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Wolves look set to beat a European giant to a £13m signing during the 2024 summer transfer window.

Wolves transfer rumours

Wolves had a solid 2023/24 Premier League campaign under the guidance of Gary O'Neil. The Midlands outfit finished the season 14th in the league on 46 points – five more than they managed in the previous year. However, if they are to continue improving and potentially even make a push for some form of European football in 2024/25, their squad will need to be strengthened.

Wolves could sign £30m "monster" who's a bit like Hwang

He scored a Premier League hattrick last season

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 5, 2024

One area Wolves should be keen to improve in is their attack. They scored 50 goals in 38 Premier League games last season – the fifth-lowest in the division. The majority of those goals came from Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan, with the rest of Gary O'Neil's men really struggling to chip in on that front.

Matheus Cunha

14

Hwang Hee-chan

13

Mario Lemina

5

Pablo Sarabia

4

Pedro Neto

3

Unsurprisingly, Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has already confirmed that the club "are going to sign one or two number nines this summer", while they also could require another wide-man, even if Pedro Neto remains at the club. It has since emerged that Wolves are tracking Paraguayan winger Ramon Sosa in an attempt to add firepower to their attack.

Elsewhere, Wolves are reportedly one of four top-flight teams set to make bids for Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah. At the bottom end of the pitch, meanwhile, the club are hoping to raid Famalicao for talented full-back Francisco Moura this summer and have already made contact regarding a move for the 24-year-old, who is valued at £8.5m.

Wolves set to complete hijack £13m move for "rapid" talent

Now, a fresh name recently linked with a move to Wolves has moved closer to a switch. The player in question is Rodrigo Gomes, who is currently plying his trade in Portugal with Braga after spending 2023/24 on loan with Estoril.

Gomes was also attracting interest from La Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid, but reports in Portugal this weekend (via TEAMtalk) claimed that Wolves matched a £13m offer sent by Atletico for the youngster. Unlike Wolves, Diego Simeone's men will be plying their trade in the Champions League next season, which looked to have given them an edge in the race for Gomes.

It was also thought that Wolves' involvement had given Braga encouragement that a bidding war could emerge, but a recent update from David Ornstein looks to have put the Old Gold in the driving seat:

The 20-year-old operates primarily on the right wing and scored nine goals in 36 outings from this position last season. Since his debut for Estoril, the winger has impressed many people, including Target Scouting reporter Joe Pearce, who was quick to highlight the player's "rapid" nature.

"Gomes is a smaller profile standing at 1.75m and has rapid acceleration and the stamina to make real lung-bursting runs from deeper positions.

"When he spots space ahead, he attacks it and shows real intensity in wanting to break forward and anticipate second balls, attacking the back post and following up on shots looking for rebounds, and has scored and assisted from this type of situation."

A new era is on the horizon at Rangers and one that the 49ers will hope to see last longer than 123 days with the potential appointment of their next manager.

Rangers confirm staff for Dundee United clash

In an ideal world for the Gers, they would have their manager ready to go as soon as this weekend. But that’s not the case. The 49ers have been working on appointing a replacement for Russell Martin since the start of the international break, but are yet to confirm their decision following rejection from Steven Gerrard.

The former Rangers manager opted out of returning to Ibrox amid belief that the timing simply isn’t right. Forcing the Gers back to the drawing board, a number of names have emerged ever since as the wait goes on.

It became clear since Gerrard’s decision that the 49ers would have to make a decision about the Tangerines’ visit to Ibrox this weekend and it has now been confirmed that Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour, Rhys Owen and Sal Bibbo will lead the side on Saturday.

Away from the drama of their managerial search, Rangers will hope to at least get back to winning ways after drawing Martin’s final game against Falkirk. If results go their way then they could cut the gap on shock leaders Hearts to eight points and the gap on Old Firm rivals Celtic to five points – handing their next manager something to at least build on.

Meanwhile, the speculation will only continue about the next manager in the hotseat, especially after the latest update on Kevin Muscat’s potential arrival from Shanghai Port.

Reporter drops latest Muscat update as Rangers close in on deal

As reported by The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan, Kevin Muscat’s move to Rangers is now “almost done” with the 49ers now closing in on ending their managerial search by hiring the Shanghai Port manager.

It looks as though Rangers have gone full steam ahead with Muscat even if it remains to be seen when he will officially step into the Ibrox dugout. As things stand, the 52-year-old has four games left of his side’s Chinese Super League campaign and, with Shanghai top by two points, he may yet delay his Scotland move.

If that does happen, then the Gers will have to wait until November 22 to get their man. In the meantime, it could be Smith and others who are left with the task of turning things around before the manager’s arrival, at which time the Aussie has reportedly demanded “belief” in his attacking 4-3-3 system from the higher ups at Ibrox.

49ers now convincing coach to drop his wages and join Rangers, they're confident

The Gers are closing in…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 16, 2025

It would be the most chaotic start to a reign at a time when there has been uncertainty all around Ibrox. Alas, after Gerrard’s rejection and Danny Rohl’s latest snub, it at least seems as though Rangers are set to get their manager.

Heading into the 2022/23 campaign, part of the intrigue surrounding Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United was the potential impact it could have on Donny van de Beek’s Old Trafford career, following a forgettable two seasons at the club prior to that.

Having previously been part of the Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19 under Ten Hag, the hope was that a reunion with his compatriot would bring the best out of United’s £40m Dutchman.

As it would transpire, Van de Beek’s stock would plummet even further, even after the change in the dugout, having gone on to play just 12 times for Ten Hag at United, prior to leaving permanently for Girona for a measly £500k fee in the summer of 2024.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

42

2 (2)

Erik ten Hag

12

0 (0)

Michael Carrick

3

0 (0)

Ralf Rangnick

5

0 (0)

Total

62

2 (2)

The now 28-year-old had endured a frustrating six-month spell on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt before that summer sale, with the club’s latest midfield flop, Manuel Ugarte, perhaps in need of his own January exit heading into 2026.

Latest on Manuel Ugarte's future

Much like Van de Beek before him, it is telling how even reuniting with a former boss has failed to bring the best out of Ugarte, with that prior relationship with Ruben Amorim potentially even working against the Uruguayan of late.

Indeed, reports suggested that the 24-year-old was given a dressing down at Carrington following May’s Europa League final, with Amorim believed to have hinted that he didn’t recognise the player he had once coached at Sporting CP.

Amorim has almost publicly echoed that appraisal since, after suggesting last month that the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man is “struggling”, resulting in him starting just two Premier League games all season.

An unused substitute against both Everton and Crystal Palace, INEOS’ £50m signing is at a critical juncture in his United journey, with recent reports even suggesting that the club will listen to offers for him in January.

Up for sale heading into the winter window, if those reports are to be believed, it’s fair to say that Ugarte hasn’t performed as was expected over the last 18 months or so, having slipped behind the ageing Casemiro in Amorim’s midfield pecking order.

Such was the size of the fee dished out on the midfielder back in 2024, his signing perhaps ranks among the worst of the lot in the INEOS regime, albeit with young Patrick Dorgu perhaps edging him to that title amid his recent performances.

The Man Utd star who's even making Ugarte look good

The writing has been on the wall for Ugarte since his failure to even make it off the bench for the defeat in Bilbao at the end of last term, with even the lack of depth in the midfield ranks having not led to more game time in 2025/26.

Described as “not good enough” by Gary Neville following the Manchester derby defeat, the £120k-per-week talent is no doubt limited, hence why a 2026 exit appears to be inevitable.

That said, he has at least had his moments, racking up two goals and six assists in 55 games for the club, a respectable record for a largely defensive-minded operator in the centre of the park.

The scorer away at Everton and in the 5-4 thriller against Lyon last term, Ugarte has at least shown flashes of the player Amorim deployed in Lisbon, even if that quality has been showcased far too infrequently.

Unfortunately for Dorgu, there has been little to shout about at all in his case, with the ex-Lecce starlet – who signed for £30m back in January – yet to make his mark in a United shirt under Amorim’s watch.

Often the most advanced attacking outlet in this 3-4-2-1 system – having notably made the most touches in the opposition box in the defeat to Manchester City – the young Dane’s forward-thinking approach has frustratingly not been fused with an end product.

Indeed, in 33 appearances for the Red Devils, the left-footer is yet to score, while providing just two assists – a record that actually makes Ugarte’s return look even better.

Described as “dreadful” earlier this season by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the 21-year-old has even found himself ousted by Diogo Dalot at left wing-back for much of the campaign, despite representing the only real obvious senior option in that left-sided berth.

Of course, his age must be factored in when assessing a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, although Amorim is clearly keen to see more from the youngster, having been critical of his recent displays ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.

That ‘anxiety’ has been so evident this season, not least by the fact that he ranks in the bottom 8% of Premier League full-backs for pass completion per 90, as per FBref.

Erratic and errant on the ball, Dorgu is simply failing to flourish in a system that looks tailor-made for him, having operated as a winger or full-back during his stint in Italy.

Like with the case of Ugarte, time is already running out for the Denmark international to kick on and improve – this United side can’t afford to carry any passengers.

Forget Dorgu: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

Manchester United have a star who is proving to be unreliable under Ruben Amorim in 2025/26.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

In search of a consistent goalscorer, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing a £40m+ offer to sign Georges Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026.

The great weakness in Thomas Frank’s side this season has been their goalscoring struggles. With Dominic Solanke yet to return to full fitness, the likes of Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani have struggled to truly take hold of the starting role – handing the Lilywhites a frustrating problem.

Kolo Muani has particularly struggled since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain and is still searching for his first Tottenham goal. With the North London derby against Arsenal up next, however, the forward has been passed fit and has the perfect opportunity to find the back of the net for the first time in the Premier League.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Arsenal game, Frank revealed early team news which included an update on Kolo Muani’s unexpected return to action after suffering a jaw injury before the break.

If the PSG loanee continues his run without a goal, then many around North London will be asking big questions. Tottenham chiefs are already reportedly searching for a striker and the Frenchman’s struggles could accelerate their plan to welcome La Liga star Mikautadze in 2026.

Tottenham readying Mikautadze offer

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now preparing a €50m (£44m) offer to sign Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026. A player who’s been compared to the great Diego Forlan by Spanish media, the 25-year-old has shown glimpses of his best form so far this season – scoring five goals in 14 games – and has entered Spurs’ radar as a result.

Tottenham's eye-watering 'initial offer' for Rodrygo after contacting Florentino Perez

Spurs reportedly mean business.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

After becoming a transfer flop at Ajax, the Georgian striker reinvented himself at FC Metz, before starring at Lyon to earn a summer switch to Villarreal. Now, he could be about to make the biggest move of his career courtesy of Tottenham.

Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, Mikautadze has only kicked on since then to attract the interest of the Premier League. As Tottenham’s forwards continue to struggle, the 25-year-old should be seen as a serious option to consider next year.

Tottenham eyeing 'dream' move for striker likened to Diego Costa after Frank request

Despite some negative noise regarding attacking regressions, Tottenham Hotspur have made headway under Thomas Frank’s management, fifth in the Premier League and in a promising position in the Champions League group stage.

But Spurs could certainly do with a bit more fluency and impetus when on the charge, and such creases must be ironed out over the coming months to make this a season to remember.

It was always going to be difficult, selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023, and Ange Postecoglou deserves credit for establishing an attractive, entertaining playing style (when things were going his way).

But it’s true that some members of the squad aren’t quite pulling their weight. That said, Tottenham do have some top talents who have the capacity to secure the club’s place at Europe’s elite table and lead Frank toward trophy-winning success.

Mohammed Kudus being chief among them.

Kudus' start to life at Spurs

There was an air of controversy about Kudus’ summer transfer to Tottenham. After all, the Ghanaian winger had plied his trade down the road at West Ham United for the past couple of years, and the sale has left the Irons fanbase feeling hot under the collar.

But West Ham’s loss is Tottenham’s gain, with the 25-year-old having registered five assists in the Premier League this season, more than any other player.

His pace and potency have seen him add a dimension to Frank’s outfit that Tottenham simply didn’t boast last term, and in this, he is offering shades of Kane, taking on the responsibility of leading the club forward, bringing a unique flavour to the table.

Kudus is indeed emerging as Tottenham’s new principal source of attacking inspiration, but there’s actually another member of Frank’s squad who’s looking somewhat Kane-esque.

Spurs' new version of Kane

We’re not talking about one of the Tottenham forwards here. Instead, it’s Micky van de Ven whose growth into a talismanic role down N17 is leaving him in line to take Kane’s leadership berth, belatedly.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation since joining from Wolfsburg for around £43m in 2023, with injuries his biggest weakness. So strong and fast and commanding, with journalist Sonny Snelling even labelling him as “world-class”.

It was the 6 foot 4 star’s injury that derailed the Ange hype train a few years ago, sending that project into a spin. Then, last season, hamstring injuries reigned supreme over the defender’s hopes of availability. He started only 12 Premier League fixtures all season, eight of which came across Spurs’ first nine fixtures of the campaign.

While Cristian Romero is Tottenham’s captain, Van de Ven is the perfect counterpoint and every bit as impressive. It’s perhaps important to remember that, like Kane, Van de Ven is not the skipper, with the Three Lions striker behind Hugo Lloris in that regard.

Of course, Kane and Micky van de Ven are hardly similar players. They are so different across physical and tactical bases as to be diametrically opposed.

But Van de Ven offers so much more than his central defensive role demands, and in this, he shares a likeness with Kane, whose range of passing and ability to drop deep and influence make him a very unique number nine, and with 23 goals from 17 games for Bayern this season, he’s still rather good at his primary job.

Tottenham have struggled to replace Kane since selling him to Bayern, but that’s more because of the 32-year-old’s remarkable, unique qualities. When he left, the Lilywhites didn’t only lose their record goalscorer, but their shrewdest playmaker and source of inspiration across so many years.

But his pace. Such speed. It’s astonishing, in many ways, and hard to define. In the Premier League this season, furthermore, Van de Ven has completed 92% of his passes and come out on top in 63% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.38

Kyle Walker

Man City

37.31

Jackson Tchatchoua

Wolves

37.30

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.23

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.12

It tells much of the Dutchman’s athleticism that he is first, fourth, and fifth on the all-time speed rankings (beginning 2020/21), and is a further illustration of the above-and-beyond approach he brings to his centre-half role.

As per FBref, he also ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, emphasising an attacking threat that has been on full show this season, six goals from 16 matches in all competitions.

This is a top-class player, and one whose special skills will inevitably see a wave of interest in his signature before long, Europe’s heavyweights squabbling over his signature.

It is perhaps a given that Van de Ven will eventually move on. The lure of Real Madrid and Barcelona, outfits bound to have earmarked the Netherlands international among a list of loose long-term targets, may ultimately prove too much for him to ignore.

This could see him shape into the next version of Kane in more ways than one. But, whatever happens down the line, Van de Ven is a unique player who Tottenham must keep a grip on for as long as they can, for he will spearhead the Frank era toward a surface only scratched when Postecoglou defied the odds and lifted the Europa League title last season, Van de Ven playing that final and thriving.

Spurs have signed a "hidden gem" who's a bigger talent than Troy Parrott

Tottenham need to do more in the final third under Thomas Frank’s management.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

Former England star Stuart Pearce has pinpointed Tottenham Hotspur’s “weakness” after spotting what Cristian Romero did against Manchester United in a “horrific” display.

The Argentina international could only watch on with the rest of Spurs’ backline when Amad Diallo’s floated cross found the head of Bryan Mbeumo, who made no mistake. It summed up a frustrating first-half for Thomas Frank’s side, who were once again blunt going forward. Any progress made in 4-0 mauling of Copenhagen seemed to disappear on the Premier League stage.

Frank must never start £130k-per-week Spurs duo together ever again

Tottenham ended up drawing a frenetic Premier League clash against Manchester United this weekend.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 9, 2025

Unlike against Chelsea last weekend, however, Spurs fought back against Man United and substitute Mathys Tel soon had them level. Setting up a grandstand finish in the 84th minute, the young forward wheeled away in celebration before Richarlison thought he had stolen all three points seven minutes later.

In a familiar sight, the Brazilian ripped his shirt off in belief that he had headed home a dramatic winner, only for Man United’s Matthijs de Ligt to have the final say by scoring a last-gasp equaliser. From a dull first-half, North London was treated to a frantic, entertaining affair.

Whilst complaints have been made about Spurs’ attack in recent weeks, it was their defence that was found wanting this time around as they continued a run of just one win in their last four games.

Frank spoke about the dramatic draw, telling reporters: Thomas: “I saw this game as one game ahead of us, to try to do everything we could to try to win it. That was the aim. I spoke before the game about it’s clear they have improved this season.

“They look, how can you say, more in sync together, especially going forward they look like a big threat. That’s why I actually think, I know we conceded two goals, but if you said to me before the game you concede five shots, I would take that. So we’re all happy.”

The Dane chose to take the positives, but ex-England star Pearce wasn’t so kind and shared exactly where he thinks Spurs’ “weakness” is coming from after the draw.

Pearce pinpoints Tottenham "weakness" in "horrific" Romero display

Speaking on talkSPORT, Pearce told Tottenham that Romero is their biggest “weakness” after a performance against Man United that he described as “horrific”. The former England man was particularly unhappy that the Spurs defender lost possession in midfield before failing to make a recovery run on Saturday afternoon.

With Arsenal up next in the North London derby, Romero must get back to his best and help Spurs end a recent run which has featured just one win in their last four games in all competitions.

Frank things two Tottenham stars are "expendable" with January exit on the cards

Leeds United are currently competing to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking after they were relegated from the top-flight at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Whites spent three years at the top table of English football before succumbing to relegation under Sam Allardyce, who came in towards the end of the season after both Javi Gracia and Jesse Marsch were relieved of their duties in 2023.

Many members of staff, including management, and players contributed to that failure in the 2022/23 campaign, and sporting director Victor Orta has to take some of the blame.

Georginio Rutter

January

£34m

Brenden Aaronson

Summer

£27m

Luis Sinisterra

Summer

£21m

Tyler Adams

Summer

£14m

Rasmus Kristensen

Summer

£11m

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish chief was given plenty of money to splash on new signings throughout that season, spending around £107m on his top five most expensive additions.

Leeds made 12 signings in total across the summer and January transfer windows that season, for combined fees that totalled roughly £137m – per Transfermarkt.

Orta’s biggest mistake in the transfer market that season, however, was actually his failure to land one of his targets – Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Victor Orta's Viktor Gyokeres howler

The sporting director, who now works for Sevilla in Spain, recently confirmed that he had the opportunity to push through a deal to sign the Sweden international during his time at Leeds.

Speaking to Portuguese outlet Record, Orta said: “When I was at Leeds United I didn’t want to give €14m for him (Gyokeres). Cases like that of Gyokeres are the good surprises that football gives us, those things that we cannot measure.”

TEAMtalk added, whilst relaying the quotes, that the chance to sign the centre-forward for £11.6m came in the January transfer window, which was the same month in which the Spaniard spent £34m on Georginio Rutter.

Gyokeres scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions for the Sky Blues that season, and had already scored 12 Championship goals by the time the January transfer window opened for business.

The then-24-year-old was in-form in the second tier, and proving his quality in English football, and would have cost a relatively small amount of money, in comparison to how much Rutter cost.

Gyokeres then joined Portuguese side Sporting on a permanent deal at the end of that season and has been an incredible addition for the Liga Portugal outfit.

The 26-year-old star has scored 66 goals and provided 19 assists in 68 appearances in all competitions so far, including 23 goals in 18 games this term, which has led to him being valued at £63m amid interest from Manchester United.

Orta, however, made an even bigger mistake than his error with Gyokeres when he failed to secure a deal to sign Erling Haaland as a teenager.

Leeds United's chance to sign Haaland

The Leeds United sporting director was contacted by the Norwegian youngster’s agent to faciliate a possible move to Elland Road in the summer of 2017, as the forward – born in Leeds – was a supporter of the club.

Haaland was playing for Molde in his home country and went back to West Yorkshire, his place of birth, to view the training facilities and speak with Orta about the possibility of a transfer to the Whites.

It was claimed that Leeds even made a shirt with the forward’s name on the back for him to hold up and keep hold of as part of his trip to Thorp Arch.

Thomas Christiansen impressed the teenager and his agent during the trip and it appeared as though a transfer was in the pipeline, with both parties wanting to get a deal done.

However, Leeds still had to agree a fee with Molde and that is where the move broke down. The Norwegian side were demanding a fee of £4m for the striker and Orta, due to the club’s financial position, was not willing to gamble that much money on such a young player.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Haaland went on to sign for Salzburg 18 months later, scoring 29 goals in 27 games, before his move to Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, for a fee of around £18.8m.

Erling Haaland's emergence as a world-class striker

During his time in Germany, which was his first experience of a major European league, the young sensation racked up a staggering 86 goals and 23 assists in 89 games for Dortmund in all competitions.

Haaland scored 62 goals in 67 matches in the Bundesliga and that was enough to attract attention from Premier League giants Manchester City, who swooped for his signature in the summer of 2022.

The Cityzens reportedly paid a fee of £51.2m and, it is fair to say, that has turned out to be a bargain, given what he has achieved in his time with the English side so far.

As you can tell from the title of the video of some of his best goals for City above, Haaland has already reached a century of goals for Pep Guardiola, in just over two years.

The 24-year-old attacker has scored 105 goals and provided 14 assists in 114 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League side, helping them to win two league titles, an FA Cup, and a Champions League in that time.

July 2022

£51.2m (reported fee)

November 2022

£142m

June 2023

£150m

November 2024

£167m

As you can see in the table above, his value has soared throughout his time with Manchester City and currently stands at a staggering £167m – over £100m more than Gyokeres’ current value.

This suggests that Orta deciding not to sign the striker for £4m in the summer of 2017 was an even bigger blunder than his decision not to sign Gyokeres for £11.6m in January of last year, as Haaland has been incredibly prolific in England and proven himself to be a world-class striker – given his valuation and goalscoring record.

Bad news for Solomon: Leeds urged to sign "high-level" star

Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the out-of-contract forward.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2024

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “unbelievable” Premier League player in the January transfer window, as he looks to boost his World Cup chances.

Aaronson hails impressive "mentality" at Leeds

The Whites continue to battle well in the Premier League this season, with last Friday’s 2-1 win at home to West Ham leaving them 15th in the table at the end of the weekend.

One player who is enjoying his football at Leeds is Brenden Aaronson, with the American hailing the mentality on show under Daniel Farke after scoring against the Hammers, and lauding the competition for places.

“It was huge for us today to keep the mentality. I think that was the message all week. Late minutes in the game, stay on top of it and get the result which we needed today to hold the 2-1 win. Defensively, we were good today. We handed a lot of crossing situations from them. West Ham is a team that has a ton of quality so it was definitely a difficult game. I am just proud of the group.

“I think we have this next-man-up mentality where I think everybody is ready to play and everybody is winning their chance. I think the biggest thing for me is getting in the box and the ball bounces your way but that is all about positioning and reacting. I am really happy with the goal and I am happy with the group and the atmosphere.”

But Leeds will know that there is still a huge amount of work to do this season, in terms of avoiding relegation back to the Championship, and new signings in January wouldn’t go amiss.

Leeds eye January move for "unbelievable" Barkley

According to The Leeds Press, Leeds and Farke are keen on signing Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley on loan in the January window.

The 31-year-old is seen as “an option amongst several other players” midway through the season, with Farke “keen to add a creative midfielder to his squad in January”. The player himself is “keen for more game time”, with a move to Elland Road giving him an “outside chance of a place in the England World Cup squad” next summer.

Barkley could be a shrewd creative loan option for Leeds in attacking midfield, scoring 37 Premier League goals in his career and being lauded by former Luton Town teammate Andros Townsend, who even once compared him to the legendary Diego Maradona.

Farke has found a new Dallas-type player in “unbelievable” Leeds star

Daniel Farke has now stumbled upon Leeds United’s next Stuart Dallas-type figure in this unbelievable star.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 27, 2025

Barkley has a point to prove and a big World Cup aim with England, which would only be a good thing for Leeds, and if the loan move didn’t work out, he would simply return to Villa at the end of the season.

There has been an obscene amount of cash flying to and from Premier League bank accounts over the last few years, with transfer records tumbling all the time, even in a post-pandemic world and the era of PSR.

Four Premier League clubs received record transfer fees in the summer of 2025.

So which players have gone for club-record sums?

Rank

Club

Player

Sold to

Fee

Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona

£142m

Newcastle

Alexander Isak

Liverpool

£125m

Brighton

Moises Caicedo

Chelsea

£115m

West Ham

Declan Rice

Arsenal

£105m

Aston Villa

Jack Grealish

Man City

£100m

Everton

Romelu Lukaku

Man Utd

£90m

Chelsea

Eden Hazard

Real Madrid

£89m

Tottenham

Gareth Bale

Real Madrid

£85.3m

Man City

Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid

£81.5m

Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid

£80m

Brentford

Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd

£71m

Bournemouth

Dominic Solanke

Tottenham

£65m

Wolves

Matheus Cunha

Man Utd

£62.5m

Crystal Palace

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

£50m

Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Al-Hilal

£50m

Nottingham Forest

Brennan Johnson

Tottenham

£45m

Leeds United

Georginio Rutter

Brighton

£40m

Arsenal

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool

£35m

Sunderland

Jordan Pickford

Everton

£30m

Burnley

James Trafford

Man City

£27m

All 20 Premier League clubs' record signings

From Manchester City to Ipswich Town, here’s a look at each Premier League club’s most expensive signing.

ByBrogan Clasper Sep 4, 2024 Arsenal: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain £35m to Liverpool, 2017

Given the amount of cash Arsenal have splashed in more recent years, it is perhaps a surprise that their record sale dates as far back as this.

However, the Gunners have been perennially poor sellers, particularly under Arsene Wenger, though he received a pretty cool £35m when Liverpool came calling for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017, just months after the midfielder helped Arsenal to the FA Cup.

Considering Oxlade-Chamberlain only shone in brief glimpses at Anfield, Arsenal can put this down as a fine piece of business.

Aston Villa: Jack Grealish £100m to Man City, 2021

After guiding Aston Villa to promotion and then Premier League survival, it had seemed just a matter of time before Jack Grealish would take the next step in his career.

To the Villans’ credit, they kept hold of the Englishman’s services for a further year, but could not say no to champions Manchester City, who came forward with a British-record nine-figure bid in the summer of 2021.

Grealish was part of City’s treble-winning side in 2022/23, while Villa have gone from strength to strength in his absence, and took part in the Champions League alongside Man City in 2024/25. Grealish’s departure may have been bittersweet, but things have worked out pretty well for the Midlands outfit.

Bournemouth: Dominic Solanke £65m to Tottenham, 2024

Bournemouth broke their own transfer record in 2024, but not before receiving the largest sum in the club’s history for one of their players.

Dominic Solanke’s move to Tottenham Hotspur cost the north Londoners £65m – eclipsing the £40m they received from Manchester City for Nathan Ake in 2020.

The Cherries responded to Solanke’s departure by signing Evanilson for just over £40m from FC Porto.

Brentford: Bryan Mbeumo £71m to Manchester United, 2025

Brentford have been pillaged in recent years with Ivan Toney heading to Saudi, Yoane Wissa making his move to Newcastle and Bryan Mbeumo – the biggest of the lot – heading to Manchester United in a colossal £71m deal in the summer of 2025.

Mbeumo was one of the Premier League’s standout players in 2024/25, scoring 20 top-flight goals. That tally of goals richly deserved a move and he duly got one.

Brighton: Moises Caicedo £115m to Chelsea, 2023

Moises Caicedo was subject to interest from Chelsea and Liverpool in the summer of 2023, with the Ecuadorian selecting the Blues as his next destination after Brighton & Hove Albion accepted mammoth bids from both clubs.

Despite approving a £111m transfer to the Reds, Chelsea decided to go one further by structuring a deal that could yet rise to £115m.

It was reported that £15m of that total is in appearance-related add-ons.

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2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 Burnley: James Trafford £27m to Manchester City, 2025

James Trafford enjoyed a remarkable campaign with the Clarets during their promotion-winning season in 2024/25.

The goalkeeper kept a whopping 29 clean sheets. Quickly becoming one of the best English stoppers around, Man City paid a £27m fee to bring him back to the club where he grew up.

Sadly for Trafford, he was quickly displaced when the Citizens brought in Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Chelsea: Eden Hazard £89m to Real Madrid, 2019

Chelsea have had a history of receiving handsome transfer sums for players in recent years, and while Eden Hazard is undoubtedly one of their better stars within the last decade or so, the £89m they received upfront from Real Madrid turned out to be a terrific steal.

The deal to send the Belgian to the Santiago Bernabeu – which came off the back of Hazard guiding Chelsea to Europa League glory – could have reached over £150m. However, given the Blues legend only featured 76 times in an injury-ridden four-year spell in Madrid before retiring, we highly doubt many of the add-ons were ever activated.

Still, it is comfortably the highest fee Chelsea have received – it is most closely rivalled by Kai Havertz’s move to Arsenal for £65m.

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ByFreddie Taylor Oct 13, 2023 Crystal Palace: Aaron Wan-Bissaka £50m to Man Utd, 2019

Manchester United’s spending spree in 2019 features multiple times in this list as they parted with nearly £150m that summer alone. A decent chunk of that went on bringing in Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for £50m.

The six years that have followed have not been too rosy for the club nor the player, with the Red Devils making a significant loss on the full-back when selling him to West Ham United ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Eagles have often been resolute when it comes to high-profile interest in their players, and recently had their resolve tested once more in 2024 as Newcastle threatened to eclipse the sum received for Wan-Bissaka while seeking to add Marc Guehi to their squad.

Everton: Romelu Lukaku £90m to Man Utd, 2017

It has all been downhill for Everton since selling Romelu Lukaku in 2017, when he linked up with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

However, Everton did manage to secure a princely sum for the striker, with United paying the Toffees an initial £75m in a deal that included a further £15m in add-ons.

It is unclear how much of these were activated, but Everton have struggled on and off the pitch since, finishing in the top half just once since the turn of the decade and remaining out of Europe since the year of the Belgian’s departure – all while being under scrutiny for their finances amid a number of transfer flops.

Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic £50m to Al-Hilal, 2023

Fulham were one of the many victims of the Saudi Pro League’s raid on European-based footballers. Their riches were too much for Aleksandar Mitrovic to ignore in the summer of 2023 – and they nearly took manager Marco Silva along with them.

However, Fulham have remained a solid top-flight club after comfortably surviving in their first season back with Mitrovic in 2022/23.

They have invested the reported £50m fee paid by Saudi champions Al-Hilal for the Serbian’s services wisely, with Rodrigo Muniz among those to shine at Craven Cottage.

Arsenal are now believed to be frontrunners to sign a “very complete” forward from PSG, with Real Madrid and Barcelona also eyeing a move for the player.

Arsenal target new winger as Mikel Arteta eyes Bukayo Saka alternative

Whether it be in January or next summer, there have been recent suggestions that Arsenal are in the market for a new winger, and a potential alternative to star man Bukayo Saka out wide.

Arteta told that club may let Arsenal sign £60m striker on loan in January

The Spaniard has been “alerted” to this opportunity behind-the-scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2024

Saka is an absolutely pivotal player for Mikel Arteta – scoring seven goals and racking up 11 assists already this season – but the England star is by no means invincible when it comes to injury.

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

The £195,000-per-week forward spent some time on the sidelines earlier this season – after he picked up a leg injury during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley – therefore missing Arsenal’s games against Bournemouth and Shakhtar Donetsk before returning against Liverpool.

While Saka’s absence was only brief, it did bring attention to Arteta’s need for a quality alternative who could step into the 23-year-old’s shoes – or perhaps even contend for a place.

Arsenal are eyeing Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo as one option, according to some reports, while it is also believed that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has admirers at the Emirates Stadium.

GiveMeSport journalist Dean Jones has also reported that Arsenal are among the potential destinations for Rayan Cherki, who could be available for a cut-price fee of around £25 million, amid Lyon’s financial crisis.

“Potential landing spots at the moment for Cherki include Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal,” said Jones on the Ranks FC Ultras podcast last week.

“I’m sure you’ll have thoughts on others that should be in the mix. But obviously, this becomes more interesting because there’s a lot of talk that Lyon are going to have to cash in on some players in the near future.

“We’ll have to wait to see whether that actually proves to be true, whether they’re actually tempted. But I mean, you see figures around Cherki and there’s like 25 million pounds is talked about, which just seems too good to be true. He’s just different, this player.”

Arsenal emerge as frontrunners to sign Xavi Simons with Real Madrid and Barcelona

As per reliable journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, who is currently on loan in the Bundesliga from PSG, is looking more and more likely to leave the Parc des Princes on a permanent basis.

There is no sign of the Dutchman signing another deal, making his move away more plausible, and it is believed Arsenal are among the “most probable” destinations for Simons as he heads towards the PSG exit door.

Alongside the Gunners, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Real Madrid are all named as fellow frontrunners to sign the “very complete” forward – who could leave for a “minimum” amount of £66 million.

There is a small chance Simons could stay at PSG, but it would depend on whether he is satisfied being more of a benchwarmer under Luis Enrique.