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After announcing the official arrival of Reinildo Mandava, Sunderland have now reportedly opened talks to sign another reinforcement in the form of a £22m striker.

Reinildo: Joining Sunderland is a "dream come true"

Becoming their fourth arrival of the summer, Reinildo arrives from Atletico Madrid in a free transfer which could quickly make him one of the bargains of the summer. Following Habib Diarra, Enzo Le Fee and Noah Sadiki through the door, the experienced left-back is part of an incredibly impressive summer transfer window so far at the Stadium of Light.

Excited to get going, the new arrival told Sunderland’s official website: “It is a dream come true because it has always been my ambition to play in the Premier League – and I can’t wait to play for an historic club like Sunderland.

“I’m excited to meet the team, to fight, and to give everything for the Club. I want to help, to give power to my team-mates, and transmit my experience in the dressing room. Above all else, I want to make people happy and I will give everything to make that happen.”

Having featured at the very top level, including the Club World Cup most recently, Reinildo should have little trouble finding his feet in the Premier League. Whether that spells trouble for Dennis Cirkin as he looks to keep hold of his starting place under Regis Le Bris.

Le Fee 2.0: Sunderland lodge bid to sign 'one of the best LW's out there'

Sunderland fans could soon be cheering on a new star who might be their next Enzo Le Fee.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 9, 2025

Ultimately, however, whether it’s the battle for a midfield spot now that Diarra has arrived or Cirkin and Reinildo’s battle at left-back, it’s the type of competition for places that Le Bris needs next season if Sunderland are to survive.

It’s also the type of competition that he could hand star striker Wilson Isidor amid rumours that the Black Cats have opened talks to sign another forward this summer.

Sunderland open talks to sign Luis Suarez

According to O Jogo, as relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland have now opened talks to sign Luis Suarez from UD Almeria in a move that could hijack Sporting Club’s attempt to replace Victor Gyokeres this summer.

Whilst the Almeria star is not quite his Inter Miami namesake, he is a talented forward available for just €25m (£22m) and Sunderland certainly haven’t been afraid to spend that kind of money in recent weeks.

Just last season, the 27-year-old was the star of the show even as Almeria failed to secure promotion from La Liga 2 – scoring 31 goals and assisting another eight in all competitions.

Taking his total tally to 100 goals at club level, the forward is now ready to feature at a higher level – whether that’s in the Premier League or at one of Portugal’s best sides in Sporting. Either way, Suarez may have quite a decision to make and one he can’t get wrong at the peak of his powers.

For Sunderland, it could be yet another statement of intent. For Sporting, meanwhile, it would be a frustrating blow if they were to lose Gyokeres and then fail to sign their top target.

In what could see them finally land a long-term target, Newcastle United are now reportedly accelerating their move to sign a £30m star with talks now advancing.

Newcastle's summer plans set to heat up

With the PSR deadline approaching as well as the start of pre-season, Newcastle insiders reportedly believe that the transfer window is set to heat up in the next week or two. And that Magpies could yet play a large part in that. The Champions League awaits Eddie Howe’s side next season and, for the first time in over a year, PIF seemingly have money to spend.

He's an Isak clone: Newcastle start discussions to sign £50m "superstar"

Newcastle have enquired about signing their next Alexander Isak.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 23, 2025

Unlike the last time that they were forced to balance European football with domestic commitments, Newcastle could put together a squad capable of competing on all fronts this summer. Just who comes in is the big question.

If reports are anything to go by, then the likes of Anthony Elanga will be a name to watch. The Nottingham Forest star was the subject of Newcastle’s interest late on last summer and is now seemingly back on their radar one year later.

Signing a right-winger is reportedly among Newcastle’s priorities this summer and with Bryan Mbeumo likely on his way to Manchester United rather than St James’ Park, a move to sign Elanga would certainly make sense.

That’s not Newcastle’s only priority, however. With Nick Pope now 33 years old and coming off the back of an injury-hit campaign, those in Tyneside have also set their sights on signing a new shot-stopper in the coming months.

Newcastle advance talks to sign James Trafford

To that end, the most prominent name mentioned over the last year has been James Trafford, and it now looks as though the Magpies could get their man.

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are now in advanced talks to sign Trafford and are accelerating their £30m move to sign the Burnley star, which could be finalized as early as this week, with the goalkeeper reaffirming his desire to join Newcastle.

For all involved at St James’ Park, Trafford’s arrival would be seen as the ultimate success. He’s been a top target since early last summer and has since enjoyed a standout season as Burnley earned promotion back to the Premier League. At just 22 years old, he is one of the best young goalkeepers around.

Praised for an “incredible season” by scout Jacek Kulig back in February, £30m could quickly look like a bargain price for Trafford if he brings his Burnley form into Howe’s side next season.

With Antonio Cordero secured and Trafford reportedly on his way, the Magpies are off to a solid start on the transfer front this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly identifying targets for incoming new manager Thomas Frank already, with the Dane also having his own input on their summer recruitment plans as he prepares for his debut season in the Lilywhites dugout.

Thomas Frank already identifying transfer targets at Spurs

According to Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources, Frank is closing in on the Spurs job and an agreement has been reached for him to replace Ange Postecoglou – just days after the Australian was given his marching orders.

Tottenham now offered £42m star who Mourinho held talks to sign for Spurs

The former Spurs boss FaceTimed him constantly.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025

Romano has given his renowned ‘here we go’ to the appointment and there is an expectation that Frank could even be confirmed as Tottenham’s new manager in the next few days (BBC), with the 51-year-old poised to swap Brentford for north London.

The move is so advanced, in fact, that reports are already flooding in regard to Frank identifying his preferred summer transfer targets for Spurs.

GiveMeSport reported earlier this week that Frank has recommended Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze to Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy as a possible signing, in the event they cannot beat Man United in the race for Bryan Mbeumo.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

This comes amid reports that they’re after a new left-winger after the departure of Timo Werner, with Spurs said to be eyeing Man City star Jack Grealish, who is almost certain to depart Eastlands this summer (talkSPORT).

The arrival of a new forward in that area would also raise questions about the future of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman arrived at N17 on loan in January, and the deal includes an option to buy for around £45 million. However, it is believed that Spurs would want to whittle down that fee if they do opt to keep Tel, following a mixed first six months at the club.

Tottenham to open talks over cut-price Mathys Tel deal

According to TEAMtalk this week, that is most certainly the plan, and Tottenham are set to open talks over a reduced-price move for Tel in the coming weeks.

They also state Frank has personally told Spurs chiefs that the 20-year-old’s permanent arrival would sufficiently reinforce his attacking options ahead of a 2025/2026 campaign where they’ll be competing in the Champions League.

Frank apparently believes Tel is a perfect fit for his high-pressing system, and is a major fan of the winger’s work rate among other desirable traits, like his versatility.

Taking this into account, Frank has requested that the club keep Tel right where he is, which could end up being the right call considering his glowing reputation among Bayern Munich circles.

Ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann once tipped Tel to bag ’40 goals a season’ at some point in his career, while Bayern back-up keeper, Sven Ulreich, called him a ‘role model’ for younger players.

“Mathys is a fine guy, is inquisitive, willing to learn, down-to-earth and works a lot on himself,” Ulreich said.

“He is a role model for all the young players who come here. He comes up and does his job. We’ve had other examples that didn’t handle it that way.”

Newcastle United’s qualification for the Champions League next season will give Eddie Howe hope that he can lure some high-profile players to Stamford Bridge.

One player they are showing interest in is Jadon Sancho. The Manchester United winger looks set to depart Old Trafford this summer.

The Englishman could cost the club around £25m, and he would certainly bolster their wide options, given his return of five goals and eight assists for Chelsea this season.

It would be a massive statement of intent if Howe could secure a deal for the former Borussia Dortmund starlet. While adding wingers will help the club next season, perhaps it is other positions that require strengthening first.

Newcastle enter the race to sign Barcelona star

One position that Howe must improve is his goalkeeping department. The club conceded 47 Premier League goals last term, the worst defensive record out of any side in the top five.

Thus, bringing in a top-class goalkeeper ahead of another Champions League campaign makes perfect sense.

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona’s keeper Marc-André ter Stegen could be set to leave the club following the arrival of Joan Garcia.

PSG, AC Milan, Manchester City, and Juventus have all expressed interest in the German international, but Newcastle are also entering the race.

Beating these clubs to the signature of Ter Stegen would be a major coup for Howe; that much is certain. Indeed, he would be an even better signing than Sancho.

Why Newcastle must sign Marc-André ter Stegen

Signing Sancho could prove to be a massive gamble. For Man United, the winger scored just 12 goals across 83 matches for the club. His loan spell at Chelsea didn’t exactly see him sparkle either.

His 41 matches for the Blues saw only five goals netted, and it was no surprise that they declined to sign him permanently. Given the fact that Newcastle can call upon players such as Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, and Jacob Murphy on the wing, do they need to splash out to sign Sancho? Especially with the risks involved with his lacklustre form.

In this instance, making a move for Ter Stegen would be seen as the smarter approach. That’s for sure.

Last season, Nick Pope kept just eight clean sheets from 35 appearances, while Martin Dubravka kept five clean sheets across ten domestic matches for the Magpies.

If Howe is serious about progressing far in the Champions League next season, making a move to bring Ter Stegen to England would be a very shrewd move indeed.

Metric

Pope

Dubravka

Clean sheets

8

5

Saves per game

3.1

2.9

Touches per game

34.8

38

Goals conceded

35

12

Goals conceded per game

1.3

1.2

Pass success rate

65%

76%

He played just nine games last season for Barcelona, keeping a solitary clean sheet. The German has been with the La Liga giants since the summer of 2014, playing over 400 competitive matches in the process.

A total of 175 clean sheets have been kept throughout that period. While he may not have featured much this term, in La Liga during 2023/24, he was excellent.

Across his 28 matches, Ter Stegen made 2.7 saves per game – a success rate of 74% – while he was also successful with 100% of his runs out per game.

He was comfortable on the ball, as evidenced by his average of 40 touches per game, while a 94% pass accuracy in his own half suggests the German moves the ball on effectively.

The player was lauded as “ice cool” by popular X page Goalkeeper.com for the way he snuffed out an opponent’s attack in the Champions League in September 2023.

Given the fact that he has a contract until 2028 with the Catalan giants, a move would cost the club, although it hasn’t been determined just how much Hansi Flick will demand for his player.

Sancho would be a fine signing, no doubt, but bringing Ter Stegen to the north-east would certainly turn heads.

Newcastle accelerate pursuit of £60m striker who now wants move to Tyneside

Eddie Howe could bring a clinical forward to Tyneside.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 13, 2025

Full-backs in today’s game are a crucial position of the pitch, with modern-day managers wanting to see them effect the game in attack, while also being solid defensively.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been one of the best right-backs the Premier League has seen, but he has now left Liverpool for Real Madrid. But where does he rank in regards to best right-backs in Premier League history?

Ranking factors Appearances Longevity Titles Goals Clean sheets What others have said about them 20 best right-backs in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Dan Petrescu Sheffield Wednesday, Chelsea, Bradford, Southampton

Starting the countdown is Romanian icon Dan Petrescu, who was an attacking full-back best known for his time at Chelsea.

Petrescu cost the Blues a then-club-record £2.3m from Sheffield Wednesday back in 1995, but he starred at Stamford Bridge across a five-year spell before also featuring for Bradford and Southampton in the top flight, contributing to more than 50 league goals along the way.

Games

215

Goals

23

Assists

33

Clean sheets

42

19 Antonio Valencia Wigan, Man Utd

Starting out as a winger when he moved to England with Wigan, Antonio Valencia was slowly moved back to an attacking right-back role under Sir Alex Ferguson.

He still had that attacking output and was called a player who “has got everything” by Ferguson, with the Ecuadorian winning two league titles at Old Trafford.

Games

325

Goals

24

Assists

46

Clean sheets

105

Titles

2

18 John O’Shea Man Utd, Sunderland

Versatile defender John O’Shea would turn out as a right-back on numerous occasions for Man Utd and was also used as a centre-back and left-back during his career.

The Irishman, called a “great professional” who “never complains” by Sir Alex Ferguson, was a reliable performer and made more than 250 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils before going on to spend seven years with Sunderland.

Games

445

Goals

13

Assists

13

Clean sheets

115

Titles

5

17 Wes Brown Man Utd, Sunderland

Continuing the trend of right-backs to have played for Man Utd and Sunderland is Wes Brown, who won five Premier League titles with the Red Devils between 1997-2011.

Like O’Shea, Brown was used in a variety of defensive roles during his career and could excel at right-back. Sir Alex Ferguson, who knew his stuff, was also a big fan, calling Brown “the best natural defender in the country” back in 2009.

Games

308

Goals

4

Assists

9

Clean sheets

98

Titles

5

16 Seamus Coleman Everton

Arguably the best value-for-money signing in Premier League history, Seamus Coleman has been crucial for Everton since joining from Sligo Rovers in 2009.

Costing just £60,000, the Irishman has gone on to make more than 350 league appearances for the Toffees, coming in for praise from Frank Lampard who called Coleman “amazing”.

His longevity has been brilliant, and in his prime, Coleman has also been a real threat in the final third, contributing to 46 top flight goals.

Games

371

Goals

22

Assists

24

Clean sheets

96

15 Paulo Ferreira Chelsea

One of Jose Mourinho’s first signings at Chelsea back in 2004, Paulo Ferreira would enjoy a successful spell at Stamford Bridge, winning three Premier League titles.

The Portuguese defender sometimes went under the radar but played 29 times in the 2004/05 season which saw the Blues concede just 15 times in the league campaign.

Games

141

Assists

4

Clean sheets

56

Titles

3

14 Kieran Trippier Burnley, Tottenham, Newcastle

After coming through the Man City academy, Kieran Trippier made a name for himself in the Premier League with Burnley before spells with Tottenham and Newcastle.

A set-piece specialist from right-back, Trippier was dubbed as the perfect modern-day full-back by defensive icon Roberto Carlos and has scored and created numerous goals in the top flight.

Games

210

Goals

6

Assists

38

Clean sheets

52

13 Joao Cancelo Man City

Another brilliant attacking full-back, Joao Cancelo’s stay in the Premier League was relatively short, but he made a big impact at Man City under Pep Guardiola with his eye for a pass.

He won three titles in four seasons at the Etihad and was named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, while also being dubbed one of the best right-backs in the world by Nigel de Jong.

Games

98

Goals

5

Assists

11

Clean sheets

41

Titles

3

12 Gary Kelly Leeds

A one-club man with Leeds United, Irishman Gary Kelly was one of the best right-backs in the early years of the Premier League and made more than 300 top-flight appearances for the Whites.

Twice named in the PFA Team of the Year, Kelly was defensively sound but would also get forward when he could, averaging an assist every 10 appearances at Elland Road.

Games

325

Goals

2

Assists

31

Clean sheets

103

11 Stephen Carr Tottenham, Newcastle, Birmingham

Another old-school right-back, Stephen Carr made an appearance in 15 separate Premier League campaigns but will best be remembered for his time at Tottenham, where he was included in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions.

Although he never got near to winning the title, Carr was extremely reliable and was a right-back who “had everything” according to Irish teammate Kenny Cunningham.

Games

377

Goals

8

Assists

17

Clean sheets

83

As Aston Villa prepare for a busy summer in the transfer market, how they would love to unearth a forward as prolific as Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker scored 49 goals in just 101 appearances for the Villans, thereby averaging a goal every 172 minutes, despite the fact they were struggling throughout his time at the club.

Having arrived from Genk for just £7m in 2012, Benteke was sold to Liverpool for £32.5m three years later, quite the return on investment.

A decade on from his departure, could Villa be about to make a Benteke-esque striker move in this transfer window?

Aston Villa targeting new striker

According to a report by Football Transfers, Monchi has made Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro a ‘high-priority’ target this summer, adding that the Brazilian is valued at around £58m by the Seagulls.

Pedro has not been seen since being sent off at Brentford on 19 April, first serving the customary three-match suspension.

However, despite then being available for Brighton’s final two fixtures of the campaign, Fabian Hürzeler chose not to select him.

This is because, as outlined by Pedro was involved in a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke, merely fueling speculation around his future.

Sam Dean of the Telegraph has previously documented that Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all ‘interested’ to Pedro this summer, but could Aston Villa position themselves at the front of the queue by acting swiftly?

Why Pedro would be a better signing than Rashford

Now that his loan spell has come to an end, there was always going to be much speculation about Marcus Rashford’s future.

In 17 appearances for Villa, he looked like a different player, enjoying a ‘career rehabilitation’ in the Midlands as he scored four goals and registered six assists, on target against Brighton and Manchester City in the Premier League, also bagging a brace at Preston North End in the FA Cup.

Nevertheless, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reports that, even though he is contracted to the club until 2028, Rashford has no future at Manchester United, who value him at £40m, with reports in Spain documenting Barcelona’s long-standing interest.

However, rather than pushing to make Rashford’s deal permanent, would Villa be better served signing Pedro?

Well, let’s attempt to find out.

Goals

0.46

0.38

Assists

0.28

0.19

Key passes

1.39

1.77

Progressive passes

3.61

2.15

Shot-creating actions

3.33

3.54

Successful take-ons

1.34

1.14

Progressive carries

3.06

2.66

As the table outlines, Rashford and Pedro’s statistics this season are remarkably similar.

In around 300 more minutes across all competitions, the Englishman scored one more goal, registered two more assists and accumulated more shot-creating actions per 90.

Nevertheless, Pedro came out on top for carrying metrics across passing and dribbling, suggesting he’s even more of a livewire than Pedro in forward areas.

Presenter Sam Ucko labels the Brazilian a ‘special player”, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic praises his ‘technical prowess’, which enables him to drop deep and be involved in the build-up play.

So, the smarter business decision would be to spend big on the younger Pedro, rather than splurging on a 27-year-old whose best days could be behind them.

Pau Torres 2.0: Aston Villa submit offer to sign £21m "big game player"

Aston Villa are looking to do their transfer business early

ByJoe Nuttall May 28, 2025

Aston Villa have opened direct transfer talks with one player over joining Unai Emery next season, according to reports, as the Premier League top five contenders attempt to build upon another impressive campaign.

Aston Villa seal vital win over Tottenham in Champions League race

Nerves were rife throughout Villa Park in their crunch encounter against Tottenham on Friday night, before their opening goal 30 minutes from full-time, with defender Ezri Konsa breaking the deadlock before Boubacar Kamara doubled their advantage.

Monchi now leading Aston Villa charge to sign "exciting" Serie A midfielder

Monchi is reportedly a fan of the Argentine midfielder.

ByTom Cunningham May 16, 2025

Villa eventually ran out 2-0 victors over Ange Postecoglou’s side and cemented a crucial win in their chase for Champions League qualification.

The result means Emery’s side are still right in the thick of it, as they contend for a top five finish heading into the Premier League final matchday, and it is shaping up to be a dramatic last game with six teams involved in the battle for Europe.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Chelsea

66

5. Aston Villa

66

6. Man City

65

7. Nottingham Forest

62

Emery, speaking after their victory against struggling Spurs, heaped praise on his players for making their home ground a serious fortress.

“I’m very grateful for the supporters,” Emery said. “Here, we are feeling strong and we’re feeling comfortable. We only lost one match here in the Premier League, the first match against Arsenal. Progressively, we were getting better. Of course, we drew some matches in the way, and now we are missing some points from those moments, but we have to accept it.

“We have to accept the 37 matches we’ve played being consistent, more or less, and getting the moment we are in now, feeling good and in our best moment. We’re achieving the challenges we are facing. We enjoyed in the FA Cup and in Carabao Cup, but mostly our moment in the Champions League.

“The Premier League is the most important competition we are facing because through it we are getting again our main objective, and the objective is to be in Europe.

“We are in Europe next year, but we are in the running for the Champions League positions, and we can have chances in the last match in Manchester to get it.”

Aston Villa open talks with Axel Disasi over joining next season

The result of their Champions League chase will have direct effects on their recruitment plans off the field, but that hasn’t stopped NSWE and Monchi from making moves behind-the-scenes.

Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi could remain beyond 2024/2025, with the Frenchman very highly-rated by Emery, his coaching staff and Villa’s transfer chiefs.

That is according to Foot Mercato, who state that Villa have already opened talks with Disasi over joining them next season.

The 27-year-old cost Chelsea £39 million to sign from Monaco in 2023, and Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that they’re keen to sell him for profit this summer. It is unclear how much Villa would be willing to pay to keep Disasi in the Midlands, but he could be a significant addition.

The defender has been called a “leader” at times, and his experience at the top level could be invaluable for Emery.

This season has been an undeniably strange one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are a game away from potentially making it to only their second Champions League final ever, but they have also completely fallen away in the Premier League.

One of the Gunners’ obvious weaknesses this year has been a lack of clinical finishing up top, but arguably, a lack of creativity has been just as much of a problem; Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all creating more big chances in the league.

Fortunately, the club seem to be well aware of this problem as well, and, based on recent reports, could be set to sign an incredibly creative attacker from the continent, who could be their own Bruno Fernandes.

Arsenal's transfer targets

With it clear that Arsenal want to add more creativity to the team this summer, it’s worth looking at a couple of their other targets, such as Rayan Cherki and Nico Williams.

The former could be available for around £30m, which would be a bargain, as in just 41 appearances, totalling 2894 minutes, the 21-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists.

Williams, on the other hand, would cost significantly more, at £50m, but he too has enjoyed a great campaign, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 games.

Transfer Focus

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

However, recent reports have now touted another creative attacker for a move to the Emirates: Francisco Trincão.

According to a recent report from the Portuguese newspaper Record, as relayed by the Metro, Arsenal are one of three Premier League sides to have begun talks with Sporting CP for the dynamo.

Manchester United are reportedly one of the other teams incredibly interested in the Portuguese international, who has a release clause in his current deal worth around £66.5m.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Trincão’s immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Arsenal’s own Fernandes.

Why Trincão could be Arsenal's own Fernandes

So, if Arsenal can beat the Red Devils to Trincão’s signature this summer, what is it that could make him like their Fernandes?

Well, to start with, there are several more surface-level similarities between the pair, such as them both being Portuguese, both coming from Sporting CP, moving to one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ and doing so at 25 years old.

However, there is another far more significant similarity between the two players, one that transcends their positional differences: their creativity.

For all the criticism that has been levelled at Fernandes in recent years, one thing that hasn’t been questioned is his technique and ability to either produce assist after assist or score goals himself.

For example, in 285 appearances for United, he has scored 98 goals and provided 85 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.55 games.

Appearances

50

28

Goals

9

15

Assists

18

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

1.03

Moreover, in his final half-campaign with Sporting, the 30-year-old scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in 28 appearances, which was an average of 1.03 goal involvements every game.

Now, while the incredibly “exciting” Trincão, as dubbed by former Wolverhampton Wanderers technical director Scott Sellars, hasn’t quite hit those heights this term, he’s still seriously impressed, scoring nine goals and, more importantly, providing 18 assists in 50 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.85 games.

Just imagine if Arsenal had a player that creative in the team this season; there is a real chance that they’d have at least been in the Premier League title fight for a little while longer.

Ultimately, while it would cost a lot, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Trincão this summer, as he would add some much-needed creativity to the team, and could even become their own Fernandes.

Mega Kiwior upgrade: Arsenal initiate talks for "superb" £34m monster

The experienced international could be just what Arsenal need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025

Manchester City have already spent big in 2025, and are showing no signs of easing up.

In January, the Sky Blues splashed a reported £180m on five new signings, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah, Vitor Reis, Nico González and Omar Marmoush.

Nevertheless, after suffering an early Champions League exit and relinquishing their Premier League title, Pep Guardiola is set to oversee a major rebuild in the summer, with plenty more new signings set to arrive at the Etihad.

Manchester City targeting a new goalkeeper

As reported by Foot Mercato, Manchester City have been ‘given the initial green light’ in their attempt to sign Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who they claim is ‘keen on joining the club’.

The report notes that Costa has a €75m release clause, around £64m, reporting that Man City are willing to ‘break the bank’ to secure his services, following Ederson’s ‘disappointing season’.

Editor Zach Lowy certainly thinks this would be a good move, labelling Costa “one of the best goalkeepers in world football”, notably becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a European Championship shootout last summer, as Portugal dumped out Slovenia in Frankfurt.

Kevin Araújo Fernandes of Breaking the Lines asserts that Costa is ‘inarguably one of the brightest’ goalkeepers on the planet, underlining that he would be an excellent signing for Manchester City, but did they already sell an even bigger talent?

Manchester City already sold a bigger goalkeeping star

On Monday, following their 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Turf Moor, Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed.

Astonishingly, the Claret have conceded just 15 goals in 44 EFL Championship fixtures to date, hence why goalkeeper James Trafford has been earning plenty of plaudits.

Scott Parker’s side kept 11 successive clean sheets earlier this year, just the fifth club in English Football League history to achieve this, while enjoying 28 shutouts in total to date; the previous second-tier record was 25.

Meantime, the former record for fewest goals conceded in a Championship season is 30, while the Clarets’ require clean sheets from the final two fixtures, against QPR and Millwall, to match Chelsea’s all-time record of 15 goals conceded, achieved under José Mourinho in 2004/05, albeit in eight fewer matches.

Trafford has been a key figure in this defensive solidity, described as “world-class” by his manager Parker, with the table below underlining exactly why.

Clean sheets

28

1st

Clean sheet %

65.1%

1st

Goals conceded (min 11 apps)

15

1st

Goals conceded per 90

0.35

1st

Save %

84.5%

1st

% of penalties saved

100%

=1st

Post-shot xG – goals allowed

+10.9

3rd

As the table outlines, Trafford comes out on top for pretty much every statistic this season, with his two penalty saves especially remarkable considering they came just nine minutes apart, in the 88th and 97th minutes no less, denying Wilson Isidor both times, preserving a goalless draw against Sunderland in January.

Trafford joined Manchester City’s academy as a 13-year-old, before being sold to Burnley for a reported £19m two years ago, with Transfermarkt believing his current market value is now at its peak.

Thus, the 22-year-old is unquestionably a talented goalkeeper, so let’s analyse how he compares to Costa.

Appearances

43

41

Minutes

3,870

3,720

Goals conceded

15

44

Clean sheets

28

18

Save %

84.5%

68.3%

% of penalties saved

100%

33%

Post-shot xG – goals allowed

+10.9

-2.7

% of crosses stopped

5.9%

6.2%

Pass completion %

72.9%

78.5%

As the table outlines, Trafford has outperformed Costa this season, while plying his trade at only a slightly lower level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Championship is the 11th strongest league in the world, with the Primeira Liga ranked seventh.

So, regardless of who you believe to be the better goalkeeper, selling Trafford for £19m only to then sign Costa for in excess of three times more may be viewed as a mistake.

100% dribbles, 88% passing: Pep has found his own Cambiaso in Man City star

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ByBen Gray Apr 23, 2025

Arsenal’s aim this summer is clear: add more goals to their squad.

Despite being second in the Premier League and through to only the club’s third Champions League semi-final, the Gunners’ lack of goals has unquestionably held them back.

So, do Arsenal lead the race to sign “one of the best wingers on the market”, described as Mikel Arteta’s dream signing?

Arteta's dream attacking signing

According to reports in Spain, via Football365, Arsenal are readying a ‘serious offer’ as they attempt to sign Athletic Club Bilbao forward Nico Williams, whom is believed to be Arteta’s dream target.

The Gunners have a long-standing interest in Williams; alongside Barcelona, they were chasing his signature last season, but the 22-year-old decided to stay at Athletic, aiming to help les Leons win the Europa League at their home stadium San Mamés, on course to achieve this, preparing to face Manchester United in the semi-finals.

Now, Marca are reporting that Barça’s interest in Williams has cooled, partially as a result of their ongoing financial concerns, but also due to the fact that Raphinha has been on fire this season, scoring 28 goals and registering 22 assists across all competitions.

Transfer Focus

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

Thus, Aditya Gokhale of Goal believes this leaves Arsenal as the front-runners to sign Williams come the summer, with analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as “one of the best wingers on the market”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him “brilliant”.

Pol Ballús of The Athletic documents that Williams’ release clause is just €55m (around £47m), which he claims to be a ‘bargain’ although, according to Capology, the winger earns around £171k-per-week, so would therefore become one of Arsenal’s highest-earners, should he choose to swap the Basque Country for North London.

How Nico Williams would improve Arsenal

Arteta has previously stated that he wants to add “more firepower” to his forward line, and these statistics underline why.

The Gunners have scored one goal or fewer on 22 occasions this season, doing so in 50% of their 32 league fixtures to date, with the table below showing how this compares to previous campaigns.

2024/25*

57

1.78

2nd

2020/21

55

1.45

8th

2019/20

56

1.47

8th

1998/99

59

1.55

2nd

1995/96

49

1.29

5th

1994/95

52

1.23

12th

1993/94

53

1.26

4th

1992/93

40

0.95

10th

1989/90

54

14.2

4th

*season ongoing: 6 fixtures remaining

As outlined in the table, since 1988, Arsenal have only failed to score 60+ goals in a league season on eight occasions, primarily enduring miserable mid-table campaigns whenever they do, requiring three goals from their remaining six fixtures this season to avoid adding to this tally.

This is also quite the comedown, considering the Gunners scored 91 goals last season, their most in a single campaign since 1953.

Despite netting at the Bernabéu this week, Gabriel Martinelli is often widely criticised, with this only his eighth goal of the season so far.

Given that Martinelli is first-choice on the left-wing, it is his place Williams would be looking to take in the team, so let’s assess how the duo compare.

Appearances

42

43

Minutes

2,946

2,905

Goals

11

8

Assists

7

6

Shots on target %

42.2%

45.2%

Shot-creating actions

166

85

Goal-creating actions

20

7

Attempted take-ons

264

137

Take-on success %

40.2%

33.6%

Progressive carries

177

141

Ball recoveries

127

95

Duels Contested

471

306

Touches per 90

41

34

Remarkably, as outlined in the table, Williams and Martinelli have played almost a near-identical number of minutes this season to date, there are just 41 between them, which is useful when it comes to comparing the duo.

The table suggests that Williams would be an upgrade on the Brazilian, considering that he’s scored more goals and registered more assists this season, while he is also a more proficient dribbler, and is more dangerous in front of goal.

So, if the Gunners are finally going to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title next season, the Spanish Euros winner would be an excellent addition.

Their own Yamal: Arsenal hold talks for £25m "future Ballon D'or winner"

The simply sensational talent could be a game-changer for Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 19, 2025