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Every transfer window throws up the odd surprise rumour, with the latest of those having seen Arsenal tipped to make a surprise swoop for Chelsea striker Timo Werner, despite the 26-year-old’s struggles at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons.

Reports in Spain have suggested that the Gunners are one of a handful of clubs across Europe who are eyeing a move for the Germany international, with Thomas Tuchel and co believed to be willing to sanction a departure before the September deadline.

There is no doubt likely to be a sense of incredulity among the Emirates faithful if these links are revealed to be accurate, such has been the torrid time that the former RB Leipzig man has endured in English football since his £45m arrival back in the summer of 2020.

Having arrived with a huge reputation after firing in 93 goals and providing 40 assists in just 158 games at his former club, the £268k-per-week speedster was expected to hit the ground running in the Premier League, although has ultimately flattered to deceive in the two years since.

While his willingness to run in behind and do the dirty work have been admirable – as has been noted by Gunners legend Ian Wright – the one-time Stuttgart man has frequently been mocked for his failings in front of goal, notably missing 18 big chances during his debut top-flight campaign in the 2020/21 season.

While described as “one of the most unlucky strikers I’ve ever seen” by Wright, the general assessment has been that the £31.5m-rated is simply “wasteful” – as dubbed by Liam Twomey – having failed to really deliver for the Blues thus far.

On the surface, his record of 23 goals and 21 assists in 83 games for the west Londoners is respectable, yet a return of just ten league goals over the last two seasons combined is seemingly not up to scratch for a forward at an elite club.

To think Arteta and co are potentially considering making a move for the 53-cap dud appears somewhat foolish, with it looking as if the club could once again fall into the trap of feeding off the scraps of their London rivals.

Recent history has shown that not to be the wisest move, with the case of Willian, in particular, showcasing that Arsenal should broaden their horizons away from targetting those at Cobham.

The Brazilian may have largely been a success during his trophy-laden spell at Chelsea – scoring 61 goals and providing 62 assists in 337 games across all fronts – yet he was plucked by the Gunners while seemingly on the decline back in 2020, the club eventually forking out a hefty £220k-per-week wage to bring him to the Emirates.

Despite netting two assists on debut against Fulham, that move ultimately backfired spectacularly, with it quickly becoming clear as to why the Blues weren’t so keen on handing the ageing winger a new, longer-term deal.

Such was the disastrous nature of his time at the club – where he scored just one goal in 37 outings in all competitions – the 70-cap menace ripped up his contract after just a solitary season, with the north London outfit left ruing what proved to be an expensive mistake.

While Werner may be younger and with plenty of time to revive his career, there should be concerns in again targetting a player who their rivals are seemingly so keen to get rid of.

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has offered an update regarding Arsenal’s reported interest in Bayern Munich winger, Leroy Sane…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected source revealed that while it may prove a “challenge” to prise the 26-year-old away from the Allianz Arena, he is seemingly a player of interest to the Gunners.

Amid reports linking the Premier League outfit to the 45-cap, Germany international,  Jacobs stated: “The Sane links were prior to Raphinha and I think that Arsenal gathered quite quickly, when they turned their attention to Raphinha, that it’s going to be tough to get Sane to move away from Bayern.

“I think Bayern’s preference is still to try and keep Sane, so that one is going to be a challenge, but it’s obvious they admire the player.”

The north London outfit are seemingly plotting an alternative to that of former Leeds United man Raphinha, having appeared keen to land the Brazilian prior to his recent move to Barcelona.

Edu’s next Jesus

A move for Sane could see Mikel Arteta attempt to utilise his Manchester City connections once again – where he was previously assistant to Pep Guardiola – having already seen sporting director Edu move to bring Gabriel Jesus to the club from the Etihad on a £45m deal.

Although yet to take to the field in a competitive game, the 25-year-old has quickly endeared himself to the Emirates faithful, having notably netted a hat-trick in the recent 6-0 thrashing of Sevilla in what was the final pre-season game of the summer.

With that move already looking like a masterstroke, the aforementioned Edu could strike gold again with the signing of his former City teammate, with Sane seemingly the man who can make those at Arsenal forget all about Raphinha.

The 6 foot wizard – who left Guardiola’s side on a £54.8m deal two years ago – is a simply devastating attacking force, combining his sheer relentless speed with an attacking ruthlessness which makes him a simply unique gem.

While struck down by injury towards the end of his previous stint in English football, the £54m-rated sensation still managed to record hugely impressive figures while in Manchester, notably providing 53 goal contributions in just 90 top-flight appearances, winning two league titles in the process.

Although it has proven an at times tricky spell since his return to the Bundesliga for the one-time Schalke man, the “frightening” forward – as described by pundit Micah Richards – still boasts an impressive record for the Bavarian giants, with 25 goals and 27 assists in 90 games across all competitions for the club.

The 2021/22 campaign was particularly fruitful for the £280k-per-week gem as he flourished under Julian Nagelsmann’s watch, scoring 14 goals and providing 15 assists across all fronts, showcasing just why he has been dubbed a “baller” in some quarters.

The new season may only be in its infancy, although the fleet-footed wideman has already got off to a positive start, netting in the German Super Cup triumph against RB Leipzig at the weekend, after entering the fray as a late substitute.

A player capable of producing something out of nothing, Sane would surely thrive under the tutelage of a familiar face in Arteta, with Edu needing to work his magic again – as he did with Jesus – to help add increased firepower to the Spaniard’s ‘arsenal’.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has dropped a claim regarding Celtic’s aims for the remainder of the current summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist outlined what the Hoops’ aims have been in the transfer window so far and what they may look to do before it closes.

He said: “Celtic were definitely looking for a central defensive-midfielder to add strength and depth and perhaps for that person to be a starter. I think they would also like another striker.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

In addition to securing permanent deals for the likes of Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda following their loan spells at Parkhead last term, the Bhoys have also brought some new faces to the club.

The likes of Benjamin Siegrist, Alexandro Bernabei, Aaron Mooy and Moritz Jenz have all made moves to Glasgow this summer and will be preparing for their debut campaigns as Celtic players.

Despite these new faces being brought in, hearing that the club would like to potentially add a new defensive midfielder and a striker to their ranks will surely be music to the ears of many Hoops supporters.

In terms of signing a new defensive midfielder, as Joseph originally said, the fact that the Bhoys have seen the likes of Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro leave the club in the past few weeks and months shows just why he has said the Premiership champions would like a new player for that position.

As for a new striker, while that may not be particularly crucial in order for the club to strengthen, it could still be an important area to focus upon before the transfer window closes.

Despite having the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis – who ended the previous campaign with 25 league goals between them – in the squad, the arrival of a new striker this summer could be dependent on the immediate future of another one of Celtic’s current attacking options in Albian Ajeti.

Having started just three league games last term, it’s safe to suggest that he is behind the likes of Furuhashi and Giakoumakis in the pecking order.

Should the 25-year-old find himself leaving Celtic this summer, securing a new striker who could have a better chance of forcing his way into Ange Postecoglou’s side could be beneficial for the team.

AND in other news: Postecoglou can land big Giakoumakis upgrade if Celtic sign £3.5k-p/w “piledriver”

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Ivan Toney to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by iNews, who claim that, despite the centre-forward being linked with a move to all of Leeds, Manchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham United in recent weeks, Brentford are reluctant to part with the 26-year-old ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

However, the report does goes on to state that, should an offer of £40m be submitted for the former Peterborough United striker this summer, the Bees’ owner, Matthew Benham, could be tempted into cashing in on the Northampton-born hitman in the current transfer window.

“Underrated”

Considering just how impressive Toney was for Brentford last season, it is not difficult to why Victor Orta would be keen to bring the forward to Elland Road this summer, nor it is hard to understand why Thomas Frank is desperate to retain the services of the 26-year-old ahead of the new season.

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Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £31.5m-rated talent was in devastating form for the Bees, scoring 12 goals, registering five assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots, making 1.3 key passes and winning 8.6 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns saw the £21k-per-week striker who Rob Blanchette labelled “underrated” and Layth Yousif claimed “will play for England” average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Brentford’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 15th-best player in the top flight has a whole last time out.

As such, while £40m is undoubtedly an extremely large fee to pay for a striker with just one full Premier League campaign under his belt, considering the output Toney proved he can deliver in the league last season, the 26-year-old could well be worth this hefty fee for the Whites – as we would not bet against the target man going on to become an England international in 2022/23, as Yousif suggests.

AND in other news: Orta begins Leeds talks for “wonderkid” with an £85m clause, it’d be a massive coup

According to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor, Southampton are one of the clubs tracking Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic this summer.

The Lowdown: Sought-after talent

The Austrian has just under 12 months remaining on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit, meaning that a decision on his future needs to be made during this window.

As per The Athletic, the 25-year-old is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe after enjoying a hugely successful season with the German giants, and it looks like Ralph Hasenhuttl has identified him as a player who he’s keen to bring to the Premier League.

The Latest: Saints tracking Kalajdzic

Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Southampton, alongside many other English clubs, are monitoring Kalajdzic’s transfer situation. He wrote:

“In addition to Manchester United; West Ham, Brighton, Southampton & Ajax are among the clubs tracking Sasa Kalajdzic. Stuttgart looking for £16m-£20m. There have been loose discussions with his agent Sascha Empacher but no concrete proposals at this stage.”

The Verdict: Broja’s successor

Now that Armando Broja has returned to parent club Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell at St. Mary’s, Hasenhuttl will be looking for a direct replacement, and Kalajdzic can add a totally different dimension up top.

Standing at a staggering 6 foot 7, the forward, who’s been likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Peter Crouch, would bring a major physical threat in the box, as well as clocking up goal contributions, having made eight in 15 league appearances for Stuttgart last season, via Transfermarkt.

Gaining his compatriot’s services would be a massive coup for the Austrian boss if the Saints managed to fend off their strong competitors and bring their target to the south coast ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur remain locked in talks to sign Djed Spence this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who claims that the north London outfit have continued negotiating with Middlesbrough over the 21-year-old defender.

Although they are yet to have a bid accepted and as such, no deal has been completed in time for Spurs’ pre-season tour in South Korea.

It’s thought that the two clubs are discussing the ‘finer details’ of the deal and that the Lilywhites are hopeful of striking an agreement soon.

Antonio Conte is said to have made a new right wing-back a priority this transfer window, whilst Spence is expected to cost between £15m to £20m.

Conte will be delighted

The Italian head coach may not have his new right wing-back in place for their pre-season games against Team K League and Sevilla but he will be delighted to know that the club continue to push ahead with their plans to try and sign Spence.

After all, he has wanted a new player in the role ever since he walked through the door back in November.

During the January transfer window, The Times revealed that Conte wasn’t happy with his options as he targeted Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore prior to his move to Barcelona.

It was claimed that the former Inter Milan boss was unconvinced by Emerson Royal and his ability to influence the game in the final third. Meanwhile, Matt Doherty ended the campaign with a serious injury, so it remains to be seen if he can work his way back into the manager’s thoughts.

Spence was lauded as “swashbuckling” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright after the north London rivals were knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest, and Spurs will be hoping he can bring some of those attributes to N17.

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The England U21 international delivered six goal contributions across 42 starts for the Reds during his loan spell, which compared to Emerson (two) is a vast improvement, albeit coming from the division below.

Therefore, with the deal not dead and buried with sporting director Fabio Paratici continuing negotiations, Conte will be buzzing as Spence could well become their sixth signing of the summer window.

AND in other news, Transfer insider drops “surprise” Spurs claim…

Leeds United are closing in on signing Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra, according to Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo.

The Lowdown: Sinisterra profiled

The 23-year-old is primarily a left winger but can play anywhere in attack and shares the same agency as seven Leeds players, including summer signing Brenden Aaronson and Charlie Creswell, who recently joined Millwall on loan.

Valued at a career-high £22.5 by Transfermarkt, the Colombia international has been with Feyenoord since 2018, making 113 appearances for the Rotterdam club.

He enjoyed a brilliant 2021/22 campaign, contributing to 49 appearances, and it looks as if a move to Elland Road is now on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds move for Sinisterra

Merlo took to Twitter on Monday lunchtime to provide an update on Sinisterra and Leeds.

He revealed that a move is ‘close’ following talks during the weekend, with a contract ‘arranged’ ahead of a record sale for Feyenoord between €25m and €30m (£21.5m-£25.8m).

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The Verdict: Exciting

Journalist Charlie Gordon has described Sinisterra as a ‘serious player’ and has ‘flair that Elland Road will love’, so it looks as if Orta could be on to a winner here.

He looks set to come in and replace Raphinha, who has been heavily linked with both Barcelona and Chelsea, and Leeds will be hoping that the 23-year-old can have the same impact as the Brazilian, who has posted 29 goal contributions in 67 games for the Whites.

The Colombian has just come off his best season in front of goal, so hopefully he’d be able to continue his fine form under Jesse Marsch, replacing the creativity and flair from Raphinha’s likely exit.

West Ham United supporters have been handed a ‘hopeful’ update on their club’s pursuit of former star and long-time target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Hammers get moving…

Sealing deals for both Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola, manager David Moyes has now set his sights on a reunion with Lingard as he attempts to bring him back to London.

The 29-year-old dazzled on loan over a second-half-of-season temporary spell back in 2020/2021, racking up nine goals and four assists over 16 Premier League starts.

Given his soon-to-be free agent status, with Lingard’s deal at Man United expiring tomorrow, the east Londoners have apparently made him an offer to join West Ham.

The Latest: Evening Standard share Lingard news…

As per The Evening Standard, a ‘formal offer’ has indeed been put forward to the Englishman as West Ham seek to bring him back.

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They add that the Hammers and Moyes are ‘hopeful’ they can agreeing a move for Lingard after Moyes personally attempted his permanent signing on several occasions.

The Verdict: No brainer?

As West Ham look to upgrade their attacking areas, we believe Lingard on a Bosman deal would be incredibly shrewd.

Dependent on salary demands and other factors, the forward’s phenomenal 21/22 loan spell backs how he could be a real asset under Moyes.

After previous attempts to sign Lingard, former England international Paul Robinson branded him a would-be ‘huge’ signing for West Ham and we believe this point still stands despite his lack of game time.

If anything, it is even more relevant now that they could sign him for free.

Leeds United are interested in signing Sassuolo attacking midfielder Hamed Junior Traore, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Family affair

The brother of Manchester United wonder-kid Amad Diallo, Traore has been lighting up Serie A over the last three seasons and earned a £14.4million move from Empoli last summer (Transfermarkt).

Having continued to make great strides following the switch to Sassuolo, the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international could now be set to follow in his brother’s footsteps and head to the Premier League.

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Previously linked with a €30million (£25million) move to AC Milan, one reputable Italian source has now brought the Whites into the equation…

The latest: Leeds cited

As per Gazzetta dello Sport, transcribed by SW, Leeds are described as ‘the most determined at the moment’ to make a deal happen having established contacts.

It’s claimed that both the Elland Road club and Milan remain attentive to the three-cap ace and will have to ‘bring offers of €25million (£21million) upward’ in order to prompt Sassuolo into selling their attacker.

The report also states that ‘no one apart from Leeds has pushed the deal forward’ for the youngster praised for a ‘magnificent’ 2021/22 campaign by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The verdict: Pay up

At the mooted asking price, adding Traore to Jesse Marsch’s squad would be an exceptional piece of business, particularly when you consider the Ivorian’s age and apparent sky-high ceiling.

Generally playing as an inverted left winger onto a favoured right foot, the dynamic forward scored eight times and provided four assists in 31 appearances across all competitions last season and would be the ideal candidate to supplement the options already at Marsch’s disposal, especially with the future of Jack Harrison remaining in the balance amidst links with Newcastle and Tottenham.

Overall last season, Traore earned a 6.90 Sofascore rating whilst successfully completing 2.0 dribbles on average per Serie A outing – that’s more than renowned close control expert Raphinha, who only managed to succeed with 1.8 attempts per league game.

All told, given the levels of interest and the suggested price tag, Victor Orta and indeed Andrea Radrizzani should be pushing hard to make this deal a reality.

An update has emerged on Tottenham and their interest in signing Lisandro Martinez in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

90min reporter Sean Walsh has claimed that Spurs are in the race to land the defender alongside a host of Premier League outfits.

He Tweeted: “Arsenal are leading the chase for Lisandro Martinez, but they face significant competition from likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle. Erik ten Hag and Man Utd also admirers but further down their shortlist.”

Fabio Paratici is plotting a swoop for the Argentine gem and will reportedly need to shell out £25m to tempt Ajax into selling him.

Big Ben Davies upgrade

By securing a deal to sign Martinez, the Spurs chief can land Antonio Conte a big upgrade on Ben Davies at left centre-back.

The Wales international enjoyed a solid campaign with Tottenham as he started 28 times in the Premier League and helped them to secure Champions League football.

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He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88 and won 54% of his duels as he established himself alongside Eric Dier and Christian Romero on the left-hand side of the back three.

In Martinez, however, Spurs can find themselves a superior player to improve their XI heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

Journalist Casey Evans previously claimed that the defender has a “bulldog-like” approach, much like Carlos Tevez, and his statistics suggest that it is an accurate comment.

In 2021/22, the brute won a whopping 69% of his individual duels and made 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Eredivisie – showing that he is an aggressive defender who wins the majority of his 50/50’s.

These stats show that he is a physically dominant player, despite standing at 5 foot 9, who can outmuscle opposition players in battles at a much higher success rate than Davies.

Martinez has also shown that he has potential to deliver a higher standard of performance on a regular basis than the former Swansea man. Last season, the Argentina international averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.61 from centre-back as he produced quality displays week-in-week-out in the Netherlands.

At the age of 24, he also has the potential to improve and is a player Conte can work with on the training pitch to help him develop in the years to come. This means that he can be a big upgrade on Davies in the short-term, if he can adapt to the Premier League, whilst also being an investment for the future.

AND in other news, Conte can axe £80k-p/w “nightmare” as Spurs plot bid for £50m gem who “rarely misses”…