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Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard has reportedly set his sights on negotiating another new contract, barely months after securing improved terms at the Emirates. The Belgian international joined Arsenal from Brighton in January 2021 for £21 million. He was handed a pay rise during the summer, but without any extension to his current deal.

Trossard eyes another Arsenal payday

With his stock rising once again, Trossard is said to be seeking greater long-term security, as revealed by While talking to reporters, Trossard made no secret of his affection for life in North London, but left the door wide open for future talks.

He said: "I still have two years left and then we will see what the club wants as well, where do they see me, where I am at that point. But I’m loving life at Arsenal, I’m really happy to be here. It’s such a great club, obviously we’re in a good moment and I hope I can win things with Arsenal."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArsenal plotting mega swap for Juventus prodigy Yildiz

Behind the scenes, Arsenal’s recruitment machine is in overdrive as Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are reportedly "crazy" about Kenan Yildiz, the 20-year-old sensation who has been lighting up the Serie A for Juventus. According to Arsenal are plotting a €60 million (£52m/$70m) deal plus Trossard as part of a sensational swap package for the Turkish wonderkid. Juventus, however, are digging in their heels. The Turin giants value Yildiz closer to the €80–100 million (£70–87m/$94–117m) bracket, which is a figure that would test even Arsenal’s ambition. For the Bianconeri, Trossard represents a proven Premier League talent with versatility and experience, but as he is turning 31 this December, his resale value is limited. Nonetheless, Arteta reportedly wants a dynamic, creative spark to complement Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres, and Yildiz has emerged as the chosen one. 

Arteta’s Arsenal: Building for the next decade

Arsenal’s strategy under Arteta and Berta is to build for the long haul. That blueprint has already seen several stars commit their futures to the club, including Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Bukayo Saka is next in line for a blockbuster extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the club’s history. The England international has a contract that runs until 2027, and he made his intentions clear earlier this year. Talks with Saka’s camp began in January and have been described as "positive and relaxed." Arsenal are keen to lock down the winger for his peak years, and the new deal will reflect his meteoric rise.

The England international said: "I want to win and I want to win wearing this badge, so I think it's pretty clear."

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AFPTimber, Rice, Havertz: Arsenal’s next contract priorities

Alongside Saka, Arsenal have also opened initial discussions with Jurrien Timber, the versatile Dutch defender whose consistency has made him an Arteta favourite. Timber was signed in the same summer as Declan Rice and Kai Havertz and is currently tied to Arsenal until 2028. But such is his importance to the project that the club want to extend his stay even further. The Netherlands international is reportedly keen to stay for the long term and feels fully settled in London. Arsenal share that sentiment, though both sides are in no rush to finalise the deal.

Arteta wants to tie him down to a fresh deal and said, "Yes, one hundred per cent. And especially the players that they want to be with us. And we want to attach our futures with them. Jurrien is a really good example of someone that, especially under very difficult circumstances, with a very early injury in his career, with a really difficult injury, the way he’s come back and what he’s doing for the team, it’s phenomenal. I think he’s a really good example of another one that hopefully is going to have a long career with us."

Meanwhile, Arsenal have a one-year extension option they can activate for Rice. The England midfielder has already proven his value to the squad and is expected to be offered improved terms once the current season ends. Havertz, on the other hand, is focused on recovery from a knee procedure, but discussions about his long-term future are also expected to begin before the end of the campaign.

No one associated with Celtic Football Club is pleased to be in the Europa League, given their catastrophic and ignominious Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat, but now here, they’re desperate to make a good go of it.

Well, on Wednesday night, the Hoops did make a positive start to the league phase, holding Red Star Belgrade to a 1-1 draw at Stadion Rajko Mitić.

Brendan Rodgers’ side were probably the better side throughout, unlucky not to leave the Serbian capital with all three points, looking exponentially better than they did in Almaty during their last European fixture a month ago, that’s for sure.

Next Thursday, Braga will visit Parkhead, with home games against Sturm Graz, Roma and Utrecht to come thereafter, while the Celts will also travel to Midtjylland, Feyenoord and Bologna.

If Celtic are going to secure a top eight finish, and then make a deep run in the Europa League knockout stages, they’ll need the “fearless” attacker to continue to impress, as he did at the Marakana on Wednesday.

Kelechi Iheanacho scores again

When Kelechi Iheanacho signed for Celtic, there was plenty of skepticism and rightly so.

After Adam Idah had been sold to Swansea for £7m, the Hoops were left without a senior centre-forward at the time the transfer window slammed shut, only able to sign Iheanacho because Sevilla agreed to terminate his contract.

The Nigerian failed to score a single La Liga goal for los Nervionenses, having not reached double figures in a single campaign since 2020/21, but that fact looks like changing, even at this early stage.

Iheanacho marked his debut in hoops by converting a stoppage time penalty at Kilmarnock to snatch a 2-1 victory at Rugby Park.

He then opened the scoring in Belgrade on Wednesday with an excellent finish, having been introduced as a half-time substitute, a goal that Joe Hart, speaking on commentary for TNT Sports, described as “ice-cold”.

The one-time Manchester City striker was also compared to Odsonne Édouard, praised for his “clean touch” and “intelligent movement”.

Goals

1

1st

Shots on target

3

1st

Big chances missed

2

1st

Expected goals

1.02

1st

Touches

14

23rd

Average SofaScore rating

7.3

6th

By accident, more than by design, Celtic appear to have landed a top-class centre-forward, but it was another one of the Hoops’ summer recruits who particularly caught the eye in Belgrade.

'Fearless' Celtic star catching the eye

While Celtic supporters are generally furious at the board’s inactivity in the transfer market, they surely have to be pleased with the signing of Benjamin Nygren, arriving from Nordsjælland for just £1.7m back in July, which looks like an absolute bargain.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Most assumed that the Sweden international was coming in to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right wing, having played a lot of his football in Denmark out-wide, but from day one he has been part of Rodgers’ first-choice midfield trio.

In just his second appearance for the club, Nygren opened the scoring against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, before also netting twice against Livingston a week later.

On Wednesday, he really stepped up and came to the fore, given a 7/10 by the Herald, who note that he grew into the game after the interval, seeing a decent opportunity smartly saved by Matheus, before turning provider to play the ball through to Iheanacho for the night’s opener.

Earlier this year, now the most expensive player in British football history, Alexander Isak, who is Nygren’s international teammate, labelled him “fearless”, adding “it was very good to play with Benjamin… playing with a winger like that who is able to provide good crosses can only be beneficial” for a striker.

During his time at previous club Nordsjælland, Nygren scored five goals in five Conference League appearances, including a hat-trick against Fenerbahçe, and is showing that he is capable of making the step-up to an even higher level of European competition.

That was evident on Wednesday night, as he completed 100% of his attempted dribbles and provided three key passes, as per Sofascore, starring in that creative attacking berth for Rodgers’ side.

When Braga travel to Parkhead next Thursday, if Celtic are going to get their first Europa League win on the board, the Swede in midfield is likely to be central to their hopes.

Worse than Maeda: Rodgers must drop Celtic star who lost the ball 13x

Celtic endured a night of mixed fortunes away in Belgrade on Wednesday evening…

ByRobbie Walls Sep 25, 2025

Manchester United are targeting a new manager who has defeated the Red Devils with three different clubs to replace Ruben Amorim.

Amorim wins 50th Man Utd game with pressure still on

The current Man Utd manager recorded a much-needed 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland last time out prior to the international break in what was his 50th game in charge of the club.

Amorim’s first full season at Old Trafford so far hasn’t gone to plan, but goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko helped ease the pressure and lift United into the top half.

The first Red Devils manager to win his 50th game in charge since Sir Alex Ferguson, Amorim is still under big pressure at Old Trafford. That’s according to former defender Gary Neville, who said:

A number of managers have been linked to replace Amorim in Manchester, including former England boss Gareth Southgate, who has a good relationship with INEOS.

Ex-Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is also eyeing up the Old Trafford position, but it appears as if Man Utd have another name on their radar.

Related Their own Yamal: Man Utd teen is "one of the world's most exciting talents"

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Oct 7, 2025 Man Utd targeting move for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery

According to reports from Spain, Man Utd are targeting Aston Villa boss Unai Emery as a replacement for Amorim.

It is stated that ‘Emery appears to be among the favourites among those considering possible replacements’, with his ‘extensive experience’, ‘ability to lead teams coherently’ and ‘tactical control and emphasis on compact defensive structures’ useful in comparison to Amorim.

The 53-year-old, who plays a 4-2-3-1 system, has had his own issues in 2025/26, going four games without a Premier League goal at the start of the campaign.

Villa have since won their last four games in all competitions, and Emery has actually defeated Man Utd with Villarreal, Arsenal and Aston Villa during his career.

Unai Emery’s wins over Man Utd

Date

Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd

10th March 2019

Villarreal 1-1 Man Utd (12-11 pens)

26th May 2021

Aston Villa 3-1 Man Utd

6th November 2022

A four-time Europa League winner, Emery will be looking to make that five with Aston Villa this season, but by the looks of things, he could be on Man Utd’s shortlist to replace Amorim if INEOS decide to pull the plug over the coming months.

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Próximo de assinar contrato de dois anos com o São Paulo, James Rodríguez irá voltar a disputar uma partida no Morumbi. Isso porque o meia jogou na casa do Tricolor em 2019, durante a primeira fase da Copa América, quando a Colômbia enfrentou o Qatar.

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A seleção colombiana venceu o confronto por 1 a 0, e James Rodríguez foi decisivo no duelo, dando uma assistência de trivela para o gol do centroavante Duván Zapata, aos 40 minutos do segundo tempo.

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Os colombianos ficaram na frente da Argentina e avançaram em primeiro lugar no grupo, A Colômbia liderada por James Rodríguez avançou em primeiro lugar no Grupo B, mas caíram nas quartas de final diante do Chile, nos pênaltis.

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados da Copa do Brasil-23 na tabela do LANCE!

Com pequenos detalhes a serem acertados entre clube e staff do jogador, a diretoria do São Paulo trabalha com a ideia de ter James Rodríguez disponível para o confronto de volta contra o Corinthians, no dia 16 de agosto, pela partida de volta das semifinais da Copa do Brasil. Para isso, o colombiano precisa estar no Boletim Informativo Diário da CBF até o dia 8 de agosto.

Referee chief Howard Webb has reached out to Manchester United bosses to explain that a key error was made by matchday official Craig Pawson during the recent, damaging 3-1 defeat by Brentford. Webb has made the revelation about the mistake, which came when Man Utd were only a goal down and still had plenty of time left in the match.

• Collins lucky to stay on the pitch

  Brentford secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Man Utd at the Gtech Community Stadium last month. Igor Thiago opened the scoring in the eighth minute, catching Harry Maguire off guard after a long ball from Jordan Henderson, Thiago then doubled Brentford's lead in the 20th minute, capitalising on a spilled cross from Kevin Schade. Benjamin Sesko pulled one back for United in the 26th minute, forcing the ball home at the third attempt after a scramble in the box. The flashpoint came in the second-half, when United were awarded a penalty after Nathan Collins fouled Bryan Mbeumo, but Bruno Fernandes' effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. It has since been claimed that referee boss Howard Webb has contacted United to say an error was made by the matchday officials. This result ended Brentford's winless streak and put further pressure on United manager Ruben Amorim.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Major howler cost United

  Referee Pawson decided to issue a yellow card instead of a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The Premier League Match Centre stated that VAR reviewed the decision, but ultimately concluded that Mbeumo was not in full control of the ball, leading to the decision not to issue a red card. Webb, the head of PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited), reportedly conceded the initial decision was an error, as reported by the Daily Mail. The controversy surrounding this particular decision highlights the ongoing debate about the use of VAR and the inconsistencies in its application.

• How Amorim and experts reacted

  After the match, Amorim said: "The referee told me Bryan was not in control of the ball, I think he was not in control because he was pulled. The media can say what happened. I don't want to talk about the referee." Elsewhere, former England striker Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day: "It should have been a red card. It is a terrible decision. He couldn't be in control of the ball because someone was pulling him back. He should have been sent off, absolutely no doubt. It has to be a red card, he is half a yard from the ball. Man Utd have been punished for that in being up against 11 men and the game changed from there on.” And former Chelsea winger Joe Cole told TNT Sports: "I think he got away with one, Collins. As a centre-forward and a player of that quality all Bryan Mbeumo has to do is put his toe on it. I feel for the referees, but looking at it again it is clearly a goalscoring opportunity."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Man Utd have bounced back

  The pressure remains on Amorim but, following the defeat by Brentford his team responded with a confident 2-0 victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford. And while that one win will not disprove the doubters, one United star was keen to throw his support behind his Portuguese boss. Mason Mount said: "We’re 100 per cent behind the gaffer. We’ve had some results that hurt us – the team, the staff and the fans. But that was an important win.” And Amorim added: “I know they want to do the best and I know they don’t want to change the coach all the time. But we need to show with actions. I feel it during the week but we need to show it on the pitch. Sometimes they know we can do better."

  United now go into the international break on the back of a win, ahead of a mighty clash at Anfield against bitter rivals Liverpool on October 19. They now sit 10th in the Premier League table, with 10 points from seven games. 

Rangers supporters will be desperate for their side to strengthen before Monday’s deadline, particularly defensively.

On Wednesday night, the Gers were demolished 6-0 in Champions League qualifying, humiliatingly dumped out 9-1 on aggregate, thereby conceding nine plus goals in a two-legged European tie for the first time in 65 years.

This has only cranked up the pressure on manager Russell Martin, despite the fact it was only his tenth match in charge across all competitions.

For now, Martin retains the trust of the Rangers board, if not the Rangers support, so could the addition of a new defender help his cause?

Rangers' defensive issue

Ever since his first game in charge, a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in July, Martin’s first-choice centre-back pairing has been John Souttar alongside Nasser Djiga, the duo starting together eight times today to date.

However, the latter, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, is certainly beginning to show signs of weakness.

Djiga was certainly culpable for Club Brugge’s opening goal at Ibrox, with the Burkina Faso international having also been sent off during the dismal 1-1 draw with Dundee earlier this month.

So, as Rangers search for an upgrade, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, they are close to signing centre-back Derek Cornelius from Olympique de Marseille.

It has been reported elsewhere that the deal will be a loan with an option to buy, which transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri believes will be worth €4m (around £3.4m).

Transfer Focus

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

So, will Cornelius become the fifth Canadian international to represent Rangers, after Scott Arfield, Fraser Aird, Luca Gasparotto and Colin Miller?

Why Derek Cornelius should excite Rangers supporters

Since making his senior debut for VfB Lübeck in the German fourth-tier, Cornelius has become quite accustomed to changing country.

After spells with VfR Neumünster and then Javor Ivanjica in Serbia, he returned to Canada in January 2019, joining the Vancouver Whitecaps, with his big breakthrough coming during his time in Major League Soccer.

After that, following a loan spell in Greece with Panetolikos, and then 18 months with Swedish side Malmö, he finally earned a big move to Olympique de Marseille, joining les Phocéens for around £4m last summer.

He did make 21 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, 17 of which were starts, but has now been deemed surplus to requirements by Roberto De Zerbi, following the arrival of CJ Egan-Riley, so is on the move again.

Analyst Kai Watson is certainly a fan, labelling the 27-year-old “athletic” while also praising his “excellent” aerial duel-winning ability.

Cornelius will certainly arrive at Ibrox ultra-motivated, ahead of a World Cup on home soil next summer.

He has so far won 35 caps for Canada, starting all five of their matches at the most recent Copa América, as les Rouges upset the odds to reach the semi-finals, so, fitness permitting, he’ll be a starter for Jesse Marsch’s side next summer.

The question though still remains, how does he compare to the man he is set to replace in Rangers’ back-line, Djiga?

Pass completion %

94%

91%

Forward passes

23

15

Duels won

4.5

3.2

% of ground duels won

55%

70%

% of aerial duels won

67%

53%

Clearances

3.2

3.2

Blocks

0.7

0.7

Ball recoveries

4.3

3.5

Possession lost

4.9

6.1

Average SofaScore rating

6.84

6.74

Note: table includes Cornelius’ Ligue 1 stats.

Djiga’s stats are for Crvena zvezda and are UCL only.

As the table documents, from the given samples, Cornelius comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics included.

The Canadian’s ball recoveries, duel-winning ability as well as his aerial duels success percentage all jump off the page, while Djiga only comes out on top in terms of ground duels.

Thus, all available evidence suggests that Cornelius will be an improvement on Rangers’ current options, demoting the Wolves loanee to the Ibrox bench.

​​​​​​​

Sima repeat at Ibrox: Rangers are in talks to sign "outstanding" £15m star

Rangers are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign a star who could be Abdallah Sima 2.0.

ByDan Emery Aug 29, 2025

Manchester United have made a new midfielder one of their priorities for the remainder of the summer transfer window – with such an area next on the list for their overhaul of the squad.

Casemiro started at the heart of the side alongside Bruno Fernandes, but the 33-year-old is certainly coming to the back end of his professional career and is unable to maintain his fitness over the course of a full campaign.

Manuel Ugarte is another option currently at Ruben Amorim’s disposal, but the Uruguayan has fallen below the standards set by the fanbase after his £50m move from PSG last summer.

Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has also struggled to fit into the manager’s 3-4-2-1 system, with the aforementioned duo often being chosen ahead of him – as seen on Sunday, with the youngster being an unused substitute.

Despite the four options currently on the books at Old Trafford, the boss and the hierarchy still remain in the market for added reinforcements in the midfield department, targeting numerous options before the September 1st deadline.

Man Utd targeting a new midfielder for Amorim

United’s hunt for a new midfielder has seen them target various options in the Premier League over recent weeks, but their hunt has so far been to no avail.

Moves for Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have both been made in recent weeks, but deals for either of the 21-year-olds now look unlikely, given their current £100m asking prices.

However, no time has been wasted by the hierarchy, subsequently turning their attention to Como star Nico Paz, according to Spanish outlet Defensa Central.

They claim that the Red Devils are one of various sides currently pursuing a move for the 20-year-old, who registered 14 combined goals and assists in his 35 Serie A appearances last campaign.

It also states that Amorim’s side are preparing a €45m (£38m) offer to land the youngster, but it’s unclear if the player himself would want a move to England this summer.

Why United’s latest target joining would be bad news for Bruno

Bruno mainly operated in a number ten role under Amorim during the 2024/25 campaign, managing to register 37 combined goals and assists – easily being the shining light in what was a dismal year for United.

However, the additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have seen the Portuguese international drop into a deeper role to allow the new additions to thrive.

The 30-year-old, who’s the club’s captain, may struggle to replicate such numbers in his new role, ultimately having to sacrifice his own numbers to allow the team to progress.

Given his allowance to play in a free role, Bruno needs a player who’s capable of sitting in front of the backline and regaining possession before handing him the ball to continue his excellent return of goals and assists.

Moves for the likes of Wharton and Baleba will undoubtedly make more sense, given the demands of the current hunt in the market, but it appears the club’s attention is now firmly on the Como star.

However, a move for Paz could spell bad news for the captain, with the youngster a similar sort of player, often making more of an impact with the ball at his feet rather than without.

The Argentine, who can play as a ten or a box-to-box midfielder, would likely provide competition for the Portuguese star, which could result in fewer minutes on the pitch for him in 2025/26.

It may seem a ludicrous decision to utilise Paz over Fernandes at Old Trafford, but when comparing their stats from last season, the Como star managed to better him in various key areas.

The youngster, who’s been labelled as a player with “immense potential” by Jacek Kulig, posted a better shot on target rate, highlighting the threat he poses in front of goal when making his third man runs in beyond the centre-forward.

How Paz & Bruno compared throughout 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Paz

Bruno

Games played

35

36

Goals & assists

14

18

Shot on target accuracy

34%

28%

Pass accuracy

81%

76%

Key passes made

2.8

2.7

% of tackles won

47%

40%

Interceptions made

0.8

0.7

Take-ons completed

51%

41%

Carries into final third

2.1

1.9

Aerials won

57%

49%

Stats via FBref

Paz also completed more of the passes he attempted, whilst also making more key passes per 90, able to provide those ahead of him with constant chances at Old Trafford.

His dominance over the United star is further reflected out of out-of-possession, winning more of the tackles he entered last campaign, along with more interceptions made per 90.

Such figures could make him the perfect box-to-box option in Amorim’s side, especially if he can replicate the numbers he produced in Italy for Como in 2024/25.

Any move would certainly be an exciting one for the fanbase, possessing a lot of qualities that would provide immediate impact, but also pocketing a whole heap of potential to improve further in the years ahead.

However, as previously mentioned, it could spell bad news for Bruno if he joined the club, offering needed competition, which could result in less game time in the not-too-distant future.

Related New Pogba: INEOS offered bargain deal to sign "world-class" CM for Man Utd

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Posts 2 ByEthan Lamb Aug 21, 2025

Ibrahima Konate has jokingly claimed that Kylian Mbappe calls him frequently to convince him to follow in Trent Alexander-Arnold's footsteps and join Real Madrid next summer. Konate, who has entered the final year of his contract with Liverpool, has been linked with a move to Los Blancos as he has yet to negotiate a new deal with the Premier League champions.

Konate claims Mbappe is pressuring him to join MadridReds defender linked with move to Spanish giantsYet to agree new Liverpool contractFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Determined not to repeat the painful Trent Alexander-Arnold saga, Liverpool’s officials are scrambling to tie Konate down to new terms, but they fear he has already agreed to join Madrid. The Merseysiders have been trying to convince the France international to commit his future to Anfield since the beginning of the year, as the club do not want him to leave for nothing in 2026.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £34 million ($46m) in the summer transfer window and signed 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni from Parma for €35 million (£30m/$40m). The Reds had almost secured a move for Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, but it collapsed in the final hour of deadline day.

WHAT KONATE SAID

During an interview with French TV channel , Konate jokingly claimed that France captain Mbappe is putting pressure on him to switch to Madrid next year. The Reds defender said: "He calls me every two hours! No, no, no."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR KONATE?

Konate and Mbappe will be back in action on Tuesday as France take on Iceland in their second World Cup qualifying game. They will then return to their respective clubs ahead of the end of the break.

Will Aston Villa soon make their maiden first-team signing of the summer?

So far, teenager Yasin Özcan has arrived from Kasımpaşa for a reported fee of around £5.8m, albeit he was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht, while veteran goalkeeper Marco Bizot and 19-year-old winger Zépiqueno Redmond have both joined on free transfers.

Thus, right now, ahead of their Premier League opener against Newcastle United, Unai Emery will not have any high-profile new signings to showcase, but could that be about to change?

Aston Villa transfer news latest

Speaking on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, Dan Bardell notes that Aston Villa have so far been unable to spend money in this summer window due to their lack of PSR headroom, but forecasts that they will be active and “opportunistic” in the coming weeks, having to date kept their powder dry.

This was exactly the strategy that saw the Claret and Blue Army land both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan in January, but the pair will need replacing, with the Englishman having joined Barcelona, while it appears unlikely that the Spaniard will return to Villa Park either.

Thus, as they target attacking reinforcements, with Alan Nixon revealing on his Patreon that Aston Villa had joined the race to sign Evann Guessand, and were willing to outbid Crystal Palace, who have long been viewed as the front-runners to secure the Ivorian’s signature.

That has since been followed up by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that the Midlands has reached a “verbal agreement” with Nice, having lodged a bid of around €30m (£26m), plus add-ons.

That comes after it was previously noted that the forward was valued at around £22m by the Ligue 1 outfit.

Transfer Focus

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

So, Guessand looks set to become just the second player from Côte d’Ivoire to call Villa Park home. Jonathan Kodjia is the first, and so far only, in case you were wondering!

What Evann Guessand would bring to Aston Villa

Guessand, who is still only 24 years old, joined Nice at the age of 15, but only became an outstanding figure in les Aiglons’ first-team as recently as last season.

He spent time out on loan at Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland and then Nantes in Ligue 1, scoring five goals for la Maison Jaune, most notably bagging a stoppage-time winner against Olympiacos in the Europa League, sparking wild scenes of celebration at Stade de la Beaujoire.

He has returned to Nice for the last two seasons, very much a key figure for his boyhood club, scoring six goals in Ligue 1 in 2023/24, before bagging 12 during the most recent campaign, firing Franck Haise’s side to a top four finish and possible Champions League qualification; they face Benfica in the first leg of a qualifier this week.

The table below emphasises Guessand’s impressive form in Ligue 1 last season.

Goals

12

10th

Assists

8

6th

Shots

27

10th

Goals – xG

+2.8

9th

Shot-creating actions

91

23rd

Goal-creating actions

17

8th

Attempted take-ons

103

15th

Progressive carries

87

19th

Average SofaScore rating

7.23

7th*

*among forwards only.

The table outlines that Guessand is an all-round attacker, ranked highly when it comes to both goals and assists, but also chances created and dribbling, overperforming his expected goals figure by almost three, underlining his clinical edge.

Alex Barker of The Athletic is certainly a fan, labelling him a “real physical handful” as well as being an “agile” forward who is capable of creating “high-quality chances” too, concluding that his ability to do it all makes him “Bruno Fernandes-esque”.

Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis agrees, noting that he is a ‘good dribbler’, which is surprising given that he is 6 ft 2 in (188 cm).

Meantime, Mohamed Fathall of Breaking the Lines states that he thrives when able to ‘support a central striker’, adding that he is ‘constantly looking to take on defenders’, using his ‘intelligent movement’ to get into goal-scoring positions.

Well, this makes him the ideal strike partner for Ollie Watkins who, as documented by Ahmed Walid of The Athletic, only truly started scoring goals with impressive regularity at Aston Villa after Emery had coached him to remain within the width of the penalty area.

Watkins has reached double figures for goals in each of his five Premier League campaigns, although such consistency could be maintained if fed by the Fernandes-esque talents of Guessand, considering he created 12 ‘big chances’ in Ligue 1 last term, as per Sofascore.

For context, Manchester United’s skipper was only just ahead with 16 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League.

With Villa’s number 11 thus able to pounce on regular, quality service, Guessand and Watkins could form a deadly attacking partnership, as Villa target a top five finish and Europa League glory in the season ahead.

Emery's own Benteke: Aston Villa eyeing deal for "terrifying" £51m ace

Unai Emery could soon have his own Christian Benteke at Aston Villa if this signing is secured.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 4, 2025

Celtic are a club that are used to cashing in on their top talent when the summer transfer window rolls around, as teams across Europe eye up their star performers.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele, Matt O’Riley, and Victor Wanyama are just a few of the players who have moved on from Parkhead in the modern era to go elsewhere in Europe.

As you can see in the graphic above, Jota is also among the list of players who have tried their luck away from Glasgow, albeit he went to Saudi Arabia instead of to another European side.

18 months on from that £25m move, the Portuguese forward returned to the club on a permanent deal from Rennes in the January transfer window, and caught the eye with four goals and two assists in seven Scottish Premiership starts before suffering a knee injury.

That was not the only business that they did with the French outfit in that window, though, as they also sold Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes on a permanent deal.

The Ligue 1 side reportedly paid a fee of £10m to sign the Japan international from the Scottish giants, and it has turned out to be a fantastic deal for the Hoops and Brendan Rodgers.

Why losing Kyogo Furuhashi was not a blow for Celtic

The 30-year-old centre-forward scored 85 goals and provided 19 assists in 185 appearances in all competitions for Celtic during his time in Glasgow, which shows that he did offer a big threat in front of goal.

However, he only had a return of 12 goals in 32 matches for the Hoops in the 2024/25 campaign before his move to Rennes, which was not quite as prolific as his overall record makes him out to be.

Kyogo’s form had tailed off a bit towards the end of his time at Parkhead, and January felt like the right time to move on from him with a £10m offer on the table from Rennes.

The Japanese striker scored a staggering 27 goals in 36 league games in the 2022/23 season, but failed to replicate that success in the following two campaigns.

Appearances

36

38

22

Goals

27

14

10

Big chances missed

16

24

17

Big chances created

1

7

1

Assists

2

5

3

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo missed a whopping 41 ‘big chances’ and scored 24 goals in his final 18 months at the club, which suggests that his finishing took a turn for the worse.

Therefore, losing him when they did was not a big blow for the Scottish giants, particularly when you consider that he has failed to score in six games for Rennes so far.

European club in talks to sign Celtic star

However, Celtic are now in danger of losing a star whose exit would be a bigger blow than when they decided to cash in on Kyogo at the start of the year.

Transfer Focus

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

According to German outlet Kicker, as relayed by Transfermarkt, RB Leipzig are interested in a swoop to snap up Nicolas Kuhn from Parkhead before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Bundesliga outfit are in ‘advanced’ talks to agree a deal to sign the left-footed star, who spent time in their academy system earlier in his career.

Kuhn is named as one of three signings ‘on the horizon’ for Leipzig as they look to react to finishing seventh in the German top-flight in the 2024/25 season, but the report does not mention how much the potential move could be worth.

Why losing Nicolas Kuhn is a big blow

If the German side are able to complete a deal to sign the Celtic sensation in the weeks to come, the 25-year-old gem’s exit would be a bigger blow than when they sold Kyogo in January.

As aforementioned, the Japan international had declined during his Hoops career and was at a point where a move away from the club appeared to be a sensible decision for all parties involved.

Whereas, Kuhn is currently on top of his game and has just enjoyed an incredible first full season in Glasgow, thriving on the right flank as a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants.

The left-footed magician, who has been dubbed “breathtaking” by Marvin Bartley, ended the year with 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, which shows that he made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.

His form in the Premiership, in relation to the rest of the Celtic squad, also illustrates how important he is to the team and why losing him would be such a blow.

Sofascore rating

7.47

3rd

Goals

13

2nd

Assists

9

3rd

Goals + assists

22

2nd

Big chances created

11

3rd

Key passes per game

1.6

2nd

Dribbles completed per game

1.8

1st

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn ranked very highly as a scorer, a creator, and a dribbler, for the Hoops in the Premiership, which is why a move to Leipzig would be a blow for the club, as they would be losing a hugely influential figure.

Incoming signing Benjamin Nygren plays on the right wing and scored 15 goals in 30 league games in Denmark this season, but he only provided two assists and may not cover for all of what Celtic would lose through Kuhn’s exit.

He'd be amazing with Hatate: Celtic now eyeing "Premier League-level" star

Celtic could find an amazing midfield partner for Reo Hatate by signing this star.

ByDan Emery Jun 23, 2025

Of course, nothing is signed and sealed yet, with these reports purely about talks at this moment in time, but there is the possibility that the Hoops will be deal a big blow by the winger’s departure this summer.