Wolverhampton Wanderers under-23 manager Jamie Collins has again heaped praise on Old Gold academy star Luke Cundle.
The 20-year-old found the net twice as the club’s under-23s sealed a Premier League Cup win over Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.
Speaking to Wolves TV, Collins gave Cundle all the plaudits after his match-winning performance, saying: “I thought he was excellent tonight, he’s got his goals, but he was missing some as well, so I thought he could’ve got even more goals and I’ll be challenging him to do that.”
The under-23 boss hailed the starlet’s attitude for wanting to play for the reserves despite being called up to the first-team, revealing: “He texts me to ask if he can play and you don’t get that often with players who go up to the first-team.
“They’re not desperate to play for the under-23’s, but he just wants to play football. We could get a ball out now and have a five-a-side on the car park and he’d want a game, and when you’re a coach, you love players who are like that because they love the game.”
Moutinho replacement
With Portuguese veteran Joao Moutinho – who hsa been slammed for some “rubbish” performances by Tim Spiers – linked with a move away from the Molineux, Bruno Lage may well be looking for an adequate replacement in the middle of the park.
Despite making most of his appearances in Premier League 2 as a defensive midfielder for Wolves, Cundle has earned comparisons to Manchester City and England star Phil Foden.
The 20-year-old’s versatility is just one of the reasons that he has earned this comparison, with the Wolves youth product capable of operating as a central midfielder and even as a false nine, having occupied the role in a reserves game against Newcastle United.
Speaking after that match in mid-April, Collins said: “We took a little risk with the change of shape and the ‘false nine’ with no centre-forward. We played Luke [Cundle] up there, ‘Phil Foden-esque’, and I thought he played really well.”
Lage knows all about the Molineux youngster, having raved about his first-team performance against Spurs in mid-February by saying: “Maybe Luke [Cundle] can be a key man because it allows us to play with four midfielders. He was there against top players playing like he is in the playground.”
Having achieved eight goal contribution for Wolves’ under-23s this season, Cundle poses more of an attacking threat than Moutinho, who has registered an underwhelming average of 0.6 shots per game, with two goals and one assist to his name this season.
Promoting the 20-year-old starlet to the first team on a more regular basis would duly enable Lage to let the veteran midfielder bring the curtain down on his time in the Black Country, particularly with his contract expiring over the summer.
In other news – Forget Semedo: Wolves can unearth new Doherty in rarely-seen 18-year-old who’s a “top player”
West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Blackburn Rovers duo Joe Rothwell and Darragh Lenihan in the summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Big summer ahead
It has been a hugely disappointing season for the Baggies, who were considered one of the Championship’s main promotion contenders back in August.
Instead, they find themselves languishing in 10th place in the table, with Valerien Ismael long gone and Steve Bruce also struggling for consistency since replacing him as manager.
There is no doubt that a big summer is required at The Hawthorns in terms of signings, and a fresh report suggests that the Albion hierarchy are wasting little time in trying to strengthen the squad for next term.
The Latest: Baggies eye double deal
According to journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon [via Football League World], West Brom want to sign Blackburn duo Rothwell and Lenihan in the summer.
Both players see their current deals at Ewood Park expire at the end of the season, at which point they would be available on free transfers.
The Verdict: Strong additions
Rothwell and Lenihan have both been key players for Blackburn throughout this season, aiding their promotion push and showing why they could be exciting signings for the Baggies.
Rothwell has registered 10 assists in the Championship, outlining his creative quality in midfield and being hailed as “amazing” by his manager Tony Mowbray. Meanwhile, the latter has excelled in defensive midfield, winning 5.1 aerial duels per game and lauded by Mowbray as a “special footballer”.
At 27 and 28 respectively, they are also at an ideal age to come in and add experience to the squad, while also be young enough to hopefully continue playing at a high level for another few years.
In other news, West Brom are interested in signing another player, too. Find out who it is here.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to get their push for European football back on track as they host Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League this afternoon.
With just five matches to go, Wolves are still firmly in contention of securing a place in one of the continental competitions for next season, with Bruno Lage’s men three points behind seventh-placed West Ham United whilst having a game in hand.
However, three defeats in their last four matches have seen the Old Gold suffer a major blow in the race for Europe, and they can no longer afford any slip-ups.
Getting back on track with a victory against the Seagulls today is crucial, but who will start for Lage’s side? Here is how Football FanCast expects Wolves to line up this afternoon:
We anticipate just one change from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Burnley, which sees Fabio Silva replaced by Pedro Neto, with Raul Jimenez leading the line against Graham Potter’s side.
Silva has seriously struggled to make an impact this season and the £35m fee they paid for him in 2020 is still yet to be justified.
Labelled a “hindrance” by Wolves journalist Liam Keen earlier this season, the 19-year-old is yet to score in the current campaign, despite making 24 appearances across all competitions. Lage has tried to play the Portuguese youngster in the same line-up as Jimenez, but Silva’s sorry goal return shows that it hasn’t worked.
In his place comes Neto, who is still being managed carefully having recently returned from a serious knee injury. The 22-year-old returned to the side in late February after a ten-month spell on the sidelines but has started just one match since.
With Neto having been declared fit enough to be involved for Wolves for the past two months, Lage must now unleash the £39k-per-week winger, who Jamie Carragher described as a “superstar” last season after scoring five goals and providing six assists.
[freshpress-poll id=”69987
Quality in the final third has been severely lacking for the Old Gold this term, with only four teams scoring fewer Premier League goals, and Lage will need to find a solution to his team’s woes in front of goal. Involving Neto would certainly be a worthwhile test of his ability to address Wolves’ lack of bite in attack.
Although victory will most likely keep Wolves eighth due to West Ham’s superior goal difference, it is vital that Lage’s men keep breathing down the necks of the Hammers and Manchester United.
AND in other news: Forget Marcal: Lage could sign perfect Wolves upgrade in “tremendous” £35k-p/w “beast”
We are still several months away from the World Cup taking place in America in 2026 and while the play-offs to finalise the final few places at next year’s tournament are yet to take place, we now know who England will be facing.
Thomas Tuchel was brought into the Three Lions setup by the FA with one goal. To win the next World Cup.
Well, he can now begin to plot out the route it will take to make the final and potentially lift football’s biggest prize.
Can England end over 60 years of hurt? Time well. Here’s who they’re set to face in the USA next summer and how the rest of the draw played out.
Who are England facing and when?
England were drawn in group L, the final group. They were drawn against Croatia, the nation that beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and Panama, a side they also faced back in 2018, demolishing them 6-1 in the group stages. Rounding off that group is Ghana who were one of the last balls to come out in the draw.
1. Croatia
Wednesday 17th June
2. Ghana
Tuesday 23rd June
3. Panama
Saturday 27th June
What is the rest of the draw?
The first match of the tournament sees joint hosts Mexico take on South Africa, a repeat of the first game of the 2010 World Cup. They will also face Korea Republic and await the winner of a play-off to determine their other match.
Fellow hosts Canada take on Qatar and Switzerland while awaiting another play-off winner while USA face Paraguay, Australia and a play-off winner.
We all love a group of death and next year’s looks as though it could well be Group I which sees France, Senegal, Norway and a play-off winner compete for a place in the knock-out stages.
England's route to the final
Providing England win their group, then they will face a team that finished third in the group stages in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
Awaiting them in the last 16 could be host nation Mexico, before a possible quarter-final awaits against Brazil. In the semi-finals it’s likely they would have to face France. Talk about a tough route.
In the final, it could be a repeat of the showpiece event from the last European Championships, where either Spain or Argentina could await if everything goes according to the script.
Could Messi and Ronaldo face each other?
Well, Messi’s Argentina are set to face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in group J and if they finish top, then their likely route to the final would see them face Saudi Arabia or Uruguay in the last 32.
A tie against the USA or Egypt could await in the last 16. Portugal or Colombia are expected to be their quarter-final opponents before they could face one of Brazil, the Netherlands or Tuchel’s Three Lions in the semi-finals.
As for Ronaldo, his final chance of winning a World Cup will see him face Uzbekistan, Colombia and a play-off winner in the group stages before potential matches against Croatia or England in the last 16 and France or Messi’s Argentina in the quarter-finals await.
Peter Schmeichel has slammed the business Manchester United did during the summer transfer window, branding one signing as “weird”.
Man Utd's summer signings yet to make major impact
After finishing 15th in the Premier League last season, the Man United squad was always going to need major surgery in the summer, but their new additions, despite showing some promising signs, are yet to make a major impact.
Matheus Cunha has largely been utliised as a substitute in recent weeks, after injury derailed the Brazilian forward’s start to the season, while Bryan Mbeumo has just one goal to his name in the opening seven league matches.
With Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both making errors to give away goals at the start of the season, it was always going to be important for Ruben Amorim to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Senne Lammens is off to a solid start, keeping a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.
Benjamin Sesko is also starting to find his form, scoring in his last two Premier League outings, but Schmeichel has criticised the decision to sign the Slovenian in the first place on the Sacked in the Morning podcast.
The former Man United goalkeeper said: “The signing of Benjamin Šeško was a little bit weird to me because we have Rasmus Hojlund, who has been starved of service for two years.
The Dane also went on to say: “You spend £70 million+ on Sesko, when we don’t have the number six we should have, and there’s the goalkeeping position as well.
Man Utd submit offer to sign two "special" English midfielders in double swoop
The Red Devils have tabled a proposal for two midfielders.
ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025
“This season alone, we’ve conceded nine goals from goalkeeping errors. When I played, when Edwin van der Sar played, when David de Gea played, the brief was win 10 points a season; you don’t give points away.
“Why did we bring someone in that we didn’t need? Because the head of recruitment comes from Leipzig [Sesko’s former club], and he’s got to make a mark.”
Hojlund off to flying start at Napoli
Sesko is starting to come good, but it is clear to see why Schmeichel doesn’t believe he was a necessary signing, with Hojlund making a flying start to life at Napoli, scoring four goals in his opening six matches in all competitions.
The 61-year-old was also right to assess that signing a new goalkeeper was far more important, given just how poor Andre Onana has been since his arrival, with Nemanja Matic famously singling the Cameroonian out for heavy criticism last season.
That said, while it is still early days, Lammens exhibited promising signs on his debut against Sunderland, making two saves from inside the box to keep the Black Cats at bay, and preventing 0.94 goals.
It must also be noted that Hojlund was very poor last season, scoring just four Premier League goals, so it is understandable that Amorim wanted to bring in an upgrade, and Sesko is now finding his feet.
Celtic failed to get their first win of the European season on the board when they were beaten 2-0 by Braga at Parkhead in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Hoops were held to successive 0-0 draws, losing on penalties in the second leg, by Kairat in the Champions League qualifiers, before they were held to a 1-1 draw by Red Star Belgrade in their first match of the league phase in the Europa League last week.
Their 2-0 loss to Braga in front of their own supporters, who made their feelings clear at full-time, means that they have failed to win four successive matches in Europe this season.
Celtic may feel hard done by, though, as VAR ruled out Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal with a call that was described by Chris Sutton as “possibly the worst decision of all time”.
Celtic have been dominant domestically, with four successive league title wins, but they have not had much success on the European stage, in any competition, and it is a step up that even some of the club’s best players have struggled with.
Kyogo Furuhashi, for example, struggled in the Champions League last season as he came towards the end of his career with the Scottish giants.
Why Kyogo Furuhashi struggled for Celtic in Europe
Something that can be underestimated about European football is the step up in physicality as well as quality in comparison to some Scottish Premiership matches.
In terms of how players use their strength, how they use their speed, the intensity of their press, it can sometimes feel like a different game in Europe, which is why Kyogo, in particular, had some tough nights in European games.
The Japan international, who scored 85 goals for the Hoops, was never the most physical centre-forward for Celtic, but it appeared to effect his European form more than his domestic form, possibly due to the reasons listed above.
Appearances
6
7
Touches
14
13.1
Goals
2
1
Big chances missed
2
3
Duel success rate
33%
39%
Aerial duel success rate
0%
0%
Duels won per game
1.3
1.0
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo lost the majority of his duels, failing to win a single aerial battle in the Champions League in his last two seasons with the club, scoring three goals in 13 matches.
Because of how dominant opposition centre-backs were with the Japanese striker, the experienced marksman failed to provide regular quality at the top end of the pitch.
Moments like the one in the clip above against Atletico Madrid were far and far between, unfortunately, and the increased intensity and physicality of European football may be the reason behind that.
Now, another member of Ange Postecoglou’s treble-winning side appears to be suffering from similar issues in the current team for Brendan Rodgers.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Callum McGregor captained the Scottish giants once again in the middle of the park, but turned in a worse performance than Benjamin Nygren for Celtic.
Why McGregor is on his way to becoming the next Kyogo
Like Kyogo, the Hoops captain is not the most physical player in terms of his mobility or intensity, which is understandable given that he is a tempo-setting number six in the Premiership.
His composed play on the ball, completing 94% of his passes in the Premiership (Sofascore), helps him to dictate and control matches for the Hoops in domestic action, but the increased physicality and intensity of European football has had an impact on his performances.
Celtic average 73.2% of the ball per game (WhoScored) in the Premiership, which illustrates their total dominance, but they only had 56% of the ball against Braga at Parkhead on Thursday night.
Because Braga had more intensity to their press than a lot of the teams that Celtic face domestically have, McGregor, Nygren, and Paulo Bernardo had more of a fight on their hands than they usually do in a Hoops shirt at Parkhead.
Nygren outperformed the captain with his play in and out of possession, showing greater physicality and intensity, winning three more duels and twice as many tackles in 23 fewer minutes on the pitch.
McGregor lost 80% of his duels on the night. That came after he won four of his nine duels, making one tackle, in 90 minutes against Red Star Belgrade last week, per Sofascore.
The Celtic veteran’s physical struggles in the Europa League should not come as a huge surprise, though, as he has also lost 53% of his ground duels in the Premiership, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been slightly off the pace in his battles on the deck in domestic action.
Kyogo’s exit did not result in an immediate replacement in January, as the Hoops felt that Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda offered enough cover in the centre-forward position, and a similar situation could arise with McGregor.
That is not to say that the left-footed star will be sold by the club he has spent his entire career at, but the Hoops could get to a point where the captain may find himself out of the team to play a more dynamic and physical midfield that is capable of scrapping it out in matches to win duels and fight for points.
"Raw" Celtic star is now on borrowed time after the signing of Tounekti
This Celtic attacker is living on borrowed time at Parkhead after the signing of Sebastian Tounekti.
ByDan Emery Oct 1, 2025
Therefore, McGregor could be in danger of becoming the new Kyogo because of his struggles with the intensity and physicality of European football, based on recent evidence.
Rodgers will be hoping, though, that the 32-year-old star can learn from these last couple of matches and position himself better to avoid duels and take more control of the game in possession in the rest of the league phase.
Everton came on leaps and bounds under David Moyes’ wing in 2024/25, but there’s no doubt they petered out toward the end of the campaign, illustrating the need for summer reinforcements.
After a slow start that has been defined by outings, things are starting to move at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Indeed, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s departure at the end of his contract is poignant, the Toffees are close to signing 22-year-old striker Thierno Barry, who has a £34.5m release clause with Villarreal and scored 19 goals across 41 matches last term.
Further additions are expected. Everton might have parted ways with a whole host of first-team stars, but they have also succeeded in tying down an irreplaceable member of the squad to a new deal.
He plays in defence.
The latest on Everton's backline
Despite plenty of speculation, Everton have extended Jarrad Branthwaite’s contract, and the centre-back is now contracted to the Merseyside club until 2030.
While Michael Keane has extended his contract on Merseyside, he is fixed in a back-up role, and landing Branthwaite for more years to come provides an incredible lift, especially as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been sniffing around.
With James Tarkowski, 32, currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Jake O’Brien playing so well at right-back, it might be an idea to bring in another centre-half.
Well, according to Italian publication La Repubblica – via Sport Witness – Everton have entered the race for Inter Milan’s Yann Bisseck, who could leave San Siro this summer as a by-product of an acrimonious and wide fallout at the club.
Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have also been named as suitors, with the German expected to command a £34m transfer fee.
Why Everton want to sign Yann Bisseck
Everton would sign their most modern-tailored central defender yet in Bisseck, who has developed steely defensive skills and an ever-improving ball-playing talent.
Inter Milan's Yann Bisseck
That and a shrewd eye for goal. As per FBref, the 23-year-old ranked among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goal involvements, the top 19% for pass completion, the top 6% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 3% for aerial duel success rate.
What does that tell us? Well, it certainly underscores Bisseck’s roundedness, progressive in his play while utilising his tall frame to defend from aerial attacks.
Something of a career nomad already, the 24-year-old has played 67 matches for Inter Milan, posting five goals and five assists apiece. Used across different competitions, he was a regular feature during Simeone Inzaghi’s Champions League run last term, starting seven of the matches.
And he was hardly a passenger. Throughout Inter’s continental campaign, Bisseck won 66% of his duels, as per Sofascore, and completed 87% of his passes, emphasising the technical virtues Moyes demands from his defenders.
But the expansive nature of his brand is what could see him step above even a player of Branthwaite’s ability.
Goal involvements
0.04
0.20
Touches
54.48
75.63
Passes attempted
42.94
64.92
Pass completion
82.1%
90.6%
Progressive passes
2.37
4.39
Progressive carries
0.36
1.64
Ball recoveries
3.33
3.19
Tackles + interceptions
2.26
2.12
Clearances
6.85
4.19
Blocks
1.11
1.48
As you can see, Bisseck’s passing and ball-carrying game is far above that of Branthwaite, having spent more time on the ball over the past year and retained it with greater regularity too.
While the more expansive part of Branthwaite’s game has been hemmed back by tactical duties, Bisseck still far outstrips his positional peer as far as the technical side of the game is concerned.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
Given that Inter’s man, who played such an important part in reaching the Champions League final last year, has been hailed as a “diamond” of a defender by journalist Antonio Mango, he might just emerge as Moyes’ star man in the rearguard, should Everton prevail in their bid.
Bigger talent than Barry: Everton chasing £28m ace with a "hint of Haaland"
Following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s exit, Everton are set to sign Thierno Barry, but could they also target another striker who has a “hint of Haaland”?
Leeds United have been given a sobering reminder of the step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League by watching some recent transfer sagas unfold.
Liverpool officially confirmed the permanent signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee that could rise to a British-record £116m on Friday.
Florian Wirtz
Whereas, the Whites have never spent more than £35.5m to sign a player. Their current record stands at the £35.5m they paid to sign Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim at the start of 2023.
Rutter scored eight goals and provided 18 assists in 66 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit before he completed a move to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.
Leeds are in the market to sign a central midfielder to bolster their squad this summer, amid interest in Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika.
They have been shown how much the top midfielders in the Premier League go for, though, as Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi from Spanish side Real Sociedad for a reported fee of £56m.
Leeds United's current midfield options
At this moment in time, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka are Daniel Farke’s only senior central midfield options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, after Joe Rothwell returned to Bournemouth and Josuha Guilavogui was released at the end of his contract.
Ampadu has often been utilised as a centre-back option by the German head coach, which could leave Gruev and Tanaka as the two midfielders in his 4-2-3-1 system if the Wales international slots into the back four.
There are question marks over whether those two midfielders have the physicality to compete week-in-week-out in a relegation scrap in the Premier League, however, due to their form in the past.
Prior to their respective moves to Elland Road, both Gruev and Tanaka played in Germany, in the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga, and showed signs that they may not be able to handle the step up in physicality to the Premier League.
Appearances
31
30
Pass accuracy
87%
89%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
2.0
Ground duel success rate
53%
49%
Aerial duel success rate
43%
49%
As you can see in the table above, they both left a bit to be desired physically in the top two divisions in Germany, particularly when it came to competing in aerial battles.
This may be why the Whites are keen to add more physicality to their midfield by bringing in a new option in that area of the park, and they are now reportedly interested in a new target in that position.
Leeds eyeing deal for Ligue 1 enforcer
According to GIVEMESPORT, Leeds United are lining up a deal to sign Stade de Reims defensive midfielder Valentin Atangana during the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites have set their sights on the talented 19-year-old enforcer, whose team were relegated to the second division in France this season.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
GIVEMESPORT adds that the Championship champions are keen to do their business as early as possible, and that the French starlet has emerged as one of the options on their radar in their pursuit of a new central midfielder.
The outlet states that the Whites are keen to win the race to secure his services this summer after they were made aware that he is set to be available in the market because of Reims’ relegation to Ligue 2.
It also forwards a suggestion that the player could be available for a bargain price of around £9m, as Reims look to rake in money after dropping out of Ligue 1.
The report also claims that Leeds are now weighing up whether or not to enter negotiations over a deal to bring the teenage talent to West Yorkshire before the end of the window.
Why Leeds should sign Valentin Atangana
The Whites should approach Reims to do a deal for the 19-year-old star because he could arrive as Farke’s own version of Zubimendi, who is set to join Arsenal for £56m, to bolster the physicality in his midfield.
As per FBref, the Spain international is one of the most similar players to Atangana based on their respective statistics in Ligue 1 and LaLiga over the past 365 days.
As you can see in the chart above, they both excel in fairly similar areas of the game, particularly defensively, with a similar success rate in tackles and aerial battles.
Zubimendi ended the LaLiga season with a ground duel success rate of 56% and an aerial battle success rate of 62%, whilst Atangana won 53% of his ground duels and 58% of his aerial battles in Ligue 1 for Reims.
The France U19 international, who was hailed as “exceptional” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, caught the eye in the French top-flight from a defensive perspective, despite his team being relegated.
He was playing in a poor team, hence their relegation, but still showcased his physicality and quality. A great example is his performance against PSG in the Coupe de France final, as he won seven of his nine duels and completed all three of his dribbles against the likes of Joao Neves and Vitinha, but his side lost 3-0.
Clearances
2.02
Top 19%
Aerial duels won
1.48
Top 8%
Percentage of dribblers tackled
73.7%
Top 2%
Challenges lost
0.32
Top 2%
Shots blocked
0.47
Top 14%
Interceptions
1.17
Top 33%
Dispossessed
0.73
Top 23%
As you can see in the table above, Atangana ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in Ligue 1, particularly when it came to winning aerial duels and holding off opposition players.
He rarely allowed dribblers to get past him, as shown by his success rate in tackles and how few challenges he lost, and was rarely dispossessed by opposition midfielders, which speaks to his strength in possession.
The teenage talent could, therefore, be Farke’s own version of Zubimendi as a defensive midfielder who has shown that he can be reliable in physical contests and secure in possession under pressure in one of Europe’s top leagues.
To sign a 19-year-old talent who has already proven his quality in the French top-flight, and is comparable to £56m-rated Zubimendi, for just £9m could be a shrewd move by Leeds, and one they must pursue in the coming weeks.
He's better than Diarra: Leeds now looking at deal to sign £26m "threat"
Leeds United are eyeing up a midfield star who could be even better than Habib Diarra.
Chelsea begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign on Monday night when facing off against LAFC out in Atlanta.
All eyes are on the potential of Liam Delap making his Blues debut in the American heat, with the former Ipswich Town attacker no doubt keen to be Enzo Maresca’s main marksman next season when Premier League action gets back underway.
If he impresses in pre-season, he stands a healthy chance of being just that for Chelsea.
But, the West Londoners might not be done with flashy striker additions after Delap’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, with a new striker target an arguable upgrade on the ex-Manchester City forward, among other faces being tipped to make the switch to the English capital.
Chelsea keeping tabs on £67m ace
After they completed a move for Delap, there has been frenzied interest in another of their targets in Hugo Ekitike. The latest on that move, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, is that Man United have expressed their interest in the player, yet Liverpool and Chelsea remain in the race.
If they are beaten to the Frenchman’s signing, who could they focus their efforts on instead?
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Indeed, according to one GOAL transfer correspondent, Chelsea are one of the teams to have held talks over signing Victor Osimhen.
The report states that eight clubs dotted all around Europe have made contact with the Nigerian goal machine, with fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Arsenal looking at the current Galatasaray ace, alongside Juventus, PSG Milan and Real Madrid.
Whilst Ekitike could cost in the region of £85m to obtain, Osmihen might well be available for a more workable £67m, according to prior reportsas per reports, meaning he could now be Chelsea’s desired target to improve their forward positions even more.
How Osimhen would be an upgrade on Ekitike & Delap
If Maresca’s side were to land Osimhen, he would be viewed as an upgrade on both the much-talked-about Eintracht Frankfurt striker and Delap, with the 26-year-old a well-known goalscoring menace throughout his varied career, not just when plying his trade in Turkey.
Whilst Chelsea would be purchasing Ekitike with the future in mind, alongside also wanting to get even more out of Delap after a blistering season in Suffolk, Osimhen would be the finished article already on his arrival in West London.
After all, wherever he’s been across his career so far, the “world class” forward – as he’s been glowing labelled by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley – has largely shone, which can’t be said for the £85m-rated attacker nor a growing Delap.
Napoli
133
76
18
Galatasaray
41
37
8
Lille
38
18
6
Royal Charleroi S.C.
36
20
4
Wolfsburg
16
0
0
The mightily impressive numbers from the table above certainly back up Critchley’s wild claims, with Osimhen up to a staggering 151 career goals now off the back of firing home a lethal 37 strikes for Galatasaray.
Of course, the Nigerian striker did suffer from a barren patch towards the start of his career with Wolfsburg, but his electric goalscoring numbers have more than made up for it since.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhencelebrates after the match
Ekitike does have a slight upper hand on his more senior striker rival, considering he has bagged 26 goals in the Bundesliga to date, but he only has 18 more strikes to shout about in senior action away from his breakout stint in Frankfurt.
Therefore, splashing out a whopping £85m on a centre-forward figure who is more inexperienced than Osimhen and less potent would be a big risk.
Moreover, Delap is only a season down in the Premier League and could find being Chelsea’s leading star in attack all on his own to be a daunting challenge, considering further that he has only 12 top-flight strikes next to his name across his fledgling career.
Whereas, Osmihen – who has been dubbed as being “even better than Haaland” by agent Andrea D’Amico – would surely relish the chance to be another leading star in another top European division, as Chelsea prepare to do battle in the Champions League next season.
Chelsea can sign a bigger talent than Ekitike with move for £65m "maverick"
Chelsea could have the chance to reignite a move for a former target
Leeds United supporters are surely still in a celebratory mood after their side brushed off any playoff final agony to lift the Championship title on a colossal 100 points.
There will be some anxiety seeping in as to how the Whites will cope with the Premier League. However, the summer transfer window is also a time for those at Elland Road to become even more excited about who could possibly don the famous Leeds white in the top division.
Daniel Farke could well be about to flex his past Norwich City connections to finally bring Emiliano Buendia into the building, with the addition of Buendia to the Whites ranks somewhat of a coup, considering his previous excellent performances for Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Why Buendia signing would be a coup
Buendia and the German used to be a match made in heaven in Norfolk, before the Argentine ace spread his wings for pastures new at Villa.
Indeed, the exciting ex-Canaries midfielder made the Championship his playground under Farke’s watchful eye, as seen in his terrific tally of 24 goals and 41 assists pulling on Norwich yellow and green.
He would initially kick on when given first-team opportunities in the West Midlands, with this goal even breaking Leeds hearts back in early 2023, but injury troubles have since hindered his chances at progressing further at Villa Park.
But, even with Buendia being missing for a hefty 56 games during the 2023/24 season due to a devastating cruciate ligament tear, he does still boast ten goals and 15 assists up a level, which will be of great use to Leeds as they carefully navigate back up.
Yet, whilst the opportunity to pick up a former £33m-rated star on loan shouldn’t be passed up on, another move would go down as a bigger coup than Buendia’s temporary signature being won if it were successfully pulled off.
Leeds could re-sign Bielsa favourite
Leeds will be aiming to leave the past in the past for the most part, especially when it comes to the sinking feeling of being relegated back down to the Championship.
But, Farke and Co. would surely be tempted by the prospect of adding Kalvin Phillips back to their roster.
Indeed, the Mail on Sunday – as has been relayed by MOT Leeds News – stated in their recent print copy that the newly promoted Whites want to bring Phillips back to his old boyhood home after his shoulder surgery at Manchester City.
It has even been further speculated that Leeds could win back their former fans’ favourite for a cut-price – valued at £10m by Transfermarkt – which would be a deal that’s hard to refuse, particularly when you remember Phillips’ heroics at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa saw him join Pep Guardiola’s men for a bumper £45m.
This would surely go down as a stroke of genius on Leeds’ end if Phillips were to return and get back to his previous West Yorkshire best.
Indeed, his last spell at the club resulted in many an England call-up under Gareth Southgate, alongside the 29-year-old looking assured at the daunting level, instead of now being known as a waste of City’s flashy millions.
Matches played
29
20
Goals scored
1
0
Assists
2
1
Touches per game
65
62.1
Accurate passes per game
41 (85%)
38.9 (82%)
Big chances created
5
1
Total duels won
5.3
4.9
When playing in the top-flight previously for Leeds, Phillips had shown himself to be a competent battler who was also keen at creating chances for his attacking teammates, with the table above showing off both his grit to win duels galore, but also his ability to fashion openings.
It would even lead to the 29-year-old being labelled as “exceptional” by football talent scout Antonio Mango, with nobody more desperate than Phillips himself to try and recapture these lofty heights.
Of course, this might well go down as a misfire if the beloved ex-number 23 returns and buckles under all the intense pressure.
But, on the contrary, it could well be viewed as an unbelievable coup, especially if he rolls back the years in the heart of Leeds’ midfield for far less than his steep £45m valuation.
Better than Kelleher: Farke targeting Leeds move for “phenomenal” £25m star
Leeds United could now attempt to sign this goalkeeper instead of landing Caoimhin Kelleher’s services.