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Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s higher-ups had the unenviable task of replacing Kevin De Bruyne this summer. The Belgian legend departed the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract, and now plies his trade in Napoli, where he will be hoping to guide Antonio Conte’s side to back-to-back Scudettos.

Finding the right man to step into the shoes of De Bruyne was never going to be easy. Where on earth do you start looking when you want to replace his 108 goals and 177 assists for the club? Of course, he also vacated the now-iconic number 17 shirt, which is yet to be filled.

Well, one player who won’t be donning that shirt is summer signing Rayan Cherki.

Why Cherki won’t take City’s number 17

Despite picking up an injury so soon into his City career, Cherki is one of the players people believed could fill the creative void left by De Bruyne. He has already made a strong start to life at the Etihad Stadium.

In just six appearances in the Club World Cup and the Premier League, the France international has found the back of the net twice and assisted one goal.

His only strike in the English top-flight came against Wolves on his debut in the competition.

Despite only being a short way into his career in East Manchester, Cherki has already received high praise. BBC Sport analyst Umir Irfan described him as a “genius footballer” following his goal at Molineux.

So, you might think all the signs point to Cherki taking the number 17 at City and looking to follow on from De Bruyne’s legacy. But it does seem unlikely, because at the start of the season, the Frenchman switched to the number ten shirt, vacated by Jack Grealish, who moved to Everton.

Given that Cherki has such an iconic number already, it would be a surprise to see him swap again and take De Bruyne’s old number. However, City have the perfect candidate in their squad.

Man City’s next number 17 in waiting

Over the last few seasons, City’s academy has produced some magnificent players. Some, like Cole Palmer, have now departed the club, whilst others, including Phil Foden, are still playing week in, week out at the Etihad Stadium.

Well, it is an academy graduate who could be City’s perfect option to take on the mantle of De Bruyne’s 17 shirt. Oscar Bobb has established himself as an important player under Guardiola and has impressed during his short professional career so far.

Now 35 games into his career in East Manchester, the Norwegian international has already chipped in with three goals and four assists.

Arguably, his best goal in a City shirt was assisted by De Bruyne, with the Belgian teeing him up with a pass over the Newcastle United defence last year, with the youngster showing great composure to finish.

In recent years, it has not been a surprise to hear a City player be described as “magical”. That is exactly what content creator Steven McInerney said about him at the start of the season, when he assisted Tijjani Reijnders away to Wolves.

It is more than just a great promise shown by Bobb. He has the talent to pick up the creative gauntlet thrown down by De Bruyne. Although it is a small sample size, his numbers are sensational, with the standout being that he created 3.4 chances per 90 minutes back in 2024/25.

Bobb’s City record (all comps)

Stat (per 90)

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26

Games played

26

4

3

Key passes

2.4

3.4

1.4

Pass accuracy

89.7%

89.8%

91%

Dribbles completed

2

2.5

2.5

Stats from Sofascore

There is no doubting Bobb’s talent, and the fact that Guardiola rates and trusts him so much is clear to see. The 22-year-old has averaged 85 minutes per game this season.

He could be the player in waiting to take De Bruyne’s number 17 shirt and continue his legacy.

The Norway international is just 22 years of age, so he has years ahead of him to hit the same heights as the City legend. But, as far as talent goes, it seems like Bobb has it all and could become City’s next number 17.

Related New Silva: Man City plot shock move to sign £65m England international

Man City would be pulling off a huge shock with this move

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Aug 29, 2025

The mood around West Ham United at the moment isn’t a particularly positive one, as Graham Potter’s side got their Premier League campaign underway with a demoralising defeat away to newly promoted Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

The game was a stark reminder that the club need to do more business before the window closes next month, as with the squad the way it is, a relegation scrap feels almost inevitable.

One of the areas most desperately in need of reinforcing is up top, as while he certainly tried, Niclas Füllkrug looked miles off the pace and like someone who will struggle all season.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the Hammers with an exciting centre-forward who’d be a massive upgrade on the German.

West Ham target a Füllkrug upgrade

While it’s undoubtedly true that West Ham have not done enough business this summer, it’s also true that some of the few deals they have completed have been pretty good.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, securing someone as experienced as Kyle Walker-Peters on a free in undeniably great work, and from what we saw in pre-season, and in flashes on Saturday, El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like he could be a real difference-maker this year.

Yet, to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap, the Eastenders need to bring in more talent, which appears to be what they’re trying to do.

At least that is according to recent reports, which claim West Ham are interested in Rodrigo Muniz.

In fact, it’s more than that, as the reports have revealed that the club have now made a bid for Fulham’s goalscoring Brazilian.

A potential price is not mentioned, but stories from earlier his summer claimed that the Cottagers could ask for as much as £43m to sell the 24-year-old.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Muniz has shown over the last year or so that he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League, and would be a massive upgrade on Füllkrug.

How Muniz compares to Füllkrug

Now, when it comes to centre-forwards, what matters most is their raw output, and if we compare Füllkrug’s to Muniz’s, there is only one winner.

For example, in his 36 appearances for the West Londoners last season, totalling 1355 minutes, the latter racked up an impressive tally of 11 goals and two assists.

That means that the Brazilian “revelation,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.53 games, or every 104.23 minutes.

In rather stark contrast, the Hammers’ German forward was only able to score three goals and provide two assists in 20 appearances, totalling 877 minutes.

In other words, the former Borussia Dortmund star averaged a goal involvement every four games, or every 175.4 minutes, which just isn’t enough to be leading the line for a club the size of West Ham.

Muniz vs Füllkrug in 24/25
Players	Muniz	Füllkrug
Appearances	36	20
Minutes	1355′	877′
Goals	11	3
Assists	2	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.36	0.25
Minutes per Goal Involvement	104.23′	175.4′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, on top of the simple fact that the Fulham man is the far more dangerous striker, there are some other key reasons why he would be an upgrade on the Hannover-born poacher, such as his age.

At just 24 years old, the former Flamengo gem still has plenty of upside, and according to research from The Athletic, he is still three years away from hitting his peak.

The 24-capped German, on the other hand, is 32 and will be turning 33 midway through this season, which suggests that his struggles to keep up with the pace of the Premier League are only going to continue and worsen as the campaign goes on.

Moreover, he missed 28 games last season, whereas the Cottagers’ ace has missed just 22 across his entire career, so availability is something else that has to be taken into consideration.

Ultimately, Füllkrug is not a bad player, but he’s certainly not of the level required to be an important member of West Ham’s squad, and therefore, the board should do what they can to sign Muniz as his replacement before the window closes.

West Ham lodge major enquiry for "magic" £21m maestro who's keen on PL move

The Hammers have made an approach to sign a versatile midfielder.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 18, 2025

Having been retained by RCB for IPL 2025, the MP captain hopes to carry his confidence into his batting and leadership

Himanshu Agrawal14-Dec-2024Madhya Pradesh (MP) have made it to their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final since 2010-11, and their captain Rajat Patidar has been key to their success this season. Ahead of the final against Mumbai on December 15, he has scored 347 runs, including four half-centuries, and batted at an impactful strike rate of 182.63.Patidar has continued from where he had left off in the IPL this year, where he was Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) third-highest run-getter with 395 runs at a strike rate of 177.13. It is his six-hitting ability which has helped him gallop at that pace. While at the IPL he smacked 33 sixes in 13 innings, Patidar has 21 sixes in the SMAT across eight innings.”I’m just trying to back my strength in the areas where I’m going to hit,” Patidar said after taking MP to victory against Delhi in the semi-final on Friday, when he cracked 66 not out off just 29 balls. “I was hitting long from last year, [and] last-to-last year. So I’m just trying to find the same pattern that I was playing [with] in IPL, and how I have to go about it.”Related

For RCB, Rajat Patidar might be just what the doctor ordered

Kohli, Patidar and Dayal to be retained by RCB

Patidar whirlwind blows Delhi away, MP in final

Patidar arrived to bat at a troublesome 46 for 3 in MP’s chase of 147 against Delhi, and he got going in no time despite the situation. Facing pace bowler Himanshu Chauhan, he slashed his fifth ball for four past point, before dispatching Chauhan for six over deep square leg to take 14 runs from the over.The sixes kept flowing off Patidar’s bat – he thumped six of them in total – with heaves over midwicket and long-on, and the pull over square leg earning him the big hits.”I try to put my impact on the opposition for my team,” he said on his consistency. “I’ve never paid attention to getting the big scores. My mantra is to play one ball at a time. So I try to do that. I’ve never thought that I’ll get a big score. I focus on what I can do.”Even against Saurashtra in the quarter-final, Patidar had walked out in a tricky situation in a bigger chase, but he had his say in the game. MP’s required run rate touched 10.14 an over with seven overs to go in their pursuit of 174, and he smashed 28 off 18 balls to help wrap up the chase with four deliveries remaining.RCB’s decision to retain Patidar for INR 11 crore for IPL 2025 has been vindicated by his performances in the SMAT. He feels RCB’s decision has given him “a lot of confidence”, and he “will be happy” if the opportunity to lead his IPL team arose in the future.”I’ve learned much. I’ve enjoyed learning more tactically because I love seeing the players, and anticipate what they can do,” he said of his captaincy stint with MP. “It’s a great time [which] I spend with my coach Chandrakant Pandit about captaincy. So, yeah, I am learning a lot.”MP face Mumbai in the final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, a team they had beaten by six wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 final at the same ground. Patidar had scored 122 in that win, and he believes that the victory from two years ago will boost his side.

Afghanistan lost their last six wickets for only 21 runs, crumbling swiftly on a slow and used Sharjah surface

Himanshu Agrawal09-Nov-2024First, Afghanistan’s spin quartet ended with combined figures of 38-0-144-7. Bangladesh’s trio replied with 21.3-2-72-5. But where Afghanistan’s quicks bowled 12 overs for 108 runs without a single wicket, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers were more incisive with four wickets in 22 overs, which went for only 111. That was the difference in the end as Afghanistan fell 68 short in their pursuit of 253 and Bangladesh levelled the three-match series with one game to play.Bangladesh’s win was set up by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 76. When Shanto fell on his 119th ball in the 41st over of the first innings, his innings appeared to be too slow. But the value of his runs was visible when the Afghanistan batters struggled to get going, justifying that batting wasn’t easy on a slow and used Sharjah surface. Six of Afghanistan’s top eight scored at least 14, but only one could go on to score a half-century. Rahmat Shah’s 76-ball 52 remained the highest.Afghanistan’s chase of 253 began in sedate fashion. The Bangladesh quicks started with tight lines and lengths with the new ball swinging, but their first two breakthroughs were down to some fantastic catches. Soumya Sarkar anticipated a ball rushing onto him at wide slip to have Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught off Taskin Ahmed, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz – at square leg – leapt and plucked one to send Sediqullah Atal back off Nasum Ahmed’s first ball.Atal departed for 39, ending a 52-run second-wicket partnership with Rahmat, but his dismissal started a sequence where Nasum and Mahmudullah kept a check on Afghanistan, conceding only 19 runs across the next seven overs.Mehidy took over captaincy duties after Shanto had to leave the field with a hand injury, and brought himself back to bowl in the 24th over. One over past the halfway mark, Afghanistan’s required rate had crossed six runs an over, and the slide began in the 29th.Mustafizur Rahman had Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi caught at fine leg for a 40-ball 17 and then Nasum bowled Azmatullah Omarzai for his second duck of the series with a beautiful ball which turned away to hit off stump.Three balls later, Rahmat paid the price for a mix-up with Gulbadin Naib, who pushed one to cover and called. With Naib watching the fielder, Rahmat was halfway down the pitch, and ultimately both ended up running towards Jaker Ali, the debutant wicketkeeper. Jaker, playing in place of the injured Mushfiqur Rahim, threw the ball to Nasum at the other end and Rahmat was well short.Thus, Afghanistan lost three wickets in the space of six deliveries, and although Naib swung his bat around for an entertaining 26, and added 44 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, his dismissal left the rest with too much to do. They lost their last five wickets for only 21 runs and folded for 184 in 43.4 overs.That batting performance made Shanto’s half-century and Jaker’s death-overs batting cameo look even better. Bangladesh had lost Tanzid Hasan early in the afternoon, but Shanto and Soumya accelerated. Despite a Shanto slowdown after the powerplay, Bangladesh made 82 in 14 overs.However, it took a further 23 overs to get another 82 for Bangladesh, despite losing only two more wickets in that period. All four of Afghanistan’s spinners – Rashid, Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar – operated during that phase, and conceded just two fours and a six.Rashid broke the 71-run second-wicket partnership between Shanto and Soumya when he trapped the latter lbw. Soumya, on 35, didn’t review despite a consultation, and later saw the replays show the ball had pitched outside the line.In all, Shanto took 75 balls to get to his half-century, which he completed halfway into the 28th over. Both Mehidy and Shanto struggled to put the Afghanistan spinners away, and had to rely on their running between the wickets amid a plethora of dots. In the 32nd over, Shanto was given out lbw on 55 off Ghazanfar, but he reviewed and overturned the decision.But Rashid broke the 53-run stand when he cleaned Mehidy up with a googly next over. With 12 overs to go and Bangladesh on 174, Bangladesh were on course for a strong finish but with Shanto slow but Kharote struck three times in the next three overs to dent their cause. Towhid Hridoy, Shanto and Mahmudullah all departed in quick succession.But Jaker and Nasum ensured Bangladesh would post a competitive score. The last six overs were taken for 60 runs, as Nasum started the fun with a slog sweep for six off Kharote. When Afghanistan switched to pace in the 47th over, Jaker bashed Fazalhaq Farooqi for back-to-back sixes, with one landing over the roof beyond deep midwicket. Nasum hit 25 at just better than a run a ball, while Jaker put the finishing touch. The debutant ensured Bangladesh crossed 250.

Birmingham City will be looking to join an exclusive club next season in attempting to seal the dramatic feat of back-to-back promotions.

Ipswich Town were the last triumphant outfit to manage back-to-back promotions from League One all the way up to the promised land of the Premier League, whilst the likes of Southampton, Norwich City, Manchester City, and Watford have all also achieved the same unthinkable goal, with Birmingham wanting to add their name to this unique list shortly.

The Blues’ whirlwind summer transfer activity to date will have done them no harm in trying to pull off such an inconceivable accomplishment, with the standout capture of Kyogo Furuhashi for £10m one deal that certainly demonstrates the Blues’ hunger to try and become Premier League-bound.

Kyogo's statement arrival to St. Andrew's

It has even been reported now that the ex-Celtic attacker turned down opportunities to go to higher-up sides to hop on board the enthralling St. Andrew’s rollercoaster.

He clearly believes in the project, and he will surely want to be remembered as the goalscoring hero that managed to push the Blues up to the Premier League very soon, having already garnered a reputation for being a deadly goal machine when bagging a mammoth 85 strikes on the books of the Hoops.

The buzz surrounding this Kyogo deal is very reminiscent of Jay Stansfield’s arrival on the scene last summer for an equally hefty fee of £15m with the former Fulham man dropping all the way down to League One – even as he knew full well he was held in high regard at Craven Cottage – to then becoming the decisive star that fired home a promotion-sealing 19 strikes.

Kyogo is on the same pedestal as Stansfield, therefore, in potentially going down as a season-altering purchase, but there is another transfer target on the Blues’ radar that might be seen as an even more daring coup than the much-talked-about attacking duo if a move is pulled off shortly.

The £14m star who'd be a bigger coup than Kyogo & Stansfield

Whilst both Kyogo and Stansfield have stunned supporters across their collective careers with their ice-cold ability to finish off chances under pressure, neither has been a success story at the very pinnacle of English football, with the first of those two names never actually competing in the Premier League.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan has that on his side, fortunately, as Birmingham now attempt to land the South Korean forward for around the £14m mark, according to reports.

Before he saw his minutes at Molineux deplete under the fresh Wolves reign of Vitor Pereira, Hwang was seen as one of the more reliable attackers in the Old Gold squad, with his tally in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season coming in at a sturdy 12 goals.

Amazingly, that was the exact same amount Matheus Cunha managed that campaign in league action, before his form exploded into life even more to attract Manchester United’s interest.

RB Salzburg

126

45

29

Wolves

119

24

8

FC Liefering

31

13

8

RB Leipzig

28

3

4

Hamburg

21

2

2

Whilst Hwang might well have hoped for a similar earth-shuddering move down the line himself, it’s more a sign of Birmingham’s ambition than it is an indicator of the South Korean settling for an underwhelming switch down a division, with a further 74 goals and assists coming his way in the Austrian top-flight across his well-travelled career to date.

This blistering spell for Salzburg even saw Erling Haaland, who led the line with Hwang in the Austrian Bundesliga, label the 29-year-old as “absolutely crazy” in the way he operates as a captivating forward presence.

Unfortunately for Kyogo, he has also suffered from some barren patches of form in front of goal away from his celebrated Celtic spell, with zero strikes coming his way during a brief Rennes stint.

Moreover, Stansfield only ever tasted the luxuries of the Premier League on occasion with Fulham, with Hwang more than ready to take the Championship by storm as a coup purchase, before then potentially settling back into the challenging division with confidence if the Blues have made their top-flight dreams come true.

Birmingham and Wagner keen to sign "great" 26 y/o and soon-to-be free agent

The Blues mean business.

2 ByTom Cunningham Jul 11, 2025

Ligue 1 and European champions PSG have reportedly set their sights on a key Chelsea star, right after Luis Enrique’s side were dominated by him in the Club World Cup final.

Related Chelsea in talks to sign £40m "superstar" who'd brilliantly replace Madueke

With Noni Madueke on his way to Arsenal for £52m, Chelsea remain “in contact” to sign one of the Premier League’s “brightest young talents” for £40m.

Posts 1 ByBen Gray Jul 15, 2025

Enzo Maresca led the Blues to a triumphant 3-0 win over PSG at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – a result very few on-lookers expected given PSG’s imperiousness in the build up to Sunday’s game.

The French heavyweights won five out of six matches en route to the final, including convincing performances against Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with the elite European trio all failing to score against them.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

However, while Enrique managed to shut their previous CWC rivals out, he had no answer for Chelsea’s tactical masterclass.

In what was a real statement performance all-round, Chelsea transitioned from defence to attack in devastatingly effective fashion, with Cole Palmer’s brace and a strike from summer signing Joao Pedro putting the result beyond all doubt before half-time.

Chelsea hoisted the Club World Cup trophy aloft with US president Donald Trump on stage, finally putting an end to their long 2024/2025 campaign, and BlueCo also received a seismic £87.5 million financial windfall via the tournament’s prize money pool.

Attention now turns to 2025/2026 with pre-season for most clubs already starting, with Chelsea having almost no time for any rest ahead of what will be yet another crucial season for Maresca.

Stamford Bridge chiefs are also working to trim their bloated overall squad, which will have a profound effect on any plans to bring in more new recruits (Simon Philips), which they could still do.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are among the players up for sale at Chelsea right now, and striker Nicolas Jackson could yet follow Noni Madueke out of the exit door.

This comes after Djordje Petrovic sealed a £25 million move to Bournemouth and Mathis Amougou joined Strasbourg in a permanent deal last week, just months after he signed for Chelsea from Saint-Étienne.

PSG prepared to pay £217 million for Chelsea star Cole Palmer

Now, a very bold claim has surfaced from the European media.

According to reports in Spain, PSG are “prepared” to pay £217 million for Chelsea forward Palmer, coming after the England international’s two goals against them secured Chelsea a memorable Club World Cup final win at Enrique’s expense.

Palmer is one of Maresca’s most crucial star men, and has been since his move from Man City in 2023. This definitely isn’t lost on PSG, according to this report, and their alleged potential bid would smash the world-record £200 million fee they paid for Neymar in 2017.

PSG’s sporting directors have apparently “outlined an ambitious plan” to sign Palmer, but they’re set to fall short.

Indeed, unlike many of the surplus players on their books right now, it is believed that £217m might not even be enough to get Palmer, as Chelsea are not considering his departure “under any circumstances”.

The doors are “firmly closed” when it comes to any negotiations, and the 23-year-old is happy at Chelsea as he gears up to spearhead a 25/26 trophy charge.

Pakistan have made a change to their accommodation in New York, switching to a hotel closer to the cricket ground in Nassau County, where they will play two T20 World Cup group games on June 9 and June 11.Pakistan were originally booked to stay at a hotel about an hour and a half away from the venue. ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB took exception to the arrangement and arranged for the team to move to a hotel in Long Island, about a ten-minute drive from Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.Pakistan arrive in New York from Dallas on June 7 and play India at the venue two days later. The Indian team has been accommodated at a hotel about ten minutes from the ground, and have been in New York for more than a week, having played their warm-up match against Bangladesh and their first group game against Ireland at the venue.Generally at World Cups, hotel bookings are handled by the ICC working with the Local Organising Committee (LOC), a body that includes the host board. It is rare for teams to change hotels but given Sri Lanka’s experience during their stay in New York, arrangements have come under scrutiny.Sri Lanka were staying in Brooklyn ahead of their game against South Africa, 90 minutes from the ground. The logistical complications resulted in them cancelling their training session on the eve of the game to prevent fatigue. Ahead of their morning match, Sri Lanka were forced to start their day at 7am and ultimately succumbed to a heavy defeat against South Africa. Bowler Maheesh Theekshana called the scheduling and logistics “unfair” and Sri Lanka’s manager Mahinda Halangoda told ESPNcricinfo they had lodged an official complaint about their travel arrangements in this tournament.The PCB decided not to wait and raised concerns about their hotel being too far from the ground, insisting on a change in accommodation. The ICC eventually acquiesced to the request. Pakistan play India on Sunday 9 June, and Canada two days later in New York.

This summer’s mini-transfer window, open from June 1 to June 10, presents an opportunity for Premier League sides to get deals done very early ahead of pre-season, and Arsenal could take full advantage.

Arsenal urged to invest in new signings up front

Mikel Arteta ended yet another season with no trophies to show for his side’s efforts at N5, and discounting the Community Shield, Arsenal haven’t won any piece of major silverware since their FA Cup triumph in 2020.

Fabrizio Romano: £63m star will talk to agents this week about joining Arsenal

He’s set to assess his options.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

May 27, 2025

Considering the Gunners have registered a net spend of around £487 million on transfers since Arteta took over from Unai Emery in 2019, some questions are starting to be asked about the Arsenal manager when it comes to their lack of silverware return.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)	Money on new signings
19/20 – winter	£0
20/21 – summer	£81.5m
20/21 – winter	£900k
21/22 – summer	£156.8m
21/22 – winter	£1.8m
22/23 – summer	£121.5m
22/23 – winter	£59m
23/24 – summer	£208m
23/24 – winter	£0
24/25 – summer	£101.5m
24/25 – winter	£0

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville, speaking after Arsenal were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United earlier this year, drew particular attention to their “toothlessness” in the forward areas – going on to state that they simply must spend big again this summer.

“This has shown a massive spotlight on the toothlessness of Arsenal’s forward players compared to what we’re seeing at the other end of the pitch,” said Neville.

“That’s a given. They have to [spend this summer].

“I was supportive of them not panicking in the window, finding the player they want, I get that. But when the bid went in for Ollie Watkins, they are sending a message to the rest of the squad, the ones up front aren’t good enough, this game confirms it.”

The arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta is set to play a pivotal role in their pursuit of attacking upgrades for the squad, and reliable media sources are already claiming that the Italian has got to work.

The north Londoners recently opened talks over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, which has since stalled due to wage demands (Florian Plettenberg), with Arsenal also holding “concrete” negotiations to sign striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

Arsenal offer Viktor Gyokeres a five-year contract worth nearly £30m

Sesko isn’t their only option to reinforce the centre-forward area, though, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres also heavily linked in the last month.

Portuguese news outlets in particular have reported in the last fortnight that Arsenal are making serious progress on a move for Gyokeres, with newspaper O Jogo even claiming that they’ve agreed a fee.

While that rumour is yet to gain traction, another Portuguese media source, Correio de Manha, has come forward with a significant update of their own.

The newspaper states Arsenal have offered Gyokeres a five-year contract worth nearly £30 million, with the Swede handed an annual salary worth £5.9 million-per-year.

They’ve also apparently offered Sporting around £59 million for his signature, which is still slightly below his reported asking price of around £63 million, so it will be intriguing to see if this proposal gets off the ground.

Gyokeres’ 54 goals in all competitions this season indicates that he’s a fine candidate to resolve Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge in the attacking areas, and Sporting boss Rui Borges certainly has little doubt about the 26-year-old, even if there’s a case to be made that the Primeria Liga is inferior to English top flight football.

“I have said this before, and I will continue to say it: he brings a lot to the team, and his teammates are aware of what he contributes, which is why they look for him during games,” said Borges about Gyokeres.

“The collective effort also plays a role, as no one can succeed alone. Viktor is a game-changer, and he will continue to be, whether with us or elsewhere. His quality is undeniable; it is phenomenal.”

Arsenal have been handed significant news about their pursuit of Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, with Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta and the recruitment team now alerted to a potential deal-breaker in talks.

Arsenal in reported talks over signing Viktor Gyokeres this summer

In the last few days, reports from both Portugal and England have claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side are moving forward in their attempts to seal a move for the 26-year-old.

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The Gunners have already been hijacked by La Liga’s heavyweights.

ByEmilio Galantini May 16, 2025

A Bola report Arsenal have offered Gyokeres a £7 million-per-year contract already, with Sporting setting an asking price of around £63 million amid Berta’s pretty serious interest in striking a deal for the Primeira Liga superstar.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

CaughtOffside, meanwhile, state Arsenal are in advanced club-to-club talks for Gyokeres as they look to steal a march on Premier League rivals Man United and Liverpool in pursuit of his signature.

Going by these claims, it would appear that the Gunners’ links to Gyokeres stretch far beyond just interest, with Berta looking to sign a top striker for Arsenal as one of his key summer priorities.

“I’m not inside to know their thoughts, but definitely, I would say a striker, a top, top striker, that can bang in 40 to 50 goals like all the top teams.” said ex-Arsenal star and Como boss Cesc Fàbregas to Amazon Prime recently.

“He [Gyokeres] could be an option, 100 per cent. He is an extraordinary striker.

“He is a focused player, who pays attention to details, he is competitive, never lets his guard down, and doesn’t want to rest. He is as an athlete, a player and team-mate who instils confidence in his team-mates with what he gives to the team.”

Called a “phenomenon” by Rui Borges, the former Coventry City striker has been free-scoring since making the move to Portugal, and currently boasts 52 goals from 50 appearances in all competitions this season.

Arsenal receive "major" Gyokeres update amid Sporting deal-breaker

However, Gyokeres’ electric form also puts Sporting in a solid negotiating position, even if there is a release clause in his deal.

Football Transfers state that Arsenal are determined to finalise a deal for Gyokeres, and will have representatives in attendance to watch him play in the Taca de Portugal final against Benfica on May 25.

In what they describe as a “major update”, though, Berta and co are informed of a key requirement on Sporting’s end which could prove an obstacle in Arsenal’s talks to sign Gyokeres.

Sporting are adamant the vast majority of his final agreed transfer fee must be paid within two years, and this may prove problematic for the north Londoners. Arsenal are required to agree to Sporting’s terms or risk another club swooping in to hijack their move, as per FT, so the transfer is proving more complicated than initially reported.

Arsenal have alternatives to pursue if a move does collapse, but Berta is believed to be especially keen on Gyokeres.

It is fair to say that Manchester City are making a concerted effort to bring down the average age of their squad.

In January, they signed Juma Bah (18), Nico González (23), Vitor Reis (19), and Abdukodir Khusanov (21), while Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, aged 34 and 33 respectively, could both be on their way out of The Etihad.

While hundreds of millions will be spent on new signings, Man City may have unearthed a top-quality youngster from within their own youth system, one that is now being compared to one of the breakout stars of this Premier League season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's impact at Arsenal

Few had heard of Myles Lewis-Skelly just six months ago, considering the teenager only made his full Premier League debut against Everton as recently as 14 December.

Now, though, despite still having made fewer than 30 senior appearances for the Gunners, he is their undisputed first-choice left-back.

Adam Bate of Sky Sports outlines how the 18-year-old has enjoyed an astronomical rise, boasting the ‘swagger’ of someone well beyond his years, while Simon Collings of the Evening Standard believes he ‘announced himself on the big stage’ against Real Madrid this week.

Last month, Lewis-Skelly became the youngest debutant to score for England, coolly slotting through Thomas Strakosha’s legs after just 20 minutes against Albania at Wembley.

So, while the Hale End home-grown hero continues to impress at Arsenal, have Manchester City found their answer to him?

Man City's own Myles Lewis-Skelly

A goal down against Bournemouth, Manchester City’s FA Cup hopes appeared to be slipping away by the South Coast.

In response, Pep Guardiola made a half-time alteration in Dorset, introducing Nico O’Reilly at left-back, pushing Joško Gvardiol into the heart of the Man City defence.

Well, even Guardiola could not have envisaged how well this switch would go because, within seconds, O’Reilly had put the ball on a plate for Erling Braut Håland to equalise, before also setting up Omar Marmoush’s winner.

Afterwards, Guardiola hailed O’Reilly’s impact as “unbelievable”, adding “he’s going to play in semi-final for sure”, while Ben Fisher of the Guardian labeled this tactical tweak as a ‘masterstroke’, with O’Reilly’s ‘seemingly bottomless energy’ changing the game in Man City’s favour.

Similar to Lewis-Skelly, O’Reilly is a midfielder by trade, with Emlyn Begley of BBC Sport documenting that he’s really ‘an attacking midfielder’ but a ‘flexible’ one at that.

Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has found a home at left-back, starting against both Leicester and Manchester United since his second-half cameo at Dean Court.

So, let’s see how he and Arsenal’s teenage star compare.

Appearances

12

29

Minutes

717

1,621

Goals

3

1

Assists

2

2

Chances created

10

9

Attempted passes

426

783

Passing accuracy

90.86%

92.89%

Through-balls

2

10

Ball recoveries

37

59

Touches per 90

94

62

As the table above outlines, O’Reilly and Lewis-Skelly are very similar stylistically, which isn’t too surprising, even if the Arsenal man having played almost twice the number of minutes across all competitions to date.

Interestingly, O’Reilly registers significantly more touches per 90, while he’s also more of a goal-threat, emphasising the point that, if given the choice, he’d play as an attacking midfielder.

Thus, likely to be deployed at left-back against Crystal Palace on Saturday, O’Reilly is certainly going to be put to the test, considering how dangerous Daniel Muñoz and Ismaïla Sarr are as a duo down the Eagles’ right-hand-side.

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