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A number of top clubs are said to be taking “concrete steps” to complete the signing of a Manchester United attacker in the summer transfer window.

Man Utd's attack unconvincing all season

While the Red Devils can still win the Europa League this season, which would save their campaign and see them qualify for the Champions League, it has still been a bitterly disappointing past nine months or so.

United have struggled to convince all over the pitch, and in attack, far too many players have flattered to deceive, either lacking consistency or simply not offering anywhere near enough quality.

Bruno Fernandes has been a star performer, in fairness, but the fact that the Portuguese is his side’s top scorer in the Premier League with just eight goals highlights the issues they have had in the final third. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have netted just four and three times in the competition this season, which is particularly poor.

For that reason, it is vital that significant attacking reinforcements arrive at Old Trafford when this season comes to an end, with additions needed both centrally and out wide. Now, an exit rumour has emerged regarding one under-fire player.

Juventus pushing to sign Hojlund from Man Utd

According to Calciomercato journalist Daniele Longo [via Sport Witness], Juventus are taking “concrete steps” to sign Manchester United striker Hojlund in a quick exit this summer. The report states that contact has already been made with the £85,000-a-week Dane over an immediate switch to the European giants, having previously reportedly had an agreement in place with Zirkzee.

At just 22, Hojlund is still such a young player, so selling him now would bring with it some risk for United, but there is an increasing feeling that he isn’t at the level required, following a tough campaign. This is despite former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner lauding him as “top class” and scout Jacek Kulig calling him a “Danish beast”.

United simply must put a lot of their focus on signing an elite striker in the summer window, from Victor Osimhen to Viktor Gyokeres, and in truth, it makes sense to move on either Hojlund or Zirkzee. While the latter has hardly set the world alight this season, he has arguably offered more than the former, and the fact that the Red Devils could still receive good money for Hojlund means now could be the logical time to move him on.

Worse than Bayindir: 2/10 flop must now never start for Man Utd again

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2 ByMatt Dawson May 4, 2025

His passion and commitment cannot be called into question, and the idea of him staying this summer is far from a disaster, but there is plenty of sense in bringing an end to his time at the club.

Burnley are now in a transfer battle with Leeds United as they both want to sign a “unique” Ipswich Town star, according to a recent report.

Burnley begin transfer plans as they eye midfield reinforcements

The Clarets only confirmed their promotion to the Premier League on Monday evening, but already Scott Parker and club chiefs are working on transfer business ahead of the summer transfer window opening.

Burnley want to sign Fulham ace who previously won promotion under Parker

Burnley are now looking to sign a player who has worked with their manager before.

ByBrett Worthington Apr 24, 2025

It’s been claimed by EFL pundit Lee Hendrie that Jonjo Shelvey will likely not be at Turf Moor next season. The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the campaign, and it is likely that he will not be offered a new deal, according to Hendrie.

That might be because Burnley already have his replacement in mind, as according to Give Me Sport, the Clarets are now interested in signing Harrison Reed from Fulham, a player who Parker knows well from his time working at Craven Cottage.

Fulham are said to be looking to strengthen their midfield this summer, and Reed could be allowed to leave should they receive the right offer. This has alerted Burnley, who are looking to strike a deal as the Clarets try to bring Premier League experience to their team.

Burnley in transfer battle for Ipswich star Hirst

But it is not just the midfield that the Clarets are looking to strengthen, as according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Burnley are interested in signing George Hirst from Ipswich this summer.

O’Rourke states that as well as the Lancashire side holding an interest in Hirst, Championship rivals Leeds are also keen on securing a deal for the striker, as the Tractor Boys look set to return to the second tier in English football.

However, while both sides can offer Premier League football, Ipswich are not willing to let Hirst just leave, as O’Rourke states that the Tractor Boys are desperately looking to tie the striker down to a new contract to ward off the interest, with Liam Delap expected to leave Portman Road this summer.

Hirst currently earns £27,500 a week at Ipswich, so the interested parties may have to stump up a significant increase to better whatever his current employers are offering.

Apps

76

Goals

18

Assists

11

The 26-year-old, who has been dubbed “unique” by Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, has had to be very patient this season, starting just three of the 21 Premier League games he’s played. Hirst has scored two goals in the process, his latest coming in the 4-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in March.

The Scotland international is still under contract until 2027, so Ipswich still have time on their hands, but Burnley and Leeds can both offer the forward another chance of playing in the Premier League, and this may be too hard for Hirst to turn down.

Since Diego Costa left Chelsea back in 2017, the Blues have struggled to find a centre-forward worthy of leading the line.

The Spanish forward netted 59 goals and provided 21 assists in his 120 appearances for the club, totaling 9,799 minutes played.

Chelsea strikers that have attempted to fill this void include Álvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud, Romelu Lukaku, Tammy Abraham and Nicolas Jackson, none of whom have managed a 20+ goal season.

Jackson feels as though he may have the potential to do just that but he needs to work on his finishing, notably failing to score from five shots against Ipswich on Sunday afternoon.

Costa was known for being a handful for defenders, running the channels, turning half-chances into big chances and, of course, scoring goals.

Chelsea are still looking to replace that presence upfront, and this summer could play a big part in doing so.

Chelsea make contact to sign "powerhouse" striker

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards in recent months, with one of those being Ipswich’s Liam Delap.

Yet, there’s a striker with even more talent in Chelsea’s crosshairs…

Indeed, according to reports from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have held direct talks with the entourage of Viktor Gyokeres, confirming their interest in the Sporting CP striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

A deal for the Sweden international would likely cost around £65m, which Chelsea are said to deem as “fair” price.

Transfer Focus

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

That being said, Chelsea aren’t the only club interested in the 26-year-old forward, as Arsenal and Newcastle are also said to be eyeing the striker this summer.

Much of this could depend on the future of Alexander Isak, as he is also a target for Arsenal, whilst Newcastle will only likely move for a forward if the Swedish striker leaves the club.

Gyokeres has made 45 appearances so far this season, scoring 44 goals, providing 11 assists and totaling 3,610 minutes played.

While some have doubts over how he could translate these numbers to the Premier League, one man who could help is Chelsea’s star man, Cole Palmer.

How Gyokeres could benefit Cole Palmer at Chelsea

It’s safe to say that if Gyokeres joined Chelsea this summer he would have the potential to be that 20-goal-a-season man they have been craving since the days of Costa.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Swede as a “powerhouse”, comparing him to a “steam train” once he gets going in motion. His ability to make runs and create something out of nothing is very similar to Costa, who would often hustle to create his own chances. As a result, he could be game-changing for Palmer.

Palmer has suffered from a poor vein of form in recent weeks, going ten Premier League games without a goal, only assisting three goals in this timeframe.

That said, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder has the highest xA (expected assists) in the Premier League this season, generating 7.9 xA so far.

Goals

1.19

0.41

Assists

0.28

0.24

xG

0.66

0.54

xAG

0.25

0.31

Progressive Carries

4.26

3.25

Progressive Passes

1.76

6.24

Shots Total

4.33

3.65

Goals/Shot

0.18

0.09

Key Passes

2.50

2.54

Shot-Creating Actions

3.82

5.93

Aerial Duels Won

0.59

0.03

As you can see from comparing the underlying metrics of Gyokeres and Palmer, Chelsea’s star could benefit by having a clinical striker in and around the box.

Unlike Jackson, he needs someone who is ready to finish those chances he is serving up week on week. Gyokeres averages 0.66 xG per 90, scoring 1.19 goals per 90 and scoring 0.18 goals/shot, which would only help Palmer’s numbers.

Whilst the Englishman clearly has a good relationship with Jackson, adding a striker like Gyokeres, who can bring the same physical traits that Costa had to the club, whilst not losing the channel running and link-up play offered by Jackson, could be the happy medium to finding the Blues’ perfect striker.

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ByDan Emery Apr 14, 2025

It’s a massive season-defining week for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still technically in the Premier League title race, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead with seven games to play, it is all but over.

The Champions League, however, is most certainly not. The Gunners play host to European royalty Real Madrid on Wednesday, and to ensure they have the best chance of heading to Spain with a lead to protect, Arteta has to make a few changes.

Heroes could certainly be made but whether Jakub Kiwior goes on to evoke memories of Philippe Senderos and Co remains to be seen.

Why Arteta has to drop Kiwior

Kiwior played most of the game against Fulham last week and then started against Everton on the weekend due to Gabriel Magalhães’ recent hamstring injury.

To his credit, the Polish international was fine against the Toffees, but against the Cottagers, some of the same issues which have plagued him throughout his time in North London showed themselves again, such as lacklustre ball-playing and questionable positioning.

For example, he was partially to blame for their late goal after getting into and losing a tussle with the rapid Adama Traore.

Moreover, we’ve already seen how he fared against top European opposition in the past, when he started at full-back at home to Bayern Munich last time and seriously struggled, picking up a 3/10 match rating from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who described him as ‘flat-footed’ while content creator and fan Alexander Moneypenny labelled him as “shakey.”

In all, while Kiwior is a useful squad player and perhaps someone who can come on towards the end of the game, he’s not got the quality to start, especially when there is already a perfect replacement in the squad.

Chalkboard

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

The Arsenal star to replace Kiwior

So, given the extent of the injuries to the team’s defensive options at the moment, there are only really two options to replace Kiwior at centre-back tonight, and Arteta should go with Ben White.

The Englishman started at right-back at the weekend and, when fit, has almost exclusively started off the right of a back four across the last three seasons.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was initially signed as a centre-back and spent the majority of the 21/22 campaign there, with 34 of his 37 appearances that year coming in a back two.

Centre-Back

208

4

9

Right-Back

113

5

13

Defensive Midfield

13

0

0

Left-Back

4

0

0

Right Midfield

1

0

0

In fact, across his career to date, it’s been his most played position by quite some margin.

He has made 208 appearances there, so he should be able to slot in without an issue.

Moreover, by starting the Gunners’ “warrior,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, alongside Willliam Saliba, Arteta can once again start Jurrien Timber at right-back, where he has made 26 appearances this year.

Doing this would at least keep most of the team as they have been for much of the season, and when coming up against a team like Real, the rest of the starters need to be confident that those around them will know exactly what they are doing.

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal solution, but Kiwior has not shown enough in his limited appearances to warrant starting a game of this magnitude.

In contrast, White has been Mr reliable during his time at Arsenal and has yet another chance to show why his £50m price tag was more than justified all those years ago.

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The “complete” striker would be incredible for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 7, 2025

When will we next see Erling Haaland?

On Monday, it was reported that the Norwegian striker ‘will see a specialist’ after suffering a rather nasty-looking ankle injury during Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

As reported by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, Haaland is expected to be back in time for the Club World Cup, but whether or not he’ll be able to feature again in the Premier League this season remains unclear.

Manchester City seeking to sign world-class striker

Given that the 24-year-old has scored 120 goals in 134 appearances for the Sky Blues, averaging a goal every 94 minutes, you may think signing a new striker would be low down on Man City’s list of priorities. Well, you’d think wrong, it would seem.

Transfer Focus

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

As reported by TEAMtalk, Manchester City are ‘interested’ in signing striker Jonathan David this summer, but face competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United, who have all ‘expressed interest’.

David is out of contract at current club LOSC Lille, and is widely expected to depart les Dogues as a free agent in the summer.

Since joining Lille from Gent for a reported fee of €30m (£25m) five years ago, the Canadian has scored an impressive 107 goals in 225 appearances, winning a Ligue 1 title, while 12 of his goals have come in the Champions League.

So, where would he fit in at Manchester CIty?

How Jonathan David would improve Manchester City

Man City not only already have the goal machine himself Haaland, but they also signed Omar Marmoush for around £60m in January.

The Egyptian proved to be the match-winner by the South Coast on Sunday, his fifth goal in 11 Man City appearances so far, most notably bagging a hat-trick against Newcastle in February.

Nevertheless, if Man City can get their hands on David, they must grasp this opportunity with two hands.

Paul Almeida on Twitter describes David as ‘world-class’, while European football expert Zach Lowy labels him ‘one of the best young strikers in Europe’.

Meanwhile, Joe Callaghan of the Guardian notes that David often saves ‘his best for the biggest stage’, so let’s analyse how he compares to Marmoush this season.

Appearances

42

37

Minutes

3,371

2,766

Goals

23

25

Assists

10

15

Goals – xG

+2.2

+8.5

Shots on target %

44.2%

42.7%

Shot-creating actions

74

146

Take-on success %

48.9%

37.3%

Touches per 90

30.9

38.7

As the table outlines, Marmoush is actually having a better season than David, scoring two more goals to date, but, as noted by Anantaajith Raghuraman and Elias Burke of the Athletic, this is the best form of the Egyptian’s entire career.

Marmoush ranks fifth across Europe’s top-five leagues, as well as second in the Bundesliga, when it comes to goals – xG, which is obviously great, but suggests his form may not be as sustainable as Man City might like.

David, meantime, has been a regular, reliable goal-scorer for many years now, as the table below outlines below he has been more prolific than City’s big January signing.

2024/25

23

25

2023/24

26

17

2022/23

26

6

2021/22

19

3

2020/21

13

8

2019/20

23

9

As outlined, this season is the first time ever that Marmoush has outscored David in a single-season; there’s still time for that to change too of course.

The Egyptian has enjoyed a meteoric rise, plying his trade in the Regionalliga Nord, Germany’s fourth-tier, as recently as 2019/20, as well as the Zweite Bundesliga the year after, the same season David won Ligue 1 with Lille.

David, on the other hand, has produced very consistent goal-scoring numbers ever since he first burst onto the scene at Gent in 2018, so a massive club in Europe is going to sign a top-class centre-forward for free this summer, but will it be Man City?

Better than Hugo Larsson: Man City make £50m star their top summer target

He could cost Man City upwards of £50m

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 1, 2025

Manchester United are rivalling Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the signing of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

The 23-year-old has arguably matured into one of the best wingers in world football, excelling in a Bayern shirt since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024.

Olise has six assists already in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbuemo (one) combined in the Premier League, with a half-dozen league goals also coming his way, outlining his end product.

The Frenchman is a hugely sought-after player, which is no great surprise, given his age and talent – Liverpool have been linked with a move – and Bayern will be desperate to fend off any interest in him.

United may have spent big on attackers in the summer transfer window, bringing in Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but they are likely to be on the lookout for further additions in 2026, in order to make competition for places as fierce as possible.

Man Utd in the mix to sign £123m-rated Michael Olise

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are showing “serious interest” in £123m-rated Bayern star Olise, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race to snap him up.

Olise would be a spectacular addition for United, with Bayern centre-back and teammate Dayot Upamecano heaping praise on his brilliance in the past, saying: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

That said, the one confusing aspect of United potentially signing him is the fact that he plays a similar role to Mbeumo, in terms of being a left-footed right winger who cuts inside to wreak havoc.

It could be argued that the Red Devils don’t need both, especially with Amad Diallo continuing to grow as player in that role, with those funds being focused on other key positions, such as central midfield.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

That’s not to say that United should pass up the chance to bring in Olise, though, and beating Liverpool and Arsenal to him would be a massive statement, and he has the talent to light up Old Trafford for years to come.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation"

New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has been thrown in at the deep end ahead of a clash with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday in his first match.

The Hoops boss has taken over from the vastly-experienced interim Martin O’Neill, who won seven of his eight games in the dugout after coming in to steady the ship after Brendan Rodgers resigned.

Nancy is now tasked with implementing his own ideas and tactics in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead, after his move from Columbus Crew in the MLS.

The formation that Wilfried Nancy could play at Celtic

Many Celtic supporters may already be wondering what formation the new manager will line-up with against Hearts, and for matches in the future, after O’Neill played a 4-2-3-1 and Rodgers played a 4-3-3.

Nancy has only had a couple of days on the training ground, having been announced on Wednesday night, so the game against the Jam Tarts may come too soon for radical changes.

With time on the training pitch, though, the French boss may want to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, which Transfermarkt notes is his favoured system.

Chalkboard

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

Per FBref, Nancy played a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 in 31 of his 43 games in charge of Columbus Crew this year, and played a back three or a back five in 40 of those matches.

This suggests that the Frenchman may line up with three central defenders for the most part with Celtic, which could make Dane Murray the biggest winner of his appointment at Parkhead.

Why Dane Murray could play a key role for Wilfried Nancy

The Scottish youngster’s last start for Celtic came in Rodgers’ final match against Hearts, as he scored a nightmare own goal in a 3-1 defeat.

It was a poor afternoon for Murray and Celtic, as he struggled at the heart of the defence, and he only played 38 minutes across two substitute appearances in O’Neill’s time in interim charge, as the experienced boss favoured Auston Trusty and Liam Scales as a pairing.

With Cameron Carter-Vickers being a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury, though, there could be a place for the academy graduate to come back into the team as part of a back three or back five, if Nancy decides to stick with his trend of using formations with three centre-backs.

Kieran Tierney could be an option to play as a third centre-back, as he has done for Scotland in the past, but then Celtic would have three left-footed defenders across the back, which is not ideal for playing out under pressure.

Bringing a right-footed centre-back like Murray into the fold could be ideal for Nancy, and he would have more protection than he did in a back four under Rodgers, as there would be two senior defenders alongside him, in Trusty and Scales.

Appearances

3

Starts

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Clearances

15

Dribbled past

0x

Ground duel success rate

64%

Aerial duel success rate

80%

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old colossus has shown some positive signs, despite his own goal against Hearts, in his three league appearances, dominating opposition attackers in physical duels.

Back in August, Rodgers claimed that Murray’s “ceiling is so high” and that he will really grow in the next 12 to 18 months. Whilst it may not happen as he envisaged, as another manager is in the dugout, that could play out with Nancy’s preferred system.

The Scottish prospect has been the only centre-back on the bench in recent games, with Carter-Vickers out, and that suggests that he would be the most logical inclusion for the new manager as part of a back three.

Given that a change in shape from a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 would essentially mean that a new centre-back position emerges, it seems like Murray has the most to gain and could be the biggest winner from this appointment for the Hoops.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

However, it is then down to the academy graduate to take his chance when it comes and prove that he has what it takes to be a regular starter for Celtic, and that his game against Hearts was a blip rather than a sign of things to come.

Leeds United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, but they are far from alone in the race to snap him up with as many as 16 Premier League clubs eyeing up a move.

Daniel Farke is feeling the heat at Elland Road after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League, even though he was in defiant spirits after the game.

Farke would love new signings in the January transfer window or next summer, should he still be in charge of Leeds at that point, and either way the 49ers Group are expected to be active this winter.

Leeds in 16-club battle to sign Conor Gallagher

According to a new report from Sky Sports, Leeds are one of 16 Premier League sides making enquiries for Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in 2026.

It is claimed that Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only top flight sides not showing interest, meaning the Whites could look to seal a deal for the England midfielder, who cost the Madrid outfit £34m last summer.

Atletico are unwilling to let Gallagher, who has publicly commented on his need for more game time ahead of the World Cup, leave on loan, meaning the 49ers will have to stump up a significant fee to seal a deal in January.

Gallagher would be a high-profile signing for Leeds, considering he is playing for one of the biggest teams in Spain and is a Europa League winner from his time at Chelsea. The 25-year-old is also a 22-cap England international, scoring once for his country, while Atletico manager Diego Simeone has heaped praise on the tenacious edge to his game.

He wants to join: Leeds choose number one manager candidate as Farke nears sack

The Whites have a Premier League-experienced boss ready to come in at the expense of Farke.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Leeds will know that being in a strong position for Premier League survival is paramount if they are to have a chance of signing him, but whether that influences their decision to stick or twist with Farke remains to be seen.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager