As exit rumours continue to surround Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks to sign one of Monchi’s top targets who could be an instant upgrade on the Argentine shot-stopper.

Atletico Madrid & Man Utd targeting Martinez

Aston Villa have been stuck between a rock and a hard place this summer with that rock being PSR rules. Whilst in an ideal world they keep hold of Martinez this summer and continue to enjoy the World Cup winner’s talents, his sale would go a long way towards easing their PSR concerns.

The goalkeeper isn’t exactly short on interest, either. Manchester United and Atletico Madrid are both reportedly chasing Martinez’s signature this summer as Aston Villa continue to deliberate over a potential sale.

Of course, the worst-case scenario for Villa this summer would be Martinez joining a direct rival in Manchester United, but they may have little choice in the matter amid reports that he would now prefer a switch to Old Trafford if he is to depart.

It creates a tough choice for Villa once again. Either sell a 32-year-old player who has become a leader under Unai Emery or cash in for the sake of their off-pitch troubles and welcome a fresh option. Aston Villa must pick their poison this summer and hope that the remedy is an unexpected upgrade between the sticks.

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To that end, it seems as though those in the Midlands are at least preparing for the worst case and have reportedly opened talks to sign what would be an excellent replacement for Martinez.

Aston Villa open talks to sign Chevalier

As reported by TeamTalk, Aston Villa have now opened talks to sign Lucas Chevalier from LOSC Lille this summer and are converging on a deal for the Frenchman’s signature. With a formal offer now the next step in any negotiation too, Monchi has reportedly already mooted a £40m bid to the Ligue 1 club in pursuit of their goalkeeper.

Starts

34

37

Clean Sheets

11

8

Saves per 90

2.68

2.70

Save Percentage

74.4%

69%

At 23 years old, Chevalier enjoyed an impressive campaign as part of a Lille side that defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League table phase and reached the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.

If the Villans have the option to solve their PSR problems by selling Martinez and signing Chevalier to replace him then it is a move they should prioritise this summer. The Lille star is too good to miss out on if they’re on the hunt for a new No.1.

Described as “excellent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Villa would be signing one of the best young goalkeepers around if they managed to lure Chevalier to the Midlands this summer.

After a dramatic end to the Super Eight stage, with Afghanistan winning a thriller against Bangladesh in St Vincent to knock out Australia, the four semi-finalists of the T20 World Cup 2024 have been confirmed: Group 2 toppers South Africa will take on Afghanistan in the first semi-final, while Group 1 leaders India will face England in the second semi-final.The first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan will start at 8.30pm local time on Wednesday, June 26, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The second semi-final between India and England will be at 10.30am Thursday morning, June 27 (local time) at Guyana’s Providence Stadium.India had been allotted the second semi-final in Guyana well before the tournament started, irrespective of their Super Eight finish. That match will start at 8pm India time on June 27.The playing conditions for the two semi-finals, though, are different. The second semi-final, featuring India and England, will not have a reserve day because of a single day’s gap between that match and the final.However, a total of 250 minutes of additional time is available for each semi-final. The first semi-final will have an extra 60 minutes at the end of the day’s play and a further 190 minutes on the reserve day, starting from 2pm local time. The second semi-final will have the entire 250 minutes available on the scheduled day since it doesn’t have a reserve day.Additionally, for a game to be constituted as complete in the semi-finals and final, both teams should bat a minimum of 10 overs per innings, as opposed to five overs per innings in the rest of the tournament. This could be significant as rain has been forecast at both venues, and the playing conditions state that in case of a washout, the team that finishes higher in their respective Super Eight groups (India and South Africa, in this case) will proceed. In case the final is abandoned because of poor weather, the two finalists will be declared joint winners.

Chelsea have managed to pull off some impressive business this summer and could now be about to repeat the trick as they look to bolster their forward line, according to a report.

Chelsea continue their pursuit of a striker after Delap deal

Liam Delap will be left to lead the line in Chelsea’s bid for the Club World Cup up until the semi-final, providing they manage to get there, after Nicolas Jackson’s straight red card against Flamengo on matchday two of the group stage.

Losing control at a crucial time, his reckless lunge has prompted some to question whether he has the discipline to feature as Enzo Maresca’s starting striker long-term or whether further intervention in the transfer market is needed at Stamford Bridge.

Former referee Keith Hackett has gone to the extreme of claiming Jackson should be banned for five matches at a minimum amid recent events stateside.

He stated: “There is no place in football for this type of challenge the reaction and speed of the issuing of a red card was a terrific piece of officiating. The referee’s prompt showing of the red card ensured that it reduced any possibility of a mass confrontation. This unacceptable action by the offender should result in a minimum five-match ban.”

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has been on Chelsea’s radar and is joined by Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, who is enjoying an impressive spell on loan at Juventus.

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Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the West London-based giants have the financial capacity to power on with either pursuit without the need for any bargaining chips along the way.

Speaking of which, Chelsea could have an intriguing plan up their sleeve to land one of the Premier League’s most exciting marksmen.

Chelsea could use makeweight in pursuit of Joao Pedro

According to Si Phillips, Chelsea could offer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in exchange for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro and there is a ‘strong chance’ BlueCo may use this mode of operation to try and acquire the Brazil international.

Despite only joining the club last summer, the £80,000 per week earner was predominantly used in the Europa Conference League, though he did manage 31 outings across all competitions, scoring four times and laying on three assists.

On the other hand, Pedro, who has previously been labelled “amazing” by Slaven Bilic, managed a respectable ten strikes and seven assists in 30 outings.

The opportunity to trade with the Seagulls may be edged along due to the likes of ex-Brighton employee Paul Winstanley. Former Watford man Pedro is also wanted by Newcastle, albeit they may opt to pivot towards Liverpool’s Diogo Jota in their own search for a number nine.

Chelsea would love a clear run at signing the forward, though it should be taken into account that their attempt to perform a part-exchange means Brighton aren’t willing to let him leave on the cheap and more work on this front may be required.

Klaasen, Miller, Maharaj and Rabada all had a hand in helping them win by four runs

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-20242:25

Should cricket revisit the leg-bye rule on a referral?

South Africa survived an almighty scare to to maintain a 100% win-record at the T20 World Cup 2024, and in New York, where they chose to bat first in their final fixture at Eisenhower Park. On a used wicket, Aiden Markram decided to put a total on the board, and it almost looked like a mistake. South Africa were 23 for 4, but a record 79-run fifth-wicket stand between Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller took them to 113, which they scrapped hard to defend.Bangladesh’s start was not ideal. They were 50 for 4 after ten overs, but Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah put on 44 for the fifth wicket and got them back on track. They almost also got them over the line and will look back on one incident which could have forced a Super Over. In the 17th over, Mahmudullah missed a flick off Ottneil Baartman, which hit his front pad and deflected to the boundary for what looked like four leg byes. But he was given out off that ball, which made it dead at the point of impact, and reviewed the decision. Ball-tracking showed Mahmudullah was not out, but because he had been given out, the four runs did not count, as outlined by the ICC’s protocols on DRS (3.7.1) in the playing conditions for T20Is.In the end. Bangladesh fell short by four runs. That, and their inability to capitalise on Keshav Maharaj bowling the final over for the first time in T20Is and sending down three full tosses, cost them the game.Maharaj was tasked with the final over after Markram bowled the seamers out earlier. It seemed a miscalculation, but he got two wickets as Bangladesh sought to clear the boundary though neither Jaker Ali nor Mahmudullah could. Mahmudullah was out on the penultimate ball – off a full toss – to a well-timed running catch by Markram from long-on, which all but ended Bangladesh’s hopes.0:59

Morkel: South Africa held their nerve defending a low total

South Africa leave the USA with three wins from three matches, and will move to St. Vincent to play Nepal in their last group match. They are in pole position to qualify for the Super 8s. Bangladesh also head to the West Indies, and will play Netherlands and Nepal, with the Super 8s still in sight.Top-three troublesFor all the talk about the power of their batting line-up, South Africa’s top three have underperformed thus far, albeit on tough batting surfaces. Collectively, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Markram have scored 61 runs in nine trips to the crease at an average of 6.77. Of teams that have played at least two matches at the tournament, only Uganda and PNG average lower.The biggest concern will be Hendricks, whose scores of 4, 3 and 0 are the lowest of the trio, and whose methods of dismissal appear to show a technical deficiency. Twice in two games, Hendricks has been stuck in his crease and then played down the wrong line. He’ll be looking over his shoulder knowing fellow opener Ryan Rickelton is waiting on the bench, and could get an opportunity in the next match.Things got even worse when Tristan Stubbs was dismissed for a duck in the fifth over. South Africa have only lost their first four wickets by end of the fifth over on five occasions in men’s T20Is, and two of them came in this competition. Happily for them, they had Klaasen and Miller on hand to shore up the mid-section of the innings. Three overs: 13 runsAfter Tanzim Hasan (3 for 18) set the tone with wickets upfront, Taskin Ahmed took charge of the latter stages, helped by Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman. Between them, the trio gave away just 13 runs in the last three overs of South Africa’s innings, and removed both danger batters Klaasen and Miller in a clutch display of death bowling. Klaasen was dismissed halfway through the 18th over, when he slogged across the line but was early on his shot, and the low bounce took the ball onto leg stump. Taskin only conceded three singles off the rest of that over to finish with 2 for 19 from his four overs.It may have been a gamble to use legspinner Rishad for the penultimate over, especially when his previous three cost 28 runs, but he knocked Miller out with a topspinner second ball, and Maharaj could not get him away. Rishad’s final over cost just four. Then came the Fizz, who took the ball away from Maharaj for four consecutive dots before a fifth went wide and was called as such. The batters scored three runs off the last two balls and were frustrated by their inability to score any boundaries in the last three overs.1:24

Morkel: Miller and Klaasen showed maturity against spinners

Happy Birthday David MillerOn his 35th birthday, Miller was given a gift when he edged the first ball Mahmudullah bowled. But Litton Das, who was standing up to the stumps, was unable to react quickly enough to take the catch. Miller was on 13 at the time and went on to more than double his score and finish on 29. But that wasn’t the end of the presents for him. He was stationed at extra cover when Maharaj was brought on to bowl the first over after the powerplay, and Litton, not content with what he had already given Miller, slapped the ball straight to him. Miller made no mistake, and Bangladesh were 29 for 2 in the seventh over.Three overs: 15 runsBangladesh had to get 20 runs off the last 18 balls, and after putting on the squeeze in that period would have expected it to be difficult but perhaps not difficult. Kagiso Rabada bowled the 18th over, despite not being his best at the tournament so far. He only half-appealed when Hridoy missed an attempted clip to the leg side but was rewarded with a wicket first up. Rabada went on to concede only one more run in an over of hard lengths.Then Baartman stepped up for the 19th, and stuck to a slightly fuller length which neither Mahmudullah nor Jaker could get away. He conceded seven runs. The test was when Maharaj, who has never done this job before, was left with the final six balls. He started with a wide. His second legal ball was a low full toss that Mahmudullah hit hard down the ground, but the slow outfield stopped it from getting to the rope. Jaker tried to send the next one over the rope but couldn’t clear long-on, and then Rishad managed a leg bye.But the last two balls were both full tosses that should have been dispatched over the rope. However, Mahmdullah’s effort found Markram, while Taskin could only hit the final ball to cover to give South Africa a nervy anti-choke win.

Manchester United’s front line has been the subject of various additions already this summer, as Ruben Amorim looks to overhaul his first-team squad.

The manager has already secured the signing of forward Matheus Cunha from fellow Premier League outfit Wolves, costing a fee in the region of £62.5m.

Despite the huge fee spent on the 25-year-old, more business is expected to be completed in such a department, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo another name on their shortlist.

He’s been subject to multiple offers from the Red Devils already this window, but a deal is yet to be agreed after he stated his desire to make the switch to Old Trafford.

Other players have remained as key targets for the 40-year-old boss, who appears to be at the heart of various deals which could massively bolster the ranks at the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on United’s hunt for added reinforcements this summer

The forward line has been the main focus for Jason Wilcox and Co this window, as seen by United’s tireless efforts to complete a move to land Cunha ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Brazilian isn’t alone in being pursued by staff behind the scenes in Manchester, with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Kang-in Lee and Rafael Leao just three other talents currently in their sights.

However, they aren’t the only options, with Amorim’s side taking a huge step to secure the signature of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to Record via CaughtOffside.

It’s been reported that positive meetings have been held with the striker’s representatives and that a bid is expected to be lodged to take the Swede to Old Trafford this summer.

They also claim that the Portuguese outfit are holding out for €80m (£67m) to part ways with their talisman, who’s managed to find the net on 54 occasions throughout 2024/25.

Why United’s latest target could be Amorim’s own answer to Kane

Harry Kane is a striker who every side in world football must wish they had, considering his goalscoring exploits, which have made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents.

The 31-year-old spent 10 years as a first-team regular at Tottenham Hotspur, racking up 280 goals and becoming their all-time record goalscorer in the process.

However, it wasn’t enough to propel Spurs to any form of silverware, subsequently moving to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, with the Englishman carrying on his rich vein of form in front of goal.

He’s netted a staggering 82 goals in his 91 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, with Kane evidently making the right choice to move to Germany over a switch to Old Trafford after the Red Devils’ previous interest in his services.

This summer presents Amorim’s side with the chance to land their own talisman in the form of Gyokeres, with the Sporting star comparable to the England international by FBref.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from the recent campaign, the Swede has managed to outperform him in numerous key departments – handing United their answer to Kane should he move this summer.

The Swede, who’s been labelled a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has massively outscored the Bayern ace, whilst also managing to register a higher shot-on-target rate, handing Amorim the deadly threat in front of goal he’s desperately craved.

Games played

33

31

Goals & assists

46

35

Shot-on-target accuracy

52%

42%

Shots on target

2.2

1.7

Take-ons completed

1.9

0.8

Carries into final third

1.3

0.7

Carries into opposition box

3.1

0.7

Aerials won

1.3

1

He’s also managed to complete more take-ons and register more carries into the opposition’s area, subsequently being able to improve the tallies of other players around him.

Gyokeres’ aerial ability could also prove handy for the Red Devils, handing the side a focal point to play-off, whilst also offering an added threat from set pieces to improve their goalscoring record.

There’s no denying Kane will go down as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever goalscorers, with Gyokeres having huge pressure to replicate such success should he move to England this window.

The comparison is credit to the striker and an indication as to how impressive he’s been in recent times, potentially offering a new dimension to the club should he complete the switch in the coming months.

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Chelsea are maintaining their transfer plans for the summer window, despite no longer being able to add to their Club World Cup squad till much later this month.

Chelsea prioritising new attackers for Enzo Maresca

If Enzo Maresca becomes desperate to reinforce his squad again during this summer’s tournament, which kicks off in three days, the Blues will have a unique registration window open from June 27 to July 3 – so missing out on key targets before Tuesday’s 7pm deadline wasn’t exactly the end of the world.

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Chelsea attempted to complete deals for both AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, but haggling on price saw the west Londoners fail to seal either of their signatures in time.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

Chelsea walked away from the deal for Maignan after deciding not to meet Milan’s reported £25 million valuation, and they also saw three deadline day bids rejected for Gittens as Dortmund continued to demand more money.

Following these botched deals, reliable journalist Simon Phillips reports that Chelsea are prioritising new attackers for the rest of the window, with BlueCo keen to add a new left winger, versatile attacking midfielder and another striker after Liam Delap.

“For the rest of the window, it is attackers that is the priority. SPTC sources have confirmed that Chelsea want to sign a new left-winger, a versatile attacking midfielder, and another new striker. The Hugo Ekitiké story is far from dead,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“One source continues to mention both Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze to me as real ones to watch. There’s a lot of noise around both players right now and remember, Chelsea reached out to Rogers agent earlier this week. If Chelsea cannot land Ekitike, expect another new striker to be targeted. Enzo Maresca wants his attack improved and has asked for all the above positions.”

Phillips also states that Gittens remains on the radar of Chelsea despite their tough negotiations with Dortmund on Tuesday.

Jamie Gittens wants to join Chelsea and is convinced it'll happen

According to fellow journalist Graeme Bailey, writing for TBR, the 20-year-old is equally keen for this move to happen, regardless of the deadline day failure.

It is believed that Gittens is “especially” convinced that his move to Chelsea will eventually happen, and he still wants to join the west Londoners after holding positive talks with Maresca’s side.

Discussions over a move for the £55 million winger will apparently continue once the transfer window reopens on June 16, and Gittens could be an excellent addition to Maresca’s squad after scoring 12 goals and assisting five others in 48 appearances last season.

“He’s a very important player for us,” said ex-Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin.

“Jamie himself wants to take the next step, and we want him to take that step. Now he’s scoring goals and playing more mature football. It’s not news to me that he’s incredible one-on-one and is a very good finisher.”

It’s been a jam-packed summer for Chelsea so far this year.

On top of making it through to the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup, the Blues have already been very active in the transfer window.

Enzo Maresca’s side have bought in a number of young talents to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with perhaps the most exciting so far being Liam Delap.

However, in exciting news, the club appear close to securing the services of another young star who could be an even bigger talent than the former Ipswich Town star.

Chelsea target young talents

So far this summer, Chelsea seem to be continuing their habit of targeting young, up-and-coming talents, with names like Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho linked with them over the last few weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

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However, with the former now looking set to join Barcelona and the latter not exactly the most popular candidate, thanks to how things appear to have ended at Manchester United, the Blues have also looked at a host of other youngsters.

Fortunately, the West Londoners now appear to be closing in on one of those prospects, someone who’s arguably a bigger talent than Delap: Jamie Gittens.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing the Borussia Dortmund star.

In fact, the Italian journalist has revealed that an “agreement is getting closer” as the two sides continue their talks over the player in the US.

A price is not mentioned in the update, but according to other reports from this week, it looks increasingly likely that the Englishman will cost around £55m.

It might be a lot of money for a 20-year-old, but based on his ability and potential, it could be worth it, especially as he might be a bigger talent than Delap.

How Gittens compares to Delap

So, the first thing to say is that both youngsters look destined for brilliant careers at the very top of the game, but if we had to come down on who we think is just about the bigger talent, it would be Gittens, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that, while the former Ipswich Town gem was honing his skills in the Championship last season, the Dortmund prospect was making a name for himself in the Bundesliga and even made seven appearances in the Champions League, despite being just 19 years old.

Moreover, this season, when both players were competing in one of Europe’s top five leagues alongside other competitions, the 20-year-old prospect was, in fact, more effective for the German outfit than the 22-year-old was for the Tractor Boys.

For example, the “explosive” Reading-born winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances, totalling 2,803 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 164.88 minutes.

In contrast, the Winchester-born poacher scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2,670 minutes, for the Suffolk side this year, which comes out to a goal involvement every 190.71 minutes.

Finally, when we examine their underlying numbers, it becomes impossible to ignore just how much better the talented winger fares than his potential new teammate.

For example, not only does he do better in the most critical attacking metrics, like non-penalty goals plus assists and key passes, but also tackles, blocks and interceptions, so he can be trusted to contribute to the dirty work while also impacting play at the sharp end of the pitch.

Gittens vs Delap

Statistics

Gittens

Delap

Non-Penalty G+As

0.56

0.42

Progressive Passes

2.13

1.04

Progressive Carries

5.74

2.12

Shots

2.64

2.29

Shots on Target

1.22

1.01

Expected Assists

0.21

0.05

Passing Accuracy

76.5%

61.3%

Key Passes

1.07

0.73

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.22

0.21

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.20

0.00

Shot-Creating Actions

3.70

2.15

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.24

Tackles

1.57

0.38

Tackles Won

0.96

0.28

Blocks

0.81

0.28

Interceptions

0.51

0.07

Clearances

0.20

0.97

Successful Take-Ons

3.91

1.39

Carries into the Final Third

2.84

1.60

Carries into the Penalty Area

3.20

1.04

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

Ultimately, both Delap and Gittens will be excellent players for Chelsea, but as things stand, the latter appears to be a more promising talent than the 22-year-old striker.

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It is set to be a very busy summer for Arsenal.

After three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s team are determined to finally take the next step.

With that objective in mind, could they be about to make yet another statement signing from Spain?

Arsenal's incoming transfer business

By early next week, with Tuesday being the start of July, expect a few of Arsenal’s transfer targets to be unveiled.

Transfer Focus

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

Kepa Arrizabalaga will arrive from Chelsea for a reported fee of £5m, to be the back-up to David Raya, while, as reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Arsenal are ‘finalising’ a deal to sign Brentford captain Christian Nørgaard for £9.3m.

The Dane, however, is not the only central midfielder heading to North London, given that Martín Zubimendi is set to be unveiled next week, after the Gunners paid his £51m Real Sociedad release clause.

Nevertheless, with Thomas Partey and Jorginho both departing on free transfers, this is an area of the team they do require multiple reinforcements, so are seemingly not done yet.

That’s because, according to reports in Spain, the Gunners are ‘preparing an offer’ of around £35m to Barcelona, as they attempt to sign Marc Casadó.

They also claim that Arteta believes the 21-year-old ‘fits his style of play’ perfectly, hence why the la Másia graduate ‘has become a priority’ for Arsenal.

Given Barcelona’s ongoing financial crisis, they have not ruled out sanctioning a departure, especially one that facilitates Nico Williams’ arrival from Athletic Club which, as Pol Ballús of the Athletic outlines, still faces financial obstacles.

How Marc Casadó would improve Arsenal

As alluded to earlier, Casadó joined Barcelona’s academy as a 13-year-old, making his senior debut for the first team during a Champions League dead rubber against Viktoria Plzeň in November 2022.

Since then, he has accumulated 41 appearances for Barça, but only establishing himself as a key figure this season, a regular starter before suffering a ligament injury in March, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

36

16th

Starts

29

10th

Minutes

2,447

11th

Completed passes

1,682

7th

Progressive passes

154

8th

Passes into the final third

182

6th

Shot-creating actions

64

9th

Tackles

77

2nd

Interceptions

25

8th

Touches

2,122

8th

Ball recoveries

120

8th

Average SofaScore rating

7.03

10th

As the table outlines, Casadó ranked very highly for every metric included at Barcelona this season, including both passing, as well as defensive statistics, namely tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, underlining that he is an all-rounder.

Following his international debut against Denmark in Copenhagen, in which he came off the bench to replace Zubimendi, teammate Bryan Zaragoza described the midfielder as “barbaric”, adding “I don’t even know what to say about how he played​​​​​​​…. he’s an animal”.

Meantime, Domagoj Kostanjšak of Total Football Analysis believes he is the heir to Sergio Busquets’ throne, stating that Casadó is ‘mostly a ball-recycler’, praising his ‘crisp close control and great decision-making in possession’.

Meantime, Price of Breaking the Lines outlines how the youngster ‘always wants to make progressive passes’, noting that he is almost never dispossessed​​​​​​​ and has the ability to ‘dominate’ any midfield battle he is involved in.

So, we all already know what Zubimendi is all about, with Ogunniyi Abayomi of Breaking the Lines stating that he too is ‘capable of making line-breaking passes​​​​​​​’ as well as dictating the tempo from the base of midfield.

Thus, together, the Spanish duo – both potentially arriving from LaLiga – could form an unstoppable partnership, finally ending Arsenal’s interminable 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

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Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “insane” £13m+ colossus, making contact with his representatives in recent days, according to a report.

Man Utd set sights on new goalkeeper

It would be fair to say that Andre Onana has flattered to deceive ever since arriving from Inter Milan, and Ruben Amorim even dropped the goalkeeper for Altay Bayindir at times during the 2024-25 season, with the Turk playing three of the final four Premier League games.

As such, it is no surprise that United are now looking to bring in a replacement for Onana, and they have set their sights on a number of ambitious targets, many of whom are vastly experienced at Champions League level.

Target

Current club

UCL appearances

Gianluigi Donnarumma

PSG

40

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona

85

Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa

14

Diogo Costa

FC Porto

23

That said, it could be difficult to attract some of Europe’s top goalkeepers after the Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a perhaps more attainable target.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Man United have now opened talks with the entourage of OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, although given that the two clubs are owned by INEOS, a deal may not be possible until January 2026.

United cannot do business with the French club until September, so they may wait until January before making a move for the goalkeeper, who is valued at over £13m, or failing that they could look to bring him in on a free transfer next summer.

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The Red Devils are now willing to use Joshua Zirkzee as part of a swap deal…

ByDominic Lund Jun 11, 2025

AC Milan and Galatasaray could provide competition for Bulka’s signature, with United yet to engage in formal club-to-club negotiations, indicating the potential move is not yet at an advanced stage.

"Insane" Bulka impressing in Ligue 1

Football scout Ben Mattinson has expressed his shock that the 25-year-old has remained at Nice for so long, given his impressive performances in France, saying: “Marcin Bułka was insane vs PSG. I’m surprised he’s still at Nice after being the best GK in Ligue 1 last season.

“The combination of his shot stopping prowess and quality both-footed distribution whilst being 6’6” makes him a great option for big teams.”

Indeed, the Polish shot-stopper put in what could be a career-best performance against former club PSG back in April, achieving a 10 SofaScore rating after making nine saves from inside the box and preventing 2.53 goals.

Nice ran out 3-1 winners against the European champions, embarrassing them in their own backyard courtesy of their colossus between the sticks, who averaged the second-highest Ligue 1 rating in the squad last season.

As such, Bulka could be an excellent signing for Man United, and he may be a more attainable target than the likes of Donnarumma and Ter Stegen, although the fact they will have to wait until January is frustrating.

Arsenal are poised to revamp their squad in many areas this summer, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to end their 20-year-long-plus wait for a Premier League title.

Arsenal "set to sign" another player, it means "sensational" ace will leave

Mikel Arteta’s side have been very busy in the last week.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2025

The Gunners are already set to sign both midfielder Martin Zubimendi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, with the former signing his paperwork as a new Arsenal player last week and the latter completing a medical in the last few days (Sky Sports).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Joining Zubimendi and Kepa will be Denmark international midfielder Christian Norgaard. Brentford’s captain has been handed the green-light to join Arsenal, after Keith Andrews’ side and the north Londoners agreed an initial £10 million transfer, which could rise to £5 million if performance-related add-ons are met (Sky Sports).

Arsenal are also in advanced talks over a deal for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, so new sporting director Andrea Berta’s extensive work behind-the-scenes appears to be paying dividends after this plethora of updates from the last week.

Norgaard’s signing wasn’t initially expected, but news surrounding £200,000-per-week midfielder Thomas Partey and his imminent departure seems to have pushed Berta into sourcing an immediate replacement for the Ghanaian.

The 32-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date at Arsenal last season, making over 50 appearances whilst putting his past injury worries firmly behind him, and that prompted the club to open talks over a contract extension.

However, those discussions ultimately failed to reach a positive outcome, and Partey is now “set to leave” the Emirates after his contract expires on June 30.

Now, the question is: what’s next for the ex-Atletico Madrid stalwart?

Fenerbahce chief travelling to UK for talks with Thomas Partey

According to Turkiye Gazetesi, as translated by Sport Witness, Fenerbahce sporting director Devin Ozek is flying to the UK for talks with Partey.

Ozek is also set to speak with exit-bound Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi about a potential move to the Turkish Super Lig, but it is believed that Jose Mourinho “especially” wants Partey, as the ‘special one’ looks to build a team capable of challenging Galatasaray.

Ndidi remains contracted at the King Power until 2027, but Partey’s soon-to-be free agent status has gifted Fenerbahce a golden opportunity to reinforce Mourinho’s midfield with proven experience and quality, at zero transfer cost.

The terms on offer from Fenerbahce are yet to be detailed, but it will be interesting to see if they can tempt Partey with an equal or similar wage to his current earnings at Arsenal, which are set to dry up in the next few days.