Celtic are enjoying their renewed status as Scottish Premiership champions and could now strike to beat their rivals to the signing of a highly-rated youngster, per reports.
Celtic probe ahead of summer transfer window
The Bhoys are basking in the glory of a fourth successive league title and will look to hammer home their supremacy this season when they travel to face Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.
However, their rivals have claimed victory in their last two Glasgow Derby encounters, leaving Brendan Rodgers with a point to prove against his opposite number, Barry Ferguson.
Truthfully, the Irishman can put forward a compelling argument that he has already met his remit with flying colours. He is now the third-most successful manager in Celtic history; trophies are the bottom line in Glasgow after all.
In light of this, Rodgers is likely to gain significant backing from the Hoops hierarchy this summer. According to reports, AC Ajaccio striker Moussa Soumano has emerged as a target at Parkhead, even if Brentford are deemed to be leading the race for his signature.
Crystal Palace winger Jesse Derry is also on Celtic’s radar, but he is likely to be one for the future should he join the club for a compensation fee after refusing to pen a new deal at Selhurst Park.
Celtic set to lose "fantastic" player until 2025/26 after painful injury
The Bhoys will have to do without one of their star men.
BySean Markus Clifford Apr 28, 2025
In the background, plenty of groundwork will be ongoing to ensure the Bhoys have adequate quality present to combat the challenge of competing in the final Champions League qualifying round next term.
Homegrown players will be needed to meet squad quotas regardless of what league phase they end up in, so it won’t be a surprise that they are now battling their rivals for one of Scotland’s brightest young talents.
Celtic and Rangers race to sign Hearts forward James Wilson
According to Chronicle Live, Celtic and Rangers are both racing to sign Heart of Midlothian forward James Wilson alongside Premier League outfit Newcastle United.
Becoming a regular at Tynecastle, the 18-year-old earned his first Scotland cap against Greece earlier this year and has been scouted by either side of Glasgow’s divide, while the Magpies have sent representatives to watch the youngster several times.
James Wilson’s breakout season at Hearts – first-team and B team level
Appearances
37
Goals
11
Assists
2
Impressive at senior level, Wilson has netted six times in 31 appearances and is capable of playing either on the right flank or as a central striker.
Lauded for his “brilliant” campaign by James Penrice, the prodigious talent has also managed to create 11 chances on Scottish Premiership duty.
Evidently, Wilson still has plenty of growth to come in the next few years, but all the telltale signs are there that he could go on to be a star of Scottish football with the correct development plan.
Celtic will hope they can convince him that Parkhead is the place to achieve that feat, though he would likely be met by stiff competition for his place.
An “exceptional” former Manchester United player could make a surprise return to Old Trafford this summer, according to a report.
Man Utd pursuing midfielder amid Casemiro doubts
Casemiro’s future at Old Trafford appears to be in doubt, despite the Brazilian putting in some much-improved performances in recent times, making a remarkable 11 tackles against Manchester City earlier this month.
As such, Ruben Amorim may be tasked with bringing in a new tough-tackling midfielder this summer, and the manager’s search has led him to Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with Man United expected to make a £52m bid for the Brazilian.
Other potential options include Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, with United certainly not short on options as we edge closer to the summer transfer window.
Manuel Ugarte joined the Red Devils last summer, following the decision to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli for £25m, and the Scot has really kicked on since arriving in the Serie A, establishing himself as a key player for the Serie A title chasers.
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries in action with Napoli's Scott McTominay
As such, according to a report from Spain, McTominay could now be in line for a surprise return to Old Trafford, although a deal will not be cheap, as his performances for Napoli have elevated his market value considerably.
It may also be difficult to prise the 28-year-old away from Napoli, with the Italian club determined to keep hold of him, and given that he is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, the midfielder may not be overly keen on a return despite the interest from his former club.
Top target: £64m "Superman" now Man Utd's leading candidate to replace Onana
The Red Devils are looking to sign a new goalkeeper, with Andre Onana putting in some concerning performances this season.
ByDominic Lund Apr 16, 2025 "Exceptional" McTominay shining in the Serie A
The Scotland international was much-maligned during his time with Man United, which ultimately led to the decision to cash-in last summer, but he has shown serious signs of development since moving to Napoli.
The Lancaster-born midfielder has picked up a very impressive eight goals and four assists in 28 Serie A appearances, most recently bagging a brace against Empoli to ensure his side remained just three points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
In light of the improvements the central midfielder has made to his game, he was lauded as “exceptional” by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season, and he ranks highly on some key metrics for midfielders over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.26 (97th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.05 (85th percentile)
Aerials won
1.84 (90th percentile)
That said, it seems very unlikely that McTominay will be on his way back to Old Trafford anytime soon, given that he left less than a year ago, and appears to be flourishing with Napoli.
Fulham are now looking at signing an ex-Tottenham player, and one who could end up being a serious bargain this summer.
Fulham make transfer plans as Marco Silva chases Europe
It could be a fairytale end to the season for Marco Silva, who is attempting to seal European qualification at Craven Cottage amid a hotly-contested race.
£15m player set for summer chance to join Fulham after failed January talks
He was on the cusp of signing earlier this year.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 16, 2025
Fulham have endured a mixed run of form in recent weeks, beating the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham whilst also suffering damaging defeats to Bournemouth and Arsenal, but Silva’s side are still very much in with an outside shout of European football next season.
However, they simply must beat west London rivals Chelsea this weekend, in a derby that could be seen as their most crucial clash of the season to date.
Chelsea (home)
April 20th
Southampton (away)
April 26th
Aston Villa (away)
May 3rd
Everton (home)
May 10th
Brentford (away)
May 18th
A host of tough encounters await Fulham, amid reports that popular head coach Silva is emerging as a favourite for the Tottenham job, so there is everything still to play for as we enter the business end of 2024/2025.
If Silva is still at Fulham beyond this campaign, the Khan family will be eager to show him that they’re a club capable of competing at the top level, and one way of displaying their ambition is an attack on the summer transfer market.
Silva reportedly wants to strengthen Fulham’s wide options as a key aim, leading to recent links with Deportivo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez (TEAMtalk), especially as Andreas Pereira is tipped to leave for Brazil this summer.
Defensively, Fulham have been targeting Elfsborg defender Terry Yegbe, who would cost around £6 million, while a new full-back isn’t off the agenda either.
Fulham looking at signing Kyle Walker-Peters on free transfer
According to CaughtOffside, former Spurs right-back and Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters is emerging as a Fulham target.
The Englishman, despite being part of a dismal Saints side, has enjoyed a solid campaign personally – standing out as one of their most-used and key players.
Southampton'sKyleWalker-Petersapplauds their fans after the match
Five years after he completed a £12 million move to St Mary’s, the 28-year-old is also set to be available for free past June 30th, with his Southampton contract expiring.
This has alerted a host of clubs, including Silva’s side, with Fulham now looking at signing Walker-Peters this summer alongside West Ham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and his ex-club Tottenham.
He could be one of the bargains of the window, but Fulham face stiff competition in pursuit of his signature.
“I wonder how important he’s become,” said ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin last season, who also called him a “beautiful footballer”.
“You look at what happened in the summer [rumoured transfer interest] and you just wonder by the end of the season how important keeping him will have been.
“He’s such an integral part of what they’re doing. It’s almost like the team is built around him to get the most out of him.”
The next seven matches of Ipswich Town’s voyage this season in the Premier League rest on attempting to restore some pride, with survival looking a very distant possibility at this moment in time.
12 points is now the sizeable gap between Wolverhampton Wanderers sat in 17th spot and the Tractor Boys stuck in that last relegation spot in the division in 18th, meaning upcoming games against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United this April are somewhat free hits.
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapapplauds fans after the match
If the Suffolk underdogs stand any chance at picking up a shock result at Stamford Bridge later today, they will need Liam Delap to be firing on all cylinders, with the ex-Manchester City man also eager to keep up his rich vein of goalscoring form before a likely summer departure.
Delap's goalscoring heroics this season
Even as Ipswich sink closer and closer to the relegation drop, Delap continues to be a blistering goal machine.
Indeed, Delap would initially gift his side the lead against Wolves before Vitor Pereira’s men mounted a comeback, with the 22-year-old also on the scoresheet the match before when Kieran McKenna’s side surprised AFC Bournemouth on their own patch.
These two strikes in quick succession have bumped up the clinical number 19’s goal count in the Premier League to a high 12, with one of those goals even coming about in the reverse fixture when Delap and Co unsettled Enzo Maresca’s visitors in a 2-1 victory.
Even if Delap is at his free-flowing best, Ipswich will know a staunch defensive effort will still be necessary to secure a surprise result in West London, with this defender – who has now become as undroppable as the £30m striker – also needing to be at his imposing peak.
The Ipswich "warrior" now as undroppable as Delap
It has been a deeply frustrating campaign at Portman Road, with terrific attacking displays often let down by porous defensive offerings, seen in Ipswich conceding a steep 65 goals across their 31 games to date.
But, there have been some standout performers at the back regardless of error-strewn performances regularly seeping into their game defensively, with Dara O’Shea one figure that’s managed to cement himself as a first-team regular.
Minutes played
90
90
Goals scored
0
0
Assists
0
1
Touches
54
71
Accurate passes
17/28 (61%)
41/51 (80%)
Clearances
14
10
Blocked shots
5
2
Interceptions
1
1
Tackles
1
1
Total duels won
5/6
7/12
Looking at the table above, O’Shea has managed to show off his well-rounded game as a defender versus Andoni Iraola’s Cherries and the Old Gold, with the Irishman putting in a far more back-to-basics display on the South Coast when tallying up 14 clearances in the slim away win.
Only losing out on one of his duels from six attempted too, the ex-West Bromwich Albion colossus definitely lived up to his previous “warrior” billing from one of his former managers in Valerien Ismael.
But, he also showed off his composed game against Pereira’s side when assisting the only goal of the afternoon, with his concrete presence in McKenna’s starting XI only growing stronger off the back of these standout showings, even as relegation looms large.
Not missing a single minute of Premier League action that has been available to him this year, the 6 foot 1 powerhouse also has bags of Championship experience under his belt with 70 career games at the level managed, meaning his minutes won’t deplete whatsoever when second-tier football likely returns to Portman Road.
Ipswich Town managerKieranMcKenna
Before that eventuality beckons, however, Ipswich will want to add as many points to their low top-flight tally as they can, starting potentially with a bolt from the blue result at Stamford Bridge.
Move advanced: Ipswich player who McKenna loves close to Portman Road exit
Last summer’s transfer window was an odd one for Tottenham Hotspur.
On the one hand, Daniel Levy and Co spent a considerable amount of money on youngsters, with £30m going towards Archie Gray and £25m towards Wilson Odobert, and on the other, they spent a club record £65m on Dominic Solanke.
While that fee might have been an overpay, it would be fair to say the former Bournemouth man has so far made good on his price, as evidenced by his recent inclusion in the England squad.
England's Kyle Walker, Dominic Solanke and NoniMaduekeduring training
However, everyone is upgradeable, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club are keen on bringing in another star forward from the Premier League who could take Solanke’s place after just one season.
Tottenham's summer targets
Regardless of who’s in the dugout at the end of the season, Tottenham have a big summer of recruitment ahead of them, with reinforcements needed in most areas of the team.
Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy.
One of the names that keeps popping up is LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes, who will be available for free in the summer, would be a brilliant addition to the Lilywhites midfield and has already played with some of the club’s English contingent on international duty.
Another prominent link is former academy prospect Noni Madueke, whose future seems unclear at Chelsea and could be a wise signing for the North Londoners.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Now, one of Spurs’ targets whose future undoubtedly lies away from their current team is Matheus Cunha.
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, the Lilywhites are keen on signing the Brazilian star, along with Liverpool and Arsenal.
Wolverhampton Wanderers'MatheusCunhain action with AFC Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier and Lewis Cook
It goes a step further, revealing the North Londoners are ‘planning to allocate more than £100m to bring Cunha and his teammate Joao Gomes to North London.’
Conveniently, the former Atlético Madrid ace’s current contract has a release clause worth around £62.5m, so should Tottenham get ahead of their rivals and convince him of their project, it’s not an unrealistic deal, although it could be bad news for Solanke.
How Cunha compares to Solanke
So, if Spurs are able to get ahead of the chasing pack and bring Cunha to N17 in the summer, what does that mean for Solanke? Who would be the club’s starting striker?
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhareacts
Well, the first thing to compare is their raw output from this season, and in this metric, the Brazilian star comes out ahead.
For example, in 29 appearances for the Old Gold, totalling 2376 minutes, he has scored 15 goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games, or every 125.05 minutes.
Appearances
29
33
Minutes
2376′
2535′
Goals
15
11
Assists
4
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.65
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvement
125.05′
149.11′
In contrast, the former Cherries ace has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which comes out to a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games, or every 149.11 minutes.
Okay, so what about their underlying numbers then? Who comes out on top when we take a look under the hood?
Unfortunately for the Lilywhites star, it is once again a one-sided comparison in favour of the Wolves ace.
For example, in practically every metric, the “sensational” attacker, as dubbed by reporter Samuel Luckhurst, comes out ahead, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, key passes and passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.56
0.61
Non-Penalty G+As
0.71
0.51
Progressive Passes
4.71
1.92
Progressive Carries
3.87
1.36
Shots
3.61
2.63
Shots on Target
1.47
1.06
Key Passes
1.81
0.66
Passes into the Penalty Area
2.02
0.45
Shot-Creating Actions
4.12
1.72
Goal-Creating Actions
0.38
0.35
Successful Take-Ons
2.06
0.71
Ultimately, Solanke is a great player and has put in some brilliant performances for Spurs this season, but Cunha appears to be an upgrade in almost every way, so Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.
Spurs' award-winning CF was ahead of Kane, then Poch sold him for £208k
The promising forward wasn’t able to reach his potential at Spurs.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was pictured holding up a shirt with Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell little more than a month ago, and now he is the only one of those three men remaining at Ibrox.
The Light Blues announced on Monday that they have parted ways with their sporting director and CEO after the club’s dismal start to the season, and the failure of Russell Martin’s appointment.
Despite coming in after Martin won five of his 17 matches in all competitions, Rohl has won all four of his Scottish Premiership matches in the dugout so far, which is no mean feat.
The Gers had only won one league game before the German’s arrival at Ibrox, and goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande against Livingston claimed a fourth straight victory for Rohl on Saturday.
Despite those four wins in four games for the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, there is still plenty of work for the tactician to do to make sure that the Light Blues are competing for silverware moving forward.
For example, summer signing Oliver Antman failed to deliver once again in the win over Livingston and should be dropped from the starting line-up.
Why Danny Rohl must drop Oliver Antman for Rangers
Thelwell swooped to sign the Finland international for a fee of up to £4m from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer in an attempt to bolster Martin’s options on the flanks.
Unfortunately, the 24-year-old flanker has failed to deliver much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch since his move to Ibrox in the summer, with no goals and three assists in 18 matches, per Transfermarkt.
In fact, Antman has no goals and one assist in 17 games since his two assists on his debut against Viktoria Plzen, which illustrates just how much he has struggled in front of goal in recent weeks and months.
The Finnish forward, as shown in the graphic above, scored for his country during the recent international break, to go along with an assist, which means that he has been more productive for his national side than for Rangers this season.
Rohl provided the former Eredivisie star with a chance to shine from the start on the right wing against Livingston on Saturday, possibly due to his international form, but he did not reward the manager with a strong performance to justify his inclusion.
Minutes
64
Shots
0
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
Crosses completed
0/3
Dribbles completed
3/7
Duels won
5/13
As you can see in the table above, Antman made little impact at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues, whilst he was also dominated by the Livingston defenders in physical contests.
With games against Braga in the Europa League and Falkirk in the Premiership coming up this week, Rohl must ruthlessly ditch the Finland international from the starting line-up to provide other players with an opportunity to impress.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Antman has simply not done enough in the final third to suggest that he deserves a continued run of games in the team, as he has gone seven matches without a goal contribution in all competitions for the Gers.
With this in mind, the German head coach should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami from the start against Falkirk at the weekend, whilst he is unable to feature against Braga because Martin did not add him to the Europa League squad list.
Why Danny Rohl should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami for Rangers
Former sporting director Thelwell attempted to bolster the club’s options at the top end of the pitch with the signings of Djeidi Gassama, Thelo Aasgaard, Antman, Youssef Chermiti, Mikey Moore, and Bojan Miovski in the summer.
This shows that he attempted to replace Bajrami, who played in the attacking midfield and wide areas for Philippe Clement, as four of those players play in the Albania international’s main positions.
Per Transfermarkt, the £3.5m signing from Sassuolo has only played 196 minutes in all competitions. 24 players have played more minutes for the club, including players like Jeft and Cyriel Dessers, who left in the summer.
Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, which now perfectly sums up his situation at Ibrox this season, as he has been so rarely used.
Now, though, Rohl should unleash the Albanian flop from the start in the Premiership because he has the potential to be an upgrade on Antman at the top end of the pitch, based on his form at times for Clement last season.
Whilst it would be disingenuous to suggest that Bajrami had an amazing debut campaign with Rangers, there were some promising signs in his performances domestically and in Europe that suggest that he has more to offer to the team.
Starts
15
8
Goals
2
1
Big chances missed
2
0
Key passes per game
1.0
1.3
Big chances created
4
6
Assists
1
0
As you can see in the table above, the versatile attacker was not fairly rewarded for his creativity in the 2024/25 campaign, as his teammates only scored one of the ten ‘big chances’ that he created.
This season, Antman has only created two ‘big chances’ and delivered one assist in 12 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League combined, per Sofascore, which suggests that Bajrami could provide more creativity than the Finnish flop.
Thelwell attempted to replace the former Serie B playmaker in the summer with a host of new signings, but these statistics suggest that the former Rangers chief failed to do so successfully.
This is why Rohl should ditch Antman to unleash Bajrami, who could offer more quality in the final third, when the Gers face Falkirk in the Premiership on Sunday, to see if he can ignite his Ibrox career under the German boss.
Better than any Thelwell transfer: Rangers submit bid for "incredible" star
Rangers are reportedly the frontrunners to sign this star who would be a better addition than any Kevin Thelwell signing.
Over the years, Manchester United has been the home to numerous elite-level centre-forwards, with Robin van Persie one who captured the hearts of the fanbase.
The Dutchman joined in a controversial deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported £24m back in August 2012 – a deal that proved to be an absolute bargain.
He ended up making 105 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 58 goals, with his total of 26 league goals in 2012/13 helping Sir Alex Ferguson win his final top-flight title.
Former Manchester United forward Robin van Persie.
Van Persie also managed to notch 16 assists during such a period, taking his total goal contributions to 74, resulting in an average of 0.7 goals or assists per game over a three-year period.
Such a record has undoubtedly cemented his place in the Red Devils history, but numerous managers have been unable to rely upon similar talents at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and unearth his own version of the talisman, subsequently spending big on a new centre-forward during the recent summer window.
The reasons behind Benjamin Sesko’s struggles at United
After taking the reins back in November last year, Amorim had to rely upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.
However, the duo’s tally of just seven combined goals in the Premier League last season highlighted the need for reinforcements during the summer transfer window.
The board handed the manager over £200m worth of funds to make the desired changes, which resulted in three huge names making the move to Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Benjamin Sesko the player brought in to operate alongside the pair in the final third.
The latter of the trio cost a reported £74m from RB Leipzig during the summer, with real hope generated by the fans that he would be the man to solve their issues.
However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from plain sailing, as seen by his tally of just two goals in his first 11 league outings – even going four games without a goal.
His early struggles will no doubt present cause for concern, with his underlying numbers also highlighting his lack of impact in recent months after his big-money switch.
He’s only registered a total of 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, which has ranked him in the bottom 20% of all other centre forwards in England’s top-flight.
Such a figure showcases that he’s either unable to get himself into the right positions, or he’s not being provided the goods – which could explain his lowly goalscoring tally.
However, Sesko has been hugely reliant upon players around him, with his tally of 0.2 dribbles completed showcasing that he’s unlikely to create a chance on his own.
Like the aforementioned tally, it has placed him in the bottom 20% of other strikers in the league, which could also be contributing to his lack of goals at present.
The United star who could end Sesko’s Man Utd career
There’s no doubt that Sesko will need added time to flourish in England, with his big-money transfer to United in the summer presenting a huge culture change for the 22-year-old.
He’s had to move to a new country, league and surroundings, which is certainly a daunting task for a young talent – which too could be having an effect on his lack of output.
But the lack of quality in such a department has no doubt ramped up the pressure on the Slovenian international to provide the goods in front of goal at Old Trafford.
Amorim will no doubt have to manage Sesko personally to get the best out of the centre-forward, but it’s unclear how much patience the manager will present to the new addition.
The fans, too, will need to cut him some slack, but it will no doubt be tricky, especially given the form of the previous talents in such a role – including the likes of Van Persie.
However, the club may have their next talisman in the form of Chido Obi, with the young star already matching the Dutchman in making the move to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal.
At just 17, the fans will have to be patient with the Dane, but there’s no doubt excitement has been generated by his incredible goalscoring record in the youth setup.
He scored 13 times in just 11 appearances for the U18 outfit last campaign, living up to the billing he is a “goalscoring machine” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig. Such form has seen him make the step-up to the U21 squad over the last couple of months.
Obi has now made 22 appearances at such a level, scoring nine times and registering four assists in the process – even managing to thrive at an age group four years above his own.
Given the lack of quality in the centre-forward department last season, Amorim even handed the teenager his first taste of senior football in an attempt to improve the situation.
The Dane made a total of eight first-team appearances in 2024/25, but failed to find the back of the net once – however, it didn’t stop the youngster from receiving huge praise.
Teammate Leny Yoro previously waxed lyrical about the youngster, even claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best” in the years to come should he continue on his current path.
After returning to youth level, Obi has backed up Yoro’s statement, averaging a goal every 100 minutes and registering a staggering total of 2.2 shots on target per 90 this season.
Games played
8
Games started
3
Goals scored
3
Mins per goal
100
Shots on target
2.2
Dribbles completed
68%
Touches in opposition box
6.6
Fouls won
1.7
He’s even completed 68% of the dribbles he’s attempted, massively starring in such an area, something which Sesko has been unable to do over the last few months.
Obi has also dominated countless backlines lately, as seen by his tally of 4.7 duels won, with his physical presence potentially perfect for Amorim’s current side.
Whilst he’s just 17, the future is massively bright for the Dane at Old Trafford, with the club desperately needing to streamline his progress into the senior ranks.
Sesko’s inability to impress could certainly hand the manager the perfect chance to allow him to stake his claim and nail down the position as his very own for many years to come.
If he can match Van Persie’s level during his own time with the Red Devils, he will certainly be a fan-favourite and a player who can take the first-team back to their former glory.
An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"
Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.
Everton have found goals hard to come by from their strikers under David Moyes this season, and they could now be set to target a clinical forward in January.
After a run of frustrating results, the Toffees knew that their clash against Fulham came with added pressure to claim three points in front of an expectant home crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Cottagers had their fair share of chances, though Everton prevailed comfortably against Marco Silva’s men courtesy of goals from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Michael Keane.
Speaking post-match, Moyes made it clear that his side are keen to become more clinical to improve their Premier League position as they seek to add high-calibre stars similar to Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as part of their long-term strategy.
“We don’t want to lose what we’ve had – desire, heart, commitment – but I think we had to try to find a way of getting a little bit better at certain things, and I think we have to build. Look, I trust the owners will help us in all the windows as we go forward and we’ll try to make things better as we go along.
“We need to get people believing in Everton like we do, like the supporters here do, and what we want us to be in the future. To do that we need to keep picking up the wins and attracting top players like Kiernan and Jack Grealish and players of that ilk. We need to keep attracting that level of players to come to the club.”
Still, their profligacy in the final third is a concern. Beto has netted just twice this campaign, while £27 million summer signing Thierno Barry has yet to score since arriving on Merseyside.
There is a feeling that Everton could be further up the table than their current mid-table predicament with a little more luck in front of goal, and they may now have identified a potent answer to their scoring problem.
Everton eyeing move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju
According to Football Insider, Everton are keen on FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju after his haul of 18 goals this term for the impressive Danish outfit.
Adding further context, Toffees officials were present to watch the Guinea-Bissau international against Celtic last week, where he expertly beat Kasper Schmeichel with a curled strike to seal a 3-1 victory for the hosts in the Europa League league phase, where they sit at the summit.
Everton’s strikers in comparison with Franculino
Beto
2 goals in 13 appearances
Thierno Barry
No goals in 13 appearances
Franculino
18 goals in 25 appearances
Clearly, there is a vast difference between Franculino and both of Everton’s current forwards when it comes to the sole measure of goals. Iliman Ndiaye leads the way for the Toffees with four strikes this season, though the fact that Michael Keane is their joint-second top scorer tells a story in itself.
Intriguingly, Moyes is reportedly keen to offload Beto in January and Barry may not be far behind him if his poor form continues, creating room for new reinforcements in mid-season.
Everton have also entered the race for a renowned European forward
Undoubtedly, the Toffees’ boss has made comments on Everton’s ambition at a telling time, and Franculino could well be an excellent solution amid his return of 51 goals in 98 appearances for his current employers.
West Ham United are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements and could now be set to lodge a bid to land Lazio star Tijjani Noslin in January.
Nuno Espirito Santo has walked into quite the job in East London, facing up to the possibility that a real fight for survival could be the story of the campaign unless his side get their act together over the next few weeks.
Fan unrest, dwindling forward options, and a set of difficult festive fixtures are unlikely to whet supporters’ appetites. However, West Ham is a club that has been built on fighting spirit, which is something the former Wolves boss will hope to incorporate to push them closer to Premier League safety.
Conceding from set-pieces has also become a major concern. While some would be led to believe that the Hammers could solve their problems by spending in January, journalist Dean Jones believes Nuno will have a ‘restricted’ budget to work with at the London Stadium.
He explained: “I am told there is a pretty restricted budget that will limit what they are capable of. It’s a pretty worrying time for their fans.”
Something has got to give, one way or another, albeit the Portuguese boss will have to press on with the squad he has for now, hampered by injuries to Ollie Scarles, Kostantinos Mavropanos and German international Niclas Fullkrug.
After facing Newcastle United, West Ham take on Burnley next weekend in a critical match relative to the context of their mission to secure survival. Winning is all that matters, with the consequences if they don’t looking bleaker than ever.
January is a lifeline in some respects, and they may now have their eyes on an attacker to gift Nuno some much-needed flexibility across his frontline.
West Ham set to launch bid for Lazio star Tijjani Noslin
According to reports in Italy, West Ham are lining up a move worth in the region of £14 million for Lazio attacker Tijjani Noslin, who could be cashed in on by the Serie A giants after joining from Hellas Verona in 2024.
The Amsterdam-born man is capable of playing on either flank or through the middle and has registered six goals and four assists in 43 appearances for his current club. However, he would be open to the possibility of a January departure.
Ultimately, West Ham’s willingness to spend will determine whether there is movement on his situation. Despite possessing an element of physicality and athleticism that could benefit the Hammers, he has only featured in 37 minutes worth of football for Lazio this season.
Versatile by nature, Noslin is capable of fitting into different tactical systems due to his robust skillset after being brought in to help replace veteran Ciro Immobile.
Jarrod Bowen refusing to leave West Ham despite relegation fears
Nevertheless, he hasn’t exactly been a rip-roaring success at Lazio, and his return of 31 goals in 159 senior career matches doesn’t suggest the attacker would be a prolific solution to the Irons’ goalscoring woes of recent times.