Nottingham Forest seem set to lose one of their talismanic attackers, Anthony Elanga, in the coming days.

It appears that the Sweden star will sign for Newcastle United in the coming days for £55m, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the winger has completed his medical with the North Eastern side.

As a result, Forest need a new winger to don Garibaldi Red next season. Sky Sports suggested that they ‘are interested in a deal’ to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko and they are thought to have made an approach to the Dutch outfit to enquire about his availability this summer.

However, Bakayoko is not the only player on the list to replace Elanga, with Forest linked with a few more options out wide.

Nottingham Forest target new winger

It is certainly a frustrating situation that Forest find themselves in, having to replace Elanga this summer. However, the fee they are receiving is substantial, and allows them to sign a suitable replacement. Bakyoko is certainly not their only option.

In fact, according to journalist Greame Bailey, one of the players who Forest are considering to replace their number 21 is Ipswich Town star Omari Hutchinson.

Bailey explains that there is a ‘whole host of options out there’, but confirms that Hutchinson is one player the East Midlands side are considering.

At this stage, a price for the England U21 star has not been confirmed. However, given he cost the Tractor Boys £20m from Chelsea last summer, they would surely look to break even on the attacker, at the very least.

Why Hutchinson would be a good signing for Forest

At just 21 years of age, Hutchinson impressed in his first full season as a Premier League footballer. Once described as an “outstanding” player by football scout Antonio Mango, he would be an investment for both the present and future of Forest.

Last season, the versatile attacker, who has played for both Arsenal and Chelsea’s academies, played 31 times in the top flight for Ipswich. He bagged three goals and two assists, all of which came against some big sides, including both Chelsea and Manchester United.

Hutchinson was also a key member of England’s U21 European Championship-winning side last month under Lee Carsley. He played in all six games, including 98 minutes in the final against Germany, where he scored as England won 3-2 in extra time.

As a replacement for Elanga, there is no doubt that the Ipswich star would have a lot of work to do to match his numbers. The Sweden international managed six goals and 11 assists in 38 Premier League games last season.

However, there are similarities between the players, and Bakayoko, too, who managed 15 goals and assists last term.

Elanga and Hutchinson, in particular, are versatile and can play either flank or as a number 10. Bakayoko, too, is naturally a right winger.

The 21-year-old is naturally a left-footed player, and likes to cut inside on his strong foot when playing on the right-hand side. Just look at this goal he scored against Man United, picking up the ball in the right half-space, driving inside and firing home.

Indeed, the stats on FBref stack up well for Hutchinson against the other two players. For example, the Ipswich star stands out when looking at progressive numbers. Last season, he was averaging 1.57 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, more than Elanga’s 1.15 and Bakayoko’s 1.37 each game.

Key passes

1.08

1.80

2.60

Passes into final third

1.57

1.15

1.37

Progressive passes

2.61

2.27

3.60

Take-ons completed

1.78

0.90

2.69

Ball recoveries

3.83

3.20

2.49

Even though a price is not clear at this stage, a deal for Hutchinson could be a snart move for Forest. He has shown elite potential and versatility, and is already comparing well against Elanga and another of their targets in Bakayoko.

As far as an Elanga replacement goes, this could be a dream move for Forest this summer, and help them build for the present and the future.

Forget Fofana: Nottingham Forest could land instant Elanga upgrade for £34m

Nottingham Forest could replace Anthony Elanga with a current Premier League star

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 5, 2025

“We are not ashamed of talking about it – there is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma,” Thorpe’s elder daughter Kitty says

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2024 • Updated on 13-Aug-2024

Former England batter Graham Thorpe died after being struck by a train at Esher railway station, Surrey, the opening of an inquest into his death on Tuesday has heard. On Monday, Thorpe’s family had confirmed the 55-year-old took his own life following a battle with depression and anxiety.Speaking on Tuesday at Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking, coroner Simon Wickens said Thorpe had suffered “traumatic injuries” after being struck by a train on the morning of August 4. Wickens offered “sincere condolences” to Thorpe’s family and to “all those touched by his life and career”. A date for Thorpe’s full inquest will be fixed at a later time.The coroner had received a referral regarding the incident from British Transport Police (BTP). On August 5, a spokesperson for BTP issued the following statement: “Officers were called to Esher railway station at 8.26 am on 4 August to reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.”The loss of Thorpe was felt by all throughout the world of cricket, with many former and current players paying their respects to the left-handed batter, who later went into coaching. The Surrey and England man represented his country 182 times, and scored 16 hundreds in 100 Test matches.Thorpe had not worked in cricket since he was removed from his role as one of England’s assistant coaches in the aftermath of their 4-0 defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes. He was due to take over as Afghanistan’s head coach but never did after a previous attempt on his own life in May 2022. At the time, he was described as being “seriously ill” in hospital.Related

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“For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety,” Amanda, Thorpe’s wife, told the . “This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit. Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work.”Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.”She described Thorpe as “a free spirit” and said that he had been well enough to attend a dinner at The Oval in late 2022. “He had his own mind and his own way of going about things,” Amanda said. “My favourite memory of him is in Barbados, which he loved, enjoying a rum punch and listening to his favourite reggae after a swim… He was funny and he made us all laugh so much.”Thorpe’s elder daughter, Kitty, said, “We are not ashamed of talking about it. There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma. We were trying to help him get better before and trying to protect him, which is why we said nothing. This is the time now to share the news, however horrible it is. We’ve wanted to be able to talk and share and we’d now like to raise awareness, too.”He had loved life and he loved us but he just couldn’t see a way out. It was heartbreaking to see how withdrawn he had become. He was not the same person. It was strange to see this person trapped in the body of dad. That’s why we’ve been so happy that the many reflections have been about his life before this illness took over. I’m glad that’s how everyone does remember him, rightly so, as the complete character he was.”

It seems as though Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Nelson Semedo will not stay at the club this summer. The Portugal international did not sign a new contract at Molineux, with The Athletic explaining that ‘no one at the club expects the 31-year-old to return’ now that his contract is up.

That is not through lack of trying on Wolves’ count. The former Barcelona star was offered a new four-year deal recently, according to the same report, but it does not seem like he will sign. So ends his five-season stint with the Old Gold, which saw him make 182 appearances.

Now, it means Vitor Pereira’s side are in the market for a new right-back. They may well have someone lined up.

Wolves’ new right-back target

It is certainly a blow for the Old Gold to lose Semedo this season, given his importance on the side. Not only is he the club captain, but a key part of the squad with four assists from right-back last season.

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 seems that the West Midlands club have identified the man who will replace him. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Wolves are ‘pushing in talks’ to sign Almeria and Spain under-21 full-back, Marc Pubill.

They are not the only side in the race, with Romano reporting that the Old Gold are looking to ‘anticipate Italian clubs’ who might be interested, too.

Reports from Spain back in March also named Barcelona as an interested club. They said that a £17m fee would be enough to tempt Almeria into selling their young star.

Why Pubill would be a good signing

Given the stature of clubs interested in 22-year-old Pubill this summer, there is no doubt that this would be an astronomical coup from Pereira’s Wolves side. He certainly comes with a high reputation, and impressed for Almeria last term.

Playing in the second tier of Spain last season, Pubill made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring once in the league and grabbing five assists. Four of those games, as well as one assist against CD Leganes, came in the Copa Del Rey.

The Almeria number 18 is also an Olympic Gold medalist, having won the tournament with Spain in Paris in 2024. He was a key member of his country’s under-21 side at the recent European Championship, too.

Playing four games and scoring the first goal of the tournament against hosts Slovakia, the defender was described as “one of the best two right-backs” in the competition by football analyst Ben Mattinson.

Indeed, some of the numbers Pubill was putting up in his most recent La Liga season, 2023/24, will surely impress Wolves fans. The numbers, which come via Squawka, show how defensively solid he is, winning an average of 6.7 duels per game.

A progressive player, Pubill also averaged 13 forward passes each game, too.

Pubill key stats from 2023/24 La Liga season

Stat

Season total

Per 90 mins

Chances created

20

1

Crosses completed

10

0.5

Forward passes

271

13

Take-ons completed

33

1.6

Duels won

139

6.7

Ball recoveries

93

4.5

Stats from Squawka

The “powerful” full-back, as Mattinson called him, could prove to form an excellent partnership with another potential new incoming at Molineux, Jhon Arias. The winger, who plays for Fluminense, is set to move to the West Midlands for £15m, according to The Guardian.

The 27-year-old Colombian winger has four goals and 13 assists to his name for the Brazilian giants this season.

A skilful attacker, Arias is a fantastic combination player and likes to work in tandem with his full-back, which this assist from the Club World Cup showcases perfectly.

It is safe to assume that, if Pubill joins Wolves after Arias’ move has gone through, the pair could form a devastating partnership. They both excel in the final third, and could piece together some exciting combination play down that right flank.

The competition to sign Pubill is tough, which, if anything, just confirms this is a strong move from Wolves. £17m is not too much of an investment, and he could link up in a superb way with Arias, too.

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Southampton are now in advanced talks to sign an international striker who is represented by the same agency as midfielder Flynn Downes.

Southampton are expected to lose one or two key players over the coming months and therefore will have to enter the market to find replacements as they bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking under Will Still.

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He has played his final game for the club.

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Henry Jackson

Jun 20, 2025

Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis could be considered their most important player, as he managed to stand out last season in what was a diabolical campaign for the club. His performances for the Saints earned him a call-up to the England national team, and that has now earned him the attention of Portuguese giants FC Porto.

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, Southampton have turned down a bid worth £19 million for Harwood-Bellis from Porto. Despite being under contract until 2028, the Saints are open to selling the defender in this transfer window, but they believe he is worth much more.

Southampton paid £15 million to sign the player from Manchester City last summer, so the likelihood is they’re going to want closer to double that price.

Southampton in advanced talks to sign £7m striker

But while Harwood-Bellis may eventually be on his way out of St Mary’s Stadium, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reports some good news – Southampton are closing in on the signing of Damion Downs from FC Köln.

The 20-year-old is considered to be a top target for Saints this summer, and they have submitted a bid worth €8 million, which is roughly £6.85 million, to the German side. Downs is currently away with the USA for the Gold Cup, so a deal for the forward is likely to be completed once that competition is finished.

Downs, who has earned two caps for the USA national team, has been at FC Köln since 2020, when he joined their under-17 team. The young forward worked his way through the age groups and was finally promoted to the first team during the 2023/24 season, where he played 10 Bundesliga games. Downs became even more of a regular last season, as he played 29 games, this time in Bundesliga 2, and scored an impressive ten goals in the process.

Downs has just one year remaining on his contract, and Saints will be hoping that can work to their advantage, as the German side are likely to want to sell the player before he leaves the club for nothing in 12 months.

They may hold another advantage in the race to sign Downs too, as the striker is represented by agency Wasserman, who also represent current Southampton midfielder Downes, perhaps smoothing negotiations when it comes to agreeing personal terms.

Manchester United are working hard to get it right in the transfer market this summer, having approached a critical juncture in INEOS’ ownership.

Things didn’t go to plan last season, with Erik ten Hag dismissed by October and his successor, Ruben Amorim, struggling to get a tune out of the suffering Red Devils, who ultimately finished 15th in the Premier League.

But with Matheus Cunha already signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers, his £62.5m release clause activated, there are signs that Old Trafford will rise again.

Man Utd open talks for new striker

Cunha is a brilliant forward, but he’s not a centre-forward. The Red Devils need a partner to field as the number nine, and contacts have been made for such a striker.

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Manchester United are looking to replace Rasmus Hojlund this summer and have set their sights on Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, as per Tutto Juve, who has resurrected his career on loan at Juventus.

The 26-year-old Les Bleus star was on United’s radar – along with Tottenham Hotspur – in January after falling by the wayside in the French capital, though ultimately settled on a short-term stint in Turin.

Now, the above Italian report claims INEOS have made first contact with PSG for the versatile striker, although the same can be said for Newcastle United. Juventus, moreover, hope to purchase him permanently too.

What Kolo Muani would bring to Man Utd

Amorim is carefully piecing together a strikeforce capable of challenging for honours, capable of going punch for punch with the biggest hitters in the Premier League.

Kolo Muani on his A-game would certainly help in that regard. Leaving Eintracht Frankfurt to sign for PSG for around £76m in September 2023, the France international’s stock has since decreased, but he’s demonstrated with Juve his lingering quality, scoring ten goals and assisting three more across 21 matches in total.

With Cunha bringing his wide-ranging attacking skills to the table, Kolo Muani could find himself born again, thriving as the forward of a Premier League team chasing a return to European competition.

Sometimes, a change of scenery can help reignite the fire that has flickered out for a player. PSG proved to be the wrong career choice for the Frenchman, but a Man United project that he can lead that is showing signs of progress (on the transfer front, at least) is something he should consider pursuing.

24/25

Juventus

16

8

1

24/25

PSG

10

2

1

23/24

PSG

26

6

6

23/24

Frankfurt

2

1

0

22/23

Frankfurt

32

15

14

21/22

Nantes

36

12

5

United might find that Frankfurt’s €100m (£85m) valuation for Hugo Ekitike is a tad on the costly side, but they could snap up another of Die Adler’s star forwards in Kolo Muani, with that £76m price tag creeping down to a reported £50m if PSG sell this summer.

Once labelled a “superstar” by German legend Lothar Matthaus, Kolo Muani is a dynamic and incisive striker who has found his footing once again in Italy, ranked among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Furthermore, to have finished the campaign with a scoring rate of 0.50 is pretty impressive, given his woes across the first half of the year. In fact, as per Sofascore, his eight-goal haul in the Italian top flight also saw just four big chances missed, which makes an interesting comment on his prolific instincts.

Working with Cunha, Amorim could create a truly devastating strikeforce (and that’s without even discussing the potential addition of Bryan Mbeumo), with the Brazilian forward having averaged 1.8 key passes per Premier League match last season, creating 13 big chances. He was instrumental in staving off relegation for the Old Gold.

Of course, Kolo Muani is not just restricted to sharpshooting. His silky and furnished attacking style lends itself to creative support, and Cunha would delight in this, having demonstrated an incredible scoring ability for Wolves.

This is exactly the kind of electric signing United need to make to bring them back to a respectable position. That famous Theatre of Dreams pull will need to come into play once again.

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علق مجدي عبد الغني، لاعب الأهلي السابق، على تصريحات حسام غالي عضو مجلس إدارة القلعة الحمراء، بشأن رغبته في الترشح على منصب الرئيس في يوم ما.

وقال مجدي عبد الغني في تصريحات لقناة “الشمس”: “حسام غالي أرى أن عليه هجوم مبرمج ومخطط ومنظم من الذباب الإلكتروني بعد تصريحاته الأخيرة، رغم أنه لم يُخطئ في حق أحد، كل مشكلته أنه تفاجأ بالأجواء الموجودة في كرة القدم، تكلم عن الصدمة التي شعر بها بعد أن أصبح عضو مجلس إدارة، مثلما أنا صُدمت عندما دخلت اتحاد الكرة”.

طالع| الأهلي في ثوبه الجديد يواجه إنبي لاستعادة مكانته في الدوري المصري

وتابع: “حسام غالي عليه هجوم شرس.. ماذا قال وأخطأ في حق من؟! لم يذكر اسم أحد، هو نجم كبير وابن من أبناء الأهلي العظماء وعنده فكر محترم وشخصية محترمة، كيف للأهلاوية أن يظهروه على أنه خائن، أنتم من تسيئون لأبناء الأهلي، تعلمنا في الأهلي القيم والمبادئ وهي عندما ترى شيء خاطيء تقول، طالما لم تنفذوا بالمبادئ (بتعلموهالنا ليه؟)”.

وأردف مجدي عبد الغني: “الخطيب أعطى للأهلي وهو لاعب وعضو إدارة وأمين صندوق ورئيس، لكن الأهلي لا يقف على (أتخن تخين)، الأهلي سيظل نادي القرن الذي يحقق بطولات، هل هناك أحد مُخلد؟، الخطيب عندما يقول إنه لن يخوض انتخابات الأهلي نظرًا لظروفه الصحية، (إيه الدوشة اللي حصلت دي)”.

وأضاف: “الخطيب لا يبحث عن منصب، (هو لازم الواحد يموت في المكان إللي هو فيه؟)، الرجل قال منذ فترة إنه مريض ولن يستطيع أن يستمر، لا يوجد إنجاز حققه سينسى، (يلا طلعوني أبو لهب بقى وقولوا إني بقول أي كلام، يلا اشتغلوا يا بتوع الكتائب الإلكترونية)”.

Tilly Corteen-Coleman, the 17-year-old spinner who made a strong impression in this year’s Women’s Hundred, has been named in a 15-player squad for the Women’s Under-19 World Cup, which is due to take place in Malaysia early next year.Corteen-Coleman was still 16 when she made an instant impression on her Hundred debut for Southern Brave in July, catching Australia’s Meg Lanning off her own bowling for a notable maiden wicket. Domestically, she also impressed for South East Stars, claiming 5 for 19 against Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, including four wickets in five balls, before helping her team reach the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Davina Perrin is also included, having been a part of the England squad that lost to India in the inaugural Under-19 tournament in South Africa in January 2023. A captain is set to be named nearer the time.Sixteen teams will feature in the 41-match event, across 15 days of competition from January 18 to February 2, 2025, including the hosts Malaysia who will be making their maiden tournament appearance, as will Samoa.England have been drawn in Group B, alongside Ireland, Pakistan and USA, with all their group-stage matches set to take place in Johor.Chris Guest, who was last week appointed as Performance Lead for the women’s Under-19 set-up, oversaw that 2023 campaign as head coach, and looked forward to guiding another group of young players through their maiden global event.”What excites me most about working with the under-19 age group is the constant cycle of new talent and new groups coming through,” Guest said. “We’ve named a squad which features some players who have been involved at this age group before and some who haven’t.”This World Cup is a part of these players’ journey, not the end or the start and our message to them is to embrace the challenge, evolve ourselves and enjoy the ride. Naturally we want to do well but the programme is about developing these players in the future and for the long-term.”It was really exciting to see Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Hannah Baker, Seren Smale and Charis Pavely feature for the senior team in Ireland after representing the U19s in the first edition of this World Cup in 2023 and this acts as real inspiration for this group and demonstrates how important this tournament can be for a player’s development.”Guest will be joined by two assistant coaches, Dan Helesfay and Beth Morgan, the former batter who played a key role in England’s two World Cup wins in 2009, across the 50- and 20-over formats respectively. Morgan currently works as a Regional Talent Manager for Southern Vipers, while Helesfay is an assistant coach at South East Stars and Welsh FireRichard Bedbrook, Head of England Women Performance Pathways, said: “It is always an exciting time to be able to name an U19 World Cup squad and all those chosen, including the non-travelling reserve group, can be very proud of this achievement.”The quality in the group highlights the work of each of the regional teams across both their senior and Academy environments and I, plus colleagues, are indebted to them on the development work they continue to put in.”We hope each individual takes a huge amount from the experience they are about to have and uses it to continue developing themselves as a person and player.”This also goes for the staff group, a number of whom across various roles are also employees of the Regional teams and who will hopefully take huge amounts of experience and enjoyment from being a part of the programme.”Five non-travelling reserves have also been selected. The reserves won’t travel but will take a full part throughout the preparation phase and act as stand-by players should a replacement player be required:England Women U19 squad: Phoebe Brett (Central Sparks), Olivia Brinsden (Thunder), Tilly Corteen-Coleman (South East Stars), Trudy Johnson (Northern Diamonds), Katie Jones (Western Storm), Charlotte Lambert (South East Stars), Abi Norgrove (Southern Vipers), Eve O’Neill (Southern Vipers), Davina Perrin (Central Sparks), Jemima Spence (South East Stars), Charlotte Stubbs (South East Stars), Amuruthaa Surenkumar (Sunrisers), Prisha Thanawala (The Blaze), Erin Thomas (Northern Diamonds), Grace Thompson (Northern Diamonds)Non-travelling reserves: Maria Andrews (The Blaze), Sophie Beech (Central Sparks), Daisy Gibb (Southern Vipers), Poppy Tulloch (Southern Vipers), Annie Williams (The Blaze).

The fast bowler will return to the UK on Wednesday ahead of the ceremony and is a doubt for the second Test

Matt Roller08-Oct-2024Olly Stone will fly home from England’s tour of Pakistan on Wednesday ahead of his wedding this weekend, and appears unlikely to return in time to be considered for the second Test.Stone took seven wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka at the end of the English summer, which were his first caps for three years in the format. Brydon Carse was preferred as England’s high-pace option for the first Test in Multan, which started on Monday, which has freed Stone up to fly home earlier than initially planned ahead of his wedding on Saturday.The date of Stone’s return is unconfirmed and may depend on the status of England’s other fast bowlers after the first Test. But with a very tight turnaround between his wedding and Tuesday’s second Test, he is unlikely to feature. Carse, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes are the three seamers picked to play in the first Test, with Matthew Potts the other fast bowler in the squad.England’s management are understood to be happy for Stone to leave Pakistan, given he was not included in their last batch of central contracts and his wedding was arranged long before his recall. He spoke to Rob Key and Brendon McCullum – England’s managing director and coach respectively – before the tour, who agreed that he should head home to get married.”We booked the wedding on the basis of me only playing for Notts at the time,” Stone recently told the BBC. “Jess said she was happy to move the wedding and I was adamant on keeping it where it was if possible. For what she has given up and sacrificed for me, I thought the least I could do was to try and make it work.”In a previous era, the seamer Tony Pigott postponed his own wedding at short notice in order to play what proved to be his only Test on England’s 1984 tour to New Zealand. More recently, contracted players have rescheduled weddings due to clashes: Joe Root said on Saturday that he and his wife Carrie had rearranged their own “three times because of different tours”.Root said that Stone would leave the tour with his teammates’ best wishes. “It’s a special time in anyone’s life,” he said. “I’m really excited for him. I’m sure he is all over the place with everything that’s going on, but it’ll be very special for him – and his wife – starting a different chapter in his life. We’ll all be raising a cold water to him at some point, celebrating.”

After missing out on Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle United are now reportedly plotting a fresh move to sign a 27-goal forward for Eddie Howe this summer.

Newcastle working on Ekitike alternatives

Whilst they have at least managed to welcome Anthony Elanga, there’s no denying that it’s been an incredibly frustrating summer for Newcastle so far. They first found themselves linked with moves for Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo, only for their targets to join Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.

Then, their attention turned towards the talented Ekitike and it looked as though he was there for the taking. The Magpies submitted an opening bid and were reportedly preparing a second before Liverpool came swooping in to seal the Frenchman’s signature. Now, for the umpteenth time this summer, Newcastle are back to square one.

The next name on their list on that front seems to be Yoane Wissa. The Brentford striker has reportedly left the Bees’ pre-season camp amid speculation that both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle are interested, leading to an opening bid from those at St James’ Park.

With Tottenham also interested, Newcastle will be wary that they could yet miss out on another target in what would only be the latest blow in a summer to forget. But that concern means that Wissa isn’t the only name on their shortlist of Ekitike alternatives.

Alongside the Brentford star, the likes of Benjamin Sesko and even Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez have been mentioned. If the Magpies want to exact revenge on the Reds, then one way would be to sign Nunez before finally getting the best out of him.

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Of course, however, that move would come with no guarantee that the South American would finally spark into life. Instead, Newcastle should focus on a Ligue 1 star who scored 27 goals last season.

Newcastle now plotting Biereth move

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now plotting a summer swoop to sign Mika Biereth in a deal worth £40m. The AS Monaco forward enjoyed an excellent campaign last time out – scoring 27 goals in all competitions after adding to his initial tally at SK Sturm Graz in the first-half of the campaign.

Stepping up to Ligue 1 level also proved little trouble for the 22-year-old, who scored 13 goals in just 16 games to steal further headlines. Now, six months on from joining Monaco, the Dane could be on his way back to the Premier League.

Dubbed “outrageous” by scout Jacek Kulig, Biereth is not a name that most Premier League fans will know well, but one that Arsenal and Fulham fans should be familiar with.

The forward initially came through at Craven Cottage before making his way to the famous Hale End academy. Ultimately, however, opportunities came few and far between for Biereth, who has since thrived elsewhere.

Chelsea are leaving no stone unturned as the club chases glory on all fronts this season. Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro have arrived to bolster the attack.

Pedro has made an instant impact already, registering three goal involvements in as many matches at the Club World Cup for the Blues.

He might be joined by Xavi Simons, who looks close to sealing a deal to join the Blues in the coming days.

This squad depth would make the Stamford Bridge side a force to be reckoned with under Enzo Maresca, especially if he can work out a system that could benefit his attacking players.

Despite the lavish spending, it appears as though Maresca isn’t finished yet…

Chelsea eyeing another attacking signing

With Simons looking like he will be the next big arrival, Maresca has turned closer to home for another potential signing.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea have offered two players plus cash in a deal to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo are the two players mentioned, while it remains to be seen how much money they have offered as part of the deal.

Villa value Rogers at around £100m, and they will do anything to keep hold of the playmaker this summer.

If the Blues strike a deal, it would be a major statement. Several of the team will benefit from Rogers’ arrival, none more so than Pedro.

Why Morgan Rogers would benefit Joao Pedro

Last season, Pedro scored ten Premier League goals for Brighton, adding six assists in the process.

He has settled into the Blues’ squad nicely indeed. Across three games at the Club World Cup, the Brazilian netted three goals while averaging one key pass per game.

Ahead of the new Premier League campaign, just how good can Pedro become with a player such as Rogers operating directly behind him?

Well, the Englishman enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season himself in the top flight during 2024/25.

Not only did he score eight times, but Rogers generated ten assists as Villa just missed out on Champions League qualification. He notably shone in Europe too, netting eight goals, including three which came in one game against Celtic.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League, the former Manchester City starlet ranked in the top 7% for through balls (0.64) per 90, along with ranking in the top 20% for take-ons attempted (4.62) per 90 across last season.

Furthermore, the youngster even created a staggering 16 big chances (the 11th best tally in the division) while also averaging 1.4 key passes per game for Villa.

Rogers’ Premier League stats last season

Shots per game

1.5

Big chances created

16

Key passes per game

1.4

Total duels won per game

4.7

Big chances missed

11

Touches per game

41.3

Via Sofascore

These statistics demonstrate just how effective he is behind the centre-forward, something which Pedro can take full advantage of.

Hailed as “unstoppable” by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher last term, Rogers has all the tools in his armoury to be a success at Stamford Bridge.

The offer to Villa sounds like it might be tempting for Unai Emery to accept, especially given their need to balance the books.

Will Rogers be the final piece of the attacking jigsaw for Maresca ahead of the 2025/26 season? Only time will tell.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 22, 2025