da blaze casino： Celtic appear to be closing in on an exciting addition to their attacking arsenal as they pursue a deal for FC Nordsjaelland winger Benjamin Nygren.

da dobrowin： Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph recently claimed that the Hoops are close to agreeing a fee to sign the Sweden international from the Danish outfit.

For a fee of around £2m, the 23-year-old attacker could be a very cost-effective and shrewd signing for Brendan Rodgers ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Why £2m is a bargain fee for Benjamin Nygren

The Scottish giants appear set to land a bargain deal for the left-footed winger because his contract with Nordsjaelland is due to expire at the end of December.

This means that the Danish outfit have to cash in now, for a reduced fee, because they would otherwise risk losing him for nothing in the January transfer window at the start of next year.

It also looks to be a bargain because of the quality that he could provide at the top end of the pitch, after the flanker scored 15 goals in 30 league matches this season.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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The £2m fee also means that Nygren is set to be worth less than the majority of the Celtic squad, including centre-back Liam Scales, who the club have hit gold on.

Celtic have hit the jackpot on Liam Scales

The Hoops swooped to sign the Ireland international from Shamrock Rovers in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £500k, which has turned out to be a bargain fee for the defender.

Scales has scored six goals in 97 appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions to date, and has been a regular starter at the back under Rodgers in the past two seasons.

The left-footed titan even made the PFA Team of the Year, alongside defensive partner Cameron Carter-Vickers, at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, thanks to his impressive showings in the Scottish Premiership.

Scales’ emergence as a regular starter, and excellent performer, for the Hoops in the last two seasons has caused his market value to soar way beyond the £500k they initially paid for him, and beyond the fee they are set to pay for Nygren.

Liam Scales’ soaring market value

Date

Market valuation

July 2021

£500k

December 2022

£600k

December 2023

£1.7m

May 2024

£2.1m

October 2024

£3m

December 2024

£3.4m

March 2025

£3m

June 2025

£3.4m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old defender’s value is now at a whopping £3.4m, which is significantly more than the £500k they invested in him four years ago.

It also means that Scales, who was dubbed “underrated” by Neil Lennon, is worth £1.4m more than a winger who scored 15 league goals this season, Nygren, which is still impressive in spite of the forward’s contractual situation.

His market value shows that Celtic hit the jackpot by snapping him up from Shamrock Rovers for a modest fee, as he has developed into a regular starter and a very valuable asset who could make the club a healthy profit in the future if they decide to cash in on him.

Related As exciting as Nygren: £7m star is now a target for Celtic this summer

Celtic are eyeing up another forward alongside the signing of Benjamin Nygren.

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Hopefully, Scales will continue to be a dependable figure at the back for the Scottish giants next season, which could lead to his value soaring even higher.

da bet7： Nottingham Forest are now willing to make a £21m bid for a “superb” midfielder, which would be enough to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Forest eyeing new signings amid Elanga uncertainty

da betobet： After making an unexpected push for the Champions League places last season, there was also going to be interest in some of Forest’s best-performing players this summer, and the future of Anthony Elanga remains very much up in the air.

Newcastle United, who pipped the Tricky Trees to a fifth-place finish, are now thought to be closing in on a move for Elanga, which would be a major blow, given that the Sweden international amassed 17 Premier League goal contributions in the 2024-25 campaign.

As such, Nuno has been running the rule over potential replacements for the winger, with FC Porto’s Pepe believed to be of interest, having held talks over a deal for the 28-year-old, while Juventus’ Timothy Weah has turned down a move to the City Ground.

Related Nottingham Forest set to make £20m+ move for EURO 2024 Golden Boot winner

Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign a promising young striker.

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Having missed out on Weah, Nottingham Forest have now turned their attentions to another Serie A player, with a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) revealing they are now willing to make a €25m (£21m) offer for AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah.

Musah is described as being one of the key candidates to leave Milan, with the Italian club looking to raise funds for their own transfer business, and a move to the City Ground could be on the cards, as there is a belief he could shine in the Premier League.

Milan would be likely to accept a £21m offer, but there is set to be competition for the central midfielder’s signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also willing to make a bid of the same value.

"Superb" Musah could flourish at Forest

Despite being just 22-years-old, the maestro already has plenty of experience in some major European leagues, making 108 appearances with Valencia, before going on to receive regular game time with current club AC Milan.

During that time, the USA international has displayed his versatility, predominantly featuring in central midfield, but also playing on both wings, perhaps due to his stellar dribbling ability, ranking in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year.

Scout Jacek Kulig also lauded the American for his “superb” performances at the 2022 World Cup, showcasing his ability to perform at the top level, which could make the Milan ace a solid signing for a Forest side with aspirations of competing in Europe.

Nuno’s side should be wary of Wolves’ interest, but Europa Conference League football being on offer at the City Ground next season could give them an edge in negotiations for Musah.

da winzada777： Tottenham Hotspur are seen as favourites to sign a marquee player this summer, giving new manager Thomas Frank a potential boost as the north Londoners seek to build upon their trophy-winning 2024/2025 campaign.

Related Tottenham ready to pay asking price for £100k-a-week star, he wants the move

Spurs could make him their latest marquee signing.

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da pinnacle： Frank has considerable shoes to fill after Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s long wait for a piece of major silverware.

Spurs’ historic 1-0 win against Man United in the Europa League final will live long in the memory, and while the Australian led Spurs to a torrid domestic campaign, breaking their record for most Premier League defeats in a single season (22), Postecoglou will go down in Lilywhites folklore as the manager who won their first European trophy since 1984.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Postecoglou was also a popular figure among the players, with James Maddison, Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall among the squad members to speak out in public defence of their former manager.

Nevertheless, with the 59-year-old now gone, and linked with a surprise MLS move to Los Angeles FC, Frank must now steady the ship and regalvanize his new squad ahead of a vital campaign where they’ll be back in the Champions League.

Chairman Daniel Levy reportedly has every intention of backing his preferred candidate to replace Postecoglou, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is widely rumoured to be one of their top attacking targets.

The England international’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season tell just half the story of Eze’s undoubted quality. The 26-year-old was a vocal point under Oliver Glasner throughout 2024/2025, bagging the winner against Man City in their 1-0 FA Cup final win over Pep Guardiola’s side – a result which ended Palace’s history-long wait for a major trophy.

It is little wonder there are suggestions that Tottenham are ready to pay Eze’s £68 million release clause, especially considering 2024/2025 may have been Son Heung-min’s last season at Spurs, as clubs in Saudi Arabia consider poaching the club legend after 10 years in N17.

Tottenham favourites to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace

The major worry for Levy is Arsenal’s concrete interest in Eze, and there is apparently every possibility that Mikel Arteta’s side could hijack Spurs’ pursuit of the former QPR sensation.

However, despite the stiff competition for his signature, journalist Graeme Bailey has told TBR Football that Tottenham are currently leading the race for Eze, and are the “most advanced” of every team in pursuit of the “wonderful player”.

“Eberechi Eze is expecting to leave Crystal Palace this summer, that is no secret,” said Bailey.

“He has a release clause and Steve Parish is open to taking installments to a certain degree but any agreement will need to be reached with Palace. Eze himself has made it clear he is open to options, and a host of Premier League clubs have made contact.

“As we have reported, the most advanced are Tottenham, and we are told the player would welcome a move.

“But Arsenal have indeed made enquiries as they see him as a potential option on their left – but same with Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Aston Villa – they have all made enquiries to some extent this year.”

da 888casino： With pre-season preparations set to get underway, the start of the new Premier League campaign is now edging ever closer, ahead of the curtain raiser on 15 August.

da dobrowin： For managers, the off-season is one of welcome respite, before the scrutiny ramps up when action gets underway again. For now, they are safe – but not for long.

Already, attention is turning to just which of those in the dugout will be facing the axe first, following in the footsteps of 2024/25’s first casualty, Erik ten Hag, at Manchester United.

On that front, the AI tool, ChatGPT, has provided the answers ahead of 2025/26…

AFC Bournemouth Andoni Iraola

Despite reportedly being in the running to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, Andoni Iraola looks set to remain at Bournemouth – provided another suitor does not emerge over the next 12 months or so.

Two years into an exciting project on the south coast, the highly-rated Spaniard is seemingly more likely to jump than be pushed by the Cherries’ hierarchy.

ChatGPT says: Very low risk of the sack – extension more likely

Arsenal Mikel Arteta

In the words of former Arsenal man, Paul Merson, current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has ‘until Christmas’ to improve his fortunes at the Emirates, having overseen a third successive second-place finish last time out.

That said, having only signed a new deal – ending in 2027 – back in September, the Spaniard appears to be in a strong position heading into 2025/26, not least following last season’s thrilling Champions League run.

ChatGPT says: Very low risk – secure through 2026

Aston Villa Unai Emery

A final-day defeat to Man United denied Unai Emery and Aston Villa a Champions League qualification spot, although the 53-year-old remains a beloved figure at Villa Park for having revived the club’s fortunes since replacing Steven Gerrard in October 2022.

Quarter-finalists in Europe and semi-finalists in the FA Cup in 2024/25, the Villans remain on the right track. It appears unlikely that things will soon derail.

ChatGPT says: Very low risk – secure through 2026

Brentford Keith Andrews

After a long period of stability, it’s all change for Brentford. Christian Norgaard looks to be on his way to Arsenal. Man United remain in hot pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo. Oh, and Thomas Frank has been replaced by Keith Andrews.

The former Republic of Ireland international turned set-piece coach has been boldly appointed as the Bees’ main man, with intrigue mounting over whether this bold gamble will pay off. In the view of ChatGPT, Andrews could find himself under pressure sooner rather than later.

ChatGPT says: Possible chance of the sack – late October/November 2025 if Brentford aren’t in mid-table or better

Brighton Fabian Hurzeler

The Premier League’s youngest manager, Fabian Hurzeler enjoyed a relatively smooth start to life at Brighton, albeit with the Seagulls narrowly missing out on European football – despite boasting the largest net spend on the continent.

While the German doesn’t appear to be under any immediate pressure, failure to make the most of the club’s exciting squad could see him come under scrutiny in the new year.

ChatGPT says: Low risk – could be sacked in January or February 2026 if Brighton have a shaky start

Burnley Scott Parker

So often the bridesmaid, but never the bride, Burnley boss Scott Parker has now overseen three promotions from the Championship, albeit while enduring a miserable time of things at Premier League level.

Sacked by Fulham amid their impending relegation in 2021, prior to enduring an acrimonious exit from Bournemouth a year later, the Englishman could again find himself at risk if the top-flight proves to be a step too far again for the newly-promoted Clarets.

ChatGPT says: Moderate risk – position likely to be reviewed in February-April 2026, if risk of relegation arises

Chelsea Enzo Maresca

A fine first season at Chelsea ended in Conference League glory and Champions League qualification for former Leicester City boss, Enzo Maresca, with the Italian having enhanced his reputation at Stamford Bridge thus far.

Knowing the typically ruthless nature of the Blues’ hierarchy, however, it won’t be too long before questions will begin to be asked if the team’s form falters.

ChatGPT says: Lower risk – likely to be safe until mid-2026 at least, barring a catastrophic run of form

Crystal Palace Oliver Glasner

The man to lead Crystal Palace to their first ever FA Cup triumph, Oliver Glasner is an undoubted hero at Selhurst Park, having overseen a remarkable transformation after replacing Roy Hodgson in the dugout.

While seemingly safe from the sack, barring a disastrous start the campaign, the greater issue could be whether Glasner himself opts to depart, with just a year left on his current deal.

ChatGPT says: Low risk – potential exit in June 2026, if contract extension isn’t agreed

Everton David Moyes

The man to lead Everton into a new era at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the returning David Moyes has more than enough credit in the bank, having built on a memorable first spell by steering the Toffees to safety in routine fashion last season.

For all that positivity, however, the mood could swiftly sour if the Merseysiders don’t get off to a good start in their new home.

ChatGPT says: Risk zone of October/November 2025, if Everton have a poor opening

Fulham Marco Silva

Speaking of Everton, one-time Toffees boss Marco Silva continues to quietly go about his business at Craven Cottage, with Fulham again comfortably finishing in mid-table in 2024/25.

Previously tipped to move to Saudi Arabia, the Portuguese coach appears content to stay put in west London, with owner Tony Khan suggesting back in April that the club want Silva to stay “forever”. A sacking seemingly feels unlikely any time soon.

ChatGPT says: Very low risk – secure through 2026

da dobrowin： Celtic’s busy transfer activity continues.

da brdice： Japanese striker Shin Yamada is set to arrive in Glasgow this week, ahead of finalising a £1.2m move from Asian Champions League finalists Kawasaki Frontale.

He becomes the club’s sixth signing of the summer so far, after Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura; the latter has also arrived from the J League.

However, following Wednesday’s friendly victory over Sporting CP in the Algarve, while acknowledging that Yamada is on his way, Brendan Rodgers stated that he wants “to add [more] to our front line”, so could his number one target soon follow?

Celtic targeting more firepower

In that same aforementioned interview following the mid-week win at Estádio Algarve, Rodgers stated “we’ve lost a lot of goals” and he’s not wrong, as the table below outlines.

Celtic’s top-scorer of Brendan Rodgers’ second spell

Players

Goals (23/24 & 24/25)

Are they still at Celtic?

Daizen Maeda

43

Yes

Kyōgo Furuhashi

31

No

Adam Idah

29

Yes

Nicolas Kühn

24

No

Matt O’Riley

19

No

Reo Hatate

14

Yes

Callum McGregor

12

Yes

Arne Engels

10

Yes

Luis Palma

10

Yes*

*is expected to depart

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, three of Celtic’s top five scorers from across the last two seasons combined have departed, after Nicolas Kühn was sold to Como for a reported fee of £16.4m earlier this month.

Meantime, Luis Palma, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Olympiacos, but did score ten times the year before, could be on his way to Lech Poznań, with the Ekstraklasa champions looking to take the Honduran international on loan with a £4m option to buy included, according to journalist Sebastian Staszewski.

Thus, new wingers have to be a priority, hence why Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports believes Celtic remain interested in signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Speaking on Off The Underside earlier this week, he stated that the Hoops have “been monitoring [Balikwisha] for quite a while” and are currently “weighing up” whether or not to pay the £5m it would require to sign him, adding that the Belgian “would like to join Celtic”.

Transfer Focus

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

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Suffice to say, Celtic have a long-standing interest in the Royal Antwerp winger, with Sacha Tavolieri of RMC Sport reporting as long ago as 10 June that the Hoops were “in the race” to sign him and that “discussions regarding personal terms” had already begun.

So, will the Scottish Premiership champions, finally, land their man?

How Michel-Ange Balikwisha would improve Celtic

Since joining Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2021, Balikwisha has made 141 appearances for the club, scoring 29 goals and registering 17 assists.

He was a key figure in the Antwerp side that won the Jupiler Pro League two years ago, scoring ten times that season, claiming the club’s first top-flight title since 1957.

During that same year, Balikwisha scored in the Coupe de Belgique Final victory over Mechelen and the Belgische Supercup as they defeated the same opposition a few months later, also netting the clincher in the Champions League play-off round victory over AEK Athens, before also scoring against Shakhtar Donetsk at Bosuilstadion during the group phase.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout praises his “pace, dribbling and finishing”, describing these as his primary attributes, while analyst Ben Mattinson labels him “two-footed”​​​​​​​ and “capable of beating a defender”.

Now though, with only one year remaining on his contract, and with Antwerp having failed to qualify for European competition, they are surely looking to cash in while they still can.

The question still remains however: is he a bigger talent than Yamada? Well, let’s assess their respective career statistics to answer that question.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha vs Shin Yamada career statistics

Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Competitions

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Jupiler Pro League

146

33

16

UEFA Champions League

5

1

0

UEFA Europa League

7

10

0

UEFA competition qualifiers

10

2

5

Belgian Cup & SuperCup

13

3

1

Total

181

38

21

Shin Yamada

Competitions

Appearances

Goals

Assists

J League

85

25

5

AFC Champions League

17

2

4

Emperor’s Cup

11

9

0

J League Cup & SuperCup

12

1

0

Total

121

37

9

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, even though Yamada is a year older, Balikwisha boasts the greater high-level experience.

The Belgian has played in the Champions League, making 22 appearances in UEFA competitions for Standard Liège and current employers Antwerp all told, while scoring one more career goal in total.

Also, for comparison, according to Global Football Rankings, the Belgian top-flight is the eighth-strongest league in the world, with the J League down in 23rd, still 20 places higher than the Premiership, it must be said.

This is not to denigrate Yamada, nor suggest he won’t be a good signing, but Balikwisha, unlike the striker, has proven himself at a higher level, so would surely be worth paying the £5m fee, especially given the wide-attacker is such a position of urgent need.

Related Bad news for Idah: Celtic set to complete another "fantastic" signing

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Posts 1

da esport bet： For all the superstars playing in the Premier League, often the most crucial member of the team is the manager. No wonder, then, that some of them are paid the big bucks. Of course, some bosses earn more than others, but what do managers’ pay packets look like?

da winzada777： Based on the latest reports, here are the details of how much the current top-flight managers earn. As you might expect, there are some eye-watering sums here, so brace yourselves.

2024/25 Premier League managers’ salaries

Rank

Manager

Club

Wage per year

1

Pep Guardiola

Man City

£20m

2

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal

£10m

3=

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

£8m

3=

Thomas Frank

Tottenham

£8m

5

Arne Slot

Liverpool

£6.9m

6

Ruben Amorim

Man Utd

£6.5m

7

David Moyes

Everton

£5m

8

Oliver Glasner

Crystal Palace

£4.5m

9

Enzo Maresca

Chelsea

£4.2m

10=

Marco Silva

Fulham

£4m

10=

Eddie Howe

Newcastle

£4m

12

Nuno Espirito Santo

Nottingham Forest

£2m

13

Andoni Iraola

Bournemouth

£1m

13 Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) Annual wage: Over £1m per year

Andoni Iraola only had one victory in his first ten Premier League matches at Bournemouth last term, but has turned things around on the south coast.

Iraola had been among the lower earners in the division, reportedly making £1m per season under his initial two-year deal with the Cherries. However, given the former Rayo Vallecano boss signed a 12-month extension just before the end of 2023/24, we reckon he would have had his wages bumped up somewhat since.

12 Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest) Annual wage: Over £2m per year

Nuno Espirito Santo was tasked with steering Nottingham Forest to safety, and looks set to take the Reds into Europe for 2025/26.

The former Wolves and Spurs boss was thought to have been made Forest’s highest-paid manager when brought in by Evangelos Marinakis, and with predecessor Steve Cooper on a salary of £2m upon his departure, we can assume Espirito Santo is on a heftier wage.

Given his success in 2024/25, we wouldn’t be surprised if he has had a pay rise after penning a new deal until 2028.

11 Eddie Howe (Newcastle United) Annual wage: £4m per year

Since taking the helm at Newcastle United, the Toon boss has delivered nothing short of remarkable results, ensuring they’re well ahead of schedule with a top-four finish in 2022/23. Under his leadership, the Magpies have not only soared to impressive heights, but have now established themselves as one of the Premier League’s more impressive outfits.

Eddie Howe is currently on an annual salary of £4m, which would have increased had the Magpies qualified for European football once again last term.

With Newcastle assured of a European place in 2025/26 courtesy of their historic EFL Cup triumph, Howe could yet be in line for a pay rise.

10 Marco Silva (Fulham) Annual wage: £4m per year

Marco Silva has helped establish Fulham as a stable Premier League outfit since securing the Championship title and achieving promotion, further solidifying his position in the eyes of owner Shahid Khan.

Since taking charge at Craven Cottage in 2021, the former Everton boss has worked wonders, earning a substantial £4m salary along with an annual bonus of £500,000.

This high-profile success has clearly served as motivation for Silva, whose team have transformed into European challengers under his leadership.

9 Enzo Maresca (Chelsea) Annual wage: £4.2m per year

The latest boss churned out on the Stamford Bridge conveyor belt of managers was Enzo Maresca. While he had more recent trophy-winning experience than predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, his reported wage is dwarfed by the Argentinian’s, who was apparently earning over £10m a year in west London.

The Chelsea hierarchy is clearly giving Maresca the opportunity to up his salary through positive results, as if they were to make another change, it won’t be as pricey as letting Pochettino go prematurely.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Maresca guided Chelsea to two trophies, the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup.

8 Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace) Annual wage: £4.5m per year

Oliver Glasner was appointed as Crystal Palace boss on a deal until 2026 and has reportedly been earning a salary totalling around £4.5m a year.

The 2022 Europa League winner has had a promising start to his career at Selhurst Park, with the Eagles steering well clear of relegation bother in his first half-season before famously lifting the FA Cup in 2024/25.

The way Glasner’s going, this is just the beginning for him in south London.

Related The 8 longest-serving managers in the Premier League & EFL

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Posts 7 David Moyes (Everton) Annual wage: £5m per year

David Moyes’ return to Everton has been an undoubted success, with the Scot steering the Merseysiders to safety after Sean Dyche was sacked in early January.

Reports claimed that Moyes, who won the Conference League during his time away from Goodison Park, signed a two-and-a-half-year deal worth £12.5m, coming in at £5m a year.

Despite being one of the pricier Premier League bosses, it’s certainly a decision that has paid off for the Friedkin Group.

6 Ruben Amorim (Manchester United) Annual wage: £6.5m per year

Manchester United decided to part ways with Erik ten Hag after a dreadful start to the 2024/25 campaign. While things in the league haven’t improved much, replacement Ruben Amorim has at least had success in Europe this term.

Aside from the hefty £11m-plus compensation fee to bring the Portuguese coach in from Sporting CP, Amorim is thought to be on a slightly lower annual salary than his predecessor, who brought in £6.75m a year plus bonuses.

Amorim is currently bringing in £6.5m per annum, though a strong end to the season may see this rise ahead of 2025/26.

5 Arne Slot (Liverpool) Annual wage: £6.9m per year

Amid all the managerial changes in 2024, the man stepping into the biggest shoes this summer was Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

Replacing Jurgen Klopp and rebuilding in his absence may have seemed a poisoned chalice of sorts, but winning the title at the first attempt is justification for the Reds paying handsomely to get the man they wanted from the Dutch Eredivisie.

Reports claim that Slot is now earning €8m (£6.9m) a year as Liverpool manager, which is (understandably) a significant climbdown from Klopp’s apparent wages of around £15m per annum.

4 Thomas Frank (Tottenham) Annual wage: £8m per year

Thomas Frank, who assumed the role of Brentford’s manager in 2018, helped the club to the promised land of the Premier League and become an established top-flight outfit.

Following Ange Postecoglou’s departure from Tottenham, Frank swiftly moved to north London and penned a three-year deal with Spurs, reportedly earning £8m a year.

There will be plenty of pressure on Frank to get things right for Tottenham in the Premier League, and he has almost doubled what he was on at Brentford by taking the Spurs job.

da prosport bet： Everton seem to finally be making moves in the transfer market ahead of the Premier League season.

da brwin： Thierno Barry is through the door, while a move to sign Malick Fofana is edging closer to happening.

David Moyes isn’t finished yet, of course, as there are still several areas which need bolstering heavily.

A new right-back is urgently required, and another centre-back wouldn’t go amiss either. Moyes might be able to call upon Vitaliy Mykolenko on the left side of the defence, but recent news suggests he is closing in on another left-back.

Everton’s search for defenders

Despite their need to improve a backline that conceded 44 times last season, there has been a distinct lack of transfer links.

James Tarkowski looks set to renew his partnership with Jarrad Branthwaite, who will come into the new campaign with a new contract under his arm. But, who could join them?

Well, according to Paddy Boyland of the Athletic, Everton are closing in on a deal to sign Bayern Munich youngster Adam Aznou.

The move will cost the Toffees around £8m initially, which, given his potential for growth, could turn out to be a shrewd move for the club.

Boyland reports that he is “set” to undergo a medical early this week and fly to the USA to join up with the squad on their pre-season tour.

His arrival would add dynamism to the left flank and, over the course of the next few years, the Moroccan defender could be a perfect signing for Iliman Ndiaye.

Why Adam Aznou is perfect for Ndiaye

Last season, Ndiaye finished as Everton’s top scorer with 11 goals, and it was a solid debut introduction to English football for the Senegal international.

If he can kick on from this, Moyes will have a devastating left winger at his disposal who can help fire the Merseyside club into the top half of the Premier League table this term.

The winger also succeeded with 2.1 dribbles last season, while creating three big chances and recording a 24% goal conversion percentage.

By adding Aznou to the squad, the young left-back has the ability to link up well with Ndiaye going forward, and this partnership could cause chaos for the opposition defence.

In 2024, talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Aznou as a “generational talent” and should he impress at Everton, he will live up to this hype.

Aznou has already made four appearances for Bayern Munich, with one coming at the recent Club World Cup, but it was during his loan spell with Real Valladolid where he shone.

He started ten La Liga games for the club and looked impressive in the final third. Indeed, he succeeded with 1.5 dribbles per game – a 56% success rate – while also averaging 0.5 key passes and registering 0.3 shots per game.

The youngster has also shown defensively. When compared to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Aznou ranked in the top 9% of full-backs for tackles (2.82) per 90, in the top 1% for blocks (2.51) per 90 and also in the top 30% for aerials won (1.11) per 90 during his stint in Spain.

Given his lack of senior appearances, these statistics point towards a trend that Moyes will hope continues at Everton.

Aznou’s stats in La Liga last season

Matches

13

Touches per game

43

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

Tackles per game

2.2

Total duels won per game

5.8

Via Sofascore

His ability to go past defenders will aid Ndiaye, who can use the youngster as the perfect foil for attacking success this coming season.

Related Better than Ndiaye: Everton in talks to sign "magnificent" £43m star

As Everton search for reinforcements this summer, the Toffees are in talks to sign a “magnificent prospect”.

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da wazamba： Leeds United are active in the market and have now held a meeting to sign a talented playmaker who they have been heavily linked with this window, per recent developments.

Daniel Farke set to make key Leeds United transfer decisions

da cassino online： While the window rumbles on, Daniel Farke has plenty of decisions to make at the Elland Road helm, including who to keep and who to sell from his existing squad.

Addressing the future of one star under the microscope, Farke has confirmed Jack Harrison could be a part of Leeds United’s plans this season if he is able to win back the trust of supporters after spending two years on loan at Everton.

He stated: “Jack has many Premier League appearances and we would be stupid if we didn’t want to use that. It is a bit tricky if you have a couple of years away but that was a decision before my time.

“Right now he is back with us. He is a great guy, a hard worker and very reliable. It is up to him to win the confidence and trust back.”

Nevertheless, Leeds United are expected to turn to the market for more reinforcements, and Leicester City’s James Justin could move to Elland Road as he enters the last year of his deal at the Foxes.

Related Terms agreed: "Dominant" £17m star says yes to signing for Leeds United

Leeds United appear to be closing in on their first signing of the summer window.

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Artem Dovbyk and Rodrigo Muniz are targets to strengthen Leeds’ forward line, albeit it remains to be seen whether Roma and Fulham, respectively, would be willing to let either leave for Yorkshire.

Focusing on the foil behind the strikeforce, Farke and the 49ers may now be closing in on a landmark deal for a statement addition, per reports.

Leeds hold meeting with camp of Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss

According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Leeds have held a meeting with Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss’s camp, Stirr Associates, and they have indicated that they would be willing to pay the Morocco international’s £24.5 million release clause.

His agency also represent new Whites signing Sebastiaan Bornauw, which could open the door to a deal being done following their previous successful negotiations with one of their clients.

Labelled a “sensational prospect” by Ben Mattinson, El Khannouss registered three goals and six assists in 37 appearances last campaign as Leicester suffered relegation.

Crystal Palace are also interested in his services, though Tavolieri has confirmed that Oliver Glasner would need to sell Eberechi Eze before a transfer could become viable for the South London-based outfit.

Taking note, Leeds now appear to be in the box seat to bring El Khannouss to Elland Road, providing they can navigate all moving parts of an evolving situation.

da bet7： Glasgow Rangers made their way through to the play-off round of Champions League qualifiers with a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen on aggregate.

da brwin： The Light Blues traveled away from Ibrox to play the second leg in Czechia on Tuesday night and lost 2-1, but it did not matter in the end thanks to their 3-0 win in Glasgow last week.

Russell Martin will not be happy with the nature of his team’s performance in this match, despite it not mattering overall in the tie, because there were several players who did not play to the best of their ability.

Djeidi Gassama made a lightning fast start to life at Ibrox with four goals in his first five matches, but it is fair to say that this was a step down from what supporters have already gotten used to from the winger.

Djeidi Gassama's performance against Viktoria Plzen

The overall team performance did not help the French forward, it must be said, but the former Sheffield Wednesday man failed to make a positive impact on the match.

In 87 minutes on the pitch, Gassama did not register a single shot on target or create any chances for his teammates, which shows that he offered very little, if anything, in the final third.

However, the 21-year-old talent did win four of his nine duels and completed two of his three attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore. He competed and tried to put himself around for the team, albeit it was coupled with ineffective play in the important part of the pitch.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

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Whilst Gassama was not at his bes in the final third in a fairly disappointing display, Mohamed Diomande was even worse than him in the middle of the park.

Why Russell Martin must drop Mohamed Diomande

Looking past the League Cup clash with Alloa at the weekend, Martin must ruthlessly drop the Ivorian midfielder from the side to face Club Brugge next Tuesday in the play-off round.

Diomande, who was handed a 4/10 player rating – lower than Gassama’s 5/10 – by IbroxNews, struggled with the physicality and intensity of the match in the middle of the park.

Viktoria Plzen’s players found it far too easy to get the better of him, which helped the home side to assert their dominance on the game, by winning five of their six duels against him, per Sofascore.

Vs Viktoria Plzen

Mohamed Diomande

Minutes

68

Pass accuracy

90%

Ground duels won

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

1

Dribbled past

2x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Diomande lost 83% of his duels across his 68 minutes on the park, and was dribbled past more times than he made defensive interventions.

These statistics show that he was a lightweight out of possession in midfield, whilst Lyall Cameron won three of his five duels and Nicolas Raskin won four of his seven battles, and that is why he was even worse than Gassama, who at least put himself about for the team and showed his strength on and off the ball.

Diomande was the weak link in the middle of the park next to his midfield partners, which is why Martin must consider ruthlessly ditching him from the XI when Club Brugge come to Ibrox, as Joe Rothwell is waiting in the wings to take his place next to Cameron and Raskin.

It is now down to Martin to be ruthless with his decision-making by dropping the left-footed flop from the starting line-up for such a huge match against the Belgian outfit.

da doce： They might have lost two games, but it would be hard to describe this summer as anything other than a success for Arsenal.

da bet sport： Mikel Arteta’s side won their other three, and the board have properly backed him in the market thus far.

The likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke all look ready to make a significant impact in the Premier League and beyond this season.

However, there is still time for the club to make more signings, and one of the players they’ve been most heavily linked with is Eberechi Eze.

However, while the Crystal Palace star would be an excellent signing, it might be wiser for Andrea Berta and Co to go back in for another dynamic attacker linked with the side earlier in the window.

Why Arsenal want to sign Eze

While Arsenal have been linked with Eze before, with stories touting him for a move to the Emirates last summer, the links have been far more substantive and consistent this year.

Transfer Focus

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

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In fact, there are plenty of reports claiming that the player is dead set on joining Arteta’s squad, and that the only obstacle is that the club want to sell players first.

Whatever ends up happening over the coming weeks, it’s clear that the Gunners are interested in the Palace ace, and it’s not hard to understand why.

After all, despite playing for a mid-table side at best, the England international was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists in 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes last season.

That means the former QPR gem maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

On top of that, he also played a key role in the South Londoners’ FA Cup triumph, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final.

However, while all of this is hugely impressive, and we have no doubt that Eze would be a success in North London, Arsenal might be better off going back in for another player they were linked with earlier this summer: Bradley Barcola.

Why Arsenal should sign Barcola over Eze

Now it is certainly the case that links to Barcola have been few and far between this summer, but not nonexistent, as Arsenal reportedly made contact over the French winger back in June.

Stories since then have claimed that the Paris Saint-Germain star is valued at around £87m, and while that is a massive amount of money, we still think this is a transfer the Gunners should be back in for in a big way.

The first reason relates to the 22-year-old’s seriously impressive output last season.

In 64 appearances for the Parisians, totalling 3927 minutes, the game-changing talent, whom respected analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed “one of the best LWs in Europe,” scored 21 goals and provided 21 assists.

In other words, the Lyon-born superstar maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games, or every 93.5 minutes, which is almost unbelievable considering the amount of football he played.

Barcola vs Eze in 24/25

Players

Barcola

Eze

Appearances

64

43

Minutes

3927′

3303′

Goals

21

14

Assists

21

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

93.5′

132.12′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of being more dangerous than Eze, we’d argue that, as an out-and-out left-winger, the former Lyon gem is also more of what the North Londoners need at the moment.

With Martin Odegaard looking to get back to his best and Ethan Nwaneri snapping at his heels, the most glaring weakness in Arteta’s side is the ineffectiveness on the left, with neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard being the sort of players who’d strike fear into opposition defenders.

Ultimately, it might be something of a long shot, but if Arsenal really want to take a massive step forward and closer to Premier League glory this summer, they should go all out for Barcola over Eze.