analyst said he “runs like a steam train”, highlighting the physicality he will bring to Old Trafford.

Leon certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. The 18-year-old will bring first-team experience with him to the Premier League, and he clearly has final-third flair. He could be the perfect player for Amoirm to add to his wing-back options.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Both Amass and Dorgu may well need to watch out…

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The EFL can be a rich hunting ground for exciting talents if you’re a Director of Football at the head of a Premier League outfit looking for shrewd ways to strengthen.

Angus Kinnear, who will leave Leeds United and take Kevin Thelwell’s seat at Everton this summer, knows the myriad prospects across the Championship and will no doubt target a few stars this summer.

In fact, TEAMtalk revealed last week that second-tier Player of the Season Gustavo Hamer and Sunderland’s Dan Neil are both on Everton’s radar, with relegated Leicester star Wilfried Ndidi an option too.

However, Kinnear knows his stuff, and might have already recommended a shrewd purchase who could make a real difference on Merseyside next year.

Everton chasing Championship star

As per Football Insider, Everton have joined West Ham United in the race to sign Burnley centre-midfielder Josh Brownhill, a leading architect behind Scott Parker’s side’s promotion to the Premier League this season.

He’s out of contract this summer, and it’s understood that presently the Clarets have not convinced the 29-year-old into reaching a decision on his future but are ready to open talks pertaining to an extension.

With Celtic also keen, Everton will need to work fast if they want to seal his signature in the coming weeks. However, given that he’s been placed on the shortlist, their interest seems concrete.

What Josh Brownhill would bring to Everton

Burnley’s captain would be a brilliant, under-the-radar kind of signing for Everton. The leadership and experience he would instil (he has 111 Premier League appearances) are elements that Moyes is desperate to stir into his squad.

It’s something the Merseysiders achieved only a few years ago by signing James Tarkowski, who had just been relegated with Burnley and joined at the end of his contract in July 2022.

Hailed as an ‘incredible leader’ by Dyche, Tarkowski has been a solid, no-nonsense defender but also a galvanising presence, barking and baying at his teammates as he upholds strong defensive virtues.

Now, Brownhill could be the next version, walking the same path at a similar point in his career as a free agent.

TFG would be addressing a glaring issue in an astute fashion, as the former owners did three years ago. Everton conceded 66 top-flight goals during the 2021/22 season, and they have bettered that tally across the three years since, shipping 43 goals this year with three games remaining.

Fans eagerly await news of a talented striker to restore the attacking incisiveness, but Brownhill’s industriousness and creativity would be a great way to fortify the ranks.

While Burnley have earned renown for their steely defending this season, they have also been effective and economical in attack, with Brownhill blending an art for well-timed goalscoring with a fundamental playmaking quality.

Indeed, the midfielder has scored 18 goals and laid on six assists across his 42 league outings this term, as per Sofascore, creating eight big chances and averaging 1.2 key passes per game.

Ranking among the top 1% of Championship midfielders this season for goal involvements, his influence is illustrated further, something that could have a marked impact on an Everton side who won’t want to be overreliant on a new striker, whose success in hitting the ground running will be an anxious thing.

Given that the relegated trio are the only Premier League sides to have been outscored by Everton, it’s clear that a deep-lying goalscorer of Brownhill’s ilk could be the dimension-adding star Moyes needs.

16th

West Ham

40

17th

Everton

36

18th

Ipswich

35

19th

Leicester

29

20th

Southampton

25

Reuniting with Tarkowski in an Everton team looking to reach heights that haven’t been seen for several interminable years, Brownhill could prove a real difference-maker.

He might not have become the “superstar” that pundit Lee Johnson predicted he would shape into back in 2019, but Brownhill is a fiercely underrated player and would slot right into Moyes’ Everton midfield.

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Liverpool are believed to have submitted an offer for a £50m player with a big future in the game, according to an exciting transfer update.

Liverpool set for Arsenal guard of honour as FSG make summer plans

The Reds are preparing to host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, which promises to be a fun occasion for anyone associated with the Reds. Arne Slot’s champions will be given a guard of honour by a Gunners side who many fancied to go all the way in the league back in August, but have instead gone another campaign without a trophy. In truth, the result is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but Liverpool will still want to open up their lead at the top to a whopping 18 points.

The Reds also continue to be linked with new summer signings, with Slot and FSG well aware that they can’t afford to rest on his laurels, and a move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has been mooted. The Argentine has experience of the Premier League from his Manchester City days and could be a fantastic signing if Darwin Nunez departs.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo has been mentioned as a target for Liverpool, following a superb season at the heart of his side’s defence, helping them push for an unlikely Champions League finish.

Liverpool make offer for Dean Huijsen

According to Cadena SER [via Sport Witness], Liverpool and FSG have made an offer for Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, having been linked with him constantly in recent months. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are all in the same boat, too, with Real Madrid also firmly in the conversation.

The Spaniard has a £50m release clause in his current Cherries contract, with the Reds clearly seeing him as a potential big part of their future. The English clubs are ahead of Madrid in the race, but the player’s father has passed over negotiations with them to a law firm in Spain, as they look to potentially strike a deal.

Huijsen has to be considered just about the strongest centre-back Liverpool could sign, in terms of his long-term promise as a footballer. He has averaged 5.9 clearances per game in the league this season, which is more than any Reds player.

At just 19, the Bournemouth ace already looks like a top-level player, producing brilliant performances for the Cherries, leading former Bournemouth man Joe Partington to say: “Huijsen seems to be the name on everybody’s lips if you’re a top football club in Europe at the minute.”

If Liverpool could pip their rivals to the signing of Huijsen ahead of next season, it would be a major statement of intent, with centre-back a key area of focus for them.

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An eventual successor to Virgil van Dijk needs to be found at Anfield, and if the Bournemouth man continues on his current trajectory, he could be the perfect man to fill that huge void.

Will Manchester City end this season by hoisting aloft silverware?

On Saturday, the Sky Blues will compete in a third successive FA Cup Final, this time facing Crystal Palace, firm favourites to win the competition for the eighth time.

However, Erling Haaland was insistent this week that victory at Wembley would not constitute a successful season, simply echoing the message given by manager Pep Guardiola following the semi-final victory over Nottingham Forest.

So, regardless of the result this weekend, a mass-squad overhaul is required at the Etihad this summer, but could the recently dethroned Premier League champions land not one but two top-class midfielders?

Manchester City is targeting a new midfielder

It’s evident that City are hot on the trail of a crop of new central players with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze linked in recent weeks.

Yet, it’s not all about the England internationals as far as Pep and Co are concerned, with a bid now potentially set to be launched for one of the best midfielders in Italy.

Indeed, according to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City will “submit a formal opening bid” as they attempt to sign midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan.

The 26-year-old joined Milan from AZ Alkmaar for a reported €20m (around £17m) two summers ago, and his impressive performances mean that, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, he is now valued at £50m.

Matt Santangelo from That Milan Podcast described the Dutchman as “fantastic”, adding that he’s been “Milan’s best midfielder this season”, while Luca Bianchin of Gazzetta dello Sport believes he is ‘one of the most beautiful players to watch in the world’.

With I Rossoneri down in eighth in Serie A and, following Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia defeat to Bologna, it’s looking very likely that Milan will not qualify for any European competition at all, so they’ll surely be under pressure to sell some key assets, merely adding to the speculation that Reijnders could be on his way to Manchester.

Manchester City's new-look midfield

It’s not just Reijnders because, according to a report by Christian Falk and Phillip Arens of Bild, Manchester City have met with Bayer Leverkusen representatives as they aim to sign Florian Wirtz.

This, though, certainly won’t be an easy deal to get over the line given that, as reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have also ‘made contact’ with Wirtz’s entourage, while TEAMtalk notes that incoming Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso would love to bring him from the BayArena to the Bernabéu too.

Patrick Scherer from Kölner Stadt Anzeiger claims that Wirtz is valued at around €100m (around £84m), reflective of the fact that, as noted by Michael Cox of the Athletic, he is ‘one of the most sought-after talents in world football’, adding that he is a top-class creator and ‘brilliant at finding space’.

What is clear is that Wirtz is a world-class talent and, whoever does manage to sign him this summer, will be getting their hands on a genuine difference maker.

What Man City's midfield and attack could look like in 2025/26

But how would Wirtz, Reijnders and the soon-to-be-returning from injury Rodri all fit together?

Well, let’s assess their respective statistics to help answer this question.

Appearances

44

52

50

Minutes

3,302

4,411

4,327

Goals

16

15

9

Assists

15

5

15

Shots

118

123

84

Shots on target %

44.9%

41.5%

32.1%

Attempted passes

2,170

1,848

4,588

Pass completion %

80%

87.9%

91.9%

Progressive passes

229

267

495

Attempted take-ons

205

92

78

Tackles

38

32

84

Blocks

38

24

32

Interceptions

21

49

34

Ball recoveries

141

143

287

Touches per 90

64

40

107

As outlined by the table, these three players as a midfield trio would work really well together, complementing each other’s strengths.

Rodri is pretty much exceptional at everything, no wonder Man City have missed him so much this season, with the Spaniard’s 107 touches per 90 and 4,588 attempted passes particularly eye-catching.

Wirtz meantime, is the creator in chief, one of only six players across Europe’s big five leagues to reach double-figures for both goals and assists this season, alongside Mohamed Salah, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Romelu Lukaku and Gaëtan Perrin.

Meantime, the German’s 205 attempted take-ons is also pretty noteworthy, ranked second in the Bundesliga this season for this metric.

Lastly, we come to Reijnders, who is something of an all-rounder, scoring a very impressive 15 goals across all competitions this season, actually taking the most shots of the trio, while his 49 interceptions stands out too, suggesting he’d been an excellent Rodri partner.

The Dutchman has racked up over 4,400 minutes for Milan during this campaign, sitting out just one of their 53 matches, and this was due to a suspension, and his availability is certainly a valuable asset so, if Man City are able to assemble these three as a midfield trio, they might just become unstoppable once again.

Florian Wirtz now has representatives in Manchester as Guardiola pushes deal

It’s not one they want to miss out on.

1 ByTom Cunningham May 14, 2025

Manchester United have now made contact over a deal for another “world-class” Brazilian after Matheus Cunha, according to reporter Rudy Galetti.

"World-class" Cunha set to join Man Utd

All signs point towards Man United wrapping up a deal for Cunha in the near future, with Fabrizio Romano stating a deal for the Wolverhampton Wanderers star is now close, and there are signs he could be an exciting addition to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

The forward, who has been lauded as “world-class” by writer George Lakin, has outscored Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined in the Premier League this season, amassing 15 goals and six assists in 31 appearances for the Old Gold.

Amorim will be pleased that it looks like an early deal for the 25-year-old is close to completion, but the manager may also be looking to strengthen his options in a number of different areas, given just how poor his side have been this season.

Another position in which Man United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe may look to upgrade their options is right-back, according to an update from Galetti on X, having made contact to explore the conditions of a move for AS Monaco defender Vanderson.

Monaco are willing to sanction a departure this summer, with the French side willing to listen to offers starting from €30m (£25m) for the defender, who is attracting strong interest from the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur also making an approach.

There is yet to be a formal bid made by either English club, but there is clear interest on the Red Devils’ behalf, with Amorim seemingly looking to bring in competition for Diogo Dalot at right-back.

Man Utd submit offer to sign £150k-p/w Premier League star alongside Cunha

INEOS are looking to sign another Premier League player once they wrap up a deal for Matheus Cunha.

4 ByBrett Worthington May 19, 2025 "World-class" Vanderson could be fantastic signing

Bringing in new forwards may be a more pressing matter for Amorim, given that his side have been particularly poor on the front foot this season, netting just 42 Premier League goals up to this point, but there are signs the Monaco star could be a fantastic addition.

Much like Cunha, the Brazilian has been performing at the highest level, having been lauded as “world-class” by one scout, and his defensive aptitude is showcased by the number of tackles, interceptions and blocks he has averaged per 90 over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

3.14 (95th percentile)

Interceptions

1.71 (96th percentile)

Blocks

1.74 (95th percentile)

There is also an expectation that the 23-year-old would be an ideal fit in Amorim’s three-at-the-back system, given that he is comfortable playing at wing-back, picking up two goals and five assists for Monaco in the 2024-25 campaign.

Dalot has made the right-back spot his own this season, chalking up 51 appearances in all competitions, so bringing in competition should not be a priority for Man United, but Vanderson is well-suited to Amorim, and the potential asking price of just £25m makes him an attractive option.

Enzo Maresca is already eyeing signings for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window, despite a couple of matches to go before the end of the season.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues missed out on Dean Huijsen, therefore, they are moving on to other targets.

While, defensively, the club can improve next term, their need for another centre-forward has seen them linked with a few names. Hugo Ekitiké has been someone on the club’s radar of late amid excellent form at Eintract Frankfurt.

Benjamin Sesko is another striker Maresca is keeping an eye on. Could this be the striker the Blues need?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko

The Blues are reportedly showing plenty of interest in signing Sesko this summer, especially with his vast potential and wonderful goalscoring record.

A fee of £84m might be required if the Premier League side are serious about bringing him to England, however. Much of this will depend on whether the Blues can secure Champions League qualification or not.

The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young forwards in the game and his form in Germany demonstrates why.

Indeed, the Slovenia international has scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig throughout 2024/25 and judging by that, Sesko could be the answer to Maresca’s problems.

Benjamin Sesko’s Bundesliga stats (2024/25)

Goals

13

Assists

5

Shots per game

2.1

Goal conversion percentage

19%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

185

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

Via Sofascore

It’s safe to say that the offence is one of the big reasons Chelsea still have a battle on their hands to secure a top five place with Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford all scoring more than their 63-goal haul this term.

Nicolas Jackson, sent off against Eddie Howe’s side a few weeks ago, certainly hasn’t helped their cause in recent weeks.

What Sesko's arrival would mean for Jackson

Following an impressive season at Villarreal in 2022/23, one which saw the player net 13 goals and grab five assists in all competitions, Chelsea signed Jackson for more than £30m.

Jacek Kulig described Jackson as “extraordinary” for his exploits during that campaign, but his spell at Chelsea, however, hasn’t quite been as good.

17 goals during his first season was more than respectable, but this tally has dropped to 12 during the 2024/25 campaign with pundit Tim Sherwood famously remarking that “at times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.”

Should Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season, it is evident they will need someone more influential in front of goal, as Jackson simply isn’t the answer.

He currently earns £100k-per-week, more than Sesko’s £91k-per-week, and it’s safe to say that money would be better spent on the Slovenian instead.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Jackson fails to rank in the top 40% for no-penalty goals (0.41) per 90, while also failing to break through the top 40% with regard to successful take-ons (0.73) and touches in the attacking third (14.64) per 90.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can fire Chelsea to glory, that’s for sure. If Maresca is serious about improving this summer, bringing in Sesko for Jackson would certainly please a vast portion of the support.

The transfer window this summer could turn out to be interesting indeed.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington May 19, 2025

It was a case of the same old for Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead against the visiting Bournemouth but ended up coming away empty-handed in a match that perfectly summed up their domestic campaign.

Moreover, while he provided an assist for Declan Rice, it was another uninspiring performance from club captain Martin Odegaard, who picked up a 5/10 match rating from GOAL’s Stephen Darwin and made a mess of marking Evanilson for the winning goal.

The Norwegian’s poor form is now a serious concern, but in positive news, the club might have found a solution in a player who could get the best back out of him, a player compared to Kylian Mbappé.

Arsenal's transfer news

While the transfer target in question is someone who could get the best back out of Odegaard in the coming seasons, the club have also been credited with interest in some players who could be seen as out-and-out replacements for the midfielder, like Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could reportedly be available for around £111m this summer, and while that is an outrageous sum of money, it might not be entirely unreasonable, as at just 22 years old, he has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in 43 games for Bayer Leverkusen this term.

Cherki, on the other hand, could cost far less at just £30m, and that does seem like a bargain considering the fact he’s already scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists in 42 games for Lyon so far this season.

However, if the Gunners want to get the best back out of their captain, they’d be better off acting on their interest in Eintrach Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké.

According to a recent report from journalist Christian Falk, as relayed by Caught Offside, Arsenal want the French forward this summer.

However, Liverpool are also said to want the free-scoring forward, and worse yet, the German side want around €100m for their star striker, which is about £85m.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his immense ability, he is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d get the best back out of Odegaard, and he’s been compared to Mbappé.

Why Ekitiké could revive Odegaard

So, before we get into the reasons why Ekitiké could revive Odegaard, it’s worth examining this comparison to Mbappé and where it comes from.

It stems from journalist Graeme Bailey, who three years ago reported that there were some in France who thought that the young forward was set to become “the new Mbappé.”

Now, it’s fair to say he hasn’t quite hit the incredible heights of the Real Madrid man, but it’s not hard to see why people would make the comparison, as the Frankfurt gem is a young, exciting and pretty free-scoring forward who, according to The Athletic’s Alex Barker, likes to “drop into wider areas” and “can create a chance for someone from absolutely nothing.”

It’s these traits that make the comparison seem more reasonable, and then when you add them to his raw output, it’s not hard to see why he could help the Gunners captain get back to his best.

For example, this season alone has seen the 22-year-old monster score 22 goals and provide 11 assists in just 46 appearances, totalling 3466 minutes of action.

Ekitiké’s 24/25
Appearances	46
Minutes	3466′
Goals	22
Assists	11
Goal Involvements per Match	0.71
Minutes per Goal Involvement	105.03′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the sensational striker is averaging a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 105.03 minutes.

With a forward that prolific and creative starting ahead of him, the former Real Madrid wonderkid would undoubtedly see his goal and assist tallies soar.

Moreover, with the Reims-born star liking to drop back and drift out wide, opposition defenders would have to spend more time trying to cover him off and mark him in games, thus allowing the Drammen-born maestro more space to create.

Ultimately, while he wouldn’t be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Ekitiké this summer, as not only would he make the team more dangerous, but he could also help get Odegaard back to his imperious best.

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