All posts by z3u9t.icu

A Leeds United player who the club made a millionaire at a young age has returned to the club.

Leeds’ youngest ever players

The Whites have had some brilliant teenagers come through their Thorp Arch academy in recent years, with Harry Gray the latest youth product who looks destined for a regular first-team role.

The forward, younger brother of Archie, made his senior debut for Leeds on the day they sealed their return to the Premier League in a 6-0 win over Stoke City.

At the age of 16 years, 6 months and 13 days, Gray is in the top five of Leeds’ youngest ever players, with club legend Peter Lorimer top of the charts after debuting as a 15-year-old.

Peter Lorimer

15 years, 9 months and 19 days

Tom Elliott

16 years, 2 months and 25 days

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months and 7 days

Harry Gray

16 years, 6 months and 13 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months and 6 days

Neil Aspin

16 years, 10 months and 8 days

Aidy White

16 years, 10 months and 16 days

Simon Walton

16 years, 10 months and 25 days

Jimmy Greenhoff

16 years, 10 months and 26 days

Ryan Edmondson

16 years, 11 months and 16 days

Talking about Gray earlier in 2025, Daniel Farke said the teenage forward has the “confidence” and the “skills” to make it as a Leeds player.

“So he definitely has this confidence that you need but it’s also important to channel this a little bit and not to raise expectations too high. He is doing right now his first steps in senior level.

“He has many skills and we like his potential and professionalism. And how humble he behaves – with a few exceptions.

“But that’s totally OK, it would be a pity if your young players were not self confident. But we have to make sure he is not overdoing this. There is a long way to go, he has many things where he needs to improve.”

Weekly wages: Leeds United FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

We at Football FanCast have gathered all the information on exactly how much the wages of each player is at Leeds United.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

Another former Leeds youngster, Aaron Lennon, is a previous success story of the Whites academy, and he has made a return to the club.

Aaron Lennon back at Leeds after becoming teen millionaire

Lennon, a teenage winger at Leeds between 2003 and 2005, made 43 appearances for the first-team prior to joining Tottenham Hotspur for a reduced fee following the financial troubles at Elland Road.

Lennon, who actually made approximately £1.37m in his time at Elland Road from wages and bonuses, admitted his Leeds contract was “silly”, with “crazy numbers” that ultimately impacted his playing time.

“My contract was silly looking back. It was crazy numbers, and they were thinking he won’t play. But then I started playing. I was on the bench, and they couldn’t put me on because I was going to hit one of those appearances.”

“I remember Gary Kelly going mad and saying our best player is on the bench now. Our most in-form winger is on the bench. I was just sat there, and Leeds fans were singing my name.

“At the end of the season, Ken Bates told me ‘you are done at this club’ because of the money. It wasn’t even in a nice way. And I was like, ‘this is my hometown’. I was upset, and I remember going away and got the call saying they have accepted a bid, ‘you are going Tottenham’.”

It emerged last month that Lennon, now 38, has made a return to Leeds in a coaching role for the U18s, working with Rob Etherington and Alex Purver.

Jonny Howson also made the move back to Leeds after leaving Middlesbrough over the summer, helping the U21 in both a playing and coaching capacity.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was spotted close to a trophy-laden manager recently, and the tactician is now reportedly open to talks over replacing Ange Postecoglou at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest consider Ange Postecoglou replacements after poor start

Postecoglou’s tenure at Forest has been nothing short of a nightmare so far, putting the Australian’s future at the club under intense scrutiny.

Appointed with the aim of instilling a vibrant, attacking style, Postecoglou instead finds himself navigating a storm of poor results, mounting criticism, and growing fan unrest just weeks into his reign.

Since taking charge, Postecoglou has become the first permanent Forest manager in over a century to go six games without a win. His side have struggled to translate his high-intensity, possession-based philosophy into results, often appearing disjointed and lacking cohesion on the pitch.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Defensive frailties have been brutally exposed, and the team has conceded goals at an alarming rate, compounding the pressure on a manager desperate to turn things around.

Fans openly chanted for his dismissal when Forest fell to a shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, with many questioning the club’s decision to appoint him.

Postecoglou, if he is sacked inside the next 10 days, could become the shortest-reigning manager in Premier League history — breaking former Charlton Athletic boss Les Reed’s record — who was shown his P45 after just 41 days in the 2006/2007 season.

It may not be during this international break after all, according to reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, but Sky Sports have reported that Marinakis isn’t afraid to be ruthless and pull the trigger if Postecoglou doesn’t turn things around quickly.

Should the club decide to part ways with Postecoglou, a shortlist of replacement candidates is already emerging in the media.

Leading the pack among rumored successors is Fulham’s Marco Silva. The Portuguese is respected for his experience navigating the Premier League with limited resources, and Silva also boasts a good relationship with Marinakis following their successful period at Olympiacos together.

Silva is a long-term target for Forest, so this is apparently one to keep an eye on, while Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is also a “prime candidate” to replace Postecoglou, according to TEAMtalk.

There is another option too — former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

Rafael Benitez open to Nottingham Forest managerial talks

The Spaniard, who guided Liverpool to a Champions League title in 2005, also won La Liga twice at Valencia and led Chelsea to a Europa League triumph 12 years ago.

Benitez also boasts a Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Club World Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup on his illustrious CV, with the 65-year-old’s last job in management coming at Celta Vigo in 2024.

He hasn’t coached in England since leaving his lacklustre spell at Everton in 2022, but the tactician’s undoubted experience could be appealing to the Tricky Trees.

Benitez was spotted in “close proximity” to Marinakis during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League last week, and a report from GiveMeSport has now shared an update on the prospect of his potential move to Forest.

Clubs

Tenure

Matches in charge

Titles/achievements

Real Valladolid

1995-96

25

Osasuna

1996

9

Extremadura

1997-99

92

Segunda promotion

Tenerife

2000-01

46

Segunda promotion

Valencia

2001-04

162

La Liga X2

UEFA Cup

Liverpool

2004-12

350

Champions League

FA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

Internazionale

2010

25

FIFA Club World Cup

Supercoppa Italiana

Chelsea

2012-13

48

Europa League

Napoli

2013-15

112

Coppa Italia

Supercoppa Italiana

Real Madrid

2015-16

25

Newcastle United

2016-19

146

EFL Championship

Dalian Professional

2019-21

38

Everton

2021-22

22

Celta de Vigo

2023-24

33

GMS report that Benitez would entertain an approach to manage Forest, as he’s keen to manage in the Premier League again, and the former Newcastle boss is under genuine consideration as an option.

Known for his tactical discipline and ability to organize teams defensively, Benitez could help to stabilize a struggling Forest side. His proven track record of guiding teams through relegation battles and achieving promotion — like he did during his spell at Newcastle — shows that he can thrive under pressure.

However, his inactivity lately is perhaps a cause for concern, especially given the increasing demands and pressure on managers to succeed.

Tottenham Hotspur’s success in the Europa League last season is evidence that their recruitment strategy over recent years has been a success on the pitch.

The Lilywhites have split their hunt in the transfer market, allowing for an excellent mix of youth talents with huge ceilings and big-money stars who can make an immediate impact.

Thomas Frank has continued that trend over his first summer transfer window at the helm, spending over £100m on a mixture of stars who can contribute to the club in the immediate and long term.

Joao Palhinha joined the side on a season-long loan from German giants Bayern Munich, hopefully making an immediate impact in North London given his experience at the top level.

Xavi Simons is arguably one of the most high-profile additions, costing a whopping £52m from RB Leipzig – but has plenty of time to thrive under Frank, given his tender age of just 22 years.

However, it remains unclear how much of a role one player will have to play under the manager’s guidance, given his constant setbacks over the last couple of months.

James Maddison’s horrid injury luck at Spurs

James Maddison was seen as a superb addition back in the summer of 2023, costing a fee in the region of £40m from Leicester City after their relegation from the Premier League.

The Englishman made an immediate impact in North London, becoming the first player in the club’s history to register two assists on his debut for the Lilywhites.

However, whilst he’s registered 16 goals and 19 assists for the club, injuries have massively halted his progress at the club – subsequently casting doubt over his long-term future under Frank.

He had already missed 24 games and 146 days’ worth of action before Frank’s appointment, but he is once again set for a prolonged period on the sideline with his latest setback.

The 28-year-old suffered an ACL tear in the pre-season clash with Newcastle United, with such an injury set to rule the midfielder out for the majority of Frank’s maiden campaign at the helm.

He currently has two years left on contract after the 2025/26 campaign, but given his constant setbacks, the club may look to offload the Englishman to prevent losing him for nothing.

Such a decision could free up the number ten shirt in North London, with one player already on the books more than deserving of the chance to wear the iconic shirt.

The Spurs player who could steal the #10 from Maddison

Despite losing the likes of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane over recent years, Spurs still have a huge array of attacking talent on the books under Frank’s guidance.

His side have already scored 11 times in the Premier League during their first six outings, averaging just shy of two goals per game – with Richarlison their top scorer on three.

There’s no denying that the side are a force to be reckoned with in attacking areas, with not many sides able to possess the quality Frank’s men do in the final third.

The midfield department is also stacked in the manager’s favour, with Lucas Bergvall just one of the players who’s made the position his own within the 4-3-3 system.

Not many fans would’ve predicted how quickly he’s made himself a first-team regular in the side, especially after joining for just £8.5m from Swedish side Djurgarden just last summer.

He was just 18 upon his transfer, but it has not stopped him from thriving in North London, racking up 54 appearances across all competitions since his transfer.

Bergvall, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, has arguably been one of the Lilywhites’ star performers in the early days of the 2025/26 campaign – starting four of the six league outings under the Dane.

Games played

6

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

84%

Dribble success

70%

Tackles won

2.2

Duels won

5.2

Recoveries made

3.9

Shots taken

1.5

Despite his midfield role, he’s also managed to notch a goal and assist in England’s top-flight, leading by example in North London despite his tender age.

At just 19 years of age, he has bags of time to develop further and transition into an elite-level talent and lead the club to added European and domestic success.

He has all the tools to thrive in England for many years, subsequently deserving of the number ten shirt in the near future to help reflect his importance to the football club.

It may be a harsh decision to cut ties with Maddison, given his success on the field, but ultimately, his injuries are far too frequent – subsequently making him an unreliable figure.

Bergvall has demonstrated he’s capable of starring ahead of the Englishman in recent months, with the Swede deserving of the opportunity to wear the prestigious number ten shirt.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 4/10 Spurs dud after Wolves

Tottenham Hotspur failed to claim all three points against Wolves, with one player disappointing throughout.

2 ByEthan Lamb Sep 28, 2025

Manchester United have now opened talks with the agent of a “real leader”, who would be keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, according to a report.

Amorim needs to hit the ground running next season

Despite admitting it was always going to be “tough” to join Man United mid-way through the 2024-25 campaign, former Man United man Ashley Young believes Ruben Amorim needs to make a fast start to the 2024-25 campaign.

However, Amorim has a very particular style, meaning new personnel will be needed if his side are to kick on next season, and there has been a strong desire to bring in a new forward, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo emerging as a major target.

The Red Devils are hoping to get a deal for Mbeumo over the line as soon as possible, and having reportedly now struck an agreement, they can perhaps afford to turn their attentions towards strengthening other areas of the squad.

With Casemiro now 33-years-old, Amorim is looking to bring in a long-term replacement for the Brazilian, and an approach has been made for Richard Rios, while another midfielder has also emerged as a potential target.

According to a report from L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Man United have now opened talks with the agent of Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso, in order to assess whether he would be willing to make a move to Old Trafford this summer.

Tolisso is said to be keen on the move, which could make it easier for United to orchestrate a deal, although he is unwilling to force an exit.

"Real leader" Tolisso could be exactly what United need

Roy Keane has been critical of the lack of leaders at Man United for quite some time, with the former midfielder saying: “You need characters, you need leaders, I keep repeating myself every week on here. That’s what you need from a group of players.”

As a result, it would make sense to bring in players with more of a presence in the dressing room this summer, and the Lyon star could fit the bill in that regard, having been described as a “real leader” by Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca.

Not only that, but the £90k-a-week maestro is clearly a very well-rounded midfielder, having performed very well across some key attacking and defensive statistics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.28 (96th percentile)

Assists

0.17 (84th percentile)

Blocks

1.98 (97th percentile)

Aerials won

2.10 (93rd percentile)

Tolisso could be a solid signing for Man United this summer, but there may be some slight concerns about his age, with the central midfielder set to turn 31 before the new Premier League season gets underway.

Crystal Palace could make an approach for a defender imminently, as they are very interested in securing his signature, according to reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

Palace looking to bolster defensive options

There is still a great deal of doubt over Marc Guehi’s future at Selhurst Park, with Newcastle United and Liverpool set to battle it out for the centre-back, who has made it clear he is unwilling to sign a new deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Romano said: “Also, I can tell you that Marc Guehi is not going to sign a new contract at Crystal Palace. It’s a big opportunity for Palace to sell the player this summer and not to lose him on a free in 2026; and for Liverpool there’s a chance to attack the situation and get the player for a good transfer fee.”

As such, Oliver Glasner is looking to bring in a replacement for his captain, and there is a great deal of interest in Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande, with a £47m deal for the 21-year-old believed to be in the works.

Not only is a new centre-back of interest, but the Eagles are also looking to bolster their options at left-back, with Borna Sosa now believed to be on the verge of arriving from Ajax, having been given permission to move to Selhurst Park.

According to Di Marzio (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace are very interested in signing Davide Calabria too, with the right-back now a free agent after his AC Milan contract expired at the end of June.

Palace could make a move for Calabria very soon, with the defender available on a free transfer, as there could be heavy competition for his signature – Celta Vigo, Real Betis and Mallorca are also named as potential suitors.

Crystal Palace now line up £27m swoop for "terrific" defender and "monster"

The Eagles are looking at making a double signing, having scouted two players at the U21 European Championships.

ByDominic Lund Jul 2, 2025 Calabria could be solid signing for Crystal Palace

While the report states the right-back received criticism during the latter stages of his Milan career, he is said to have played a key role in Bologna’s surprise Coppa Italia triumph, which secured the Serie A side qualification for the Europa League.

Not only that, but the Italian has put in some impressive displays for Milan in the past, perhaps most notably receiving praise from Zach Lowy for the job he did nullifying Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during the Georgian forward’s time with Napoli.

Having also chalked up a combined 36 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League, Calabria’s experience could be of great use to a Palace side hoping to embark on a European adventure next season.

Liverpool’s expeditious start to the summer transfer window has seen the double signing of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz wrapped up before the end of June, and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is set to follow.

And there’s more yet to come. With a deal agreed for the transfer of Jarell Quansah to the BayArena, Liverpool have upped their interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Of course, the Reds still need a striker too.

Liverpool chasing Premier League star

Darwin Nunez’s proposed transfer to Serie A champions Napoli could see efforts on that front doubled over the coming weeks.

Saying that, though, Liverpool love a market opportunity, and are monitoring a right-sided Premier League forward as Federico Chiesa expects to leave Anfield as well this summer.

As per French reporter Sébastien Vidal, in a bid to possibly replace Chiesa, Liverpool are interested in signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, though they face stiff competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

The Cherries have valued the Ghanaian at £70m, a figure none of his suitors are willing to meet, but if that figure can be whittled down, Mohamed Salah would have the perfect understudy to cover him on the right.

This isn’t a priority for Liverpool, but the versatile Semenyo has the perfect profile for Slot’s system and could become the latest jackpot signing from the south coast.

Why Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool have raided a rising Premier League winger from the south coast before. Indeed, Sadio Mane is one of the club’s most iconic modern players, starring under Jurgen Klopp’s wing for many years after joining from Southampton for £35m in 2016.

Semenyo carries certain similarities to the prolific Senegalese, who was a deadly goalscorer but also a fierce advocate of his manager’s vision, working like a machine, covering numerous positions. Klopp once called Mane a “complete” and “world-class” player, and who would argue against him?

Hailed as a “workhorse” and a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Semenyo has been instrumental for Andoni Iraola’s system at the Vitality Stadium, scoring 13 goals and assisting seven more across all competitions last season.

Mane, let’s not forget, wrapped up his Saints career with 15 goals and seven assists across 43 matches in 2015/16, so, like Semenyo, he wasn’t the finished product and needed that move to a club on a higher rung of the ladder.

Right winger

46

13

3

Left winger

29

7

5

Centre-forward

6

1

0

As per FBref, the versatile forward also ranked among the top 20% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the English top flight last season for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shots taken per 90, underlining his prowess as a pressure-applying force in front of goal but also a player who can drive play into the danger area himself.

All told, Semenyo is a talented and proven Premier League star who would not only cover Salah but also use his dynamism to cover on the left flank too.

To reach Mane’s level would be difficult indeed, but he’s certainly underrated, and a move to Merseyside could help put his name on the map.

The next Torres: Liverpool preparing huge bid to sign "frightening" striker

Liverpool aren’t messing around in the transfer market this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 23, 2025

Leeds United will be looking to offload some deadwood ahead of venturing back up to the Premier League.

Indeed, Daniel Farke will know he needs everyone singing off the same hymn sheet to be a success in such a daunting division, meaning personnel such as Illan Meslier and Maximilian Wober could soon be on the chopping block, following Junior Firpo – who headed for Real Betis – out of the exit door.

Patrick Bamford could also be another reserve figure that the German is tempted to part ways with this summer.

But, if the injury-prone 31-year-old was to stay put, he might well be a valuable option for the Whites still, based on his flashes of brilliance in the Premier League previously.

Bamford's previous form in the Premier League

The long-standing Leeds servant did let the entire 24/25 campaign pass him by without scoring a single strike, but he has displayed signs of his class in the big time before.

Bamford has netted all but one of his 24 top-flight strikes donning Leeds white, with the wonderfully taken goal above one of three strikes he managed against Aston Villa to bag a Premier League hat-trick all the way back in 2020.

Of course, it would be extremely bold to expect the 31-year-old to recapture his Premier League best, especially as a goalless season under Farke’s wing is still so fresh.

Yet, he could still be utilised as an impact option off the bench if necessary, with the four goals he bagged the last time he was at the intimidating level, coming about from just 18 starts.

Whilst the veteran still has some credit left in his bank, this other attacker has been stuck on the periphery at Elland Road for some time now without ever looking likely to redeem himself, with a loan exit this summer looking to be nailed on.

The Leeds star who is worse than Bamford

Leeds supporters will always possess a soft spot for Bamford, considering he has two Championship titles under his belt now with the West Yorkshire outfit, away from his favourable output of 60 strikes when at the peak of his powers.

In the curious case of Joe Gelhardt, however, his excellent displays at Elland Road have been even more fleeting than the 31-year-old’s, with the Liverpool-born forward last powering home a strike for the club way back in August of 2023 against Shrewsbury Town. Bamford, on the other hand, last scored in April of 2024 when Farke’s men were hunting down promotion.

24/25

3

0

0

23/24

13

1

0

22/23

19

0

3

21/22

22

2

4

That goal against the Shrews didn’t even come about in league action either, meaning Gelhardt hasn’t actually fired home a meaningful strike in the bread and butter of league football for Leeds since the 21/22 season.

The 23-year-old did amass a promising collection of five goals last season out on loan with Hull City, but Farke will hold zero confidence in Gelhardt being able to transition to Premier League life smoothly. Whereas, with Bamford, he will at least have some crumbs of comfort on his side that he can compete, even if it’s from a bit-part role.

Therefore, instead of killing the 23-year-old’s confidence even more, Leeds will likely loan Gelhardt back out to the Championship, with journalist Graeme Bailey revealing that Wrexham and Birmingham City are interested in the out-of-sorts striker’s services.

The reporter claims that the Premier League side have told the forward that he is free to move on from Elland Road this summer, which has attracted interest from the second tier.

It will be intriguing to see what happens past this next step for Gelhardt, with Jamie Carragher once branding the former England U20 international as a “special” when he was making a name for himself in the senior side while Jamie Redknapp suggested he was “really exciting.”

Now, his future at Elland Road is arguably on even more unstable ground than Bamford’s, even as Farke begins to eye up some fresh stars up top to help Leeds adjust back to their unnerving new level.

Farke's own Phillips: Leeds schedule talks to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United could be about to land themselves a top-level Premier League talent.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 13, 2025

Liverpool won hearts and minds with their Premier League title victory and could now be on the verge of ratifying one of the summer’s most exciting deals.

Liverpool make an instant impact in the summer window

The dust has started to settle on Liverpool claiming a second top-flight title of the modern era. Still, there have already been significant developments at Anfield in the early part of the summer window.

Jeremie Frimpong arrived to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside, and that only appears to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential movement in both directions.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has confirmed that Liverpool have £250 million to spend if they so wish without any threat of FFP involvement, which has paved the way for some exciting deals to occur over the next few months.

“Liverpool are in an excellent financial position. They didn’t spend very much in the 24-25 season, and they have the benefits of Champions League football next season. If they spent £250m, that would not be a problem.”

Liverpool transfer targets in pictures

Arne Slot made minimal changes last summer, but he has now identified Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon as a top target at Anfield, even if he will cost around £80 million to lure from the North East.

Why the summer transfer window will close for six days and re-open again

Premier League clubs have recently voted for the transfer window to open early this summer – here’s how it will work and why it’s happening.

ByStephan Georgiou Mar 27, 2025

Finding themselves in the perfect position to kick on, Liverpool will be aware that their rivals are also tooling up with some intriguing signings, setting the scene for a brilliant Premier League title fight next term.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Reds are on the verge of completing a landmark deal ahead of the new campaign coming into focus.

Romano: Liverpool agree deal to sign Florian Wirtz

Taking to social media platform X, Romano revealed that Liverpool have now agreed a deal in principle to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and he will now head to England for his medical.

With personal terms and other formalities already agreed, it is understood that the Germany international will join for a fee of around £127 million, inclusive of add-ons.

Compared to Lionel Messi by Gerhard Struber, Wirtz registered 16 goals and 15 assists across 46 appearances in all competitions last term, and Reds journalist Paul Gorst said he will be a “statement signing”.

Notably, he earns around £73,300 at Bayer Leverkusen, a figure that will be expected to increase exponentially once his switch to Anfield is officially confirmed.

Weeks of overwhelming speculation surrounding Wirtz have become the early story of the window. Nevertheless, he now appears set to link up with Slot in a deal that will reverberate around the world.

Will Chelsea make any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup?

Last week, the Blues unveiled Liam Delap as their new signing, paying Ipswich his £30m release clause.

Now, Chelsea have until 7pm (BST) on Tuesday 10th June to register any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup, with their opening fixture against Los Angeles FC taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the following Monday.

So, before then, will Enzo Maresca have another new centre-forward at his disposal?

Chelsea chasing another striker

The Blues are looking to significantly improve their forward line this summer with mooted interest in Frankurt forward Hugo Ekitike.

Transfer Focus

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

Further reports have suggested that a deal could be on the cards for Jamie Gittens too, with the club having held talks with his club side, Borussia Dortmund, ahead of a possible move. However, there are more targets on the horizon for BlueCo.

Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are targeting a move for Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, with Newcastle United also interested.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the Brazilian is ‘expected to leave Brighton’ this summer, after not featuring in any of the Seagulls’ final five Premier League fixtures this season, the first three due to suspension, before being left out of two matchday squads by manager Fabian Hürzeler following a training ground ‘altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

Reports in Spain claim that the Albion value their star striker at around £70m, with Football.London noting that Chelsea are willing to pay around £50m, so some sort of compromise will have to be made if Pedro is going to feature stateside this summer.

How Pedro and Delap could function together at Chelsea

Having only just signed Delap, pointedly presenting him with the number nine shirt too, it may seem peculiar that Chelsea are targeting another attacker.

Nevertheless, with Christopher Nkunku on his way out this summer, Matt Law of the Telegraph believes they are in the market for a versatile forward, but is Pedro actually a bigger talent than his potential future teammate?

Let’s try and answer that question.

Goals

0.46

0.42

Assists

0.28

0.07

Shots

1.94

2.29

Shots on target %

35.7%

43.9%

Shot-creating actions

3.32

2.15

Open-play passes completed

20.8

7.4

Chances created

1.3

0.7

Lay-offs completed

1.6

0.9

Touches

44

24

As the table outlines, Delap is much of a penalty box presence, emphasised by the fact he registered more shots, a higher proportion of which hit the target, while also taking almost half the number of touches on a per 90 basis.

Pedro meantime, is a significantly more well-rounded forward, underlined by his higher number of chances created, passes completed and touches per 90 statistics.

Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has hailed his “really magical” quality on the ball, while Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelled him ‘hardworking, creative, and calm in front’, praising his ‘deft pieces of link play’ and believing he has started to show ‘a poacher’s instinct’ this season too.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that Pedro ‘is capable of playing anywhere across the attack’, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic outlines how he is adept at ‘dropping deep to link play’.

Thus, this all suggests that Delap and Pedro could function in a team together, with the former holding his position in the penalty area, while the latter drops deep to link play alongside Chelsea’s abundance of other high-quality attackers.

Thus, he would surely be an excellent addition for the Blues, even if getting this deal over the line by Tuesday appears unlikely at this stage.

Shades of Hazard: Chelsea to make £59m bid for "generational" star

Chelsea could be about to land themselves a star who can follow in the footsteps of Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 7, 2025

Since leaving Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side, Marcus Rashford and Antony have played important roles for high-performing sides on the European scene.

Rashford hasn’t been at his rip-roaring best with Aston Villa, but the game-changing winger has still played his part for a side that sit on the cusp of a return to the Champions League, victory at Old Trafford this afternoon standing in his way. He’s scored four goals and provided six assists from 17 games for the Villans.

At Real Betis, Antony looks not like a man reborn but a different player altogether. The right-sided forward became something of a whipping boy for his struggles at the Theatre of Dreams after joining from Ajax in an £86m deal, but has hit nine goals and five assists since moving to Spain in January.

However, these aren’t the only former Red Devils, those having toiled in existing memory at Old Trafford, who have been remade elsewhere, with Scott McTominay forging an incredible campaign for himself over in Italy.

Scott McTominay's Serie A season

Less than a year after leaving Man United and joining Napoli in a £25m deal, McTominay has won the Scudetto and been crowned the Serie A MVP.

It’s been quite the year for the Scotland international, who has long played the bit part at Old Trafford but has been reborn as a bona fide superstar in Naples, the architect of their second league title in three years.

24/25 – Napoli

34 (33)

12

6

23/24 – Man Utd

32 (18)

7

1

22/23 – Man Utd

24 (10)

1

0

21/22 – Man Utd

30 (28)

1

1

20/21 – Man Utd

32 (24)

4

1

19/20 – Man Utd

27 (20)

4

1

The 28-year-old never quite brought it all together in the Premier League, but he’s channelled his innate goalscoring ability and reinforced his underlying metrics, averaging 6.1 successful duels and 4.2 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

It’s exactly the type of midfield robustness that has been lacking for the Red Devils this term, and McTominay’s success will not have been lost on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

However, he’s not the only former Manchester United star performing under Antonio Conte’s wing right now, and you could stake an argument for Romelu Lukaku having been even better than his Scottish teammate.

Romelu Lukaku has been outrageously good

Lukaku first moved to Italian football in August 2019, signing for Inter Milan in a deal worth £74m, leaving Man United.

He didn’t have a terrible spell at Old Trafford by any stretch, but the 32-year-old, then 25, failed to capture the magic of his time with Everton, who the Glazers paid an initial £75m (rising to £90m), two years earlier.

Scoring 42 goals and adding 15 more assists across 96 matches, Lukaku made inroads in his first year but struggled across the 2018/19 season, only bagging 15 goals from 45 fixtures in all competitions.

He’s been something of a nomad across his storied career, but who can say Lukaku hasn’t left an indelible mark on so many of his clubs?

Now, Napoli have been added to that list, with the number nine’s return of 14 goals and ten assists across the league campaign proving instrumental in the title-winning success. This means that he produced more goals and more assists than the Scottish midfielder, which is why he was even more influential and even better for the Italian outfit.

Football writer Muhammad Butt even took the time to draw praise to Lukaku amid the effusions directed McTominay’s way, hailing the “outrageously good” Belgian for his talismanic role across the campaign, bagging his second Serie A title after winning the 2020/21 edition with Inter Milan.

His goal against Cagliari on Friday night, following McTominay’s acrobatic opener, was certainly ‘outrageous’, and a reminder that he’s not just a poacher.

Here is one of the finest centre-forwards of his generation, and he underscored his legacy with a stunning season under Conte’s wing, a manager who has fallen in love with the nine and sought to make use of his talents across a number of different environments.

McTominay might have won the MVP, but Lukaku will no doubt feel that his prolific season may have warranted the vote angling his way. Ah well, the title will soften that so-called blow.

Not just Garnacho: Amorim must sell Man Utd dud who's a "serious problem"

Manchester United are in need of a serious overhaul this summer, with numerous players needing to be sold.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 24, 2025