All posts by n8rngtd.top

Manchester City will be hoping to claim the FA Cup for the third time under Pep Guardiola this season. It might not make up for a truly dismal campaign in the Premier League and Champions League, but it might offer some solace heading into the summer.

Results and form have improved over the previous few months. Guardiola did go big in the winter transfer window, splashing out around £190m on several signings. Given how well some of them have settled, this could prove to be a masterstroke ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The likes of Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico Gonzalez have settled in nicely at City and could take the club into a new era from this summer onwards.

There is still plenty of work to be done to this squad, however, especially with the news that Kevin De Bruyne will depart after 11 years once the season is complete.

City will find it hard to replace a player who registered 284 goal contributions across 417 matches for the club. But that is the challenge awaiting Guardiola.

Elsewhere, he will also be keen to add some more attacking firepower to his first-team squad. Could this involve raiding one of the best teams in Europe this season?

Manchester City eyeing move for PSG starlet

According to TEAMtalk, City are considering a stunning move for Paris Saint-Germain starlet Desire Doue this summer in a bid to bolster their attacking options.

Manchester United are another Premier League side who are keen on securing his signature, while Chelsea and Arsenal, who both tried to sign him before his move to PSG, may well reignite their interest in the player.

Guardiola is an admirer of the teenager and has even sent scouts to monitor his performances for PSG over the previous few months. It appears as though he has been impressed, and this could lead to a bid being made this summer.

The French side will not be keen to lose him and will only listen to offers of €100m (£85m) or above for Doue.

There is no doubt that PSG’s youngster is one of the most talented teenagers on the continent at this moment in time. Signing him this summer could potentially be as transformative a signing as when Erling Haaland made the move from Borussia Dortmund to City back in 2022.

Erling Haaland has been one of City’s best-ever signings

Haaland was one of the most in-demand centre-forwards in the world before his move to England. After scoring 86 goals in just 89 matches for the German side, City won the race for his signature, paying a reported fee of £51.2m for the Norwegian forward.

This has turned out to be a massive bargain. At the time of writing, Haaland has netted 120 goals across 138 appearances for Guardiola, and his signing led to the most impressive season in City’s history.

Indeed, the club won a treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League during the 2022/23 season, finally claiming glory in Europe’s premier club competition.

Haaland’s 52 goals in all competitions went a long way to the club achieving this feat, and the striker also helped propel them to a record fourth consecutive Premier League title last season.

Of course, he isn’t easy on the eye and perhaps lacks the work rate of others in the team, but his record in the final third is second to none.

Despite enduring his least productive spell this season since joining, he still ranks in the top 6% for goals (0.76) per 90 and in the top 4% for shots on target (1.96) per 90 when compared to his peers in the Premier League.

A move for Doue may well get Haaland back to his devastating best ahead of next season, no doubt about that.

Why Manchester City should sign Desire Doue

It is no secret that Guardiola has had plenty of issues on the left flank this season. Jack Grealish has scored just three goals all season when being deployed out wide. Jeremy Doku has also struggled at times, netting six goals throughout the entire season, starting just 19 games in all competitions.

Doue would add something different to this area. Indeed, for PSG this term, the youngster has registered 25 goal involvements – 13 goals and 12 assists – which have helped power the club to another Ligue 1 title and a Champions League semi-final.

The future is bright for the Frenchman, and his move to PSG has helped showcase his talents.

He was praised heavily by respected analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this year, who said of the youngster: “Absolute genius and freak profile. Look how comfortable he is in all these different zones. How he can create something out of nothing.”

Genius indeed. When compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Doue ranks in the top 11% for shot-creating actions (5.24), and in the top 8% for progressive passes (6.67), progressive carries (5.69) and successful take-ons (3.01) per 90 in the previous 365 days.

These statistics highlight just how effective the teenager is in the final third, and he has proven so during his first season at PSG.

Many players of his age might have struggled to cope with the demands of leading the club to a maiden Champions League trophy, but Doue has been sensational.

This will also give Guardiola plenty of confidence that the youngster could sparkle for City should he make the move to England this summer.

Marmoush has offered some dynamism to the club’s attacking output in recent months, but bringing in a talent like Doue could take City back to the summit of the Premier League table.

They will have to break the bank to sign him, but there is no doubt a move for the French teen sensation could turn out to be their most important signing since Haaland arrived three years ago.

Forget McAtee: Man City's "best academy player" can replace De Bruyne

With Kevin De Bruyne set to depart Man City, could the club’s “best academy player” be the player tasked with replacing him, rather than James McAtee?

By
Ben Gray

Apr 24, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under serious pressure as uncertainty revolves around his future in north London, with chairman Daniel Levy shortlisting multiple candidates to replace the Australian if he departs N17.

Managers linked with Tottenham as Ange Postecoglou timeline shared

According to reports this week, in the event Postecoglou is in fact shown his P45, Spurs would be aiming to bring in a replacement before the first summer transfer window opens on June 1st (Pete O’Rourke).

Tottenham talking about hiring "class" Iraola alternative who Guardiola loves

The City boss has called him “one of the best” around.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 16, 2025

The Premier League confirmed that there will be two separate windows this year. One will be open from June 1st to June 10th, and the other from June 16th to September 1st – which allows clubs like Man City and Chelsea to sign players before the Club World Cup.

Tottenham apparently aim to take advantage of the early window to sign players for their prospective new head coach (Pete O’Rourke), and it is believed that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva are their two “top candidates” – even if their clubs will battle to keep them.

Bournemouth owner Billy Foley is attempting to agree a new contract with Iraola to keep him out of Levy’s clutches, while Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan admitted this week that the west Londoners are extremely keen to keep hold of their high-performing manager Silva.

Postecoglou, meanwhile, admitted before Spurs’ clash with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League that he’s in the dark about his future.

“No – no idea,” said Postecoglou on whether he’ll be at Tottenham next season.

“We have a game tomorrow night, but it’s not something I need to think about. I’ve never thought about those things in terms of what is important.

“What is important is the game. That’s a massive opportunity for this group of players and this football club to get closer to achieving what everyone wants to achieve. Anything other than that, particularly in terms of me, I don’t really have much thought process that thinks about my career or what I’m doing in that way.”

Tottenham are on course for their worst ever Premier League campaign to date, after losing 17 top-flight matches, and Postecoglou has attracted fierce criticism throughout 2024/2025 despite the injuries which have depleted his squad.

Tottenham planning to make approach for Brentford boss Thomas Frank

Now, as per TEAMtalk, an update has emerged on their links to Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

The Dane has apparently shot up Levy’s managerial target list, following news that Iraola is leaning more towards remaining at the Vitality Stadium for next season.

According to TT’s information, Tottenham will ask Frank about replacing Postecoglou if they decide to sack him, and it is also believed that the 51-year-old is ready for the next step in his managerial career after transforming the Bees into a solid Premier League outfit.

Interestingly, his contract also contains a release clause, akin to Iraola and Silva. The cost to bypass negotiations with Brentford and head straight to Frank stands at around £10 million, so Levy would still need to invest significantly in his capture.

That being said, Frank is highly-rated by his peers, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola calling him “one of the best” managers around.

Nottingham Forest are ready to make a sizeable offer to complete the signing of a new centre-back this summer, according to reports in the player’s homeland.

Nottingham Forest's Champions League hopes damaged

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side blew a wonderful opportunity to jump back to third in the Premier League on Thursday night, losing 2-0 at home to Brentford. Forest’s performance looked nervy throughout the evening, with the team and the supporters aware of the magnitude of the occasion, and they simply couldn’t produce the desired display and result.

The Reds’ defeat leaves them sitting sixth in the league table with four matches remaining, as they prepare to make the trip to Crystal Palace on Monday evening, which is another tough game against a side who have just reached the FA Cup final.

Granted, Forest are only behind fifth-place Chelsea on goal difference – a top-five spot will seal a place in next season’s Champions League – but Nuno’s men are clearly wobbling and are in need of a big result.

Nottingham Forest willing to make offer for Gatti

According to TuttoSport [via Sport Witness], Nottingham Forest are willing to make a big offer to sign Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti this summer. Everton and West Ham are also mentioned in the report, though it is stated that the 26-year-old is happy to stay put at Juve, despite it being financially beneficial to move on and earn more than his current £42,000 per week.

It looks as though Forest will need to present quite the package to both Juve and Gatti to tempt them into a move, and if the situation changes he could be a fantastic addition at the heart of the defence.

Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo have been outstanding throughout this season, forging a great understanding at the back, but increased competition for places is still essential in that area, especially if one of the centre-backs leaves this summer.

Gatti is now an experienced player who has made 103 appearances for one of the biggest clubs in Europe in Juve, and Danilo once described him as “humble”, saying: “Gatti is an example for all of us, a humble boy who works a lot. He has had difficult moments, but he is strong, and he showed Juventus until the end.”

Gatti’s quality on the ball is highlighted by a 95.2% pass completion rate in Serie A this season, while his defensive expertise is oultined by an average of 2.6 clearances per game in the competition.

Worth more than Murillo: Nottingham Forest struck gold on their new Johnson

Nottingham Forest have hit gold with this sensational attacker who is worth more than standout defender Murillo.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 1, 2025

For now, it looks like Forest will have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements, but the hope is that Champions League qualification gives them a better chance of signing Gatti.

It promises to be an important and busy summer at Celtic.

Despite being on the brink of a sixth domestic treble in just nine seasons, progress in Europe remains Brendan Rodgers’ primary ambition, so he’ll want to bolster his squad, seeking to better Celtic’s run to the Champions League first knockout round this season.

Well, just to get into next term’s league phase, the Hoops will have to come through a play-off in August, which certainly will not be straightforward, given that their opponents are currently projected to be one of Crvena zvezda, Bodø/Glimt, København, Ferencváros or Dinamo Zagreb.

Thus, Rodgers will be eager to get Celtic’s summer business done as early and as expediently as possible. The need to replace Jota is an important matter.

The latest on Jota's injury

Earlier this month, Rodgers confirmed what every Celtic supporter had feared, revealing that Jota had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament at Tannadice against Dundee United, meaning he will be sidelined for “six to nine months”.

The Portuguese winger only returned to Glasgow as recently as January, rejoining from Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £8m, having been sold to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League for a club-record £25m a year and a half earlier.

Jota marked his return by scoring against Motherwell at Fir Park, on target five times in 16 appearances for the Celts since returning in total but, sadly, we will not see him on a pitch any time soon.

Thus, in need of a new wide attacker, could Celtic secure a very highly-rated winger?

The Jota replacement that Celtic must sign

Reports from Spain back in January suggested that Celtic were ‘considering’ a move to sign Real Valladolid winger Raúl Moro.

During the winter transfer window, Ajax technical director Alex Kroes went public with the Dutch giant’s interest in Moro, exclaiming “we are interested… yes”, adding that the 22-year-old “can play on both the left and right wings”.

Moro joined Valladolid permanently from Lazio, following a one-year loan spell, last summer for a reported fee of €2.5m (around £2.1m), but reports now believe he is valued at £8.5m.

Los Blanquivioletas though, are under pressure to sell, having been relegated from La Liga, collecting just 16 points all season, making Moro’s eye-catching performances all the more impressive.

Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record describes the Spaniard as a ‘rising star’ whose career has ‘exploded into life’ this season, while data analyst Berk Bekgöz believes he has been “one of the standout players in La Liga​​​​​​​” this year, praising his “speed, agility, and effective dribbling”.

​​​​​​​So, let’s assess how Moro and Jota compare.

As the table outlines, Moro’s statistics this season are almost universally more impressive, while taking into account he’s played over 1,100 minutes more, but this is surely offset by the fact that Valladolid are one of the worst teams in La Liga history.

The highly-rated youngster is surely not going to stick around for a campaign in the Segunda División, so will more than likely be on the move this summer and, while they face competition from other clubs, Celtic should do all they can to secure his services.

Dream Jota replacement: Celtic line up move for "wonderful" £10m-rated star

Celtic could land a dream replacement for the injured Jota by signing this star.

By
Dan Emery

May 14, 2025

Will Newcastle United secure Champions League qualification?

Ahead of the final day of the Premier League season, Eddie Howe’s team are fourth in the table, but not yet assured of Champions League qualification.

The Magpies are above both Chelsea and Aston Villa by virtue of goal difference alone, but victory over Everton at what promises to be a raucous St James’ Park will rubber stamp a top five finish and a return to the Champions League.

Expected to get the job done, Newcastle have already begun plans for the summer transfer window, so do they have an “astonishing” magician, reminiscent of a fan favourite from yesteryear, in their sights?

Hatem Ben Arfa's Newcastle United career

Hatem Ben Arfa arrived on Tyneside from Olympique Marseille, initially on loan, in the summer of 2010, and would depart four years later as a bona fide cult hero.

The Frenchman scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists in 86 appearances for the Magpies, but he was certainly more than just about pure statistics.

Peter McVitie of Goal outlines how he ‘showed flashes of brilliance’ during his time in the North East, without ever showing much ‘consistency’, winning over the Toon Army with ‘some dazzling firepower’ and ‘awesome displays of skill’.

Meantime, Louise Taylor of the Guardian labelled him ‘the sort of footballer fans adore’, praising his ‘exquisite touch… superior vision, perfect balance and elusive movement’, even if then-manager Alan Pardew regularly referred to him as “high maintenance”.

Jean-Baptiste Caillet of Opta’s the Analyst believes Ben Arfa is ‘France’s best dribbler since Zinédine Zidane, which is certainly high praise indeed, but backing it up by noting that only Neymar and Lionel Messi ‘have completed more dribbles per-90’ across Europe’s big-five leagues since Zizou’s retirement in 2006.

So, more than a decade on from Ben Arfa’s departure, could the Newcastle faithful soon have another dribbling winger to get behind?

Newcastle's search for a new forward

According to a recent report by Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato, Newcastle are ‘interested’ in signing Al-Ahli forward Gabri Veiga.

It had been reported by Fabrizio Romano that Veiga is on the verge of joining Porto for around £14m, but Newcastle, who have obvious connections to Saudi Arabia, are hoping to hijack this deal.

Born and raised in Galicia, he broke through at local, boyhood club Celta de Vigo, describing playing for los Celestes as a “dream”, with Sid Lowe of the Guardian documenting his ‘extraordinary’ La Liga form, adding that he ‘is not the stereotypical Spanish midfielder’.

In total, he scored 11 goals and registered five assists in 36 La Liga appearances during the 2022/23 season, including bagging a brace to beat Barcelona at Balaídos on the final day, which would turn out to be his last-ever appearance for the club.

His La Liga statistics from that season were certainly very impressive.

Given the above, it was expected that Veiga would move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, but instead, he chose to join Al Ahli, with the Saudi Pro League side paying his €40m release clause, earning a reported €10m a year.

Well, in the Middle East, the Spaniard has scored 12 goals and registered ten assists in 65 appearances, a key figure as Matthias Jaissle’s side won this season’s AFC Champions League Elite, beating Kawasaki Frontale in the final in Jeddah earlier this month.

Now ready to return to Europe, could he be on his way to Tyneside?

Mak Pakhei of Total Football Analysis praises Veiga’s ‘awareness to play the ball forward’ as well as his ability to take on opponents in the middle third of the pitch, a trait associated with Ben Arfa from his time at St James’ Park.

Journalist António Mango believes he possesses “astonishing technical ability”, while Thomas Hammond simply labels him a “quality player with bags of potential”.

So, it is very clear that the Spaniard is a flamboyant, highly-talented midfielder who, at 22 years old, still has room for development, underlining that he would be both an excellent and exciting signing for Newcastle supporters.

Newcastle make approach for £25m ace and Howe's already revealed his thoughts

He could be an ideal addition for Eddie Howe.

By
Henry Jackson

May 23, 2025

It’s been a funny old season for Tottenham Hotspur.

While the vast majority of the campaign has been nothing short of shambolic, especially in the Premier League, the fans are surely now the happiest in London following their Europa League triumph last week.

However, even though Ange Postecoglou was able to deliver the club their first trophy in 17 years, his job could still be under serious threat.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, another manager in the Premier League is currently one of the leading candidates to replace him this summer.

Tottenham's manager search

Before we get to the coach in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of the other names that have been linked with Spurs in recent weeks and months, such as Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The former might not have had the best of times managing Everton in the past, but since taking charge of Fulham in 2021, he has led them up from the Championship and established them as a solidly mid-table side.

Glasner, on the other hand, has worked wonders at Crystal Palace, turning them into a team capable of giving anyone a game and then delivering them their first-ever major honour in the FA Cup earlier this month.

However, with both looking like they’ll be staying at their respective clubs, another name has become a prominent candidate for the Lilywhites hot seat: Thomas Frank.

According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Brentford boss is now ’emerging as a strong contender to replace Postecoglou’ ahead of next season.

The report revealed that Dane has a hefty £9m release clause in his contract with the Bees, although his ‘long-standing relationship with Spurs’ technical director Johan Lange’ could help justify the outlay.

It could be a complicated and potentially unpopular decision in light of their European success, but given his record in the league, Frank could be an ideal Postecoglou replacement.

How Frank compares to Ange

It’s important to note that should Spurs pull the trigger and bring in Frank ahead of next season, then the fans won’t have to wave goodbye to entertaining football.

Now, while it’s true that the Dane’s sides don’t tend to be quite as gung-ho as the Australian’s, they aren’t too far off, with the Bees’ average defensive line height this season being 45.16m from their own goal to the North Londoners’ 46.43m.

Moreover, despite losing their star striker in the summer, the West Londoners remain one of the league’s highest scorers, racking up an impressive tally of 66 goals this year to the Lilywhites’ 64.

With that said, how have the managers stacked up against one another this season?

Well, the “sensational” Frederiksværk-born coach, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, has managed 43 games, of which he’s won 19, drawn eight and lost 16, which comes out to an impressive average of 1.51 points per game.

For his efforts, the former Celtic manager has overseen 60 games, won 26, drawn eight and lost 26, which comes out to a less impressive average of 1.43 points per game.

Moreover, while the Athens-born coach did win the Europa League, he oversaw 22 league defeats to the Dane’s 14 this season, which could be what ends up costing him his job.

Ultimately, while it might not be popular right away, Frank has proven over the last few years that he can overachieve in the Premier League, perhaps in a similar light to Nuno Santo at Wolves before he headed to north London. That might well be a warning sign but either way, he’d surely be an upgrade on Ange.

Only 2 passes made: Levy must ensure Spurs dud never wears the shirt again

Europa League winners Tottenham were trounced by Brighton to finish their Premier League campaign.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 26, 2025

Chelsea are convinced a marquee Brazilian would be a star for Enzo Maresca next season, and a move for the player is expected to happen “soon”.

Chelsea agree Liam Delap deal as BlueCo continue forward search

Earlier this week, Chelsea reached an agreement over the signing of Ipswich striker Liam Delap, with the Englishman, barring any unexpected surprises, looking set to become their first completed deal of the summer.

Chelsea submit bid to sign £42m Serie A star who's admitted he could leave

The west Londoners are in good spirits after their Conference League triumph.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

May 29, 2025

The 22-year-old had alternative offers on the table, particularly from Man United, Newcastle and Everton, but Delap started to give his preference to Chelsea after they qualified for the Champions League (talkSPORT).

Reports then began emerging that Delap had fully agreed to join Chelsea after being convinced of the project, with Maresca now also said to have played a “crucial” role in convincing the ex-Man City starlet to choose a Stamford Bridge move.

Delap is now also set for a medical at Cobham ahead of a £30 million switch from Portman Road.

While Chelsea are closing in on the Englishman, this doesn’t appear to be the end of their search for new forwards. Now that they’ve qualified for the Champions League, and with many squad members potentially leaving to raise even more funds, there is a chance that Chelsea sign two strikers this summer.

As well as this, BlueCo are targeting a winger, as heavily reported, and one name high on their transfer shortlist is Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

The Brazil international is valued at £84 million by Real, following his 23 goal contributions over 50 appearances last season (13 goals, 10 assists), so Chelsea would need to invest significantly in his capture as they also “push” for Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké (Florian Plettenberg).

Chelsea convinced Rodrygo would be a star for Enzo Maresca

Spanish newspaper Diario AS, and their reporter Eduardo Burgos, share some interesting details on Chelsea’s links to the 24-year-old.

Chelsea believe Rodrygo could be one of Maresca’s “crown jewels” next season, envisaging a key role in the squad for him. While London rivals Arsenal have already held informal discussions over the £202,000-per-week attacker, Chelsea are expected to do the same “soon”.

Burgos writes that Chelsea are intent on making a “statement” this summer and anticipate a very busy window, especially after confirming their spot in the Champions League, and Rodrygo “ticks all the boxes”.

“Rodrygo, so underrated,” said Jude Bellingham about his Real teammate.

“For me he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football — we’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow and you’re like, ‘How do you do that?’. I’m trying to do it, twisting up my ankles and everything like that. He’s a pleasure to play with.”

Arsenal are busy restructuring Mikel Arteta’s squad behind-the-scenes, with a few noteworthy exits anticipated before deadline day on September 1.

Players who could leave Arsenal this summer

Marquinhos, Kieran Tierney, Jorginho and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand have already left the club, as confirmed by Arsenal.

Arsenal submit "concrete offer" to sign star who wants over £250k-per-week

The Gunners have lodged their opening bid.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 13, 2025

Tierney and Oulad M’Hand were named as the departing players via Arsenal’s retained list earlier this month, joining a host of senior and academy players out the door, with Neto and Raheem Sterling also returning to their parent clubs.

Marquinhos signed for Cruzeiro on a permanent deal following his initial loan spell in Brazil, while Jorginho’s contract was terminated before June 30, so he could join Flamengo early and in time for this summer’s Club World Cup.

Thomas Partey is still in talks to extend his Arsenal contract, which is why he wasn’t included in the Gunners’ retained list, but as yet, no agreement has been reached for the Ghanaian’s renewal.

“I think the first thing is where are you happy and where do you feel at home. At the end of the day you’ve been in football, you’ve been in different teams,” said Partey, speaking about his future in an interview with 3Sports this week.

“Then it’s about what is your next objective what do you want to achieve next. You still have to look at all this and at the end of the day we all have a family that needs money, this is our mind.

“We are not getting younger. There are a lot of things where you have to look now with a family, where you want them to be happy. When you are young you just play anywhere.

“I’m an Arsenal fan, I can’t decide anything and just have to leave it to my agent and the club. Me, I just want to enjoy football.”

Until the ink is dry on paper, Partey’s potential exit remains a possibility. According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the African could be joined by both Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arsenal hold AC Milan meeting over Kiwior and Zinchenko sale

La Gazzetta reporter Marco Guidi says that an emissary from AC Milan travelled to London and held a summit with Arsenal on Tuesday, with both Kiwior and Zinchenko discussed and targeted by the Rossoneri.

The duo, on a combined £208,000-per-week and further down Arteta’s pecking order, are prime candidates to leave north London this summer and Guidi writes that Arsenal could sell Zinchenko for less than £13 million.

Kiwior is also a popular name inside Milan, having impressed alongside William Saliba when Gabriel was out injured, not to mention performing well for Poland at international level.

The 25-year-old is a proven Serie A player from his time at Spezia as well, leaving little wonder Milan are considering Kiwior with Zinchenko as they look to strengthen after a disappointing 24/25 campaign.

Newcastle United’s main worries this summer will lie in keeping a firm grip on Alexander Isak, away from pursuing any transfer targets of their own.

Staggeringly, it’s even being reported now that the Magpies have placed a mammoth £200m price tag above the lethal Swede’s head, as they attempt to scare off suitors such as Liverpool and Arsenal circling.

The Reds have flexed their financial muscle recently by landing Florian Wirtz, and with Isak just fresh off a mightily impressive 27 strikes in all competitions last season, a superpower out there, such as Arne Slot’s reigning Premier League champions, could be tempted to bid such a ludicrous amount down the line.

Newcastle looking at £26m attacker

Eddie Howe’s men are already eyeing up plenty of striker targets, with the Magpies’ numbers in this department short even as Isak remains put for the time being, with Callum Wilson out of contract and young William Osula not yet relied upon too frequently. So, who could be lined up?

Well, according to reports coming out of Italy, Newcastle could soon enter the fray to land imposing Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.

The report states that the Serbian goal machine is not interested in relocating to Turkey to link up with Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce. Instead, Vlahovic might well wait it out for Newcastle, with his price tag all the way down at a reasonable £26m.

Vlahovic wouldn’t displace Isak on his arrival, but he would be able to offer Howe’s Toon another fantastic option up top, especially as Champions League action returns to St. James’ Park.

Nottingham Forest are also named as an onlooker in other reports, but if Newcastle were to land the 6-foot-3 menace, they could be about to land a star who possesses shades of Aleksander Mitrovic’s intimidating, yet potent game.

How Vlahovic possesses shades of Mitrovic

It’s been some time since Mitrovic donned Toon black and white, with the now even more lethal 30-year-old plying his trade at St James’ Park when the club were disappointingly marooned in the Championship, before moving back up to being Premier League regulars.

He scored a promising 17 strikes from 72 Magpies appearances, but he would really spark into life on the books of Fulham directly after his Newcastle spell, with a mighty 111 goals coming his way in total at Craven Cottage.

Amazingly, Vlahovic is only five off matching Mitrovic’s blistering Cottagers total when glancing at his numbers strutting his stuff for both Juventus and Fiorentina, with an additional 22 assists also sticking out.

That’s led to shouts by journalist Siavoush Fallahi that the Belgrade-born attacker is “world-class”, with even more to come from the 25-year-old, perhaps, if he were to embark on a fresh adventure on Tyneside.

The similarities between Vlahovic and Mitrovic don’t just end with their shared fearlessness in front of goal, however, with both attackers also unafraid to utilise their lofty figures if needed, as seen in the Turin-based menace heading home the last-gasp effort captured above.

Whilst Mitrovic has a reputation for being a towering machine – much like the Toon target – he is actually just shorter than Vlahovic at 6-foot-2, with Vlahovic’s ability to throw himself about giving Howe another unique option in attack, away from Isak’s opposing strengths.

Previously dubbed as an “absolute monster” in this regard by Italian football expert Carlo Garganese, Newcastle could be about to win themselves a golden steal if they pick up Vlahovic, particularly if they fancy themselves a more imposing attacker in the same mould as Mitrovic.

After all, the Juventus number nine used to be worth a fee around the £70m mark, meaning the Toon must power ahead soon to land him for such a cut-price.

Even better than Joao Pedro: Newcastle open talks to sign £43m "finisher"

Newcastle are hoping to sign a forward in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 21, 2025

Everton are in the market for a striker this summer and may now have identified the man they want to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin when the England international moves on, according to a report.

Everton still in limbo over Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Clubs are beginning to filter back in for pre-season, and the transfer window is well underway. However, there is still no definitive news over whether Everton stalwart Calvert-Lewin will sign a contract extension.

Leeds United have reportedly made contact to sign the England international. Still, their pursuit has been complicated amid the suggestion that he could be open to a prolonged stay at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Confirmation is needed for all parties at this point to bring about some form of clarity. Regardless, Everton are expected to be in the hunt for attacking reinforcements as David Moyes seeks to bolster his offensive line.

Having put that into the universe, BBC chief reporter Phil McNulty feels Jack Grealish is unlikely to move to the Toffees despite persistent rumours connecting the Manchester City star with a switch to one of their Premier League rivals.

He explained: “Everton, like many other clubs, will be aware that there is a deal to be done for Jack Grealish, but this would be a very rich deal for Everton to do – and would certainly require Manchester City picking up a large share of his salary.

“So, at the moment, I think you can categorise this as being a long shot but, if the clock runs down towards the window closing and Grealish has not found himself a new club, then I can certainly see Everton at least trying to find out the lay of the land.”

Despite Grealish becoming a difficult pursuit, Everton have now turned their attention to an exciting potential replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Everton set sights on Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic

According to Goodison News, Everton have identified Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic as a target and Moyes is ‘desperate’ to strengthen his forward line amid uncertainty over Calvert-Lewin’s future.

After joining the South London-based outfit for £2.8 million last year, the Serbia international has also attracted interest from other Premier League clubs after scoring 13 goals and putting in a string of impressive performances.

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He hit the net 14 times last term, if you include his solitary effort at Vojvodina before moving to the capital, and was previously labelled “remarkable” by Alex Neil amid his rapid rise to prominence at Millwall.

Encouragingly, any deal would be ‘unlikely’ to break the bank from an Everton perspective, potentially offering an affordable solution if Calvert-Lewin decides to move on to pastures new.