Wednesday delivered plenty of big storylines as Arsenal’s contact with Nico Williams was revealed.
Plus, Chelsea faced a surprising change to their summer plans and Man Utd received some terrible news in their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres. There’s plenty to cover, so let’s jump right in.
Xabi Alonso is in the worst crisis of his still-young coaching career after Bayer Leverkusen were dumped out of the DFB-Pokal semi-final by third-tier Arminia Bielefeld.
The Basque tactician is regarded as one of football’s biggest up-and-coming coaching talents after leading Leverkusen to a historic domestic double last season and doing so without losing a single match.
Confirmed – Arsenal director Andrea Berta in contact with Nico Williams
He notably rejected advances from his former clubs Liverpool and Bayern around this time last year to continue with Bayer for another season. As FootballTransfers recently pointed out, this was the right decision.
The current campaign has been a pretty hard comedown from the high of last term. Leverkusen have struggled to cope with the pressure of being the defending Bundesliga champions and Alonso has shown his inexperience at times.
It is scarcely believable, but this is, of course, still only Alonso’s second full season of senior management. It was right for him to stay in a settled environment last year and the hardship of the current season will give him valuable experience.
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News – Xavi Simons BATTLE, Harry Kane RETURN, Paul Pogba to Man Utd
Leverkusen’s collapse
Leverkusen crashed out of the Champions League against Bayern Munich last month and they are also trailing the Munich outfit in the Bundesliga.
Indeed, after failing to beat the Bavarians in February and then inexplicably losing to Werder Bremen, the six-point difference between German football’s top two looks insurmountable.
However, Leverkusen hit a new low – and their worst one yet – on Tuesday evening. The reigning DFB-Pokal champions made the short two-hour trip north to face off against 3. Liga side Arminia Bielefeld in the cup semi-final.
Arminia, who were playing in the Bundesliga just three years ago but suffered double relegations, have been this season’s giant killers in the Pokal. They defeated 2. Bundesliga side Hannover and then beat top-flight clubs Union Berlin, Freiburg and Bremen to reach the semis.
They were obviously the underdog against Leverkusen, but they did not play as such. In fact, the third division outfit outplayed the German champions on the day.
Leverkusen only mustered one real chance from open play – in the 81st minute – and succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to hit the lowest point of Alonso’s eminently successful reign.
The German press has been fiercely critical of Alonso, the mastermind tactician, after the Bielefeld debacle. The Spaniard himself was forced to admit: “Maybe the plan wasn’t good.”
The Rheinische Post, echoing the words of CEO Fernando Carro, described Leverkusen’s performance as a ‘collective failure.’ They were uncharacteristically reliant on long balls, which Carro put down to the poor state of the pitch.
However, Kicker believes that this is just a lazy excuse and that Alonso’s wrong tactical plan ultimately doomed them to failure. “What’s even more serious: Xabi Alonso made no attempt to truly revise it throughout the entire 90 minutes,” writes Stephan von Nocks.
SCENES OUT OF BIELEFELD!! THE CUP HOLDERS ARE OUT AND FANS ARE STORMING THE FIELD IN CELEBRATION 🎉 pic.twitter.com/3rLCFHpXVD
The 43-year-old again showed his inexperience and it is becoming clear that his much-talked-about move to Real Madrid would be a step too big too soon.
The expectation in Germany is that Alonso will continue at Leverkusen for another season, but there are murmurs that Real Madrid could look to part ways with Carlo Ancelotti this summer.
Alonso would be the favourite to succeed the legendary Italian, and by all accounts, he would jump at the chance to coach Los Blancos. However, on the basis of this season, Alonso should know that this would be a huge risk for his career.
If this campaign has shown anything, it is that Alonso ought to be patient and continue to hone his skills. The loss to Bielefeld was the latest in a string of unacceptable performances this term. There is still much to learn for a man whom many thought had already seen everything in football.
Mohamed Salah is close to extending his Liverpool contract, according to a report.
The saga surrounding the Reds legend’s future appears to be coming to an end at last. According to Footmercato journalist Santi Aouna, a ‘full agreement’ is close to being reached over a new contract.
Confirmed – Arsenal director Andrea Berta in contact with Nico Williams
STATS
Mohamed Salah
M, AM (R), F (C)
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah
M, AM (R), F (C)
Liverpool
All Tournaments
2024/25
43
Games
32
Goals
22
Assists
View all stats
Salah’s current deal is expiring at the end of the season and Saudi giants Al-Hilal have been courting him. Those close to the Pro League side were still confident as of Tuesday that the Egyptian would make the move to the Middle East.
However, it seems that Salah has now decided to remain at Liverpool for the foreseeable future. Aouna claims that the final details of his deal are being ironed out, with Liverpool confident that the talks will reach a satisfactory conclusion.
Salah has been in unbelievable form for the Anfield club this season, so the news of his impending extension will be warmly received, especially after it emerged that Trent Alexander-Arnold had decided to join Real Madrid this summer.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah replacement revealed after Saudi bombshell
Salah spotted filming in Liverpool
Aouna’s reporting of Salah’s imminent agreement with the Reds comes after the Egyptian winger was spotted at the Liverpool docks with a film crew.
Salah was all smiles and kitted out in full Liverpool gear. It is unclear what exactly was being recorded, but many Reds fans naturally expressed their hope that it was connected to his contract situation.
Others were more sceptical about the picture. One Liverpool fan account stated that the photo was taken earlier in the week when Salah and teammate Dominik Szoboszlai were doing a media shoot for club sponsor AXA.
Either way, if the latest news out of Liverpool are anything to go by, the ‘Egyptian King’ will still be a Reds player beyond this season.
FootballTransfers can confirm that Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is in contact with the representatives of Nico Williams.
Earlier on Wednesday, Footmercato journalist Santi Aouna reported that a meeting between the Italian and the agents of the Athletic Club winger had taken place in recent days.
Exclusive – Arsenal favourites for Nico Williams due to financial advantage
STATS
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
All Tournaments
2024/25
38
Games
9
Goals
7
Assists
View all stats
We can confirm that Berta has a direct line of communication with Williams’ camp, although we understand that the recent talk that took place was just a phone call rather than a face-to-face meeting.
We are also told that this was not a one-off. The contact between Williams and Arsenal is continuous as he is one of their priority targets for the summer window.
Indeed, FootballTransfers revealed prior to the official unveiling of Berta that Mikel Arteta had made it clear to him to focus his attention on convincing Williams to leave Bilbao this summer.
Exclusive – Arsenal monitor Atletico Madrid talent Adrian Nino
Williams decision still pending
The exact reason behind the phone call between Berta and Williams’ camp has not been disclosed. However, it was possibly connected to the fact that Arsenal would ideally like to know the player’s final decision soon.
As things stand, Williams has yet to make up his mind regarding a summer transfer. His full focus for now remains on his boyhood club, who are still fighting on two fronts.
Athletic Club are currently fourth in LaLiga, four points off Atletico Madrid in third. They are also in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and are gunning to reach the showpiece as it will be staged at their San Mames home ground.
With the Club World Cup disrupting the summer, Arsenal are planning to get their business done early. Even though the Gunners did not qualify for the tournament, they want to take full advantage of the exceptional 1 June to 10 June transfer window that the Premier League has implemented.
Arsenal will not wait around forever for Williams to make a decision. Berta wants an answer in the near future and remains in direct contact with the Spain international’s camp.
Liverpool continue to regard Takefusa Kubo as their ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah, according to a report.
The Reds’ club legend is still making headlines, and not just for his unreal performances this season. Salah is out of contract at the end of the season and despite earlier optimism that he would extend his Liverpool deal, the mood has now soured.
Osimhen offer received as Chelsea target UNIQUE transfer
STATS
Mohamed Salah
M, AM (R), F (C)
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah
M, AM (R), F (C)
Liverpool
All Tournaments
2024/25
43
Games
32
Goals
22
Assists
View all stats
On Tuesday, it was claimed that Saudi giants Al-Hilal are still ‘confident’ that the 32-year-old will move to the Middle East this summer even if it likely won’t be in time for the Club World Cup.
Salah, the report asserted, ‘remains interested’ in a potential transfer to the Saudi Pro League and that the ‘lines of communication’ between his camp and Al-Hilal were still open as he mulls over his final decision.
Liverpool have made him a formal contract, but Salah has yet to choose whether to accept or to seek a new challenge.
Liverpool or Man City? Cambiaso agent reveals transfer decision
Liverpool’s Salah replacement
Ever since Saudi Arabia first became interested in the Egyptian in summer 2023, Liverpool have been linked with potential replacements. One name that perennially crops up is that of Japan international Takefusa Kubo.
The Real Sociedad star has established himself as one of LaLiga’s most exciting attackers in recent years, although the current season is proving difficult for the 23-year-old.
Kubo has netted seven goals and provided four assists in 43 appearances across all competitions so far, which is a far cry from the spectacular numbers Salah is putting up.
Nevertheless, TEAMtalk reports that Kubo is still viewed as an ideal replacement for the veteran attacker. Liverpool have shown ‘the most concrete’ interest, although other clubs are also keen.
Kubo has a €60 million release clause and it is thought that Real Sociedad may feel compelled to sell should they miss out on European qualification this season. They currently sit in a disappointing 10th place in LaLiga.
Justin Kluivert is the subject of much interest from Manchester United, according to a report.
The attacking midfielder and winger has made an excellent impression at Bournemouth this season. He could be rewarded for those performances with a move to the record champions of England.
Osimhen offer received as Chelsea target UNIQUE transfer
According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd have been closely monitoring the 25-year-old Dutchman for some time now. The Red Devils have listed Kluivert as an option on the wing and elsewhere in the attacking line.
Ruben Amorim’s side have struggled to score this season: Man Utd have found the net just 37 times in 30 Premier League matches so far.
Kluivert was acquired from AS Roma in the summer of 2023 for almost €11 million and has emerged as one of the absolute standouts at Bournemouth.
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News – Xavi Simons BATTLE, Harry Kane RETURN, Pogba to Man Utd
Kluivert happy at Bournemouth
This season, the five-time Netherlands international has scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in 33 games. His strong performances earned Kluivert a starting spot in the semi-final of the Nations League, which was lost to Spain.
It is not known how much the Cherries want to receive for Kluivert. The former Ajax player is still tied down at the Vitality Stadium until the summer of 2028, so the club will not be in a hurry to sell.
Kluivert’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €26.3m. Recently, the playmaker’s agent, Enzo Raiola, spoke about a summer departure.
“There is no news in that regard. The Premier League is a complicated market and it can go very quickly in terms of negotiations. We will see what happens, but at the moment, Justin is very happy at Bournemouth,” he said.
Genk director Dimitri de Conde has announced his intention to keep Chelsea signing Mike Penders at the club for another season.
The Blues surprisingly signed the Belgian youth international last summer in a deal that came completely out of the blue. Chelsea agreed to shell out a whopping €20 million on the goalkeeper, even though he only had two senior appearances to his name.
Current ETV
Mike Penders
GK
Genk
Mike Penders
GK
Genk
€8.1M
ETV Range
€6.8M – €9.3M
View full profile
Osimhen offer received as Chelsea target UNIQUE transfer
Penders remained with Genk for the season as Chelsea also signed Filip Jorgensen last summer, so there was no immediate need for another shot-stopper.
However, the goalkeeper department has given the Stamford Bridge club major headaches this season. Designated No.1 Robert Sanchez has made a string of high-profile errors, while Jorgensen also made a dreadful howler when given a chance against Aston Villa recently.
There have been major question marks as to how Chelsea will handle the situation in the summer. It has been claimed that the Blues will not sign a new goalkeeper and will instead let Sanchez and Jorgensen fight it out for the No.1 spot with returning loanees Djordje Petrovic and Penders.
Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea-Real Madrid talks take off
Penders to stay at Genk?
However, it seems that it is far from set in stone yet that coach Enzo Maresca will be able to count on Penders next term. The 19-year-old lost his place at Genk after signing for Chelsea, but he returned between the sticks in January.
Last month, he bluntly stated that he wants to play regularly next season and that it doesn’t matter to him where. “Whether it’s another year in Genk, elsewhere or already at Chelsea, we’ll see. I obviously want to play next season, that’s the most important thing for me,” he said.
Now, Genk director Dimitri de Conde has announced that his club want to keep Penders for another season, which could completely change Chelsea’s goalkeeper plans.
“We would like Penders to stay with us for another year. But that doesn’t depend on Genk. It does depend on Chelsea,” he De Conde said. “The agreement is that he will go to Chelsea next season. Chelsea will see if Mike can play a significant role next season.
“I know he wants to play. Chelsea also thinks he should play. So never say never. We have not discussed it with Mike yet. It is still too early for that. Our focus is now on the playoffs. After the competition, it will soon become clear which direction it is going.”
Fabrizio Romano has provided some massive updates on the biggest transfer stories from around Europe, including the latest on Xavi Simons, Paul Pogba and Harry Kane.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that Harry Kane is not considering a Premier League return despite reports to the contrary.
Real Madrid to sell Vinicius Jr after €300m bid as Cristiano Ronaldo contract on the table
“Harry Kane keeps scoring an incredible amount of goals for Bayern, for the English national team. But in an interview with ESPN, Kane wanted to clarify something and I think it’s important to put some points on that. Kane said in this interview how focused he is on the Bayern project.
“He doesn’t understand where the links with Premier League clubs are coming from. There have been links with several clubs in the recent months, and we can say that there is always in the English media this feeling that one day Kane can go back to the Premier League, it’s absolutely something that we have to respect because it could be part of the game.
“Of course, the striker of the English national team, a legend of the game for England like Kane, is obviously linked with the English clubs. But I can guarantee that there is no contact at all at this stage, nothing. The expectation is for Kane to stay at Bayern next season, to be part of the Bayern squad.
“Bayern will sign him backup in the summer because they need one more offensive player also because Mathys Tel at the moment is at Tottenham, so it’s important to see what kind of strategy Bayern will do, but Kane is fully focused on Bayern. Kane never had any sort of contact with Liverpool, with Man Utd.
“What about Tottenham? Tottenham have that buy clause. They can match eventual proposals for Kane, but remember that it’s very clear in the contract – it’s always Kane deciding. So there is no chance for any club, Tottenham or any other, to make any decision if Kane doesn’t go and says, ‘OK, I want to leave, I want to go.’
“Now, the full focus of Kane is on Bayern. He’s very happy at the club. He’s very happy with the new coach, Vincent Kompany. He can see the project. He knows that at Bayern many things are going to change in the summer. Bayern are expected to bring in important players, several players. And so refreshing the squad in a sense.”
Slot finds Liverpool a creative maestro – Romano reports €71m deal
Premier League battle for Simons
Romano then revealed that there could be a Premier League battle for RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons, who dreams of rejoining Barcelona.
“In January, RB Leipzig and PSG agreed a deal for Xavi Simons to go on permanent transfer to Leipzig. So the transfer fee was around €50-55 million plus add-ons up to €80m. But my understanding is that Simons has concrete possibilities of leaving Leipzig already in this summer transfer window.
“It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a concrete possibility. There are movements, and my understanding is that for something around €70-75m, there is a chance to strike a deal for Simons. The player has one big dream since day one, and it’s playing for Barcelona. The player would love to be at Barcelona one day. He was in the academy when he was a wonderkid
“But we know Barcelona for this summer, there is the Financial Fair Play situation. They have several offensive players. They already signed a player from Leipzig one year ago, Dani Olmo. So there are several things to clarify. I’m not saying that there is a negotiation. I’m just saying on the player’s side, one day he dreams of playing at Barcelona.
“And then there is Premier League because the Premier League is the most concrete opportunity. Obviously, paying €70-75m for Premier League clubs is not that difficult as it could be for Spanish clubs. Premier League clubs were already interested one year ago because there was interest from Arsenal, there was interest from Chelsea, there was interest from Man Utd, when Erik Ten Hag was the coach, but this remains the case, he’s still a player they appreciate.
“Also Liverpool are well informed on the situation. All these clubs have been calling to be informed on the situation of Simons. Now, it’s still early, we still don’t have any advanced stage of negotiation or contacts, but the situation could be open in the summer. And all these clubs are watching closely what happens between Leipzig and Simons.”
Regarding the situation of free agent Paul Pogba, Romano reiterated that there is no chance of him returning to Man Utd.
“Paul Pogba is available. He is ready, he’s training on a regular basis. He can play professional football. The ban is over. But Olympique Marseille, as the president, Pablo Longoria, said rejected the possibility to sign Pogba. This was a club decision.
“There was nothing with Man City despite all the rumours in December and January. Let me say that also we had rumours in February, March, about a Man Utd return, this romantic return of Pogba. What I can guarantee is that Man Utd were never considering that decision. With all respect and the affection they can have for Pogba, they want to go in a completely different direction.
“Young players, investing in players with a completely different pathway and also salary. So for Man Utd, it was not a topic in the recent months. And also, I can guarantee that even now or for the summer, forget about Pogba and Man Utd. It’s different clubs. Now, for different clubs, it could be an opportunity to go for Pogba, but I don’t think it’s going to be about Man Utd or Man City.”
Lastly, Romano provided an update on the situation of Nico Paz at Como.
“Nico Paz is who is doing fantastic at Como in Serie A. I wanted to clarify one thing, Como are fighting to keep Paz at the club for one more season. So Como’s idea is to have Paz also next season, to guarantee him the chance to play on a regular basis, as he’s done this season in a fantastic way under Cesc Fabregas.
“Como are really pushing with Real Madrid to keep the player at the club for one more season. Now, it’s on Real Madrid, but my understanding is that Real Madrid don’t want to lose control of Paz because they really like what they see from Nico. They have three different buy-back clauses for Paz, €8m, €9m and €10m for the next three years.
“Imagine how cheap it would be for Real Madrid to bring the player back after they got €6.5m from Como for the 50% of the player one year ago. So Real Madrid don’t want to lose control of the player. Now the strategy must be whether they want to accept for Paz to stay at Como for one more season, or maybe recall the player immediately and find a different loan solution.
“They believe Nico’s skills are really special. He’s already part of the Argentina national team. Carlo Ancelotti obviously monitors Italian football a lot and he saw the progress of the player. So the feeling at Real Madrid is that they don’t want to lose control of Nico. Now it depends on the agreement they will do with Como, what kind of strategy they will have.”
Arsenal have been tipped to launch a surprising transfer bid for a Manchester United star they were last linked with back in 2022.
Man Utd star Antony has enjoyed a resurgence in his form with Real Betis and now a surprising report from Spain suggests that Arsenal could look to snap up a player they followed in 2022 while he was still with Ajax.
STATS
Antony
M, AM (R)
Real Betis
Antony
M, AM (R)
Real Betis
La Liga
2024/25
8
Games
2
Goals
2
Assists
View all stats
Antony has scored four and assisted four while playing on loan in Spain, having been pushed aside by Ruben Amorim following a prolonged poor spell of form.
Arsenal are said to be “closely monitoring” his progress by TodoFichajes, which states that Mikel Arteta “believes he could add depth and creativity to their attacking line”.
The 24-year-old, who has two years left on his contract with Man Utd, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €22.6 million – a far cry from the €95m the Red Devils spent to prise him from Ajax. United, meanwhile, are now said to be targeting around €50m for the player, with his asking price raised off the back of his fine form.
While Man Utd clearly want to sell Antony, the thought of him moving to Arsenal is a surprising one.
Yes, the Gunners are on the lookout for a winger but buying Antony would be a deal that would leave them open to criticism, particularly with top target Nico Williams available at an affordable price. Their last blockbuster deal from a Premier League rival – buying Kai Havertz from Chelsea for €75m in 2023 – has not exactly worked out how they might have hoped, albeit it’s not been a complete disaster either.
Antony, meanwhile, seems to have set his sights on Spain. His wife has already commented that she misses the sun, while the player has also made this admission, claiming the better weather has helped him rediscover his form while with Real Betis.
While the Seville side will struggle to afford him, despite tongue-in-cheek claims they could start a crowdfunder, It would rate as a huge surprise if Antony were to move to Arsenal.
Andrea Cambiaso is a big target for Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of the transfer window, and now the player’s agent Giovanni Bia has revealed the plans of the Juventus star.
Cambiaso came into focus during the January transfer window when Man City made a push for his signature. No deal was done at the time, but the possibility of a future transfer was not closed off and the 25-year-old appears to be an active target again in the summer.
Current ETV
Andrea Cambiaso
D (L), M (R)
Juventus
Andrea Cambiaso
D (L), M (R)
Juventus
€41M
ETV Range
€36.9M – €45.1M
View full profile
Liverpool have emerged as a potential suitor, with the Reds on the hunt for an additional full-back.
Cambiaso has a contract with Juventus until 2029 and an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €41 million, and Bia claims that he is not thinking about a summer move.
“He is absolutely focused on Juventus,” the agent told TMW. “It is normal that there are these rumours given that he is one of the strongest full-backs in Europe.
“There are a few moves around – for example Trent Alexander-Arnold seems like he could go to Real Madrid – but in general there are many situations that could change.
“At the moment, he is not interested in anything. His objective is Juventus and to do very well there. He is absolutely happy at Juventus, he has always said it in a thousand ways and in a thousand places. His dream is to bring Juventus back to the highest levels, to play for Juventus and to have a great career at Juventus, helping the club to return to winning ways on a par with the biggest European clubs.
“But I have no doubts that within one or two years he will make a big move.”
Cambiaso back soon
The momentum of Cambiaso’s campaign, meanwhile, has been checked by injury problems, but Bia has been impressed with his client’s development.
“The season has been very positive: he had a great start, with wonderful performances,” he said. “Then he had this huge problem with his ankle that he dragged around for two months. He had recovered from it before relapsing against Atalanta with a sprain.
“Now we hope he returns on Sunday against Roma. He wants to help Juventus reach the Champions League objective, which is all that remains at the moment.”
So the message is clear: Cambiaso’s target is not Liverpool or Man City for the moment, with the youngster set to give his all for Juve.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is in what is being described as a “decisive” phase of his career, with the Catalan subject to a surprising transfer rumour.
Guardiola signed a new contract with Man City in November, and while the Etihad outfit have struggled to get anything close to their best level, there has been little suggestion that he could renege on his deal, which runs until 2027.
But AC Milan are hoping they can somehow lure the 54-year-old to San Siro in the summer, according to Corriere della Sera.
Milan are in a hurry to finalise their plans for the 2025/26 campaign after a wretched season of their own that has seen Paulo Fonseca sacked and Sergio Conceicao set to follow in the summer. The Rossoneri are said to be in the “decisive hours” of plotting their future – and that has implications for Guardiola.
The Serie A giants are moving to secure a new sporting director, with controversial former Tottenham Hotspur boss Fabio Paratici in pole position for the spot after a meeting in London.
Paratici has named Guardiola as his “fantasy” coach, although it is accepted that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss will be extremely difficult to sign this summer. Instead, it is hoped that at some time in the future he will leave Manchester City for Milan.
A more realistic target, it is said, that former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who finds himself in a turbulent period with Marseille in France.
De Zerbi came through Milan’s youth academy as a player while his brand of “spectacular” football is seen as an attraction to the Italian side.
With De Zerbi apparently unsettled at Marseille, he appears a far more viable target than Guardiola, who remains firmly in Manchester, despite City’s ongoing struggles.
It seems that United’s struggles that see them struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League has convinced Gyokeres this is not the right move for him.
The report follows on from other suggestions elsewhere that Arsenal have become the favourites to sign Gyokeres at the end of the season.
Gyokeres has a €100 million release clause in his Sporting Lisbon contract.
Gyokeres on fire
Gyokeres is the hottest striking property around right now and is having an incredible season, scoring 42 goals in 42 games in all competitions.
This follows on from his brilliant form from last season for Sporting where he scored 43 goals in all competitions for his club.
Gyokeres is expected to be sold by Sporting at the end of the 2024-25 season in order for the Sweden international to make the next step in his career.
Kylian Mbappe may have helped Real Madrid through to the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Sociedad on Tuesday, but he would still have had words of criticism over a failed transfer to Sunderland ringing in his ears when he took the field as a substitute.
Mbappe has grown used to critics over the years and faced a fair share of his own following his free transfer from PSG to Real Madrid in the summer.
Current ETV
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
€151.6M
ETV Range
€136.4M – €166.8M
View full profile
Shortly after he completed that deal, he bought French Ligue 2 side Caen, whose campaign has been little short of catastrophic.
A fight for promotion had been envisaged at the start of the season, but instead a 4-2 loss away to Paris FC on Monday leaves them nine points short of the relegation playoff with six matches to go and virtually guaranteed to do down.
Mbappe’s ownership of the Normandy club has been slammed, and now one of the leading players has openly revolted against the Real Madrid star.
Alexandre Mendy, who was Ligue 2’s top scorer last season with 22 goals, seven more than any other player, had been in line to join Sunderland in the summer. Mbappe put a stop to the deal by buying the club and effectively blocking the deal for a player considered essential to their ambitions. Transfers for Dieudonne Gaucho and Brahim Traore was similarly thwarted.
Now Mendy, who only has eight strikes to his name this term, sent a pointed message to the Mbappe clan.
You only reap what you sow
– Alexandre Mendy on Mbappe’s Caen ownership
“I’m speaking for myself: when you don’t start a new season with the right energy – everyone knows what happened during this transfer window, for several players – this is what it looks like today. We’re going to fight until the end but you only reap what you sow,” Mendy, who was standing in as Caen captain, told BeIN Sports (via Ouest France).
Mendy had made it clear to Caen’s owners that he wanted to leave for Sunderland last August, even refusing to train with the first team at that stage. It came as a surprise when eventually the deal collapsed late in August, with the player previously claiming he had felt “betrayed” by Mbappe.
Victor Osimhen has rejected possible transfers to Barcelona and Juventus and has made it clear he only wants to move to the Premier League this summer.
JuveFC reports that Juventus recently sat down for talks with Osimhen’s entourage to discuss a possible summer bid.
Current ETV
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen
F (C)
Galatasaray
€69M
ETV Range
€62.1M – €75.9M
View full profile
READ MORE: Osimhen offer received as Chelsea target UNIQUE transfer
However, the Bianconeri were politely told that, while Osimhen was flattered with their interest, he only wants a Premier League club.
Osimhen has the same opinion towards Barcelona, who have been heavily linked with the Nigerian striker in recent days.
Champions League top scorers 2024/25
Osimhen wants Premier League
The Spanish media believe that Osimhen could be the successor to the ageing Robert Lewandowski but the Napoli-owned striker also has no interest of moving to La Liga.
This spells good news for Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd, the three main Premier League clubs considering Osimhen this summer.
All three clubs plan to sign a top striker in the summer transfer market, and Osimhen represents one of the most interesting options.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray last summer on loan for the season from Napoli until June 2025.
It is a dry loan with Galatasaray simply covering his salary from September until June at a cost of €10 million.
He has enjoyed a fantastic season with Galatasaray, scoring 26 goals in 31 games in all competitions.
The 26-year-old has a release clause in his Napoli contract worth €75 million, for foreign clubs only.
Osimhen will leave Napoli permanently in the summer.
He has no future at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after falling out with the club last year.
The attacker had spent the entire summer searching for a new club and sacked his agent when this wasn’t forthcoming.
The 26-year-old had been frozen out of the squad at Napoli, with no chance of being reintegrated under new manager Antonio Conte.
Instead of spending the entire first half of the season training on his own, Osimhen opted to join Galatasaray on loan.
Osimhen saw his relationship with Napoli sour last season, following the TikTok scandal in which the club’s own social media team mocked his penalty miss with Bologna.
Osimhen had a largely difficult season on the pitch, while Napoli endured a disastrous defence of the Scudetto they won in the 2022-23 season as they finished 10th in Serie A.
The Nigerian had been a key player in the Scudetto campaign, scoring 26 league goals in 32 games.
The Spanish media fully expect Arsenal to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
That is according to Sky Sports’ Spanish journalist David Garrido, who reports that the consensus among insiders in Spain is that Garcia will move to the Gunners.
Current ETV
Joan García
GK
Espanyol
Joan García
GK
Espanyol
€13.2M
ETV Range
€11.8M – €14.5M
View full profile
READ MORE: Arsenal hope top target gets RELEGATED
The 23-year-old Garcia is one of the best goalkeepers in La Liga and is admired by a host of European clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Man Utd, Real Madrid and PSG.
But Garrido says that it is very likely Garcia will end up at Arsenal.
Arsenal top scorers 2024/25: Who is leading the club’s goal rankings?
Garcia to join Arsenal?
The Gunners have made the signing of a new goalkeeper a priority during the summer transfer window.
Garcia, if he arrives would likely start as number 2 to David Raya but with the chance of eventually becoming the first choice.
Arsenal tried to sign the Espanyol shot-stopper last summer but failed to strike a deal.
Garcia is thought to have a release clause worth €25 million to €30m, but Arsenal were unwilling to pay that much.
His price tag will drop this summer if Espanyol are relegated. They are currently fighting the drop from La Liga as they are only two points and two places above the bottom three.
The 23-year-old Garcia helped Espanyol gain promotion from the second tier in the 2023-24 season.
He came through the Espanyol youth system and has spent his entire career so far at the club.
He has made 74 appearances in total for Espanyol and Espanyol B and was named as the club’s Player of the Season in their promotion-winning campaign.
He also won La Liga’s Save of the Month in February and March 2025.
Garcia has been capped throughout the Spain youth teams and was part of the country’s Olympic-winning squad in 2024.
Like Raya, Garcia is admired for his excellent kicking and ability with the ball at his feet.
Manchester United are ready to challenge favourites Chelsea for the signature of Liam Delap this summer and have learned how much they will have to pay for the Ipswich Town striker.
Chelsea are hot favourites to sign the English star, with many sources expecting them to win the race for the striker at the end of the season.
Premier League top scorers 2024/25
Current ETV
Liam Delap
F (C), AM (R)
Ipswich Town
Liam Delap
F (C), AM (R)
Ipswich Town
€33M
ETV Range
€24.8M – €41.3M
View full profile
Indeed, FootballTransfers reported at the end of February that Chelsea have gone all-in for Delap.
However, United are seriously attempting to challenge Chelsea for Delap.
Man Utd top scorers 2024/25
Man Utd big fans of Delap
The Athletic reports that United technical director Jason Wilcox is a big fan of Delap and wants the club to sign him.
Wilcox sees Delap as the perfect fit for United’s new project under INEOS due to his young age at 22.
United have asked for information on costs and have learned that it will take a bid of around €48 million (£40m) to have a realistic chance of signing Delap.
This is the value of the buyback clause that Man City inserted in Delap’s deal when they sold him to Ipswich.
Delap has been enjoying an exceptional breakthrough campaign with Ipswich.
In the Premier League, he has scored 10 goals in just 26 appearances for a side battling relegation.
He is the son of former Derby, Southampton and Stoke star Rory Delap, who was most famous for his incredible long throws.
Delap Jr started his career in the youth system of Derby before being signed by Man City in 2019.
He was very highly rated at City and went on a series of loan moves to Stoke, Preston and Hull.
After impressing in the Championship for Hull in 2023-24, he was signed permanently by Ipswich in the summer of 2024 for €24m plus the aforementioned buyback clause.
Delap has now emerged as one of the most promising youngsters in the Premier League.
