Dinesh Karthik is set to become the first Indian player to feature in the SA20. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Karthik will join Paarl Royals as an overseas player ahead of the new season starting January 9.The SA20 will be the first tournament Karthik will play since announcing retirement from “representative cricket” in June on the day he turned 39. Karthik, who played 180 internationals for India, last featured in IPL 2024 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who have now signed him up as a mentor-cum-batting coach.On the T20 circuit, Karthik is rated by his peers among the sharpest pundits owing to his vast experience in the shortest format. Karthik, currently covering the Hundred for , has featured in 401 T20s and, in the IPL, played for six teams, which included leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Karthik also was among the fittest players in the IPL, having missed just two matches across 17 seasons.”I have so many fond memories of playing in and visiting South Africa,” Karthik said. “When this opportunity came about, I couldn’t say no because of how special it would be to come back to playing competitive cricket and win this incredible competition with the Royals.”Even though I didn’t have the chance to represent the Royals in the IPL, to me it was always a franchise setup and environment that was very attractive as a player. I am delighted to be joining the Paarl Royals team which oozes a lot of experience, quality and potential. I am certainly looking forward to joining the group and contributing to what should be an exciting season.”Only retired Indian players are allowed by BCCI to participate in overseas T20 leagues. Last year, Ambati Rayudu turned up to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL and then in January 2024 with MI Emirates in the ILT20, while Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan featured for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 too. Two years ago, Suresh Raina was part of Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10.Paarl Royals announced their retentions ahead of the new season last week, with captain David Miller, Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo making the cut. Royals made the Qualifiers in the last SA20 edition but suffered five straight losses, including a nine-wicket thumping in the Eliminator against Joburg Super Kings.”Dinesh has served as one of the modern day greats for India in white ball cricket, and his wealth of experience will contribute to the making of our side for Season 3,” Kumar Sangakkara, Royals’ director of cricket, said. “He has always proved to be a great asset for the teams he’s represented across leagues for the way he approaches the game and the impact he can make, so it’s an exciting signing for us and we look forward to having him with the group at Paarl.”Paarl Royals squad
David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dinesh Karthik, Mitchell van Buuren, Codi Yusuf, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dayyaan Galiem (traded in)

There’s no rest for the wicked, at least not at Chelsea.

The West Londoners appear to be on something of a warpath this summer, as they put together a squad capable of genuinely competing on all fronts again next season, from the Champions League to the Premier League.

For example, the likes of Liam Delap and Mamadou Sarr were signed prior to the Club World Cup, and then just this afternoon, Joao Pedro’s £60m move from Brighton & Hove Albion was confirmed.

It’s not just incomings, though, as the Blues could be set to cash in on Noni Madueke, and if reports are to be believed, they’ve already identified the ideal player to replace him, someone who could be unreal alongside Pedro.

Chelsea target brilliant Madueke upgrade

Chelsea completed the £29m signing of Madueke from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, and since then, the talented winger has been a useful player to have in and around the first team.

Transfer Focus

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

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However, it now appears that the Englishman could be on the move this summer, with reports in recent days linking him to London rivals Arsenal.

In fact, Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has claimed that the Gunners have already made an offer to the player, while other stories have claimed that the West Londoners could let him go for around £50m.

Interestingly, this could be a brilliant move from the club, as it now looks like they identified another young winger, someone who’d be even better than Madueke: Malick Fofana.

Yes, according to a recent report from the Independent, Chelsea are one of several sides incredibly interested in the Lyon winger.

The report has revealed that, alongside the likes of Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Arsenal, the Blues have already made contact with the French outfit over the exciting prospect.

Unfortunately, it won’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, as Lyon have reportedly set an asking price of around £52m.

However, as he’d be an upgrade on Madueke and could be incredible alongside Pedro, that might be a fee worth paying for Chelsea.

How Fofana compares to Madueke

So the first thing to address is why we think Fofana could be an upgrade on Madueke, as he’s not exactly a household name among most Premier League fans, at least not yet anyway.

The first is his output, as in 41 appearances, totalling just 2280 minutes last season, the “frightening” French phenom, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 11 goals and provided six assists.

That comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.41 games, or every 134.11 minutes.

In contrast, the Blues’ exciting wide man scored as many goals but provided five assists, and did so in 44 games, totalling 2589 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.75 games, or every 161.81 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, the one-sided nature of this comparison persists when we examine their underlying numbers from last season, as the Lyon ace comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics.

That includes things like non-penalty goals plus assists, passes into the final third and penalty area, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Fofana vs Madueke

Statistics per 90

Fofana

Madueke

Non-Penalty G+As

0.51

0.44

Progressive Passes

2.54

3.05

Progressive Passes Received

11.6

10.0

Progressive Carries

6.33

6.81

Expected Assists

0.25

0.14

Key Passes

1.41

1.42

Passes into the Final Third

1.13

0.71

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.81

1.55

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.73

0.35

Live Passes

35.2

29.2

Goal-Creating Actions

0.62

0.35

Carries into the Final Third

3.22

2.21

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

It’s these metrics combined with his output that suggest he’d be so effective alongside Pedro as well.

Just imagine how the Brazilian would fare with such a creative and dangerous winger to his left or right, and it wouldn’t be one way either.

The fact that the former Brighton star was able to score ten goals and provide seven assists in just 30 games last season suggests he, too, could help the Frenchman’s output soar.

Ultimately, Madueke has been a useful player for Chelsea over the years, but as things stand, Fofana looks to be the superior winger and someone who could help the Blues’ new centre-forward hit the ground running next season.

Related A better signing than Pedro: Chelsea eyeing £85m move for the "next Mbappe"

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 2, 2025

Arsenal chiefs have their eyes on an England international star for manager Mikel Arteta, with sporting director Andrea Berta leaving no stone unturned in his chase for fresh Gunners talent.

Arsenal transfer latest as Berta looks to make big impact

The north Londoners are working on a busy transfer window and have held talks over numerous targets.

Arsenal enter race to sign £25m Sesko alternative who's "like Haaland"

The dangerous international would be an excellent signing for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 17, 2025

The pending arrival of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is expected to be finalised soon, with the La Liga side ultimately delaying his exit so they can register his transfer as part of the next financial year, starting in July (David Ornstein).

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

Nevertheless, regardless of Zubimendi’s cryptic comments causing quite a stir in the last few weeks, Arsenal are still fully expected to sign Zubimendi this summer after months of talks.

The Spaniard could be joined by one of two heavily linked strikers – Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – who’ve both been at the centre of Arsenal talks as Berta works on deals for both of them (BBC).

Arsenal are also chasing a new winger, even if Nico Williams is likelier to join Barcelona as things stand, with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo still being targeted by Arteta as they look to add further quality in the wide area (Football Transfers).

Amidst all of this rumoured activity, there are some reports sharing information that Arsenal are considering the signing of another defender.

Reports from Brazil in the last few days revealed Arsenal’s interest in signing Lille centre-back Alexsandro, who’s just made his first two senior starts for Brazil, but another highly-rated international is also in Berta’s thinking.

Arsenal targeting Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi

That man is Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, who looks almost certain to leave Selhurst Park this summer.

The England star is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Palace, giving Eagles chairman Steve Parish until September 1 to make any significant money off his sale.

Parish actually rejected an ambitious £70 million bid for Guehi in the January window, which came from Tottenham, so they’re still unlikely to be pushovers when it comes to parting company with the “sensational” 24-year-old.

Reports suggest Palace could still demand up to £60 million to sell, regardless of his contract situation, but Arsenal are showing an interest in signing Guehi, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

“He’s now into the final year of his contract, so if Crystal Palace aren’t able to persuade him to sign a new deal, this is one of their last chances to cash in,” said O’Rourke to Football Insider.

“Right now, I wouldn’t say there are any clear favourites for him. I think it’s an open race. We know Newcastle are long-term admirers, so I’m sure they’ll be monitoring the situation.

“Arsenal have also shown a bit of interest as well. A lot of it will come down to the player and what he wants to do. If he was to go to Arsenal, there’s no guarantee that he would be a regular starter, and that might not be what Guehi wants especially heading into a World Cup year.

“That’s something that’s going to play a part.”

The Palace captain’s pace and composure on the ball make him a very enticing potential signing for Arsenal, but given the presence of both William Saliba and Gabriel, he’d struggle to break into Arteta’s first team regularly enough.

Arteta also already has Riccardo Calafiori and Jakub Kiwior as back-up options, even if the latter has been linked with an exit, which makes you seriously wonder if the mooted £60 million fee for Guehi would be far better spent elsewhere.

Glasgow Rangers are moving swiftly in the summer transfer window, having already signed Emmanuel Fernandez, Thelo Aasgaard, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons, and Lyall Cameron.

Journalist Anthony Joseph recently revealed that Rangers are set to sign central defender Nasser Djiga on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

The 22-year-old central defender is closing in on a loan that would not include an option to buy, though, which means that he may only be at Ibrox for one season.

Nasser Djiga

Rangers are, however, also interested in a deal to sign another centre-back who could be an even better signing for Russell Martin moving forward.

Rangers closing in on English defender

Despite having already signed Fernandez and the report that they are closing in on a deal for Djiga, the Light Blues would like to add another central defender to their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the Daily Record, it is ‘believed’ that a deal to sign former England international Conor Coady from Leicester City is ‘close’ to being completed.

The report claims that the Scottish Premiership giants are currently in talks with the Foxes to get a deal over the line for the experienced titan in the coming days.

It adds that Coady is ‘keen’ to make the move to Ibrox to link up with Martin’s squad, in what would be a permanent transfer for the 32-year-old veteran.

Why Coady would be an even better signing than Djiga

The English centre-back would come in as an even better signing than Djiga for several reasons, firstly because he is closing in on a permanent move, rather than a loan.

This means that Martin could count on Coady to be a key player for several seasons, rather than just one, which means that the former Wolves captain would provide Rangers with more value over time.

The fact that the English ace, who was described as an “infectious” character by Gareth Southgate, was the captain for Wolves before his time at Leicester and Everton also suggests that the centre-back could bring key leadership skills to Ibrox, which may not be the case for Djiga, who is only 22 and still starting out in his career.

Their respective performances in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign also suggest that Coady could provide more quality on the pitch in the here and now.

Appearances

22

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.2

0.4

Dribbled past per game

0.1x

0.2x

Clearances per game

3.2

0.8

Ground duel success rate

53%

25%

Duels won per game

1.3

0.4

As you can see in the table above, the Leicester defender offered more to his team in the top-flight than the Wolves youngster, who did not get many opportunities in his defence, with his defensive contributions, which suggests that he would be the better immediate option for Martin at Ibrox next season.

Whilst Djiga, at the age of 22, may have the potential to improve in the future, Rangers may not get to see the best of that when they will only have him for a season.

Coady, meanwhile, is a known quantity and looks set to provide a reliable presence and a strong voice at the heart of the defence for multiple seasons, which is why he is on course to be an even better signing for the club.

Therefore, a move for the veteran English colossus could be a shrewd piece of business for the Gers, snapping up a star with ten caps for England and 198 appearances in the Premier League under his belt.

The dream squad Rangers can build: £19.5m quartet & "sublime" star all sign

Rangers will be eyeing plenty more signings this summer

4 ByRoss Kilvington Jul 5, 2025

Fallout from Pakistan’s dismal T20 World Cup campaign claims its first victims

Danyal Rasool09-Jul-2024The fallout from Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign has claimed its first victims, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq both sacked as selectors from the national side. Razzaq, who was appointed to the selection committee for both the men’s and women’s side just weeks ago, will no longer serve as a selector for the women’s team, either.As ESPNcricinfo reported last month, Wahab’s job was in danger following Pakistan’s group stage exit from the T20 World Cup. Despite being removed as chief selector earlier this year, and officially appointed as one of seven selectors to a committee that had no chief at all, Wahab was widely viewed as the de facto head of the committee. Internally, Wahab had raised frustrations at this public perception, primarily because it resulted in him bearing the brunt of any criticism for decisions the committee made, and it was a frustration that he also expressed on X after he was sacked.In a statement on Wednesday, the PCB confirmed that “it has notified” the duo that “that their services will no longer be required in the national selection committee setup”.As reported earlier, the nature of the selection committee is also likely to be reconstituted, with a chief selector eventually expected to be reappointed. The numerical strength of the panel is expected to be reduced, making it unlikely that Wahab and Razzaq will be replaced to make up the numbers.Related

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Wahab’s departure is a speedy fall from grace for a man viewed as extremely close to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Wahab had served in his cabinet as caretaker sports minister while Naqvi was appointed caretaker chief minister of Punjab, and followed him to the PCB, where he was initially appointed chief selector. Wahab had also travelled with the Pakistan side to the T20 World Cup as senior team manager, another duty he is likely to be stripped of. Naqvi, for his part, is understood to have been keen to demonstrate no one was immune from adverse consequences.The decision effectively means the PCB has performed another U-turn on the procedure by which players are picked for the Pakistan national side. The seven-member committee was only announced less than four months ago, with Wahab demoted from chief selector, with each of the seven members carrying an equal vote, and Naqvi saying at the time that the committee would “make a majority decision based around debate and argument to reach a satisfactory conclusion”.It also indicates a continuation of the instability that has plagued the selection committee over recent years. The PCB has seen five chief selectors since January 2022, with Wahab, Haroon Rashid (twice), Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq all serving brief stints; Mohammad Wasim and Misbah-ul-Haq also served stints in the preceding period.The remaining five selection committee members are the head coach and captain of the respective formats, Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq and Bilal Afzal.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي آرسنال قد يفتقد خدمات أحد نجومه البارزين في وقت هام من العام المقبل، بسبب إحدى القضايا القانونية في بلاده، الأمر الذي قد يضع المدرب ميكيل أرتيتا في ورطة.

وأبرم نادي آرسنال عدة صفقات في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي لعام 2025 الذي انتهى يوم الإثنين الماضي.

ومن ضمن تلك الصفقات كان فيكتور جيوكيريس، الذي انضم إلى آرسنال قادمًا من سبورتينج لشبونة، بعد سلسلة طويلة من المفاوضات بين الناديين.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية، فإن جيوكيريس قد يغيب عن آرسنال في عدة مباريات العام المقبل، بعد استدعائه للإدلاء بشهادته في قضية قانونية في السويد.

وأوضحت أن صاحب الـ27 عامًا يتم تمثيله من قِبل المحامي حسن تشيتينكايا، الذي رفع دعوى قضائية بتهمة التشهير الجسيم ضد صحيفتين شهيرتين في السويد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. آرسنال يعلن تعاقده مع مدافع جديد في ميركاتو الصيف

وأشارت إلى أن القضية تتعلق بمزاعم نشرتها كل من فوتبول شتلم وإكسبرسن، تفيد بأن تشيتينكايا ووكالته، إتش سي إم سبورتس مانجمنت، على صلة بعصابات إجرامية.

يأتي هذا بعد حادث إطلاق نار في ضاحية هودينجي بستوكهولم في أغسطس الماضي، حيث أُطلقت أعيرة نارية على منزل أحد أقارب أحد ممثلي جيوكيريس.

وأفادت أن تشيتينكايا نفى كل تلك المزاعم ووصل الأمر إلى درجة التصعيد إلى محكمة ستوكهولم الجزئية، مع العلم أنه لم يُتهم جيوكيريس بأي جريمة، ولكن من المقرر أن يدلي بشهادته كشاهد.

وتظهر الأوراق التي قدمها محامي تشيتينكايا، يواكيم لوندكفيست، أن اللاعب السويدي قد وافق على الإدلاء بشهادته على منصة الشهود، إذا لزم الأمر.

وبناءً على ذلك، سيضطر جيوكيريس في تلك الحالة مغادرة إنجلترا والتوجه إلى السويد، مما يعني غيابه عن عدة مباريات لـ آرسنال حسب مدة إقامته في بلاده.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now personally requested the signing of the “best goalkeeper in the world”, according to a report.

Man City eyeing goalkeeper amid Ederson doubts

Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson has now revealed that Ederson has had doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium over the past few years, saying: “I think Ederson’s been close to wanting to leave on a number of occasions over the last couple of years after either being tempted by Saudi or just feeling that he needed a change of scenery.”

Since then, the Brazilian is thought to have made it clear he wants to see out his contract with the Blues, but with his deal set to come to an end next summer, Guardiola has now started looking at potential replacements for the shot-stopper.

The goalkeeper’s performance in the Club World Cup loss against Al-Hilal will certainly have done him no favours, receiving the lowest SofaScore rating of any City player after shipping four goals in the shock defeat.

Pep's new Cancelo: Man City accelerating move to sign £60m "superstar"

Pep Guardiola might be about to win his next João Cancelo by snapping up this £60m superstar for Manchester City.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025

Yassine Bounou, on the other hand, put in a remarkable display, receiving an 8.9 match rating after making eight saves from inside the box, and Guardiola is thought to be fascinated by the Al-Hilal goalkeeper.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Guardiola has now personally requested the signing of Bounou, with Man City continuing to explore options to strengthen the goalkeeper area prior to the start of the new Premier League season.

A move back to Europe could appeal to the 34-year-old, despite raking in £162k-a-week with the Saudi Pro League side, and the veteran’s recent performance against Guardiola’s side suggests he still has what it takes to be a success in the Premier League.

Bounou dubbed "the best goalkeeper in the world"

Former Saudi Arabia international Mohamed Al-Deayea certainly holds the Al-Hilal star in very high regard, describing him as “the best goalkeeper in the world” less than a year ago, but there are doubts over whether he would be a suitable signing for City.

Of course, the Morocco shot-stopper is clearly very talented, most memorably impressing at the 2022 World Cup, with Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez stating his counterpart was the best goalkeeper at the competition.

However, the Morocco international is now 34-years-old, over two years older than Ederson, so he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian, and it may be a wise decision to bring in a younger goalkeeper.

Bounou arguably deserves a chance to prove himself at a top club, but his age is a problem, and Al-Hilal are unlikely to be willing to sanction a departure after his most recent performance against Man City.

West Ham United could sell Mohammed Kudus this summer and are already making strides in the hunt for his replacement.

West Ham and Mohammed Kudus could go their seperate ways

The Hammers expect plenty of movement in both directions over the next few months and could be set to part ways with one of their best players if reports are to be believed.

Recently, Chelsea have made contact over a potential move for Kudus, and he is also said to be on the radar of Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Intriguingly, the Ghana international has a release clause of £85 million that is open to top-flight clubs in England across the first ten days of July. However, it remains to be seen whether a saga involving the former Ajax man will develop at the London Stadium.

In the case of Newcastle, former scout Mick Brown believes they would try and land Kudus at a fee below his exit clause due to the premium involved in a prospective transfer.

“At £85million or whatever his release clause is, there’s no way Newcastle would do that deal. They’ll consider it if they can cut down that price tag, but they’re not sure about him. They’ve got other targets as well, so I think they’re more likely to go for them before Kudus.”

West Ham now racing to sign 24 G/A midfielder who's "out of this world"

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If Kudus were to depart, the Hammers would need to act decisively on the market to secure an appropriate replacement, and they could well now be closing in on a smart acquisition if that turn of events were to occur.

West Ham 'well positioned' to sign Nicolas Gonzalez

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, West Ham are ‘well positioned’ to sign Juventus winger Nicolas Gonzalez and the Argentina international is likely to be on the move for £22 million this summer.

Seen as an ideal replacement for Kudus, the 23-year-old registered five goals and four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions last season. While he was not part of his country’s World Cup winning squad he is highly decorated at international level, winning two Copa Americas.

Capable of playing on either flank, as an attacking midfielder or through the middle, he is a versatile presence that could help to allieviate the burden on the likes of Jarrod Bowen when it comes to chance creation.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Kudus will need to leave first in order for a move to go through or if the finance would be available already in terms of being able to meet both his transfer fee and wages.

Either way, West Ham appear to be stepping up their hunt for attacking reinforcements and there will be plenty of excitement in East London if this one materialises.

Homegrown batter turns down offer of contract extension at Wantage Road

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2024

Emilio Gay is the third-highest run-scorer in Division Two•Getty Images

Emilio Gay will leave Northamptonshire at the end of the season after turning down the club’s offer of a new contract. It is understood he will sign for Durham.Gay, 24, a talented batter who came through the talent pathway at Wantage Road from the age of 15, made his first-class debut for the county in 2019 and went on to establish himself in Northamptonshire’s top order.The left-hander boasts a solid first-class record, averaging 35.71 from 47 red-ball matches, with 19 fifty-plus scores including six centuries. His form has stepped up a level in 2024, with 860 runs at 61.42 in Division Two of the County Championship – a tally boosted by a career-best 261 against Middlesex in April. Gay has also represented Northants in 39 white-ball matches.”After the most important, and memorable decade of my life, this season will be my last with Northamptonshire,” Gay said in a statement released on Thursday. “Northamptonshire enabled me to fulfil my childhood dream, to become a professional cricket player.”Thank you to everyone at NCCC. Hopefully I will make the club proud. Over the last decade at Northants there have been so many people who have helped me progress. I will never be able to thank all my team-mates, the coaches, staff and fans enough. Northants will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you.”Northamptonshire put on record that they were “naturally disappointed” to lose a homegrown they had nurtured, and wished Gay well for the next chapter of his career.John Sadler, the club’s head coach, said: “From early we always believed Emilio would become a high-class batsman. He has a great work ethic and this is one of the reasons his game has developed so rapidly over the last two years. It is a shame that Emilio’s future doesn’t lie with us, but he is very ambitious and believes a fresh challenge will be the best thing for him on his quest to play international cricket. We wish him well and will all enjoy watching his career unfold.”Durham’s acquisition of Gay, regarded as one of the most naturally gifted batters in the country, is a shrewd bit of business and would come alongside the signing of Will Rhodes, who will join from Warwickshire after turning down the offer of a contract extension.

Manchester United’s busy summer is well underway, with Ruben Amorim having a huge task on his hands to transform the situation at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils’ dismal season in 2024/25 was reflected in their measly league standing in the Premier League, which saw them finish just a handful of places above the drop zone.

Issues became apparent at both ends of the pitch, with a real lack of star quality within the frontline and the defence areas, as seen by their tallies of goals scored and conceded.

However, the 40-year-old has the opportunity to make the changes he desires to his first-team squad, needing funds from the hierarchy to make the additions to bolster his ranks.

With a couple of months left in the transfer window, Amorim has plenty of time to plot the signings he wants in one department, with countless players remaining on their radar.

The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers

After scoring just 44 goals in the Premier League last season, United’s need for a new talisman is evident, with Amorim making numerous moves in the window already.

Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen are two forwards who have been hugely on their radar this window, unsurprisingly so given their respective tallies of 54 goals and 37 goals across all competitions in 2024/25.

However, another name has entered the mix in the form of Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku, potentially looking to take advantage of his lack of action at Stamford Bridge.

A report from The Athletic states that the Red Devils have been in constant talks with Enzo Maresca’s side over a move for the Frenchman, who only started nine league games last season.

It also states that a potential swap deal could take place which could see winger Alejandro Garnacho potentially move in the opposite direction, with the Argentine set to depart the club this window.

If United were required to pay a straight up fee, then previous reports have suggested the Blues are looking for around £59m to let him go.

Why United’s latest target would be the dream Watkins alternative

Ollie Watkins is another name who’s been mentioned with a move to United throughout this summer window, with their interest reaching the next level in recent days.

It’s been reported that the Red Devils have made contact with Aston Villa over a deal for the 29-year-old, who’s registered 31 combined goals and assists in the most recent campaign.

Unai Emery’s side could be open to offloading the England international this window, bolstering their PSR standing, whilst handing Amorim an added option within the final third.

However, it may cost the hierarchy a pretty penny, after Arsenal had a £50m offer rejected for Watkins back in the January transfer window seven months ago.

As a result, they could turn their attention to Nkunku. While his form at Chelsea has been questionable, he was “unstoppable”, in the words of European football expert Zach Lowy at RB Leipzig, scoring as many as 23 goals in his final campaign in Germany.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from the Premier League last year, the Blues talent has managed to outperform the Englishman in numerous key areas, potentially being a bargain addition.

Nkunku may have registered fewer goals, but has posted a higher shot on target accuracy rate – handing Amorim the clinical option he craves in the final third.

How Nkunku compares to Watkins in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Nkunku	Watkins
Games played	27	38
Goals scored	3	16
Shot on target accuracy	44%	43%
Progressive passes	2.5	1.1
Pass accuracy	90%	72%
Key passes	1.4	0.8
Take-on success	37%	24%
Carries into final third	1.6	0.7
Aerials won	43%	42%
Stats via FBref

He’s also dominated in terms of his link-up play, completing more passes and more key passes per 90, having the opportunity to provide those around him with chances and also offering the side a needed focal point.

The Frenchman’s all-round dominance is reflected in his take-on success and aerials won, potentially being a key option that could either feature as a nine or even a ten in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for the Blues outcast would cost this window, it’s evident that the former RB Leipzig talisman would be a better option than Watkins.

There’s no denying that the Villa star would be a viable option, but ultimately, Nkunku has showcased that he has the all-round ability to catapult the Red Devils to success in the near future.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 1, 2025