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da 888casino： While there is still some work to be done, Chelsea have been incredibly effective in the transfer market this summer.

da gbg bet： Enzo Maresca and Co. clearly wanted the majority of their first-team additions to be before the start of pre-season, and they’ve largely succeeded.

One team that has been quite the opposite is Manchester United, who got their hands on Matheus Cunha early but then proceeded to take well over a month to agree a fee for Bryan Mbeumo.

The Europa League runners-up look to have finally got their man for a price that could reach £70m with add-ons, and now it looks like Chelsea want to sign someone who’s been compared to the Cameroonian international.

Chelsea target their own Mbeumo

Chelsea should enter next season full of confidence, as, in addition to the team that secured them fourth place last year, they’ve added some serious talent.

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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The likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro will undoubtedly make Maresca’s side far more potent upfront, and the tremendously exciting Jamie Gittens should add more quality to the left-wing position.

Moreover, the West Londoners have shipped off Noni Madueke to Arsenal for a profit and could be set to earn a sizable payday on some of their other unwanted players.

The Conference League champions are not done there, though, as they now look determined to bring in a young attacker who could be their answer to Mbeumo.

At least, that’s according to a recent report in Friday’s print edition of Spanish publication Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, which claims Chelsea are seriously interested in Xavi Simons.

The report reveals that, alongside United, the Blues have held talks over a move for the Dutch international, although the reported price tag of around €70m is proving to be a problem.

It could end up being a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Simons has proven he’d be worth spending big on, especially as he could be Maresca’s own Mbeumo.

How Simons compares to Mbeumo

One of the most significant comparisons between Simons and Mbeumo stems from FBref, which analysed players in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League across the last 365 days.

It then concluded that the Brentford star was the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the RB Leipzig star.

The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely.

Simons & Mbeumo

Statistics per 90

Simons

Mbeumo

Non-Penalty G+As

0.48

0.42

Progressive Carries

3.56

3.43

Shots

2.09

2.08

Shots on Target

0.96

0.90

Expected Assists

0.25

0.25

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.53

Tackles Won

0.88

0.82

Successful Take-Ons

1.38

1.37

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

These include things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, tackles won, shots and more, all per 90.

These numbers help show that, although he’s three years his junior, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” is just as adept at creating and scoring chances.

Moreover, both players are positionally versatile, with the soon-to-be United star thriving on the right, as a second striker, or up top, while the Amsterdam-born dynamo can play off either wing or in the ten.

Finally, both players were effective outlets for their respective teams last season, with the Cameroon international scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists in 42 games, as the Blues target scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 games.

Ultimately, it won’t be cheap, but Chelsea should do what they can to sign Simons this summer as he would add some serious quality to their squad and be the perfect answer to Mbeumo.

Related He'll take Pedro to the next level: Chelsea make offer to sign £86m star

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da bet nacional： Sunderland now lead West Ham in the race to sign a brand-new £22 million “magician” after making an approach, according to a recent report.

Sunderland plan to continue spending spree after passing £100m mark

da mrbet： The Black Cats got their pre-season underway over the weekend, beating non-league side South Shields 4-0 in what has been an epic summer for the club so far. Sunderland have added six new players to their squad already this summer, passing the £100 million mark, with midfielder Habib Diarra being the club’s most expensive capture so far.

Related Contact made: Sunderland prepare bid to sign £25m star who is open to move

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Despite the heavy investment, the Premier League newcomers are not stopping there, as Sunderland are interested in signing Charlie Cresswell from French side Toulouse. The defender is already known in English football, after spending time at Leeds United, and now the Black Cats are keen to bring him back to England in a deal that could cost them as much as £18 million.

As well as looking to improve their central defence, Regis Le Bris and co are also looking at potential new goalkeepers, despite Anthony Patterson impressing last season. Sunderland have made contact with representatives of Aaron Ramsdale and are now preparing an offer to Southampton. The 27-year-old is said to be open to a move to the Stadium of Light, as he would remain in the Premier League, but it could cost Sunderland £25 million to get a deal completed.

Sunderland lead West Ham in race to sign new £22m "magician" after approach

The new arrivals may not even stop there, as according to L’Equipe, via Get French Football News, Sunderland have approached Leicester City over the signing of midfielder Bilal El Khannouss.

The report states that as well as the Black Cats, West Ham United and AS Monaco have made enquiries about signing the 21-year-old, who has just suffered relegation with the Foxes. However, it is Sunderland who are considered to be leading the race to sign El Khannouss.

The Moroccan international, who was dubbed a “magician” after his performance against Southampton last season, only joined Leicester last summer from KRC Genk. El Khannouss contributed to five goals despite the Foxes struggling all season at the bottom end of the Premier League.

Bilal El Khannouss’ 24/25 Premier League stats

Apps

32

Goals

2

Shots per game

0.9

Goal conversion

9%

Assists

3

Touches

42.5

Big chances created

8

Key passes

1.3

Interceptions per game

0.2

Tackles per game

1.6

El Khannouss is still under contract until 2028, and it’s been reported previously that the Foxes would be looking to get around £22 million should he leave during this transfer window. Sunderland have already added a couple of midfielders to their ranks this summer, but El Khannouss’ potential arrival could be another way the Black Cats try to fill the void left by Jobe Bellingham, featuring in an attacking midfield role or out on the wing if needed.

da 888： This summer could, and should, be a seismic one for Arsenal.

da wazamba： Andrea Berta and Co have already added some impressive depth to the side in Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga – not to mention the incoming Martin Zubimendi – but the area of the team that desperately needs reinforcements is the attack.

Moreover, while a new striker is a necessity, it’s just as essential that Mikel Arteta is handed one, or maybe even two, new wingers as well.

Fortunately, the club seem to be on the same wavelength, as recent reports have linked them to a player who has been compared to Bukayo Saka on more than a few occasions.

Arsenal's winger search

Given Arsenal’s comparative lack of cutting-edge wide options, it’s not been a massive surprise to see them linked with several exciting options in recent weeks, such as Antonio Nusa and Anthony Elanga.

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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The former is reportedly available for close to £38m this summer and amassed a tally of 13 goal involvements in 40 games last season.

Elanga, on the other hand, could cost as much as £60m, but was that bit more effective for Nottingham Forest last season, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists in 43 games.

However, while there is clear upside in both of these wide talents, neither one has been or could really be compared to Saka, which isn’t the case for Noni Madueke.

Yes, according to David Ornstein, Arsenal are in fact very interested in the Chelsea winger.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Athletic podcast, the respected journalist revealed that the Gunners like the Englishman and are “working” on a deal, which, according to other reports, could cost around £50m.

It might not be the transfer some Arsenal fans would be hoping for, but Madueke has the ability and potential to be something special in North London, and the fact he’s been compared to Saka can only be a good thing.

How Madueke compares to Saka

Now, it should be noted that there are numerous surface-level comparisons that can be made between Saka and Madueke.

These include the fact that they’re both full England internationals, they both play for a ‘big six’ side in London, they’re primarily right-sided wingers, and they both came out of the academy of a North London team.

However, the comparisons do go deeper than that.

In fact, respected analyst EBL was bold enough to argue for the Chelsea ace’s similarity to the Gunners’ star as far back as March 2023, claiming that, he is indeed “very similar to Saka”.

They pointed out that, like the Hale Ender, the former PSV Eindhoven star is particularly adept at lulling an opposition defender into a “false sense of security” by first slowing down with the ball at his feet and then shifiting “the ball to either side” and making the most of his impressive “ball-striking.”

However, that’s not his only avenue for beating opposing defenders, as EBL also highlights his “explosive shift”, which is just a way of describing how he gets around players with a burst of energy when dribbling.

Interestingly, we can see how similar this is to Saka in the numbers, as, according to FBref, the North Londoners’ talisman completed 1.99 successful take-ons per 90 when playing in Europe’s top five leagues or the Champions League, which is the exact same number as the Blues star.

Saka’s most similar players

#

Players

1

Savio

2

Salah

3

Diaz

4

Son

5

Madueke

All Stats via FBref for the PL in 24/25

However, that is not all, as when we look at just the Premier League last season, FBref ranks the “incredible” talent, as dubbed by content creator Matisse Armani, as the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Ealing-born superstar.

Ultimately, while Madueke hasn’t quite reached the levels of Saka, there are some undeniable stylistic and statistical similarities between the pair.

Therefore, if a deal can be struck at a reasonable price, then Arsenal should go ahead and bring the exciting winger to the Emirates this summer.

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da esport bet： Arsenal know their hunt for a striker will define the type of campaign they enjoy under Mikel Arteta and there has now been a significant development on that front, according to reports.

Arsenal look to finalise move for Cristhian Mosquera

da 888casino： Undoubtedly, Mikel Arteta has become an admirer of solid foundations when analysing his recruitment strategy this summer, which may explain why he has focused primarily on defensive-minded arrivals early in the window.

Martin Zubimendi is set to join the Gunners from Real Sociedad. At the same time, Kepa Arrizabalaga will become David Raya’s deputy between the sticks following a solid loan spell at Bournemouth last campaign.

Furthermore, Arsenal are set to sign Brentford captain Christian Norgaard for a fee of £15 million including add-ons. With Thomas Partey and Jorginho now no longer in the building, making two smart additions in the engine room will ensure a balance in squad depth.

Nevertheless, there could be more in the way of solidity soon to enter the frame amid news that Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera could soon be on his way to North London.

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While that is all well and good, Arsenal will be judged this window on what they do to strengthen their frontline amid Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus’ injury struggles last term, so fans may want to take note of the latest update emerging from the Emirates.

Viktor Gyokeres demands meeting to force Arsenal move

According to reports in Portugal via Sport Witness, Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres has demanded a meeting with Sporting president Frederico Varandas in relation to broken promises over a potential move away from the Primeira Liga champions this summer.

The Sweden international has an £85 million release clause in place. Still, there is a disagreement over how much he will be allowed to depart for as the club prepares to return to pre-season, with Varandas publicly stating Sporting won’t be held to ransom.

Viktor Gyokeres’ incredible record in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

52

Goals

54

Assists

13

Talks are set to act as a move to push Sporting into a sale, while the report names Berta and Arsenal as the team now in the front seat to land Gyokeres after a summer transfer saga that has dominated headlines across the globe.

Manchester United have also been heavily mentioned. However, the Gunners are believed to be the only contender in line for Gyokeres, who has been labelled the “hottest striker in the world” by talkSPORT pundit Flex.

Potentially, this development could bring the curtain down on a nerve-shredding summer episode for everyone involved with the North London giants, though supporters won’t be getting too excited until he is paraded at the Emirates Stadium.

da dobrowin： Manchester United’s central midfield department has been an area for debate over recent months, with Ruben Amorim having multiple options at his disposal.

da marjack bet： Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro have often operated in such positions, but Bruno Fernandes has often dropped into a deeper role, with Kobbie Mainoo also an option after his injury setbacks.

However, it’s unclear if the manager fully knows his best partnership in the middle of the park, which could see the Red Devils dip into the transfer market to make further additions.

Christian Eriksen has already been told that he will be released from the club at the end of his contract in a couple of weeks, with Casemiro potentially being moved on to raise additional funds.

With the window now in full swing after its one-week closure, it’s pivotal that the board land the right targets for the manager, with any additions having a bearing on his long-term future in the role.

United’s hunt to land new midfielders this summer

Despite the season not long ending, United have already wasted little time in the market, already pursuing moves for various players in the midfield department.

Ederson, Hayden Hackney, and Fermin Lopez have all previously been mentioned as potential additions, but no deals have yet been completed ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, that could be about to change, with the Red Devils identifying Inter Milan star Davide Frattesi as a potential option, according to one Spanish outlet.

Their report claims that United have already begun making moves to bring him to Old Trafford this summer after only making nine Serie A starts in 2024/25.

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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It also states that he’s asked his agent to consider potential options away from Italy this summer, seeing Amorim’s current project at the club as an exciting one that could tempt him in the coming months.

Why Frattesi could be Amorim’s own version of McTominay

After leaving United for Napoli in a £25m deal last summer, no supporter could’ve envisioned the rise Scottish international Scott McTominay would have in Italy – subsequently taking his career to new heights this season.

The 28-year-old was offloaded by former boss Erik ten Hag, a decision that now appears to be a huge mistake after his form across Europe, which saw him net 13 times across all competitions in his debut year in Naples.

Such a record helped Antonio Conte’s side claim the league title, with McTominay being named the division’s Most Valuable Player, further highlighting the mistake made in allowing him to depart.

It’s a real shame that Amorim didn’t receive the opportunity to work with the academy graduate, with his skillset at both ends of the pitch certainly aiding the club in their chances of overturning their recent slump.

However, a move for Frattesi could allow the Red Devils to land their next version of the midfielder, possessing a very similar playstyle to that of the 28-year-old.

When comparing their respective figures from the recent campaign, the Inter star has managed to match or better him in numerous key areas, subsequently able to inject the needed quality into the current squad.

Frattesi, who’s been labelled as “one of the best midfielders in Serie A” by Fabrizio Romano, has averaged a higher goal per shot on target rate, able to pop up with crucial goals in key moments – as seen with his winner in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

He’s also completed more key passes per 90, having the tools to provide the likes of Fernandes ahead of him with the opportunity to have a further impact in the final third.

The Italian has also dominated without the ball, winning more of the tackles he’s entered and also making more blocks per 90, handing Amorim the perfect box-to-box option in his 3-4-2-1 system.

How Frattesi compares to McTominay in Serie A (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Frattesi

McTominay

Games played

27

36

Goals & assists

6

16

Goals per shot on target

0.7

0.3

Key passes made

1.5

0.8

Carries into opposition box

0.6

0.4

Tackles won

56%

48%

Blocks made

0.9

0.6

Fouls won

2.3

1.8

Stats via FBref

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal would set the Red Devils hierarchy back, it seems as though they could be about to take advantage of his lack of playing time in their ambitions of strengthening the squad.

When he has had the chance to impress, he’s taken such an opportunity with both hands, with his experience amongst Europe’s elite taking the side to the next level in the process.

If he can emulate McTominay’s success at Old Trafford, it would be an astute piece of business and one that would transform the club’s current two-man midfielder pivot ahead of a crucial 2025/26 campaign.

Related More exciting than Mbeumo: Man Utd in talks to sign "very special" talent

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da bet sport： Arsenal supporters are being forced to wait patiently for their first confirmed signing of the summer, despite new sporting director Andrea Berta’s well-documented transfer attempts behind-the-scenes.

da poker： The Gunners are reportedly closing in on a few key deals, namely for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Related Arteta wants Arsenal to sign £204k-p/w forward with crucial meeting this week

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Arrizabalaga looks poised to complete a £5 million move to Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s new back-up keeper and understudy to David Raya (David Ornstein), while Zubimendi is on course to seal a switch to the Premier League one year after rejecting Liverpool.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

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

Zubimendi actually caused quite a stir with his recent comments suggesting that his future was still up in the air, but the likes of Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano have since confirmed that Arsenal are still expected to sign the 26-year-old after agreeing a deal with Sociedad.

After Zubimendi and Kepa, the north Londoners also remain in the market for a new winger and striker.

Arsenal have Real Madrid forward Rodrygo on their long list of wide options, with links still surrounding Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, so that is certainly a position to keep an eye on. However, the most noise continues to surround Berta’s attempts to bring in a centre-forward.

Groundwork has been laid on deals for both RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, according to the BBC, with Arsenal exploring the conditions of moves for both men before deciding which one to formally pursue.

While Arsenal have already held “concrete” talks over Sesko, Gyokeres remains firmly on the radar.

Portuguese newspaper Record even reported this week that Arsenal made an official £55m opening bid for Gyokeres, with journalist Graeme Bailey sharing an update on the story.

Viktor Gyokeres camp clash with Sporting over rejected Arsenal bid

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey reports that the offer has been rejected by Sporting, which isn’t surprising when factoring in that their president, Frederico Varandas, confirmed that an offer below £60m wouldn’t be enough.

Bailey adds that Gyokeres’ camp clashed with Sporting after they snubbed Arsenal’s offer, but Arteta’s side remain in “constant contact” over his signature alongside Man United.

“Speaking to sources, Gyokeres is convinced that he is moving this summer, and he believes he will be in England – not that he has ruled out other countries, it is just where he believes he will be playing,” said the reporter.

“He did make it clear from the start that a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Pro League was not a consideration despite them making an approach this month.

“Arsenal and Man United are in constant contact, the lines of communication with those two clubs has been ongoing for months.

“The player’s representatives are working hard on his future, but there is no deadline here – it could be this month, but likely July, I am told, before something is agreed, but there is no panic. They are calm.”

Varandas’ preferred price tag could be around £68 million, but there are the strikers wages to consider, with Gyokeres reportedly demanding as much as £250,000-per-week.

da winzada777： The season may have only come to an end a few weeks ago, but silly season is in full effect, and it looks set to be a big one for Arsenal.

da pinup bet： Mikel Arteta’s side ended up finishing second in the Premier League for the third campaign on the bounce this year, and that failure to become champions appears to have motivated the club to get busy in the market.

For example, after much confusion over a supposed hijack from Real Madrid, David Ornstein reaffirmed Martin Zubimendi’s imminent move to North London, and after missing out on Joan Garcia, Andrea Berta and Co appear to have secured the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m – which is undeniably great business for a second choice goalkeeper.

However, what most Arsenal fans want more than anything else this summer is a new striker, and the most likely candidate at the moment is Benjamin Sesko, although if he does join the club, he’ll have a valuation substantially lower than one of his competitors for game time.

Why Arsenal want Sesko

So, based on reports from the last few weeks, it appears that the price Arsenal will have to pay for Sesko will be around £67m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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The question is, then, is he worth such an outlay? Yes, yes, he is.

The first reason why is that, as he’s only just turned 22 years old, there is still so much room for him to further develop, and under Arteta’s tutelage, there is no reason he couldn’t get better and better.

Secondly, the former Salzburg gem is the perfect combination of physical and technical attributes for a modern striker.

For example, he’s 6 foot 5 and able to hit speeds of 35.69 km/h while also being great with the ball at his feet, with FBref placing him in the top 8% of forwards in the Bundesliga for percentage of successful take-ons and the top 11% for outright successful take-ons, all per 90.

Finally, on top of that, the Radeče-born poacher is already producing a decent number of goal involvements, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games across all competitions this season.

In all, Sesko looks like he’ll be more than worth the fee being reported, and yet even then, his valuation is far lower than that of one of his potential new teammates at Arsenal.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Sesko

While they are yet to get over the line in any competition, this Arsenal team is stacked with brilliant players, from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka to William Saliba and Martin Odegaard.

However, in this case, the player worth millions more than Sesko is someone who can sometimes divide opinion among fans and pundits alike: Kai Havertz.

Yes, whatever you may think of the German international, he was valued at an astounding €130m by the CIES Football Observatory earlier this year, which converts to around £110m, or about £43m more than the reported price of Sesko.

Havertz vs Sesko in 24/25

Players

Havertz

Sesko

Appearances

36

45

Goals

15

21

Assists

5

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

0.60

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, that might seem a little unfair on the Slovenian ace, especially as he has a marginally better average of 0.60 goal involvements per game to Havertz’s 0.55, but in defence of the Gunners’ ace, he is playing in statistically the toughest league in world football and did miss most of the second half of the season through injury.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood and at their respective underlying numbers from this season, we see that the former Chelsea ace comes out on top.

Havertz vs Sesko

Statistics per 90

Havertz

Sesko

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.57

0.40

Progressive Passes

2.93

1.74

Progressive Passes Received

5.43

5.34

Progressive Carries

1.68

1.78

Shots

2.54

2.50

Shots on Target

1.01

1.10

Passing Accuracy

78.4%

67.6%

Key Passes

0.82

0.72

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.43

0.34

Passes into the Final Third

1.30

0.95

Shot-Creating Actions

2.02

1.93

Goal-Creating Actions

0.14

0.34

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

For example, the “magnificent” dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, does far better in most relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, shot-creating actions, passing accuracy, key passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that the Aachen-born international has spent some time in midfield and will likely play many more games there next season should the Leipzig star arrive.

Ultimately, Sesko would be a fantastic signing, and it looks like he has the raw materials to be truly special, but Arsenal fans shouldn’t forget that they’ve already got a brilliant attacker in Havertz.

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