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Tottenham Hotspur were gearing up to welcome Morgan Gibbs-White to Thomas Frank’s early-stage project, with Daniel Levy having overseen a £60m approach for the Nottingham Forest playmaker.

But he has since penned a new deal at the City Ground, with the Tricky Trees claiming Spurs made an illegal approach for the Three Lions star.

He’s now sign a new deal at the City Ground. It’s a bitter pill to swallow after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had placed his catchline, ‘Here we go”, on the move, signifying a done deal.

However, Spurs must now move forward, and Frank is assessing his options, with sights still set on a new midfield playmaker.

Spurs lining up Gibbs-White alternative

Gibbs-White would have been perfect for the Tottenham project. The succession of recent pre-season draws have illustrated the need for more spark in the midfield, and it’s something Frank is now placing emphasis on, having already signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for a £55m fee.

Romano has confirmed that, while the Gibbs-White deal is dead, the Lilywhites have already started working on alternatives, saying: “They’re working on it [alternative targets for Gibbs-White. As soon as I know, I will tell you.”

Well, according to reporter Graeme Bailey, internal discussions have begun over the potential signing of Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who is expected to leave Anfield this summer due to a lack of playing time under Arne Slot.

Elliott, 22, would likely be open to the move, Champions League competitors as Tottenham are, and he would come in at a cheaper price than Gibbs-White, valued at £50m.

Why Spurs should sign Harvey Elliott

Having joined Liverpool from Fulham for a compensation fee of about £4m in 2019, aged only 16, Elliott has since established himself as a fixed part of the wider Reds squad, featuring 147 times and notching 35 goal contributions.

Former Liverpool U18s head coach Neil Critchley said in the past that the England U21 superstar is able to produce “some real bits of magic” on the ball, and his ability to shift between the right flank and attacking midfield even suggests that he could bring shades of Dejan Kulusevski to Frank’s first-team squad.

Kulusevski, 25, played a crucial part in the Ange Postecoglou era, really coming into his own as an all-action central midfielder last season, having previously played out on the right.

He’s injured right now, but there’s no disputing how important he is to this Tottenham team, with Sofascore recording that he scored seven goals and supplied four assists in the Premier League last year, having also averaged 2.1 key passes and 4.1 successful duels per game.

Elliott lacks the Sweden international’s completeness, but he’s a veritable wizard across his areas of expertise, and would certainly add a ball-playing dimension that was targeted through the acquisition of Gibbs-White.

Harvey Elliott – Liverpool Stats by Season (all comps)
Season	Apps	Goals	Assists
24/25	28	5	3
23/24	53	4	14
22/23	46	5	2
21/22	11	1	0
*20/21	1	0	1
19/20	8	0	1
Stats via Transfermarkt

The left-footer’s ability to score goals and create chances aplenty offers shades of Kulusevski, though the Tottenham man has more of a full-throttle engine about him, Elliott’s technical skill is up there with the very best.

As per FBref, the Liverpool man ranked last season among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for all of goals plus assists, passes attempted and progressive passes, as well as the top 15% for goal-creating actions per 90.

Considering the dimension it would add to Tottenham, Frank must take these internal discussions and push ahead with a formal approach for Liverpool’s talented prospect.

Not only would he be a dream Gibbs-White alternative, but he’d bring a sense of Kulusevski’s flair to the side.

Bad news for Bissouma: Spurs start talks to sign a £30m "monster"

Tottenham are hoping to sign a new centre-midfielder this summer.

2

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 27, 2025

Chelsea are now ready to offer Blues players as part of a swap deal for an “unbelievable” Premier League and England star, according to a report.

Blues set sights on another attacker

The Blues have already strengthened their forward options considerably this summer, with the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens sealing moves to Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca remains keen on adding another attacking midfielder to his ranks.

The west Londoners have ramped up their interest in a number of playmakers over the past few days, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers being identified as their top target, although there are two other exciting options on the shortlist.

Target

Current club

League G/A in 2024-25

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

19

Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig

17

Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace

16

Maresca’s squad is arguably already bloated, meaning it could make sense to offload some unwanted players in swap deals for new signings, and a new report has revealed the Club World Cup champions plan to do exactly that.

Indeed, according to a report from The Boot Room, Chelsea are ready to offer players as part of a swap deal for Aston Villa’s Rogers, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile among the potential options.

Villa have also expressed an interest in Nicolas Jackson, as Unai Emery is keen on reuniting with the former Villarreal man, so it may also make sense to use the 24-year-old as a makeweight in negotiations.

The Blues can arguably afford to get rid of Jackson, given that Delap and Pedro have arrived this summer, with the latter playing a major role in their Club World Cup triumph, scoring three goals throughout the tournament.

Should a swap deal not be possible, Chelsea may have to spend big to get a deal over the line, with Villa reportedly looking to receive over £90m.

"Unstoppable" Rogers could be statement signing for Chelsea

The west Londoners should be in a strong financial position after winning the Club World Cup, having raked in around £85m, meaning they may be able to afford to make another statement signing this summer.

The Villa star would be exactly that, having performed remarkably well across the 2024-25 campaign, proving himself in his debut season in the Champions League by collecting four goals and three assists in 12 outings.

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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has also been left impressed by the 22-year-old England international, describing him as “unstoppable”, and given the attacking midfielder’s age, he still has plenty of time to develop further.

Rogers could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, and it would be an added bonus if they were able to get Jackson off the books as part of the deal, given that Pedro has already proven he is capable of leading the line next season.

West Indies star struck 66* to move Superchargers into top three after England Test captain retired hurt

ECB Media11-Aug-2024

Nicholas Pooran swings one over the leg side during his half-century

Nicholas Pooran smashed 66 from just 33 balls, including eight sixes, to inspire a memorable comeback victory for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. But it was a suspected hamstring injury to England men’s Test captain Ben Stokes that brought his arrival to the crease.Stokes is now a doubt for the series with Sri Lanka which begins on August 21 in Manchester. He will have scans on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.Pooran – who is enjoying a stellar competition – came in at 29 for 2 with over 100 required and everything to do after Phil Salt drove his Manchester team to an intimidating 156 for 3, and walked off Emirates Old Trafford 62 balls later having kept his team in the competition.The game looked to be going the way of the hosts on more than one occasion, firstly when Salt took Originals to the biggest-ever powerplay, and latterly in Superchargers’ chase when they required 124 from 60, but Superchargers’ spinners dragged Originals back to keep the chase manageable, and Pooran, Brook and Adam Hose performed heroics with the bat to carry the day.The Superchargers’ charge continued a theme of top-class batting throughout the day, ably supported by a belter of a pitch at Emirates Old Trafford.After a similar story in the women’s game, Phil Salt and Max Holden enjoyed the early exchanges – the score at 86 for 2 when Holden was dismissed on the 34th ball – but Superchargers didn’t allow Originals to maintain their lightning scoring rate andm at the interval, they were in the game, albeit with a lot to do.For Andrew Flintoff’s team, Pooran then did as he has been doing throughout this competition to dispatch bowlers left, right and centre and make the improbable look routine, with support from Brook and Hose – and with it he kept the Superchargers’ hopes alive.The only bad news for Superchargers – who now need to beat London Spirit at Headingley on Tuesday to progress to the knock-out stages – was Stokes’ injury, which he sustained after running a quick single off the 12th delivery of the second innings.Meerkat Match Hero Pooran said: “It’s definitely one of my better innings, knowing the situation of the game. Walking into bat with 100+ runs to get, and this format it creeps up on you very fast but I was really happy that I could contribute and be there to the end.”I knew he struck it well [Adam Hose], but I was just really happy that he is finding some form as well. You don’t win tournaments with just one person contributing. It’s really good when your teammates can contribute and hopefully we can go to our game on Tuesday and fight.”If we lost the game today we’d be out of the tournament, I’m happy that I can be there to the end, contribute, get the win for the team and hopefully the result will be the same again on Tuesday as well.”

Manchester United’s summer could be defining for Ruben Amorim in his tenure at Old Trafford, needing a huge summer to transform his fortunes at the club.

The 40-year-old has already wasted very little time in the transfer market, completing a £62.5m deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha.

After scoring 15 Premier League goals this campaign, the Brazilian will likely improve the options currently at the club, helping the manager in his quest to take them back to their former glory.

However, he will likely need to be joined in the attacking third by numerous other additions, with Jason Wilcox attempting to work his magic during the off-season.

Various other players have been mentioned with a potential switch to Old Trafford ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with the Red Devils in desperate need of an overhaul.

The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers

Given United’s measly tally of 44 league goals this season, it’s clear that additions are needed in such a department to transform the situation currently unfolding at the Theatre of Dreams.

Players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Dušan Vlahović and Jean-Philippe Mateta have all been mentioned as targets this window, but no deals have yet been agreed for any of the aforementioned stars.

However, another player has entered the mix over the last couple of days, in the form of Bryan Mbeumo, with the Brentford forward edging closest to a move, according to German journalist Christopher Michel.

He claims that the Red Devils are becoming “optimistic of finalising” a deal for the 25-year-old for the start of their pre-season ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

It’s also reported that Thomas Frank is trying to hijack a deal for the £70m star, looking to take the Cameroonian with him to North London after being appointed Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Why United’s £70m target could be incredible alongside Ekitike

United’s hunt for new additions has seen no sign of slowing down in recent days, with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké firmly in their sights, according to Sky Germany.

They claim that the Red Devils have made contact with the Bundesliga side over a move for the 22-year-old star, who’s registered 22 goals across all competitions in 2024/25.

It’s also reported that the French international has a €100m (£84m) release clause in his deal, but they face a battle with other Premier League sides, with Arsenal and Chelsea also in the race for his signature.

It remains to be seen if the club would be able to fork out such a fee for the Frankfurt talisman, especially after completing a deal for Cunha and edging closer to a move to land Mbeumo.

However, it’s a move they should pursue, with the Bees attacker having all the tools to form a deadly combination with Ekitike within the final third at Old Trafford.

The Cameroonian, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by one analyst, may have scored 20 league goals this season, but he’s also demonstrated his creative nature throughout the 2024/25 season.

He’s registered 3.7 progressive passes and 1.9 key passes per 90, having the skillset to provide Ekitike with the ammunition needed to succeed in front of goal should he move to Manchester.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stats for Brentford in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	38
Goals & assists	27
Progressive passes	3.7
Progressive carries	3.4
Key passes made	1.9
Passes into opposition box	1.6
Crosses completed	5.3
Take-on success	48%
Stats via FBref

Mbeumo has also registered 1.6 passes into the opposition box per 90, whilst completing 5.3 crosses per 90, with his ability to cause carnage certainly aiding other attackers at Old Trafford.

£70m may appear to be another massive investment from the hierarchy, given the early business conducted this summer, but it’s one that would add a different dimension to Amorim’s attack.

The prospect of the Bees’ star partnering the French star alongside Cunha in the final third is certainly an exciting one, with the trio single-handedly hoping to push the club back up the table next campaign.

He's better than Cunha: Man Utd in talks to sign £40m Ekitike alternative

Manchester United appear to be making moves to land a star who could sign ahead of Viktor Gyokeres.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 13, 2025

Fresh from their play-off comeback victory, Sunderland have reportedly registered their interest in signing an EFL star who could become one of Regis Le Bris’ first Premier League signings.

Watson magic seals Sunderland victory

If there was ever a way for Tommy Watson to get fans back onside after choosing to join Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the season, then it was always going to come through a special visit to Wembley.

Level at 1-1 following Eliezer Mayenda’s excellent equaliser, Watson came from the bench and showed all the composure in the world to play his effort beyond the outstretched Michael Cooper in the 95th minute. A player some booed in recent weeks to a boyhood Sunderland star now forever cemented as a hero in the Wearside history books, Watson couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

The man of the hour shared his joy following Sunderland’s victory, telling reporters: “After the last few weeks, I’ve been dreaming of that moment. I’m really happy that it’s going to end positively and this monster of a club is back where it belongs. It’s been tough, but I’ve learned so much from it. I knew something like that could happen. So I’m just buzzing.”

Although likely forgiven, the Black Cats will still need to replace Watson in the coming months ahead of their Premier League return. The talented 19-year-old, meanwhile, looks destined to become an impressive star at The Amex.

Sunderland can replace Bellingham with academy "diamond" who's like Watson

Sunderland might not need to splash the cash to win themselves a Jobe Bellingham replacement.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 27, 2025

With plenty of work to do in the summer transfer window, just who Sunderland welcome on the incomings front remains to be seen, but rumours over their potential targets have already been coming thick and fast.

Sunderland register interest in Kwame Poku

According to GiveMeSport, Sunderland have registered their interest in signing Kwame Poku from Peterborough this summer, so have made their approach. The Black Cats have reportedly joined the likes of Birmingham, Sheffield United and a staggering number of other interested parties in the race to secure the winger’s signature.

Revealing the sheer amount of interest in Poku, Peterborough director of football Barry Fry recently told reporters: “The last time I heard, there were 26 clubs in for him. I’m not surprised.

“The kid has what it takes to reach the Premier League. We have developed him over the past four years to the point where he is ready to take the next step in his career.”

The interest in Poku should come as little surprise, however. The 23-year-old enjoyed an excellent season in League One, scoring 12 goals and assisting another 11 to earn the high praise of manager Darren Ferguson, who told reporters in November: “Kwame is just unplayable at the moment. I would hate to play against him. He needs to give someone else a chance of winning player of the month. They’ll have to rename it the Kwame Poku Trophy!”

Though he may have plenty of suitors, Sunderland’s place in the Premier League could leave them with a major advantage in the race to sign Poku.

Ahead of what could be another busy summer at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have now reportedly held direct talks with one European club chief over signing a £42m defender.

Chelsea making summer transfer plans

As ever, the Blues will be ones to watch this summer. Even as their Champions League qualification remains unconfirmed, those at Stamford Bridge are likely to be in a position to splash the cash in an attempt to finally put a side together capable of taking Chelsea back into the Premier League title picture.

With the summer transfer window fast-approaching too, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast. Names such as Ollie Watkins and Dean Huijsen have particularly been mentioned among the headlines in recent weeks and there’s no denying that both would hand Enzo Maresca key upgrades at opposite ends of his strongest side.

Watkins would be a particularly interesting arrival thanks to his place at Aston Villa – a direct rival for Champions League qualification. A proven goalscorer in the Premier League, the England international could finally be the answer to the Blues’ striker problems if he decides to swap the Midlands for the London club this summer.

In pursuit of a rival star, to say that Champions League qualification would go a long way towards luring such players to Stamford Bridge would be a major understatement – especially if it means that Aston Villa miss out on a place.

Whilst it’s easy for the Blues to get ahead of themselves, however, Maresca chose to remain fairly grounded when quizzed on the frantic top five battle – telling reporters: “The mood is good and I’ve said for a few weeks now that it’s a matter of how we manage emotions until the end [of the season],’ the Blues head coach explained.

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“When we win games, we are happy and when we don’t win, we’re not happy. But it’ll be a race until the end and we need to manage the emotions. In this moment, the main thing is to watch ourselves and be focused on ourselves. This is the main point. For sure, there are more clubs involved [in the top-five race] but for us, it’s important to stay focused on ourselves.”

Chelsea step up move to sign Hato

Away from the action on the pitch, meanwhile, BlueCo have reportedly been busy. According to Dutch journalist Mike Verweij on De Telegraaf’s Kick Off podcast, Chelsea have now held direct talks with Ajax chief Alex Kroes over signing Jorrel Hato this summer.

The teenage full-back has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Netherlands and BlueCo are now reportedly set to step up their chase for his signature in a deal worth £42m this summer. Adding competition for Marc Cucurella in the process, Hato would go a long way towards handing Maresca a complete squad.

Praised for an “excellent” season by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Hato looks likely to be one to watch as Chelsea push to welcome yet another young talent this summer.

After a very rare defeat last Sunday, can Celtic get their pursuit of yet another treble back on track?

Last time out, the Hoops were beaten by the side bottom of the Scottish Premiership for the first time in two decades, defeated 1-0 by struggling St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

This actually means Brendan Rodgers’ side have lost three of their last six Premiership fixtures, having only endured two defeats across their previous 46 league outings.

Nevertheless, this’ll merely delay the party, and a record-equalling 55th Scottish top-flight title could be secured as soon as this weekend, if Celtic are able to beat Kilmarnock in Saturday’s early kick, and then Rangers are beaten at Aberdeen 24 hours later.

Plenty of players are getting the plaudits for the Bhoys’ continued monopolisation of Scottish silverware, but one unsung hero is going under the radar, reminiscent of a fans’ favourite of yesteryear.

Aaron Mooy's Celtic career

Aaron Mooy only made 42 appearances for Celtic during one season in Glasgow, but he certainly left a lasting impression.

He arrived in July 2022, reuniting with Ange Postecoglou, who’d previously been his manager with the Socceroos, although there were question marks about this move, considering the Australian had made just 31 appearances during his two-year spell with Shanghai Port; Chinese football massively affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Eric Knott of Read Celtic described the signing as ‘underwhelming’, adding that the move ‘might not work out’, while Sean Martin of the Celtic Way did not believe the signing made sense.

On the contrary, Mooy proved to be an extremely useful addition, registering seven goals and 11 assists, that’s a goal involvement every 110 minutes on average.

Postecoglou stated there is “no doubting” Mooy’s quality but, after the manager departed for Tottenham, the midfielder announced his retirement from football, news incoming boss Rodgers said he was “disappointed” to learn, although this was “something we absolutely respect”.

So now, is a current Celtic midfielder having a similar impact, albeit a player they’ll hope to have around for longer than one season?

Celtic could now be brewing the next Mooy

After Hibernian had made four unsuccessful bids to sign him last summer, Celtic ultimately snapped up Dundee midfielder Luke McCowan on deadline day, paying £1m plus add-ons for his services.

Given that the Hoops had also just signed Arne Engles for a club-record fee, with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo already in the squad, many questioned how much the 27-year-old would actually play.

Well, so far, this has been money well spent, with McCowan scoring six goals and accumulating seven assists in hoops, currently ranked joint-14th in this season’s Premiership for goal involvements.

His manager Rodgers labelled McCowan as “fantastic”, adding that he has been “absolutely first class”, while Michael Shearer of the Celts Are Here praised his ‘outstanding performances’.

So, let’s see how his statistics compare to Mooy’s from a couple of seasons ago.

Luke McCowan (24/25) vs Aaron Mooy (22/23) comparison

Statistics

McCowan

Mooy

Appearances

42

42

Minutes

1,983

1,987

Goals

9

7

Assists

13

11

Shots

49

20

Shot accuracy %

54.29%

60%

Chances created

35

36

Passing accuracy %

83.78

85.39%

Through balls

10

Zero

Duels won

81

49

Ball recoveries

103

95

Touches

1,320

1,245

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and Squawka

In a near-identical number of minutes so far, McCowan – who writer Kai Watson lauded as “tenacious” – comes out on top when compares to Mooy for the vast majority of metrics.

The current Celtic star has registered more goals and assists this season, while also racking up higher numbers when it comes to shots and touches as well as defensive metrics such as duels won and ball recoveries.

Mooy did create one more chance and register a slightly higher passing accuracy, there’s still time for McCowan to change that of course, but all of this proves that the 27-year-old was an absolute bargain at only £1m.

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He starred with the ball and in the field, and last-minute theatrics on the third day could set the stage for a special with the bat

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes toiled in a long spell after tea•Getty Images

“Tell him,” Brendon McCullum shouted down to Tim Southee from the dressing-room balcony, gesturing towards Ben Stokes at long off. Stokes had just bowled his seventh consecutive over since the tea interval, prompting McCullum to dispatch Southee down to the boundary edge, in front of the Allen Stand. England’s coach had decided that enough was enough.As India’s batters plugged away, Stokes seemed desperate to become the protagonist of the third day at Lord’s. He charged in for 14 overs, his most in a day since the opening day of this series, hitting a top speed of 90mph; he hit Nitish Kumar Reddy on the helmet, then nicked him off; and he produced a moment of magic in the field to run Rishabh Pant out.Stokes’ final figures – 2 for 63 from 20 overs – were nondescript, and only counted for so much with the teams emerging exactly level after their first innings. But these were promising signs for Stokes and for England, not least after an apparent right groin issue on the first evening threatened to prevent him from bowling at all.Related

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“I was just seeing how he’s going,” Southee, England’s bowling coach, said of his conversation with Stokes. “He’s a tough man to get the ball out of his hand, certainly when he’s got rhythm like that. [I was] just down there to check and see how he was getting on. It’s been hot, but he’s a guy that loves those times of the game when the game is in the balance.”It was during a five-over burst in the second hour of the day that Stokes hit the 90mph mark, troubling Pant with a short ball that left him taking evasive action. His average speed in that spell was 85mph/136kph as he charged in, determined to break Pant’s partnership with KL Rahul – which he did on the stroke of the lunch interval.Pant opted to drop-and-run, seemingly to get Rahul back on strike so he could reach his hundred, but Stokes ran in from cover and picked the ball up cleanly. He was far closer to the striker’s end, but saw Pant struggling to make his ground and pinged the ball at the bowler’s end instead. His direct hit caught him well short, and Stokes roared in celebration.

"You tell him!" pic.twitter.com/k3wEzz5IHQ

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2025