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Manchester United are set to battle Tottenham for the signing of a player with a £60m+ release clause, according to reports.

Man Utd transfer rumours

A new era of sorts is set to begin at Manchester United this summer with the 2024 transfer window set to be Sir Jim Rattclife's first since becoming part owner of the Red Devils. Despite an 8th-place finish in the Premier League, manager Erik ten Hag was able to keep his role for the time being and is reportedly set to pen fresh terms with the club.

With new backing from Ratcliffe, Ten Hag is no doubt eager to see an ageing, out-of-form Man Utd squad transformed over the summer as he looks to push the Red Devils up the table and into a battle with England's top sides.

In terms of potential incomings, a recent report linked Manchester United with a move for Bayern Munich stalwart Leon Goretzka. The Red Devils are also interested in signing striker Maximilian Beier. One of the Manchester outfit's main transfer targets at present, though, appears to be Everton stopper Jarrad Branthwaite, with it reported this week that United have agreed terms with the Englishman over a contract worth between £150-160k a week.

Elsewhere, journalist David Ornstein recently told The Athletic FC podcast that Man United want a centre-back, a midfielder and a striker – while a move for a left-back could also transpire.

Ratcliffe now set to sell £90k-p/w Manchester United regular for just £20m

It is the latest in a long line of brutal decisions being taken upstairs at the club.

ByBen Browning May 15, 2024 Man Utd ready to pay £60m+ to sign attacker ahead of Tottenham

Over the weekend, meanwhile, a fresh update on another of Manchester United's summer transfer targets has emerged. The player in question is Crystal Palace and England midfielder, Eberechi Eze. United's links to the attacking midfielder have continued over the last week and now, Football Insider have shared an update on the situation.

As well as Manchester United, fellow Premier League giants Tottenham are also looking into the potential signing of Eze, with both clubs said to be willing to pay his release clause, which is an initial £60m plus add-ons payable down the line.

Despite Crystal Palace's struggles during the first half of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Eze scored 11 and assisted four in 27 league outings for the Eagles, with his superb form earning him a call-up to the England side for Euro 2024. As a result, it is not too surprising to see FI claim both United and Spurs think Eze's release clause is on the lower side for a player of his quality.

Eze is 25 years of age, which means, on paper, he could be about to enter his prime years, hence why he is believed to 'tick a lot of boxes' when it comes to the new-look recruitment at United.

Keira Walsh has set her sights on winning another quadruple as the Lionesses star claimed that she is "happy" at the club despite WSL return talks.

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Walsh has lofty ambitions at BarcaEager to defend the quadruple won last campaignSet to return to Manchester for a UWCL clash against CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Last season, Barcelona etched their name in the history books by securing four major titles: the Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Spanish Supercopa, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. It was a remarkable achievement for the club, marking the first time they had ever claimed all four trophies in the same season with Walsh playing an instrumental role in helping her team dominate on multiple fronts.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT WALSH SAID

Reflecting on her experience, Walsh told the club media, “It was my first quadruple, and I want to do it again this season. That's why I play for Barcelona. But I think to me, the most important thing is that the way we want to play and the way we want to win, it's about playing good football at the same time.

"That's why I signed for this club. I think that the ambition is there for every single one of us to go and win another Champions League. Hopefully, I can make it three [in a row]."

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Despite the allure of top English clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea, Walsh remains focused on continuing her success in Spain, especially under new manager Pere Romeu, who has unlocked many more possibilities for the midfielder at the centre of the park.

"I'm happy here. I've got a good relationship with all of the staff, all of the players. Everyone's really supportive. For me, it's a great place to be as a midfielder," she added.

"I'm always learning, always improving, and I think with the new manager [Pere Romeu], he has a lot of confidence in me and he makes me feel confident when I'm playing. So yeah, for me, I think I'm really happy here and yeah, we'll just see how the season goes and hopefully we can win more trophies together."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona will face Walsh's former club, Manchester City, in their UEFA Women’s Champions League opener which will mark her first return to Manchester since she left for Spain in 2022. The 27-year-old revealed that she is ready for a sentimental homecoming with friends and family set to be in the stands.

"It's a really special moment for me," she added. "It's the first time I've been back since I've signed.

"I think my grandma is coming to the game, which is nice. She's not watched me play for the last few years, so I think she's excited as well. It'll be nice to see so many of my friends and family in the stands. I felt bad because I think I've taken quite a lot of tickets for this game, which is unusual for me because normally I don't take that many."

Ishant Sharma recovering well from injury, and should play Test series in Australia, BCCI president says

PTI03-Nov-2020Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, wants injured opener Rohit Sharma to be cautious when deciding whether or not to compete for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 playoffs, as he risks aggravating the hamstring tear that led to his exclusion from the Australia-bound India squad. At the same time, Ganguly sounded a positive note on Ishant Sharma, who is also out injured, saying that the quick’s side strain should heal in time for the Test series in Australia.”Rohit is injured at the moment. Otherwise, why would we leave out a player like him? He is the vice-captain of the national (limited-overs) team,” Ganguly said. “We will have to assess him. I don’t know (when he can come back). He hasn’t played so far since the time he has got injured. We want him to recover.”It’s the BCCI’s job to get their best players on the park. If he recovers, he plays.”Rohit has been out of action since playing against Kings XI Punjab on October 18 because of a left hamstring tear, and Ganguly stressed that the board would do everything possible to get an “asset like Rohit” back in action.

“Rohit is injured at the moment. Otherwise, why would we leave out a player like him? It’s the BCCI’s job to get their best players on the park. If he recovers, he plays.”SOURAV GANGULY

When asked about the videos put out by the Mumbai Indians – who are playing the last league game of IPL 2020, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, today – where Rohit is seen batting in the nets, Ganguly said, “Yeah, you don’t want him to get injured again. He has a hamstring tear and it will get ruptured again. It will then get longer for him to come back. But yes, there are people working with him.”The Mumbai Indians physio is working with him. The Indian physio [Nitin Patel] is there. Rohit himself knows that he has got a long career ahead and it’s not just this IPL or next series for him. I am sure he is mature enough to do what is best for him.”I can tell you that things you do easily at the practice might be a bit of struggle during a match situation. The muscles react differently to pressure situations.”ALSO READ: Rohit ‘in danger of injuring himself again if not careful’ – ShastriGanguly on the Ranji Trophy

“We have zeroed in on venues where we can create a bio-bubble for Ranji Trophy but we will not make an announcement till we discuss with the state associations. There are 38 state units and some of the members have offered to host as they all have multiple grounds in their main cities. We will create what’s the best secure environment for the players.”

As for Ishant, Ganguly said his recovery has been going well, and he should be available for the Tests, starting mid-December.”Yes, we are expecting Ishant to be back for the Test matches,” Ganguly said. “He has already started bowling from shorter run-ups and short spells. He has bowled at NCA. But as there is a BCCI protocol for fast bowlers, Ishant will be playing the two first-class games in Australia.”There have been a few injuries in the ongoing IPL, including to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ganguly said that it was bound to happen after such a long break – because of the Covid-19 pandemic.”Injuries are a part of sport and it will happen. The lesser you play, the more injured you will get. The more you keep playing, your body gets fitter, stronger and you will get less injured,” he said. “All of them came back after seven months of being locked at home with literally no activity. I don’t think injuries should be looked at like ‘Oh god, something is not right’.”That’s what sport is all about. High intensity part of life and you will have injuries.”Ganguly also backed Rishabh Pant, whose batting returns have tailed off after a reasonable start in IPL 2020, and who has been left out of the white-ball squads in Australia, to come good sooner rather than later.”Don’t worry. His bat swing will come back. He is a young guy, and all of us need to guide him. He’s got tremendous talent,” Ganguly said. “Rishabh will be fine. He and Wriddhiman Saha are our two best wicketkeeper-batsmen in the country.”After returning from Australia in the new year, India are expected to play England at home, and there have been doubts about India’s preparedness to host the series, given the situation with the pandemic in the country.”We will have the England series in India. I can assure that there are no apprehensions from the England side,” Ganguly said, adding that IPL 2021 could also happen in India, and not the UAE: “IPL is a tournament for India, we want it to happen in India. There’s still six months. We will keep assessing.”

Leicester City would have begrudgingly accepted Chelsea's advances for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall when a bumper bid came in for their star midfielder, with the 25-year-old linking back up with ex-Foxes boss Enzo Maresca by moving to Stamford Bridge.

The reigning second-tier title winners will aim to find a replacement for Dewsbury-Hall swiftly now, as new Leicester boss Steve Cooper is faced with the tough task of filling the void left behind by their former homegrown product's exit to West London.

They could already have a target in mind, if reports are to be believed, with a transfer tussle potentially heating up with a fellow Premier League club for this gem's services.

Leicester looking at Benfica star

According to a recent report by Portuguese outlet Record, Leicester are readying a proposal for Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis this off-season, which could trouble Everton's long-standing interest.

It has previously been reported that the Toffees have even bid in the region of £25.5m for Luis' services back in May, with Cooper and Co now able to compete potentially, as a result of Dewsbury-Hall's sale adding £30m to the bank.

Sean Dyche's men are looking at Luis arguably to fill gaps in their own midfield, particularly if Amadou Onana is to move on from Goodison Park this summer, but the Foxes will hope they can advance to the front of the queue regardless, to quickly stitch up the wounds of their star 25-year-old's exit by winning the Benfica man.

What Luis could offer Leicester

Making 19 Champions League appearances in total whilst being on the books of the Portuguese giants, this move could be viewed as a coup if pulled off from the newly promoted side's perspective, and the best possible solution after Dewsbury-Hall's departure.

More of a defensively sound player than Dewsbury-Hall, with his position at Benfica often seeing him operate from a holding role, he could strike up an effective partnership with Harry Winks upon his arrival to England, as Leicester aim to be way above the drop-zone next season.

Leicester might well need more defensively resilient figures in their squad like Luis – who was once described as being "exceptional" by former coach Rui Vitoria for his battling nature when traversing the difficult step back up to the Premier League, with the top division an often unforgiving beast for newly promoted teams.

Across the last year for Benfica, as per FBRef, Luis has won 4.23 tackles on average per match, as well as making 2.63 interceptions, with the 24-year-old more than content with being a disruptive presence for his team, as opposed to constantly bombarding forward.

Shots total

0.64

0.67

Shot-creating actions

1.71

2.34

Passes attempted

73.93

89.13

Pass completion %

88.9%

93.1%

Progressive passes

7.61

6.64

Progressive carries

0.59

1.65

Successful take-ons

0.32

0.67

Progressive passes received

1.07

1.20

Tackles

4.23

1.63

Interceptions

2.63

0.82

Blocks

1.93

0.76

Aerials won

1.34

0.42

Unlike his new potential teammate, who shines digging deep for his side as can be seen glancing at the table above, Winks excelled in the Championship as a measured head playing out from the back, and so the pair could complement each other well.

Winks could find his moment in the spotlight for the Foxes comes in the Premier League, with Dewsbury-Hall often stealing the plaudits in the second-tier from the centre of the park, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man's experience of the top-flight crucial in Leicester staying afloat this season to come.

Losing the homegrown product was always going to be a gutting development, especially when you consider his 26 goal contributions in the league were crucial as the Foxes lifted the Championship title, but Cooper and Co will have targets in mind to soften this almighty blow, with Luis touted to move to the King Power Stadium.

Leicester struck gold on star who was worth even more than Dewsbury-Hall

Leicester City have sold many of their stars on for great profit over the years.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2024

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has joked he's given up on plans to kidnap Rob McElhenney after receiving an adorable birthday surprise.

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Reynolds celebrating 48th birthdayReceives incredible surprise from McElhenneyPosts epic response to his Wrexham co-ownerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Hollywood stars have enjoyed poking fun at one another throughout their time in charge of Wrexham and are at it again with the latest instalment designed to celebrate Reynolds' birthday. McElhenney announced a surprise for his Wrexham co-owner in a video on social media where he urged viewers to "AdoptARyan" in honour of his good friend's birthday. The star joked he wanted to give Reynolds "unconditional love" on his special day and has teamed up with American animal welfare organisation Best Friends Animal Society to rename a host of adoptable animals including dogs, cats, horses and donkeys "Ryan Reynolds" in a bid to rehome them.

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McElhenney has also pledged to match all match all donations up to $25,000 (£19,300) until the end of the month in honour of Reynolds' birthday with the aim of trying to "help save all dogs and cats across the country."

WHAT REYNOLDS SAID

Reynolds was quick to respond with his own post on Instagram and is already thinking about his next move: "I was expecting some sort of assault on decency or thinly veiled attack on Canada. Instead, I got one of the greatest gifts of my life in knowing Rob McElhenney. He is as wonderful and singular as you’d imagine and I’m the luckiest guy on earth. I’m also immediately reconfiguring Rob’s birthday surprise for this April. Despite devoting considerable time and resources, I’m withdrawing from the original plan, which wasn’t necessarily kidnapping Rob… I wouldn’t even describe it as an “abduction”. I’d call it an, “involuntary, forced and rapid relocation system.” Now, it’s going to have to be something kind and joyful. And less of a felony."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM

While the two stars are enjoying themselves on social media, their team are currently preparing for a return to League One action. Phil Parkinson's side currently sit second in the table and face Charlton Athletic next on Saturday in League One.

Legspinner unsure where he sits within England spin stocks after mixed summer

Matt Roller21-Nov-2020Ten days after T20 Finals Day, when most county cricketers had their feet up at home, Matt Parkinson and Saqib Mahmood rolled up to Lancashire’s indoor school. With England’s white-ball tour to South Africa imminent, both bowlers wanted to ensure that they were match-ready if selected.But two weeks later, the bad news came: neither had made the cut. Mahmood had little chance to dwell on it, flying to Pakistan for the PSL playoffs a few days later, but for Parkinson it has been a different story.He had hoped that he might have attracted some interest from Big Bash teams, not least with an influx of young Englishmen involved this season since the increase in the number of overseas players per team from two to three, but it has not been forthcoming. Instead, after moving out of his flat this summer, he has been stuck in the UK’s latest lockdown at his new house, doing DIY and trying not to spend too much time dwelling on a frustrating few months.”I was gutted not to be selected,” Parkinson says. “It was an odd summer, really. I didn’t really know where I stood [with England] when I came back to play for Lancashire. I think if you spoke to a lot of the young lads on the fringes, [they’d say] it was quite a tough summer to see where you fitted in, just due to the lack of cricket we played.”After champing at the bit throughout lockdown, desperate to get back on the field, Parkinson’s summer started in frustrating fashion. He was part of the 30-man training squad before the Test series against West Indies, and then shifted to the 24-man group called up ahead of the ODI series against Ireland, but hurt his ankle when tripping over a boundary rope in fielding practice the day before the first intra-squad warm-up game.

When you get a taste for international cricket it does show you things in your game that you need to tweak but I’m not going to change the whole package just to play for England – I have to stay true to what I doMatt Parkinson isn’t planning a complete overhaul in his game

“To be fit in the whole of lockdown and then get so close to the season… it was stinking timing,” he says. “I think I played 11 T20 games. I started a bit slowly but I thought I might have pushed my case in them with a decent finish and I was hoping I could sneak on as back-up spinner to Rash [Adil Rashid] but obviously it wasn’t to be.”It was Ed Smith who rang me. He didn’t really give too much feedback but he would have been making the same phone call to 10 or 15 lads. Obviously the squad that they’ve taken is fantastic and is a very tough one to break into, so all I can do is keep working. There are areas that I know I need to work on, and those are the things he stressed.”Perhaps the blow was softened by the fact that England did not take a third frontline spinner to South Africa. After making his T20I and ODI debuts last winter, Parkinson still seems to be the obvious replacement if Rashid were to go down injured on the eve of the T20 World Cup.But he doesn’t see it that way. “You can’t get into the mindset that you are the back-up; that’s when you get a bit comfy,” he says. Instead, he mentions Danny Briggs, who has just flown to Australia for his first BBL season at the Adelaide Strikers, and Mason Crane, who was part of a small group training at Loughborough last week, as possible rivals, with the injured Liam Dawson another strong candidate.The main question surrounding Parkinson has always been his pace – or more accurately, his lack of pace – and whether it should be considered a strength or a weakness. Operating at around 47mph/75kph, he is the slowest bowler in the CricViz database, which dates back to around 2006, and as a result, his standard length is 0.7m fuller than the average legspinner’s in T20 cricket, as he tosses the ball up rather than skidding it off the pitch.Matt Parkinson roars in celebration•Getty ImagesHe admits to occasional frustrations when it is scrutinised too much, but has been working with Carl Crowe – the T20 spin coach who has worked closely with Sunil Narine and has been used by Lancashire as a consultant – among others to help make his transition to the next level “as smooth and natural as possible”.”It’s not something I’m going to force,” he says, “[but] it would be nice to have it in me to push it up to 51, 52mph – not every ball, but when I feel like it’s needed. What I’ve managed to achieve so far has been because of the way I bowl.”The speed and the skills I’ve got currently are obviously doing well in the Blast. I like to think I’ve got decent control for a legspinner, and I get a little bit of drift and some spin as well. When you get a taste for international cricket it does show you the slight things in your game that you do need to tweak but I’m not going to change the whole package just to play for England – I have to stay true to what I do.”In the meantime, he has half an eye on England’s postponed Test tour to Sri Lanka at the start of 2021, and is determined not to be pigeon-holed as a white-ball bowler. Before the trip was mothballed due to the pandemic in March, he had started to make a case for selection with five wickets across 24 overs in warm-up games, and with Rashid seemingly out of Test contention, he stands every chance of a call-up.That said, the only red-ball cricket he has played since then was for Team Buttler in England’s intra-squad game; he would have played one Bob Willis Trophy match for Lancashire, but slipped in the warm-up on the morning of the game.”It was a bit of a stinking summer on that front,” he laughs. “I think that break from March was a good chance to assess and that’s probably been my main learning. I probably went away from my strengths a bit in the winter, but I came good at the end of the Blast when I relaxed and bowled how I normally do.”

Fast bowler acknowledges South Africa’s reasons for declining to take a knee for BLM movement

Andrew Miller20-Nov-2020Chris Jordan, the England fast bowler, says he is confident that cricket’s anti-racism message will be continue to be spread through hard work behind the scenes rather than on-field displays of solidarity, after acknowledging South Africa’s decision not to take a knee before the start of their upcoming matches against England.Jordan, one of two black players in the England white-ball squad alongside Jofra Archer, insisted that South Africa’s choice “should not be judged from any point of view”, after their head coach, Mark Boucher, said that his players had already made their gesture of support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement during a 3TC game in July.”It’s not something that we have to continue to show,” Boucher said. “It’s something that you have to live… If guys who brought it up are happy with it, that’s great, but if they feel we have to do more, that will be a chat and that they are open to express their opinions.”Speaking during a Zoom call from Newlands, Jordan agreed that the biggest driver of change in the game would come through internal dialogue, adding that the issue of racial equality was a frequent topic of conversation in the England dressing room, which also features two players of Pakistani heritage in Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, as well as a number who grew up outside the UK, including the Ireland-born captain, Eoin Morgan.”I think the situation is very individual,” Jordan said. “I think that a lot of real, honest work going on around the matter will be done in private. The real change will come through a lot of those real conversations that you have one-on-one with people, in terms of education. So if that’s what they [CSA] as an organisation believe in, then I don’t think it should be judged from any point of view. It’s their personal decision. So let’s just move on.”ALSO READ: South Africa will not take a knee during England series, says BoucherNevertheless, South Africa’s decision is bound to come under scrutiny, given the country’s racially divided history, and also in light of the criticism that Australia and Pakistan attracted on their recent tour of England, when they too declined to take a knee, in contrast to England’s matches involving West Indies and Ireland.The decision attracted strong criticism from Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler and outspoken BLM advocate in his role as a Sky Sports commentator, who described Australia’s excuses in particular as “lame”.Justin Langer, their head coach, subsequently conceded that the issue had not been given enough consideration in the lead-up to the England tour, and it has since been announced that the squad will stand in a barefoot circle ahead of their series against India, in recognition of the anti-racism movement and of Australia’s indigenous people.Chris Jordan gets a fist bump from his captain•AFPAsked if such gestures still have an impact, Jordan insisted they did “100%”, but reiterated the need to be open-minded about how different teams and individuals go about recognising such a sensitive topic.”Obviously taking the knee is something very visual, that people see when they turn on sport and watch, but I’m a big believer in a lot of the real conversations that are happening behind the scenes, especially amongst our group, as a team.”We come from so many different backgrounds, and the matter is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The type of questions that are being put forward, and the real conversations that are happening behind the scenes, is where a lot of the real change will come.”He believes that the same is true of another race-related issue to have come to light in English cricket in recent days – the failure of the ECB to encourage the career development of BAME umpires, which led the former Test official John Holder to accuse the board of institutional racism.”First and foremost, the situation is what it is,” Jordan said. “There’s always more that we all can do, especially as an organisation. But you can’t change the past, all you can do is try to affect everything that’s coming in the future.”It’s an area that has been highlighted, so time will tell in terms of the impact that we can have, as a society, to change that.”

Arne Slot says Trent Alexander-Arnold will not lose focus on what he has to do at Liverpool amid transfer links with Real Madrid.

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Trent out of contract in 2025Linked with Real Madrid moveSlot says defender is focused on LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 26-year-old's Liverpool contract is set to expire next summer and with the right-back yet to sign a new deal, Real Madrid have registered their interest in the England international. Despite that, Reds manager Slot says those who think these transfer rumours may get to the defender are "underestimating" Alexander-Arnold's professionalism.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

When asked if the transfer rumours could have an unsettling impact on his vice-captain, Slot said: "I think you underestimate our players. These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis, if they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by this interest, then I think you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to. This is part of our job. I was at Feyenoord last year and they linked me with many clubs and before that and before that. This is part of this world we are living in. You just focus on what you have to do. Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age, that could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League, Virgil and Mo the same. I don’t think that is a problem for them to perform. That’s also what we see at the moment because they’re playing really well, put it that way."

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Reds academy product Alexander-Arnold has been a huge success for the club over the years but the fact he is yet to sign a new contract will have many fans worried. He, centre-back Virgil van Dijk and winger Mohamed Salah are also into the last year of their deals and if Liverpool don't retain any of them, that will be a huge blow for Slot's side.

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Liverpool, who sit top of the Premier League after seven matches, host fourth-placed Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, before returning to Champions League action on Wednesday night away to RB Leipzig.

As they look to get their summer business underway, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly keen on signing an attacking reinforcement for Gary O'Neil who enjoyed even outscored Pedro Neto last season.

Wolves transfer news

The Midlands club exceeded expectations last season by comfortably avoiding relegation in O'Neil's debut season, but now face potential outgoings in the coming months, including Max Kilman. The central defender has attracted interest from the likes of Newcastle United and West Ham United with the latter even expected to send a fresh proposal to sign the 27 year old, as per Fabrizio Romano.

As one star seemingly edges closer to the exit door, however, another could yet be on his way in this summer, as Wolves look to add to O'Neil's frontline ahead of next season.

Wolves could promote "outstanding" youngster if Semedo leaves this summer

He has been on loan twice this season

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 26, 2024

According to GiveMeSport, Wolves are now keen to sign Jack Clarke from Sunderland this summer, but value the winger below the Black Cats' reported price tag of £25m-£30m.

The winger enjoyed a superb campaign even amid Sunderland's collective struggles last season and his agent has even admitted that he hopes to see a move take place this summer. Whether that ends with a Wolves shirt remains to be seen, however, given that Crystal Palace are also reportedly interested.

It would be quite the moment if Clarke managed to return to the Premier League this summer just two years after leaving Tottenham Hotspur as a struggling prospect two years ago. Wolves, meanwhile, could land a player capable of replacing Neto, should the Portugal winger depart in the coming months.

"Amazing" Clarke can replace Neto

With Neto's Wolves future still in doubt, welcoming a player of Clarke's talent feels more important than ever in the Midlands. The Sunderland man comes with a hefty price tag, but the potential sale of Kilman and perhaps even Neto could quickly hand them the funds needed to make such a move happen this summer.

Goals

15

4

Assists

2

9

Successful Take-ons P90

3.81

2.20

Minutes

3,496

1,516

Where Neto's a provider, Clarke is more of a goalscorer and would instantly offer Wolves another dynamic going forward. If Wolves can keep hold of Neto and welcome Clarke, then having two players who can offer both elements going forward would be a game-changer for O'Neil next season.

Looking at the numbers, it's no surprise that former manager Tony Mowbray was previously full of praise for Clarke, saying via Chronicle Live: "I had a big shout at him at half-time, to be honest, I thought he was really poor for 20 minutes but his reaction was amazing.

"We can't sit here and question Jack Clarke's talent, he has double-figure goals now from the left wing and I think probably double-figure assists as well. He's a great player and yet he has to understand – and in my mind he is still a young boy – that we need 90 minutes, not a brilliant 60 minutes."

Aston Villa have joined the race to sign an "excellent" young player from one of Europe's top clubs this summer, according to an exciting new transfer claim.

Aston Villa transfer news

This promises to be one of the most exciting summer transfer windows at Villa Park in some time, as they look to spend money wisely after getting into the Champions League. Constant rumours continue to emerge regarding new signings, with Unai Emery aiming to take his team up another gear next season.

Mainz winger Brajan Gruda has jumped out as a potential addition for Villa ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with comparisons drawn between himself and Athletic Bilbao ace Nico Williams, who is currently impressing for Spain at Euro 2024. The Midlands club are even thought to be favourites to get their man.

Slovenia centre-back Jaka Bijol has also been linked with a summer switch to the Villans, with an approach made for him. He could be viewed as Pau Torres' ideal defensive partner moving forward, having averaged a staggering 9.5 clearances per game across four appearances at the Euros.

Douglas Luiz is now no longer at Villa, having completed a move to Juventus, and Gabri Veiga is believed to be seen as a potentially perfect replacement for him. The 22-year-old Spaniard is currently playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, but is eyeing a return to European football.

Aston Villa make contact with "excellent" player

According to Tutto Juve [via Sport Witness], Aston Villa have made contact with Juventus over the signing of centre-back Dean Huijsen, entering the race for his signature in the process.

It is claimed that the European giants want at least €30m (£25m) for the highly-rated defender, with the Villans expressing interest in the "last few hours". In-depth talks are not believed to have taken place yet, though.

Another centre-back feels important for Villa this summer, in terms of having enough depth to shine in both the Premier League and the Champions League, and Huijsen stands out as an exciting option with a high ceiling heading into the future.

The 19 year-old Dutchman has been hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for his "excellent positioning and ability to read the game", as well as his "great elegance and on-the-ball composure", while former Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri has hailed him in the past.

"Huijsen entered the game serene and calm, he never played complicated passes and never put his teammate in difficulty. He reads the game like a great player. He does things like Ciro Ferrara."

Huijsen made 13 Serie A appearances on loan at Roma last season, as he picked up more invaluable experience, and he also has one outing to his name for Juve.

Aston Villa favourites for 'monster' signing who plays like Nico Williams

Unai Emery’s side are ahead of Premier League opposition in this race.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2024

He could join Villa as an important squad player from the off, allowing him to mature under Emery, before evolving into an elite-level central defender over time, assuming he reaches his potential.