All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Tottenham Hotspur’s rooted strategy in signing exciting young talents and developing them into high-class players capable of thriving in the Premier League preceded the glittery early days of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure.

But perhaps the Londoners lacked a bit of experience to help guide them through the stormy spells any season will bring. The lowly top-flight finish ended Postecoglou’s frenzied spell at the helm, a two-year stint that elicited every range of emotion from the Spurs faithful and culminated with triumph in the Europa League, thus restoring Tottenham’s place in the Champions League.

While the Lilywhites have created a foundation with their historic victory over Manchester United, it’s crucial that the secured silverware is used as a springboard for sustained success over the coming years.

In order to do this, Tottenham are going to need to hit the mark with their transfer priorities, piecing a team together that is fit for purpose at the highest level of the Premier League.

Spurs' transfer priorities this summer

Uncertainty continues to reign over Cristian Romero’s future in the English capital. The Argentina centre-back is being chased by Atletico Madrid, who are willing to spend around £60m to bring him over to La Liga.

Frank is desperate to keep hold of his defensive anchor. However, the Danish tactician does seem keen on bolstering his ranks with a slick attacking full-back – the £45m-rated Antonee Robinson is on the radar – and a winger to replace Heung-min Son, should the iconic captain leave.

While he wouldn’t have strictly been a direct replacement, the powers that be down at N17 were desperate to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as Tottenham’s new goalscoring winger supreme, but he’s rejected advances from all but United and is edging closer to a transfer to Old Trafford.

Midfield is in less need of reinforcements, but the pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze denotes an interest in signing a creative midfielder to contest for a starting berth with the likes of James Maddison.

However, with Eze fixed in Arsenal’s sights, Daniel Levy seems to have shifted his attention elsewhere.

Spurs join race for sought-after midfielder

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham have joined the race for SL Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu, who is anticipated to be available this summer for the right price.

Kokcu would fetch a €40m (£34m) fee, having impressed across his two terms with Benfica. Spurs are alongside Manchester United, Tottenham and Inter Milan in their interest; however, the player is thought to favour a move to Premier League champions Liverpool.

The 24-year-old worked under Arne Slot at Feyenoord, but Frank’s new project, offering the promise of Champions League football, could see the Londoners sign an exciting new creative presence.

Why Spurs wants Orkun Kokcu

Kokcu is still young in his professional career, but he has already accomplished so much. Joining Benfica from Feyenoord for around €30m (£25m) in June 2023, he’s chalked up 19 goals and 22 assists over 98 appearances in all competitions.

Once heralded as “one of the best midfielders in the country” by football legend Jaap Stam, while plying his trade in Holland, Kokcu opted against taking a move to one of Europe’s elite and instead focused on fostering his talents with Benfica, now more complete for it.

And given that he’s been praised as a “leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, this rising star might turn out to be the galvanising midfield force to spearhead the Frank era.

Who knows, maybe he’ll even come to be an upgrade on Maddison.

Matches (starts)

33 (30)

31 (21)

Goals

7

9

Assists

7

7

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.7)

1.3 (0.5)

Big chances missed

2

5

Pass completion

86%

87%

Big chances created

12

6

Key passes*

2.3

1.3

Dribbles*

0.3

1.1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

2.5

Tackles + interceptions*

1.6

1.4

Duels won*

3.0 (47%)

4.3 (53%)

As you can see, Kokcu is more than capable of matching Maddison’s immense creative qualities – an aptitude which has indeed seen the England international hailed as a “magician” by the likes of statistician Statman Dave in the past.

Moreover, the 28-year-old playmaker’s two terms with Tottenham have been frustratingly defined by regular injury setbacks. Given that Kokcu is four years his junior, there’s plenty of scope for growth with Frank might want to take advantage of.

While Spurs’ man is somewhat more combative than Kokcu, the Turkey talent is even more creative and clinical besides. Indeed, having missed just two big chances in the Primeira Liga last season, scoring seven goals, he’s got the goalscoring edge that could be channelled in a similar fashion as his counterpart here.

And the proof is in the pudding, for Kokcu, indeed, has demonstrated his ability to stand out against high-level Premier League opposition.

While Maddison is an incredible, dynamic midfielder, he’s got his flaws, and in Kokcu, Tottenham could get their hands on a pass master with the ever-widening scope that is required for success at the highest level.

After all, he managed to throw down with the heavy hitters in last season’s Champions League, finishing the campaign ranked among the top 15% of midfielders for goals scored and shot-creating actions, the top 19% for progressive passes and the top 13% for completed through balls per 90, as per FBref.

Tottenham might not be able to sign one of their top targets in Eze, but by moving for Kokcu, Frank could get his hands on an astute signing who has so much room for growth – potentially even turning out better, more consistent, than Maddison.

Dele 2.0: Spurs open talks to re-sign the Championship's "best full-back"

Tottenham are looking to make some shrewd signings ahead of the 2025/26 season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2025

Celtic have plenty of new arrivals in their sights and are said to be plotting a move for a Premier League midfielder to bolster their engine room, according to reports.

Celtic look to bring in new recruits after Hayato Inamura

Hayato Inamura has flown to the UK to join Celtic and will sign on the dotted line for £250,000 after Albirex Niigata confirmed his exit, making him the Bhoys’ fifth signing of the summer after Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Ross Doohan.

Despite the Bhoys’ hunt for a central defender, pundit Roger Hannah believes Inamura could head out on loan to gain experience rather than sticking around to cut his teeth at Parkhead.

He stated: “I don’t think Inamura will see the first team next season. I think the plan might be to either loan him straight back to his club in Japan or loan him to a European league.”

“It would be a huge leap for the lad to go from the level he has been playing at and straight into the Celtic first team. I think it’s too big a leap.”

Either way, Celtic have set their sights on further signings after the 23-year-old, and the Hoops could bring in Cathal O’Sullivan from Cork City despite interest from Brentford and Preston North End in his services.

It'd be Ryan Christie 2.0: Euro club open talks to sign £2m Celtic ace

A European team are interested in a deal to sign a star from Celtic this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 3, 2025

Keita Kosugi has also been mooted as a potential Celtic signing amid interest from the Scottish Premiership champions in the Djurgardens full-back, though it remains to be seen if they can push a deal over the line.

Now, a new name has come to the fore in their search for talent, and he may pique the attention of supporters due to his recent accomplishments.

Celtic prepare bid for Tyler Morton

According to reports, Celtic are preparing an offer for Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, who is said to be valued at around £15 million by the reigning Premier League champions.

Rodgers is an admirer of the 22-year-old and has extensive knowledge of his talents due to his connections with the Anfield club, where Morton was a youngster in the academy when the Hoops boss was in charge.

It is said that he could leave Merseyside in search of regular first-team football following the arrival of Florian Wirtz.

Tyler Morton’s senior appearances at Liverpool

Appearances

14

Goals

0

Assists

1

West Ham United, Braga, Ajax and Club Brugge are also interested in the holding midfielder, and suitors are only likely to grow due to his role in England Under-21’s claiming European Championship glory under Lee Carsley.

Labelled a “quality” player by Reds boss Arne Slot, AXA Training Centre graduate Morton maintained an 87.6% pass success rate at the tournament and could provide an adequate alternative to Callum McGregor in the six position.

Celtic’s club captain isn’t getting any younger, so it makes sense for Rodgers to put a succession plan in place to provide strength in depth for the long-term.

It’s already been a busy summer at Celtic, so how many more signings will they make?

On Friday, Benjamin Nygren was presented at Parkhead, arriving from Nordsjælland for a reported fee of £1.3m.

He is the club’s third summer edition, after Ross Doohan and Kieran Tierney, but are the Hoops in the market for another full-back, one that Nygren would enjoy playing alongside?

Celtic's left-back latest

Greg Taylor’s contract at Celtic officially expires on Tuesday, and his six-year stay in Glasgow will come to an end, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he has ‘agreed’ to join Greek Super League side PAOK Thessaloniki on a Bosman.

During his time at the club, Taylor made 216 appearances, 199 of which were starts, and was the undisputed first-choice left-back the vast majority of the time.

Taylor arrived from Kilmarnock to replace Tierney in 2019, the inverse is the case this time round but, with the returning hero infamously injury-prone, Brendan Rodgers will need a more than competent deputy.

Thus, as reported by Mark Pirie of the Daily Record, Keita Kosugi – who is valued at £2m by Football Transfers – is their first-choice target, with Celtic touted to sign him.

Sportbladet have previously documented Paris Saint-Germain’s interest in the full-back, while Djurgården’s sporting director Bosse Andersson told the same Swedish outlet that Kosugi will only be allowed to leave for “quite a lot of money”.

Nevertheless, this looks like a deal Celtic could get done.

How Keita Kosugi would improve Celtic

Just 19 years old, Kosugi joined Djurgården in March 2024, following a successful trial with the Stockholm-based side, and these are his statistics for the club so far.

Appearances

45

Starts

42

Minutes

3,708

Goals

5

Assists

2

Conference League starts

16

Conference League goals

2

As the table outlines, from the moment he arrived, the Japanese teenager has been a first-choice starter for Djurgården, a key figure in the team that reached last season’s Conference League semi-finals, scoring against Víkingur Reykjavík and Rapid Wien en route.

Scout Elijah Michiels describes his performances as “excellent”, praising his “crossing abilities….great overlapping runs and fast acceleration”.

So, let’s take a look at his statistics from last year’s Conference League.

Minutes

987

14th

Completed passes

403

46th

Progressive carries

23

28th

Touches

653

25th

Tackles

23

18th

% of dribblers tackled

85.7%

8th

Blocks

22

3rd

Interceptions

12

24th

Clearances

46

15th

As the table outlines, Kosugi ranked highly for a wide variety of metrics in last season’s Conference League.

This includes defensive statistics, tackles and blocks, but also progressive carries, emphasising his attacking capabilities.

Han June of Football Asian labels him “one of Asia’s hottest young prospects”, outlining his “fearless defending”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that ‘pace…work rate and technique’ are his primary attributes, all of which make Kosugi ”a modern defender’.

Meantime, writer Kai Watson notes that he is a “promising attacking threat”, which could see him link up well with new arrival Nygren down the left-hand side. The latter man scored 16 goals in 2024/25, with four of those coming from just eight outings on the left wing.

The Swede, who is capable of operating on either flank, would surely thrive with a dynamic, overlapping full-back in support, meaning, should Kosugi arrive, he could form an unstoppable partnership with his fellow new recruit.

Ajer 2.0: Celtic make enquiry to sign "imposing" £5m titan

Celtic are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign the central defender this summer.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 27, 2025

Mikel Arteta’s squad at Arsenal is shaping up to look rather different ahead of their opening Premier League game of 2025/2026 against Man United.

Arsenal plan £51m Chelsea hijack as key target now eyes Barcelona move

Andrea Berta has shifted focus.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025

The Gunners have been repeatedly linked with a new defender, winger and striker in the last week, but sporting director Andrea Berta will also be working to offload some players in a bid to fund their recruitment drive and trim the wage bill.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Marquinhos, Kieran Tierney, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand and Jorginho have officially left the club already, with the latter terminating his contract early so he can play for new side Flamengo at the Club World Cup.

Meanwhile, reports are beginning to suggest that Arsenal have hit a stumbling block in negotiations over a new contract for Thomas Partey (CaughtOffside), so the Ghanaian could end up following the aforementioned names out of the club’s exit door if a resolution cannot be found.

Berta also has some key decisions to make on the futures of Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The former impressed alongside William Saliba while Gabriel was out injured last season, and plays a crucial role for Poland at international level, which has attracted keen interest from Serie A heavyweights AC Milan (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Kiwior simply has to decide whether he wants to continue playing second fiddle behind Arteta’s preferred centre-back pairing, but the writing appears to be on the wall for Zinchenko.

The Ukraine international scarcely featured last season, making just 15 Premier League appearances, mostly off the bench, and he’s widely expected to have already played his last game in an Arsenal shirt.

Oleksandr Zinchenko holds "positive" talks to join Atlético Madrid

An emissary from Milan reportedly held talks with Arsenal over Zinchenko last week (La Gazzetta), but they’re not the only elite contenders for his signature.

According to CaughtOffside, the 28-year-old wants to leave, and Zinchenko has held “positive” talks with Atletico Madrid over an Arsenal exit. The north Londoners are prepared to green-light his exit for just £13 million, and there is a sense that Diego Simeone’s side could move forward in quick fashion to hold negotiations with Arsenal – even if they have other left-backs like Liverpool’s Andy Robertson on their agenda.

Atlético have Zinchenko, Robertson, Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne on an extensive target list as Simeone looks to reinforce the left-back area, but if the La Liga side end up moving on from Arsenal’s surplus defender, Milan are still in contention for him.

Berta will be keen to make some money back off the £30 million fee splashed on Zinchenko’s signing in 2022, but more importantly, this interest gives Arsenal a chance to trim his £150,000-per-week wages off their already-large wage bill.

Celtic missed out on the domestic treble earlier this month when they were beaten by Aberdeen on penalties in the final of the SFA Cup at Hampden Park.

The Hoops had already won the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, but they were unable to claim the third trophy in the collection against the Dons.

Brendan Rodgers may want to go all the way next season, after failing to win the treble in both of his first two years back at the club, and could do that by improving his squad in the summer transfer window.

With that in mind, here is the dream starting line-up that Rodgers could build to attack the 2025/26 campaign head-on when they return to action later this year…

1 Kasper Schmeichel

Starting off between the sticks, Kasper Schmeichel should still be the number one for Celtic next season, at least to begin with, after an impressive debut campaign, despite his own goal in the SFA Cup final.

The former Leicester City stopper racked up an impressive 24 clean sheets in 49 appearances after joining from Anderlecht on a free transfer last year.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, Celtic should be aiming to keep hold of Alistair Johnston amid reported interest from English sides Ipswich Town and Fulham this summer, after he scored four goals and provided ten assists in the Premiership this season.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

At the heart of the defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers should be a mainstay in the team again next season, after he was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year yet again. The colossal central defender has the right-sided centre-back position locked down, and it should stay that way.

4 Liam Scales

The left-sided centre-back position is up for debate, unlike the right side, with Auston Trusty, Maik Nawrocki, and Liam Scales all in contention to play that role.

Scales, however, ended the season as the first-choice for Rodgers, despite Trusty and Nawrocki being fit and available, which suggests that he will head into pre-season as the obvious partner to Carter-Vickers.

5 Kieran Tierney

Left-back is another position that should be fairly obvious. Kieran Tierney is joining on a free transfer from Arsenal and should be the go-to option in that area of the park when fit and available.

The Scotland international produced 37 assists in 170 matches for Celtic during his first spell at the club, which suggests that he could provide a huge creative outlet down the left flank for the Scottish giants next season.

It remains to be seen whether or not Greg Taylor, who is out of contract this summer, will be at Parkhead next term, so Tierney is currently the only senior left-back who is guaranteed to be in the squad.

6 Callum McGregor

At the base of the midfield three, captain Callum McGregor is another obvious pick for Rodgers. The skipper started 34 of his 35 appearances in the Premiership this season, which does not suggest that he is close to being on his way out of the XI.

7 Arne Engels

Celtic broke the bank to sign Arne Engels from Augsburg last summer in a club-record £11m move, and he repaid them with a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances for the club in his debut season.

8 Lennon Miller

Another new addition to the squad, alongside Tierney, could be Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller, who could arrive to complete the midfield trio with McGregor and Engels.

Serie A side Udinese have been linked with a summer move for Reo Hatate, and Celtic could sign the Scottish starlet, who is a reported transfer target, to replace the Japanese ace.

Appearances

37

32

Goals

10

2

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes per game

1.2

1.6

Assists

2

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.1

3.1

Ball recoveries per game

3.2

6.3

Duel success rate

44%

53%

As you can see in the table above, Miller would be an exciting replacement for Hatate because he offers a similar threat as a creator whilst being better out of possession, albeit he does not provide as much of a goalscoring presence.

At 18, the Scotland U21 international is also nine years younger than the Celtic star and could be the long-term option for Rodgers in that position, which is why it could make sense to cash in on the Japanese star to sign the Motherwell maestro.

9 Nicolas Kuhn

Nicolas Kuhn ended the 2024/25 campaign with an eye-catching haul of 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions from a right wing position for the Hoops.

The left-footed star provided a constant threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, which is why he should remain the starting option on that flank.

10 Mathias Kvistgaarden

The third signing that could be added to this dream starting XI, alongside Tierney and Miller, is Brondby centre-forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.

Celtic are reportedly weighing up a club-record swoop for the Danish marksman, who is valued at in excess of £12m, and it could be a fantastic piece of business for the club to upgrade on Adam Idah.

Appearances

29

35

FotMob rating

7.29

6.86

xG

13.99

13.57

Goals

17

13

Chances created

19

19

Assists

5

0

As you can see in the table above, their respective performances at league level this season suggest that Kvistgaarden would offer far more than the Irishman as a superior finisher.

Therefore, Celtic should attempt to conclude a deal for the 23-year-old centre-forward, dubbed “sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, in the weeks to come as he could add an even greater goal threat to Rodgers’ side than Idah currently does.

With Steven Gerrard potentially on his way back to the club, Rangers could now reportedly bring an experienced star to Ibrox this summer in a surprising new role at the club.

Rangers' manager update

With the season now over, the Gers have instantly turned their attention towards finding their next permanent manager. It’s a decision that those at Ibrox must get right as the 49ers look to make an instant statement in Scotland. Just who will take to the hot seat next is the unanswered question. So far, a range of names have been linked with the role with Davide Ancelotti and Gerrard particularly standing out.

According to recent reports, Gerrard could return to Ibrox for the first time since leaving them for the chance to take charge of Aston Villa in 2021 in what may receive a mixed reaction. The Liverpool legend would certainly need to get off to a strong start back in Scotland in an attempt to get any frustrated fans back onside four years on from his departure.

Meanwhile, Ancelotti is also an interesting candidate. The assistant manager to his father, the legendary Carlo Ancelotti, for much of his career, he could now choose to break away and commence his own managerial spell.

Igniting reports, his father has chosen not to take Ancelotti to the Brazil national team with him, claiming that his son is in talks with a European club. The former Real Madrid manager told reporters: “Davide is currently in negotiations with a European team. I don’t think it’s right for him to come with me. If he goes to a club, I wish him the best. And if not, he can come back to us at any time.”

Whether that European club is Rangers remains to be seen, but Ancelotti is certainly one to watch alongside Gerrard.

Gerrard could bring Henderson with him to Rangers

If it is to be Gerrard, then he could bring a Premier League-winning captain with him to Ibrox. According to reports from the Netherlands, as relayed by The Daily Record, Rangers and Gerrard are now interested in signing Jordan Henderson from Ajax this summer in an unexpected coaching role, with the former Liverpool midfielder reportedly open to a new adventure.

It’s been a tough few years for Henderson on the pitch. His decision to leave Liverpool to join Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq side in 2023 was ultimately one that he came to regret. Meanwhile, his time at Ajax has since been mixed and he could be on his way out of the Dutch giants just 18 months after arriving. From being a Premier League-winning captain at Anfield, Henderson is at a major career crossroads.

49ers could sign "terrific" star who'd be Rangers' next Aribo at Ibrox

Rangers could repeat their Aribo masterclass in move for Championship winger

ByRoss Kilvington May 26, 2025

If anyone knows about the midfielder’s quality too, it is Gerrard. The Anfield hero played together with Henderson, currently on a base salary of £75,000-a-week, at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield for a number of years and shared high praise for his former teammate back in 2019 – telling reporters: “Some people don’t see the stuff behind the scenes, the gym work, the way he eats, but he is an incredible role model.

“He is selfless. He puts himself at the back of the queue because he looks after everyone else first. He puts Jordan Henderson last.”

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly submitted their opening bid for a highly rated centre-back, as star defender Cristian Romero continues to attract Atlético Madrid’s admiring glances ahead of the summer window.

Atlético Madrid express interest in signing Cristian Romero

Atlético’s links to the Argentinian are nothing new, as Romero’s potential move to La Liga has been reported on regularly over the last few months.

Tottenham "dreaming" of signing £67m ex-PSG star after Europa League triumph

Spurs’ summer transfer window has suddenly become much more interesting.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

What is more concerning, though, is more recent claims that Romero is just as keen to leave north London as Atlético are on signing the £165,000-per-week centre-back, who starred throughout Spurs’ Europa League campaign and was crowned Player of the Tournament.

Player

Rating

Guglielmo Vicario

7.7

Yves Bissouma

7.6

Cristian Romero

7.4

Bruno Fernandes

7.4

Destiny Udogie

7.2

His defensive heroics helped Ange Postecoglou make good on his famous promise of always winning trophies in his second season, which will now go down in Lilywhites folklore, and Romero was pictured enjoying the celebrations as Spurs ended their 17-year wait for silverware.

However, hoisting the Europa League trophy aloft may well be one of his final acts in a Tottenham jersey.

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo is one of the latest outlets to report that Romero has given the green light to join Atlético and is personally keen on a switch to Diego Simeone’s side, with the main obstacle being his £50 million price tag.

La Liga reports as far back as March also claimed that Romero is determined to leave Tottenham this summer, and according to media sources closer to home, the 27-year-old is still expected to go regardless of their Europa League triumph (Pete O’Rourke).

Therefore, it is little surprise that Spurs are believed to be targeting a centre-back when the window reopens.

Tottenham remain in contention for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, as per GiveMeSport, and were thought to be seriously in the mix for Dean Huijsen before he decided to join Real Madrid from Bournemouth at the end of the season (Fabrizio Romano).

Guehi’s price tag is expected to be around £50 million, given he’s entering the final 12 months of his contract, but chairman Daniel Levy now also has his eyes on a cheaper alternative successor to Romero.

Tottenham submit opening bid for Genoa defender Koni de Winter

According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, via Sport Witness, that man is “gifted” Genoa defender Koni de Winter.

The Belgium international has been targeted by the likes of West Ham, but it is actually Spurs who are making the most serious move for him out of any Premier League side.

La Repubblica states that Tottenham have submitted a £20 million bid for De Winter ahead of 1st June, and while the outlet doesn’t reveal Genoa’s stance on this offer, it is a signal of Spurs’ serious interest.

The likes of Inter and Juve have also been linked with the 22-year-old, perhaps highlighting his quality, with de Winter revealing that those close to him compare the defender to Man City legend Vincent Kompany.

“All my life I have been told I play like Vincent Kompany,” said De Winter to the i Paper.

“I have this ability to make runs with the ball like he did, I have the same technical side. It’s a really big name, so I one day hope to be able to live up to him. You look at the other big names (former Belgian Premier League defenders) and it is only right that they ended up playing in the best competitions.”

Based on what we’ve seen since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club three years ago, we’re expecting yet another busy summer of transfer activity at Chelsea.

So far, under Boehly’s ownership, the Blues have spent in excess of £1bn on over 40 new first-team players, numbers that are likely to rise this summer, regardless of whether or not Enzo Maresca’s side secure Champions League qualification next Sunday.

A new striker is likely to be at the top of their list of priorities, so could they return to one of their favourite shopping destinations?

The latest on Christopher Nkunku's Chelsea future

Earlier this month, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Deutschland reported that Christopher Nkunku ‘has decided’ he will leave Chelsea this summer.

The French international arrived from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of £52m two summers ago, but has made very little impact at Stamford Bridge, as the table below outlines.

Total appearances

56

Total starts

24

PL appearances

38

PL starts

11

Matches an unused substitute

7

Matches missed due to injury

43

Total goals

17

Total assists

5

PL goals

6

UECL goals

7

As highlighted in the table, Nkunku has spent almost half of his Chelsea career in the treatment room, while 41% of his goals have come in the Conference League, which isn’t the competition they spent big money hoping he would star in.

Aurélien Léger-Moëc of Foot Mercato claims that Bayern Munich and Newcastle are amongst those ‘interested’ in signing Nkunku this summer, and now is certainly the time for Chelsea to cash in and attempt to recoup a decent fee, so do they have their eyes on a replacement?

Chelsea could sign dream replacement for Nkunku

As reported by Sam Dean of the Telegraph, Chelsea are ‘interested’ in signing Brighton forward João Pedro, with Arsenal and Liverpool also considering making a move.

This week, the Brazilian was nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, with manager Fabian Hürzeler praising his forward as an “important player” for the Seagulls.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him “simply fantastic”, Oliver Haines from Breaking the Lines is impressed by his high-quality finishing, while Chris Wilder, who was his manager at Watford, believes he is a “super-talented player”.

Pedro joined Brighton for a reported £30m two years ago, and his outstanding form means the Albion now value him at £100m, according to James Holland of Team Talk.

Well, Chelsea are not usually shy when it comes to signing Brighton players, as the table below underlines.

Moisés Caicedo

£115m

Robert Sánchez

£25m

Marc Cucurella

£62m

Shumaira Mheuka

£4.25m

Zak Sturge

£1m

Total

£207.25m

With that in mind, could João Pedro be next?

Well, let’s compare his statistics this season to those of Nkunku to see if he would, indeed, be the dream replacement for the wantaway Frenchman.

Appearances

27

27

Minutes

910

1,953

Goals

3

10

Assists

2

6

Shots

25

42

Shots on target %

44%

35.7%

Big chances created

1

11

Big chances missed

6

7

Shot-creating actions

34

72

Goal-creating actions

4

9

Touches per 90

44

44

Average Sofascore Rating

6.82

7.15

As the table outlines, Pedro boasts almost universally better statistics than Nkunku this season, when it comes to goals, assists, shooting, and chances created.

Thus, the Brazilian would surely be an excellent signing for the Blues, and that is why the club should ruthlessly ditch Nkunku from the squad in order to make room for this new addition.

He's better than Joao Pedro: Chelsea looking at signing the "next Mbappe"

Chelsea are looking for a new striker this summer

ByJoe Nuttall May 15, 2025

Arsenal are now in the race to sign a “spectacular” £85m forward who’s been likened to Gabriel Martinelli, but there is set to be competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Gunners set sights on new winger

With the summer transfer window edging ever closer, it is becoming clear that Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his attacking options this summer, and a top-level striker is believed to be of particular interest.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku are all on the shortlist, with the latter player also capable of playing out wide, which is another area in which Arteta is looking to strengthen.

The Gunners have set their sights on two wingers who have been impressing in La Liga this season, namely Barcelona’s Raphinha and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, but there has now been a suggestion they may also take a risk on an up-and-coming Serie A star.

Talks held: Arsenal open negotiations to sign "amazing" 20 y/o wonderkid

The Gunners have set their sights on a defender, who they have followed for years.

ByDominic Lund Apr 27, 2025

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now in the race to sign Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, but a deal will not be cheap, as the Serie A side are looking to hold out for a fee of €100m (£85m), given their determination to keep hold of the youngster.

There may also be fierce competition for Yildiz’s signature, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, which could make it difficult to get a deal over the line.

The 19-year-old is touted as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, given the Brazilian’s inconsistent form this season, and there are signs the Juventus starlet could be a like-for-like replacement.

"Spectacular" Yildiz compared to Martinelli

Martinelli may have been inconsistent this season, but the winger has still put in some top-quality performances, recently scoring in the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Real Madrid to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

As such, it is a good sign that Yildiz has been compared to the 23-year-old by football scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “See a lot of similarities between Yıldız & Martinelli, not entirely the same but their finishing and dribbling style is similar.”

The Turkey international is enjoying an impressive campaign with Juventus, picking up eight goals and five assists, and he has previously received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded the starlet’s “high on-the-ball bravery to make spectacular solo runs”.

Yildiz clearly has a very bright future ahead of him, but there are doubts over whether his performances up to this point justify a £85m outlay, and with the youngster contracted until 2029, it may be very difficult to prise him away from Juventus.

A Bundesliga side are “ready” to sign a Rangers star valued at more than £20m this summer, according to a new update.

Rangers exit Europa League as worrying 49ers takeover update shared

The Gers’ hopes of winning the Europa League came to an end on Thursday evening after a 2-0 defeat to Athletic Club. Rangers were hoping that they’d be returning to Bilbao at the end of May for the final, however, goals in either half from Oihan Sanchet and Nico Williams ensured it would be Athletic Club taking on Man Utd in the semi finals.

For those at Ibrox, attention will soon turn to the 2025/26 season, especially as they currently trail Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership by 15 points.

Rangers: Attacking 4-3-3 manager wanted at Ibrox is now "ready" for return

He’s been linked with a move to Glasgow.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 17, 2025

The 49ers Enterprises are currently in the process of completing an Ibrox takeover, however, ex-Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness has heard that the American investors aren’t aware of how passionate Rangers fans are and are viewing the deal as a “business transaction”.

“I’m hearing some very interesting things from my sources at Rangers this week. They’re saying that the 49ers are looking at this like a business transaction, they don’t really get what they’re going into – in terms of the fans, the sectarian situation and the religious connotations.

“The Rangers fanbase have a massive passion. It’s alright to see it occasionally, but you’ve really got to live in it and get to know it if you’re going to invest like this. It’s an unusual beast and it’s very powerful. What I’m hearing is that the 49ers don’t quite understand that side of it.”

One of the first tasks for the 49ers will be to appoint a new permanent manager, however, they could also lose a number of players.

Recently, Hamza Igamane has been linked with a move away from Glasgow, with Marseille making a serious move. Meanwhile, Leon Balogun is unlikely to be offered a new Rangers contract and looks set to leave for free.

Borussia Monchengladbach “ready” to sign Rangers star Raskin

Now, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, relayed by Sport Witness, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach are “ready” to sign Rangers star Nicolas Raskin this summer.

Those in Glasgow have recently valued Raskin at more than £20m, and according to Tavolieri, Monchengladbach are prepared to swoop.

He doesn’t state if Rangers are willing to do business, however, Raskin himself recently admitted his desire to “compete at a big club” ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Games

90

Goals

3

Assists

10

Yellow cards

15

“I’ve been here for two and a half years. It’s gone very well for me, especially this season. You have to see what the club wants, what comes on the table, and try to do the best for everyone. As a footballer, you always want to look ahead and see what you can do better.

“If you want to give yourself the best chance of playing in an international competition, you have to be able to compete at a big club. But the goal isn’t to go to a club where you’ll play less and lose that advantage of playing every week. It’s a balancing act that needs to be found.”

A move away from Ibrox could therefore be one to keep an eye on for the Belgium international.