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Confirmed: Kobbie Mainoo signs new Man United contract and sends strong message to fans

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Kobbie Mainoo has officially signed a new Manchester United contract until 2031, declaring that he’s hungry for more success at Old Trafford.

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Describing Man Utd as “my club” in an emotional announcement video, Mainoo explained how important it is for him to keep on representing the Red Devils after coming up through their academy.

Watch below for the video put out on United’s X page this afternoon confirming the good news, which will delight United fans everywhere after there had been some speculation over the England international’s future earlier this season…

???? One of our own.

Kobbie Mainoo is here to stay ? pic.twitter.com/GQi2uJaqQG

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 30, 2026

Mainoo was out of the team under previous manager Ruben Amorim, and this led to interest from Chelsea as it looked like the youngster could have to leave in order to play regular first-team football.

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Kobbie Mainoo – a future Manchester United captain?

Mainoo has benefited a lot, however, from Michael Carrick’s arrival as interim manager, with the MUFC legend instantly bringing Mainoo back into his starting line up.

The 21-year-old has great qualities and looks like he could grow into a real leader at United, perhaps one day being a serious contender to wear the captain’s armband.

United fans will be delighted to see that Mainoo is now committing his future to the club for what should be the start of an exciting new era as the team looks to be improving a lot on the field as they have all but sealed Champions League qualification for next season.

The post Confirmed: Kobbie Mainoo signs new Man United contract and sends strong message to fans appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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£43m fee set: Arsenal ready to cash in on big-name as Euro giants eye transfer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal are reportedly ready to consider selling Myles Lewis-Skelly for around £43m this summer, with Atletico Madrid interested.

The Gunners and Atletico are currently focusing on their Champions League semi-final, with last night’s first leg finishing 1-1 in Madrid.

Still, it could also be that these two big teams will soon meet to discuss business off the pitch, with Lewis-Skelly’s future in some doubt.

That’s according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, who state that the England international is on the radar of Atletico as a potential summer target.

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The report adds that Arsenal could be prepared to consider offers in the region of £43m for Lewis-Skelly, who has fallen down the pecking order this season due to issues with how he fits Mikel Arteta’s tactics.

Myles Lewis-Skelly – should Arsenal keep or sell?

Lewis-Skelly is undoubtedly a fine talent on his day, but Arsenal have other options at left-back in the form of both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie.

It could therefore be smart business by the north London giants to cash in on interest in a top young talent like Lewis-Skelly.

If Arsenal could bank as much as £43m for the 19-year-old, that would represent a huge amount of ‘pure profit’ due to the fact that he’s a homegrown player who came up through their academy.

In this era of ever-stricter Financial Fair Play regulations, AFC might find it’s in their best interests to sell someone like this, even if some fans might be disappointed to see a promising homegrown youngster leaving.

Could Lewis-Skelly change position?

Another thing for AFC to consider is if they could make use of Lewis-Skelly’s talents in another position apart from left-back.

A role in midfield looks like it could work for Lewis-Skelly, who has great footwork and passing, even if he perhaps lacks the work rate and defensive discipline to start regularly as a full-back.

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The post £43m fee set: Arsenal ready to cash in on big-name as Euro giants eye transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Of course” – Arsenal star confident of reaching Champions League final

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli insists he is confident that the club will reach the Champions League final after last night’s 1-1 draw away to Atletico Madrid.

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The Brazil international started in Madrid as the Gunners claimed an important result away from home in the first leg of this semi-final tie.

Arsenal take on Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend and then host Atletico at the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of this semi-final next week.

If Arsenal go through, it will be only their second ever appearance in a Champions League final, but Martinelli sounds optimistic about the team’s chances after getting through what should, at least on paper, be the tougher part of the tie.

Gabriel Martinelli speaks after Arsenal’s draw at Atletico Madrid

? Are you confident of reaching the Champions League final?

Gabriel Martinelli: "Of course!" pic.twitter.com/gUD0RdzDYQ

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 30, 2026

Speaking in the mixed zone after the game, Martinelli seemed in a positive mood about the return fixture, particularly if Mikel Arteta is able to welcome back a fully fit Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, both of whom could only start on the bench in Madrid.

“We have so many good players, the depth in this squad is really good,” Martinelli told reports. “I think if everybody is ready it’s a big boost for us, so let’s hope everyone is ok.”

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He added: “We wanted to come here and win the game. But in the end it’s a battle against a really good team at their place. We take the draw. We’re going to re-watch the game and see the things that we did wrong and try to improve for the next one.”

When asked if he’s confident Arsenal will make it into the final, Martinelli responded: “Yeah of course. We play for Arsenal, we know how big the club is and we trust in ourselves.”

Who will win the Champions League?

Both Arsenal and Atletico are the two teams in these semi-finals who are looking to win the Champions League for the first time.

See below for the record of the final four, with Bayern Munich by far the most successful of the remaining sides historically, having won the competition six times, whilst reaching 11 finals in total.

Champions League Final appearances Victories
Bayern Munich 11 6
PSG 2 1
Atletico Madrid 3 0
Arsenal 1 0

Arsenal have only reached the final once, losing 2-1 to Barcelona back in 2006, so it could be that they’ll finally get the chance to make up for that heartbreak 20 years later.

Meanwhile, current holders PSG lead Bayern 5-4 on aggregate from the first leg of their semi-final.

The post “Of course” – Arsenal star confident of reaching Champions League final appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Mikel Arteta pushing Arsenal to accelerate potential €100m attacker transfer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly pushing for the club to intensify efforts to sign RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande this summer.

The Ivory Coast international is expected to cost around €100m, with Gunners boss Arteta making an attacking player of that profile a top priority.

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Diomande has been in superb form for Leipzig this season, emerging as one of the breakthrough stars in Europe’s big five leagues with a record of 13 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

We’ve previously broken exclusive info on Arsenal’s interest in Diomande, and now a report from Fichajes states that the north London giants appear to be accelerating their efforts.

Yan Diomande transfer situation explained

Diomande makes sense as a player in demand as we approach the summer, but what’s really going on with the talented 19-year-old winger?

In recent days, the Telegraph have reported on Liverpool doing work on this deal, with the Reds certainly likely to benefit from a top young attacker like this coming in to replace departing club legend Mohamed Salah.

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Still, another report from TEAMtalk has stated that Leipzig want to keep Diomande for one more season, and Fabrizio Romano has spoken on his YouTube channel about the Bundesliga giants being prepared to offer him a new contract.

It will be interesting to see how this develops, but clearly nothing is decided yet and Diomande may prefer to wait before jumping into a big move like Arsenal or Liverpool.

Arsenal need to win Yan Diomande transfer battle

As things stand, Arsenal are either on the brink of glory, or on the brink of a huge wasted opportunity.

Arteta’s side are looking the slight favourites over Atletico Madrid to make only their second ever Champions League final, while they can still edge out Manchester City in an extremely tight Premier League title race.

However, a signing like Diomande to add more spark to their attack is surely a priority for next season, as that’s been an area where so many of this current squad have under-performed this term.

Yan Diomande TOTAL SCORE: 18/25
Transfer fee *
Performance *****
Achievements ***
Career phase ****
Squad need *****

Click here to find out more about our Transfer Fit rating system!

If Arsenal fail to win a trophy it will surely be the front three that most fans and pundits alike will look at, with Bukayo Saka performing well below his usual standards, while Gabriel Martinelli has only one league goal all season, and the ageing Leandro Trossard has completely gone off the boil in 2026.

A signing like Diomande could change everything, so AFC need to get there ahead of Liverpool, who might struggle to find anyone better suited to filling the void that’s set to be left by Salah this summer.

The post Mikel Arteta pushing Arsenal to accelerate potential €100m attacker transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Deal “on the horizon” as 13-goal midfielder packing bags for Arsenal transfer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal reportedly look to be making progress on a transfer deal for highly-rated Red Star Belgrade wonderkid Vasilije Kostov.

The 17-year-old attacking midfielder has enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season in Serbia, scoring 13 goals in all competitions to establish himself as one of Europe’s top talents.

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According to Sportinjo, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have both shown an interest in Kostov, with the Gunners now reported as leading the race for his signature.

A source in their story suggests Arsenal are ready to pay €12m to sign Kostov, with an agreement close on a deal that could end up reaching a total package worth €20m.

Arsenal on verge of agreement for Vasilije Kostov transfer

“Arsenal could hardly wait and offered 12,000,000 euros,” the source is quoted as saying.

“The leaders of the London club knew that Zvezda would ask for more, so they offered generous bonuses and a percentage of future sales.

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“There are still details to be worked out, but with all the add-ons, the transfer could exceed 20,000,000 euros, so a deal is on the horizon.”

Kostov is also described as packing his bags to make the move to Arsenal, potentially heading to London this week.

Arsenal doing smart work on the transfer market

Recruiting elite young players like this looks like an important step for Arsenal, who could do with getting better at buying low and selling high.

Even if the priority has to be building a winning team for Mikel Arteta, modern football also means balancing the books and meeting Financial Fair Play regulations is hugely important.

Kostov looks like he has the potential to have a fine career, and though there’ll be competition for places at Arsenal, it could be that he’ll ultimately end up being someone they can sell for a significant profit later.

The post Deal “on the horizon” as 13-goal midfielder packing bags for Arsenal transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Major Liverpool departure now “one step away”, claims journalist

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly now just a step away from completing a move to take over at Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.

This is not the first time there’s been speculation about Hughes possibly leaving Liverpool for the move to Saudi Arabia.

However, the most recent update coming from talkSPORT was that Hughes looked set to stay at LFC for the time being, despite Al Hilal’s interest.

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Alternatively, journalist Nicolo Schira has today posted on X, formerly Twitter, to claim that Hughes is closing in on taking the director’s job at Al Hilal…

Richard #Hughes is one step away to sign for #AlHilal as new sporting director. Agreement in principle for 3-years contract as revealed last March. He is set to leave #Liverpool to join the Saudi Club. #transfers #LFC ?? https://t.co/tEcTtUtz6W

— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) April 30, 2026

“Richard #Hughes is one step away to sign for #AlHilal as new sporting director. Agreement in principle for 3-years contract as revealed last March. He is set to leave #Liverpool to join the Saudi Club,” Schira posted.

It will be interesting to see how this develops, as this story clearly isn’t going away, but it’s also worth noting that Schira has a somewhat mixed reputation when it comes to getting big stories right.

[UPDATE: This has now also been reported by reputable Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, as cited and translated by Sport Witness]

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Could Liverpool be better off without Richard Hughes?

Richard Hughes and Arne Slot (Photo by Getty Images, Mark Pain/Alamy)

While it probably wouldn’t be ideal for Liverpool to lose an influential figure and to be forced to look for a replacement, there’s perhaps an argument that the Reds could do better.

Hughes will have overseen last summer’s hugely expensive and ultimately poor summer transfer window, with vast sums of money spent on signings who’ve performed poorly.

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have endured a difficult time since arriving at Anfield, while Hughes also let Luis Diaz go and was unable to get Trent Alexander-Arnold to sign a new contract.

On top of that, a new deal was awarded to Mohamed Salah, whose form has gone off a cliff this term, with Arne Slot’s side generally struggling and slipping to fourth in the Premier League table, never really challenging for the title at any point.

The post Major Liverpool departure now “one step away”, claims journalist appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Xabi Alonso open to accepting Chelsea job on one key condition

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is reportedly open to taking the Chelsea job if he’s given ‘more control’ than the Blues are currently offering.

It seems Alonso has some interest in potentially taking over at Chelsea as they continue to hold talks with candidates to replace Liam Rosenior.

According to Simon Phillips, Alonso is open to becoming Chelsea manager, but it seems his key condition is being given what sources describe as ‘a bit more control’ in the role.

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The Spanish tactician did a great job during his time in charge of Leverkusen, leading the club to its first ever Bundesliga title, and reaching the Europa League final.

However, Alonso struggled in his spell with Real Madrid earlier this season before being sacked, and one imagines he had a lot less control in his role at the Bernabeu.

Can Xabi Alonso succeed where others have failed at Chelsea?

The Chelsea job is not a simple one, and a lot of fine managers have struggled at Stamford Bridge under this ownership in particular.

Alonso is one of the top coaches in the game at the moment, but it’s not necessarily going to be easy for even him to come in and hit the ground running in this environment.

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The former Liverpool midfielder might do well to consider waiting for other opportunities, as there’s just been so much upheaval at CFC with frequent changes to players and managers.

Still, one imagines it might also be tempting to work with a lot of top young players and to manage one of the biggest names in the Premier League, with the bonus of living in London.

Phillips’ report also mentions the likes of Andoni Iraola being on Chelsea’s radar as no final decision has been made yet on who will be the club’s next manager.

The post Xabi Alonso open to accepting Chelsea job on one key condition appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Fabrizio Romano shares photo that will fuel major Arsenal transfer story

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Fabrizio Romano is one of the most trusted journalists in football transfer news, and not one to drop hints lightly, so this Julian Alvarez and Mikel Arteta post was certainly…a choice.

See below as Romano has posted on X to fuel the Alvarez to Arsenal transfer speculation, as he shared a photo of Gunners boss Arteta with the Argentina international after last night’s Champions League semi-final first leg in Spain…

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? Mikel Arteta and Julián Álvarez at full time. pic.twitter.com/29c1KLPdUz

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 30, 2026

Of course, it may be that Romano is simply sharing an image showing good sportsmanship between two professionals after a big game they were both involved in, but in the social media era we tend to know that hints like this are usually deliberate.

Romano has previously played down Alvarez transfer talk, but he’s obviously aware of it, so to then add fuel to the fire with this image suggests that perhaps it could be something to watch after all.

Julian Alvarez impressed against Arsenal

Alvarez scored the equaliser from the penalty spot in last night’s 1-1 in Madrid, and forced a good save from David Raya in the first half.

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The 26-year-old generally put in another eye-catching display for Atletico in what has been a really strong season from him.

It’s easy to see why Arsenal might be interested in Alvarez, who has also already shown he can perform to a high standard in the Premier League from his previous spell at Manchester City.

Viktor Gyokeres was also on the score-sheet last night, but it’s not been the most convincing first season for him at the Emirates Stadium, so an addition like Alvarez would surely be useful.

Read more here about how we rated Alvarez to Arsenal with our Transfer Fit rating system!

The post Fabrizio Romano shares photo that will fuel major Arsenal transfer story appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Sources: Man United & Liverpool face obstacle to complete potential €90m transfer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

I’ve been looking into one of the big transfer rumours that’s taken off in the last week or so, and I’m happy to be able to provide an update on the Aurelien Tchouameni saga after speaking with top sources.

Having consulted contacts close to the agents industry, plus other colleagues in the media, I’ve been able to put a bit of a picture together on the Tchouameni transfer saga.

This story was first published on the Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe to get exclusive transfer updates first!

When I first looked into the story a few days ago I was given the impression that links between Manchester United and Tchouameni were not that concrete, and that the reason for some uncertainty lies with the fact that Real Madrid will be changing manager this summer.

These situations often lead to stories snowballing a bit, and my understanding remains that Tchouameni is seen as much more likely to stay and sign a new contract at the Bernabeu than to leave the club this summer.

Aurelian Tchouameni admired by Premier League clubs

However, clearly there’s some degree of truth to talk of Man United appreciating Tchouameni and keeping an eye on his situation. It’s not necessarily the case that he’s one of their top targets, and he’s not expected to be available this summer, but of course he’s a name that’s going to be discussed internally.

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United are widely expected to target two midfielders this summer, so their list of targets is a long one, especially as rivals Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal could also all be shopping for new signings in that position. That just makes it all the more likely that the Red Devils will need to cast their net as wide as possible in case their preferred targets don’t work out.

I can add, by the way, that Liverpool also still have an interest in Tchouameni, dating back to when they were really keen to sign him from Monaco. Again, this is not exactly surprising and doesn’t mean a move is happening, but things can change quickly in football, so if Los Blancos decide they want to make a few sales under a new manager, then we can expect United and Liverpool to be sniffing around for Tchouameni.

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The France international has shone during his time in the Spanish capital, and would not come cheap if he were to leave.

While there is not an ‘asking price’ for him as such, my sources indicate that, with two years remaining on his current contract, interested clubs would have to pay around €80-90m for what Real feel is one of the best players in the world in his position.

The plan, however, is very much to give Tchouameni a new deal, extending his stay in Madrid until 2031. Talks have not begun yet, but are expected after the end of the season, with Bernabeu sources all confident he’ll be staying.

The post Sources: Man United & Liverpool face obstacle to complete potential €90m transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Diego Simeone rates Julian Alvarez’s chances of playing 2nd leg vs Arsenal after injury scare

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has spoken out on the Julian Alvarez injury situation as he went off in last night’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Alvarez is a star player for Simeone’s side, and scored from the penalty spot in yesterday’s Champions League semi-final first leg before having to go off 13 minutes from time.

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That will have been a big worry for Atletico fans ahead of the second leg of this tie next week, but it seems the Argentina international should be fit enough to play at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking after last night’s game, Simeone made it clear he wasn’t too worried about Alvarez or any other player’s fitness, saying he expected everyone to be available for the trip to north London.

Diego Simeone provides Julian Alvarez injury update

“I don’t think there will be anyone that will not be playing on Tuesday,” Simeone said, as quoted by the Metro.

“I suppose they might be feeling some physical discomfort now. Giuliano from a knock, Julian from the fall he had in the middle of the pitch and Sorloth with a hamstring strain, but I have no doubt they’ll be there.”

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Alvarez has 20 goals in 48 games in all competitions this season, with ten of those coming in the Champions League.

The 26-year-old will surely be key for Atletico if they are to stand any chance of making it to the Champions League final, while Arsenal fans would surely have felt a lot better if their team could avoid playing against him again next week.

Who will win the Champions League?

Champions League Final appearances Victories
Bayern Munich 11 6
PSG 2 1
Atletico Madrid 3 0
Arsenal 1 0

Both semi-final ties are evenly poised after the first leg encounters this week, so it’s hard to make any predictions at this stage about who will be going through.

Paris Saint-Germain only have a one-goal lead over Bayern Munich after that thrilling 5-4 at the Parc des Princes, and one imagines Vincent Kompany’s side might still be slight favourites as they have the second leg at home.

Arsenal, meanwhile, beat Atletico 4-0 at the Emirates in the league phase earlier this season, so might be the slight favourites in their game as well, though Simeone’s side can never be underestimated and have improved a lot since that meeting earlier in the campaign.

The post Diego Simeone rates Julian Alvarez’s chances of playing 2nd leg vs Arsenal after injury scare appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Man United aim to avoid bidding war with Man City and identify three alternative transfer targets

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United reportedly want to avoid a bidding war with Manchester City for what will likely be a hugely expensive transfer deal for Elliot Anderson.

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The Nottingham Forest midfielder looks set to be a man in demand this summer, with Man Utd emerging as one of his suitors.

Still, it seems the Red Devils would prefer to avoid paying over the odds for Anderson and could explore three alternatives instead, according to ESPN.

The report explains that Forest value Anderson at around £120m, leading United to also look at other options like Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali, and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Is Elliot Anderson overpriced?

Anderson has had a superb season for Forest and undoubtedly looks like he’s going to get himself a big move in the months ahead.

ESPN report that Forest see their valuation of the England international as fair due to the other similar fees that have been paid for top midfielders like Moises Caicedo in recent times.

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Still, United have over-spent a lot in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and it makes sense that they want to be more careful about blowing too much on one player.

What about United’s other midfield targets?

The other names mentioned probably wouldn’t come cheap either, but Baleba, Tonali, or Tchouameni could probably still save the club a fairly significant amount.

At the same time, however, going for cheaper options can also be risky, as Baleba in particular has suffered a dip in form, while Tchouameni hasn’t ever played in the Premier League.

Tonali looks like a good option, but he’s a bit older than Anderson and probably not quite as well-rounded, so these are the difficult decisions United have to make this summer.

The post Man United aim to avoid bidding war with Man City and identify three alternative transfer targets appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Swap deal? Man United have three players they could use in bid to sign Rafael Leao

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United are being linked again with AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, and could even have players who’d be tempting to the Italian club in a potential swap deal.

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Leao has shone during his time in Serie A and looks like he could be an upgrade on Matheus Cunha in this Man Utd front three, so it’s perhaps not too surprising that there’s fresh speculation about a possible move to Old Trafford.

The Portugal international has recently been linked with the Red Devils by the Daily Mail and Calciomercato and it could even be that there’s a new twist to this saga.

According to the latest from Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan could be offered the likes of Marcus Rashford or Manuel Ugarte as part of a deal for Leao, while the Rossoneri also have an interest in Joshua Zirkzee.

Would Rafael Leao transfer be a risk for Manchester United?

Leao has his qualities, but there’s perhaps an argument that a few factors make this a potentially risky deal for United.

Rafael Leao TOTAL SCORE: 11/25
Transfer fee *
Performance ***
Achievements ***
Career phase **
Squad need **

We recently scored Leao to United just 11/25 using our Transfer Fit rating system, though perhaps we could up that score a bit if MUFC were able to save money using players as part of this deal.

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Leao has nine goals and three assists for Milan this season, and one imagines he’d find the Premier League a big step up from Serie A.

Overall, it’s hard to imagine him setting the world alight in English football based on his current numbers, even if he is a player with undoubtedly impressive natural ability and skill.

Those attributes alone don’t necessarily guarantee success in the Premier League, though, so United should probably explore alternatives to what could be an expensive deal.

The post Swap deal? Man United have three players they could use in bid to sign Rafael Leao appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“This cannot happen” – Mikel Arteta admits he’s “fuming” over crucial decision that went against Arsenal

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not hold back with his views on Eberechi Eze being denied a penalty in last night’s Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

The Gunners did well to come away with a 1-1 draw from a tough away game against a top team, but they were also unfortunate when what looked like a clear penalty on Eze ended up being overturned after a VAR check.

This also followed a controversial penalty being awarded to Atletico, with Julian Alvarez scoring the equaliser from the spot after what clearly looked like an unintentional handball by Ben White.

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While Arteta was ready to accept the different handball rules in UEFA competitions for the Atletico penalty, he admitted he was “fuming” with the foul on Eze not being given.

Mikel Arteta fuming after controversial Atletico-Arsenal game

? "At this level, this CANNOT happen!" ?

Mikel Arteta did NOT hold back after *that* penalty decision against Arsenal last night…?

©?UEFA 2026 pic.twitter.com/xE2CsBFb8n

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 30, 2026

Speaking in his press conference after the game, Arteta said: “In the manner that we gave the penalty, very disappointed. In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that with the rules and how consistent they’ve been, for example, yesterday with Bayern Munich, I accept that this is a handball.

“What I am incredibly fuming with, is how the penalty on Ebs gets overturned in the manner that it happened, when it’s not a clear and obvious error – this changes the course of the game. At this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.”

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Arsenal fans will surely share Arteta’s frustration here, as this one decision could end up being a crucial moment in the complexion of this tie.

The north London giants will no doubt feel they deserved a win in this game, which would have given them a huge advantage as they prepared for the second leg at home.

The post “This cannot happen” – Mikel Arteta admits he’s “fuming” over crucial decision that went against Arsenal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Video: Row erupts between Diego Simeone and Arsenal star after controversial CL semi-final

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By:Mark Brus

As if there wasn’t enough drama on the pitch between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid last night, things also boiled over between Ben White and Diego Simeone after the game.

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The Gunners came away with a 1-1 draw away from home in the first leg of this Champions League semi-final tie, and while that’s a very decent result on paper, there’ll be some bad blood after two controversial penalty decisions.

On top of that, it seems Arsenal defender White angered Atletico boss Simeone by walking over the club crest as he went towards the tunnel, which some see as a sign of disrespect.

Watch below for the incident, captured by Marca, as Simeone angrily approaches White after seeing him walking on the club badge…

? Wow…Diego Simeone was NOT happy with Arsenal's Ben White after the game…??

? via @MARCAinENGLISH pic.twitter.com/QRIHPmrfLI

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 30, 2026

Video from Marca In English

White was seemingly in no mood to be confronted in this way, and it led to others getting involved, though what happened after that is a little unclear.

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Arsenal close to Champions League final

Arsenal haven’t been at their best recently, so to come away with a draw away from home against a top team like Atletico Madrid is surely a big positive as they chase an appearance in what would be only their second Champions League final.

Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead through a penalty from Viktor Gyokeres just before half time, but Julian Alvarez ended up equalising from the spot in the second half.

There was controversy about the Alvarez penalty as it looked a very harsh handball decision, similar to the one awarded to Paris Saint-Germain that divided opinion in the game against Bayern Munich the night before.

Arsenal were then denied a second penalty, with the referee initially awarding the spot kick for a foul on Eberechi Eze before then overturning the decision after a VAR check.

Still, AFC will surely now be confident of finishing the job at the Emirates Stadium next week and setting up an intriguing potential final against one of PSG or Bayern.

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€75m release clause: Man United & City on alert for “ideal” transfer opportunity

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly both eyeing up a potential transfer move for Porto midfielder Alan Varela this summer.

The 24-year-old has impressed during his time with Porto, having also previously caught the eye at former club Boca Juniors.

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Having shown he can make the step up to playing in Europe, one imagines Varela might now be keen to develop further and test himself in a more competitive league like the Premier League.

Alan Varela release clause puts United and City on alert

With a €75m release clause in his contract, according to journalist Ekrem Konur, it seems Varela is on the radar of the two Manchester clubs as we edge closer to the next transfer window…

EXCL: Alan Varela is attracting serious interest, with Porto setting a €75m release clause.?

?Man City view the Argentine as a Rodri replacement if he moves on, while Man Utd see him as the ideal successor to Casemiro.@Ekremkonur & @Sportsboomcom https://t.co/oYUXUPCHiO https://t.co/Idpjlvkw7Q

— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) April 29, 2026

The reporter posted the following on X: “Alan Varela is attracting serious interest, with Porto setting a €75m release clause. Man City view the Argentine as a Rodri replacement if he moves on, while Man Utd see him as the ideal successor to Casemiro.”

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Varela certainly seems like one to watch in the weeks and months ahead, as he looks more than good enough to be on the list alongside the other midfielders United and City have been linked with in recent times.

Where should Alan Varela move next?

Varela may well have some tempting offers available to him this summer, and we’ll perhaps see other big clubs joining the race for the Argentine’s signature before too long.

Porto have often sold their best players to elite European sides if the money is right, but one imagines they’ll insist on Varela’s release clause being met.

That means he’s going to be one of the more expensive options on the market, so not necessarily the safest investment when there’ll also be proven Premier League players worth looking at as well.

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Deal progressing: PSG have “intensified” efforts to sign Arsenal transfer target

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Paris Saint-Germain reportedly seem to be making progress on a potential transfer move for Lille midfield wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The talented young Frenchman has long looked one of the biggest prospects in Europe’s big five leagues, with Arsenal mentioned to us as one of his main admirers.

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Still, we’ve also previously reported for the Daily Briefing about PSG being alongside a long list of elite sides such as Manchester United and Liverpool in also eyeing Bouaddi.

Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer latest

Now the latest is that PSG have intensified their efforts to win the race for the 18-year-old in recent weeks, as per the X post from journalist Abdellah Boulma below…

?Le PSG avance en coulisses sur le dossier Ayyoub Bouaddi. L’intérêt s’est intensifié ces dernières semaines, avec plusieurs prises de renseignements et la présentation d’un projet sportif au joueur du LOSC. Les échanges se poursuivent mais Olivier Letang se montre exigeant
..À…

— Abdellah Boulma (@AbdellahBoulma) April 29, 2026

The post translates as: “PSG is making progress behind the scenes on the Ayyoub Bouaddi file. Interest has intensified in recent weeks, with several inquiries and the presentation of a sports project to the LOSC player. Discussions are ongoing, but Olivier Letang is proving demanding ..To be continued.”

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This certainly looks like a deal that could be a good fit for all parties involved, as PSG have tended to do well with signing top young French players in recent times and building around them.

However, there is also a lot of competition in that PSG midfield, with Bouaddi perhaps unlikely to start regularly when Luis Enrique also has the likes of Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Warren Zaire-Emery to choose from in that position.

Arsenal dealt Ayyoub Bouaddi blow

This could be a blow for Arsenal, who would surely be able to give Bouaddi more of a key role straight away next season.

Mikel Arteta has Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in midfield at the moment, but he’s barely been able to rotate this term due to seemingly not trusting Christian Norgaard very much.

That could surely have allowed Bouaddi to come in and play a part pretty quickly, with the teenager perhaps then ideal to eventually replace the likes of Rice and Zubimendi as first choice once they get older and past their peak.

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Risk of Man United being powerless to prevent star player’s transfer as he seeks assurances

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United may reportedly be heading towards an uncomfortable situation regarding Bruno Fernandes in the upcoming summer transfer window.

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The Portugal international has been a star performer for Man Utd since joining from Sporting Lisbon back in 2020, and he’s approaching the final year of his contract at Old Trafford.

Fernandes is now said to be keen to have some assurances from the Red Devils about their ambitions, according to the Telegraph.

The report adds that Fernandes has a release clause in his contract that would leave United powerless to prevent him leaving if that fee were to be triggered.

Can Bruno Fernandes achieve his ambitions at Manchester United?

Fernandes is one of the best attacking midfielders in world football on his day, with the Telegraph reporting that he’s unsurprisingly keen to win the biggest trophies.

This could become an issue for MUFC, who have not been as competitive as they’d have liked in recent years, and indeed for much of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

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There will surely be top clubs out there who could make Fernandes a tempting offer, even if he might be a slightly risky target due to his cost, wages, and age.

The 31-year-old does, however, still boast great numbers even in this flawed United side, as the table below from the Telegraph’s article shows…

Bruno Fernandes assist stats
Bruno Fernandes assist stats (Telegraph)

Fernandes is not far away from breaking the record for assists in a single Premier League season, so it would certainly make sense for United to keep him.

There has been real improvement made since Michael Carrick took over as interim manager, and perhaps that can give the player hope of being part of a more successful United side in the near future.

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Andrea Berta talked Mikel Arteta into Arsenal transfer he initially wasn’t sure about

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By:Mark Brus

Arsenal director Andrea Berta was reportedly the key driving force behind the signing of Viktor Gyokeres last summer.

The new sporting director joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid and immediately became an influential figure, as he seemingly talked Mikel Arteta round on bringing in Gyokeres instead of Benjamin Sesko.

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That’s according to a report from the Athletic, which states that Berta did not view Sesko as good value for money, though he would have been willing to compromise if Arteta really insisted on him over Gyokeres.

In the end, it seems Arsenal managed to come to an internal agreement, with Berta winning this particular power battle and getting the striker he favoured.

Was Viktor Gyokeres signing a mistake by Arsenal chief Andrea Berta?

Gyokeres has not had the most convincing debut season at the Emirates Stadium, while Sesko ended up joining rivals Manchester United.

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All in all, it’s not that easy to see who got the better deal, with neither player hitting the ground running in English football so far, though Sesko is younger and perhaps looks the more well-rounded player overall.

See below for a graphic comparing various aspects of the two players’ games, with a pretty mixed picture emerging…

Viktor Gyokeres vs Benjamin Sesko stats comparison
Viktor Gyokeres vs Benjamin Sesko stats comparison (DataMB)

Still, with strikers it’s arguably goals that matter most, and Gyokeres has the slightly better scoring record this season, albeit from playing more games and with the benefit of better teammates and a more settled squad in general…

Striker comparison (all comps) Games Goals
Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal) 48 18
Benjamin Sesko (Man Utd) 31 11

Gyokeres was hugely prolific at Sporting Lisbon, but was perhaps never likely to be able to repeat those crazy numbers in the Premier League.

Sesko, meanwhile, was already performing in a more competitive league overall, even if it’s still a step up from the Bundesliga to the English top flight.

Arsenal fans may be frustrated, however, at Berta’s decision-making here, as Gyokeres has so often looked out of his depth at this level, with some good finishing but not much else to offer to the team.

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Yes, Liverpool miss Luis Diaz, but Bayern’s front 3 weren’t stat-padding like this in the Prem

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By:Mark Brus

I’ve made my feelings clear on PSG’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich already, but it really is worth emphasising just how much some people are overreacting to the crazy numbers being produced by the front three of Bayern in particular.

Much has been made of the supposed declining quality of the Premier League this season, but isn’t Bayern’s dominance, if anything, the clearest example you can have that the English top flight is more competitive than ever?

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Bayern’s entire front three is, after all, made up entirely of former Premier League players. Their most recent arrival is Luis Diaz, who joined from Liverpool last summer, linking up with former Tottenham striker Harry Kane and former Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, all of whom are now somehow playing the best football of their careers under former Burnley manager Vincent Kompany.

? Always a joy to watch Michael Olise play football…? pic.twitter.com/MAhjFzcbnr

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 28, 2026

It might not surprise you to learn that all three of these players have boasted the best numbers in their careers at Bayern, even if they were already clearly very good players during their time in England.

Yes Luis Diaz is great but he wouldn’t be producing numbers like this at Liverpool

Liverpool fans must be regretting the decision to let Diaz go, but here’s just one example of a move to the Bundesliga massively over-stating how good he actually is…

Luis Diaz in 148 games for Liverpool – 57GA

Luis Diaz in 45 games for Bayern – 43GA

It’s much easier for a Premier League player to adapt and excel in the Bundesliga than a seasoned Bundesliga player can do in the Premier League.

— WelBeast (@WelBeast) April 29, 2026

Meanwhile, Kane already has half his entire Tottenham goal tally in under three full seasons at Bayern, while Olise has 40 goals in two seasons at the Allianz Arena, following on from a total of 16 in his entire Palace career.

It’s not rocket science, people – playing against weaker opponents domestically means it’s easier to boast crazy numbers, and to have reserves of energy to play expansive, attack-minded football in Europe as well.

Stick slightly less glamorous names like Jeremy Doku and Gabriel Martinelli into the Bayern XI and you’d likely see largely the same transformation.

The post Yes, Liverpool miss Luis Diaz, but Bayern’s front 3 weren’t stat-padding like this in the Prem appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Report: Club eyeing new target after ending interest in signing Chelsea forward

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Bayern Munich are reportedly interested in signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic after deciding not to keep on-loan Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson.

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Vlahovic is nearing the end of his contract at Juve so could be a good bargain option on the market to give Bayern more cover for Harry Kane up front.

Jackson has filled that role this season since joining on loan from Chelsea last summer, but Florian Plettenberg has recently reported that the Bundesliga giants have decided not to extend his stay beyond the end of this campaign…

?? Juventus are monitoring Nicolas #Jackson and can imagine a loan move. AC Milan are monitoring the situation as well.

Jackson will return to Chelsea in the summer for now, as FC Bayern will not trigger the option to buy and a second loan is currently not planned. #CFC… pic.twitter.com/3W8i2OoAJh

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 28, 2026

Plettenberg also added in his post on X that Juventus themselves are among the clubs interested in Jackson, so he could end up replacing Vlahovic in Turin.

According to Fichajes, Bayern are keen on the Serbia international to come in and add depth to their list of options up front next season, and it certainly seems like a deal with some potential.

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What next for Dusan Vlahovic?

A lot has been written about Vlahovic in recent weeks and months as it’s not quite clear what the future holds for the 26-year-old.

Dusan Vlahovic Games Goals
2021/22 21 9
2022/23 42 14
2023/24 38 18
2024/25 44 17
2025/26 19 6

Vlahovic looked like an exciting young talent at former club Fiorentina, but he hasn’t quite lived up to his potential at Juventus.

This has occasionally seen Vlahovic linked with big clubs like Chelsea, as per TEAMtalk, but it was also recently claimed that he could be close to signing a new Juventus contract, as per Gazzetta dello Sport.

Even if Vlahovic has his qualities, it currently seems unlikely that he’d be an automatic starter at a top club, so perhaps a bench role at Bayern or somewhere similar could be his best bet.

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Talks planned: Chelsea to approach two more managers over vacancy

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Chelsea are reportedly planning to approach two more managers over the vacancy at Stamford Bridge, according to Simon Phillips.

Reporting via his Substack, Phillips says Chelsea have already had initial contacts with the representatives of the likes of Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso.

And now it seems the Blues will also contact the agents of Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac.

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Kovac has apparently been looked at before by Chelsea, according to Phillips, while the other names look like tempting options due to their availability.

Alonso has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid earlier this season, while Glasner is leaving Palace at the end of this season, and Iraola will also be on his way out of Bournemouth at the same time.

What does Chelsea’s next manager need?

Managing Chelsea almost looks like an impossible job at the moment as the club have had an air of chaos under this current ownership.

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The west London giants were a very different animal under Roman Abramovich, often simply hiring the best managers and signing the best players with the aim of delivering major trophies in the here and now.

This CFC project, however, is built around young players and a long-term project, but the frequent manager sackings and poor signings have complicated matters.

Whoever comes in next for Chelsea needs to be ready to work in this environment, with the expectation that they’ll be able to help young players improve and deal with a large squad.

On top of that, whoever comes in at Chelsea will need to cope with an increasingly frustrated and impatient fanbase, who don’t seem to be aligned with what the owners are trying to do.

While there are several top managers out there, it’s arguably a very different challenge to what they’ve had to deal with in their most recent jobs.

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From Spain: Barcelona chief Deco eyeing five Tottenham stars in potential transfer blitz

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By:Mark Brus

You increasingly get the sense that Tottenham’s very existence is on the line as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.

As Spurs remain in the bottom three with just four games remaining, there is unsurprisingly growing talk of huge numbers of their best players leaving if they end up dropping down to the Championship.

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According to the latest from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona director Deco has his eye on as many as five of Tottenham’s current players – Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Xavi Simons, and Lucas Bergvall.

Needless to say, getting relegated is bad enough for Spurs, but if they also lost all of those players in one go it would be extremely difficult for the north Londoners to rebuild their side and come back up as soon as possible.

Are Tottenham’s flops good enough for Barcelona?

Realistically, it seems highly unlikely that Barca would be able to sign all five of those players mentioned, not least because the Catalan giants have financial issues that will restrict what they can do without also selling players.

It makes sense, however, that Deco would be looking at Spurs’ current situation and eyeing up a few candidates for a summer raid.

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It’s still worth asking, however, if these players are actually good enough for an elite European side like Barcelona after struggling so badly with THFC.

After all, if these players have performed so poorly that a big club like Spurs might actually be relegated, then serious questions have to be asked about not only their ability, but their mentality.

Still, some of the names there, such as Simons and Bergvall in particular, are young enough that they could learn from this difficult experience and improve as they continue developing, perhaps also benefiting from working in a more settled environment and with better coaches and players around them.

The post From Spain: Barcelona chief Deco eyeing five Tottenham stars in potential transfer blitz appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Loan discussed as Chelsea unhappy with youngster’s development so far

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Chelsea are reportedly unhappy with Liam Delap’s development so far and have presented him with the opportunity to go on loan to Strasbourg.

The 23-year-old striker looked like a fine prospect at former club Ipswich Town, but his Chelsea future is already in doubt after just one Premier League goal in 25 games in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

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According to Simon Phillips, the Blues have already been discussing the possibility of Delap going on loan to fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg, though it seems his preference is to snub the loan and stay where he is.

It will be interesting to see how this develops, but at this moment in time it would certainly be surprising if Delap were to still be involved in the Chelsea first-team next season after such a worrying lack of impact.

Liam Delap surely needs to leave Chelsea

Delap may still have it in him to have a good career, but for now he just doesn’t look like he’s at the right level for a club with Chelsea’s ambitions.

The England Under-21 international could benefit from going to Strasbourg for more playing time in a less competitive league, or else he could also probably find suitors elsewhere.

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We’ve previously been informed about Delap having interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Brighton, and Sunderland amid uncertainty over his Chelsea future.

All in all, this deal clearly hasn’t worked out for CFC, but it’s hard to know how much of that is Delap’s fault, or an issue with the club.

So many other recent Chelsea signings have also flopped, with other talented young players like Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Andrey Santos, and Jorrel Hato also looking slightly out of place with the west London giants.

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PSG 5-4 Bayern was the game of the season, but Arsenal will be licking their lips at that defending

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

PSG’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday night was undoubtedly one of the games of the season in terms of sheer end-to-end entertainment.

But does it, as so much of social media would have you think, spell bad news for Arsenal in the Champions League? I’m not so convinced.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolute joy watching elite attacking players expressing themselves like this – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue at one end, and Michael Olise and Luis Diaz at the other is as good as anything in world football right now.

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But those rushing to condemn the Premier League, and particularly Arsenal, for moving away from this kind of football to a more tactical and defensive-minded game that has dominated in England this season, would do well not to overlook some important factors at play here.

Why PSG and Bayern look so much better than Premier League sides

Free-flowing attacking football is a luxury Arsenal and other Premier League teams can’t afford. Even Manchester City haven’t really played like their old selves for much of this season, and found Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final a tougher opponent than PSG or Bayern face in most of their domestic matches.

Bayern have already won the Bundesliga, as they do most seasons without any opposition, while PSG will probably come out on top again in Ligue 1 this term, as you’d expect for two clubs whose wage bills dwarf what their so-called competition in these leagues can spend.

In that context, it’s no surprise that Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany can afford to focus on the kind of freedom and self expression we all want to see from the best attacking players in the Premier League, but there’s little need for control and discipline when your nearest challengers are probably about on a par with mid-table sides like Brentford.

Case-in-point: Arsenal beat Bayern 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the league phase of this competition earlier this season and Harry Kane didn’t have a single shot. Not so easy when you’re not playing against the likes of Hamburg and St Pauli, is it, Harry?

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Where’s the defending?

“Five-four is a hockey score, not a football score,” Jose Mourinho said back in 2004 after a particularly crazy North London Derby. “In a three-against-three training match, if the score reaches 5-4 I send the players back to the dressing rooms as they are not defending properly. So to get a result like that in a game of 11 against 11 is disgraceful.”

So, let’s be real, if Bayern or PSG defend like this against Arsenal in the Champions League final, then the Gunners are in with a serious shout.

Don’t get angry at me yet – I’m not saying it’s a guaranteed win for Arsenal, and it would be unwise to even make them the automatic favourites against Atletico Madrid.

But don’t let a vastly entertaining game cloud your judgement – these are great players, yes, but they are still being allowed to look far better than they are because they’re not being tested week in, week out the way the best players in the Premier League are. And Arsenal have already shown they can shut them down if their defence is at its best.

Far from being a warning for Arsenal if they go through against Atletico Madrid, this game tonight just shows there’s a perfectly winnable final ahead for Mikel Arteta’s side. Arguably the tougher test might come against the more defensive-minded Diego Simeone in Madrid tomorrow night.

The post PSG 5-4 Bayern was the game of the season, but Arsenal will be licking their lips at that defending appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Video: Luis Diaz scores absolutely sensational goal in *nine*-goal PSG-Bayern thriller

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Luis Diaz has scored one of the best goals of the night in what has been an absolutely crazy game between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

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It’s 5-4 to PSG at the time of writing, but with a few minutes left to go it’s very hard to predict how this one is going to end as both sides produce some absolutely sublime football at the Parc des Princes.

Diaz has been a joy to watch as he so often is, and the control, composure, and quality of his finish from a delightful pass by Harry Kane surely makes his strike the best goal of the evening…

IT'S FIVE-FOUR! ?

After a VAR check, Diaz's strike stands! ? pic.twitter.com/tuU2wBvo7O

— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) April 28, 2026

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Luis Diaz puts Bayern Munich back in the game against PSG

Diaz timed his run perfectly, even if there was an initial VAR check for offside, with the goal eventually given as Bayern bounced back after finding themselves 5-2 down not that long before.

Dayot Upamecano pulled one back shortly before Diaz’s effort, which has made this a real game again.

Remarkably, there’s also still a whole second leg to play at the Allianz Arena next week as well!

Bayern were probably the slight favourites before this game, and if they can go back to Germany next week just a goal behind then they may still feel they can get the result they need at home to make it into the Champions League final.

PSG are the reigning European champions, though, and remain every bit as good as they were when they stormed to the trophy last season.

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Two major European clubs “monitoring” Chelsea misfit as transfer decision made

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is reportedly attracting interest from two giants of Italian football in the form of Juventus and AC Milan.

The Senegal international has struggled on loan at Bayern Munich this season and it seems the Bavarian giants won’t be keeping him once this spell comes to an end.

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That’s according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, who has posted on X to provide an update on Jackson’s future, as Juve and Milan hover for the Chelsea misfit.

Nicolas Jackson set for Serie A transfer?

See below for details as it seems Jackson could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge for a move to Serie A once he’s back from Bayern…

?? Juventus are monitoring Nicolas #Jackson and can imagine a loan move. AC Milan are monitoring the situation as well.

Jackson will return to Chelsea in the summer for now, as FC Bayern will not trigger the option to buy and a second loan is currently not planned. #CFC… pic.twitter.com/3W8i2OoAJh

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 28, 2026

“Juventus are monitoring Nicolas #Jackson and can imagine a loan move,” Plettenberg posted.

“AC Milan are monitoring the situation as well. Jackson will return to Chelsea in the summer for now, as FC Bayern will not trigger the option to buy and a second loan is currently not planned.”

Chelsea surely won’t be keeping Jackson after his difficult spell in west London, while he’s also not done enough to impress whilst on loan with Bayern this season.

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It certainly seems like the best thing for the 24-year-old to try a new challenge elsewhere, and perhaps he’d find the step down to the Italian top flight is the best way for him to maximise his potential.

The post Two major European clubs “monitoring” Chelsea misfit as transfer decision made appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Video: Michael Olise scores solo stunner that will have Liverpool fans drooling

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Michael Olise has scored a stunning solo goal for Bayern Munich against Paris Saint-Germain in this evening’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

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The France international is having a superb season and he continued to show why he’s becoming regarded as one of the best players on the planet with his strike against PSG tonight.

Liverpool are one of the clubs to be linked with Olise in recent times, with TEAMtalk claiming the Reds are really keen, which makes sense given their need to replace Mohamed Salah this summer.

Michael Olise goal video from PSG vs Bayern thriller

Well, Bayern are surely not going to let this guy go any time soon after he worked his magic again in some style tonight…

STOP THAT OLISE! ?

It's 2-2 in Paris & we're not even at half-time ? pic.twitter.com/GYhSay9SD6

— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) April 28, 2026

Olise has been producing big moments like this all season, with the 24-year-old now on 23 goals and 26 assists in total.

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Liverpool fans will no doubt be dreaming of having a talent like this in their attack, but with every performance like this he’s surely just becoming more and more unaffordable and unrealistic for the Merseyside giants.

Olise has been a constant threat for Bayern all evening, though they trail 3-2 at half time in what has been a crazy start to this semi-final at the Parc des Princes.

How many more goals will we see in this tie given that we have a second half still to play tonight, and then next week’s second leg at the Allianz Arena?

The post Video: Michael Olise scores solo stunner that will have Liverpool fans drooling appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“My mindset…” – Arsenal star responds to question over potential transfer away

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has played down transfer speculation over his future after being asked about a possible move away.

The Norway international is understood by CaughtOffside to be one of the candidates for a big sale at the Emirates Stadium this summer, though our report also made it clear he’s not personally pushing to leave.

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Odegaard would probably not speak openly about his potential departure at this stage of the season anyway, and he has also insisted he’s not aware of where the story has come from.

See below for Odegaard’s quote reported by journalist James Benge on X…

Odegaard on speculation over his future: I don’t know where that’s coming from. My mindset is about just doing what I can every day to do something special. There’s always going to be speculation… it’s not something I know anything about.

— James Benge (@jamesbenge) April 28, 2026

“Odegaard on speculation over his future: I don’t know where that’s coming from. My mindset is about just doing what I can every day to do something special. There’s always going to be speculation… it’s not something I know anything about,” Benge posted.

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What next for Martin Odegaard?

Odegaard is an important player for Arsenal, but it perhaps makes sense for the Gunners to think about his situation after an injury-hit campaign.

Even if the 27-year-old can be a world class player on his day, he just doesn’t seem to be capable of staying fit anymore and impacting games in quite the same way he used to.

Arsenal spent a lot on new signings last summer, so it might be that they’ll need to be more careful this year and make some major sales before further additions.

From that point of view, it could make sense for AFC to consider offers for Odegaard if anyone came in with a big enough bid.

Still, this will likely be resolved later, with all focus now on Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League semi-finals and Premier League title race run-in.

The post “My mindset…” – Arsenal star responds to question over potential transfer away appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Deal on: Chelsea open to negotiating €50m transfer, player keen on move

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Chelsea are reportedly open to negotiating the sale of Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella amid interest from Barcelona ahead of the summer.

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Cucurella has been a key player for the Blues in recent times, overcoming a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge to become a solid and reliable defender for the team.

It now seems Barca are eyeing up Cucurella, and he’s opened the door to the move while Chelsea could also let him go for around €50m, according to Fichajes.

This seems like it could be a bit of a risk for Chelsea after what has been a largely disappointing season for the west Londoners.

Still, it also probably wouldn’t be worth keeping an unhappy player, so if Cucurella is keen to move to Barcelona, perhaps CFC can let him go and use the money to replace him.

Could players leave Chelsea this summer?

It could be a tough summer for Chelsea in terms of keeping important players, as it’s perhaps not surprising to see someone like Cucurella tempted by a new challenge.

This Chelsea project doesn’t seem to be working out as planned, with the owners frequently changing manager and making some questionable signings.

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With the team now looking unlikely to qualify for the Champions League, whilst facing a difficult-looking FA Cup final against Manchester City, it’s sure to go down as a highly disappointing campaign for the club.

If Cucurella is considering his future, then there will surely be doubts about others as well.

Enzo Fernandez could be one as he’s been linked with Manchester City by the Athletic, while there is also genuine interest in Cole Palmer from Manchester United.

The post Deal on: Chelsea open to negotiating €50m transfer, player keen on move appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Report: Manchester United transfer target to be offered improved deal

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Real Madrid are reportedly not ready to sell Manchester United transfer target Aurelien Tchouameni and instead want to offer him a new and improved contract.

The France international has recently been linked with Man Utd in a report from the Telegraph, but it seems that conflicting information is now emerging.

According to Foot Mercato, there is not currently any indication that Real want to allow Tchouameni to leave, as they see him as a key player who’s improved a lot this season.

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The report states that Los Blancos could instead open talks with Tchouameni over a new deal with a salary increase.

Needless to say, this could be a blow for United, but numerous other midfielders have also been linked with the Red Devils in recent times.

Aurelien Tchouameni transfer blow but who else could Man United sign?

Tchouameni has shone during his time at the Bernabeu and could have been a fine signing for United, but there are also plenty of other good options out there.

We’ve previously ranked United’s midfield targets here, with names like Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton perhaps likely to be options to watch out for this summer.

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MUFC will need to get their midfield signings right ahead of next season, as it looks like it’s going to be tough replacing the ageing Casemiro, who is leaving as a free agent at the end of this campaign.

Tchouameni could have been ideal, but it’s perhaps also not the worst idea for United to look at players like Anderson and Wharton due to them already being proven in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, there could be another departure this summer in the form of Manuel Ugarte, so it may be that the club will require two new additions in that area of their squad.

The post Report: Manchester United transfer target to be offered improved deal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Top reporter confirms Arsenal transfer talks with “extraordinary” 28 G/A star

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal have reportedly held talks on the player side as they eye an ambitious transfer move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

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The Argentina international has been in superb form this season, scoring 19 goals and contributing nine assists in all competitions for Diego Simeone’s side.

Now it seems the Gunners are seriously exploring a potential move to sign Alvarez, with Ben Jacobs reporting that they’ve had meetings with the player or those around him.

See below as Jacobs discusses Arsenal’s interest in Alvarez, whilst Simeone is also quoted as confirming interest in his star player, who he described as “extraordinary”…

?? Diego Simeone on Julian Alvarez's future. "I’m not inside Julian Alvarez’s head. But it’s normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona."

As previously reported, Atleti will fight to keep Alvarez this summer… pic.twitter.com/jQoiLeOyoy

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 28, 2026

Julian Alvarez signing is just what Arsenal need

Alvarez would surely be the dream signing for Arsenal to give them the upgrade they need up front next season.

A complete striker, Alvarez has great shooting technique, posing a threat both inside and outside the box, while he can create as well.

The 26-year-old has also already shown he can do it in the Premier League, having been a squad player at Manchester City, so it shouldn’t be too big an adjustment coming back to English football.

Julian Alvarez TOTAL SCORE: 18/25
Transfer fee **
Performance ****
Achievements ****
Career phase ***
Squad need *****

Overall, we’ve given Alvarez an 18/25 with our Transfer Fit rating system, so that really looks like one the north London giants should explore.

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Alvarez loses points for likely being expensive, while he’s also not the youngest, but overall he’s performed really well and gives AFC a clear upgrade in an area that’s been a problem for them all season.

It will certainly be intriguing to now see how Alvarez performers against Mikel Arteta’s side with Atletico in this week’s Champions League semi-final.

The post Top reporter confirms Arsenal transfer talks with “extraordinary” 28 G/A star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Fabrizio Romano says Man United have already agreed personal terms with one transfer target

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United reportedly already have an agreement on personal terms with Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils tried to sign Baleba last summer and reached an agreement with the player at that time, which is seemingly still valid.

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In a further boost for Man Utd, Romano added in the latest episode of his Here We Go podcast that Brighton’s asking price for the Cameroon international should be slightly lower this summer.

See the video below as Romano discusses Baleba to United and other latest transfer news as we edge closer to the summer…

“Names like Carlos Baleba remain absolutely valid on Manchester United’s shortlist,” Romano said.

“They don’t want to do completely crazy things. So they have to find the right balance. On the other side, the other name of Carlos Baleba could be way less expensive because at the moment the understanding is that Baleba would not be worth as he was one year ago, 90, 100 million he’s going to be less than this but he already has an agreement on personal terms with Manchester United since summer 2025.

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“In August 2025 Baleba says yes to Manchester United. So he remains very keen on a move to United – even more now with Champions League football getting closer.”

Is Carlos Baleba the right fit for Manchester United?

Baleba has often looked like one of the most impressive young midfielders in the Premier League, and Brighton have a great recent history of developing talents like this.

However, there’s also no doubt that the 22-year-old has suffered a dip in his form this season, so it could be a bit of a risk moving for him now, especially as he could still cost a lot of money, even if it’s a bit less than before…

Carlos Baleba TOTAL SCORE: 17/25
Transfer fee **
Performance **
Achievements ***
Career phase *****
Squad need *****

Read more about how our Transfer Fit rating scores are calculated here!

Still, Baleba is young and could still improve, so could be a smart signing to strengthen a position MUFC will clearly need reinforcements in.

The post Fabrizio Romano says Man United have already agreed personal terms with one transfer target appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Real Madrid legend’s cryptic social media post fuels Jose Mourinho return rumours

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Real Madrid are being strongly linked with bringing Jose Mourinho back to the club as manager and now Iker Casillas has fuelled the speculation.

While nothing has been finalised yet, it seems Mourinho is emerging as the favourite candidate to be the next Madrid manager.

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That’s according to the Athletic, and it seems legendary former Real goalkeeper Casillas is excited about this potential move going through.

See below for Casillas’ popcorn emoji post on X, which is likely in reference to the popular claim that Mourinho is ‘box office’ wherever he goes…

? ? ?

— Iker Casillas (@IkerCasillas) April 28, 2026

Casillas is presumably quite well-connected in Real Madrid circles, so perhaps he’s also hinting he already knows something about this deal being close.

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Casillas played under Mourinho during his first spell as manager at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, with the pair enjoying a lot of success together.

Is Jose Mourinho right for the Real Madrid job now?

Mourinho has undoubtedly had a great career in management, though it would also be fair to say that he hasn’t really been one of the world’s best coaches for arguably a decade now.

The Portuguese tactician is currently at Benfica, and other recent roles include clubs like Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahce.

In the past, Mourinho was taking the absolute top jobs at elite clubs like Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, but it’s debatable if he’s still in that bracket.

At the same time, however, managing the egos in this Real Madrid squad is a very specific skill, and it might require someone more experienced than Xabi Alonso, who struggled when brought in last summer.

Carlo Ancelotti is another ageing manager whose experience has served him well in the Los Blancos job, so perhaps that’s now the kind of candidate Florentino Perez is after.

The post Real Madrid legend’s cryptic social media post fuels Jose Mourinho return rumours appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Journalist breaks major update on £80m Manchester United transfer target

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United transfer target Adam Wharton is reportedly expected to be the next big departure out of Crystal Palace.

According to Alex Crook, the clear direction of travel at the moment seems to be that Wharton will be heading out of Selhurst Park, in a major boost for Man Utd and other interested clubs.

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Wharton has shone at Palace and his form has seen him strongly linked with the Red Devils for some time, as well as with other top clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea.

Interestingly, as fans now prepare to look into how to buy Manchester United vs Liverpool tickets for their upcoming clash, it may be that Wharton is now working to make up his mind about which one of them to join in the summer.

What would be the best move for Adam Wharton?

See the video below as Crook speaks to talkSPORT about Wharton’s future, with the England international expected to be on the move this summer, possibly along with goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

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Crook doesn’t mention any specific clubs, and it may be that no one’s leading the race for his signature at the moment.

Still, Wharton looks like he’d be a great addition to United as they look for a long-term replacement for the ageing Casemiro

Liverpool could also do well to add him to their squad, however, perhaps as an upgrade on the slightly inconsistent Alexis Mac Allister.

Wharton himself, however, might do well to consider MUFC as he’d probably be more guaranteed a key role at Old Trafford than at Anfield.

There’s perhaps also a surprise case for saying right now that United look in a slightly better shape than LFC this season.

The race for Champions League qualification

Both Liverpool and United look like they should make it into the Champions League, regardless of the result when they play this weekend.

Chelsea have also been linked with Wharton, but their recent dip in form surely means they’re no longer likely to be major contenders in the race for the 22-year-old’s signature.

It could therefore come down to a race between Liverpool and United, but for now the main certainty seems to be that Palace won’t be able to keep him.

This is yet another blow for the Eagles as they lost Eberechi Eze last summer, Marc Guehi in January, and are also set to see manager Oliver Glasner depart at the end of this season.

The post Journalist breaks major update on £80m Manchester United transfer target appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Firmly on Mikel Arteta’s radar” – Journalist reveals major Arsenal transfer update

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal reportedly have an interest in the potential transfer of Bournemouth forward Junior Eli Kroupi as Mikel Arteta has been impressed by him this season.

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The Gunners have had issues up front this season as summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has mostly been a bit of a disappointment, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have both spent a lot of time out injured.

Kroupi, meanwhile, has seemingly caught Arteta’s eye after scoring both home and away against Arsenal in the Premier League this season.

That’s according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook in the video below…

Discussing Kroupi’s future, Crook revealed that Arteta has the Frenchman firmly on his radar, though he probably won’t come cheap as there’s no release clause in his contract like there was with other recent Cherries sales Dean Huijsen and Antoine Semenyo.

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Arsenal join race for Eli Junior Kroupi transfer, but won’t be alone

It now seems that a host of top clubs, Arsenal included, are chasing Kroupi ahead of this summer, with the talented 19-year-old bagging an impressive 11 goals in 29 league matches.

Our most recent information was that Liverpool and Chelsea were showing the strongest interest in Kroupi, but it now seems the list of suitors is growing.

The report above links Kroupi with Arsenal, while there’s apparently also been contact from Manchester City, as per Sacha Tavolieri in his column for Sky.

Kroupi will probably have his pick of top clubs if he is to leave Bournemouth, but it will be interesting to see if anyone comes in with a big enough offer.

Meanwhile, it’s not the easiest choice for the player as he needs to ensure he can carry on playing regularly as it would be a shame to stall his development after showing so much promise in the Premier League this term.

The post “Firmly on Mikel Arteta’s radar” – Journalist reveals major Arsenal transfer update appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Arsenal could be entering into “collaboration” with Champions League giants

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal could reportedly be set to enter into a collaboration of sorts with Turkish club Galatasaray after Andrea Berta was spotted at one of their games.

There has also been talk of Berta being at Galatasaray to discuss signing Victor Osimhen for Arsenal, but there might be other discussions going on too.

Multi-club models are more and more of a thing in the modern game, and Arsenal could perhaps benefit from having a set-up closer to what we’ve seen at Chelsea and Manchester City in recent times.

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Chelsea and Strasbourg are both owned by BlueCo, while the City Group umbrella also includes clubs like Girona, Troyes, and Palermo.

See below as it’s suggested that Arsenal could be developing their relationship with Galatasaray…

Galatasaray ile Arsenal i? birli?ine gidiyor. ?ki kulüp, ili?kilerin geli?tirilmesi yönünde karar ald?.

— Nevzat Dindar (@nevzatdindar) April 27, 2026

“Galatasaray and Arsenal are entering into a collaboration. The two clubs have decided to develop their relations,” reads a post on X from journalist Nevzat Dindar.

The details are perhaps a bit vague at the moment, but it could be that we’ll soon see the Gunners and Galatasaray giving each other special favours in the transfer market, which could benefit both clubs a great deal.

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Arsenal to enter multi-club model?

Arsenal are owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), who are also the owners of MLS club Colorado Rapids.

KSE also have other sports interests, as they own NFL team LA Rams and NBA side Denver Nuggets.

Still, if Arsenal and Galatasaray were to enter into a partnership, that could clearly be significant due to both clubs often appearing in the Champions League.

It remains to be seen if that’s the kind of thing that could be being discussed here, or if it’s more of an informal pact between two separately owned clubs.

Discussing the multi-club model in the past, AFC manager Mikel Arteta has suggested he’d be in favour of it.

“Well, that’s something that a lot of clubs have at the moment,” Arteta has previously said in a press conference, as quoted by the Evening Standard.

“So, that restriction in the country has provoked that many other clubs have now, like sister clubs or multi-club systems to be able to do that.

“Every club is very different in the way that they are set up and the clubs that they have picked are various.

“But in our way, it’s obviously a decision from our ownership and the board to understand what is the best thing for the club in the future.

“My involvement is in the team and the squad. I have full trust in what the club has to do there and they have to decide. If the club wants my opinion then I’m more than happy to give that, but my focus is on the team.”

The post Arsenal could be entering into “collaboration” with Champions League giants appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Andrea Berta pictured with club president as Arsenal targeting 25 G/A attacker

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has been spotted attending a Galatasaray game for reported talks over Victor Osimhen.

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The Nigeria international has been one of the top forwards in world football in recent years, and in many ways it’s surprising that he hasn’t ended up in the Premier League by now.

Arsenal could certainly do with a striker of Osimhen’s calibre, and it seems that’s why Berta has been in Turkey for talks with Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek.

See below as journalist Serkan Korkmaz has posted about Berta’s trip to the Galatasaray game, naming Osimhen as the Italian chief’s target…

Dün tüm Türkiye benden duymu?tu. Elime bilgi geldikçe payla?aca??m. Bu i?te çok derinden yürüyen bir gizem var.Arsenal SportifDirektörü ile Özbek gece bir araya geldi. Görü?mede ba? ba?a kalan ikilinin gündemine dair ne duyduysan?z gerçek de?il. Tabi e?er Özbek’ten duymad?ysan?z. pic.twitter.com/khy1snfbWj

— Serkan Korkmaz (@serkan_korkmaz) April 27, 2026

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Arsenal’?n hedefi; OS?MHEN!

— Serkan Korkmaz (@serkan_korkmaz) April 27, 2026

This will certainly be exciting news for Arsenal fans, with this season arguably leaving a lot to be desired from the team’s attacking play, even if they are currently top of the Premier League and in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon last summer but has struggled to impress in his first season at the Emirates Stadium, so many fans would likely see Osimhen as an upgrade.

Victor Osimhen could take Arsenal’s attack to a new level

A tall, strong centre-forward who can score and create, Osimhen has all the attributes to be a big hit in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has 20 goals and five assists for Galatasaray this season, following on from a fine debut season last term in which he finished with 37 goals in 41 matches.

All in all, this seems like it would surely be a good deal for Arsenal to pursue, as they’d be landing a proven goal-scorer who’d likely be an upgrade on what they currently have, though one imagines he wouldn’t come cheap, and he’s also not the youngest…

Victor Osimhen TOTAL SCORE: 18/25
Transfer fee **
Performance ****
Achievements ****
Career phase ***
Squad need *****

With that in mind, we’ve given him the score above with our Transfer Fit rating system – read more here about how these scores are calculated.

18/25 is certainly a high score and one that would probably be hard to beat, with very few transfers ever looking like a sure guarantee of success.

The post Andrea Berta pictured with club president as Arsenal targeting 25 G/A attacker appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Update: Manchester City chief has met with Liverpool transfer target’s agent

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester City director Hugo Viana has reportedly held talks with the agent of Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, who is also a transfer target for Liverpool.

The talented young Frenchman has had a hugely impressive season in the Premier League this term, scoring 11 goals in 29 games.

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Kroupi looks like he surely has a big future in the game, and it is our understanding that Liverpool and Chelsea are also among the 19-year-old’s main suitors ahead of the summer.

Still, according to the latest update from Sacha Tavolieri in his Sky column, Man City have now also been in contact over a potential deal as Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the player.

Eli Junior Kroupi looks set for big transfer this summer

It seems pretty clear now that Kroupi is going to have a lot of options available to him this summer, though it’s not yet clear if there’s one fully established favourite for his signature yet.

The youngster has developed well at Bournemouth and it looks like it’s going to be very hard for the Cherries to keep hold of him.

However, this is also a fairly standard development for the club, who have often cashed in on star names for a significant profit without letting standards drop.

Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez left last summer and Antoine Semenyo then moved to City in January, but Andoni Iraola’s side have continued to shine.

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Where should Eli Junior Kroupi go next?

Kroupi himself now has a decision to make, as it can’t be that easy for any player to pick between big names like City and Liverpool.

The former Lorient ace could do well to link up with an all-time great manager like Guardiola, but it might also be harder to play regularly due to being up against so much competition at the Etihad Stadium.

There might be a more obvious role to fill at Liverpool, with the Reds in need of a top attacking signing to replace Mohamed Salah.

Still, it’s been a poor season for LFC and that might make players think twice about that project as it could lead to uncertainty over the future of manager Arne Slot in months ahead.

The post Update: Manchester City chief has met with Liverpool transfer target’s agent appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Tottenham have strong interest in signing 22 G/A star who’s likely to be available this summer

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Tottenham reportedly have a strong interest in a potential transfer move for Marcus Rashford as long as they stay up.

Rashford is firmly on Spurs’ radar ahead of the summer as it looks likely he could be available due to uncertainty over making his loan move to Barcelona permanent.

Although the England international has impressed since leaving Manchester United for a season-long loan move to Barca, it has not yet been decided if the Catalan giants will take up their option to sign him permanently.

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According to Fichajes, this means Tottenham are now keeping an eye on the situation as they’d be really keen to add Rashford to their squad as long as they’re still in the Premier League next season.

Marcus Rashford looks likely to be available

Rashford has a fine record of 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions so far this season, and that will surely lead to interest from a number of clubs.

Still, according to Matteo Moretto, it hasn’t been enough to convince Barcelona to commit to signing him beyond the end of this campaign…

El futuro de Marcus Rashford en el Barcelona aún no está decidido al 100% ya que el club sigue valorando cuál es la mejor opción tanto desde el punto de vista deportivo como económico.

El futbolista quiere quedarse en el Barcelona. El Manchester United no bajará del precio… pic.twitter.com/4N84aJ2gzU

— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) April 27, 2026

Rashford has long been one of the top attacking players in Europe, despite suffering a significant dip in form towards the end of his time in the United first-team.

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The 28-year-old has got back to his best during his time in La Liga, though, and it’s a bit puzzling that Barcelona seem unsure about making the deal permanent.

But if neither Barca nor MUFC want Rashford, then that’s good news for someone like Tottenham, as it should mean he’s available in the months ahead.

Spurs have had a miserable season and remain in the relegation zone, so major work is needed to improve their squad for next term.

If they could add an in-form attacking player like Rashford, who can play out wide or up front, and who has a proven track record of scoring goals as well as setting them up, then they should be in a better position to bounce back in 2026/27.

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“We had a chat” – Michael Carrick confirms he’s “met” with Man Utd chief as job speculation hots up

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick has confirmed he’s spoken with Sir Jim Ratcliffe amid ongoing speculation over his future.

Carrick has done well since taking over Man Utd on a temporary basis until the end of the season, and it’s possible that he’s increasingly likely to land the job permanently.

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It’s previously been reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic that Carrick could now be the favourite for the Red Devils job long-term, while the 44-year-old himself has also made it clear he’d like to stay at Old Trafford.

See below as Carrick is now quoted by Fabrizio Romano as saying he’s spoken with Ratcliffe, and although he didn’t specifically comment on his future, things sound positive and like the working relationship is good…

? Michael Carrick: “I met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Carrington. We had a chat, a cup of tea. It was nice to see him showing his support”.

“As a football club we’re hugely connected, it’s a big part. I’m really conscious that’s how it should be”. pic.twitter.com/O9c39pOtAW

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 27, 2026

“I met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Carrington. We had a chat, a cup of tea. It was nice to see him showing his support,” Carrick said. “As a football club we’re hugely connected, it’s a big part. I’m really conscious that’s how it should be.”

Is Michael Carrick the right man for Manchester United?

Carrick is not as experienced as some of the names being linked with the United job, but he has done well so far and has experience of winning things for this club from his playing career.

The Englishman was an important player in some of Sir Alex Ferguson’s best sides, winning the Champions League, five Premier League titles, and other major trophies.

So far, Carrick has eight wins, two draws, and just two defeats since replacing Ruben Amorim this season, with MUFC now all but guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

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Who else could be next United manager?

Still, Carrick’s only previous experience in management is in the Championship with Middlesbrough, so it’s perhaps a bit of a gamble giving him such a big job on a permanent basis.

There could also be some other big-name managers available this summer, with Andoni Iraola set to leave Bournemouth, Oliver Glasner departing Crystal Palace, while the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino, and Julian Nagelsmann could be names to watch after the 2026 World Cup.

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Club chief reveals “unwritten rule” that impacts Liverpool transfer target’s future

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By:Mark Brus

Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has spoken out on the Michael Olise transfer saga and more or less completely ruled out selling him for any price.

Olise has been in superb form for Bayern this season, establishing himself as one of the very finest attacking players in world football.

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The France international has a total of 22 goals and 26 assists in all competitions for Bayern, helping them win the Bundesliga title, while they’re also arguably the favourites for the Champions League as they prepare to take on PSG in the semi-finals.

It’s perhaps not surprising that this has led to interest in Olise, but Rummenigge has made it clear that the club’s unwritten policy is to never sell an important player for any price.

Bayern won’t sell Michael Olise

“In 2009, we had an incredible offer from Chelsea for Franck Ribery. At the time, it would have been a new world transfer record,” Rummenigge told t-online.

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“I then went to our then CFO, Karl Hopfner, and Uli Hoeness with this offer. We discussed it for two hours, trying to figure out what to do with it. That day, we made a fundamental decision: that in the future, we would never sell a player we would miss on the pitch.

“This unwritten rule still applies today. For a player like Olise, there’s no price tag that would make us flinch.”

Michael Olise transfer blow for Liverpool

Liverpool will bid farewell to the legendary Mohamed Salah at the end of this season, and Olise would clearly be an ideal like-for-like replacement.

TEAMtalk have linked the 24-year-old with LFC, though they also suggested the player himself would favour moving to Spain in the future if it came to leaving the Allianz Arena.

It’s clear that Olise is not going to be for sale, however, so Liverpool might as well forget about this one now, from the sounds of it.

It will be interesting to see what other options come up for the Reds, but it’s hard to imagine basically anyone else being quite as well suited to the difficult task of replacing Salah.

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From Spain: Arsenal closely monitoring 14 G/A star who’s available for €40m

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By:Mark Brus

Arsenal are reportedly closely monitoring Real Madrid attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz as a potential transfer target for this summer.

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The 26-year-old is not always a regular in the Real Madrid starting line up, but he’s still managed an impressive record of seven goals and seven assists in all competitions for club and country this season.

Diaz certainly looks like someone who could fit in well at Arsenal due to his technical ability and intelligence, and his ability to play a variety of midfield roles.

According to Fichajes, this has the Gunners keeping a close eye on his situation ahead of the summer, when it’s expected that Madrid could let him go for around €40m.

Brahim Diaz transfer could be one to watch for Arsenal

Even if Diaz probably wouldn’t be the name at the top of every Arsenal fan’s list of targets, the Morocco international looks a smart option on the market due to his low cost.

One imagines he’d probably only come in to add depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad, which is pretty much what he’s already doing at the Bernabeu, but all big clubs need a strong bench they can rely on over a long and difficult campaign.

Overall, we’d give this a 14/25 with our Transfer Fit rating system – read more here about how we calculate these…

Brahim Diaz TOTAL SCORE: 14/25
Transfer fee ****
Performance ***
Achievements **
Career phase **
Squad need ***

Diaz has also been on the radar of Newcastle United and we’ll surely see plenty more transfer rumours about him in the weeks and months ahead if he is indeed available for such a tempting price.

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Tottenham star out of the World Cup as worst injury fears confirmed

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By:Mark Brus

Tottenham have confirmed that Xavi Simons has a serious injury that has ended his season and will keep him out of the 2026 World Cup this summer.

The Netherlands international would surely have had a key role to play for the Dutch national team at this summer’s World Cup in North America, but he’s now out after rupturing his ACL.

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Simons had to go off during Spurs’ win over Wolves at the weekend, and looked in a lot of pain, with journalist Ben Jacobs now reporting on today’s update from the club.

Tottenham have confirmed the seriousness of the injury, with Simons now set to undergo surgery in the coming weeks…

Spurs confirm Xavi Simons has ruptured the ACL in his right knee.

He undergo surgery in the coming weeks, missing the end of the season and World Cup.? https://t.co/N9fgUNpR10

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 27, 2026

This is a huge blow for a talented young player, who will now have to wait another four years before getting the chance to play for his country at a World Cup.

It’s also a worry for Spurs as they remain in the relegation zone and need everyone fit if they are to stand a strong chance of staying up.

Xavi Simons says “life can be cruel” after injury nightmare

Jacobs also quoted Simons as saying how disappointed he is with the news of his injury ending his World Cup hopes.

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“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way,” the 23-year-old said.

“My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

“All l’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup.”

Simons joined THFC from RB Leipzig last summer and has looked like one of the team’s better performers for much of what has ultimately been a really disappointing season for the north London club.

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“Huge for Arsenal” – Wayne Rooney makes new title race prediction

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney insists he’s now backing Arsenal to edge Manchester City in this season’s title race.

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The Gunners beat Newcastle at the weekend to go back to the top of the Premier League table, though Man City have a game in hand.

It’s looking extremely close between the two teams, but Rooney feels that Bukayo Saka’s return from injury will be “huge” for Mikel Arteta’s side, while he also feels City will slip up due to having harder fixtures.

Arsenal have not been in great form in recent times, and lost that crucial six-pointer at the Etihad Stadium, but they have also been without key players due to injuries.

Wayne Rooney on Arsenal’s title hopes

Not only is Saka’s return a boost, but Arsenal have also had to cope without the likes of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz for most of the campaign.

It’s perhaps not totally unfair to say that if AFC had had a fully fit squad more often then they might well have been further ahead by this point.

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Rooney clearly feels Saka coming back is a big boost for the north Londoners, as he backed them to just about get over the line due to City having one or two tough fixtures they could slip up in.

“Bukayo Saka has been great for Arsenal over the last few years – maybe this season he hasn’t hit the heights but he’s such an important player,” Rooney said on his BBC podcast.

“So to get him back at this time of the season is going to be massive, it’s going to be really important. He’s clearly one of the leaders in there so to have him back is huge.”

He added: “Having someone you know you can rely on out there is really important and all those Arsenal players know they can rely on Saka and know what he brings to the team.

“It’s huge for Arsenal, absolutely huge.”

Discussing the title race between Arsenal and City, Rooney added: “I think Arsenal will win the title and I do think they will win it.

“I thought the Newcastle game was so important and thought if they won that they could go on to win every game. If they didn’t they could have fallen apart but to win that game was so big.

“Man City have a couple of tricky games in there and I can see them slipping up once or twice. Man City have the trickier fixtures, if you look at Arsenal’s last four games they are really winnable, all four of them.

“The City ones, there’s a couple you think they could slip up, like Everton and Bournemouth. I give the edge to Arsenal based on the fixtures.

“Man City’s fixtures are a little bit trickier than Arsenal’s – I think Arsenal will win every game and Man City will mess up once or twice.”

Arsenal can still have a great season

Arsenal are clearly not out of this title race just yet, despite their recent blip, and they also have a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid to look forward to.

For all the criticism Arteta has had over the team’s playing style and for all the talk of the side bottling it, there’s still a potential Premier League and Champions League double on the cards for the club.

It’s very fine margins, though, with MCFC also perhaps on course for a memorable campaign as they could win a domestic treble.

Pep Guardiola’s side have already beaten Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, and won this weekend to set up an FA Cup final clash against Chelsea.

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Chelsea will contact 37-year-old manager again as they hope to change his mind about Blues job

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By:Mark Brus

Chelsea will reportedly contact Porto manager Francesco Farioli again to try to change his mind about taking the job at Stamford Bridge.

The 37-year-old Italian tactician has done a hugely impressive job at Porto this season, winning 37 out of 50 games in all competitions so far.

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According to Simon Phillips, Chelsea have previously tried hiring Farioli, only to be told that he wasn’t interested in the job.

Still, it seems Farioli remains one of a number of leading candidates for the Blues, who plan to contact him and Andoni Iraola over taking over as the permanent successor to Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last week.

Who is Francesco Farioli and is he the right pick for Chelsea manager?

Farioli may be relatively young, but he has a decent amount of experience in the game, so could be a good option for Chelsea as they try to rebuild next season.

Currently at Porto, Farioli has also managed Nice and Ajax, and has been influenced a lot by Roberto De Zerbi after working as part of his coaching staff earlier in his career.

Farioli’s tactics are fairly typical of the modern game, with a lot of emphasis on dictating the play through control of possession, whilst also pressing aggressively without the ball. This has often seen his teams dominate games and concede few goals.

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It’s certainly easy to see that kind of style working well for CFC, though of course it will be a bigger challenge for him trying that in the Premier League.

Francesco Farioli not keen on Chelsea project

This is not the first time we’ve heard reports about Farioli not being keen on Chelsea, though, as O Jogo also made this claim earlier this season.

There will likely be a few other managers out there who are concerned about how the club’s project has gone under this ownership, so that’s something Chelsea will have to work around.

It seems they remain big admirers of Farioli so might try again to convince him, but perhaps they should also focus more on managers who are keen to buy into what these owners are trying to do.

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Player wants transfer to go through as Manchester United talks continue

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly keen for his move to Barcelona to become permanent in this summer’s transfer window.

The England international has done well on loan at Barca this season, but it seems the Catalan giants have not yet made a final decision on whether or not to keep him.

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That’s according to reliable journalist Matteo Moretto, who says that there have recently been new talks between Man Utd and Barcelona to try to resolve the issue…

El futuro de Marcus Rashford en el Barcelona aún no está decidido al 100% ya que el club sigue valorando cuál es la mejor opción tanto desde el punto de vista deportivo como económico.

El futbolista quiere quedarse en el Barcelona. El Manchester United no bajará del precio… pic.twitter.com/4N84aJ2gzU

— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) April 27, 2026

Marcus Rashford’s future remains uncertain

Posting on X, Moretto said: “Marcus Rashford’s future at Barcelona is not yet 100% decided, as the club continues to evaluate what the best option is from both a sporting and economic perspective. The footballer wants to stay at Barcelona. Manchester United will not go below the price agreed upon in the summer. Recently, there have been contacts between the parties, and Hansi Flick will have some weight in the final decision.”

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It’s perhaps slightly surprising that Barcelona are unsure about keeping Rashford, who looks like a reliable option to have in their squad after a record of 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions.

The 28-year-old probably isn’t the cheapest option out there due to United being stubborn about their demands for him, while he’s also likely on high wages.

Barcelona have financial issues that have restricted them in the market in recent years, but it’s also hard to imagine they’ll find a better option than this without paying a lot of money.

It’s no wonder Rashford looks happier after a change of scene with the move to La Liga, so if he doesn’t end up joining Barcelona he’ll likely look for a move to another foreign club.

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“He’s a top manager” – Paul Merson urges Chelsea to hire Premier League coach who’ll be in-demand

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By:Mark Brus

Former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes Chelsea should be looking to hire Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe as their next manager.

The Blues sacked Liam Rosenior last week after a dire run of form, just three months after he was brought in to replace Enzo Maresca.

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It’s been a bit of a chaotic period under this Chelsea ownership, with the west Londoners also going through other big-name managers like Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino.

Merson now feels Chelsea need to be moving for Howe, who he feels is likely to have teams queuing up for him if he ends up leaving his role at St James’ Park any time soon.

Chelsea urged to hire Eddie Howe as manager

Merson says he’s a big fan of Howe and thinks he’d be ideal for Chelsea, though the pundit also said he could see him being a future England manager.

“I’m a big fan of Eddie Howe,” Merson told Sky Sports, as quoted by the Metro. “If Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle, they’ll be queueing up around the corner for him.

“So that tells you everything. Be careful Newcastle. Chelsea would take him tomorrow morning, you’d like to think so wouldn’t you?

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“In my opinion, they’d take him all day long. We’re talking about a next England manager, 100 per cent.

“As I say, everybody would be queueing up to take Eddie Howe, he’s a top manager.”

Eddie Howe’s credentials

Howe has done an impressive job at Newcastle, and was also highly regarded during his time as Bournemouth manager.

The 48-year-old has twice guided Newcastle to Champions League qualification, while he also ended the club’s decades-long wait for silverware last season when they beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

Howe record Wins Draws Losses Win %
Bournemouth 143 77 136 40.2
Newcastle 110 47 70 48.5

It’s certainly easy to imagine Howe being successful at a top club, but Chelsea is a unique kind of challenge at the moment due to the ownership and recruitment structure.

A lot of good managers have found it difficult at CFC, and even if Howe might be a tempting option for the Blues, he might do well to wait and see if any other options become available.

Manchester United, for example, might be a better environment for him, and that’s another big job that could realistically be an opportunity for him this summer.

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Report: Arsenal & Chelsea scouts watched 28 G/A sensation score goal of the season contender

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By:Mark Brus

Arsenal and Chelsea scouts were reportedly present as Ajax winger Mika Godts scored one of the goals of the season at the weekend.

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If you haven’t already seen this absolutely sublime solo effort, stop what you’re doing and take a look at the clip below for an example of what an outrageous talent this guy is…

It’s no wonder they’re comparing Godts to Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, and it seems only a matter of time before someone snaps the young Belgium international up.

According to TEAMtalk, scouts from both Arsenal and Chelsea were watching this game, with the Gunners described as having long had Godts on their radar.

And if the 20-year-old needed one statement goal to really launch his career and convince everyone what he’s capable of, this may have been it.

The report also notes that Godts has 16 goals and 12 assists this season – hugely impressive numbers for such a young player, and just the kind of consistent end-product that Mikel Arteta’s side have been missing from inconsistent performers like Gabriel Martinelli, and even from star player Bukayo Saka, who has had a lot of injury problems.

Mika Godts looks like just what Arsenal are missing

Arsenal have had issues in attack all season, even if they have done well to grind out results that have helped them to the top of the Premier League table and the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Godts looks like a player with the skills to make AFC a bit more unpredictable, with that quick footwork and flair that can change a game in an instant.

Still only 20 years of age, he will also surely continue to improve, so would make sense as a smart long-term investment for a number of top clubs.

Chelsea are well known for focusing on recruiting elite young talents, so would also do well to snap him up if possible, though he’d surely favour the Emirates Stadium right now if he wants to play in the Champions League and challenge for major silverware.

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Report: Real Madrid rival Liverpool for potential €150m Galactico transfer

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By:Mark Brus

Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing up an ambitious transfer move for Bayern Munich superstar and Liverpool target Michael Olise.

The France international has been one of the best players in the world this season, contributing a stunning record of 20 goals and 24 assists in all competitions.

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This has unsurprisingly led to some talk of Liverpool looking at Olise, who makes sense as an ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah, according to TEAMtalk.

However, now Fichajes report that Real Madrid are ready to try signing Olise to revolutionise their attack, though a deal could cost as much as €150m.

Michael Olise transfer saga hotting up

TEAMtalk’s report linking Olise with Liverpool also stated that the 24-year-old’s preference would be to play in Spain at some point in the future, so that obviously gives Madrid the advantage.

Still, Bayern surely won’t want to let such an important player go, and it will be interesting to see if Olise decides to push for a move away from the Allianz Arena.

Even if Real are a huge name, Bayern are also arguably the best team in Europe at the moment, and most likely the favourites to win this season’s Champions League.

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Liverpool also spent big last summer so might well be ready to try another ambitious move for Olise as they face the daunting task of replacing a club legend in Salah.

Real could really do with making a statement signing of their own, though, after a disappointing season in which they’re already out of the Champions League and highly likely to miss out on La Liga to rivals Barcelona.

Someone like Olise could make all the difference, potentially giving them an upgrade on slightly inconsistent players like Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler in that area of the pitch.

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From Spain: €75m Chelsea star becomes top transfer target for Barcelona

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By:Mark Brus

Barcelona are reportedly making Chelsea forward Joao Pedro one of their top targets for the upcoming summer transfer window.

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The Brazilian has been in fine form in his first season at Chelsea, but it could be that his Stamford Bridge future is already in some doubt after a difficult campaign for the club as a whole.

Pedro has impressed with 19 goals and six assists for the Blues in all competitions, proving to be a real hit since signing from Brighton, where he’d also shown himself to be an exciting talent.

According to Fichajes, Barca now view Pedro as an ideal potential signing to reshape their attack, but the deal won’t come cheap, possibly as high as €75m.

Chelsea surely can’t let Joao Pedro leave

Barcelona would undoubtedly do well to capitalise on the chaos at Chelsea right now by bringing in a top player like Pedro, but it would be a near-suicidal move by the west London giants.

This current project under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali is really not looking like being on the right track at the moment, so it’s hard to imagine they’d risk letting one of their big success stories go.

Chelsea spent a huge amount of money on several flops last summer, with players like Liam Delap and Alejandro Garnacho performing really poorly.

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Pedro is the only one who’s really been a positive addition to the CFC squad, so it’s surely vital to keep him around for as long as possible.

Of course, it might be that the 24-year-old himself pushes to move on and get away from the Chelsea circus, but ultimately it’s the club who have the control here as he’s on a contract until 2033, as per BBC Sport‘s report at the time he joined.

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Major boost for Arsenal as 11 G/A Atletico Madrid star a doubt for Champions League semi

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By:Mark Brus

Arsenal could reportedly be handed a major boost for their Champions League semi-final tie with Atletico Madrid as Ademola Lookman is an injury doubt.

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The Nigeria international has been in superb form since joining Atletico from Atalanta back in January, scoring seven goals and contributing four assists in that time.

Still, according to football.london, Lookman was not spotted in training with Atletico after missing their last game, so it could be that he’s doubtful for the first leg on Wednesday night.

Given that Lookman is one of the most in-form players in Diego Simeone’s side, that could be a big boost for Arsenal in a tricky tie in this Champions League semi-final.

Arsenal looking to reach second Champions League final

Arsenal have had a fine season, even if their recent form has been poor, and Mikel Arteta will be desperate to guide the club into only their second ever Champions League final.

The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in the 2006 final in Paris, and they missed out on a place in last year’s final after being beaten by PSG in the semis.

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With the title race now looking increasingly close after Arsenal’s recent dip and Manchester City’s improvement, it could be that the Champions League ends up representing the north London side’s best hope of winning silverware this season.

Atletico are a good side who just knocked La Liga rivals Barcelona out of the Champions League, with Lookman playing a starring role.

Simeone will no doubt be hoping the 28-year-old can return and give his team hope of making the final, with the Argentine also previously suffering major heartache of his own in this competition.

Atletico made it to the final of the Champions League in both 2014 and 2016, but lost to bitter rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.

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PM sets up “beer committee” amid fears of beer shortages during 2026 World Cup

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By:Mark Brus

The UK could reportedly be facing the risk of a beer shortage during the 2026 World Cup this summer, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer already working to protect supplies.

According to Sun journalist Martina Bet in the X post below, Starmer has set up a secret “beer committee” in order to cope with any potential disruptions that could be caused by the current war in Iran…

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EXCL: Sir Keir Starmer has set up a secret “beer committee” to shield Britain from Iran war disruption – and protect the nation’s World Cup pints.

Ministers are scrambling to keep supplies steady as global pressures build.

A Whitehall source tells The Sun: “The war in the…

— Martina Bet (@martinabettt) April 24, 2026

According to her post, a Whitehall source said: “The war in the Middle East is clearly impacting Britain’s supply chains. But there’s nothing like a cold beer in the sun after a hard day’s work. So we’re pulling out the stops to secure our supplies of products like CO2, especially with the summer and the World Cup coming up.”

A World Cup without beer is certainly unthinkable for many who will be hoping to unwind with a few drinks whilst watching England and Scotland at this summer’s tournament.

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The war in Iran has affected supplies and threatens to continue raising prices when it comes to things like gas, electricity, and petrol.

It would certainly not go down well if beer were also to be impacted while the biggest football competition in the world is on.

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Contact made: Arsenal working on signing CL opponent who impressed against them

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By:Mark Brus

Arsenal have reportedly already established contact with the representatives of Sporting Lisbon left-back Maxi Araujo ahead of a potential summer transfer.

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The Uruguay international impressed during Sporting’s recent Champions League quarter-final clash against the Gunners, putting in solid displays in both legs in a close tie.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, Arsenal have now registered an interest in the €60m-rated player, though things are still described as being at an early exploratory stage.

Still, Araujo looks like someone it’s worth taking a close look at, with the 26-year-old notching up an impressive eight goals and five assists in all competitions for club and country so far this season.

How could Maxi Araujo fit in at Arsenal?

Araujo mainly plays as a left-back, but is versatile enough to also offer an option in attack as a left-sided midfielder or forward.

WhoScored‘s stats page for Araujo describe finishing as one of his strengths, as well as key passes, and more defensive skills like tackling.

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It also mentions the different positions the South American has played in this season, with the vast majority of those coming at left-back, but which also includes eight appearances as an attacking left-sided player, and even one as a central attacking midfielder.

One imagines a player who can operate in that many different positions would appeal a lot to Mikel Arteta, who could do with adding both quality and depth for next season.

Maxi Araujo Transfer Fit rating

Given the poor injury record of Riccardo Calafiori, and the loss of form of Myles Lewis-Skelly this season, it makes sense that an attack-minded left-back of this profile is being looked at.

All in all, we’d score this a pretty high medium using our Transfer Fit rating system – read here for a better understanding of how it works, and see below for our Araujo rating…

Maxi Araujo TOTAL SCORE: 16/25
Transfer fee ***
Performance ****
Achievements **
Career phase ***
Squad need ****

Would you like to see Araujo joining Arsenal? Let us know your opinions in the comments!

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Video: Paul Pogba names the Man United star he thinks is “so talented”

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By:Mark Brus

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has named Kobbie Mainoo as someone from the current squad that he’s a big fan of.

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Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, Pogba has singled out Mainoo as someone he really loves to watch play from this current Red Devils side.

Pogba, who had two spells at Man Utd, including between 2016 and 2022 when he won trophies like the Europa League and League Cup, also said he hoped to see Mainoo go on to have a great career at Old Trafford.

Paul Pogba’s praise for Kobbie Mainoo

“He’s (Mainoo) such a talented kid. He’s still young but so talented, I love to see him playing,” Pogba said.

“I hope he will have a great career at Man United.”

Mainoo has shone since breaking into the United first-team, and in many ways has a similar playing style to that of a young Pogba.

The 21-year-old England international is not yet the finished product, but he shares some of Pogba’s traits, such as a silky touch and confidence on the ball.

It was interesting to hear more from Pogba in the interview, though, as he admitted he should have done more during his United days.

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The Frenchman is widely seen as having been an under-achiever during his keenly-anticipated second spell at the club, having initially failed to break into the senior side while Sir Alex Ferguson was still there.

Paul Pogba’s struggles since leaving United

Pogba left United at the end of his contract in 2022 and returned for a second spell at Juventus, where he’d previously first established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world.

Still, his second spell was far less impressive and he ended up leaving the club after receiving a ban for alleged doping.

Pogba is now on the books at Ligue 1 side Monaco, but has only made four appearances since joining.

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Sources: Arsenal “like” Real Madrid star facing transfer uncertainty

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal are keeping an eye on Endrick’s situation as there’s the growing sense that the Real Madrid forward could be available this summer.

The Gunners are big admirers of the talented young Brazil international, and sources with links to the agents industry have informed me that he’s one of the names they’re looking at as they explore the market for attacking players this summer.

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In general, there’s also a lot of interest growing in Real Madrid players who could be available this summer, with a major shake-up expected after a disappointing season at the Bernabeu.

Eduardo Camavinga has been offered to Arsenal and other clubs, while the north London giants have also established contact with those close to Arda Guler.

Endrick on Arsenal’s radar

When Real Madrid loaned out Endrick to Lyon in January, the message I was getting from my sources was that he very much wasn’t available on a permanent deal, or in a loan deal that included a buy option.

At that time, a straightforward loan to Lyon suited all parties well, but the situation is set to be reviewed again this summer as Real may need to make sales to help them bring in the signings they want, while an anticipated change of manager could also lead some of this squad to be open to moves elsewhere.

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“Arsenal are keeping an eye on Endrick’s situation,” one source said to me. “It’s nothing advanced, they’re not making any offers or entering into any negotiations, but he’s a player they like and one of the options they’ll consider when it comes to signing a new striker this summer.”

Numerous sources confirmed to me that signings in attack are a priority for Arsenal after their issues in that department this season, and Gabriel Jesus in particular is someone expected to leave the Emirates Stadium. There are question-marks too over both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Endrick can play up front or out wide and looks like a good fit for Mikel Arteta’s side, while he’s also young enough that he can still improve after a tricky start to life in Madrid.

The 19-year-old has shone during his loan spell at Lyon, and sources close to the player suggest that returning to Real is still his priority.

Endrick warming up for Lyon
Endrick warming up for Lyon (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

The Spanish giants will not definitely be selling, but there’s just the beginning signs here that this is going to be one to watch in the weeks and months ahead, with more clarity likely at the end of the season.

Will Man United go back in for Endrick?

Click here to subscribe to the Daily Briefing so you can read the full story, as I also share details on interest from Manchester United and other major European clubs eyeing Endrick.

The post Sources: Arsenal “like” Real Madrid star facing transfer uncertainty appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Offer made: PSG growing in confidence in bid to sign €100m Arsenal star

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By:Mark Brus

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly growing optimistic about their chances of signing Arsenal central defender William Saliba.

The France international only signed a new contract until 2030 earlier this season, as reported by BBC Sport at the time, but it seems PSG believe they can sign him from the Gunners.

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That’s according to a report from Fichajes, which states that the Ligue 1 giants have made a €100m bid for Saliba, while it’s also suggested that the player would welcome a return to France.

Saliba has also been linked with Real Madrid by Foot Mercato in recent times, but given that he only recently signed a new contract, it’s hard to see him leaving the Emirates Stadium any time soon.

William Saliba would be a great signing for PSG

It’s easy to see why a club like PSG would want Saliba, with Fichajes claiming that manager Luis Enrique views him as an ideal partner for Willian Pacho.

Still, AFC are in control here, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they’d agree to sell such an important player at this moment in time.

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The 25-year-old is one of the best central defenders in the world and should still have a big future at Arsenal.

It could be that Saliba might soon consider his future if Arsenal don’t win anything this season, so perhaps that’s what’s led to PSG exploring this option.

Even then, Saliba would have to really do his bit to force a move or there’s surely no chance of Arsenal agreeing to let him go.

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Fee set: Manchester United transfer target available for €60m

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United reportedly look to have been handed a boost in their rumoured transfer pursuit of Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies.

Davies has recently been linked with Man Utd by Christian Falk in his CF Bayern Insider column, and it seems the Canada international is going to be available on the cheap this summer.

That’s according to a report from Fichajes, which states that Bayern are asking for €60m to let Davies go this summer, while they also mention interest from the Premier League.

There’s no specific club named in their report, but it could make sense for the Red Devils to sign the 25-year-old as an upgrade on the ageing and injury-prone Luke Shaw.

What Christian Falk said about Man United’s interest in Alphonso Davies

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“It is TRUE: Manchester United are interested in Alphonso Davies,” Falk wrote in a recent column.

“They were at the table when questions were being asked as to whether he would sign a new contract at Bayern Munich. They’re still monitoring this player, but he’s, of course, since signed a new contract at the Allianz Arena, so it will be difficult to get him at the moment.

“But there are also discussions going on at the club as to whether they need a new backup player, given all the injuries Davies keeps picking up. Before, they thought they didn’t need a player on the left-hand side because Hiroki Itō can play there as well.

“However, if there were an offer on the table (and don’t forget it cost Bayern a lot of money to extend Davies), there would be a discussion. But I can say right now that there has yet to be a concrete offer from Manchester United. If there’s an offer, perhaps Bayern will consider it, as the injuries keep coming.”

Is Alphonso Davies worth the risk for Man Utd?

Davies no longer looks to be at the peak of his powers, so it’s debatable if he’d really be the right choice for MUFC this summer.

See below for our verdict using our Transfer Fit rating system – and click here to read more about how we calculate these…

Alphonso Davies TOTAL SCORE: 15/25
Transfer fee **
Performance **
Achievements ****
Career phase ***
Squad need ****

Overall, United could probably do better, even if it’s understandable that Davies would be on their radar and one of the more tempting options due to his availability.

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Liam Rosenior advised Chelsea to sign replacements for “petulant children” in Blues squad

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By:Mark Brus

Former Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior reportedly advised to the club to sign more “men” to replace the “petulant children” in the Blues squad.

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According to MaxFSport of the Observer, Rosenior gave feedback to Chelsea about the state of the current squad he found himself working with, and it seems pretty damning on the mentality of a lot of the players.

See below as Rosenior called for Chelsea to sign more men who would be fighters for the team, with even the senior members of this group described as being “too quiet”…

Exclusive: Understand some of Rosenior's feedback and advice on the current squad was to sign more 'men', he believed that apart from a select few players, not many would actually 'stand up and fight' when the tide got tough. The few senior players Chelsea do have were also… pic.twitter.com/wYM6F9VYQM

— Max (@MaxFSport) April 24, 2026

“Exclusive: Understand some of Rosenior’s feedback and advice on the current squad was to sign more ‘men’, he believed that apart from a select few players, not many would actually ‘stand up and fight’ when the tide got tough,” MaxFSport posted.

“The few senior players Chelsea do have were also understood to be ‘too quiet’. A few squad members were also understood to have the behaviour of ‘petulant children’ when they were not picked or something did not go their way.”

Who’s to blame for Chelsea’s woes?

Chelsea have made a series of seemingly poor managerial appointments under this current ownership, but there’s arguably also an issue with the recruitment.

A lot of these CFC players don’t come anywhere near the legends of the past, though it was always going to be a challenge to replace the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba from that golden era.

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This current crop of players is really struggling and it may be that Rosenior has a point about the kind of characters he was working with.

Still, it’s hard to escape the idea that the ownership and current board must be in large part to blame for the overall strategy that’s been in place over the last few years.

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Talks held: Liverpool chiefs discuss transfer with £87m star’s representatives

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By:Mark Brus

Liverpool recruitment chiefs have reportedly already held talks with the representatives of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande.

The in-form 19-year-old is attracting a lot of interest at the moment after 13 goals and six assists in all competitions so far this season, and he could make sense as a perfect long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.

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It seems Liverpool have already done some work on this deal, according to the Telegraph, but one issue is that Bayern Munich are also interested and Leipzig want as much as £87m to let him go.

The report adds that it’s not yet clear if the Reds will be prepared to pay quite that much for Diomande, while another issue could be that the Bundesliga side try to keep him for one more year, as previously reported by TEAMtalk.

Is Yan Diomande worth the big transfer fee?

Diomande certainly looks expensive considering his lack of experience, but he’s also fast earning the reputation as one of the best young players in the world.

The Ivory Coast international looks like he has all the qualities to enjoy a great career at the highest level, while he already compares really well to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka, as the graphic below shows…

Yan Diomande stats vs Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka
Yan Diomande stats vs Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka (DataMB)

It was never going to be easy for LFC to replace Salah, but in Diomande, it looks like the perfect candidate is emerging, so they just have to make sure they see off competition for his signature.

Arsenal also have an interest in Diomande, as we understand it, and it’s easy to imagine him also being a quality addition to breathe new life into this struggling Gunners attack.

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“Chelsea is a big part of my life” – Club legend responds to talk of replacing Liam Rosenior

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By:Mark Brus

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has admitted that the Blues remain a big part of his life but distanced himself from leaving his current job as Coventry City manager.

Lampard has just guided Coventry to promotion to the Premier League, so one imagines he’ll be keen to remain in the job and continue the fine work he’s done.

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At the same time, however, there is now a vacancy at Chelsea after this week’s sacking of Liam Rosenior, so it could be that Lampard will be one of the names in the frame.

Lampard has previously had a spell as Chelsea manager and also returned for a brief second spell as caretaker manager, but he seems to have improved a lot since taking over at Coventry.

Frank Lampard on Chelsea manager links

While Lampard didn’t completely rule out returning to Stamford Bridge, it seems like he remains committed to Coventry for the time being, as per his quotes on Fabrizio Romano’s X page…

?? Frank Lampard on Chelsea job: “Chelsea is a big part of my life and at the moment that’s their business and my business is here”.

“I’d like to think Coventry fans would just be enjoying where we are, the world of management, lots are out of control, you just control your… pic.twitter.com/dQQ4l7KNFX

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 24, 2026

“Chelsea is a big part of my life and at the moment that’s their business and my business is here,” Lampard said.

“I’d like to think Coventry fans would just be enjoying where we are, the world of management, lots are out of control, you just control your work.

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“At the minute I think we should just enjoy where we are, we’ve had an amazing season and I am really proud and pleased to be part of it, I enjoy what I’m doing here, I can’t control who worries or not.”

Who should be next Chelsea manager?

Chelsea really need to get their next managerial appointment right after a difficult few years under this current ownership.

CFC parted ways with Rosenior this week, but he’d only been in the job for three months after Enzo Maresca also left earlier this season.

Prior to that, Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter are also two big names who’ve failed in the Chelsea job under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

The west London giants probably need someone with more top-level experience than Lampard, but it might also be tricky to convince some of the game’s bigger names to join under these conditions.

The post “Chelsea is a big part of my life” – Club legend responds to talk of replacing Liam Rosenior appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Sources: Tottenham “in advanced talks” to sign Prem star but Liverpool still in the race

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By:Mark Brus

I’m aware there’s been talk of Tottenham reaching an agreement in principle to sign Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi, so I thought I’d chip in with the information I’m currently getting.

As I recently reported here, Senesi has attracted interest from Spurs, who have indeed touched base with his representatives over a potential free transfer this summer.

The Argentine is close to being a free agent as he’s decided he won’t sign a new contract at Bournemouth, but for now I’m not currently aware of him agreeing anything with any other club.

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Sources in the industry have told me that Tottenham are indeed “in advanced talks” over signing Senesi, but nothing can be fully agreed until the club know if they’ll still be in the Premier League next season.

“It’s not agreed yet. Spurs are in advanced talks, they’re really keen on the player, but no final decision yet,” one source said.

Marcos Senesi transfer yet to be fully agreed

It may be that Senesi is leaning towards Spurs if they stay up, but my understanding is that other clubs like Liverpool remain in the race for his signature.

The Reds are exploring the centre-backs market as they’re really keen to add depth even if Ibrahima Konate stays and signs a new contract.

Senesi is one name they like, as is Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu. Both players are also on the radar of Manchester United as they’re another club in the market for someone in that position.

I previously mentioned the likes of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea also being keen on Senesi, but it now seems their interest has cooled. Meanwhile, the player is understood to have rejected offers from Juventus and Borussia Dortmund as they didn’t meet his demands.

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Can Tottenham stay up?

It’s a vital few weeks ahead for Tottenham as they face a fight to survive in the Premier League, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side currently two points from safety.

THFC would surely ideally be preparing summer moves now, but the uncertainty over the north London club’s situation makes it harder for obvious reasons.

Senesi and others would likely be open to joining Spurs if they are still in the top flight, as the project could have big potential under De Zerbi, but that means scraping through the next few games first.

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Talks in “next days”: David Ornstein on when Chelsea will accelerate new manager pursuit

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By:Mark Brus

Chelsea are reportedly set to accelerate their pursuit of a new manager by the end of the season, with initial talks expected to take place in the next few days.

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That’s according to David Ornstein, who says the Blues are likely to start sounding out representatives of managerial candidates, before then moving on to asking for clubs’ permission to speak to them.

Liam Rosenior was sacked by Chelsea earlier this week, and now Ornstein has provided the following update to NBC, as quoted by CFC Daily below…

?@David_Ornstein on NBC: “In the next days I would expect conversations between Chelsea & representatives of candidates & then in the weeks ahead they’ll be asking clubs for permission to potentially speak to them and that process will accelerate towards the end of the season…

— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) April 24, 2026

“In the next days I would expect conversations between Chelsea and representatives of candidates and then in the weeks ahead they’ll be asking clubs for permission to potentially speak to them and that process will accelerate towards the end of the season and I do expect an appointment early in the summer,” Ornstein said.

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Who could be next Chelsea manager?

There will likely be plenty of speculation in the coming days and weeks about who could be coming in to replace Rosenior at Chelsea.

Former CFC midfielder Cesc Fabregas, currently impressing as manager of Como, will surely be one name to watch, while Xabi Alonso is available after leaving Real Madrid earlier this season.

Premier League experience could also be key, though, and the likes of Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva have impressed at Bournemouth and Fulham, respectively.

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has already had two spells in charge of the Blues, but those didn’t go too well, even if he looks to have improved recently with a hugely impressive job of earning Coventry City promotion to the Premier League.

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Cesc Fabregas responds to Chelsea job links after Como chief gave permission for him to leave

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By:Mark Brus

Como manager Cesc Fabregas has responded to questions about links with the Chelsea job after essentially being given permission to move to Stamford Bridge.

The Spanish tactician has become highly regarded in the game after doing impressive work during his time with Como, and his connections with Chelsea make him an obvious candidate after the sacking of Liam Rosenior this week.

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Still, Fabregas doesn’t seem to be allowing himself to get distracted by the links with the Blues as he insisted it’s not important and he’s only focused on Como’s games.

“I don’t have to say anything,” he said, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “I don’t know anything about it. It would be stupid to think about things that aren’t important now, because this isn’t important to me.

“The most important thing is Genoa, the next match, and we want to do everything we can to win.

“I think I’ll continue as Como’s coach: my experience as a player gives me peace of mind.”

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Cesc Fabregas is free to leave Como, says club president

Fabregas’ comments follow the intriguing public declaration made by Como’s president Mirwan Suwarso yesterday.

Speaking to City AM, Como chief Suwarso was asked about the Fabregas to Chelsea links, and responded: “If that makes him happy, that’s him. You want your employees to stay with you for as long as possible but at the end of the day we don’t own him and he’s free to go to Chelsea if he wishes.”

This certainly sounds like a situation CFC should be exploring right now, though they’ll also perhaps want to take their time to assess all other candidates who could be available.

Even if Fabregas looks tempting due to his impressive work at Como and his time at Chelsea as a player, he’s also a lot less experienced than some other names who are set to be available.

Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola look like they’d be strong candidates for Chelsea, while someone like Julian Nagelsmann could be worth looking at depending on how Germany’s World Cup goes.

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Rafael Leao linked again with Manchester United but here’s why the transfer would be a gamble

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

AC Milan star Rafael Leao has again been mentioned as a transfer target for Manchester United as speculation hots up over his future this summer.

Although the Portugal international is a big name, we judge this to be a risky potential deal for Man Utd with the help of our Transfer Fit rating system – find out more about how it works here.

Leao has undoubtedly shown moments of real quality during his time with Milan, so it’s perhaps not surprising that first the Daily Mail and now Calciomercato have reports on interest from the Red Devils.

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Still, given his recent stats, injury record, age, and likely high transfer fee, we came up with the score below for Leao and United…

Rafael Leao TOTAL SCORE: 11/25
Transfer fee *
Performance ***
Achievements ***
Career phase **
Squad need **

MUFC already have a pretty decent attack, so it seems clear to us that this is not a deal that would be worth risking so much money on this summer.

11/25 is the lower end of medium – not a disastrous signing by any means, but a combination of factors mean it has the feel of one of those expensive deals that United have got wrong in the past.

Rafael Leao stats vs Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha
Rafael Leao stats vs Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha (DataMB)

What next for Rafael Leao?

Milan surely won’t be too keen to let Leao go, so it will be interesting to see if this speculation really leads anywhere.

Arsenal have also recently been linked with the 26-year-old by Football Transfers, so that could be another saga to watch out for, and in fairness the Gunners probably need someone of that profile a bit more than United do right now.

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United will likely focus on other priorities this summer after signing a whole new front three last year as they brought in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko.

Leao, having never played in the Premier League before, would probably find English football quite a big step up from Italy.

The post Rafael Leao linked again with Manchester United but here’s why the transfer would be a gamble appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“I certainly expect…” – big claim made about Liverpool star’s future

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is likely to be a transfer target for Aston Villa this summer if he is made available by the Reds.

The 25-year-old seems to be facing some uncertainty ahead of the next transfer window after struggling to hold down a regular starting spot in Arne Slot’s side.

A recent report from TEAMtalk claimed that Villa were preparing a concrete move for Jones, and the story really seems to be gathering momentum.

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Former Premier League scout Mick Brown has now stated that he can see Villa moving for Jones this summer, and that the English midfielder will have a lot of interest if Liverpool decide they’re open to letting him go.

Curtis Jones tipped to be Aston Villa transfer target

Discussing Jones’ future with Football Insider, Brown said: “If he’s (Jones) available to leave Liverpool this summer, there are going to be a lot of teams interested, and I certainly expect Aston Villa will be among them.

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“He’s lively, he’s quick, he’s sharp, and he would help Aston Villa in an area where they feel they are a bit weak in the middle of the park.

“Villa could lose players this summer because of these financial issues, so they have to look at who they might be able to bring in to improve the squad.

“If they could get Curtis Jones, it would definitely be a good move for them, and probably for him as well because he would be able to play more than he does at Liverpool.”

Will Curtis Jones leave Liverpool?

LFC certainly have a decision to make on Jones this summer as he’s going to be in the final year of his contract, so there’s the risk of losing him for free next summer.

From that point of view, the Merseyside giants should probably cash in on Jones now, as it’s perhaps hard to imagine them offering him a new contract.

Even if Jones is a useful squad player, that might not be a role he’s happy with, so there’s also the possibility that he wouldn’t be looking to agree to a new deal.

Inter Milan showed an interest in Jones, as reported by Fabrizio Romano back in January, so perhaps there’s been an openness from all sides over an exit for some time…

???? Inter are in direct club to club talks with Liverpool for Curtis Jones on loan deal with buy option clause.

Negotiations ongoing but linked to Davide Frattesi exit with #NFFC waiting for an answer.

Inter and Liverpool, discussing today. pic.twitter.com/hfx3EJLeVy

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 30, 2026

Still, not long after this, Slot was quoted as saying that he saw Jones as a part of his plans.

“It’s perfectly normal that Curtis Jones is in the interest of big clubs, like us, trying to extend with him and clubs wanting to sign him. He will be part of our plans for the upcoming weeks, months and also for next season,” the Dutch tactician said.

So, mixed messages overall, and perhaps something that won’t be that easily resolved for some time yet.

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Man United pursuing €32m-rated star, potential key development in next 24 hours

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United are reportedly continuing to closely monitor Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu, with a club official set to attend the player’s next game tomorrow.

Kalulu has been on the radar of Man United and Liverpool for some time now after his impressive performances in Serie A, and it could be set to lead to a move this summer.

The Frenchman, who can play centre-back or right-back, is valued at around €32m by Transfermarkt, and it seems the Red Devils will be watching him in Sunday’s game between Juve and AC Milan, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

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The report doesn’t actually specify if this is a United scout going to the game, merely a club ‘official’, so it could also be that someone will be heading there for talks of some kind.

Do Manchester United need Pierre Kalulu?

Kalulu looks like a fine player and like someone who could strengthen this United defence next season, with the club surely in need of more options in that department.

Matthijs de Ligt has had a lengthy absence through injury this season, while fitness has long been an issue for Lisandro Martinez as well.

Meanwhile, the jury is still out on Leny Yoro, who perhaps hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far, so Kalulu could come in and make an impact straight away.

Running the 25-year-old through our Transfer Fit rating system, we got the score below…

Pierre Kalulu TOTAL SCORE: 17/25
Transfer fee ****
Performance ***
Achievements **
Career phase ***
Squad need *****

All in all, this seems like a worthwhile deal that could be done on the cheap, even if some might argue that MUFC could also possibly do better to pay a bit more money for someone a little younger, and who’s played in the Premier League.

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What our sources said about Pierre Kalulu

As previously reported in our exclusive, we’ve been told that United and Liverpool have had positive feedback from their scouts after watching Kalulu.

“United and Liverpool have had scouts watch Kalulu play recently and the feedback has been very positive,” one source said.

“United are looking at a long list of options and Kalulu is one they really like,” another source added. “We can also expect Liverpool to step up their interest, whether or not they lose Ibrahima Konate.”

The post Man United pursuing €32m-rated star, potential key development in next 24 hours appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Report: Liverpool intensify efforts to sign electric winger but there’s one issue…

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Liverpool are reportedly intensifying efforts to seal the transfer of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, but a deal may have to wait until next summer.

The Reds have been monitoring Diomande for some time, but it now seems clear that they’re increasingly viewing the Ivory Coast international as a priority target.

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That’s according to a report from TEAMtalk, but one issue also mentioned is that Leipzig would ideally like to keep Diomande for at least one more year.

The 19-year-old has really impressed this season with a record of 13 goals and six assists in all competitions, and our understanding is that Arsenal are also interested in him.

Liverpool face Yan Diomande transfer wait

Still, TEAMtalk now claim that Leipzig want to hold on to Diomande for a bit longer, meaning LFC might have to wait until summer 2027 to sign the talented young attacker.

Diomande would likely be very difficult for Leipzig to replace, but Liverpool could really do with signing someone now to replace Mohamed Salah, who has already confirmed he’ll be leaving Anfield at the end of this season.

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We occasionally see deals done in advance, such as with Giorgi Mamardashvili’s move to Liverpool, while that was also the case with Christopher Nkunku’s move from Leipzig to Chelsea.

But given Liverpool’s poor form this season, and Salah’s imminent departure, it remains to be seen if they’d be prepared to wait another year before bringing in Diomande.

The Merseyside giants probably need to focus on someone who is available to join straight away, so it will be interesting to see how this develops and if it leads the club to look at other targets instead.

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Two Arsenal stars “probably” back for Newcastle, one still injured

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori will probably be back in the squad to take on Newcastle United this weekend.

The Gunners host the Magpies at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow evening, and fans will be desperate to see some of the team’s key players back after so many injuries all season.

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Arteta had positive news in his press conference today as he stated that Saka and Calafiori could be involved against Newcastle, though Jurrien Timber is still not back.

See below for details from ESPN’s James Olley on X…

Arteta says "Bukayo [Saka] is probably going to be in the squad" against Newcastle. Calafiori also “probably” back, Timber not in the squad.

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) April 24, 2026

Saka has had a difficult season with injuries, starting only 22 times in the 33 Premier League games Arsenal have played so far.

Calafiori, meanwhile, has also had fitness issues in his two seasons in north London, with the Italy international managing only 18 league starts so far this term.

Arsenal given injury boosts ahead of Newcastle

As well as Saka and Calafiori probably returning for the Arsenal vs Newcastle game, there’s also some positive news for the Gunners as their opponents will be without two key players.

As reported earlier by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, both Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento look set to miss out on Saturday’s visit to the Emirates…

? NUFC INJURY UPDATE

? Anthony Gordon (hip) & Livramento (thigh) OUT of Arsenal

?? "Anthony hasn't trained this week. It's not a serious injury. Hopefully he'll make the next one" says Howe

?? "Not a bad injury. Wait & see if he plays this season. Another scan at wknd" #fpl https://t.co/9c4ewudtLL

— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) April 24, 2026

Newcastle aren’t in great form at the moment, so to be without two key players like that for a difficult away game at Arsenal will surely be a huge blow for Eddie Howe.

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Arsenal desperately need to win to end their dire recent form, which has seen them concede major ground to Manchester City in the title race.

Both teams are now level on points and goal difference, with five games to go to decide the destination of this year’s title.

The post Two Arsenal stars “probably” back for Newcastle, one still injured appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Manager “free to go to Chelsea” to replace Liam Rosenior, says club chief

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Como president Mirwan Suwarso has publicly stated that manager Cesc Fabregas is free to leave and take over at Chelsea if he wants to.

Fabregas is a former Chelsea player, and he’s become increasingly highly regarded as a coach with a big future in the game after plenty of success in his first management job with Como.

The Spanish tactician has Como sitting in 5th place in Serie A, with his team often playing a stylish and modern brand of football under his guidance.

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With Liam Rosenior sacked by Chelsea earlier this week, it’s not too surprising to see Fabregas’ name being linked with the Blues job, and it seems Como won’t stand in his way if he wants to take up an offer from Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea given Cesc Fabregas boost

Speaking to City AM, Como chief Suwarso was asked about the Fabregas to Chelsea links, and responded: “If that makes him happy, that’s him. You want your employees to stay with you for as long as possible but at the end of the day we don’t own him and he’s free to go to Chelsea if he wishes.”

This certainly sounds promising for Chelsea if they do decide to pursue Fabregas, but it’s not yet clear if the 38-year-old is one of their top targets.

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The Telegraph have previously mentioned names like Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola as options to replace Rosenior, and both would come with more experience than Fabregas.

Still, TEAMtalk have also reported on Fabregas being admired by both Chelsea and Manchester City, as it seems inevitable he’s going to land himself a top job before too long.

Como seem relaxed about the situation, which could also make any potential negotiations smoother to get done.

The post Manager “free to go to Chelsea” to replace Liam Rosenior, says club chief appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Agreement in principle” – Spurs close in on Liverpool transfer target, one key condition still required

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Tottenham are reportedly close to completing a transfer move for Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi, subject to them staying in the Premier League.

That’s according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, who has posted on X about Spurs reaching an agreement in principle to sign Senesi, who has given his approval to the move.

We previously reported on Senesi being in talks with Tottenham, but also with other clubs such as Liverpool, though it seems it’s the north Londoners who’ve now taken major steps to get closer to this deal.

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See below, however, as Plettenberg says this still seemingly hinges on Spurs surviving relegation this season…

?? EXCL | Marcos #Senesi and Tottenham have reached an agreement in principle. The 28 y/o top centre-back has given his commitment to join Spurs on a free transfer in the summer, if Tottenham stay in the Premier League.

It is now up to Tottenham. Nothing signed yet.… pic.twitter.com/bkgdOp6Zbe

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 24, 2026

“Marcos #Senesi and Tottenham have reached an agreement in principle,” Plettenberg said.

“The 28 y/o top centre-back has given his commitment to join Spurs on a free transfer in the summer, if Tottenham stay in the Premier League.

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“It is now up to Tottenham. Nothing signed yet.”

Marcos Senesi transfer looks like superb business for Tottenham

If Tottenham stay up and manage to land Senesi on a free transfer, that should go down as superb business.

The Argentine has performed at a really high level for Bournemouth, and it’s clear a lot of big clubs were interested in snapping him up.

The likes of Liverpool might still be in the running if Spurs do get relegated, and that could be a big boost for the Reds in order to give themselves more depth behind the ageing Virgil van Dijk.

Still, THFC will need to do a major rebuilding job this summer after a nightmare season, and bringing in someone like Senesi for free could be a big step towards helping to get the club competitive again.

The post “Agreement in principle” – Spurs close in on Liverpool transfer target, one key condition still required appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Total U-turn” by Sandro Tonali in Man United & Man City transfer saga

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Sandro Tonali has reportedly made a “total U-turn” on his future amid transfer interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.

The Italy international has been the subject of intense speculation recently, and it now seems he’s drastically changed course as he only wants a return to Serie A this summer.

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That’s according to journalist Sebastien Vidal on X, who says Tonali has U-turned on his decision to put both Manchester clubs under pressure…

?? EXCLU | Revirement total pour Sandro Tonali : courtisé par Manchester City et Manchester United, l’Italien regarde désormais vers un retour en Serie A. Un choix qui change tout sur le marché et met les deux clubs de Manchester sous pression. #Mercato #NUFC

— Sébastien Vidal (@SebEcrivainFoot) April 24, 2026

Vidal’s post translates as: “Total U-turn for Sandro Tonali: courted by Manchester City and Manchester United, the Italian is now eyeing a return to Serie A. A choice that changes everything on the market and puts both Manchester clubs under pressure.”

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Sandro Tonali transfer timeline

Tonali transfer stories have dominated for a few weeks now, with the Newcastle United midfielder seemingly likely to move on for a new challenge after his fine form at St James’ Park.

See below for a summary of recent reports on Tonali’s future…

  • 6th March – Arsenal chief Andrea Berta working on a deal for Tonali, according to Tuttosport.
  • 12th March – Tonali part of three-man list of midfield targets for Man Utd, according to the Sun.
  • 19th March – United have made calls to ask about Tonali‘s situation, according to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel.
  • 24th March – Tonali wanted by both United and Man City but prefers a return to Serie A, according to talkSPORT.
  • 29th March – United have made Tonali their top target, with the 25-year-old likely to cost £100m, according to Matteo Moretto.
  • 11th April – Newcastle could be open to offers for Tonali, but clubs must declare their intentions early, according to iNews.

As you can see, this update about Serie A is not exactly entirely new, with talkSPORT also previously claiming his preference would be to return to Italian football.

This saga is likely to drag on for a while, however, so there’ll be differing accounts coming all the time in the coming weeks and months.

The post “Total U-turn” by Sandro Tonali in Man United & Man City transfer saga appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Talks held: Arsenal preparing to make €30m transfer bid for 21-year-old talent

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal are reportedly preparing to make a €30m transfer bid for Club Brugge’s talented young forward Nicolo Tresoldi this summer.

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Gunners chief Andrea Berta is said to have already held talks over this deal, with things seemingly now progressing towards a possible bid for the player.

That’s according to a report from Tuttomercatoweb, which states that Arsenal are planning to bring in Tresoldi to compete with Viktor Gyokeres up front, with Gabriel Jesus expected to leave the Emirates Stadium.

Tresoldi looks like a promising talent, with the 21-year-old scoring 17 goals for Brugge this season, while he’s also been prolific at Under-21 level with Germany.

Nicolo Tresoldi Arsenal links strengthen

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This is not the first time we’ve heard Arsenal transfer rumours about Tresoldi, with Christian Falk previously telling CaughtOffside about the Gunners’ interest.

Falk has named Arsenal as favourites to sign Tresoldi, whom he’s described as the future of the German national team up front.

It now seems things may be advancing further, so it will be an interesting saga to watch in the weeks and months ahead.

Arsenal need goals – can Tresoldi deliver?

Tresoldi looks like a striker with a big future in the game, and it’s not exactly the easiest market for centre-forwards right now.

There were some big moves last summer as Gyokeres joined Arsenal, though he hasn’t looked nearly as good in England as he did in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon.

Other major strikers to move include Benjamin Sesko, Nick Woltemade, and Liam Delap, but none have been particularly impressive.

Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike bucked that trend slightly, but AFC might struggle to get a truly world class number 9 right now as someone like Harry Kane surely won’t be available, while Julian Alvarez will cost a fortune.

In that case, signing an up-and-coming talent like Tresoldi could be ideal as he looks like someone who could be a fine long-term option if he continues to develop as he has.

The post Talks held: Arsenal preparing to make €30m transfer bid for 21-year-old talent appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Impossible” – Former Chelsea man won’t return as Man City lead race, says Fabrizio Romano

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Fabrizio Romano says it’s “impossible” to see Enzo Maresca returning for another spell as Chelsea manager, with the Italian tactician a leading candidate for Manchester City.

Maresca left Chelsea earlier this year to be replaced by Liam Rosenior, who himself was then sacked by the Blues this week.

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However, the Italian tactician is now seen as more likely to replace Pep Guardiola if and when the current Man City manager steps down, according to Romano on his YouTube channel.

Maresca previously worked under Guardiola at City, and it seems he’s now seen internally as an ideal candidate to continue the Spanish tactician’s work once he’s gone.

Fabrizio Romano on Enzo Maresca links with Chelsea and Man City

Discussing the Maresca situation, Romano played down talk of a possible return to Chelsea now that Rosenior has left, describing it as “impossible” and suggesting taking the City job in the near future was much more likely.

“I maintain my position – Enzo Maresca will not return to Chelsea. Impossible,” Romano said.

“Enzo Maresca is the candidate wanted by Manchester City to replace Pep Guardiola whenever Pep decides to go…This summer, next summer, we will see. But Manchester City internally believe that Maresca is the ideal candidate to take over in the future.

“So I maintain this name. I know you see links with (Vincent) Kompany. I know you see links with more managers, Spanish managers, but my understanding is that the future could be Enso Maresca.

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“I say ‘could’ because there is nothing signed, nothing completed. But Maresca is a serious candidate, the leading candidate to become the next Manchester City manager whenever Pep decides to go.”

Is Enzo Maresca right for the City job?

Replacing Guardiola won’t be easy after the tremendous work he’s done at the Etihad Stadium, but Maresca’s time at Chelsea looks pretty impressive with hindsight.

The former Leicester City manager guided the Blues to glory in the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup, while the team has also looked a lot worse since he left.

CFC must have some regrets about letting him go, and it will be interesting to see if he now ends up taking over at a major rival, and if he can be successful there.

The big question for now, however, is if Guardiola will leave this summer or in a year’s time, with no definitive answer on that just yet based on recent reports.

The post “Impossible” – Former Chelsea man won’t return as Man City lead race, says Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Michael Carrick drops hint over keeping Manchester United manager’s job

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick has hinted he wants to stay in the job as he’s happy with the role he’s in.

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The former Middlesbrough boss has performed well since taking over from Ruben Amorim, though it remains to be seen if he’ll be named the club’s permanent manager beyond the current deal he’s on until the end of the season.

Speaking in his press conference today, Carrick suggested he’d like to continue, but he doesn’t currently have any updates on the situation, and he’s not in a particular hurry to talk with the board about it as he’s just focused on continuing to deliver results for Man Utd…

? Michael Carrick has made it pretty clear he wants the job…what are Manchester United waiting for? ? pic.twitter.com/5KiFtGMy1V

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 24, 2026

Michael Carrick on his future

When asked about staying on as United manager beyond the end of the season, Carrick didn’t give too much away apart from saying how much he’s enjoying the job.

“I’ve said it many times, I enjoy being here,” Carrick said.

“I enjoy the role I’m in. We’ve had some good results and we’re in decent shape.

“There’s a lot to go, we want to keep improving … I’ll see, you know … there’s only so much I can say in terms of that but I’ve said it many times I enjoy being here, I love being here, it’s a real privilege to be in the position I am.”

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He added: “Genuinely it’s not something in terms of deadlines that I’m really chasing. I think it’ll become clear when it’s going to become clear.

“I’m here at the moment to help the team and help the club get results. At the moment we’re doing alright .. and that’s genuinely all I’m focused on right now.”.

Should Man Utd keep Carrick?

Carrick clearly seems like he’d be happy to take the job, so it will be interesting to see if United decide to gamble on him.

Carrick manager stats Wins Draws Losses Win %
Man Utd (caretaker) 2 1 0 66.7
Middlesbrough 63 24 49 46.3
Man Utd (interim) 8 2 2 66.7

The former England midfielder is relatively inexperienced, and the Red Devils may favour a bigger name who’s won things at the highest level.

At the same time, there’s no ignoring that Carrick has a fine record since taking over, so it could be that he’s the better option due to his long association with the club and experience of winning things in the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The post Michael Carrick drops hint over keeping Manchester United manager’s job appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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£80m Manchester United transfer target wants to leave current club for one key reason

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester United reportedly have Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton on their list of midfield targets this summer, and he’s keen to leave for a club in the Champions League.

Wharton has impressed a great deal during his time at Selhurst Park, becoming a key player in the club’s FA Cup win last season and winning four caps for England.

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Still only 22 years of age, Wharton looks like he has a big future in the game, and it makes sense that he’s now eyeing a big move.

Man Utd are one of his admirers, with Wharton now said to be keen to leave Palace in order to move to a Champions League team, according to the Sun.

Is Adam Wharton right for Manchester United?

We recently used our Transfer Fit rating system to rate United’s midfield targets, with Wharton coming second only to Elliot Anderson on our list.

The England international has, however, also been linked with Liverpool by talkSPORT, who suggest his asking price would be around £80m.

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It clearly won’t be cheap or easy to sign Wharton, who will likely attract a lot of interest this summer, but he certainly makes sense as someone for MUFC to make a priority.

The Red Devils need to rebuild their midfield as Casemiro prepares to leave, with an upgrade also needed on the unconvincing Manuel Ugarte.

All in all, Wharton seems like one of the best candidates out there, even if it also makes sense for the club to keep alternatives in mind.

Who else could United sign in midfield?

The Sun’s report also mentions names like Sandro Tonali, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Carlos Baleba.

We’ve also recently been informed about United looking at Benfica’s Richard Rios, and AZ Alkmaar wonderkid Kees Smit.

Out of all these names mentioned, who would your pick for United’s new midfielder be? Let us know in the comments!

The post £80m Manchester United transfer target wants to leave current club for one key reason appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Boost for Arsenal as injured Newcastle United duo out of Emirates clash this weekend

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Arsenal reportedly look to have been handed a boost as Newcastle United will be without two key players due to injury this weekend.

According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Eddie Howe’s side will have to make do without both Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento for Saturday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium.

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See below for details from Hope’s post on X, as he says Gordon is out with a hip injury, while Livramento is sidelined with a thigh problem…

? NUFC INJURY UPDATE

? Anthony Gordon (hip) & Livramento (thigh) OUT of Arsenal

?? "Anthony hasn't trained this week. It's not a serious injury. Hopefully he'll make the next one" says Howe

?? "Not a bad injury. Wait & see if he plays this season. Another scan at wknd" #fpl https://t.co/9c4ewudtLL

— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) April 24, 2026

Newcastle fans won’t be pleased with this update as their team is already on a poor run of form and surely set for a long afternoon against Arsenal.

Gordon in particular has been one of the Magpies’ best players this season, with the England winger a consistent threat out wide and someone who can chip in with goals.

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Livramento has also performed well in the NUFC back four, so the club’s fans will no doubt hope they can return as soon as possible to give the side a strong end to the season.

Can Arsenal keep title hopes alive vs struggling Newcastle?

Both Arsenal and Newcastle go into tomorrow’s game in poor form, but the Gunners will surely be the favourites to pick up three points.

Mikel Arteta’s men are in an extremely close title race with Manchester City, have have just one win in their last six games in all competitions.

Back-to-back league defeats to Bournemouth and Man City have seen Arsenal lose momentum in the title race, but this will be an opportunity to lift the mood.

Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League table, and are on a run of four defeats in a row in all competitions, while their record in their last 12 league games is pretty dire, with just three wins, one draw, and eight defeats.

It’s certainly far from an ideal time for Newcastle to have to cope without Gordon and Livramento, but if AFC can’t pick up a comfortable three points in a game like this then their title hopes are surely over once and for all.

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Fabrizio Romano reports on “very important financial proposal” to end City & United transfer saga

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By:Mark Brus

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the Elliot Anderson to Manchester City saga, with Manchester United also still there.

Although nothing is advanced with Man City and Nottingham Forest yet, it seems that Pep Guardiola’s side would be willing to make a big offer for Anderson this summer.

Romano says City are leading the race for the England international’s signature, as has also been reported by Sky Sports.

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See below for Romano’s post on X about Anderson as he also says Man Utd could still be in the running if things with City don’t work out…

? Manchester City are prepared to make a very important financial proposal to Elliot Anderson, leading the race as revealed since March.

Manchester United still attentive and keen if Man City deal won’t happen.

Nothing advanced with Forest yet.

? https://t.co/ROyOiETBSV pic.twitter.com/DWsjkk3PtD

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 24, 2026

“Manchester City are prepared to make a very important financial proposal to Elliot Anderson, leading the race as revealed since March. Manchester United still attentive and keen if Man City deal won’t happen. Nothing advanced with Forest yet,” Romano said.

It could be that City’s major offer will eventually end up deciding this saga, but while it’s looking good for the Sky Blues, it’s not a done deal yet and a lot can change.

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Should Elliot Anderson choose Man City or Man United transfer?

If Anderson is to leave Forest this summer, he clearly looks set to have his pick of elite clubs, with City surely the most tempting destination.

The 23-year-old would likely be given a key role in Guardiola’s side, who need a long-term replacement for Rodri, who is not getting any younger and who has had injury problems in recent times.

United could also be a decent opportunity for Anderson, though, as they would likely build their midfield around him for many years to come.

The Red Devils haven’t had a lot of success lately, but they should at least be back playing in the Champions League next season after an improved run of form under interim manager Michael Carrick.

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Sources: Man United have “real and concrete” interest in signing Chelsea’s Cole Palmer

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By:Mark Brus

The Cole Palmer transfer situation has been making headlines for some time now, and I can confirm that Manchester United have a genuine and concrete interest in the Chelsea star.

As has been widely reported, there is the sense that Palmer would be open to a move back to Manchester, having left United’s rivals City for Chelsea a few years ago.

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Numerous current Chelsea players are disillusioned with the current Blues project, but I cannot currently confirm that Palmer is one of them. Sources close to the player are not yet giving much away on his future.

This story was first published on the Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe to get these stories first!

Meanwhile, sources close to Chelsea insist the England international is simply not for sale. They point to his long-term contract, running until 2033, which was signed in August 2024.

How realistic is Cole Palmer to Manchester United transfer?

While some inside United might feel there is an opportunity to move for Palmer this summer, that’s not the unanimous view, as dealing with Chelsea doesn’t look promising at this stage. The Red Devils would prefer to avoid a lengthy saga, and there’s not currently any indication that Palmer could try forcing a move, which would likely be required for Chelsea to even consider coming to the negotiating table.

Even in that scenario, though, the Blues would be looking for a fee in the region of £150m, which is simply not feasible for United or any other club in the PSR era.

“United’s interest in Cole Palmer is real and concrete,” one source told me. “But I can’t see it being one for this summer. There’s been a lot of media noise, but that might be part of laying the groundwork for a deal in the future. Realistically nothing can happen now unless the player really pushes for a move.”

“Chelsea letting Cole Palmer go is a non-starter,” another source said. “He’s under contract until 2033 and he’s the face of this project. It may well be that he’s keen to move back to Manchester at some point, but at the moment this is just media speculation and not confirmed by the player.”

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Cole Palmer could be dream Bruno Fernandes replacement

It’s also worth noting that Palmer has actually suffered a significant dip in form this season, which could complicate matters.

Although the 23-year-old remains very highly thought of in the industry, he’s only managed 10 goals in all competitions this season, down from 18 last term, and 25 the year before.

In the long run, Palmer could well be the ideal candidate to replace Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, but United might do well to wait one more season to see if he rediscovers his best form.

On top of that, the Red Devils remain keen to keep Fernandes for one more season at least, so there’s not necessarily an obvious role for Palmer to take up right now anyway.

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New: Liverpool can out-bid Bayern Munich for £65m attacker transfer

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By:Mark Brus

Liverpool have been told they can likely beat Bayern Munich to the transfer of Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon this summer.

According to Christian Falk in his latest exclusive CF Bayern Insider column, Gordon is likely to cost around £65m and that would be too expensive for Bayern.

Although the German football expert has confirmed that Gordon is on Bayern’s list and tempted by the move, likely due to the influence of England teammate Harry Kane, it could depend on the price.

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Bayern don’t look like they urgently need another attacking signing, but Gordon has been in fine form so could be tempting if the opportunity arises for a reasonable fee.

For now, however, Liverpool have been tipped as being in a better financial position for this deal, while Falk also noted that the 25-year-old has an affinity to the Reds as he comes from a family of LFC supporters.

Christian Falk on Anthony Gordon transfer

“It is TRUE: Anthony Gordon is highly-rated on Bayern’s shortlist,” Falk said. “Now, there will be talks about money, so it’s very concrete!

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“Gordon signalled that he could make a move to the Bundesliga, so I think perhaps this is partly Harry Kane’s doing. Normally, English national players rarely come to the German top-flight.

“That all said, the transfer fee Newcastle end up demanding for the winger could harm Bayern’s hopes of signing Anthony Gordon. There were many rumours of an €80m [£69.3m] fee. The Times now suggest it’s actually closer to €75m [£65m]. I think this would be too expensive for Bayern Munich.

“Of course, there’s always the possibility that if Anthony Gordon pushes for a move to Bayern and Bayern only, then perhaps Newcastle could be encouraged to lower the asking price. As things stand, Bayern Munich are in a good place with Luis Diaz, Harry Kane and Michael Olise, and with Jamal Musiala behind them. These are all positions Gordon can play, although he would be another option, so spending too much money would be difficult for FC Bayern.”

He added: “It’s true that Gordon’s prior relationship with, and affinity for, Liverpool Football Club could be a problem for Bayern Munich.

Liverpool are still one of the top clubs in Europe and they have a lot of money to spend. By contrast, Bayern don’t want to spend so much money this summer. If they can’t get an agreement with Newcastle and Liverpool are able to put more money on the table than Bayern Munich, then you can understand why the Magpies would argue they shouldn’t sell Gordon cheaply to Munich when they can get more money from Liverpool. This could be a problem.”

Liverpool need Anthony Gordon more than Bayern

Liverpool clearly have the bigger issues in attack right now, so it seems a move to Anfield makes more sense for everyone involved.

Of course, Newcastle won’t be at all keen to sell the England international, especially after also eventually having to let star player Alexander Isak move to Anfield last year.

Still, Gordon looks like he could be an important addition to Arne Slot’s squad, helping replace Mohamed Salah in that front three, whilst also providing an upgrade on other unconvincing attacking players like Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo.

Gordon would surely play more often there than at Bayern, where there is so much high-quality competition for a place in the starting XI.

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Expert rates Bayern Munich’s chances of signing Tottenham star

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By:Mark Brus

Bayern Munich may reportedly be tempted by the chance to sign Xavi Simons if he ends up being available on the cheap this summer.

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Simons only joined Tottenham last summer, but has struggled in what has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the north London club as a whole.

If Tottenham ended up getting relegated, it’s easy to imagine that Simons might be one of the big names they let go for below what his ordinary market value would be.

Writing for CF Bayern Insider, Christian Falk suggested this could be an opportunity that tempts Bayern, who were interested in the Netherlands international when he was at former club RB Leipzig.

Xavi Simons transfer chances rated

Bayern like Simons, but considered him too expensive before, so Falk insists this would only be of interest to them for the right price, or if they miss out on other targets.

“It’s a question worth asking in terms of whether someone like Xavi Simons would appeal if Tottenham were to be relegated this season,” Falk wrote.

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“Vincent Kompany and Max Eberl both like the player. However, he was simply too expensive to sign from RB Leipzig last summer. Uli Hoeneß, the former president of Bayern Munich (but still part of the supervisory board), shared a nice story about this particular topic. We knew Kompany paid a visit to Tegernsee (an hour away from Munich), where Hoeneß lives, along with Christoph Freund, the sporting director. They were asking permission to sign Simons. However, Uli Hoeneß simply said you can’t sign Simons, but you can have some apple pie!

“This summer, we have to see! Xavi Simons has to be really cheap for Bayern to even consider it. In the meantime, there are a few other names on the shortlist that are more highly rated. Of course, if FC Bayern can’t sign their top options and Simons is affordable, then perhaps this could be an option. But not for the moment.”

Should Spurs sell Xavi Simons?

Spurs fans probably won’t be too keen to see Simons go, as the 23-year-old could still have a very bright future ahead of him.

At the same time, however, with only five goals and six assists this season, there’s no doubt he’s been a little underwhelming in his time in English football so far.

If there’s money to be made on Simons, then perhaps THFC should consider it, as it could allow them to rebuild in numerous other areas in what surely has to be a busy summer of changing up this struggling squad.

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Man City in pole position to sign Arsenal target as three players could leave

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester City are reportedly now in pole position to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson ahead of the likes of Arsenal.

The England international has enjoyed a superb season in the Premier League and now looks highly likely to seal a big-money move this summer.

We’ve previously reported on Arsenal sensing an opportunity to rival Man City for Anderson, but it may be that this saga is now nearing its conclusion.

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According to the latest from Sky Sports, City are now understood to be in pole position to land Anderson ahead of rivals such as the Gunners and Manchester United.

This comes as three midfielders could leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, with Bernardo Silva’s departure already confirmed, while Sky Sports add that there is some uncertainty over both Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez.

Elliot Anderson looks the perfect signing for Manchester City

City look like they need a midfielder of Anderson’s calibre to come in as the eventual long-term replacement for Rodri.

Even if the 23-year-old won’t come cheap, he’s one of the best in the business right now and could have a starring role at a top club like City for many years to come.

With that in mind, we got this score when running Anderson to City through our Transfer Fit rating system – read more about how it works here…

Elliot Anderson TOTAL SCORE: 21/25
Transfer fee ***
Performance *****
Achievements ***
Career phase *****
Squad need *****

Anderson pretty much ticks all the boxes and earns a 21/25 – a really high score, with the player only losing points for being expensive and for ‘achievements’ as he’s not yet played for a top club or won major trophies, though that should all come soon.

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Arsenal to miss out on Elliot Anderson?

It has seemed for some time now that one of the two Manchester clubs would be most likely for Anderson, so it’s not too surprising to see Arsenal missing out.

Still, the north London giants could arguably do with adding another midfielder this summer, with Mikel Arteta relying a lot on Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi this term.

Without much in the way of a reliable rotation option, this has led to Zubimendi in particular looking quite burnt out, with the Spain international losing form as the season has gone on.

Anderson could be ideal to come in and perhaps give Arsenal an upgrade in that department, but they’ll have to look elsewhere if he really is set for City.

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12 G/A star cleared to move for £60m: Man United & Liverpool on alert for bargain transfer

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs exploring a potential transfer for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao this summer.

The Portugal international is having another strong season at the San Siro, contributing nine goals and three assists in total, and it seems he could be on the move in the near future.

Man Utd and Liverpool are looking into this opportunity as the Daily Mail claim Milan could let Leao go for just £60m, which is viewed as a potential bargain on the market.

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Leao has also recently been linked with Arsenal in a report from Football Transfers, and one imagines his situation will surely have clubs all over the world on alert.

Rafael Leao transfer talk hots up

Leao is an important player for Milan and surely someone they’d ideally like to keep, but with two years remaining on his contract, his value could soon start to go down.

See below as Fabrizio Romano recently quoted Rossoneri chief Igli Tare as playing down talk of the 26-year-old leaving, but perhaps the situation has now changed…

???? AC Milan director Igli Tare on Rafa Leão’s future: “Rafa has two years left on his contract and he’s very important for us”.

“His skills are not in doubt, this season he’s suffered from injuries”. pic.twitter.com/ilYRlMbKii

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 6, 2026

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If Leao won’t sign a new deal, then this summer could be Milan’s last chance to make significant money from letting him go.

It seems Leao has also had some injury troubles, so that’s another factor for the Serie A giants to consider in the months ahead, as there’s not much use in keeping someone if they’re not going to be available often enough, no matter how good they are.

Rafael Leao could strengthen United and Liverpool

On his day, Leao is a superb attacking talent who can operate out wide or up front, so it’s easy to imagine him having a big impact at clubs like United or Liverpool.

The former Lille man could be ideal to help LFC replace Mohamed Salah, who will be leaving this summer, and he’d be cheaper than some of the other options out there.

Leao could also possibly do a better job than Matheus Cunha at MUFC, adding more options to the team’s attack as Marcus Rashford will surely leave permanently after going out on loan this season and last.

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“It hurts more than I can explain” – Lamine Yamal breaks silence amid World Cup injury fear

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By:Mark Brus

Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has spoken out about his injury that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season but probably not the World Cup.

Yamal had to go off with a hamstring problem in Barcelona’s win over Celta Vigo earlier this week, having scored the winning goal from the penalty spot before immediately signalling to the bench that he felt something.

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The 18-year-old was escorted off by medical staff as he went straight down the tunnel, but the current expectation is that he should be fit again for this summer’s World Cup, according to BBC Sport.

Lamine Yamal sends message as injury ends his season with Barcelona

Yamal is also quoted in the report as sending a message to fans and teammates after the disappointing news that he’s set to miss the rest of the season.

The Spain international backed the rest of his team to do the job without him, and vowed to come back stronger next term.

“This injury leaves me off the field at the time I most wanted to be, and it hurts more than I can explain,” Yamal posted on social media.

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“It hurts not being able to fight with my team-mates, not being able to help when the team needs me. But I believe in them and I know they’re going to drop their souls in every game.

“I’ll be there, even if it’s from the outside, supporting, encouraging and pushing as one more. This is not the end, this is just a break. I’ll come back stronger, more eager than ever, and next season will be better.”

Lamine Yamal key to Spain’s World Cup hopes

Yamal is one of the best players in the world at the moment, and Spain won’t want to be without him this summer as they look to win the World Cup.

The European nation will be one of the major favourites for the tournament, with Yamal already playing a key part in their success at Euro 2024 two years ago.

With 24 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season, Yamal has been a joy to watch again for Barca this term and they’ll undoubtedly miss him towards the end of their campaign.

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Positive talks: Man United star indicates he’s ready to accept transfer to Euro giants

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By:Mark Brus

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has reportedly indicated that he’d be ready to return to Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer this summer.

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The 26-year-old is set to be out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of this season, which he has spent on loan at Aston Villa.

Sancho hasn’t made much of an impact during his spell at Villa Park, so it makes sense that he now looks set for another move, with Dortmund seemingly keen to bring him back for a third spell.

That’s according to Sky Sport Germany, who report that Sancho has given his approval for the move back to Dortmund, while the club’s manager Niko Kovac has also given his green light for the deal.

Jadon Sancho heading back to Borussia Dortmund?

Although Sky’s report also states that Sancho has interest from elsewhere, it seems he’s making BVB his priority this summer.

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It’s not a done deal yet, but the report suggests that talks have been fairly advanced and that it’s all looking positive for the player to come back to Germany.

Sancho shone at Dortmund as a youngster, and also did well there in a brief return on loan a couple of years ago.

After such a difficult time at Man United, it could be a good move for Sancho to try going back to Dortmund again to revive his career.

Where did it go wrong for Sancho at United?

Sancho looked like an exciting signing when he first joined the Red Devils, but he was perhaps unfortunate to come at a time when the club was generally going through a tricky transitional period.

Cristiano Ronaldo also joined that summer, and would have impacted the kind of role Sancho was able to play in the team’s attack, while manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also sacked not that long after he arrived.

Sancho is also far from the only big-name signing to struggle at United in recent times, with others like Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Antony, and Andre Onana among the biggest flops of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

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