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There’s never a quiet day in the Newcastle United recruitment department is there?

It was reported on Tuesday morning that Alexander Isak has no intention of playing for the Magpies again, even if the transfer window closes and he has not been sold.

This is certainly a saga that will seemingly rumble on and on, possibly even beyond the 1 September transfer deadline.

In the meantime, with or without Isak, Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his squad ahead of a return to the Champions League, so could a “quality” talent soon move to the North East?

Newcastle's busy transfer activity

So far, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale are Newcastle’s only two additions, but a fair few more could soon follow.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, an enquiry has been made for Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, while it has also been claimed that the Magpies are set to make a bid for Brentford’s wantaway marksman, Yoane Wissa.

Meantime, could Newcastle snap up a bargain by bringing in a young talent reminiscent of Hatem Ben Arfa?

Well, John Percy of the Telegraph reports that Newcastle are set to accelerate their interest in signing Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City.

They add that the Moroccan international’s contract contains a release clause, following the Foxes’ relegation to the EFL Championship, with the Magpies willing to pay up to £30m to secure his signature.

El Khannouss did complete 90 minutes during Leicester’s league opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, but is seemingly set for a return to the Premier League, with Leeds and Tottenham also interested, so could he end up on Tyneside?

Why Bilal El Khannouss should excite Newcastle supporters

Fair to say, Leicester City endured a miserable campaign last time round, winning just six Premier League matches all season, failing to score in nine consecutive home games, losing all of them, between 22 December and Easter Sunday, a new unwanted top division record.

However, amid all the dross, El Khannouss did manage to impress, scoring three goals during his debut season in England, most notably bagging the winner at Tottenham in January.

As a result, analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “one of the best prospects in the world”, while scout Antonio Mango has lauded him as a “genius”.

The 21-year-old’s composure on the ball and exceptional dribbling ability rank among his key strengths, having notably averaged 1.1 successful dribbles per game in the top-flight last season, as per Sofascore. That certainly sounds like former Newcastle favourite Ben Afra, doesn’t it?

During his time on Tyneside, between 2010 and 2014, the French international became renowned for his skill, dribbling prowess and attacking flair, all of which was encapsulated by this astonishing solo strike against Bolton at St James’ Park in April 2012.

So, let’s analyse El Khannouss’ statistics and Leicester last season to underline the comparison.

Goals

2

5th

Assists

3

3rd

Expected assists

4.6

1st

Shots

30

4th

Big chances created

8

1st

Progressive carries

73

2nd

Progressive passes

128

1st

Key passes

42

1st

Passes into the box

31

1st

Shot-creating actions

78

1st

Successful take-ons

34

2nd

Touches in the attacking 3rd

445

1st

Average SofaScore rating

6.91

3rd

As the table documents, in a generally dismal Leicester City side, El Khannouss was without a doubt the primary creative force, ranked first when it came to expected assists, big chances created, key passes, progressive passes and many, many other attacking metrics.

He has a similar talismanic quality that Ben Arfa possessed during the majority of his time at Newcastle, taking on the attacking burden and often making things happen all by himself.

Thus, in a significantly better side, El Khannouss could become a star of the Premier League, and the Magpies could provide him with the platform to do that.

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Arsenal are currently attempting to get a host of players off Mikel Arteta’s books, and they must do so quickly if Andrea Berta is to win the race for Eberechi Eze before Tottenham.

The consensus right now is that the Gunners’ current focus is on selling players (Sky Sports), with previous reports suggesting that they may have to offload certain squad members before formally bidding for Eze, despite the player’s recent talks with Berta and Arteta (Ben Jacobs).

Arsenal have long been in discussions with the 27-year-old’s camp (Fabrizio Romano), and there are some suggestions that the north Londoners even hold a broad agreement on financial terms with Palace.

However, their hesitancy and need to sell has gifted arch rivals Tottenham an opportunity to hijack their deal – with Thomas Frank’s side opening talks this week.

If Arsenal are to trim the squad and make room for Eze, it is absolutely imperative that they’re fast about it.

Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior are all being linked with exits before the transfer deadline on September 1, as is left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The former Man City star is considering the possibility of seeing out his contract and leaving for free in 2026, but given Arsenal’s need to raise funds and make room in the squad, Arteta’s side obviously prefer to sell now (The Athletic).

Zinchenko is on a considerable salary of around £150,000-per-week at the Emirates Stadium right now and barely got a look in under Arteta last season, so Arsenal will understandably be keen to find a buyer.

The Ukraine international attracted interest from AC Milan earlier this summer, according to reports from Italy, but now Turkish Süper Lig giants Fenerbache are throwing their hat into the ring.

Oleksandr Zinchenko keen to join Fenerbahce after Jose Mourinho talks

According to Turkish news outlet Sabah, Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has held a meeting with Zinchenko and discussed his plans for the defender – promising to use him in midfield as opposed to at full-back.

These talks have piqued Zinchenko’s interest, as the ex-Ufa sensation is now believed to be keen on a switch to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

While Mourinho has acquired the player buy-in, there is still work to do on the club-to-club front. Arsenal value Zinchenko at £17 million, but Fenerbache only want to sign him on loan with an option to buy in 2026.

So far, Fenerbache director Devin Ozek has offered Berta a loan fee of £2.5m, with an option to buy set at around £8.6 million, so a significant gap in valuation remains before a deal can be struck.

Arteta brought Zinchenko to Arsenal in 2022 after previously working with him at Eastlands, and the tactician praised his exceptional mentality.

“He’s a perfectionist and a really demanding boy. I know him so well, and after that he brings qualities that we didn’t have in the squad,” said Arteta to the press.

“He gives us a different option to play within the role in different spaces, and I’m really happy to have him.”

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed huge success in the transfer window over recent seasons, with their work massively contributing to their Europa League triumph last campaign.

Brennan Johnson scored the winner in the final against Manchester United back in May, topping off what was a fine individual season for the Welsh international.

He netted 18 goals in his 51 appearances for the Lilywhites throughout 2024/25, with his £47.5m transfer from Nottingham Forest now somewhat of a bargain given his success in the side.

However, whilst boss Thomas Frank has already completed multiple shrewd pieces of business by landing Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel – the new boss undoubtedly wants further additions to bolster his squad.

Numerous players have been touted with moves to North London throughout the ongoing transfer window, but one saga has been a huge talking point in recent days.

Spurs’ failed saga to land Eberechi Eze this summer

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been a huge target for Spurs over the last couple of months, with constant talks being held between the two sides over a £60m transfer.

At one stage, it appeared as though a deal would be completed without any fuss, even leading to the player himself being keen on a move to join Frank’s side for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.

However, after talks which lasted around a fortnight, no deal was completed – subsequently handing North London rivals Arsenal an open-goal opportunity to land the 27-year-old’s signature.

Mikel Arteta’s men gratefully accepted, strolling into negotiations, and reaching a total agreement with the player and the Eagles – leading to a £60m up-front transfer fee being accepted.

It’s been reported by numerous sources that Eze is expected to complete his medical and be announced as an Arsenal player in the coming days – rubbing salt into the wounds of all associated with the Lilywhites.

Other targets will now have to be drawn up to avoid a complete disaster this summer, but the club do already have a hugely talented player on the books – one who’s valued more than Eze at present.

The Spurs player who’s worth more than Eze

As previously mentioned, Spurs have conducted some excellent business over the last few seasons – with not all of the work completed by the hierarchy negative in recent times.

Alongside Johnson, talents such as Pape Sarr have also showcased that they’ve been worthwhile investments, massively exceeding the expectations placed upon him after his move to North London.

The Senegalese star joined the Lilywhites from French side Metz back in the summer of 2022 after spending an additional year on loan at the side he started his professional career with.

However, in the last couple of years, he’s become an influential part of the first-team, racking up over 100 appearances for the Lilywhites – scoring nine times, including in the season opener against Burnley.

He’s not the only first-team member who’s endured somewhat of a rise in recent months, with Archie Gray another player on the books who possesses a whole heap of potential.

Eyebrows were raised last summer when owner Daniel Levy forked out £40m for the 19-year-old’s signature – especially after he had just ended his only previous year as a professional with Leeds United the season prior.

Given his tender age, he found consistent minutes hard to come by, racking up 46 appearances across all competitions – many of which were in unfamiliar roles such as right-back and central defence.

Games played

46

Minutes played

3243

Pass accuracy

89%

Dribbles completed

58%

Tackles won

50%

Aerials won

50%

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

3.6

However, Gray, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Kevin Danso, was rewarded with a start in his natural central midfield position against Burnley last week, highlighting the trust new boss Frank has in the youngster.

Whilst he’s been limited as to how much he can showcase his talents in recent months, he’s still seen his market value soar since his arrival, now being valued at £61.5m by FootballTransfers.

Such a figure is higher than that of Eze, with the Palace star expected to cost £60m before his subsequent transfer to join Frank’s side fell apart in recent days.

It’s easy for the fanbase to lose faith in the ownership, understandably so, given the recent failure to land new talent and back the new manager.

However, it’s evident that the deals they have completed in recent years have been a success, with faith needed to put in the owner to find another top talent before the window slams shut.

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Chelsea’s next order of business, after winning the Club World Cup in New Jersey, is to trim their bloated squad.

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Enzo Maresca’s side reigned triumphant with a statement 3-0 win over European champions PSG, a result which also yielded an £87.5 million financial windfall for the club, but they remain under pressure to sell unwanted players.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea struck an agreement with UEFA to balance their squad through making sales, coming after they were fined for breaking FFP rules, and the west Londoners could face an additional fine of around £51 million if they fail to comply with regulations in the next four years.

They also need to offload players so they can register new signings for the Champions League next season.

“It’s been well documented that Chelsea have spent a lot of money in the transfer window already this summer, and they need to balance their books,” said Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, after they agreed a deal to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal for around £50 million.

“Last week they came to an agreement with UEFA that basically said that if they want to register new players for the Champions League next season, they have to make sure that their transfer spend this season is balanced out this summer by the players they sell as well.

“So they’ve signed players like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. That means they also have to sell players.”

Since Madueke’s switch to Arsenal, Chelsea have agreed to sell Djordje Petrovic to Bournemouth in a deal worth £25 million, and midfielder Mathis Amougou joined Strasbourg permanently last week.

Madueke, Petrovic and Amougou join Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli out of the Stamford Bridge exit door, so Chelsea are making progress on outgoings, and many more are expected to follow.

Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and Christopher Nkunku are also likely to leave Chelsea, and they’ll listen to offers for midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

João Félix in talks to leave Chelsea and join Benfica

That is according to Standard Sport, who report that BlueCo are preparing a “ruthless” summer clearout.

Another name on the chopping block is attacking midfield flop João Félix, who spent the second half of 2024/2025 on loan at AC Milan after failing to break into Maresca’s first-team fold on a regular enough basis.

Felix re-joined Chelsea in a £46 million deal from Atlético Madrid, but his reunion with the west Londoners really hasn’t gone to plan. He’s out of Maresca’s long-term plans, and the 25-year-old could now return to boyhood club Benfica.

Standard Sport and reporter Dom Smith claim Felix is in talks over a move back to Portugal with Benfica, as Chelsea attempt to get his £130,000-per-week wages off the books for good.

They apparently won’t entertain any form of loan, either, and are determined to seal his permanent exit.

West Ham United have now made contact over a deal to sign a “world-class” player, who is desperate to move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.

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As a result, Graham Potter could be faced with the difficult job of finding a replacement for the Ghanaian this summer, while the manager is also keen on bringing in a new central midfielder, having picked out a range of potential options.

Player

Current club

Potential price tag

Raphael Onyedika

Club Brugge

£25.5m

Harvey Elliott

Liverpool

£40m+

Rocco Reitz

Borussia Monchengladbach

£17m

Reitz has caught the eye after impressing at the U21 European Championships, but a new report has revealed the Irons have now made contact over a deal for a midfielder with a little more experience at the top level.

According to The Boot Room, West Ham have now made contact over a deal for Juventus’ Douglas Luiz, but there could be fierce competition for his signature from a number of their Premier League rivals.

Man United, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur are also named as potential suitors for Luiz, who is desperate to return to the Premier League after leaving Aston Villa for £42m last summer.

The Brazilian failed to adapt to life in the Serie A, and believes that returning to the Premier League may increase his chances of going to the 2026 World Cup.

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ByDominic Lund Jul 7, 2025 "World-class" Luiz could be coup for West Ham

The maestro may have struggled to make an impact at Juventus, but he certainly left a lasting impression during his previous stint in the Premier League, being lauded as “world-class” by former teammate John McGinn.

As displayed by a fantastic assist for Ollie Watkins in the Conference League, the Brazil international is a threat on the front foot, while also proving himself to be a fantastic all-round midfielder with his performances in the 2023-24 campaign.

As such, Luiz could be a real coup for Potter, who will be looking to make a push for the European places next season, rather than flirting with relegation again.

Crystal Palace have submitted a bid worth £8.5 million to sign a 21-year-old rising star who wants to move to Selhurst Park, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace chasing two new midfielders for Glasner

While the Eagles continue to wait for clarification on whether they will be playing in the Europa League or not next season, people behind the scenes are working hard on potential transfers, as Oliver Glasner and co. plan to improve many areas of the team regardless of how many fronts they are asked to compete on.

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Midfield appears to be the priority for the South Londoners at this moment in time, as they work on not just one but two new midfield signings. Last week, it was reported by Alan Nixon, via TBR Football, that Palace had made an approach to RC Lens over signing Andy Diouf.

Despite potentially having European football, Palace are aware they could lose Adam Wharton in this transfer window and therefore want to have a replacement ready. It would cost the Premier League side just £20 million to get a deal wrapped up.

As Palace weigh where to go next with a deal for Diouf, reports also claim the Eagles have made contact with Brighton & Hove Albion player Igor Julio over a potential move to Selhurst Park. The South Londoners are not the only Premier League team chasing a deal, as Wolverhampton Wanderers are also interested in signing the midfielder, but he is said to be prioritising a move out of England at this moment in time.

Crystal Palace submit £8.5m striker bid

Despite the excellent form of Jean-Philippe Mateta last season, the Eagles are in the market for a new striker as well as new midfielders. According to Africa Foot, Crystal Palace have made a 10 million euros (£8.5m) bid to sign Oumar Diakité from Stade de Reims.

The report states that given Stade de Reims’ relegation to Ligue 2, Diakite is among the players attracting interest across Europe. But Palace are the ones who have made a concrete move to sign the young striker, and the Eagles are in a good position to complete a transfer, as Diakite is keen on the move to Selhurst Park.

As well as making a bid, Palace have also offered the player a five-year contract and are ready to pay him 3.5 million euros a year, which is roughly £2.9 million. The concern Palace do face is that Stade de Reims are not rushing to sell the player and are waiting for more ‘miraculous’ offers to arrive.

Oumar Diakité’s 24/25 stats for Stade de Reims
Apps	33
Goals	4
Assists	1

Palace’s interest in the 21-year-old is not new, as back in November it was reported that the Premier League side had identified Diakite as a long-term replacement for Mateta. The Ivory Coast international has shown in the last couple of seasons he knows where the back of the net is, but the hope will be for him to learn under the French star, not replace him.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to back new manager Thomas Frank in the summer transfer market, as the Lilywhites scour for more new forward options after sealing a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel.

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Tel showcased flashes of his ability during his initial loan, which has now been made permanent for £15 million less than the originally agreed £45 million buy-option with Bayern Munich, and Frank has expressed his serious excitement over this move by chairman Daniel Levy.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

“Very, very excited about Mathys signing with a permanent deal,” said Frank.

“I think he’s a very talented player that can play across the front four positions. He’s a goalscorer that we can develop even further to be more consistent in his all-round game but also to more consistently land in the right positions in the box. So I’m looking forward to it.”

The Frenchman will help to replace Timo Werner, who’s returned to parent club RB Leipzig after a lacklustre one-and-a-half-year temporary stint in N17, but Spurs may soon find themselves needing another wide player.

Son Heung-min’s exit from Tottenham is seen as a real possibility this summer, with the 32-year-old about to enter the final 12 months of his contract. Levy just has this window to make any significant cash back off his sale, and he’s apparently placed a £50 million price tag on his head, according to reports in Asia.

Frank’s need for a potential Son replacement has prompted links to a few intriguing targets this week, including Man City’s Jack Grealish, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.

The latter bagged 20 goals in all competitions under Frank last season, and Tottenham are believed to have held initial talks over signing Mbeumo, even if Man United have been tipped as his preferred destination (Sky Sports).

Fabrizio Romano also claims that Tottenham began internal conversations over a move for the Cameroonian as soon as Frank signed his Spurs contract, so he appears to be a serious option if United cannot meet Brentford’s valuation.

Good chance that Bryan Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham

According to journalist Duncan Castles on The Transfers Podcast this week, there is a “good chance” that Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham, contrary to reports of his United preference, but Levy needs to meet his £70 million asking price.

“The indication from Manchester United was Mbeumo had chosen to move there and verbally told them that his preference was to move there,” Castles said.

“But I’m not hearing exactly the same on that. I think there is a good chance that Mbeumo, should Tottenham get to the price that Brentford are asking, that he might choose Spurs ahead of Manchester United.

“There are a couple of obvious reasons for that. One is that it allows him to stay in London, and secondly, it allows him to carry on playing for Thomas Frank, who has joined Tottenham as the replacement for Ange Postecoglou.”

The versatile African would be a quality heir to Son on the right-hand side, and he’s adept at playing as a centre-forward too, meaning both Mbeumo and new signing Tel could help to ease the goalscoring burden on club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

Leeds United have now opened talks with the entourage of an “incredible” player with 10 England caps to his name, according to a report.

Leeds looking to avoid drop by building experienced squad

Upon their return to the Premier League, Leeds’ main aim next season will be to avoid an instant return to the Championship, and it looks as though Daniel Farke is planning to avoid the drop by building a squad with a wealth of top-flight experience.

Indeed, the Whites have been linked with players in a range of different positions, many of whom have proven themselves over a number of years in the Premier League.

Target

Current club

Position

PL appearances

Yves Bissouma

Tottenham Hotspur

CM

191

Aaron Cresswell

West Ham United

LB

312

Jamie Vardy

Leicester City

ST

342

Callum Wilson

Newcastle United

ST

239

Aaron Ramsdale

Southampton

GK

183

The interest in Ramsdale comes about amid doubts over Illan Meslier, who was dropped for Karl Darlow during the promotion run-in, but the Southampton shot-stopper, who is available for £25m following the Saints’ relegation, is not the only English goalkeeper on the shortlist.

According to a report from Leeds United News, Leeds have now approached the entourage of Newcastle United’s Nick Pope, who has emerged as a top target for Farke now that Caoimhin Kelleher has decided to make the move to Brentford.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey also dropped a further update on Pope’s St. James’ Park future, saying: “Pope, he’s on a very good contract there and age is not on his side. It depends where Leeds want to go with it as well.

“Do they go experience or young? I think they are assessing all options. He’s a very solid option.

“Clearly he’s going to be on the radar, but I don’t think they have 100% decided which way they’re going to go just yet.”

"Incredible" Pope could be exactly what Leeds need

Meslier simply cannot be trusted, with the 25-year-old costing Farke’s side 10 points in the Championship last season, and there is every indication the Newcastle goalkeeper would be a more reliable option between the sticks.

The England international, who has 10 caps to his name, has proven himself in the top flight across spells with Burnley and Newcastle, making a total of 221 Premier League appearances, while also catching the eye in the Champions League.

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Journalist Liam Kennedy was left particularly impressed by the £60k-a-week goalkeeper’s performance in a 0-0 draw against AC Milan in September 2023, claiming the Magpies “wouldn’t have got a point without his incredible performance in goal”.

There is clearly a strategy to bring in proven Premier League players this summer, and Pope certainly ticks that box, while his Champions League and international experience indicates he could be a real upgrade on Meslier, who has been far too error-prone.

Goals, goals and more goals. If there is one thing Arsenal have lacked this season, it’s goals.

It’s been clear for some time now that Mikel Arteta’s side lack a genuinely clinical striker to lead the line, and so the last few months have seen them linked with a whole host of exciting names.

One of the most prominent was Newcastle United’s incredible Alexander Isak, but with a price tag that could reportedly be as high as £150m, it’s a move that now seems increasingly unlikely.

However, that doesn’t mean that the North Londoners aren’t still looking to bring in a new striker, as recent reports have linked them with someone who could be the perfect alternative.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the forward in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

The former looks like he’d cost around £70m, and while that’s still a hefty sum of money, it’s hard to argue against considering the Swede has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists in 29 appearances for Sporting CP this year.

Maeda, on the other hand, would cost around £25m and has also enjoyed a brilliant campaign north of the border, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 games for Celtic.

However, the Gunners might be looking for a genuine bargain alternative to the Newcastle ace, which would explain the situation around Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are now one of several sides interested in signing the LOSC Lille star this summer, when his contract has expired.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has claimed that Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus and a handful of other Premier League sides are also keen to land the soon-to-be free agent.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line in light of the competition, but given David’s immense ability, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an incredible Isak alternative.

Why David would be a great Isak alternative

So, there is ultimately one reason, and it’s a massive one, why David would be a brilliant alternative to Isak: the finances involved.

While he would likely demand a slightly inflated wage to make up for the lack of a transfer fee, the money involved in any deal would still pale in comparison to what would be needed to sign the Newcastle star.

In turn, this would then allow the Gunners to invest heavily elsewhere in the squad, be it in another striker, a new left-winger, competition for Martin Odegaard, or even more defenders.

Moreover, just because he’d save the club an enormous sum of money does not mean he’d be a lacklustre signing.

For example, since the start of 1/22, the New York-born monster, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 25 assists in just 182 club appearances.

David’s recent club career

Season

21/22

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

48

40

47

47

Goals

19

26

26

25

Assists

0

4

9

12

Goal Involvements*

0.39

0.75

0.74

0.78

All Stats via Transfermarkt (*per Match)

In other words, the incredible goal machine has averaged a goal involvement every 1.50 games across the last four seasons of top-flight football, which is evidence enough to suggest he’d be a good fit for the North Londoners.

Finally, it’s not just at the club level where the Canadian international has proven himself. In 61 appearances for Les Rogues, he scored 32 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal every 1.19 games.

Ultimately, with Isak almost certainly being too expensive to sign this summer, Arsenal would be wise to sign David in his place and spend the rest of their transfer budget improving the entire team.

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Aston Villa face a transfer fight with Manchester United to sign an “incredible” £67m star this summer, according to a new report.

Aston Villa chase new defender as Rogers gains admirers

The Villans strengthened their bid to finish in the top four over the weekend as they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1. Unai Emery will be keen to secure another season of Champions League football, as it will help their finances when it comes to the summer, and perhaps more importantly help them keep players such as Morgan Rogers.

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The midfielder has been one of Villa’s best players this season, and that has earned him the reward of an international stage. It may also not be a surprise to see Rogers’ performances have “attracted admirers”, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein. No specific teams are mentioned, but it is clear that huge clubs have taken notice of the Villa midfielder.

On the incomings front, Villa are looking to make an offer to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP. Emery is keen on signing a new defender this summer, and Diomande has emerged on their radar, as Sporting are willing to sell as long as they receive a £50 million fee.

Aston Villa looking to beat Man Utd to Maignan deal

As well as looking to sign a new defender, Emery is also planning on strengthening his goalkeeper department, as according to journalist Niccolò Ceccarini, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are interested in signing AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, gathering information on the player and the chances of a deal.

The report states that Villa have taken an interest in Maignan and could now make a concrete approach to sign the France international this summer, as he will enter the final 12 months of his contract at San Siro. Maignan has agreed a new contract with Milan in principle but has yet to sign the deal, so he could be moved on by the Italian team this summer, but would still cost around £67 million.

Villa, who already have Emi Martinez between the sticks, are not the only team from the Premier League to take a close look at the shot-stopper, as Chelsea are also interested, despite having several goalkeepers on their books.

Manchester United are also keen on Maignan and are said to be preparing an offer to bring the Frenchman to Old Trafford as a replacement for Andre Onana. Maignan, who has been hailed “incredible” by former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, was asked about his future on Saturday after Milan’s 2-2 draw with Fiorentina.

Apps

154

Goals conceded

163

Clean sheets

55

The Frenchman was unwilling to talk about his contract situation at AC Milan: “As I said, I feel good at Milan; I give everything for the shirt every time I put it on, every day. At this moment, I tell the truth; I don’t want to talk about the contract; I want to talk about football.

“Milan deserves more; we want more. My personal case is not the most important thing at this moment.”