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Sunderland have had some of the Premier League’s most iconic strikers down the years, but one man in particular has been praised as one of the best talents of his era.

No one at the Stadium of Light will forget the name Tommy Watson in a hurry regardless of how his move to Brighton pans out, but as the dust settles on a memorable campaign and that stunning late win at Wembley, the Black Cats must now turn their attentions to building a squad capable of surviving football’s toughest task.

Sunderland's promotion season in pictures

Regis Le Bris’ side were the lowest scorers in the Championship’s top six, with 58 goals to their name in 46 games, as Wilson Isidor (13) and Eliezer Mayenda (10) were their only players to score more than five league goals.

And it’s fair to say this is a club who have lived off the backs of great number nines down the years, with the likes of Jermain Defoe, Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn all thriving on Wearside.

1. Kevin Phillips

61

2. Jermain Defoe

34

3. Niall Quinn

29

4. Kenwyne Jones

26

5. Darren Bent

24

6. Steven Fletcher

23

7. Adam Johnson

19

8. Stéphane Sessègnon

17

9. Fabio Borini

14

10. Kieran Richardson

14

Many of the club’s most iconic moments have come from their front men, from Darren Bent’s famous ‘beach ball goal’ against Liverpool to Fabio Borini’s incredible late effort to sink Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.

But while no one comes close to “Super Kev” Phillips from a statistical standpoint, few would argue that Defoe is right up there alongside him as one of the most talented players to ever put on the red and white shirt, and England legend David Platt once revealed he may be even better than that.

Platt: Defoe was as good as Michael Owen and Luis Figo

Speaking about his time as Defoe’s manager in the England Under-21 set-up, Platt, who earned 62 caps for the Three Lions himself, once revealed a 19 year-old Defoe was one of the greatest talents he had ever seen.

Defoe scored 163 Premier League goals in total, placing him inside the division’s top ten and behind only six other Englishmen – Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Andrew Cole, Frank Lampard and Robbie Fowler.

While his longest spell in England’s top flight came with Tottenham Hotspur, some of his most iconic moments were produced in a Sunderland shirt, most notably that stunning strike against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light, and fans will also never forget his relationship with Bradley Lowery.

Defoe’s love for the club hasn’t waned either, as the 42 year-old was spotted at Wembley celebrating their promotion, also praising Le Bris for the impactful substitutions of Patrick Roberts and Watson: “We spoke before about the manager not panicking, and the substitution, Patrick Roberts came on and done his thing.”

Sunderland lining up centre-back signing who Van Dijk said is "outstanding"

He could be perfect for Regis Le Bris.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 3, 2025

It’s hard to imagine the likes of Isidor and Mayenda will be able to replicate the Englishman’s stunning influence in the North East, but the young Spaniard’s equalising goal against Sheffield United was certainly a good start.

With Andrea Berta now Arsenal’s transfer chief, replacing Edu a few months ago, there is a different feel to the club’s transfer strategy this summer.

In fact, it’s quite a clever one really. Berta isn’t putting all of his eggs in one basket. Instead, he’s advancing a number of deals before concluding which would be the best one to proceed with.

If you believe reports, then the Gunners have held negotiations over deals for both RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko and Sporting’s goal machine, Viktor Gyokeres.

The latest on that is the Swede is now ‘dreaming’ of a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Alas, signing a striker isn’t Arsenal’s only priority over the transfer window. They also need a winger.

Arsenal's pursuit of a new winger this summer

This is a busy old time for Berta and if he can remodel Arsenal’s attack successfully, he will become a quick fan favourite in north London.

On the agenda on the flanks is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, with Arsenal having reportedly held talks to bring the Brazilian to the Emirates.

If a move cannot be done there, they may well turn their attention to Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams again. The Spaniard, who scored in the Euro 2024 final last summer, caught the eye of the Gunners during that tournament but despite the winger’s release clause, did not look at doing a deal.

A year on, they could revisit their interest. That’s according to reports in Spain who claim that while Williams is hoping to stay in Iberia, where Barcelona are very much interested, Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also looking at the 22-year-old.

Williams ‘likes’ the idea of moving to Barca but Bayern and the Gunners are now ‘willing to meet’ his bargain £53m release clause. They are also willing to lodge a high salary offer in a bid to tempt him away from the clutches of the Camp Nou.

Why Williams could be Arsenal's answer to Florian Wirtz

In the opening ten days of the summer transfer window before it shut again due to the Club World Cup, it was all very much about Florian Wirtz.

Why the summer transfer window will close for six days and re-open again

Premier League clubs have recently voted for the transfer window to open early this summer – here’s how it will work and why it’s happening.

ByStephan Georgiou Mar 27, 2025

Liverpool have pulled no punches in their bid to capitalise on a title-winning season and they have done so by breaking a British transfer record.

Wirtz will arrive from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £116.5m. In the words of former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world,” but that doesn’t mean he can’t shine in other areas.

The German is predominantly a no.10, cut from the same cloth as a Mesut Ozil or Kevin De Bruyne, but he’s also very much capable of featuring from the flanks.

Aged just 22, coincidentally the same age as Williams, the Spaniard could be the Wirtz-like signing that Arsenal really need to kick on themselves.

If there was one area of weakness at Anfield this season, it was the no.10 role. Dominik Szoboszlai is certainly no mug, but his goalscoring ability has been questioned, notably finding the net just six times in the Premier League throughout 2024/25. Well, Arne Slot has already solved that problem; Wirtz bagged ten Bundesliga goals and beat the goalkeeper on 16 occasions in all competitions.

So, Arsenal now need to address their own weakness, and it’s on Williams’ left-hand side.

Bukayo Saka is always going to guarantee you output on the right and whatever you say about Mikel Arteta’s lack of a striker, Kai Havertz was on for a 20-goal season before his injury and Mikel Merino scored six in 12 outings as a centre-forward.

It’s the left flank where the biggest imbalance in quality has arguably been seen. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard scored eight goals apiece in the league this season.

Their biggest issue is consistency and to be fair, you may well argue that with Williams, too. The Spain international bagged 11 in all competitions with only five coming in LaLiga. Judging by that, you may well question where the upgrade is coming from.

The numbers below suggest Williams would certainly be a significant upgrade in some areas. He’s a better and more regular dribbler, while the sheer number of shot-creating actions suggests he could be an enormous threat in the Premier League.

Goals

0.23

0.28

0.31

Assists

0.23

0.25

0.16

Key passes

1.80

1.45

1.57

Progressive passes

3.11

3.57

2.05

Shot-creating actions

5.05

3.29

2.91

Goal-creating actions

0.59

0.28

0.28

Attempted take-ons

8.42

3.04

4.29

Successful take-ons

3.06

1.34

1.30

Progressive carries

5.32

2.83

4.88

Additionally, as he was described by Bilbao’s official channels, Williams is “one of the best wingers in the world”. He famously showcased that for Spain at Euro 2024, thriving in a much better team. He registered two goals and one assist in his six European Championship matches, while during the recent Nations League campaign, the young winger scored two goals in four games, also registering a solitary assist.

This is a player whose output could soar to new heights in a team like Arsenal. He’s already an “electric” talent in the words of content creator, Statman Dave, and given Arteta’s track record of improving young talent, Williams would surely thrive at Arsenal.

Like Wirtz at Anfield, the young Spaniard could solve one of the Gunners’ biggest problems in attack.

Transfer Focus

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

Arsenal have emerged as the dream destination for one player this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, with sporting director Andrea Berta continuing to carry out his extensive transfer window shopping ahead of 2025/2026.

£70m star wants to join Arsenal after Norgaard and Mosquera, talks ongoing

The north Londoners mean business this summer.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga are both poised to be announced as new Arsenal players shortly.

Kepa completed his Arsenal medical in the last few days as he closes in on a £5 million switch from Stamford Bridge (Sky Sports), while Zubimendi touched down in London last week to finalise his near-£56 million transfer to the Premier League.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

The Spaniards will be joined by Brentford captain Christian Norgaard, too, with Arsenal widely reported to have agreed a £15 million deal for the Denmark international, including add-ons.

The 31-year-old has been permitted to travel for his Arsenal medical (Fabrizio Romano), and ex-Tottenham director Frank Arnesen says Mikel Arteta may have just snapped up a bargain.

“If he can take a step up and come to Arsenal, it would be fantastic. Every dressing room would be thrilled to have him. He has the right mentality, is a team player and has the attitude,” said Arnsen to Tipsbladet earlier this week.

“Mikel Arteta was fantastic as a player, I think, and as a coach he has done absolutely superbly, both as an assistant at Manchester City and afterwards at Arsenal with the way he plays football.

“He doesn’t just take a player in without knowing exactly what he’s going to use him for. Maybe he won’t play 50 games, you don’t know, maybe it’ll only be 30, but it’s about the whole package. He gets the whole package with Christian.”

Berta has wasted no time in moving on to Arsenal’s next target after Norgaard, either.

The Gunners have opened talks with Valencia over signing versatile young defender Cristhian Mosquera, and there is real optimism that they’ll reach an agreement for their fourth signing of the summer, even if their opening bid of £16 million was rejected (The Guardian).

Cristhian Mosquera wants "perfect" move to Arsenal

While there’s still some way to go in club-to-club talks, Berta will not run into any trouble on the player’s side.

As per Romano, speaking on the ‘Here We Go’ YouTube channel, Mosquera thinks Arsenal are the “perfect” move for him, and the 21-year-old wants to challenge Arteta’s preferred centre-back pairing.

“My understanding is that the player wants to go to Arsenal. He sees Arsenal as the perfect opportunity for his career,” said Romano.

“Of course, you have to compete with Gabriel, with William Saliba, but what I’m hearing is that Mosquera is not scared. Obviously, he knows that these two defenders are probably the best in the world, but he wants to be there. He knows that Arsenal will have many games; with Mikel Arteta, young players develop very well. So Mosquera said yes to Arsenal.”

Able to play at both right-back and centre-back, the “magnificent” Mosquera could plug multiple gaps for Arteta, but his arrival surely spells the end of Jakub Kiwior – who’s been tipped to leave if they do sign the Spain Under-21 international.

They might be lagging behind their rivals in the market at the moment, but it feels like things are finally starting to pick up for Arsenal.

The Premier League runners-up look set to secure the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m in the coming days, and more exciting than that, Martin Zubimendi’s move is finally almost wrapped up.

Moreover, Mikel Arteta’s side continue to see themselves linked with the utterly superb Rodrygo, who could be a serious needle-mover in attack.

And now, if recent reports are to be believed, the club are linked with a Premier League star who would be a dream teammate for the Real Madrid winger.

Arsenal plotting attack overhaul

The sagas around Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres might be what’s being talked about most regarding Arsenal this summer, but just behind them, the links to Rodrygo have been exciting fans.

Transfer Focus

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

While the first links to the Brazilian winger originated last year, the more substantive stories started to spring up early last month, with some claiming that approaches had been made and fees of around £85m being banded about.

In recent days, the supposed fee needed to secure the former Santos gem has dropped ever so slightly to anywhere from £70m in some cases to £77m in others, and for a Champions League winner who’s racked up 25 goal involvements in 52 games this season, that doesn’t seem too bad.

In short, it’s hard to imagine Rodrygo joining Arteta’s side this summer and not making a massive difference next season, especially if the North Londoners are also keen on Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, the Crystal Palace star is eager to leave the South London outfit, and his camp has been in discussions with several teams, including Arsenal.

However, there are two potential obstacles to this deal, the first being his £68m release clause and the second being the fact that the player supposedly wants to join Tottenham Hotspur.

With that said, the Gunners have shown a willingness to spend big in the past, and if they went all out for the Englishman and showed him where he’d fit in, we don’t doubt they could hijack the Lilywhites’ potential deal. After all, they will be challenging on all fronts again next year.

It will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but it’s one Arsenal should be fighting to get done, as Eze would be an excellent addition to the squad and a dream teammate for Rodrygo.

Why Eze would be an excellent teammate for Rodrygo

Fundamentally, the primary reason Eze would be a dream teammate for Rodrygo is the same reason why Bukayo Saka and whoever leads the line for Arsenal next season will also love playing with him: his output.

In 43 appearances for Palace this season, totalling 3303 minutes, the Englishman was able to amass a brilliant haul of 14 goals and 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Just imagine how dangerous the Real Madrid star could be with someone as adept at scoring and creating chances behind him in the number ten position.

It would surely send his own goal and assist numbers soaring.

Additionally, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, would be a serious upgrade on Martin Odegaard, who was only able to score six goals and provide 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

Appearances

43

45

Minutes

3303′

3447′

Goals

14

6

Assists

11

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.4

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

191.5′

Furthermore, on top of being a reliable source of goals and assists, the former QPR star is also a player who tends to favour the left-hand side of midfield – as we can see in his heatmap for this season – so he’d be playing reasonably close to the Brazilian and therefore could form an even closer partnership with him – to the benefit of both.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal this summer, but if Arteta and Co want to help extract even more out of him – and the rest of the attack, for that matter – they should be looking to bring in Eze as well.

The new Saliba: Arsenal schedule talks to sign "exceptional" £43m star

The incredible youngster could turn into something truly special at Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 25, 2025

Ryan Mason has already won himself one standout signing since entering the pressurised West Bromwich Albion hot-seat.

Indeed, the Baggies forked out £3m on the services of Nathaniel Phillips to strengthen at the back, with Phillips just fresh off a relegation-saving season at Derby County in the Championship on loan from Liverpool. Now, he’s West Brom’s first major foray into the market.

Transfers at the Hawthorns are unlikely to halt there, though, as West Brom aim to bolster all over the pitch in the wake of Baggies stalwarts Grady Diangana, John Swift, and Semi Ajayi all leaving for nothing.

West Brom interested in another centre-back

A big chunk of West Brom’s long-standing servants are now nowhere to be seen in the West Midlands, as Mason prepares to leave his mark on proceedings.

It’s been heavily commented on, but the 33-year-old does have his past Tottenham Hotspur connections he can fall back on when targeting some sensational summer acquisitions, with both Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear reportedly in their sights when assessing the cream of Spurs’ young crop.

Away from treading down this familiar North London path, however, West Brom could be about to win a much-talked-about 22-year-old prospect from the EFL.

West Brom-based X account DOOD has speculated that Mason and Co. are interested in the possibility of acquiring Stockport County powerhouse Ethan Pye this summer, although nothing is in motion as of yet.

It’s clear when looking at his sublime 2024/25 season – which ended with him winning every personal Hatters accolade possible – why West Brom are hunting him down as a possible partner for Phillips in the heart of defence.

After all, many of West Brom’s star performers once plied their trade in the lower depths of the EFL, as the promotion hopefuls now hope that Pye can be another to burst into life up a division, much like Tom Fellows managed after an early lower league education.

How Pye can be Fellows 2.0

Looking at the final West Brom lineup fielded at the close of the 24/25 campaign is enough to validate how many of the Baggies’ seasoned first-teamers have the third tier to thank for an initial boost in confidence, with Darnell Furlong once loaned out to Swindon Town in League One, before his big Hawthorns break.

Two goals and five assists would come the experienced right-back’s way during his formative County Ground switch, which is amazingly five more goal contributions than Fellows would register on the books of Crawley Town prior to his moment in the spotlight.

The rest is history now for the Solihull-born ace, however, with the homegrown product one of the first names on the Baggies’ teamsheet last season when collecting a blistering 14 assists in Championship action.

Pye will hope he can be as much of a standout figure for the second tier side down the line if a move is finalised, considering the Manchester-born defender has also had to endure many a lower league loan, before developing into one of Dave Challinor’s integral pieces of the jigsaw last season at Edgeley Park.

Games played

35

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches*

73.7

Accurate passes*

44.4 (79%)

Ball recoveries*

4.5

Total duels won*

7.3

Clean sheets

11

Only two years prior to his breakout 24/25 offering Pye was plying his trade in the National League with Gateshead. Now, much like Fellows back at the Hawthorns, the Hatters’ success largely depended on the 22-year-old last season, with a mighty 7.3 duels won per game by Pye as Stockport dared to dream about promotion up to the Championship.

Hailed as “outstanding” by West Brom-based journalist Chris Hall, this could be a buy that sees West Brom repeat their unbelievable Fellows magic, with Pye more than ready to make a splash up a level.

It does appear to be only faint murmurs at this point, but West Brom will surely want to make more moves soon as the new season edges closer, with Pye perhaps the next figure to join the intriguing Mason project.

West Brom can secure perfect Swift replacement by signing "incredible" star

West Bromwich Albion could instantly respond to John Swift leaving the Hawthorns by snapping up this EFL ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025

Rangers’ busy summer spending spree continues at Ibrox. Indeed, since Russell Martin’s appointment at Ibrox, the Gers have made six new signings to date, most recently bringing in Nasser Djiga on a season-long loan.

He follows Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and Thelo Aasgaard through the arrivals’ door at Rangers, but are the Glasgow giants now going to get their hands on a vastly experienced new centre-back?

Rangers aiming to bolster their back line

The start of Rangers’ season is now fast approaching.

Transfer Focus

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

Last Sunday, the Gers faced Club Brugge in a pre-season friendly, fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Club Brugge at home, thanks to second-half goals from Mohamed Diomandé and then youngster Findlay Curtis.

No such defensive sloppiness can be afforded in just ten nights’ time when the Light Blues commence Champions League qualifying, welcoming Panathinaikos to Govan, hence why Martin is targeting even more new signings this week.

Thus, according to a report by Sky Sports News, Rangers remain interested in signing Conor Coady from Leicester City.

Earlier in the window, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider claimed that the Gers were ‘in advanced talks’ with the Foxes, as they attempted to sign the centre-back, but this is yet to come to fruition.

As outlined by Rob Tanner of the Athletic, Leicester are actively looking to get some of their highest earners off the books, following their relegation back to the EFL Championship, so will surely be quite accommodating, as they too want this deal to get over the line.

Thus, it remains very possible that Coady will make the move to Rangers but, with Panathinaikos on the horizon, Martin will be eager for this deal to get done sooner rather than later.

How Conor Coady would improve Rangers defence

Right now, Rangers have seven senior centre-backs on their books, although this could be down to six, after a bid was accepted for Robin Pröpper, who is seemingly on his way back to FC Twente, as confirmed by Martin.

So, here are the options Martin currently has in his squad.

John Souttar

28

2022

94

Ben Davies

29

2022

58

Clinton Nsiala

21

2024

13

Leon King

21

2020*

42

Nasser Djiga

22

2025

Zero

Emmanuel Fernandez

23

2025

Zero

*King made his senior debut in 2020.

As the table outlines, there is not a huge amount of experience among Rangers’ current central-defenders but, given that he played in both the Champions League for Crvena zvezda and the Premier League for Wolves last season, Djiga has surely arrived to be first-choice.

Alongside, John Souttar is probably in pole position to partner the new arrival, having made 40 appearances for the club last season, accumulating 3,411 minutes, the most he has ever enjoyed in a single campaign of his injury-blighted senior career.

Thus, Coady’s potential arrival would probably be particularly bad news for the Scotland international, banishing him to the bench.

James Tarkowski, who played alongside Coady at Everton, labelled him a “great leader”, while his manager at Goodison, Sean Dyche, heralded his “immaculate” professionalism.

Meantime, Adam McNulty of Breaking the Lines praised his ability ‘to pick out a runner’, documenting his outstanding distribution, supported by the fact that, in the 2019/20 Premier League season, Coady completed more accurate long passes than anybody else.

Given that new manager Martin’s style of play prioritises control through possession, this could be an invaluable asset to have at the back.

But how do his statistics compare to those of Souttar? Let’s find out.

Appearances

43

40

Minutes

3,103

3,411

Passes Attempted

73.45

56.95

Passing Accuracy %

92.48%

86.4%

Forward Passes

25.6

20.9

Tackles Made

0.8

0.8

Aerial duel success %

51.91%

68.06%

Ground duel success %

57.22%

69.43%

Clearances

3.6

6.9

Interceptions

0.9

0.7

Ball recoveries

3.5

2.7

Touches

81.9

70.45

First and foremost, it is worth noting that the last two seasons were included for Coady due to his lack of action at Leicester, thereby providing a larger sample size.

With that in mind, the Englishman comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics included when compared to Souttar, notably attempting, on average, 17 more passes per 90, as well as five more forward passes.

Defensively too, Coady accumulated more interceptions and ball recoveries, while taking 11 more touches per game, underlining that he is a good fit for a Rangers team who, domestically, dominate possession but, in Europe, are forced to do a lot more defending.

Thus, this signing appears to be an absolute no-brainer for the Light Blues, one that they should do everything in their power to finalise as soon as possible.

Rangers could land Ryan Kent 2.0 with Ibrox move for "incredible" star

Russell Martin could be eyeing another loan signing at Rangers…

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 11, 2025

Celtic appear to be in fine shape heading into the new season under Brendan Rodgers, but not everyone will make the cut as he continues to assess his squad.

Celtic hammer Newcastle United in first home pre-season encounter

Despite the fact that Celtic are several weeks ahead of Newcastle United in their pre-season preparations, there was an air of class about the way they brushed aside Premier League opposition at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

The Scottish Premiership champions officially unveiled Shin Yamada as their latest signing before the match before goals from Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Hyunjun Yang and Liam Scales sealed a comfortable victory on home soil.

Post-match, Rodgers made it clear Celtic have work to do in the transfer market after showing their quality against a high-calibre outfit, stating: “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well.

“I would expect us, by the end of the window, to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we need to go through a really long season.”

Rumours are swirling that Daizen Maeda could sign a new contract, albeit there is no confirmation on that front, leaving the Bhoys searching for attacking reinforcements across their front four positions.

Celtic see £6.9m bid rejected for 25-goal star as club set lofty valuation

The Bhoys want some extra firepower under Brendan Rodgers…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 18, 2025

Wycombe Wanderers forward Richard Kone is thought to be on the Hoops’ radar as a contingency, though the Ivorian may only be brought in if departures are to occur in Glasgow between now and the close of play.

Fringe players moving out on loan or permanently will be key to progress on incomings, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Celtic are closing in on another opportunity to cut their wage bill.

Celtic ace Marco Tilio set to join Rapid Vienna

According to Sky Sport Austria reporter Eric Niederseer, a “basic agreement” has been reached between Celtic and Rapid Vienna that could see Marco Tilio head to the Allianz Stadion on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Brought in two years ago from Melbourne City, the 23-year-old has only made a couple of competitive appearances for Celtic and moved back on loan to his former club to find his feet from January 2024 until the tail end of last season.

Florian Plettenberg has now added a move is considered a “done deal” with Tilio set to join Vienna on loan with an obligation to buy next year, should he start 20 games.

Reported to be earning £4,400 per week at Celtic, Tilio has been involved during pre-season, albeit his presence is more down to the fact Rodgers has a shortage of wingers to work with after selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como.

With an exit now lined up, the Bhoys will hope to recoup some of the £1.5 million they shelled out for the Australia international once his departure is finalised.

Tottenham Hotspur want to showcase ambition in the transfer market before deadline day, and this has been backed up by their moves thus far.

Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham working on signing attacker after Gibbs-White blow

Spurs are swiftly moving on after an eventful saga.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 29, 2025

The standout signing has been Mohammed Kudus, who arrived from West Ham in a £55 million deal earlier this month. The Ghanaian, famed for his versatility, flair and explosive pace, fits seamlessly into Thomas Frank’s setup, and he’s already impressed in flashes during pre-season.

Kudus brings both Premier League experience and creativity, qualities Spurs lacked in stretches of last season, mainly due to their injury nightmare. The 24-year-old also brings Champions League know-how from his time at Ajax, and in an alternate universe, he would’ve been joined by Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White in a statement £60 million move.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Spurs were on the verge of completing a sensational, quick-fire £115 million double deal for both Kudus and Gibbs-White, but chairman Daniel Levy was forced to settle for just the former with Forest blocking the Englishman’s exit.

After Forest threatened legal action against both the Lilywhites and Gibbs-White’s camp for an alleged ‘illegal’ approach (Sky Sports), Spurs were in limbo hoping for the 25-year-old’s transfer over the next fortnight (Fabrizio Romano).

However, it was all in vain, with Gibbs-White signing a record-breaking new £150,000-per-week contract at Forest to end all hopes of Frank welcoming the attacker to N17.

The statement of intent was there from Levy and Tottenham, but an unprecedented chain of events means that the north Londoners must now turn to alternative forward targets in their quest for upgrades.

Frank needs to be backed with fresh faces ahead of his first ever campaign managing in the Champions League, and according to recent reports, Spurs are now turning towards Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Tottenham want to make Real Madrid star Rodrygo their new "crown jewel"

Reports earlier this week claimed that Tottenham have opened discussions with intermediaries over a potential deal for Rodrygo, who faces an uncertain future under new Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso.

Now, journalist Eduardo Burgos has shared an update on the situation in a piece for Diario AS.

Spurs have apparently approached Madrid, requesting their green-light to formally speak with the Brazil international, and they want Rodrygo to be the “crown jewel” of Frank’s new-look squad for 2025/2026.

This follows the arrival of a “new investor” in the club which has given them “significant financial muscle”, but they still want to lower Real’s £78 million asking price. Tottenham are said to be moving for Rodrygo’s signature through an intermediary, and they might actually have a free run at signing the 24-year-old.

While Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is a fan of Rodrygo, they’re yet to move, and it is believed both Liverpool and Chelsea are dropping out of the race with their eyes on Alexander Isak and Xavi Simons respectively.

AS and Burgos state that Spurs are the only club in a solid position to sign the “superstar” former Santos sensation right now, and he’s also open to leaving the Bernabeu before September 1.

It’s been an interesting transfer window for West Ham United so far this summer.

The club have not gone out and splashed loads of cash for Graham Potter, but they’ve made a few clever additions to the team that could really help them climb the Premier League table next year.

For example, Jean-Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker-Peters should seriously improve the defensive unit, and El Hadji Malick Diouf enjoyed a stellar campaign with Slavia Prague last season.

Moreover, while Callum Wilson isn’t the most exciting of transfers, it is another smart one, and the club could get plenty out of him if they sign another Englishman they’ve already been linked with this summer.

Why Callum Wilson is a smart signing

Now, as we’ve already said, there is no denying the fact that at the moment, Wilson is most certainly not an exciting signing, and is unlikely one that’s going to shift too many shirts.

Transfer Focus

However, it does feel like a smart move, especially as he’s joined for free, is set to be earning a heavily incentivised salary – which is wise given his injury record – and has only agreed to a year, so if things do go wrong, he won’t be a long-term drain on resources.

With that said, while the financial side of things appears to be well-thought-out, there is plenty of upside in the 33-year-old’s actual ability as well, as we’ve seen over the years that a fit Wilson can be a menace for defenders and a reasonably reliable scorer of goals.

For example, in the 7647 minutes he played for Newcastle United, the former Bournemouth ace managed to score 49 goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 127.45 minutes, which is not a bad record at all.

Moreover, in 244 minutes for England, he’s scored two goals and provided one assist, which works out to an average of a goal involvement every 81.33 minutes, which, again, is probably better than most would’ve expected.

In all, Wilson isn’t going to be leading the line for West Ham next season, but he could be a useful option off the bench, and if the club want to get the most out of him, they should go ahead and sign another player they’ve been linked with this summer: Harvey Elliott.

Why West Ham should sign Harvey Elliott

It looks more and more likely that Elliott will be leaving Liverpool this summer, and while there are several clubs out for his signaure, some better placed than West Ham, the Irons have already been linked with him earlier this summer, and while it could cost as much as £50m, they should be looking to bring him in.

There are two key reasons why Potter and Co should be all over the Englishman, and that is the fact that he looks like someone who could develop into a star player, but he’s also someone who’s already good enough to make a difference.

Moreover, he could help the manager get more out of Wilson from the word go next season.

For example, despite being just 21 years old for most of last season, and being relegated to a bench role for most of the campaign, the “outrageous” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was still able to rack up a brilliant tally of five goals and three assists in 822 minutes of action that saw him constantly moving between attacking midfield and right-wing.

That means the former Fulham gem averaged a goal involvement every 102.75 minutes for Arne Slot’s side, despite having a real run of starts at any point in the campaign.

Appearances

28

Starts

21

Minutes

1828′

Goals

14

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

Minutes per Goal Involvement

91.4′

Moreover, his record for the England U21s is nothing short of exemplary, as in 28 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, the dynamic talent has scored 14 goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.4 games, or every 91.4 minutes.

Now, just imagine what he’d be capable of producing at the London Stadium if Potter gave him a regular chance to start games, either in midfield or off the right, he’d surely kick on and either help boost his teammates’ assist tallies, or in the case of Wilson, help provide him with plenty of goalscoring chances.

Ultimately, it might be a difficult transfer to pull off, but Elliott looks like someone who could be a future star, and therefore, West Ham should be looking to sign him, especially as he’d be a brilliant teammate for the former Newcastle star.

Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze has both Arsenal and Tottenham hot on his heels during the final three weeks of this summer window, with the England international holding a preferred destination between the pair.

Eze was, by some distance, Oliver Glasner’s standout attacking force last campaign, racking up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, and Palace still face the very real threat of losing their talismanic number 10 before the transfer deadline on September 1.

The 27-year-old’s £68 million release clause (including bonuses) was thought to expire on August 1, but new information from the last few days has now revealed that the clause actually remains active until this Friday.

Arsenal were also once the main contenders to sign Eze, with some reports even suggesting they’ve reached an agreement on financial terms, but it appears sporting director Andrea Berta won’t have a free run after all.

The Gunners have been in constant dialogue with Eze’s representatives since early July, but they’ve stalled on making a formal bid for him thus far – allowing north London rivals Tottenham a chance to swoop in and open talks with Palace (Fabrizio Romano).

Spurs were after Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as their top attacking target, but despite booking a medical for the 25-year-old and being ready to trigger his £60m release clause this time last month, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side blocked the move, threatened legal action and convinced him to sign a new deal.

This has prompted them to turn to Eze, with Arsenal and Spurs now poised to battle for the former QPR star’s services.

Eze averaged more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player last season, and given Liverpool are now closing in on a deal for Marc Guehi, the Eagles would be severely weakened if they lose their star creator too.

The presence of his active release clause theoretically means one of Arsenal or Tottenham could swoop in to trigger it at any moment, and this remains a possibility over the next three days until it expires.

Eberechi Eze's "first preference" between Arsenal and Tottenham

If both clubs are prepared to pay £68 million, the result of this transfer race could come down to who Eze would rather join.

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Eze does have a “first preference” between Arsenal and Tottenham.

The reliable journalist has revealed that the club he’d rather join is Arsenal, but that isn’t to completely discount Thomas Frank’s side, as Eze remains open to potentially signing for them as well.

Given Mikel Arteta currently has captain Martin Odegaard and newly tied-down youngster Ethan Nwaneri at his disposal for the number 10 role, Spurs are arguably in more desperate need of Eze.

Frank missed out on Gibbs-White and James Maddison has just succumbed to an ACL rupture which will rule him out for most of the season, so Arsenal could compound real misery on their rivals by beating them to Eze’s signature.