Leeds United are now racing for the signature of an “amazing” defender, who could be available for a bargain fee in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Leeds' summer transfer plans taking shape

Leeds’ promotion from the Championship was confirmed after Burnley defeated Sheffield United 2-1 on Monday night, and while they will still be keen to wrap up the league title, the 49ers Enterprises can now start to make more concrete plans for the summer transfer window.

With the Whites now set to be playing in the Premier League next season, Kalvin Phillips is interested in a return to Elland Road, and Manchester City are willing to take a huge loss on the £45m fee they shelled out in the summer of 2022.

Phillips may tick some boxes for Daniel Farke, with the manager believed to be keen on bringing in players who have Premier League experience, and the likes of Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson are also on the shortlist.

Farke is clearly keen to bolster his squad in a number of areas, in order to avoid an instant return to the Championship, and Leeds have now joined the race for a defender, with a report from Football Insider naming them as potential suitors for Vancouver Whitecaps’ Dembo Saidykhan, who can play as a centre-back or as a right-back.

Saidykhan’s impressive performances in the MLS have attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, with Wolves also set to be in the race for his signature, and there is a feeling he could be available for a bargain fee.

The defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year, which means Vancouver Whitecaps may choose to sanction a departure this summer, in order to make sure they don’t miss out on a transfer fee entirely.

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The report states the Gambian has caught the eye at international level, and he has clearly impressed compatriot and former footballer Cherno Samba, who believes he could go on to have a great career.

The 21-year-old is clearly showing promising signs, so Leeds should look to snap him up this summer, especially considering he could well be available for a bargain fee, but they must also bring in players with experience in a major European league.

Saidykhan is yet to prove himself at a high level, and Farke would be gambling with instant relegation back to the Championship if he didn’t bring in another centre-back, with Modibo Sagnan, of Ligue 1 club Montpellier, among the potential targets.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fortunes have been transformed under the leadership of Vitor Pereria.

Indeed, since being appointed on December 19 last year, the former Porto boss has guided the Old Gold away from the relegation zone, securing another season in the Premier League.

Wolves have defeated Manchester United (twice), Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur during that time frame.

Premier League

Manchester United

Won 1-0

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur

Won 4-2

Premier League

Ipswich Town

Won 2-1

Premier League

West Ham United

Won 1-0

Premier League

Southampton

Won 2-1

Their recent victory over the Red Devils meant it was the first time since the 1970s that they had completed the league double over them.

Several players shone, but Marshall Munetsi was one player who failed to contribute much for the Old Gold.

Wolves must drop Marshall Munetsi

The midfielder only arrived at Molineux in the winter transfer window and has featured 11 times for the club, scoring and assisting once apiece.

Against United, he was once again deployed as an attacking midfielder alongside Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian was impressive in what looked like a potential audition, but the January signing struggled.

He completed only 13 passes while winning just two of his 12 contested ground duels, being bullied in one-on-one scenarios.

The midfielder failed to register a single shot during the game, while failing to either make a key pass or create a single big chance in what was a poor performance overall.

As such, he was even awarded a rating of just 6/10 for his display by 90min and, against Leicester this afternoon, he must be dropped from the starting XI.

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After his match-winning goal against the Old Trafford side, Pablo Sarabia is certainly deserving of a start against the Foxes.

Why Pablo Sarabia must start for Wolves

Sarabia may have only played 16 minutes of the clash against United, but he made the most of his time on the field. With just over ten minutes left in the game, the Spaniard scored with a delightful free-kick, which sealed all three points for the away side.

The former PSG star has only played 19 league games for the club this season, yet he has still managed to score three goals, record two assists, create two big chances, and succeed with 67% of his dribbles in that time.

The “technically gifted” gem, as so dubbed by writer Charlie Gregory after the Old Trafford victory, has proven time and time again that he has the ability to create plenty for the Old Gold.

Leicester have conceded 73 goals this season, the second-worst record in the entire top flight. With the club secure in their Premier League status, now is the time to unleash Sarabia, who could run amok against this poor defence.

The 32-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, but as shown against Man United, he is still able to deliver when it really matters.

Pereira must give him a spot in the starting XI against the Foxes this weekend. Another positive showing might just go a long way in securing the maestro an extension on his current deal.

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ByConnor Holden Apr 24, 2025

Celtic’s amazing head coach of recent times, Ange Postecoglou, achieved great success during his two years at Parkhead before a move to England.

The Australian boss, who won the domestic treble in his final campaign at Celtic, won the Scottish Premiership title in both of his seasons with the club.

Underpinning his success at Paradise was the excellent work done in the recruitment department, signing the likes of Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, Joe Hart, and Cameron Carter-Vickers among others.

Jota was, arguably, the greatest signing of Postecoglou’s tenure as he joined the Hoops for a reported fee of £6.5m, after thriving on loan in his first season at the club, as shown in the graphic below.

After his exceptional form in the 2022/23 campaign, Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad swooped in to sign the winger for a reported fee of £25m, representing a huge profit for the club, and the winger has since returned on a permanent deal from Rennes in January for £8m.

Not all of Postecoglou’s signings at Celtic paid off, though, and one of the most infamous, for lack of a better word, moves was the addition of James McCarthy in the summer of 2021.

The curious case of James McCarthy

Ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, the Scottish giants confirmed the double signing of Joe Hart on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur and McCarthy on a free transfer from Crystal Palace.

At the time of that double deal, Postecoglou said: “I’m delighted that we have signed two top-class players in Joe and James. Both of them have a wealth of experience at both club and international level, and that is something which can only benefit the squad, and I’m looking forward to working with both of them.”

Hart went on to live up to that “top-class” tag with 64 clean sheets and only 145 goals conceded in 153 matches – less than a goal conceded per game – in three years at the club.

McCarthy, however, has not had the best of times at Parkhead so far and only played 22 times, racking up 739 minutes of action, in the 2021/22 campaign.

He followed that up with just 62 minutes on the pitch in five appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 term, missing significant time through an injury picked up midway through the season – per The Scottish Sun.

Since the 2022/23 campaign, McCarthy has not made a single appearance for the first-team – playing two times for the B team in the Lowland League last season – and his current status is incredibly unclear.

James McCarthy’s Celtic career
Season	First-team appearances	Yearly wage
24/25	0	£728k
23/24	0	£728k
22/23	5	£728k
21/22	22	£728k
Wage via Salary Sport

As per The Scottish Sun earlier this year, there is a mystery surrounding the Irish midfielder because he has been removed from the club website, was not in the team picture in pre-season, and has not made a senior appearance since the 2022/23 campaign, yet Celtic have never confirmed his departure.

Per Salary Sport in the table above, the Hoops are still paying McCarthy £728k-per-season and Transfermarkt reports that the Irishman’s current deal does not officially expire until this summer, which means that the club appear to be paying a significant sum of wages for, essentially, nothing in return.

It is a bizarre situation and one that may be officially resolved in the summer if and when they confirm that he has left the club at the end of his deal.

Celtic, however, have another player who is fast becoming the new McCarthy, as another flop on fairly big wages despite rarely being seen on the pitch, in the form of Anthony Ralston.

Why Ralston is becoming the new McCarthy

Per Salary Sport, the Scotland international is on a weekly wage of £14k at Parkhead this season, with McCarthy being the only other player in the squad on the same wage.

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This means that he is currently on more money per week than Kasper Schmeichel (£13k), Nicolas Kuhn (£12k), Paulo Bernardo (£11k), and Luke McCowan (£8k), among other first-team stars.

That is despite Schmeichel being the number one goalkeeper and Kuhn delivering excellent performances this season, racking up 18 goals and 14 assists from a right wing position for the Scottish giants.

The German winger has, therefore, made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops in all competitions, providing quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Ralston, on the other hand, has only started five matches in the Champions League and the Premiership combined in the 2024/25 campaign, after starting six times in those two competitions last season.

The Scottish defender, who came up through the academy system, did start 61 Premiership matches between the 2019/20 and 22/23 campaigns, but has fallen down the pecking order in recent years.

Anthony Ralston’s Celtic career
Season	League starts	Yearly wage
24/25	5	£728k
23/24	6	£728k
22/23	14	£728k
21/22	25	£442k
20/21	1	£286k
19/20	21	£286k
18/19	3	£234k
17/18	7	£234k
16/17	1	£130k
Wages via Salary Sport & stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, he has only started 11 league matches – alongside zero in Europe – since the start of the 2023/24 season for the Hoops, earning the best part of £1.5m in wages in that time.

The rarely-seen defender is, therefore, fast becoming the new McCarthy at Celtic as his number of league starts each season has declined year-on-year for the last four campaigns, despite still being a relatively high earner.

Ralston is currently earning more in wages than players, like Kuhn and Schmeichel, who offer far more on the pitch for the Bhoys, which suggests that the Hoops are throwing money down the drain with the reserve defender.

With this in mind, Celtic should consider moving the full-back on in the upcoming summer transfer window before his lack of minutes on the pitch reaches McCarthy’s territory.

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Unless Ralston can find a way to put himself back in Brendan Rodgers’ plans as a regular in the first-team, the 26-year-old flop is well on his way to becoming a forgotten man at Parkhead.

Looking towards the summer transfer window, Aston Villa have now reportedly joined the race to sign a 15-goal striker alongside a number of their Premier League rivals.

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They did their bit on Saturday night after seeing off Bournemouth away from home, winning 1-0 thanks to Ollie Watkins’ strike and some heroic defending, despite a late red card for Jacob Ramsey.

Victory at Bournemouth means that Villa have put the pressure firmly on rivals Nottingham Forest, while they are now poised to pounce following Man City’s draw at Southampton and ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Newcastle.

By qualifying for the Champions League, Villa would instantly ease any financial concerns and be in a position to compete for some of Europe’s most interesting talents in the transfer market once again. And that could yet see a Champions League finalist make his way to the Midlands.

Aston Villa join Goncalo Ramos race

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa have now joined the hectic race to sign Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The forward is reportedly open to leaving the French champions in a bid to gain a starting role elsewhere.

Sparking interest from Villa, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle among others, the Portugal international, who shares an agent with Marco Asensio, isn’t exactly short on suitors.

Amid recent rumours that Chelsea and others are interested in signing Ollie Watkins this summer, Ramos could emerge as an ideal option for those at Villa Park.

Even without consistent starts at PSG, the 23-year-old has showcased his quality by scoring an impressive 15 goals in all competitions following their Champions League semi-final victory over Arsenal in midweek.

After an “outrageous” start to his Portugal career, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ramos will be desperate to take his international form to club level on a more consistent basis this summer – something that Aston Villa could yet offer him.

Fulham are now keen on signing a full-back who has a tempting release clause, but there is set to be competition for his signature from West Ham United, according to Sky Sports Germany.

Cottagers stepping up summer transfer plans

The Cottagers are on course to record another solid finish in the Premier League, under the helm of Marco Silva, and they have picked up some very impressive results along the way, most notably defeating champions elect Liverpool 3-2 earlier this month.

The only thing that may prevent Silva’s side from qualifying for Europe is a lack of consistency, having dropped points against the likes of Ipswich Town and West Ham United, while the 1-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth last time out could also be costly.

As such, Silva may feel some new additions are needed this summer, and targets have been identified in a number of positions, recently reigniting the interest in AC Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze, who was on the verge of a move to Craven Cottage last winter.

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Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannadis has also been identified as a target, but there is a feeling the west Londoners could miss out, with Sporting CP also in the race for his signature.

Not only are Fulham looking to strengthen their attack, but they may also bring in a new left-back this summer, with a report from Sky Sports Germany revealing they have now joined the race for Werder Bremen defender Felix Agu.

The 25-year-old is being closely monitored by the Cottagers, having put in some impressive performances in the Bundesliga this season, but they are not the only English club in the picture.

West Ham are also keen on signing Agu, and the Premier League duo could be tempted by the appealing release clause of just €8m -€10m (£6.9m – £8.5m) included in his contract with the German club, which is set to expire at the end of May.

Fulham’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Chelsea (h)

April 20th

Southampton (a)

April 26th

Aston Villa (a)

May 3rd

Everton (h)

May 10th

Brentford (a)

May 18th

"Talented" Agu could excel in Premier League

There are clear signs the 25-year-old could now be ready to make the jump to the Premier League, having been lauded as “one of the best full-backs” in the Bundesliga by journalist Oma Akatugba last month.

The Werder Bremen star has made 17 appearances in the Bundesliga, displaying his attacking prowess by picking up three goals and one assist, and he ranks in the 94th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year.

Silva already has a top-quality option at left-back in Antonee Robinson, but there has been speculation over the American’s future, and Agu’s ability on the front foot indicates he could be a like-for-like replacement.

Not only that, but the “talented” defender is also extremely versatile, having played at both left-back and right-back throughout his career, as well as further forward, so he could be a fantastic addition to the squad at just £6.9m – £8.5m, regardless of whether Robinson leaves.

Leeds United are currently enjoying their title party and could already be set to kick that up a notch after identifying two candidates to join them on their Premier League journey, according to a report.

Leeds crowned champions after stunning win at Plymouth

Daniel Farke has endured plenty of trials and tribulations this term, but his side have been a class above and deservedly find themselves top-flight bound after a successful campaign climaxed with a last-gasp title winner from Manor Solomon at Plymouth this weekend.

Many would argue that a club of Leeds’ stature belong in the Premier League, though there is plenty of work to be done to ensure his squad are equipped to take on the challenge of surviving after promotion from the Championship.

Dipping into the market, Farke has identified Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda as a primary target at Elland Road following his freescoring campaign north of the border. The Japan international is valued at £25 million, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among a host of clubs ready to swoop for his services.

Confidence is high that Solomon will join Leeds on a permanent deal after a fine campaign on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, with the player said to have agreed to a return next term.

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Kalvin Phillips and Tomas Soucek have been mentioned in connection with the Whites. The former hardly comes a surprise due to his links with his boyhood club, but it remains to be seen if a fairytale return is on the cards.

Scaling up ahead of their Premier League return won’t be easy for Leeds, given the level of side they are likely to come up against on a weekly basis compared to the English second-tier. Nevertheless, they now have two talented players in their sights that could make all the difference, per recent developments.

Leeds want Nicolas Kuhn and Cameron Carter-Vickers from Celtic

According to TBR, Leeds are in the mix to sign Celtic duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nicolas Kuhn to strengthen their Premier League survival bid. The pair earn £50,000 per week between them at Parkhead and have lit up the domestic scene in Scotland, emerging as two of the best players in the top-flight, with Carter-Vickers playing a part in the Bhoys conceding only 22 goals in 34 league matches.

Cameron Carter-Vickers – key statistics in 2024/25 (Scottish Premiership)

Duels won

160

Aerial duels won

119

Recoveries

123

Dribbled past

3

Interceptions

32

Nicolas Kuhn – key statistics in 2024/25 (Scottish Premiership)

Chances created

47

Completed dribbles

55

Shots on target

24

Touches in opposition box

157

Duels won

107

On the other hand, Kuhn has notched 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, earning plaudits for his consistent displays coming off the right flank.

Celtic’s involvement in Champions League football may be a sticking point for Leeds if negotiations were to occur, though the lure of Premier League football can be a tempting one for top performers in Scotland.

With no defeats from their last five Championship games, Leeds United are definitely in pole position when it comes to being crowned champions of the notoriously punishing division.

At one stage, it looked as if Daniel Farke’s Whites had fluffed their lines once more in the promotion race with defeats and draws aplenty seeping into their game, but two victories on the trot has now seen them thankfully push away from third-placed Sheffield United to the summit of the league.

Still, not every win that is being collected is the most easy-on-the-eye spectacle to watch, leading to rumours beginning to emerge that the table-toppers are looking at bringing in some new strikers.

Leeds in contact over deal for "phenomenal" star

As per a fresh report by TEAMtalk, the Whites are prioritising a number of signings ahead of potentially voyaging up to the Premier League, with the striker department one area that will likely be boosted by fresh personnel.

The report states that Leeds are especially taken aback by current West Ham United loanee Evan Ferguson, even with the Irishman’s notable struggles under Graham Potter to date.

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After all, the 20-year-old attacker has shone in the past with parent employers Brighton and Hove Albion, meaning there is a potential there for him to light up Elland Road.

Moreover, the report further elaborates that Leeds are monitoring the 6 foot forward’s situation ahead of his return to the Seagulls, with contact already being made over a deal happening in the near future.

Winning the services of a readymade Premier League striker could signal the end for Joel Piroe as Farke’s main marksman, with the Dutchman putting in one too many ineffective performances for the promotion-chasers as of late.

Why Ferguson would be a Piroe upgrade

The former Swansea City man is yet to taste any action in the top-flight across his career, but if his continued wastefulness in front of goal in the second tier is anything to go by, he would struggle to adjust to the sharp step-up in quality.

Whilst he does boast a healthy 15-goal return in the Championship this season, Piroe has also been guilty of squandering 12 big chances across his 42 league outings and counting, with three of those coming about when Leeds just narrowly beat Preston North End 2-1 last time out.

Whereas, Ferguson – at the peak of his powers for Brighton – has proven himself to be a cool and deadly finisher under pressure by notching up an impressive 17 strikes from 80 Seagulls appearances, which included a devastating hat-trick coming his way against Newcastle United way back in 2023.

The worry would be that the 20-year-old has significantly gone off the boil on loan at the Hammers – with a worrying zero strikes hitting the back of the net from six West Ham contests – but Farke will view the previously potent attacker as an upgrade on Piroe regardless, based on what has come before.

Ferguson’s PL numbers at Brighton (22/23 + 23/24)
Stat	22/23	23/24
Games played	19	27
Games started	10	15
Goals scored	6	6
Assists	2	0
Big chances missed	5	4
Stats by Sofascore

From just 25 combined starts across the campaigns above, Ferguson would fire home a lethal 12 goals, with just nine big chances given up across those two seasons also.

Around this time, the much-talked-about Irishman was even being heralded as a potential £100m sensation, with BBC pundit Danny Murphy also weighing in on the conversation surrounding Ferguson by labelling him a “superstar” in the recent past.

Of course, it would now be ludicrous to suggest the Brighton number 28 is worth anywhere near that crazy sum.

But, with Piroe only managing to find the back of the net once from his last ten encounters for Farke’s men, Ferguson would be seen as a big upgrade, particularly if Premier League football is clinched.

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Will Manchester City qualify for next season’s Champions League?

Last Sunday, the Sky Blues reached a third successive FA Cup final, courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley, in which Rico Lewis and then Joško Gvardiol were the scorers.

Back in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s team have enjoyed three successive victories, now seeking to win four in a row for the first time since the first four matches of this season.

Victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night would propel the Sky Blues up to third, but this won’t be easy, considering Wolves travel to the Etihad following six successive victories, achieving this in the top division for the first time since 1970.

If Guardiola is going to end Wolves’ winning streak, he should make a change to his forward line with Jack Grealish likely to come out of the side.

Jack Grealish's Manchester City decline

When Grealish arrived at Manchester City for £100m, at the time breaking the British transfer record, few would’ve forecast that, four years later, he’d merely be a peripheral figure.

The 29-year-old has started just 16 matches across all competitions this season, going a whopping 392 days without a club goal, starting only once in the Premier League since Christmas, hence why his name was a surprise inclusion against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The table below illustrates the England international’s decline.

Appearances

39

50

36

31

Starts

31

41

26

16

Minutes

2,730

3,487

2,114

1,520

Matches unused

19

11

18

20

Goals

6

5

3

3

Minutes per goal

455

697

705

507

Assists

4

11

3

5

As the table outlines, since Grealish’s best season, the treble-winning campaign of 2022/23, he’s been little more than a bit part player, no longer a regular starter and not a regular contributor when it comes to goals and assists.

Jeremy Cross and Oli Gamp of the Daily Mirror believe it is very likely that Grealish will depart this summer, making it pointless Guardiola picking him for Man City’s four remaining league fixtures, so here’s who he should unleash against Wolves instead.

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The Man City forward yet to fulfil his potential

Jérémy Doku joined Manchester City two summers ago from Stade Rennais, costing a reported £55.5m, with Director of Football Txiki Begiristain describing him as a “very exciting young player” who has the potential to “develop into a world-class attacking talent”.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labeled him an “explosive winger” with “superb dribbling skills” who “plays with a natural flair”.

Well, so far, we’ve only seen this in glimpses, with the Belgian scoring only six goals both this season and last, the most recent of which came during the 6-0 demolition of Ipswich all the way back in January.

Nevertheless, Doku does rank more favourably when it comes to other metrics, as outlined by the table below.

Minutes played

1,307

247th

Goals

3

99th

Assists

5

41st

Progressive carries

176

1st

Attempted take-ons

175

2nd

Successful take-ons

98

1st

Take on success % (min 50 attempted)

56%

4th

Carries into the final third

83

4th

Carries into the penalty area

80

2nd

As the table highlights, despite his relative lack of minutes, Doku has accumulated the most progressive carries and successful take-ons of any player in the Premier League.

Meantime, only Mohammed Kudus of West Ham has attempted more take-ons, while only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has registered more carries into the opposition penalty area.

Still only 22-years-old, Doku has the potential to be the future of this team, while the same cannot be said of Grealish.

Thus, given that Vítor Pereira is likely to set Wolves up in a low defensive block on Friday night, their back three quickly retreating and becoming a back five, Doku’s one-vs-one dribbling ability could be invaluable as Man City seek to break them down.

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Going in pursuit of even greater success next season, Liverpool are now reportedly prioritising a move to sign an impressive La Liga midfielder in this summer’s transfer window.

Salah reiterates desire for even more success

Mohamed Salah may be a two-time Premier League winner and undeniably one of the greatest players to ever grace English football, but he is not slowing down. At 32 years old, the Egyptian has just broken the record for most goal involvements in a 38-game Premier League season, with 28 goals and 18 assists, and was recently crowned the Football Writers’ Player of the Season.

He still wants more, however. That new contract wasn’t signed with the intention of slowing down in the final stages of his Liverpool career. Instead, Salah reiterated that he still wants to win at least one more Premier League and one more Champions League at Anfield.

The winger recently told Gary Neville: “This year I won the Premier League and I think I never felt happier in the club for eight years like this moment in the Spurs game. I really wish we win the Champions League game. I know the Premier League is always nice for the club and that’s how it should be but I would love to win the Champions League and Premier League again.”

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To achieve exactly that though, Liverpool will need to back Arne Slot in this summer’s transfer window. As successful as the Dutchman’s first season has been at Anfield, there remains question marks about whether the Reds were simply in the right place at the right time. And those questions must be answered in emphatic fashion next season.

Well aware of that, FSG are already acting to replace the departing Alexander-Arnold with Jeremie Frimpong in the coming months and have now reportedly identified another target who could help them to match Salah’s clear ambitions.

Liverpool prioritising Jauregizar move

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now prioritising a move to sign Mikel Jauregizar from Athletic Club this summer. Slot reportedly rates the midfielder and could finally land the type of reinforcement that he has wanted since targeting Martin Zubimendi last summer. Given that the Reds are set to miss out on Zubimendi to rivals Arsenal, welcoming Jauregizar would arguably make perfect sense this summer.

La Liga stats 24/25 per 90 (via FBref)

Mikel Jauregizar

Martin Zubimendi

Starts

24

32

Progressive Carries

0.59

1.14

Progressive Passes

4.73

5.96

Ball Recoveries

5.78

4.32

The numbers highlight the similarities between the two midfielders, but also one key difference. Although Jauregizar has struggled to match Zubimendi’s ability to progress play, he has worked better out of possession – a trait that Slot has come to appreciate in Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool this season.

Labelled “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Jauregizar could be next in line to undergo the same transformation that Ryan Gravenberch has undergone in the last 12 months. From struggling star, the Dutchman is now a nominee for the Premier League Player of the Year award under Slot.

As for matching Salah’s ambitions, an added controller in the middle of the park in Jauregizar could go a long way towards Slot’s Liverpool side becoming far more dominant this summer and winning the top honours once again.

Heading towards the end of what could yet turn into another season with no silverware, Arsenal have already reportedly set their sights on summer targets and are now willing to table an opening offer to sign a La Liga ace.

Arsenal's alarming form after Bournemouth defeat

Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions may be officially over, but that doesn’t mean that their chase is over in the battle to secure their Champions League place. Mikel Arteta’s side simply wipe their title tears and go again in the Premier League if they are to avoid the ultimate disaster.

Sat second – three points above Manchester City and four above a Newcastle United side who have a game in hand – there’s still every chance that the Gunners drop to fourth in the coming weeks. It’s also worth noting that, should Nottingham Forest defeat Crystal Palace, Arsenal will only be four points in front of sixth place and dropping out of the Champions League places.

Defeat against Bournemouth was the fourth time that Arteta’s side failed to win in the Premier League in their last five games and alarm bells should finally be ringing over their need to swiftly secure European football and end a season full of frustration.

Arteta had his say after Bournemouth came from behind to shock Arsenal at the Emirates, telling reporters: “We started and we did the most difficult one to score the goal. I think after that we had four or five very open situations to score the second one.

“We didn’t kill it and after that, on top of that, you defend the box really poorly, the way we’ve done it in the two set-pieces that we have conceded again. So they’re going to punish you and a team like Bournemouth, they’re going to punish you. And after that the game becomes rushed, very chaotic.

“That’s why they want big spaces. They have more legs than us, especially with sets and plays that were struggling in the final minutes. And we weren’t able to get the result that we wanted, so we’re very disappointed.”

Arsenal willing to table bid to sign Garcia

Already looking to put this season behind them, those in North London have seemingly set their sights on a new shot-stopper. According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are now willing to table an offer worth €30m (£25m) to sign Joan Garcia this summer.

In what would be one of Andrea Berta’s first acts as sporting director, the Gunners could finally get their man a year on from reportedly agreeing personal terms to secure his arrival from Espanyol before a deal collapsed.

At 24 years old, the Spaniard is likely to arrive as a backup for David Raya before one day replacing the 29-year-old Arsenal goalkeeper. Potentially fending off competition from Bournemouth, the North London giants could kick their summer off with the arrival of Garcia.