All posts by n8rngtd.top

Birmingham City’s summer business is already showing the rest of the Championship that they’re set to cause a storm next season.

Phil Neumann is the only confirmed arrival at this point, but statement deals for both Demarai Gray and Tommy Doyle to enter the building look set to be completed very soon, with the midfield pairing boasting a bumper 251 combined Premier League appearances.

On top of that, yet another bold switch looks near to being completed too, with another arrival actually costing Birmingham nothing, as an exciting free agent edges ever closer to a St. Andrew’s move.

Birmingham closing in on deal for exciting free agent

The latest on a move for Gray is that he’s agreed on personal terms with the club and is due to have a medical on Monday before a deal is officially announced.

While he is set to arrive on a free transfer, his former employers, Saudi club Ettifaq retain a 20% sell-on clause. Yet, Gray isn’t the only exciting addition set to arrive in the forthcoming days.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, as per an update from journalist Mike McGrath via his X account, Birmingham are closing in on landing former Queens Park Rangers ace Bright Osayi-Samuel’s signature on a free transfer.

It had been originally speculated by Football Insider that Chris Davies and Co. had just held talks about picking up the EFL-experienced 27-year-old after his Fenerbahce deal had expired. Now, it appears now that the move has accelerated to the point where he could soon be unveiled as another ambitious Blues signing.

Why Osayi-Samuel could be a better signing than Gray

It could be argued that landing Osayi-Samuel is a better signing than the newly promoted outfit being reunited with Gray with the Nigerian only plying his trade in the Championship a matter of seasons ago at Loftus Road, compared to the Jamaican international’s long exodus from the EFL’s elite league.

Moreover, Osayi-Samuel has continued to perform to the peak of his powers in Turkey, even with his contract now up in Istanbul, whilst Gray notably struggled when calling the Saudi Pro League home.

Osayi-Samuel even lined up for Jose Mourinho’s titans in the Europa League last season, but it will be his previous heroics in the Championship for QPR that will have caught the West Midlands side’s eye even more.

Birmingham fans might well know what the 27-year-old is capable of already if they cast their mind back a few years when he scored a “blistering” solo strike – in the words of Mark Warburton.

Showcasing his devastating speed – he put away the chance above for QPR all the way back in 2019 against the Blues, with that standout effort just one of 13 strikes he registered in the second tier.

Gray, on the other hand, has a lesser eight strikes next to his name from 72 clashes in the challenging division, with Osayi-Samuel also bettering his 29-year-old counterpart with 12 assists in Championship action, next to the Birmingham-born winger’s meagre output of just three.

Away from their Championship numbers alone, the new Birmingham target has also shown no signs of visible rust across his 178 appearances for Fenerbahce, with a bumper seven goals and 15 assists coming his way, whilst Gray only picked up a disastrous one goal contribution all of last season for All-Ettifaq, away from only managing a weaker nine goals and assists in total.

Osayi-Samuel would also be a far smarter addition than Gray when you consider his all-around versatility for the cause, with the ex-Hoops man more than capable of causing defences problems down Gray’s preferred right flank, whilst also offering a valuable body across many other areas of the pitch which even stretches out to being a makeshift striker.

This will come in handy as Birmingham attempt to be in and around the promotion positions, knowing full well that the stacked Championship fixture list might bring about damaging injuries.

Therefore, the “outstanding” free agent, as he was also labelled by Warburton, could prove himself to be a very shrewd purchase, away from Birmingham excessively splashing the cash.

Of course, Gray would likely come in and do a job, but the purchase of Osayi-Samuel might well just slide under the radar for the time being, when he could be even better in the long run than the homegrown talent’s return.

Birmingham could beat Wrexham to signing "outstanding" Davies upgrade

Birmingham City will need a strong defence if they want to take the Championship by storm.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 29, 2025

All Leeds United fans will be crossing their fingers now that the Whites can maintain a Premier League position for the foreseeable.

Daniel Farke’s side do jump back up the unforgiving league dripping with confidence, having just lifted the Championship title with a colossal 100 points, but the West Yorkshire outfit will be very aware of how challenging the step up can be.

The Whites unfortunately tasted the bitterness of relegation at the close of their dire 2022-23 season, with another relegation also on their record way back in 2004 when Mark Viduka was still leading the line.

To avoid a hat-trick of slip-ups, Leeds will now be in the market for a whole host of players to enhance their options in the Premier League, with this defensive target one body who could really boost Farke’s side.

Leeds now ready to sign £1.2m defender

As per a report in the Express journalist Charlie Gordon, Leeds are readying a move for Millwall star Japhet Tanganga with his transfer valuation all the way down at a meagre £1.2m.

This is the case as Tanganga has a release clause around this slim amount for all Premier League clubs, which has alerted Farke’s men back to his services, who would be more than happy to fork out this reasonable fee. However, they are not alone in their advances.

As is revealed above, Crystal Palace view the ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender as a cost-effective possible replacement for Marc Guehi, with both Sunderland and Burnley also keen on Tanganga’s services after their own jubilant promotion stories.

If Leeds were to win the services of the cheap 26-year-old, they could be about to land their next Ethan Ampadu, with Ampadu now viewed as a successful bargain in his own right after repairing his career in the EFL.

How Tanganga could be Ampadu 2.0

Ampadu would join the Elland Road ranks for around the £7m mark in the summer of 2023, having failed to ever make an impression at Chelsea.

The Welshman won’t be plagued with any lingering disappointment in the here and now as to how his Stamford Bridge tale ended, however, with the 24-year-old going on to be a key part of Farke’s camp. Last season saw Ampadu notch up a formidable 16 clean sheets from 29 league appearances, on top of looking ice-cold with the ball at his feet with a 90% pass accuracy averaged per clash.

Tanganga will hope he can be as pivotal to Leeds’ defence if he relocates from the Den to West Yorkshire shortly, with the 6-foot defender also having to get over the dismay of walking away from Spurs, much like Ampadu at Chelsea, to be the imposing option at the back he is today.

He will already be known to Leeds fans for this poked finish he managed against Farke’s champions last season, but away from silencing the Whites masses in this instance, he could soon be cheered in the same manner as Ampadu for his similarly classy yet dominant performances.

As can be seen glancing at the table above, the Hackney-born target operates in a very similar vein to Ampadu, with Tanganga an equally capable performer on the ball when looking at his passing statistics, on top of his ability to rise valiantly into duels with 5.8 won on average. To add context, his Welsh counterpart won less at 5.1 on average, even as promotion was sealed.

The former Spurs youth product was even hailed as ‘magnificent’ by Premier League icon Alan Shearer when starring for the North London titans previously, with Tanganga actually already boasting 27 top-flight appearances on his career resume.

Pundit Carlton Palmer also claimed that the defender is “capable of playing in the Premier League” because of his “tremendous recovery pace”.

He could well be a perfect fit in West Yorkshire, therefore, as Farke’s men continue to hunt down Premier League-ready talents.

Better than Bijol: Leeds targeting "best CB outside the top five leagues"

Leeds United can forget about Jaka Bijol with a move for another star defender.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 14, 2025

Liverpool are making some statement moves this summer as they bid to retain the Premier League title and could now see another young star join the club, according to a report.

Liverpool agree deal to sign Florian Wirtz

The most high-profile story of the transfer window so far has, without doubt, been Florian Wirtz’s impending move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool following a stellar campaign in his homeland.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that all that remains are formalities to be put in place before the Germany international officially pitches up at Anfield for a British record fee if he meets all the add-ons.

Following Jeremie Frimpong through the door, Bradley Barcola and Anthony Gordon could join the Reds as Arne Slot looks to strengthen the wide areas.

Undoubtedly, the Premier League title race is set to be a rollercoaster next season, with Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea all bolstering their ranks. Therefore, it makes sense for Liverpool to ensure they have adequate strength in depth to compete on all fronts.

Victor Osimhen could be a statement striking addition from Liverpool should Darwin Nunez move on this summer. Nevertheless, Manchester United remain in pursuit of the Nigeria international after he turned down Saudi Pro League interest.

Plenty of movement is beginning to occur as the Reds plan for the next few years. Immediate first-team level signings will be the priority, though identifying prodigious talent at youth level will also be an important feature.

In light of that statement, Liverpool now have a teen on their radar that could soon officially become the latest in a potential long line of new assets at Anfield.

Liverpool agree fee to sign Sidy Barhama Ndiaye

According to journalist Nabil Djellit, Liverpool are keen to finalise a deal for Sidy Barhama Ndiaye for a fee in the region of £850,000 after agreeing on a price for the Diambars Academy teen.

After scouting the youngster at the Under-17 African Cup of Nations, he impressed officials and now appears to be primed for a dream move to the Premier League.

Huijsen 2.0: Liverpool holding final talks to sign "revelation" after Wirtz

Liverpool’s hectic start to the summer transfer window only looks set to continue – and we aren’t even halfway through June

1

By
Robbie Walls

Jun 12, 2025

Born in 2009, Ndiaye is capable of featuring on either flank and is renowned for his quick feet and rapid acceleration. Nevertheless, not much is known about the rising star in the public domain.

Ultimately, Liverpool have a duty to explore all avenues in order to bring in untapped talent with room to develop, either readying them for first-team action or to sell on for profit. Ndiaye appears to fit that mould and will no doubt be a name that excites supporters, even if he is one for the future.

This summer, Glasgow Rangers will be looking for a very particular type of player to help strengthen the first-team squad at Ibrox.

The new manager might have some money to spend thanks to the 49ers Entreprises investment, but he should be wary of shelling out inflated transfer fees for those players on the continent.

Indeed, Michael Beale wasted nearly £13m on Sam Lammers, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers in the summer of 2023. Before him, Giovanni van Bronckhorst splashed money on the likes of Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak.

Looking a bit closer to home might be the best strategy for the Light Blues, especially with regard to hopefully generating a future profit.

Therefore, taking a look at players from England who are out of contract this summer might be a healthy approach to take.

In 2023, Dujon Sterling moved to Ibrox on a free transfer and has been a solid addition to the squad. Going back further, Steven Gerrard signed young defender Calvin Bassey, paying a compensation fee of just £230k in 2020.

He went on to make 65 appearances for the Gers across his two-year spell, but when Ajax came calling with an offer worth just under £23m, it meant Rangers secured a lavish profit on the youngster.

Perhaps the finest signing from England in recent years is that of Joe Aribo. The Nigeria international moved to Glasgow in 2019 and enjoyed an excellent three-year stint north of the border.

Joe Aribo's time at Rangers

Following a trophyless 2018/19 season, Gerrard sought improvement during the summer transfer window in a bid to challenge Celtic.

There was plenty of movement, as Ryan Kent, Filip Helander and Ianis Hagi all completed permanent moves to the club.

One of the most shrewd pieces of business was signing Aribo from the English side, Charlton Athletic. Rangers only paid £300k for the midfielder due to cross-border compensation rules, and Gerrard heaped praise on him, saying: “He’s mobile, dynamic, can burst past a player and create and score goals. There is room for him to develop but he’ll give us something we’ve not got in the midfield department.”

The club may have ended the 2019/20 season without a trophy once again, but progress had been made and Aribo demonstrated his class. Across 49 matches, he registered 17 goal contributions, setting him up nicely for the following campaign.

While his goal involvement output dropped from 17 to 15 during 2020/21, Aribo was clearly a more all-round player as the Ibrox side won their first title in a decade.

He created seven big chances in 31 games, while averaging 1.2 key passes and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles – a success rate of 59% – per game in the top flight.

These dynamic performances bolstered Aribo’s reputation as someone who might attract a big transfer fee in the near future.

The club didn’t have long to wait. The midfielder helped the Light Blues win the Scottish Cup in 2022, while he also became just the fourth player to score for Rangers in a major European final following his opener in the Europa League showpiece.

That summer, Southampton secured his signature in a deal worth up to £10m, representing an excellent piece of business by the Glasgow side.

With the transfer window close to opening for the summer, could the club make a similar sort of signing? One Championship player has been linked with a move north.

Rangers eye move for Aribo 2.0

The 49ers first port of call is to announce a new permanent manager as soon as possible, but that hasn’t stopped the club from being linked with various players.

One name that stands out is Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan, who is set to leave the club once his contract expires.

Reports earlier this month claimed that Rangers are monitoring the Englishman ahead of the transfer window, and he could move to Scotland on the cheap due to cross-border regulations. Similar to the moves for Bassey and Aribo.

If a move does go through, Dolan could be Rangers’ next Aribo, no doubt about that.

Why Rangers must sign Tyrhys Dolan this summer

Having seen Vaclav Cerny return to his parent club after the end of the season, the only registered senior winger in the first-team squad is Ross McCausland.

Given that the Northern Irishman registered just four goal contributions all season, this area is a problematic one.

Therefore, signing Dolan for a minimal fee makes perfect sense. He is just 23, meaning the winger has yet to hit his peak and, similar to Aribo, he has enjoyed a solid start to his career in England.

Across 47 games for Blackburn, the youngster scored seven goals and chipped in with six assists, missing out on the playoffs by just two points.

When compared to his positional peers in the Championship, Dolan ranks in the top 11% for shots on target percentage (44%) and goal-creating actions (0.48) per 90, along with ranking in the top 17% for carries into the final third (2.04) and take-ons attempted (4.31) per 90.

A solid set of statistics show that Dolan is keen to take on his man whenever possible, while he also demonstrates a keen eye for goal.

He was praised following a performance during the 2023/24 season, with journalist Elliott Jackson saying: “I thought Tyrhys Dolan was absolutely terrific today. Not just for the goals but the way he worked off the ball.”

During his time at Rangers, Aribo could always make something happen when he was on the ball, creating individual moments of joy. He didn’t shy away from the defensive side of the game, however and is work rate was excellent.

Dolan operates in a similar manner and could be a fine signing indeed should the new manager wish to bring him to Ibrox.

Considering the compensation fee would be small, the English winger could become a shrewd signing indeed. Who knows, he might just generate millions in profit after a couple of successful seasons in Scotland.

Rangers hold talks with new 3-4-3 manager who is a 3-time league champion

Is he the strongest possible choice for the Gers?

By
Henry Jackson

May 25, 2025

The window might not be officially open yet, but silly season is in full swing, and Arsenal look set for a busy one.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is just a medical away from officially joining the Gunners, and it feels like he won’t be the last international to join from La Liga.

For example, for well over a year now, Mikel Arteta’s side have been heavily linked with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, and then, over the last month or so, links to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo have appeared everywhere.

And now, another exciting attacker, someone who has been compared to both aforementioned wingers, has been touted for a move to the Emirates this summer.

Arsenal's winger search

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over some of the other wide talents linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, like Antoine Semenyo and Rafael Leao.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could be attainable for a fee of around £70m, and while that’s a lot of money, he is a Premier League-proven star who has amassed an impressive enough tally of 20 goal involvements in 42 games for Bournemouth this year.

On the other hand, Leao could cost as much as £145m thanks to the release clause in his current contract, but he too has enjoyed a brilliant personal campaign this season, scoring 12 goals and providing 13 assists in 50 games for AC Milan.

However, while both players would be exciting additions to the team, another name has now entered the fray: Takefusa Kubo.

According to a recent report from Spanish newspaper AS, as relayed by Sport Witness, Arsenal are now interested in signing the Real Sociedad star.

In fact, the report claims that the Gunners and Premier League rivals Liverpool have already made contact with the Japanese international, who has a release clause worth €60m – £50m – in his current contract.

While it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should persevere with it, especially as Kubo has won comparisons to both Williams and Rodrygo.

How Kubo compares to Williams & Rodrygo

Before we get into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should be looking to sign Kubo this summer, it’s worth examining these comparisons to Williams and Rodrygo, as, after all, they are some of the most exciting wingers around at the moment.

Well, in this instance, it all stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in La Liga and then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one.

In this instance, it concluded that the Spaniard is the sixth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Japanese star this season, while the Brazilian comes in eighth.

We can better understand how this conclusion has been reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the trio rank closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, clearances, progressive carries, goals per shot and more, all per 90.

On top of his similarities to the two sensational wingers and his tally of seven goals and four assists this season, another argument for why the Gunners should sign the “dangerous” international, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is his individual underlying numbers.

For example, FBref places him in the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for goal-creating actions from take-ons and passes blocked, the top 5% for shot-creating actions stemming from a defensive action, the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 8% for fouls drawn and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while he might not be at the top of many transfer wishlists, Kubo would be an exceptional addition to Arsenal’s right-sided attacking options and someone who could get even better as the team continues to progress.

£45m star who's shades of Patrick Vieira must never play for Arsenal again

The international ace has served Arsenal well, but it’s time to go.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 27, 2025

Will Celtic clinch yet another domestic treble?

Last weekend, the Hoops were presented with the Scottish Premiership trophy, their 13th in just 14 seasons, following a dramatic 1-1 draw with St Mirren, in which James Forrest scored a 94th minute equaliser, meaning he’s now netted in 16 successive seasons.

This forthcoming Saturday, the Celts will convene on Hampden, taking on Aberdeen in the 140th Scottish Cup Final, firm favourites for victory, having already steamrollered the Dons 6-0 in November, 5-1 in February and then 5-1 again, this time at Pittodrie, as recently as last Wednesday.

Should Brendan Rodgers’ side prevail in Mount Florida, it would secure Celtic’s sixth treble in just nine seasons, having only won three trebles in their first 122 seasons in existence beforehand.

Ahead of the final, is one unsung Celtic hero becoming reminiscent of a star from the not too distant past?

Giorgos Giakoumakis' Celtic career

Giorgos Giakoumakis has been in the news this week after revealing to the Daily Record that he “would love to play for Celtic again”, adding “I don’t know if that’s a utopia or if it could happen… when you’ve already been there, you know exactly what it means”.

The Greek international arrived in Glasgow in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £2.5m, having won the Eredivisie Golden Boot, an achievement made all the more impressive by the fact his team VVV-Venlo were actually relegated that season.

Well, Giakoumakis would actually make it back-to-back golden boots, sharing the Premiership award with Regan Charles-Cook, bagging 13 league goals during his debut campaign in Scotland, netting 26 times in just 57 appearances in hoops overall, thereby averaging a goal every 97 minutes.

However, unable to regularly usurp Kyōgo Furuhashi in Ange Postecoglou’s pecking order, Giakoumakis departed after just 18 months in Glasgow, sold to Atlanta United for around £4.3m in February 2023.

The centre-forward then spent just one season in Major League Soccer, quickly moving to current club Cruz Azul for around £7.5m, thereby becoming los Cementeros’ fourth-most expensive signing of all time.

With Giakoumakis now plying his trade in Liga MX, a return to Parkhead does seem unlikely. The Glasgow giants do already boast a like-minded number nine in the form of Adam Idah, who’s notched 20 times this season, but is it another member of the current squad showcasing similar prolific qualities?

Celtic's new super sub

Fair to say, after arriving from Gangwon FC for around £2m in the summer of 2023, Yang Hyun-jun didn’t make much of an immediate impression, scoring just one goal in his first 48 appearances for the Cetls.

However, since mid-January, he has scored five times in only 16 outings, most recently on target during the 5-1 win at Aberdeen last mid-week.

In March, Yang bagged a brace off the bench at St Mirren, after which Rodgers credited his upturn in form with the fact “his girlfriend is here at the moment”, jokingly adding that he’ll do everything he can to make sure she “can stay in the country”.

So is Yang – who former club president Kim Byung-ji claimed “could easily become a world-class player like Son Heung-min” – really Celtic’s new super sub? Let’s take a look at the numbers to find out.

As the table shows, none of Celtic’s forwards – not even Idah – score a higher proportion of their goals off the bench than Yang, a trait associated with Giakoumakis from his time in hoops.

So, having already scored against Aberdeen home and away this season, if Celtic need a goal in Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final, the South Korean could be the man Rodgers turns to.

Celtic could sign record-breaking star who'd be their next Giakoumakis

Celtic could find Giorgos Giakoumakis 2.0 by swooping for this star in the summer.

By
Dan Emery

May 21, 2025

The campaign approaches its final stage, but for Liverpool, it’s all done and dusted. In the best way. Arne Slot has won the Premier League in his first season as the Anfield head coach.

Who saw this coming? Certainly not BBC Sport’s experts, for none of the 30 pundits listed Liverpool as champions in their pre-season predictions.

We should cut the analysts some slack; after all, the Reds had just lost Jurgen Klopp, and recent history tells the tale of a decline when iconic managers depart after so many successful years.

The odds were stacked against Slot’s Liverpool, but they have prevailed to clinch the club’s 20th top-flight title. So many players stepped up, but none more so than Mohamed Salah, who fulfilled a promise in putting the Merseysiders back on their perch.

And he’s ready to do it all over again.

Why Mo Salah can go again next season

Salah is surely a shoo-in for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award. Not only has he clinched the league title, but he’s done so with an absurd haul of 28 goals and 18 assists across 36 matches, with two fixtures still to go.

Salah needs just two goal involvements from his final two games to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s long-held shared record for contributions in a single Premier League season (47), and those hauls were from a 42-match campaign.

But wait, he’s 33 this summer. Surely now is the time for the Egyptian king to regress, to accept the call of Father Time and take a seat on the back bench.

This is unlikely. Salah’s as hungry as ever, if not more so, with time against him. Slot has tweaked his talisman’s game to provide him with greater freedom in the final third, fewer duties from a defensive standpoint.

Salah is an elite athlete and his tactical intelligence has never been finer tuned. As per Sofascore, he’s only averaging 0.6 tackles per game this season but has seen an upswing in dribble and duel metrics. And, of course, he’s never been more prolific.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been spoken about ad nauseam this season, and at least now there’s clarity regarding his future. However, Liverpool do need to source a new creative lifeforce, and if Jeremie Frimpong is the man for the job at right-back, it won’t be him.

That’s okay, Trent is a unique kind of playmaker. But Slot still wants someone to adopt the new playmaking mantle, and FSG appear willing to grant the coach an incredible new star.

Liverpool in contact with marquee signing

You’ll likely be somewhat aware of the incipient Florian Wirtz saga, with the German playmaker looking to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Bayern Munich had been thought to hold the lead in the race but The Athletic have since reported that Manchester City and Liverpool have made contact with the 22-year-old’s representatives.

One of the most coveted talents in world football, Wirtz’s signing would send shockwaves across English and European football, should he alight at either end of the M62.

It goes without saying that he’d cost a pretty penny, £126m, in fact, according to reports.

Why Florian Wirtz is Salah's dream signing

Wirtz is only young, but after being crowned last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year as an invincible champion, it’s fair to say he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world”, and former Leverkusen star Patrick Helmes has said exactly that.

Wirtz has plundered his way through Germany’s finest competitors in recent years, having scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists across 190 senior appearances for Leverkusen since graduating from their youth ranks.

This season alone, he’s created 21 big chances across the Bundesliga and Champions League, as per Sofascore, having scored six goals across nine fixtures on the continent to underscore his ability to do it on the biggest stage.

This talented playmaker would replace Trent and relocalise Liverpool’s creative focus. Given that he’d be in close proximity to the inswinging Salah, he could be the perfect signing to keep the leading forward firing across the final two years of his Liverpool career.

Wirtz’s dynamism is a wonderful thing, but he’s typically found in a roaming central role, with license to thrill.

Salah would be sure to benefit from this presence, for the Leverkusen man ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Contrast Wirtz’s creativity with that of Dominik Szoboszlai, for example, and you begin to see why Liverpool are so invested. The Hungarian, tireless and tenacious as they come, has provided only 14 assists across 90 games as a Red.

He’s also made just 12 big chances across 34 Premier League fixtures this season, and with Alexander-Arnold heading out the door, the addition of a creative player of Wirtz’s ilk is only magnified.

Whether Liverpool prevail in this race will remain to be seen for the immediate future, but the fact FSG are pushing is a good thing, especially when considering the importance of keeping Salah performing at the top of his game.

Stagnancy begets decline, but Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at exciting signings for Slot’s title-winning squad.

More exciting than Frimpong: Liverpool make enquiry for "world-class" star

Liverpool could be about to make a move for a star who could be more exciting than Jeremie Frimpong.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 14, 2025

Leeds United secured their promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking after they hammered Stoke City 6-0 last time out at Elland Road.

The Whites ran riot in West Yorkshire, including a stunning four-goal haul from Joel Piroe in the first half, and then had their promotion sealed when Sheffield United lost to Burnley later that evening.

Daniel Farke would have been delighted with the quality and composure that his team showed on a day with so much pressure on it, as it gave them an incredibly enjoyable afternoon and evening.

It also provided the German head coach with the opportunity to hand 16-year-old forward Harry Gray a first-team debut, as he played eight minutes off the bench.

He will be looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps after Archie Gray played a whopping 52 first-team matches under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign, before his summer move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs reportedly agreed a fee of £30m to sign the England U21 international from Elland Road, and he has had an interesting first season at the top level.

Archie Gray's struggles at Spurs this season

The 19-year-old talent has had plenty of exposure to first-team football under Ange Postecoglou, playing 41 times and racking up the best part of 3,000 minutes in all competitions.

From that perspective, it has been an excellent season for the teenage gem because he now has plenty of experience at the top level, in the Premier League and the Europa League, and that could be useful for his development moving forward.

However, Gray has yet to produce consistent quality on the pitch when selected, and that is the next step that he has to take before Spurs can deem the £30m they spent on his services to be worthwhile.

The former Leeds starlet will not want to fall into the trap of being known as a utility player who can play in a multitude of roles without being particularly impressive in any one position.

As you can see in the table above, Gray has not excelled in or out of possession in the Premier League this season, offering very little at the top end of the pitch and struggling with the physicality of the league off the ball.

These statistics show that he has rarely made defensive interventions to keep teams out, and that he has created more goals for the opposition (one) through an error than he has directly created for his own team (zero).

This is not to say that, however, Gray is a flop for Spurs or that he will not go on to become a top player, because there is plenty of time left for him to develop and improve. Hopefully, his experiences and struggles this season will help him to kick on and deliver improved displays in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, proving his worth in the process.

At this moment in time, though, the £30m Leeds raked in for the versatile star looks like good business. Whereas, there is another former Thorp Arch academy graduate whom the Whites seemingly undersold in Leif Davis.

Why Leeds United messed up with Leif Davis

The English defender, who joined the academy from Morecambe at U18 level, reportedly joined Ipswich Town on a permanent deal for a fee of at least £1m in the summer of 2022.

That came after he had only played 14 first-team matches for Leeds, as well as 15 games on loan at Bournemouth in the 2021/22 campaign, after coming up through the youth set-up, initially under Marcelo Bielsa.

Scott Parker described Davis as an “animal” during the defender’s loan spell at the Vitality Stadium, but his form for the Cherries was not good enough to prevent the Whites from selling him to Ipswich that summer.

That decision to move him to Portman Road for a fee of £1m has turned out to be a big blunder by Leeds because he has thrived in Suffolk, and is currently even better than Archie Gray.

Davis, now 25, has just been relegated back down to the Championship with Ipswich, but he did show plenty of promise with his performances in the Premier League and may have an eye on an instant return to the top-flight.

The English left-back provided 21 assists in 43 second-tier matches in the 2023/24 campaign, which showed that he was far too good to be playing at that level from a creative perspective.

As you can see in the table above, Davis has been incredibly unfortunate in the Premier League this season because his teammates have only scored two goals from the 12 ‘big chances’ that he has created for them.

Unlike Gray, the former Leeds gem has excelled in an area of the game in the top-flight this term, as his statistics show that he has been an excellent creative outlet for the Tractor Boys and a shining light in possession in a dim campaign for them.

Whilst his defensive work is questionable, with one red card, three errors leading to shots, and two penalties committed, Davis has shown that he has the technical ability to play in the Premier League.

This is why Leeds messed up when they sold him for just £1m, because they lost an exciting talent who has shown enough potential to be a useful asset in the Premier League, even more so than Gray, who they sold for £30m, has in the current campaign.

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Davis has proven that Leeds messed up by cashing in on him before he had the chance to show what he could do with regular game time at Elland Road, and it is a shame that he left before Farke had a chance to work with his creative talent, certainly at Championship level.

Liverpool are believed to be interested in signing an “extraordinary” attacking talent this summer, but it would be a seriously controversial piece of business.

Liverpool one win from Premier League title glory

The Reds are now just one victory away from being crowned Premier League champions for the second time, following Sunday’s 1-0 win away to Leicester City.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s second-half strike proved to be the difference between the two teams, with Liverpool’s vice-captain coming off the substitutes’ bench to fire home the winner, celebrating in style in the process.

Some Reds supporters feel hopeful that the passionate nature of Alexander-Arnold’s celebration means he is staying put this summer, but he remained coy in his post-match interview, suggesting that a move to Real Madrid still feels most likely at the end of the season.

Liverpool can actually be confirmed as champions without playing this week, but only if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening. If that doesn’t happen, glory can be secured against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Now, a transfer rumoured has dropped that could cause a huge stir in the summer window.

Liverpool linked with "extraordinary" former Manchester United attacker

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are interested in signing former Manchester United attacker Mason Greenwood this summer and are ‘willing to launch a multi-million-pound offensive’.

The 23-year-old is now plying his trade at Ligue 1 side Marseille after some serious off-field issues saw United dispose of him. The Reds are reportedly willing to pay as much as £68.5m for his services.

Greenwood has enjoyed a good season with Marseille, scoring 18 goals in 28 starts in the league, being praised by journalist Daniel Riolo: “Greenwood, in terms of pure qualities, over the first three games, is perhaps the best player in Ligue 1. We know his history but we’re going to talk about the pitch and on the pitch he’s extraordinary. He’s almost above Ligue 1.”

Despite the clear ability that Greenwood possesses, however, having burst onto the scene as a talented youngster at United, this is a move that surely cannot happen at Liverpool for various reasons.

For starters, the Englishman’s aforementioned off-field troubles led to the Red Devils selling him, so for the Reds to snap him up would be a bad look for the image of the club, which has generally been squeaky clean under both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot.

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There is also the small matter of Greenwood being a former United player, which would also be controversial in its own right, so frankly, it is a transfer that Liverpool shouldn’t even be considering this summer.

Respected transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a transfer update out of Arsenal this week, and it’s a potentially exciting one for supporters.

Mikel Arteta makes Andrea Berta claim before Ipswich

Mikel Arteta will be assisted by new sporting director Andrea Berta this summer, with the former Atlético Madrid chief officially joining late last month in a serious boost for the north Londoners.

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Berta arrives at Arsenal with a glowing reputation after 12 very productive years at Atlético, with some reports suggesting that the Italian has already made a firm head start on the club’s transfer plans.

Berta is said to have held discussions with Nico Williams’ camp recently, as Arsenal look to tempt the Spain winger with a move to the Premier League, while GiveMeSport report that the 53-year-old could spend up to £300 million on as many as seven major signings.

“Yeah, those things were already discussed with him,” said Arteta on Berta’s transfer goals, speaking before Arsenal’s clash against Ipswich.

“But yes, I hope that he has many more ideas, plans, surprises, positive ones and use his experience, his creativity, his intuition as well to help us make the right goals.

“I think it’s an opportunity. Somebody else comes in with different ideas, different methods, different ways of working and other priorities as well in the way that they work. And I think this makes us better.”

Arsenal are in desperate need of a prolific centre-forward in particular, with long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz exposing their lack of depth up front and forcing Arteta to rely on Mikel Merino as an emergency striker.

Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak are just some of the high-profile names to be linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium, but they are all attracting interest from several sides and there is no guarantee that Arsenal can win the race for any of them.

Fabrizio Romano says striker "will arrive" at Arsenal this summer

However, in an update which eases the worries of supporters somewhat, Romano has now moved to confirm that a striker “will arrive” at Arsenal this summer.

“What I can tell you today is that Arteta will be backed in the market,” said the journalist on his YouTube channel.

“Arteta will have a lot of power in the market – together with Andrea they will plan for the strategy. (Martin) Zubimendi is a top target, the new striker will arrive, Arsenal will also do more on the market.

“So Arsenal are working hard on Zubimendi, on the striker, on the winger probably, and more. Arsenal will be busy in the market and Arteta will be backed – but he really deserved that.”

Of the centre-forwards rumoured to be on Arsenal’s agenda, Sesko could be the most prudent option.

The Slovenian has already bettered his goal tally from last season and could leave for just £62 million, which is the current value of his release clause, and Arsenal attempted to sign Sesko last summer, so he clearly has an admirer in Arteta.