Leeds United are now “making regular checks” on a £16m striker, who could join instead of Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson, according to a report.

Update on Leeds' pursuit of Wilson

A visibly upset Wilson appeared to say farewell to the Newcastle crowd on Sunday afternoon, with the English striker poised to leave the Magpies upon the expiration of his contract in the summer.

The striker has played a sporadic role for Eddie Howe’s side this season, predominantly featuring as a substitute, and he could now be in line to move to a fellow Premier League side, where he wouldn’t have to compete for a starting spot with a striker of Alexander Isak’s quality.

Leeds have expressed an interest in the Englishman, as they look to bring in players with top-flight experience to avoid an instant return to the Championship, but there has now been a new update on their interest in the striker.

According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds now have doubts about signing Wilson, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing that Dinamo Kyiv’s Vladyslav Vanat has been identified as a potential alternative option.

O’Rourke said: “It would be a gamble… [Vanat] has a good goalscoring record for Dinamo Kyiv in Ukraine. He does have a release clause of around £16million, so relatively cheap in today’s market as well.

“It’ll be a huge gamble, but I’m sure that Leeds’ scouts and all those other teams will have been making regular checks on him, and they’ll recommend if they think he could do it in the Premier League or not.”

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ByDan Emery May 25, 2025 "Powerful" Vanat would be an interesting gamble for Leeds

Given that Vanat has no experience in a major European league, having never played outside his home country of Ukraine, it would be a gamble for Leeds to pursue a move this summer, but there are some indications it could be a risk worth taking.

The Ukraine international maintained a solid goalscoring record throughout the 2024-25 campaign, playing a major role in his side securing the Ukrainian Premier League title.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Ukrainian Premier League

28

17

4

Europa League

8

1

1

Champions League qualifying

6

2

2

Ukrainian Cup

3

1

2

Football scout Ben Mattinson has also been left impressed by the 23-year-old in the past, claiming he could make an immediate impact in the Premier League.

Wilson may have proven himself in the Premier League, but the Newcastle striker is now 33-years-old and has a patchy injury record to say the least, so Vanat could be a fantastic alternative option.

Lalas voiced strong support for the Atletico star’s potential move to Inter Miami, suggesting his style would translate to MLS

Lalas believes De Paul's technical style would adaptPraises Beckham and Miami ownershipSupports league flexibility on transfer rulesAFPWHAT HAPPENED

Alexi Lalas addressed Rodrigo De Paul's speculated transfer to Inter Miami, with the former USMNT star saying the Argentine midfielder's technical style is ideally suited for success in Major League Soccer.

“So first off, the, the quality of the player I think matters,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “He is in his prime and the style in which he plays, I think will translate immediately to what Major League Soccer is. And I'm talking about, you know – I'm not saying he's crude or anything – but there is a ruggedness and a rawness to his game.

“That is what makes him one of the greats in in the world. First off, I think it's going to translate. Secondly, I think it's what Inter Miami needs. Now when it comes to Inter Miami creating this super club… other teams have wanted to do that, but recognizing that you're limited because of the rules and regulations."

AdvertisementWHAT LALAS SAID

Lalas emphasised that while such a high-profile transfer would require significant financial investment, Miami's ambition represented exactly the type of market-building activity MLS should encourage.

“Now there is flexibility and there is a greater good that comes from it. But I love that Inter Miami and Jorge Mas and David Beckham and those, they want to push the envelope," Lalas said. "They want to do big things and they should be given the ability to do that, Yes, within the rules. But what I don't want to happen is that they are hampered or held back by their aspirations. And this gets into a bigger conversation of what of what MLS is."

Lalas said MLS needs to continue to tweak player acquisition rules to allow clubs to take bigger swings.

"People are yelling and saying, 'Oh, Inter Miami's getting favorable treatment.' Yeah, OK," he said. "If somebody wants to do something big that's going to benefit the team, and its going to benefit of the league, they are going to be given some leeway. And there's nothing stopping you, whatever team it is – Columbus or Colorado or anybody else out there – from thinking big and doing big.

”Yes, there is an attraction to Messi. Yes, there is an attraction to some place like Miami that maybe other other teams don't have. But if you want to spend big money and you want to do big, bold – dare I say it? – arrogant things, I will support you, 100 percent."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

De Paul signed for Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2021 and has since made 187 appearances for the La Liga side, winning the World Cup in 2022 with Argentina.

AFPWHAT’S NEXT?

It's been no secret that Inter Miami have wanted to add De Paul. The question was how. That appears to be solved as the Herons are reportedly close to adding the Argentine star midfielder on a loan-to-buy move.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to appoint Scottish head coach Russell Martin as their permanent successor to Philippe Clement.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the former Southampton manager has ‘accepted the project’ at Ibrox, and he is now on course to take the reins heading into next season.

Once Martin is in the building, there is plenty for the ex-Premier League boss to deal with during the summer transfer window, in order to create a squad that can compete for the Scottish Premiership title.

The English-born tactician is set to walk into a club that has not won the league title for four years, and he must be ruthless with decisions on players whilst working alongside sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

One Rangers player who wants to leave

Part of building a squad that can be successful and dominant under Martin’s management next season will be ensuring that the players want to be there and want to play for Rangers.

Chalkboard

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

The Light Blues should not want anyone in the group who either sees their future elsewhere or is not happy with playing in Scotland, which is why news that one flop wants to leave the club should give Martin an easy decision to make.

IbroxNews recently reported that central defender Robin Propper wants to leave Rangers to return to his home country in the Netherlands, a year on from leaving FC Twente to join the Gers.

The outlet added that FC Twente are keen to bring him back to the Eredivisie this summer, but only for half of the £2.5m that the Scottish giants paid for him.

Why Rangers should sell Robin Propper

Martin should instantly axe Propper from the squad as one of his first decisions as the club’s new manager, should the deal go through as expected, for several reasons.

As aforementioned, the ex-Southampton boss should not want a player who does not want to be at Rangers, as he will need all the players pulling in the same direction to be successful.

Crucially, though, Martin should ditch Propper because he has not offered enough quality on the pitch. The Dutch centre-back earns more (£9k-per-week) than star attacker Hamza Igamane (£7.2k-per-week), who delivered 16 goals in all competitions this season, and has not done enough to justify that.

Appearances

27

10

Starts

22

9

Dribbled past

11x

4x

Clean sheets

5

1

Duel success rate

63%

45%

Yellow cards (red)

8 (0)

1 (1)

As you can see in the table above, Rangers only kept six clean sheets in the 37 games that he played in the Premiership and the Europa League, whilst he was particularly weak in Europe – losing 55% of his duels.

Back in December, Derek Ferguson voiced concerns over how the centre-back was adapting to life in Scotland. He said:

“Propper is struggling. He’s been pretty vocal over the last couple of weeks that he’s finding it tough in our league. He’s been asked the question early on. It’s quite worrying when you see him struggling as bad as that. Look at the body language – he’s looking for a way out already.”

It simply has not worked out for the 31-year-old defender at Ibrox, as shown by his statistics domestically and in Europe, and that may be why he is now keen to move back to the Netherlands.

With all of this in mind, it should be a fairly simple decision for Martin to make on his future, as he must instantly axe the Dutch flop from the squad amid interest from FC Twente.

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Alec Stewart, the Surrey director of cricket said that signing up Shakib on a one-match deal was an “easy decision”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2024

Shakib Al Hasan will play one County Championship game for Surrey•ICC/Getty Images

Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said it was “an easy decision” to sign Shakib Al Hasan on a one-match deal as the club confirmed his arrival for their vital County Championship fixture against Somerset at Taunton this week.Surrey are on the hunt for a third consecutive Championship title in Stewart’s final season as director of cricket and are 24 points ahead of second-placed Somerset with three matches remaining this season. They have eight players missing on England duty this week, due to clashes with the end of the Sri Lanka Test series and the start of the Australia T20Is.Those players include Will Jacks and Dan Lawrence, who have been used as spin-bowling allrounders this season. “We’ve been aware for a period of time that this fixture was likely to be one where we would have a significant number of players away on England duty and, in particular, missing two of our spinning allrounders,” Stewart said. “When the opportunity to bring a player of the quality of Shakib to the club came along, it was an easy decision to make.”Shakib brings a wealth of experience and outstanding skill with bat and ball and we look forward to seeing what he can do for Surrey.”Related

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Shakib effectively replaces Sai Sudharsan, who has returned to India for the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy. For Shakib, the fixture also represents the chance to play competitive cricket before Bangladesh’s upcoming Test series in India.”Surrey are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world and I am pleased to get the chance to represent the club,” he said. “I’m coming here to have an impact and help the team achieve their goals for the season.”With so many players unavailable, Surrey have also convinced Tom Curran to play first-class cricket for the first time in two years. Curran announced in February 2023 that he was stepping away from red-ball cricket “for my body and for my mental health” but has been named in a 15-man squad to travel to Taunton this week.Along with Jacks and Lawrence, Surrey are also missing Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Sam Curran, Reece Topley and Jamie Overton – although they have still named seven international players in their squad. Somerset’s squad includes Brett Randell, a seamer from New Zealand who has signed a short-term deal.Elsewhere, Lancashire have signed Anderson Phillip, the Trinidadian seamer, for their final three Championship games as they bid to avoid relegation. They had been working on a deal to sign Pakistan seamer Mohammad Ali, but the move has fallen through.

Celtic played their final away game of the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night and secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers named a much-changed side and got the win thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Adam Idah.

It was a night for the rarely-seen Celtic players, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo, and Nawrocki is certainly one of those who grasped his chance.

Why Rodgers should be impressed by Nawrocki

The Polish defender made just his third start of the Premiership campaign and caught the eye with an impressive display at the heart of the defence.

Playing on his favoured right side for the first time this term, Nawrocki completed an eye-catching 130 of his 136 attempted passes on the night and only lost possession nine times in total, as well as scoring the opener from a corner.

Defensively, the former Legia Warsaw star made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions to keep Aberdeen at bay, including one huge sliding block when facing a one-on-one in the box in the second half.

Chalkboard

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

Rodgers should, therefore, have been impressed by his combination of composed play in possession and stoic defensive work, but the manager should have been encouraged by Johnny Kenny’s display in the centre-forward position.

Why Johnny Kenny is now unsellable

The young marksman had not had many opportunities to impress in the second half of the season, with just six substitute appearances in the league, and his lack of game time may have led to question marks over his future heading into the summer transfer window.

However, the 21-year-old striker was finally given a chance to show his quality from the start and showed why he should be unsellable this summer for the Hoops, with a performance that shows that he can be part of the first-team squad next season.

Celtic need another number nine option to compete with Idah and Daizen Maeda, and Kenny’s showing against Aberdeen suggests that he can be that man.

Minutes

70

Shots on target

2

Goals

1

Passes completed

8/11

Duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international scored with one of his two shots on target, with a well-placed header from McCowan’s cross, and showcased his physicality by winning all of his aerial duels.

Kenny scored 13 goals in 19 starts in the Irish Premier Division in 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers, and has now shown a glimpse of the kind of goalscoring quality he can bring to Celtic.

He is an exciting young striker with the physical qualities, as shown by his statistics against Aberdeen, and the goalscoring record to develop into a fine option for Rodgers, as proven by his performance on Wednesday.

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Therefore, the club should not look to move him on this summer, despite his general lack of game time in the last few months, and the manager should, instead, make him a regular player off the bench and occasionally from the start.

Smriti Mandhana, Rachael Haynes, Lea Tahuhu, Kate Cross and Nida Dar discuss potential innovations in women’s cricket

Interviews by Annesha Ghosh23-Jun-2020In a recent webinar conducted by the ICC on how women’s cricket has led the way in innovations in the game, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine and India batter Jemimah Rodrigues suggested the use of a smaller ball and shorter pitch might further advance the women’s game. We spoke to some of the world’s top international female cricketers to find out what they think of the proposed tweaks.Could using a pitch shorter than 22 yards, as Rodrigues suggested, help attract more fans to the women’s game?
Smriti Mandhana, India batter: The pitch is the only element that’s the same size in both men’s and women’s cricket. Otherwise, we use a smaller ball [140-151g with a circumference of 21.0-22.5cm in women’s cricket, compared to 155.9-163g and 22.4-22.9cm in men’s]. Our inner circle is shorter [25.15 yards in radius; 30 in men’s cricket] as are the boundaries [stipulated range is 55-65 yards; 65-90 yards for men].ALSO READ: 2020 T20 World Cup takeaways: Australia’s lead at the top and poor fielding standardsAlthough I feel women’s cricket is exciting as it is, and I don’t have the technical knowledge to comment on to what extent the pitch should be shortened, reducing the length might make it interesting from the viewer’s perspective. At present, the maximum speed range for most women’s quicks at the international level is 120-125kph, so maybe a shorter pitch could amp it up to 130-135. And it’s always attractive to watch genuine fast bowling. I will enjoy batting as much regardless.Rachael Haynes, Australia batter: Shortening the pitch is actually something that Australian cricket has done in some of their junior and pathway programmes to make it easier for the younger players coming through. At the international level, if a shorter pitch helps make the bowler get the ball to the other end a bit quicker, you’ve got to be open to it. But there are a lot of other variables in the game, like the nature of the wickets – lots of grass, cracks, no grass, and so on – and the conditions that you need to take into consideration. You want to understand why you want to shorten the pitch, have some good research on how one tweak could have an impact on the other variables, and make sure the importance of the contest between the bat and ball is not lost.Lea Tahuhu, New Zealand fast bowler: I am not sure if reducing the size of the pitch will enhance the game enough to justify it. The purpose would be, I presume, to have balls getting to batters faster. And that would make us look quicker. That might change the perception of fast bowling a bit in the women’s game and bring the equation between bat and ball closer, especially when we’ve seen in recent times that the bat has clearly dominated more. So you don’t have to probably get as much effort into getting a bouncer up – it doesn’t have to go as far. But whether that’s going to be a great incentive to attract new fans, I am not sure. Also, if you’re having to prepare two-sized pitches, then you lose out the opportunity to host double-headers with men.Nida Dar, Pakistan offspinning allrounder: I think the length of the pitch as we have it now is fine. If you reduce it by a yard or two, you’ll be giving batters more options to have an upper hand because the boundaries in the women’s game are quite small anyway. If the pitch is shortened, batters will use the depth of the crease more than ever. That might be one way of adapting to the change.

“Spinners will certainly be able to impart more revolutions and will probably be able to get the ball to drift more if the ball becomes smaller”Nida Dar

Kate Cross, England fast bowler: I don’t think the women’s game needs any tweak at the moment that will make the game more exciting even though it will make us [pace] bowlers look quicker because the length we’d be bowling on is going to be shorter. And the batters, obviously, will have to react quicker to that. From a logistical point of view, we’re at a stage in the women’s game where we’re trying to play at the best stadiums, bigger grounds, and trying to fill the stadiums. I don’t know how ground staff would be able to make wickets that would be shorter for the girls. Imagine us playing before a men’s fixture or after – then the size of the pitch would be a concern, which would mean we’d have to play only at grounds where the pitches are designed for women’s games.What’s your take on Devine’s suggestion of bowling with a ball smaller and lighter than what is currently in use to encourage attacking cricket in the women’s game?
Tahuhu: I don’t know the science behind a smaller ball making it go further. Assuming it would, I don’t think it’s a bad suggestion. It will certainly let spinners get their hand around the ball a bit more, so you’re likely to get more turn, which isn’t something we see a lot in the women’s game. Spinners certainly play a massive role in women’s cricket, but I don’t know how [many] genuinely rip the ball in and beat the outside edge often. That could be an aspect that would be slightly enhanced by smaller balls.Could a smaller ball mean more revolutions and more drift?•William West/AFP/Getty ImagesHaynes: Lisa Sthalekar, a really good fingerspinner, could turn the ball well. As did Shelley Nitschke [the former Australia left-arm spinner]. Poonam [Yadav, the India legspinner], as a wristspinner, really gets lots of revolutions on the ball. So the key point is that technically you’ve got to have a good skill set even if you play with a smaller ball. You walk out to a ground where the pitch offers very little help – as a spinner, you’ve got to rely on your other variations. And you’ve also got to understand that if the ball becomes too light or small, it may not travel the right away.Mandhana: A lot of the girls, including myself, have small palms. Yadav’s is even smaller [than mine]. At times, it becomes quite difficult to catch. I am open to giving it a try.Dar: Spinners will certainly be able to impart more revolutions and will probably be able to get the ball to drift more if the ball becomes smaller. That could make spin bowling in women’s cricket even more effective. It might make six-hitting a bit difficult, because batters, excluding those who are naturally very good timers of the ball, will get less time to react. But a smaller ball will probably fly a bit further as well, meaning longer sixes. This change could favour both batters and bowlers, but bowlers, in my opinion, might gain more.ALSO READ: ‘I hope I see the day when people acknowledge men’s and women’s cricket equally’ – Mithali RajCross: This seems the more realistic of the two suggestions to me because it can be done quite easily. Women naturally have smaller hands than men, so it will indeed make turning the ball easy. Growing up, when I first held a men’s full-size cricket ball, I remember thinking, “God, this is massive! I am never going to be able to bowl with that.” But now, I don’t necessarily see a difference when I hold a men’s Kookaburra ball and a women’s Kookaburra ball. The physical size difference isn’t that’s huge. Obviously, it’s the weight that’s taken off a bit [because of the less heavy ball already used in women’s cricket].How could these innovations affect power-hitting?
Haynes: At the recent T20 World Cup in Australia, I felt the boundary size was a little small. People getting rewarded for playing good shots is vital to the essence of the game, as is good bowling, and one of the things I enjoy about women’s cricket is, at times, there has to be more craft in terms of how people go about scoring their runs. So to just really focus on the power side: why do you want to do that? If it’s about bringing it aesthetically closer to the men’s game, I don’t think that’s necessarily the right way to go about it. The women’s game is a good product that’s continuing to evolve and make its own mark. You don’t want to tip the scales one way. People still want to watch a good contest between the bat and ball and not just plenty of sixes.

“Having the WBBL, the KSL, the Hundred or a women’s IPL – that’s the kind of change the women’s game needs”Kate Cross

Tahuhu: Do you then let the boundary size remain the same or increase it from a 55-metre boundary?Mandhana: Players like [Ashleigh] Gardner, Devine, [Deandra] Dottin, Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur], Shafali [Verma] are all hitting long sixes anyway. While I would love to see these changes improve bowling, I am not sure power-hitting or the ability to hit sixes should be reliant on either of these suggested changes.Do you have an idea to improve the game?
Haynes: Maybe you’re able to nominate one of your bowlers to bowl an additional over. That would be pretty cool – being able to sub a bowler into a particular situation. The thing about these innovations across different countries is particularly to use the domestic tournaments to trial these and see whether these work.Tahuhu: I would love to see powerplays in one-dayers go similar to the men’s powerplay, in terms of being allowed more fielders outside the ring in the last powerplay. In men’s cricket, the last ten-over block of the 50-over game allows five players outside the ring, while in the women’s game [the five-over block of the final Powerplay, which is completed by the 40th over] allows only three. This tweak could stop huge scores and give a bit of power back to the bowler.Should boundary sizes be reconsidered if pitches get shorter?•Brett Hemmings/Getty ImagesMandhana: Shortening of the boundary should be restricted, because if you have 50- or 52-metre boundaries, which we do in some of the leagues, it takes away [running] doubles from the game, which is an especially important skill in T20s. It also discourages spinners from flighting the ball, which is a more pronounced feature in women’s cricket than in men’s. It dents the skills of spinners as batters no longer face the challenge of having to use their feet. Sixty metres is a decent size; anything below that is too short, I feel.ALSO READ: Jarrod Kimber: How to watch the women’s game (2017)Dar: How about publicising the matches rigorously on social media and mainstream media? How about offering cash prizes for the best catch of the match, or best fielding effort, or most sixes of the match and some such, and mandatory cash prizes for the Player of the Match and Series and not just trophies? Give players more incentive to raise the standard of the game and things will get more entertaining.Cross: Women’s cricket, in my opinion, is exciting as it is. The T20 World Cup two-three months ago, and even the 2017 ODI World Cup is proof of that. The pace of the women’s game is relative; what isn’t deemed quick in the men’s game is so in ours. Katherine Brunt bowling 75mph isn’t quick enough in men’s cricket but for us, it is. I don’t think girls bowling quicker is what’s missing. The general standard needs to improve globally, and not just in Australia, England and India. All the other boards [need to be] doing their bit to make the game more accessible to girls and make adequate investments to grow the profile – in the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and so on. Having the WBBL, the KSL, the Hundred or a women’s IPL – that’s the kind of change the women’s game needs.

Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal is shining both on and off the pitch after being gifted a $400,000 chain of precious stones and diamonds.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Yamal gifted stunning piece of jewellery
• Chain worth $400,000
• Present from Dominican singer El Alfa

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal has been enjoying himself during his time off this summer, whizzing around the globe and meeting stars like Neymar after a stunning season with Barcelona where he helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble. He is admired around the world and has now received a diamond-encrusted necklace from Dominican singer El Alfa.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The singer asserted it was 'The best piece for the best footballer in the world', showing just how highly regarded Yamal has become in the world of football since his astonishing breakout. The item was designed by Victor Rodriguez, who is one of the most famous jewellers on the planet and founded the Tajia Diamonds store in New York.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Yamal already has quite a large collection of bling thanks to Barcelona and Spain's recent successes. La Blaugrana won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana last season, while the teenager was also a key part of the Spain side that emerged victorious at Euro 2024.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

  Once his luxurious summer comes to an end, it'll be back to work for Yamal as Barcelona head to Asia for pre-season friendlies against Vissel Kobe, FC Seoul and Daegu FC later in July.

da dobrowin： Nottingham Forest have Europa Conference League football to look forward to next term and are now progressing in their attempts to bring a highly-rated forward to the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest transfer targets as they prepare for Europe

da 888： It wasn’t to be for Nottingham Forest in their pursuit of Champions League football, though a place in Europe’s third-tier continental tournament could offer a realistic prospect of silverware next season.

West Ham United and Chelsea’s previous exploits in the Europa Conference League will offer Nuno Espirito Santo all the encouragement he needs, but the Portuguese boss knows signings will be necessary to balance their trophy bid with domestic endeavours.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest are interested in a permanent deal for Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, though there could also be a possibility of a loan agreement in the eyes of former scout Mick Brown.

Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes is a surprise target for the Tricky Trees, lending credence to the notion that they will go all out this summer following an impressive Premier League campaign.

Intriguingly, Espirito Santo stopped short of confirming he would be in charge next term after his side missed out on Champions League qualification, stating: “We are in good place and now it’s time to reflect and focus on the future. This is not a moment to speak about me. It’s about the club.”

Related Nottingham Forest make contact with ex-PSG ace as Marinakis eyes £20m move

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Either way, there is plenty to be positive about on reflection. Nottingham Forest have shown they are a force that can compete with the best after conducting a mass overhaul across the last couple of years in the East Midlands.

Sparing no expense, the Tricky Trees are now advancing in their pursuit to sign a talented forward who has likened himself to Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.

Nottingham Forest in advanced Igor Jesus talks after £18.5m offer

Per Fogao Net, Nottingham Forest have made an offer to sign Botafogo forward Igor Jesus for £18.5 million and talks are now believed to have progressed to an advanced stage.

Negotiations between all parties are moving along nicely, leaving the final decision down to the Brazil international, who has previously pointed out similarities between himself and countryman Vinicius Jr.

Igor Jesus statistics in 2025 – Serie A (Fotmob)

Shots

33

Shots on target

13

Completed dribbles

5

Dribble success

62.5%

Chances created

14

Duels won

62

Enjoying a bright start to the year, Jesus has netted seven goals and laid on a solitary assist in 23 appearances across all competitions for Brazil’s reigning top-flight champions.

Chris Wood has been a talismanic figure at the City Ground of late, though his age may work against him moving forward and securing an alternative option would make sense to bolster squad depth.

Now, it remains to be seen if Nottingham Forest can push a deal over the line as they look to build on an impressive campaign by keeping pace with contenders for European football in 2025/26.

Heung-min Son will go down as a modern-day legend at Tottenham Hotspur, spending the last decade at the club and producing countless moments of magic.

The 32-year-old has registered over 450 appearances for the Lilywhites, reaching double figures in all but one of the ten seasons he’s spent in North London.

However, despite signing a new deal at the club a couple of months ago, he could be set to leave during the off-season, with numerous Saudi Arabian sides circling for his signature this window.

It’s been reported that Thomas Frank isn’t going to force him out the door, but would allow him to leave should he wish to – with multiple sides in the Middle East willing to pay £34m for his services.

It would be a shame to see a fan favourite depart, but he’s ultimately a shadow of his former self, opening the door to potential reinforcements arriving before the end of the summer.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for a new winger this summer

Antoine Semenyo is a player who has firmly been on their radar over the last few months, with the Bournemouth star impressing massively in the Premier League throughout the 2024/25 season.

The Ghanaian international registered 13 goals and six assists across all competitions, with the Cherries open to selling the attacker if they receive an acceptable offer for the 25-year-old.

However, he’s not the only Premier League winger on their radar this summer, with West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus emerging as a key option, according to The Guardian.

The report claims that Spurs are preparing a £50m bid for the 24-year-old attacker, who currently has an £85m release clause with his contract at the London Stadium.

It also states that the offer is seen as a low ball, but one that could unsettle the forward, who’s registered 19 goals for the Hammers after joining them from Ajax back in the summer of 2023.

Why Kudus would be as an exciting addition as Mbeumo this summer

Since Frank’s appointment, Spurs have appeared to step up their interest in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, potentially securing a reunion between him and his former boss.

The Cameroonian international has enjoyed his best-ever top-flight campaign in 2024/25, registering 20 goals for the Bees, which has seen his stock rise as a result.

His current employers are demanding a fee in the region of £70m to part ways with him this summer, a fee that may be slightly out of the Lilywhites’ budget this window.

He’s also expressed his desire to move to Manchester United during the off-season, which has resulted in Frank’s men cooling their interest and targeting other options.

One of which appears to be Kudus, with the Hammers star a more than capable alternative, with the youngster impressing during his short spell in England’s top flight.

He’s proven that he’s capable of filling the void should Son depart in the near future, whilst his potential addition could see the club forget about a deal for Mbeumo.

The 24-year-old, who’s been labelled “generational” by journalist Gary Al-Smith, has registered more shots and a higher goal per shot on target rate, demonstrating his quality within attacking areas.

Games played

32

38

30

Goals & assists

8

27

16

Shots taken

2.6

2.1

2.3

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.4

0.2

Pass accuracy

84%

66%

78%

Passes into final third

1.8

1.6

1.7

Take-ons completed

3.2

1.3

1.2

Take-on success

48%

46%

34%

Kudus has also completed more passes and registered a higher tally of passes into the final third per 90, handing other players in and around the attacking areas to improve their own tallies.

His dominance is further reflected in his take-ons and higher success rate, always liking to drive the ball into forward areas, which hands Frank another superb option at his disposal.

If he is to move across London this summer, it would be a sensational signing and one that would help the club in their attempts to rise up the Premier League table.

Whilst Mbeumo may remain their main target, they should look past a move for the Bees star and prioritise a move for Kudus, with the Ghanian offering a replacement for Son should he leave this summer.

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1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 18, 2025