Category Uncategorized

Unlike some of their Premier League rivals, Arsenal’s summer signings are looking better with every passing gameweek.

For example, he might’ve started slowly, but Viktor Gyokeres already has six goals to his name this season, and Noni Madueke was just starting to pick up steam before his injury.

Moreover, with Gabriel Magalhães’ recent injury, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie are looking like incredible buys.

With all that said, an argument could be made that Martin Zubimendi has been Arsenal’s best signing of all, so fans should be excited about reports linking the club to someone who could be an heir to the Spaniard and has been compared to Rodri.

Arsenal target their next Martin Zubimendi

With reports coming out about Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal as early as January, the excitement for the move wasn’t quite as intense as it perhaps should’ve been when it finally came to pass in the summer.

However, since then, the Spaniard has more than proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Whether it’s putting in a perfectly timed tackle to shield the back four, or driving with the ball and delivering a pinpoint accurate pass to a forward, the former Real Sociedad star really does it all.

Therefore, it makes sense that the club would already be looking for a younger gem who, over the next five to six years, can be moulded into his long-term heir.

According to a recent report from Spain, one of the young prospects that could sign for this purpose is Chema Andrés.

The story has revealed that, alongside Manchester City, Arsenal are already making moves to sign the VfB Stuttgart gem, who has had an excellent start to the season.

However, a potential roadblock for Andrea Berta and Co is that he’s a former Real Madrid prospect, and the Spanish giants have a buy-back clause worth around €13.5m for 2026, which is approximately £12m.

If Arsenal want to sign the young Spaniard, they’ll almost certainly have to pay significantly more than that, but even so, Andrés would be worth it as a future Zubimendi heir.

Why Chema Andrés could be Arsenal's future Zubimendi

So what is it that makes Zubimendi such an incredible footballer and has seen him so quickly become essential to Arsenal’s midfield?

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Well, to put it simply, it’s his impressive combination of defensive nous and sensational ability on the ball, which has seen him already amass a tally of three goal involvements in 11 league games from the six position.

The good news is that, while it’s still very early on in his career, Chema Andrés appears to share this ability to heavily influence play in both halves.

For example, just last month, respected u23 scout Antonio Mango described his defensive abilities as “Rodri-like,” noting that he “simplifies the game and makes the basics look effortless.”

Then, when it comes to going the other way, Mango has praised him for his “expansive passing range”, and fellow talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him an “orchestrator” thanks to his incredible “vision” and “football IQ.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Unsurprisingly, the 20-year-old “supernova” of a talent, as dubbed by one analyst, also has some incredible underlying numbers to more than justify the hype.

Andrés’ Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Interceptions

2.11

Top 1%

Clearances

3.65

Top 1%

Dispossessed

0.14

Top 1%

Aerials Won

3.93

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

4.49

Top 4%

Ball Recoveries

6.74

Top 4%

Shots on Target

0.70

Top 5%

SCA (Shot)

0.28

Top 6%

Successful Take-On %

66.7%

Top 6%

Blocks

1.83

Top 7%

Average Shot Distance

14.40

Top 8%

Shots Blocked

0.56

Top 9%

% of Dribblers Tackled

63.6%

Top 10%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.15

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

7.16

Top 11%

Passes Blocked

1.26

Top 11%

% of Aerials Won

62.2%

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

2.53

Top 14%

xG: Expected Goals

0.15

Top 15%

All Stats via FBref

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, clearances, aerials won, the top 4% for tackles plus interceptions and ball recoveries, the top 5% for shots on target, the top 11% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, on top of doing business at the club level, the youngster is also making waves on the international scene.

After making ten appearances for Spain’s u19s, he skipped the u20s altogether and has now made four appearances for the u21s, with the last coming on Tuesday night.

Ultimately, Zubimendi should be Arsenal’s starting six for quite some time, but if they can, they should do what they can to sign Andrés, as at just 20 years old, he could be the long-term heir.

Related Forget Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" can make Jover's corners more unstoppable

Here’s how Arsenal can replace Gabriel’s set-piece threat while he’s out injured.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

Rangers’ busy summer spending spree continues at Ibrox. Indeed, since Russell Martin’s appointment at Ibrox, the Gers have made six new signings to date, most recently bringing in Nasser Djiga on a season-long loan.

He follows Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and Thelo Aasgaard through the arrivals’ door at Rangers, but are the Glasgow giants now going to get their hands on a vastly experienced new centre-back?

Rangers aiming to bolster their back line

The start of Rangers’ season is now fast approaching.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Last Sunday, the Gers faced Club Brugge in a pre-season friendly, fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Club Brugge at home, thanks to second-half goals from Mohamed Diomandé and then youngster Findlay Curtis.

No such defensive sloppiness can be afforded in just ten nights’ time when the Light Blues commence Champions League qualifying, welcoming Panathinaikos to Govan, hence why Martin is targeting even more new signings this week.

Thus, according to a report by Sky Sports News, Rangers remain interested in signing Conor Coady from Leicester City.

Earlier in the window, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider claimed that the Gers were ‘in advanced talks’ with the Foxes, as they attempted to sign the centre-back, but this is yet to come to fruition.

As outlined by Rob Tanner of the Athletic, Leicester are actively looking to get some of their highest earners off the books, following their relegation back to the EFL Championship, so will surely be quite accommodating, as they too want this deal to get over the line.

Thus, it remains very possible that Coady will make the move to Rangers but, with Panathinaikos on the horizon, Martin will be eager for this deal to get done sooner rather than later.

How Conor Coady would improve Rangers defence

Right now, Rangers have seven senior centre-backs on their books, although this could be down to six, after a bid was accepted for Robin Pröpper, who is seemingly on his way back to FC Twente, as confirmed by Martin.

So, here are the options Martin currently has in his squad.

Rangers’ current centre-back options

Players

Age

Year joined

Rangers appearances

John Souttar

28

2022

94

Ben Davies

29

2022

58

Clinton Nsiala

21

2024

13

Leon King

21

2020*

42

Nasser Djiga

22

2025

Zero

Emmanuel Fernandez

23

2025

Zero

*King made his senior debut in 2020.

All information courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, there is not a huge amount of experience among Rangers’ current central-defenders but, given that he played in both the Champions League for Crvena zvezda and the Premier League for Wolves last season, Djiga has surely arrived to be first-choice.

Alongside, John Souttar is probably in pole position to partner the new arrival, having made 40 appearances for the club last season, accumulating 3,411 minutes, the most he has ever enjoyed in a single campaign of his injury-blighted senior career.

Thus, Coady’s potential arrival would probably be particularly bad news for the Scotland international, banishing him to the bench.

James Tarkowski, who played alongside Coady at Everton, labelled him a “great leader”, while his manager at Goodison, Sean Dyche, heralded his “immaculate” professionalism.

Meantime, Adam McNulty of Breaking the Lines praised his ability ‘to pick out a runner’, documenting his outstanding distribution, supported by the fact that, in the 2019/20 Premier League season, Coady completed more accurate long passes than anybody else.

Given that new manager Martin’s style of play prioritises control through possession, this could be an invaluable asset to have at the back.

But how do his statistics compare to those of Souttar? Let’s find out.

Conor Coady 23/24 & 24/25 vs John Souttar 24/25 comparison

Statistics (per 90)

Coady

Souttar

Appearances

43

40

Minutes

3,103

3,411

Passes Attempted

73.45

56.95

Passing Accuracy %

92.48%

86.4%

Forward Passes

25.6

20.9

Tackles Made

0.8

0.8

Aerial duel success %

51.91%

68.06%

Ground duel success %

57.22%

69.43%

Clearances

3.6

6.9

Interceptions

0.9

0.7

Ball recoveries

3.5

2.7

Touches

81.9

70.45

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and Squawka

First and foremost, it is worth noting that the last two seasons were included for Coady due to his lack of action at Leicester, thereby providing a larger sample size.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With that in mind, the Englishman comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics included when compared to Souttar, notably attempting, on average, 17 more passes per 90, as well as five more forward passes.

Defensively too, Coady accumulated more interceptions and ball recoveries, while taking 11 more touches per game, underlining that he is a good fit for a Rangers team who, domestically, dominate possession but, in Europe, are forced to do a lot more defending.

Thus, this signing appears to be an absolute no-brainer for the Light Blues, one that they should do everything in their power to finalise as soon as possible.

Related Rangers could land Ryan Kent 2.0 with Ibrox move for "incredible" star

Russell Martin could be eyeing another loan signing at Rangers…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington

Manchester City now want to sign a winger who terrorised Matheus Nunes in the Champions League earlier this season, having identified him as an ideal target to strengthen their attack, according to a report.

New winger needed at the Etihad

Jack Grealish’s struggles this season are well-documented, and there have now been reports Man City are ready to accept a bid for the £300k-per-week winger, which means Pep Guardiola will be tasked with bringing in a suitable replacement.

Sporting CP’s Trincao has recently emerged as a potential target, with City looking to hijack Manchester United’s move for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man, while SC Braga youngster Roger Fernandes is also a subject of interest.

AC Milan’s Rafael Leao is among the most high-profile players on the Sky Blues’ shortlist, with the Portuguese forward being identified as a key target, and another winger who has impressed in the Champions League this season is now also under consideration.

Related Man City secure summer signing of "unbelievable" £66m star, claims report

Pep Guardiola’s side are said to have sealed a move for a midfielder.

Posts ByDominic Lund

According to a report from Spain, Man City now want to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who has become a key player for Luis Enrique’s side this season, stepping up in the absence of Kylian Mbappe.

Barcola is viewed as an ideal option to strengthen Guardiola’s frontline, and there are suggestions City are very keen on a deal, but it may be difficult to get it over the line.

PSG are not willing to sanction the £107k-per-week winger’s departure unless they receive a substantial fee, given his importance to the French side’s long-term project.

Barcola could be "one of the best" left-wingers in Europe

The Frenchman has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson this season, who described him as “one of the best” left-wingers in Europe back in October, while also lauding him for stepping up since Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid.

City fans may remember the PSG star from his impressive performance in the Champions League clash back in January, picking up an 8.6 SofaScore match rating after bagging a goal and an assist, on a night where Nunes had a very tough time at right-back.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The former Lyon man has 30 goal contributions to his name in all competitions this season, including 20 in 25 Ligue 1 games, having shown real signs of development since being forced to become PSG’s talisman.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2021-22

11

0

1

2022-23

26

5

8

2023-24

25

4

7

2024-25

25

13

7

Barcola may be the ideal replacement for Grealish this summer, and given that he is just 22-years-old, he could make the left-wing spot his own for years to come.

Ruben Amorim now wants Manchester United to sign a new striker, and has earmarked a “world-class” alternative to Viktor Gyokeres as the potential man to fit the bill at Old Trafford, according to a shock report.

Manchester United need a striker

Despite having bought a striker in each of the last two summer transfer windows, Manchester United are in desperate need of a new no.9. So far, they have managed just 12 goals in 11 Premier League games, the joint fourth worst in the division alongside newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Of those goals, Rasmus Hojlund has managed just one, while summer addition Joshua Zirkzee also has just one to his name, coming on his debut against Fulham on the opening night of the season.

The lack of chances created for strikers is certainly a problem that Amorim will have to tackle upon his arrival at Old Trafford, but United continue to lack a good striker capable of taking them back towards the European spots, with both Hojlund and Zirkzee long-term projects who the club cannot afford to waste too much time on.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund: not up to the job

Stats (PL 24/25)

Rasmus Hojlund

Joshua Zirkzee

Appearances

7

11

Goals

1

1

Shots on target per 90

0.65

1.24

Expected goals

1.1

2.6

Shot creating actions per 90

2.38

3.11

Aerial duel % won

20.8%

36.7%

Clearly then, a new striker at Old Trafford is a must, with a reliable goalscorer key to their chances of moving up the division and neither Hojlund nor Zirkzee having proved themselves that during their limited time in Manchester. Now, one report has put forward an audacious option for the Red Devils.

Manchester United linked with shock move for big name striker

With Amorim having joined the club from Sporting CP, and in-form striker Viktor Gyokeres free to leave in the summer after his price dropped to just £63m, all logic points towards the Red Devils moving to sign the Swedish forward at the end of the campaign.

However, one report in Spain claims that Amorim has instead identified England captain and last season’s Bundesliga top goalscorer Harry Kane as the man he wants to bring to Old Trafford, with Manchester United having “made the English international one of their priorities to strengthen their attack”.

Of course, the Red Devils had long been linked with Kane during his time at Tottenham, but he ultimately opted to move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, and has thrived in Bavaria.

As it stands, the England record goalscorer has grabbed 61 goals in 61 games for Vincent Kompany’s side, as well as managing 21 assists. Now 31-years-old, he is in the twilight of his career and unlikely to be a long-term solution to Manchester United’s problems given the price tag it would require to prize him out of Bayern Munich, providing Kane even wanted to return to England.

Add to that Kane’s £400,000 a week salary at Bayern, and a move looks even more unlikely, with the whole endeavour likely to cost hundreds of millions to even try and complete.

Related Amorim ready to sell £10.5m-a-year Man Utd ace Ten Hag called "magnificent"

It would be a brutal way to start his Manchester United career.

Posts ByBen Browning

Of course, Kane remains a top striker, as some at Manchester United know all too well; England teammate and Red Devils defender Harry Maguire labelled him “world class” just last year.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“He’s a magnificent, world-class player. He proves it year after year”, Maguire explained back in September.

However, a deal looks almost certain not to happen, and with other cheaper strikers on the market, that may well be to United’s benefit.

Amid their high-profile chase and talks to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal believe a £17 million forward could come in to alternate with Bukayo Saka as they eye a potential summer move.

Arsenal in talks with Bologna over Calafiori deal

After a week of intense speculation, reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano confirm that Arsenal have opened talks with Bologna over a deal for Calafiori.

Related Arsenal placing bid to sign £200,000-per-week forward alongside Calafiori

The Gunners appear to finally be getting busy.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

The 22-year-old was pivotal for Bologna last season and helped the Serie A side qualify for next season's Champions League. His talents were also evident on the international stage at Euro 2024 – standing out as one of Italy's best-performing players during the tournament before they went out to Switzerland in the last 16.

Calafiori could cost as much as £42 million to prise away from Bologna this summer, but that hasn't deterred Gunners sporting director Edu, with Arsenal expected to make a formal bid for the ex-FC Basel starlet.

How Calafiori & Gabriel compare in 2023/24

Statistics

Calafiori

Gabriel

Games

29

34

Goals & assists

7

4

Progressive carries

28

13

Pass accuracy

90%

89%

Tackles won

37

28

Interceptions

56

31

Aerials won

71%

55%

Stats via FBref

Indeed, Edu could be about to make an offer to sign Calafiori after already getting the defender's green-light in regard to personal terms. Romano, taking to X this week, stated that formal club-to-club negotiations are now underway.

The defender can operate as both a centre-back and left-back, which could make him appealing to Arteta as Calafiori would come in and reinforce multiple positions in the Spaniard's squad.

If they manage to get a deal over the line, amid stiff competition from Chelsea, attention will then turn to which attackers they could bring through the door. Arsenal are widely reported to be targeting a winger and striker, with both Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and Napoli star Victor Osimhen on Edu's radar.

Saka dazzled with 20 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Arsenal last season, but Arteta is apparently seeking an alternative back-up.

Arsenal eyeing Edon Zhegrova to alternate with Saka

According to Football Transfers, Lille winger Edon Zhegrova is in Arsenal's thinking when it comes to new additions who could provide a different option on that side.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Kosovo international scored 12 goals and racked up 10 assists over 47 appearances in all competitions last campaign, and it is believed Arsenal view Zhegrova as potential cover for Saka on the right wing.

While there are no formal talks ongoing with Lille, it is believed the 25-year-old is looking to leave the club, which could work in Arteta's favour. Other reports have claimed that Zhegrova could cost around £17 million, which is affordable from Arsenal's perspective.

It's all change this summer at Liverpool, starting with the emotional exit of Jurgen Klopp alongside his backroom staff, which includes assistant manager Pep Lijnders. Meanwhile, the Reds will also be forced to search for a new sporting director once again, having been forced to do so last summer, following Jorg Schmadtke's departure.

Ahead of some vital decisions, the Reds have now heards the thoughts of one of their potential replacements in the roles away from the pitch.

Liverpool's next sporting director

When you think of Liverpool sporting directors, the name Michael Edwards instantly springs to mind. Edwards was a central part of the rebuild that took place at Anfield, producing genius transfers which helped shaped Klopp's historic run. The responsibility then fell the way of Julian Ward, who always had an impossible task when attempting to replicate the work of Edwards.

Following Ward, Schmadtke was handed the role on a short-term basis last summer, overseeing Liverpool's midfield evolution, welcoming Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. The German can consider his short spell a great success, with the Reds back at the summit of English football after a disastrous campaign last time out. But now, the search for another sporting director is on once again.

One name linked so far has been West Ham United's Tim Steidten, who has since publicly reacted to the rumours, via Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg. Steidten has been West Ham's technical director since last summer and previously had experience in the Bundesliga with both Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, perhaps making him an ideal candidate for those at Anfield.

Steidten's West Ham success

The 44-year-old was instantly thrown into the deep end at the London Stadium, with Declan Rice's big-money departure creating pressure to get deals done and the right ones, at that. Now months later, it looks as though Steidten and all involved got things fairly spot on, given the names that they welcomed in the summer window.

West Ham's summer signings

Cost (via Transfermarkt)

Mohammed Kudus

€43m (£38m)

Edson Alvarez

€38m (£32m)

James Ward-Prowse

€35m (£30m)

Konstantinos Mavropanos

€20m (£17m)

Andy Irving

€2m (£2m)

Kudus has been particularly successful and with Salah's current Liverpool contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, Steidten's West Ham link could provide the Reds with a major boost should they look towards Kudus to replace the Egyptian. Kudus' stats – 13 goals and three assists in all competitions – certainly show promise.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Whoever does come in to replace Schmadtke this summer has been left in a solid position, rather than being handed a complicated task. Klopp, Schmadtke and others already began the formation of Liverpool 2.0 last year, meaning that Steidten or potentially another option would just have to pick up where they left off.

Everton have submitted an offer to sign a new forward in the upcoming transfer window in January, if a fresh update is to be believed.

Who are Everton linked with?

The Merseyside outfit have most recently been linked with a swoop for FC Nuremberg midfielder Can Uzun, with the hierarchy having already made an enquiry to discover what the conditions of a deal would look like at the start of next year, but he isn’t the only midfield target to have been mentioned.

In the Premier League, Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips has been struggling to receive regular game time under Pep Guardiola so should things not improve between now and then, he could be looking to secure a move away to kickstart his career again, even if it is only on loan, with Goodison Park having been touted as a potential destination.

However, Sean Dyche’s side also appear keen to bolster their ranks in the final third, with a new name to have entered the fold being Corinthians left-winger Wesley, who has worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team.

The Brazilian, who is 18 years of age, still has another four years remaining on his deal with Mano Menezes’ side (Corinthians contracts), but having impressed during his 30 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Wesley statistics), he’s caught the eye of the Toffees.

Wesley to Everton transfer update

In a post for Diario De Torcedor on X, journalist Alexandre Praetzel shared a transfer update on Wesley, who is attracting significant interest from Everton.

He said: “Everton, from England, made a proposal to businessman Giuliano Bertolucci for striker Wesley, from Corinthians. Proposal of €8 million [£6m].”

How many goals has Wesley scored?

Since the start of his career, Wesley has posted six involvements in the opposition's area (five goals and one assist) in 45 appearances, so he’s still got a bit of work to do on his finishing, but still being a teenager with the footballing world as his oyster, there’s no doubting that he could become a wonderful acquisition for the long-term future of Everton.

Wesley's Style Of Play

Likes to dribble

Gets fouled often

Likes to play long balls

Likes to cross (All data via WhoScored)

The Sao Paulo native is currently averaging 2.1 dribbles per league game for his homeland outfit (WhoScored – Wesley statistics), which shows that he loves to use his pace to take on his marker and create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, and his youthful exuberance is terrifying for defenders to deal with, in a similar style to Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In addition, Wesley is a versatile operator having been deployed in six various positions across the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere along the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so the talented prospect would be able to easily adapt to the manager’s demands, making this a no-brainer of a deal to pursue if the price is as low as being reported.

Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane has reached a personal "agreement" to join Bayern Munich and won't be tempted by any other side, according to Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg.

Will Harry Kane leave Tottenham?

Spurs are facing the distinct possibility of losing their talismanic forward within these next 12 months, either this summer or next depending on developments.

Kane is out of contract in 2024, meaning Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy must weigh up whether to sell him this year or let him leave for nothing next summer – if fresh terms can't be agreed.

The 29-year-old was seriously linked with a transfer to Premier League heavyweights Man City two years ago, with Pep Guardiola's side lodging £100 million bids in the summer of 2021.

Those offers did little to sway Levy into a deal, as Spurs were in a very strong position given he still had three years on his contract at the time.

The situation now is far more precarious, and given Kane's desire to win silverware, it has been reported that German giants Bayern Munich are trying to tempt him to the Bundesliga.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the press recently, admitted he has received no assurances over Kane's future at N17.

"No, I haven't had any assurances [over Kane's future] and I wouldn't expect any assurances because with these kind of things you're never dealing in definites or certainties," said Postecoglou.

"I'm trying to concentrate on the things that I know right now, and what I know right now is that Harry's part of this squad. He's looking forward to coming back to training, getting among the players back in here and we start working together."

Sharing an update on his future, reporter Plettenberg of Sky has some news on Twitter, with Kane apparently reaching a Bayern "agreement" behind-the-scenes.

The England star is apparently "convinced" he can win the Champions League with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel in Bavaria.

"As reported: Harry Kane made 100 % clear that he only wants to join FC Bayern," said Plettenberg.

"He’s not considering a move to another club abroad. It’s an agreement between Kane & Bayern.

"Kane is convinced that he can win the Champions League with Bayern & Tuchel."

Adding to that, Plettenberg has since Tweeted that Levy has met up with some Bayern officials.

He said: "Yes, some Bayern bosses have visited Daniel Levy in London yesterday – confirmed. Understand it was a good meeting, good atmosphere."

He added: "It was important for Bayern to show respect to Levy. Kane was informed of the visit."

What's been said about Harry Kane?

The former Leyton Orient loanee has broken both Jimmy Greaves' all-time goal-scoring record at Tottenham and Wayne Rooney's previous best haul for England.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Kane is, without doubt, Spurs' most crucial asset and losing him would be an almighty blow.

"I am happy for him because we are talking about a world class striker,” said former Spurs manager Antonio Conte on Kane.

“He deserves the best because he's a great worker, hard worker… this is not normal because usually the players that have talent many times don't like to work hard because they have talent.

“In my career I didn't have great talent [so] for this reason I worked hard. What I liked about him from the first time was his ability. He was a big example for his team-mates.

“When you see him work in this way, and for sure you have the desire to continue to work, to work very hard. For this reason, I want to tell him thanks because he's always a big example for everything."

Fabrizio Romano has shared some good news on the Manchester United takeover that’s progressing along in time to be done prior to this summer.

The Lowdown: Takeover takes a step forward

Man United’s looming takeover looks to have taken a major step forward this week, with both big-name players in the deal – Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Qatari consortium – jetted into Manchester over the last few days for face-to-face talks.

It has been reported that the Qatari group are now willing to lodge a second bid to buy the club and try to meet – or at least get closer to – the valuation that the Glazers have placed on the Red Devils, which stands at around £6bn.

Thus far, there have been very few bumps in the road when it comes to the takeover process, which bodes well for the Red Devils being sold to new owners before the summer transfer window opens.

The Latest: Man United to be sold before the summer

While speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Romano dropped the positive news for Man United fans that everything is still going very well on the takeover front.

He said: “This is the race: INEOS group [and] Qatari group, and it will be decided in the next weeks, months. But I think the positive news for Manchester United is that things are happening now – so ahead of the summer transfer window.

“It could help the club to have a clear strategy in the summer, a new owner ahead of the summer.”

The Verdict: Glazers hold all the power

It wasn’t too long ago that reports were suggesting that the Glazers weren’t very willing sellers. However, that may well have just been because of the form Man United were in and the fact they’d just lifted the Carabao Cup.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Therefore, nothing can ever be certain when the Glazers are involved, and if they don’t feel as if either INEOS or Sheikh Jassim’s firm can get anywhere close to their hefty valuation of the club, they could very quickly pull the plug on any potential deal.

The Qatari group is said to be confident about the bid they have put the way of Man United and are said to be growing in confidence, so they may well see themselves as the frontrunners to buy the Red Devils, though the destiny of the 20-time English champions appears to hang in the balance.

Everton are looking to potentially bring the Villarreal forward, Arnaut Danjuma, to Goodison Park this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest?

Everton once again find themselves struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table and it seems as if Frank Lampard is looking to provide some firepower up top this month.

There have been reports that the Toffees are looking to bring in a new striker this month with the likes of Ben Brereton-Diaz and Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the winter window.

However, a new name has emerged as a potential option to add in the 25-year-old, Danjuma, who is currently playing his football out in Spain after making the move from Bournemouth back in 2021.

And speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, the Italian transfer guru has claimed he is a player who Lampard would be keen to bring to Merseyside this month:

(17:30) “Let’s see what happens with Danjuma from Villarreal. He’s appreciated by many clubs in England, he could leave on a loan with a buy clause included in the contract.

“Unai Emery knows the player very well, but also Everton want him, I think it could be a very interesting move for the January final weeks.”

Desperate times

After a pretty poor start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, it does feel as if this month’s transfer window feels like a huge opportunity for Lampard to bring in some quality to help in their battle against the drop.

Only two other sides have scored fewer than the Toffees this season with Lampard’s men finding the back of the net just 14 times in their 18 games so far.

And this can be put down to the injury issues felt by Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has only been able to provide one league goal since returning from his knee issue.

Over the summer, Everton spent £20m on Neal Maupay to help fill in for the injury issues regularly sustained by Calvert-Lewin, however, since arriving at Goodison, the Frenchman has also only coughed up one league goal this season.

With this in mind, we think it is essential Everton nail their next striker singing otherwise they could find themselves struggling to climb away from the relegation zone in the second half of the season.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

And looking at Danjuma’s output for the Spanish side this season, there have to be question marks over whether he will be a man to arrive on Merseyside and guarantee them goals.

The Dutchman has provided six goals this season, however, only two of them have come in La Liga and both of those goals came in one game back in October (via Transfermarkt).

Last season saw the 25-year-old impress with 10 league goals as well as six in the Champions League, but on the back of his recent struggles in front of goal and through injury earlier in the season, it does feel like another potential risk.