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Leeds United are back in Premier League action this afternoon and they’ll be looking to get their survival bid back on track with a result down in the capital.

Jesse Marsch’s side travel to north London to face an in-form Arsenal side, who too need points to maintain ground in the race for the top four.

Last time out, the Yorkshire outfit were thrashed 4-0 by defending champions Manchester City but that is their only defeat in six matches.

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After naming a back five against Pep Guardiola’s defending champions and sustaining a season-ending injury to the versatile Stuart Dallas, the American head coach is left with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting at the Emirates Stadium today…

There should be no surprises between the sticks as tried and trusted no.1 Illan Meslier continues his shot-stopping duties.

However, it could be all change in the backline as club captain Liam Cooper is expected to start, according to LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross. “Cooper and [Diego] Llorente [are] expected to be available on Sunday. Marsch went as far as expecting his captain to play,” he tweeted ahead of the game.

That should see the Scotsman come straight in for Robin Koch, whilst we may also see the Spaniard return, too, taking the place of Junior Firpo, whose struggles in the top-flight continued last weekend.

The £55k-per-week flop’s defending was lambasted as “schoolboy” by former goalkeeper Paul Robinson to the BBC.

It’s a move that could see Pascal Struijk shift across to left-back, with Luke Ayling back in his natural right-back role.

With a tweak in formation, we’re likely to see Kalvin Phillips partner Mateusz Klich at the base of midfield, especially with Adam Forshaw absent through injury and they’ll be joined by Rodrigo in the no.10 role.

Out wide, it should be Raphinha on the right but there’s a tough dilemma on the left as Jack Harrison has flattered to deceive in recent outings. The American could turn to Daniel James after he was named among the substitutes at Elland Road last week.

Meanwhile, leading the line, we could see a rare start for young academy sensation Joe Gelhardt, given he’s the only fit and available striker. That would make him the fourth and final change from the City thrashing.

Predicted Leeds XI (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Struijk, Cooper, Llorente, Ayling; Klich, Phillips; James, Rodrigo, Raphinha; Gelhardt

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano relays big Kalvin Phillips update at Leeds…

Wolves could make a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Toney impresses for Brentford

Toney enjoyed a superb season for The Bees in the Championship in 2020/21, scoring 33 league goals and inspiring them to promotion to the Premier League.

There were question marks over whether or not he would cut it in the top flight, but he has passed the test with flying colours, netting 12 goals in 28 starts.

Toney has been linked with a summer move from Brentford to Wolves, as Bruno Lage eyes up a potential long-term replacement for Raul Jimenez.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-4/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Wolves linked with move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed it is a transfer that could come to fruition:

“Wolves are very much in the market for a new striker this summer. It’s a key position for Bruno Lage, and if he wants to sign someone like Toney – he’s ready-made for the Premier League.

“He knows what it’s all about, it wouldn’t be a gamble for him. And I think Ivan Toney’s really proved himself to be a good enough player to play in the Premier League, when a lot of people maybe doubted that when he was signed by Brentford in the first place from Peterborough.”

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Verdict: Great summer option

With Toney proving that he can shine in the Premier League, he would be an excellent signing for Wolves, bringing similar levels of work rate, physical prowess and end product to Jimenez.

At 26, he is a younger model, however, and there is a feeling that the current Wolves marksman’s best days are behind him, especially given the head injury suffered at Arsenal last season.

Toney has been hailed as a ‘special, special player’ by Brentford manager Thomas Frank and he would bring a freshness to Wolves’ attack, also adding an injection of quality.

In other news, Wolves have received a transfer boost regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

While this season is shaping up to be a spectacular one for Arsenal, Sunday was a disappointment for Mikel Arteta and Co.

The Spaniard’s team looked second best in their Premier League game against then-second-placed Chelsea, and then failed to capitalise when the Blues went down to ten men.

With that said, while it was a poor showing from the Gunners, they were without a number of the best players, like William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and just as important, Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian has been in scintillating form for Arsenal in recent months, and yet, if reports are to be believed, the club are looking to sign someone who’d be a significant upgrade.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

During the summer, it looked like Trossard would be leaving Arsenal, as he didn’t have a great campaign and was linked with clubs like Bayern Munich.

Transfer Focus

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

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem stayed, was handed a pay rise, and since then has played like a man possessed.

For example, it was his thunderous effort against Sunderland that ensured the Gunners left with a point, and then against Tottenham Hotspur, he scored and assisted a goal.

However, even with performances such as these, it looks like the North Londoners are looking to sign an upgrade on the 30-year-old.

At least that is according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are interested in Michael Olise.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the club have placed the Frenchman at the top of their wishlist for next year and, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta, are already laying the groundwork for the deal.

However, it won’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, with the report claiming that it will cost in excess of £100m to convince Bayern Munich to sell their star attacker.

Even so, given Olise’s immense ability and further potential, this is a deal Arsenal should be going all out for, especially as he’d be a significant upgrade on Trossard.

How Olise compares to Trossard

So the first thing to get out of the way is that, yes, Olise is primarily a right-sided player, and Trossard plays mostly on the left.

However, Arteta has made it quite clear with the signing of Noni Madueke that he is more than happy to play wingers on the opposite flank, and given the Frenchman’s immense ability, it feels like he should have no problem playing out there.

Moreover, when the former Chelsea ace has played in the team, he and Bukayo Saka have swapped sides back and forth during games, which suggests the manager has almost moved beyond the idea of a wide player starting and sticking to a position as matches progress.

With all that said, why would the former Crystal Palace star, who shone with Eberechi Eze in South London, be an upgrade on the Belgian?

Well, the first and most important reason is the simple fact that he is a far more potent goal threat, be that through scoring or assisting them.

A “magician” – according to Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano – in 20 appearances this season, totalling 1583 minutes, he’s scored nine goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.05 games, or every 83.31 minutes.

In contrast, the former Brighton star has scored five goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances, totalling 948 minutes, which averages out to a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 94.8 minutes.

The second reason is that, at just 23 years old, the 13-capped international has far more upside than the 30-year-old and should even improve in the coming seasons.

Finally, on top of his better output, the former Reading man also comes out on top when you take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

1.00

0.38

Progressive Carries

5.70

2.63

Progressive Passes

6.40

3.63

Shots on Target

1.99

0.62

Passing Accuracy

81.4%

69.3%

Key Passes

2.60

1.38

Shot-Creating Actions

6.68

3.25

Goal-Creating Actions

1.10

0.37

Successful Take-Ons

2.40

0.88

For example, he comes out ahead in the most critical metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, successful take-ons, goal and shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Trossard is a brilliant player, but Olise is clearly superior in practically every way and more than justifies Oliver Glasner’s claim that he’s “one of the best talents in the world.”

Therefore, even if it costs a king’s ransom, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him in 2026.

Their next Eze: Berta agrees deal to sign "exciting" new star for Arsenal

The hugely promising teenage talent could one day become Arsenal’s heir to Eberechi Eze.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 2, 2025

Just over two and a half years after stepping down from the Sporting Director role, Fabio Paratici has returned to Tottenham Hotspur to once again oversee operations in North London.

The Italian previously spent two years in the role, before stepping down in April 2023, but looks set to pick up where he left off to help the club in their quest for Premier League glory.

However, this time around, he will be working alongside new boss Thomas Frank, with the Dane needing to strike up a key partnership with the 53-year-old to bring success to the club.

With the transfer window shut until January, the boss won’t get the opportunity to see the fruits of the Italian’s labour for a couple of months, but no doubt work will be ongoing behind the scenes.

Numerous players will likely be lined up by the duo to help strengthen the side after their impressive start to 2025/26, which has seen them lose just once in the first nine outings.

Richarlison

£50m

Cristian Romero

£42m

Destiny Udogie

£15m

Djed Spence

£20m

Yves Bissouma

£25m

Pape Sarr

£18m

Dejan Kulusevski

£25m

Rodrigo Bentancur

£20m

However, this is the dream XI the Sporting Director could build for the Lilywhites over the next couple of months…

1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario

The Italian has been Spurs’ number one over the last couple of years, but not without questions from the fanbase over his ability in the role.

However, he’s managed to keep four clean sheets in 2025/26 to date, with faith needing to put in the 29-year-old to keep his number one shirt.

2 RB – Djed Spence

No Spurs fan would’ve anticipated the rise of the full-back in recent months, with the 25-year-old going from the brink of being sold to being a consistent England international.

His rise could see Pedro Porro tumble down the selection in the months ahead, potentially even being sold should Spence’s form continue.

3 CB – Micky van de Ven

The Dutch international is no ordinary defender, subsequently possessing a huge amount of pace that often gets the backline out of trouble.

His left-footed ability also makes him a rare commodity in the modern game, with the 24-year-old needing to be a regular starter for the foreseeable future.

4 CB- Cristian Romero

The second half of the Spurs centre-back partnership is Cristian Romero, with the duo being an unbreakable partnership – one that helped transform the defensive record this season.

The Argentine international has acquired the captain’s armband in recent weeks, further showcasing the trust shown in him by Frank.

5 LB – Destiny Udogie

Like many players last season, the Italian struggled massively with injuries last season which restricted him from making a huge impact in North London.

However, this season, he’s already featured in eight games across all competitions and has nailed his place down as the club’s first-choice left-back.

6 CDM – Joao Palhinha

The Portuguese international only joined the Lilywhites on loan this summer, but has already wasted no time in impressing – already netting two goals for the club.

His ball-winning ability is another huge positive, with Paratici needing to trigger the buy option in his temporary contract at the end of the campaign.

7 CM – Lucas Bergvall

In years to come, Swedish international Lucas Bergvall may become one of the club’s best-ever purchases after joining for just £8.5m from Djurgarden last summer.

Despite being 19, he’s already racked up over 50 appearances for the club, with the youngster demonstrating talents way beyond his tender years.

8 CM – Xavi Simons

The Dutch international was one of two £50m+ additions during the summer window, but has got off to a slow start in North London – only one assist in his first seven outings.

However, sympathy will need to be handed his way, with boss Frank needing to utilise the youngster in a more central role during his time in the Premier League.

9 RW – Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus has been a phenomenal addition for Spurs this summer, already hitting the ground running in 2025/26, with one goal and four assists in the league.

At just 25, he has bags of time to develop further, with the Ghanaian likely to play a key role in any future success during Frank’s tenure.

10 ST – Rodrigo Muniz

The centre-forward position has been a tricky one for Spurs since Harry Kane’s departure, but that could be solved with a move for Fulham star Rodrigo Muniz.

The Brazilian was hugely linked with a switch to join the Lilywhites this summer, but a move never materialised, with Paratici needing to revisit a deal in January.

Tottenham legend Harry Kane could well make a stunning return to Spurs next year, following news of a £54 million release clause in his Bayern Munich contract.

Thomas Frank opens door for Harry Kane to re-join Tottenham

Since bidding an emotional farewell to North London over two years ago, agreeing to join Bayern in an £86 million deal, the 32-year-old has spearheaded Vincent Kompany’s side to a Bundesliga title and German Super Cup, scoring 98 goals across all competitions in the process.

Kane is tantalisingly close to reaching a landmark 100 goals for Bayern, and could well do so against Werder Bremen this evening.

England and Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer has been a revelation for the Germans, but with just under two years remaining on his contract, and Kane himself not getting any younger, the prospect of him leaving in 2026 is a real one.

Alan Shearer

260

Harry Kane

213

Wayne Rooney

208

Mohamed Salah

188

Andrew Cole

187

Sergio Agüero

184

Frank Lampard

177

Thierry Henry

175

Robbie Fowler

163

Jermain Defoe

156

Interested sides have the option of triggering his clause once it becomes active, potentially in January (BILD), but reports have since suggested that a summer move is far more likely.

Tottenham have ‘first refusal’ rights on any deal for Kane, putting them ahead of other suitors, but it is conditional on both Bayern and the centre-forward agreeing to the move (The Telegraph).

When asked about Kane’s release clause earlier this week, Spurs boss Thomas Frank made his thoughts crystal clear.

Tottenham are reportedly ready to move for Kane, if they are given encouragement that he’d be open to re-signing.

Taking this into account, a new update from journalist Ben Jacobs may come as some very good news for Frank’s side.

Harry Kane's stance on leaving Bayern Munich next summer

The reporter told GiveMeSport that Kane may consider an exit from Bayern after the 2026 World Cup, and if he is to go anywhere, then it is back to the Premier League.

Out of any English destination, Tottenham is surely the standout appeal to Kane. His history at the club and love for Spurs cannot be discounted, and the perfect way to sign off on what has been a glittering career would be to win silverware there.

Man City were once chasing Kane before they opted for Erling Haaland, and Pep Guardiola personally wanted him (Fabrizio Romano). However, the prospect of a move to Eastlands or Liverpool is now off the table, with the latter just completing a British-record deal for Alexander Isak.

Arsenal have just signed Viktor Gyokeres as well, and Chelsea are famed for targeting much younger players as part of their recruitment strategy.

Taking this into account, Spurs is really the only viable destination, and the prospect of a reunion is hugely exciting.

Newcastle United fans will be hoping to see plenty of improvements on the pitch at St James’ Park from their team when the international break is finished.

The lacklustre Toon currently find themselves in a seriously below-par 17th position in the early Premier League standings, having failed to win any of their three opening matches.

There were positives aplenty to take away from the exhilarating 3-2 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, but that high-octane performance was then followed up by a flat 0-0 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.

While Eddie Howe’s Magpies loiter in and around the relegation spaces, Elliot Anderson is at least further up the division with Nottingham Forest, with the former Newcastle youth product never looking back since departing Tyneside in the summer of 2024 for a chance at the City Ground.

Anderson's rise since leaving Newcastle

PSR-related troubles would see both Anderson and Yankuba Minteh leave St James’ Park behind that summer for fresh opportunities elsewhere in the Premier League.

Howe and Co will feel plagued with more regret now that they let the 22-year-old go over the Minteh situation, considering the Forest number 8 has now just won his first senior England cap after regularly impressing for Nuno Santo’s Tricky Trees.

It’s a well-deserved moment in the spotlight for the 5-foot-10 star, too, having exploded into life from minute one of his Forest journey to be considered a very crucial cog for Nuno and Co in the same vein as Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.

Indeed, his 2024/25 offering in league action would see him tally up two goals and six assists as a creative spark centrally.

But, when you dive even deeper into the numbers, it’s his relentless vigour that catches the eye more so than his ability to create an opening, winning a mightily impressive 6.5 duels per game last season in the league, as Forest clinched Europa League football.

Howe would love to call upon Anderson in his team right now to generate a buzz to get his side out of their malaise, but their costly loss has ended up being Forest’s immense gain.

Still, the out-of-sorts Magpies will be hoping that they have picked up their own version of Anderson in the chaotic transfer window, having snapped up a promising midfielder from a fellow Premier League foe.

Newcastle's next version of Anderson

Thankfully, Newcastle are no longer in the same dire financial straits, helped no doubt by the £125m boost to their bank account when Alexander Isak unsurprisingly changed allegiances to Liverpool.

Off the back of such a hefty injection of cash, Newcastle went all out to land both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, with the £43m pick-up of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa perhaps flying under the radar subsequently.

While Howe’s men will be sympathetic to Villa’s own PSR obstacles in the here and now, they have benefited directly from Unai Emery’s side having to sell a prized asset to balance the books by signing Ramsey, much like Forest knew they were on their way to stealing a gem when securing Anderson.

Despite finding himself in and out of the first-team picture at Villa Park – much like Anderson before him at St. James’ Park – there has been more than enough promise in the 24-year-old’s displays in the West Midlands to suggest he could be an impactful starter on Tyneside, having once been branded as a ‘”terrific” talent by ex-Villa boss Steven Gerrard.

Games played

138

Games started

94

Goals scored

14

Assists

12

Passes completed

3004 (85%)

Tackles

193

Duels won

487

The table above certainly validates the argument that Ramsey could become Howe’s own Anderson, with the lively midfielder registering a healthy tally of 14 goals and 12 assists in the top-flight to date, even as 44 of his 138 Premier League clashes for his boyhood side came from off the bench.

Moreover, he also displays the same fight and hunger Anderson has in abundance, winning 3.5 duels per game, making him a lively character that could soon propel the Toon up the division, after a slow start out of the blocks.

There were many grumbles online after the £43m man’s move to St James’ Park was confirmed, as Villa bemoaned PSR-related issues resulting in the loss of one of their own.

Newcastle know all too well the same agony, but they will hope they can capitalise on the unfortunate situation at hand, away from being stung again.

Newcastle hit the jackpot on “outstanding” star worth more than Anderson

While Elliot Anderson thrives at Forest after his £35m transfer, Newcastle have a rising star of their own

ByWill Miller Sep 6, 2025

Liverpool have resolved an “issue” with an incoming signing, with a move now set to be sealed, according to a new claim from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool pushing for more signings after Wirtz

The Reds completed the club-record £116m signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last week, in what is one of the Reds’ biggest statement pieces of business in their history.

The German has joined alongside Jeremie Frimpong, who has come in as a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Liverpool’s signings are not expected to stop there.

Milos Kerkez appears to be the chosen player at left-back, with the Bournemouth ace coming in to either provide competition for Andy Robertson or replace him, depending on whether the Scot leaves or not this summer.

The Hungarian was arguably the outstanding player in his position in the Premier League last season, showing why Liverpool and Arne Slot are so keen to sign him, and now a new update has emerged regarding the Reds’ pursuit.

Liverpool resolve issue with Kerkez signing – Romano

According to Romano on his YouTube channel (via Liverpool World), a “technical issue” involving Liverpool and Kerkez has now been sorted, with a five-year deal agreed and a £40m move potentially being completed on Tuesday following his medical.

“After resolving a technical issue, Liverpool and Bournemouth decided to proceed with the formal steps, so exchanging documents, exchanging emails. Milos Kerkez to Liverpool is a here we go, £40m – that’s the price for the player. A five-year contract is ready for the Hungarian left back. One more piece of information for Liverpool fans, Tuesday next week should be, from what I understand, the day for Milos Kerkez to travel to Liverpool for medical test and contract signing, so it’s all set.

“The player only wanted to join Liverpool, I can tell you that the player was in the list of several clubs around Europe, considering a move for him, even while Liverpool were not closing officially this deal in the recent weeks, they tried to enter, but there was never a possibility, because Kerkez only wanted to go to Liverpool, and now we can consider Kerkez as a new Liverpool player.”

He'd be unplayable with Kerkez: £75m star now wants to sign for Liverpool

Liverpool could sign even more attacking talent in the transfer window this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 22, 2025

There is very little not to like about Kerkez, with the Hungary international a player full of energy who can provide quality at both ends of the pitch, registering five assists in the Premier League last season.

At 21, he is a decade younger than Robertson, therefore representing the future at Liverpool, and there is a tenaciousness about him that isn’t dissimilar to the current Reds man.

Ideally, Kerkez would come in as first choice ahead of Robertson, with Kostas Tsimikas leaving instead of him, but either way, the Bournemouth ace could go straight into Slot’s starting lineup next season.

Arsenal’s transfer plans continue to evolve with the first mini-transfer window now open for business, and sporting director Andrea Berta has a limited opportunity to register new players before deadline day on June 10.

Andrea Berta in "numerous talks" over signing new winger for Arsenal

The Italian’s arrival has been greeted with much anticipation, and it hasn’t taken long for Berta to commence laying the groundwork on key potential Arsenal signings.

"True" – Fabrizio Romano backs reports as Arsenal target £126m striker

The north Londoners are in fact interested.

ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2025

One of his first acts as director was to make contact with Nico Williams’ representatives (The Guardian), and reports ever since claim that a new winger is high on Arsenal’s transfer to-do list after they missed out on this year’s Premier League title to Liverpool by 10 points.

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

Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury midway through the season crippled Arsenal’s attacking output. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the long-term futures of both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal will entertain suitable bids for Martinelli, according to The Athletic, and Trossard is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates. The north Londoners, as per Sky Germany correspondent Florian Plettenberg, are holding “numerous talks” about wide options.

Since that update from Plettenberg, Arsenal talks for Rodrygo have stalled due to wage demands, and Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma has found his way on to Berta’s shortlist.

Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane has also been offered to Arsenal as his contract in Bavaria ticks down towards expiry, according to Sky Sports in England, so there are many names in Berta’s orbit, and it is highly likely the 53-year-old will bring at least one winger to N5.

Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz emerging as prime Arsenal target

Now, according to website Turkish-Football, another player is now under serious consideration from Berta and co – Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.

The 20-year-old can play on either flank and even as a second striker, with his versatility appealing to Arteta’s “tactical vision”. Juve view the 19-cap Turkey international as a key star for the future, off the back of a solid campaign for the youngster personally.

Yildiz weighed in with 16 goal contributions (nine goals and seven assists) in 48 total appearances across 2024/2025, and he even finished the season as Juve’s highest-performing regular by average match rating per 90, according to WhoScored.

His star player status has prompted the Old Lady to value him at up to £86 million, as per this report, but that hasn’t stopped Yildiz emerging as a “prime” transfer target for Arsenal as Berta continues his search for forwards.

The former Bayern Munich academy gem appears set to have a bright future, and if Arsenal are willing to invest significantly, it could be in the Premier League.

Birmingham City excelled in League One when being a big fish in a small pond.

But, the Championship is full of some huge teams based off stature alone, with the likes of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City all recently tasting the Premier League like the Blues once upon a time.

Throwing in the likes of a very ambitious Birmingham into the mix alongside Wrexham makes the division a fascinating one to predict already, with the Blues perhaps keen to add some experience to their squad this summer to handle the step-up in a similar fashion to when they relied upon the recently retired Lukas Jutkiewicz to get them out of trouble.

Jutkiewicz's legend status at St. Andrew's

The tag legend is thrown around an awful lot in the modern game, but it’s the perfect label to describe Jutkiewicz with when looking at his long spell at St Andrew’s.

After all, the much-loved Blues servant didn’t notch up a staggering 357 clashes for the West Midlands titans by chance, with 16 of those even coming about last season as he attempted to play his part in Chris Davies’ men storming to the title.

He would certainly do that when firing home two goals across those limited appearances, with these memorable efforts also bumping up his overall tally to 68.

Remarkably, 62 of those actually fell when Birmingham were regularly in the challenging Championship, meaning that know-how not being around the building anymore could hurt Davies and Co as they return to the unpredictable division.

But, they could win themselves an equally experienced head in attack very soon.

Birmingham could sign their new Jutkiewicz

The newly promoted side have already struck gold going down the seasoned route with Alfie May, considering the EFL journeyman bagged 16 league strikes on the way to the title being heroically lifted.

Therefore, they will hope this approach pays off again if they’re successful in landing new reported target Danny Ings, with the 32-year-old goal machine now searching for a new club to call his home after his West Ham United contract expired.

Wrexham and his former side Burnley, are also allegedly locked into the race to land the potent veteran, but Birmingham will aim to advance to the front of the queue to try and get the best out of an attacker who can terrorise Championship defences for fun on his day.

He hasn’t plied his trade in the EFL since the 2013/14 season, but Ings would manage to hammer home 21 strikes during the Clarets’ promotion success that campaign, before then going on to solidify himself as a composed finisher in the relentless Premier League.

Career games played

419

Premier League goals

72

Championship goals

27

League One goals

7

Therefore, he should be able to dust himself down and offer a threatening body up top for Birmingham next season, even if recent campaigns have seen the goals dry up due to recurring injury troubles.

After all, Jutkiewicz only started three times for Birmingham in league action during their relegation season down to League One, but still managed to chip in with three goals and an assist.

The resurgent Blues won’t complain if the “phenomenal” 32-year-old – as he was lauded previously by pundit Noel Whelan – does this exact same job for them, with his extensive background in the game also potentially of benefit to Jay Stansfield.

24/25

West Ham

15

1

2

23/24

West Ham

20

1

1

22/23

West Ham

17

2

2

22/23

Aston Villa

18

6

0

21/22

Aston Villa

30

7

6

20/21

Southampton

29

12

4

19/20

Southampton

38

22

2

18/19

Southampton

24

7

3

17/18

Liverpool

8

1

0

15/16

Liverpool

6

2

0

14/15

Burnley

35

11

4

With 240 top-flight appearances and three England caps under his belt across his varied career, this free transfer pick-up would really show Birmingham mean business entering back into the Championship as another very successful season is hopefully in the offing.

Birmingham could land a bigger talent than Adams by signing “clinical” ace

Birmingham City would really enhance their attacking options by signing this brand new star.

2 ByKelan Sarson May 26, 2025

Everton signed off at Goodison Park with a rip-roaring victory over relegated Southampton, marking a historic and unforgettable day for Blues across Merseyside and beyond.

With no hyperbole, the emotion was palpable as the Premier League match entered the dying embers.

It was an emotional farewell, one which was always going to end with three points for the hosts. It was Southampton, but it could have been anyone unfortunate enough to be swallowed into the noisy sea of Everton support.

Everton say goodbye to Goodison Park

The Toffees have weathered some storms in recent years, and no mistake, but with David Moyes back at the helm, there’s something cyclical about this change of scenery.

It’s a new beginning, but one which shouldn’t see the club lose their sense of place, nor their deep-rooted ‘Evertonism’ as they finally close the door at Goodison Park for the final time.

And what a send-off. The fans were out in force, and so too were some club legends and former icons. Tim Cahill, Peter Reid and Graeme Sharp were all there as special guests, as was Wayne Rooney.

Rooney might not have played the prime years of his career out on Merseyside, but he was reared in the city and raised to the professional level by Moyes before signing for Manchester United in a £30m deal, aged 18.

One of the Premier League’s superstars, Everton may well have found their new version of the Three Lions legend, and he took centre-stage on Sunday.

Everton's new Wayne Rooney

Moyes elevated numerous players when he replaced Sean Dyche at the helm in January, and while this could be said for Iliman Ndiaye, the Senegal international had proved the bright spark for the Merseysiders across the first half of the season.

Signed from Marseille for £15m last summer, Ndiaye has been a pillar of strength for Everton throughout the campaign, and while he’s the top scorer with nine goals from just 28 starting appearances, his slickness and thrilling movements suggest he could become a talisman in the mould of Rooney, one who could actually devote some of their finest years to the club.

Rooney’s capacity to excite, especially in his earlier iterations, was something that differentiated him from other talented up-and-comers.

Though Ndiaye is 25, he bears a likeness to the English great in this regard, as evidenced by his underlying data this term. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 20% of positional peers in the Premier League for goals, the top 17% for pass completion, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for ball recoveries per 90.

There’s certainly a spring in his step. Ndiaye has been hailed for his ability to produce “magic” moments by Sky Sports commentator Seb Hutchinson, and if Moyes and the owners can get it right in the transfer market this summer, there’s every chance he could hit the next level in his development and truly establish himself as one of the country’s heaviest hitters.

Man United

559

253

141

Everton

117

28

8

D.C. United

52

25

14

Derby County

35

7

3

Were Everton to end up selling their silky star, he would also fetch a large transfer fee, like Rooney. Whichever angle you look at it from, Moyes has hit the absolute jackpot with this one, and must ensure he retains his services for the upcoming campaign at the least.

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