All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic supporters are starting to get very excited about next season.

On Tuesday afternoon, in one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of Scottish football, Kieran Tierney’s return to the club was confirmed, six years after he was sold to Arsenal for £25m, still to this day a joint-club record.

So, with a true club icon and fans’ favourite on his way back to Paradise, Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment staff can turn their attention to other targets, but are the Premiership champions set to miss out on their dream centre-forward?

Latest on Celtic's pursuit of Mathias Kvistgaarden

According to a report by Michael Gannon of the Daily Record, Celtic’s interest in Mathias Kvistgaarden has cooled, with the 22-year-old, who is valued at £12m, set to join either West Ham United, Eintracht Frankfurt or Lazio instead.

The striker scored 23 goals this season for Brøndby, who finished third in the Danish Superligaen, and his performances have earned widespread praise.

Farzam Abolhosseini of Tipsbladet labels him “magical”, scout António Mango believes that he is “absolutely sensational” and Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout forecasts that Kvistgaarden will only continue to improve.

However, his £12m price-tag was always likely to prove prohibitive, considering Celtic’s record signing remains the £11m paid to sign Arne Engels last August.

So, with the Hoops now focusing on other targets, one in particular stands out.

Celtic's search for a new number nine

As has been previously reported, Celtic are one of many clubs interested in securing the services of Youssef El Kachati.

The 25-year-old is available as a free transfer, having left Telstar following the expiration of his contract.

Despite that, he departs Sportpark Schoonenberg a bona fide club legend, having scored 25 goals this season, firing the White Lions back into the Eredivisie for the first time in 47 years, netting five times in six play-off matches, on target home and away as Telstar defeated Willem II in the final.

So now, Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times claims that El Kachati has turned down the chance to join German second-tier outfit Hannover, with Anthony Evans of the Daily Record reporting that Celtic are ‘supremely confident’ of making this deal happen.

The Dutch-born, Moroccan youth international’s performances in the Eerste Divisie have yielded plenty of praise, including from writer Martin Bjerke, who notes that El Kachati “combines physical presence with dynamic movement”, adding that he is “technically gifted”.

So, let’s assess how he compares to Kvistgaarden.

Appearances

45

38

Minutes

3,517

2,542

Goals

25

23

Assists

6

7

Shots on target %

40.5%

48.8%

Shots per 90

3.86

3.58

Shots on target per 90

1.56

1.75

Goals per shot

0.14

0.21

First and foremost, worth stating up front that, according to Global Football Rankings, the Superligaen is the 13th strongest league in the world, with the Dutch second division down in 70th, which is obviously worth considering.

That caveat aside, the pair do have similar statistics this season, with El Kachati scoring two more goals, albeit in around 1000 more minutes, while registering slightly more shots per 90.

Transfer Focus

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

Thus, it goes without saying that Kvistgaarden is a massive talent, and it is a blow that Celtic are seemingly set to miss out on him, but El Kachati certainly offers a low-cost, low-risk and potentially high-reward alternative.

Sinclair 2.0: £4.6m star who "wins games on his own" is Celtic's top target

Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

Full-backs in today’s game have to be as good offensively as they are defensively, with modern-day managers wanting to see them high up the pitch in the final third.

However, it wasn’t always like that, and we have seen some brilliant no-nonsense left-backs since 1992. But who is the best left-back in Premier League history?

Ranking factors Appearances Longevity Titles Goals Clean sheets What others have said about them 20 best left-backs in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Aleksandar Kolarov Man City

Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov spent seven years at Man City and won two Premier League titles titles, proving to be worth the £16m transfer fee.

A powerful full-back who looked more like a centre-back than a left-back, Kolarov could also get forward and would also be on free-kick duty, scoring a goal in all seven of his top flight seasons at the Etihad.

Games

165

Goals

11

Assists

20

Clean sheets

46

Titles

2

19 Phil Neville Man Utd, Everton

A proper Premier League ‘Barclaysman’, Phil Neville could play as a right-back, holding midfielder or left-back, and was an extremely reliable performer for both Man Utd and Everton.

After winning six titles at Old Trafford, Neville moved to Goodison Park with the Toffees and continued to be a solid option at full-back, captaining Everton as he reached more than 500 Premier League appearances.

Games

505

Goals

9

Assists

25

Titles

6

18 Mikael Silvestre Man Utd, Arsenal

With Man Utd having plenty of world-class options to choose from at centre-back, Mikael Silvestre would be used as a left-back on a regular basis by Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999-2008.

The Frenchman was able to play there due to his pace and would win four Premier League titles at Old Trafford, with Ferguson calling Silvestre “a great servant and a wonderful professional”.

Games

275

Goals

9

Assists

19

Clean sheets

83

Titles

4

17 Gabriel Heinze Man Utd

Another Man Utd left-back, Gabriel Heinze’s time at Old Trafford was short but sweet and would eventually leave after a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Signed from PSG and sold to Real Madrid highlights just how good Heinze was, and he was named the Red Devils’ Player of the Year in his first season, winning the title in his last campaign with United.

Games

52

Goals

1

Assists

1

Clean sheets

18

Titles

1

16 Wayne Bridge Southampton, Chelsea, Fulham, Man City, West Ham, Sunderland

Wayne Bridge played for multiple Premier League clubs between 1998-2012, and the Englishman would have won more caps for England if it wasn’t for somebody else on this list.

He liked to get forward and cross at every opportunity, while also being solid defensively, which resulted in Chelsea spending £7m on his services in 2003, with Bridge winning one title at Stamford Bridge.

Games

315

Goals

3

Assists

21

Clean sheets

100

Titles

1

15 Danny Rose Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Watford

Arguably Danny Rose’s career highlight came on his Tottenham debut against rivals Arsenal, where he announced himself in north London with a brilliant long-range goal.

Rose would go on to have a successful career in the Premier League, with Thomas Tuchel even admitting previously it took him three days to work out how to stop the left-back and his attacking threat ahead of a Champions League clash with Spurs.

Games

202

Goals

9

Assists

17

Clean sheets

42

14 Marcos Alonso Bolton, Sunderland, Chelsea

Marcos Alonso made a name for himself as a left-back who could score from distance at Chelsea following spells with Bolton and Sunderland, winning the Premier League and Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard’s tally of 26 goals and 17 assists in just 179 appearances in defence shows how good he was in the final third, and he was called a “spectacular signing” for Barcelona when leaving the Blues.

Games

179

Goals

26

Assists

16

Clean sheets

63

Titles

1

13 Luke Shaw Southampton, Man Utd

After bursting onto the scene as a teenager at Southampton, Man Utd paid a then-world-record £30m fee for a teenager to sign Luke Shaw.

Since then, Shaw has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions and voted Man Utd’s Players’ Player of the Year twice. Called “the best left-back in the world” by former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag, Shaw has also had his critics but there has been more positives than negatives in his Premier League career.

Games

265

Goals

3

Assists

17

Clean sheets

70

12 Gael Clichy Arsenal, Man City

Part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side in 2003/04, Gael Clichy would also win two more titles with Man City and would make himself known as a brilliant attacking left-back in north London and Manchester.

The Frenchman was also solid defensively and had a great passing vision that was hailed by Arsene Wenger, who labelled Clichy as “awesome”.

Games

325

Goals

3

Assists

18

Clean sheets

115

Titles

3

11 David Unsworth Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Wigan

David Unsworth, a left-back who could also play as a central defender when needed, is the highest-scoring full-back in Premier League, becoming somewhat of a penalty king in the top flight.

Best known for his time at Everton, Unsworth, in his prime, was extremely pacey and powerful on the left-hand side, acquiring the nickname of “Rhino” during his time at Goodison Park.

Games

364

Goals

38

Assists

18

Clean sheets

90

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing update on Arsenal and their transfer plans for the summer window, with one target set to speak to his agents about the possibility of a move to the Emirates Stadium this week.

Mikel Arteta set for talks with Arsenal co-chairman over striker plans

The Times and journalist Gary Jacob shared some very interesting news regarding Mikel Arteta and Gunners co-chair Josh Kroenke.

Arsenal: Berta now targeting £80m Premier League star as Rodrygo talks stall

They’re having problems in pursuit of the Brazilian.

ByEmilio Galantini May 26, 2025

According to their information, amid a plethora of reports linking them with a striker, Arteta and Kroenke are set for internal talks over signing a prolific centre-forward in the next few days, with Arsenal looking to solve their goalscoring problem.

Arsenal surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool, finishing 10 points behind Arne Slot’s side, with the north Londoners failing to reach their previous heights in terms of ruthlessness in the final third.

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

Arteta’s men drew more games than any other side in the top ten over 24/25, scoring just 69 league goals in total, which is far fewer than the 91 and 88 they managed over the previous two seasons.

There has never been a more clear indication that Arsenal are in dire need of a striker, and Arteta publicly suggested that they have every intention of solving that issue among other concerns in the squad.

“Believe me, we are on it,” said Arteta about Arsenal potentially making a signing up front.

“We will try to squeeze and think and turn every stone that we possibly can, to make this club even more successful. But I think what these boys have done, the team has done, regarding everything that has happened, I repeat myself, I think they deserve a lot of credit.”

The result of these sit-down talks with Kroenke could have a profound effect on their chances of mounting a better Premier League title challenge next season, amid serious links to Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Viktor Gyokeres set to speak with agents about possible Arsenal move

The Swede ended 24/25 with 54 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, potentially signing-off on his Sporting career with a strike in the Portuguese Cup final against Benfica on Sunday.

Gyokeres is a top striker target for Arsenal, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but it remains to be seen which marksman ends up at N5.

The 26-year-old has plenty of options, including Arteta’s side, with Romano sharing an update to GiveMeSport on Gyokeres’ plans after what was potentially his last game for Sporting.

Romano reports that Gyokeres is set to speak with his agents “in the next days” and assess all new destinations, including a possible move to Arsenal, and the ex-Coventry City star will make a decision on his next club “soon”.

Gyokeres’ rumoured price tag comes in at around £63 million, which could be seen as a bargain considering his exceptional goalscoring record, and it is peculiar that he hasn’t managed to seal a big-money move until this summer.

It adds further weight to some belief that Gyokeres is “massively underrated” in terms of strikers, and while you can make a case for a lack of quality in the Primeira Liga, the forward’s haul is hugely impressive no matter what division you’re playing in.

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

Chelsea making summer transfer plans

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

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

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

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

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

Talks now set to intensify as Chelsea prepare £17m bid to sign "pacy" gem

They’ve set their sights on another young talent.

ByTom Cunningham May 3, 2025

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

Chelsea step up move to sign Hato

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

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

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

Everton’s winless run against Manchester City continues as Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice in the final ten minutes to secure victory.

Not since a 4-0 victory during the 2016/17 season have the Toffees tasted success against the Etihad side, although they did come close to sealing a draw at Goodison this afternoon.

David Moyes’ men held out resolutely throughout the match, but in the end, City’s quality shone through as goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic stole the three points.

With Premier League survival sealed, Moyes can now experiment over the final few matches of the campaign.

Against City, several players starred, whereas others struggled to make much of an impact.

Everton’s best and worst players against Man City

Before coming off with an injury, James Tarkowski enjoyed a solid display. He won 100% of his total duels contested, along with losing possession just four times. Would Everton have lost if he had still been on the pitch? Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Elsewhere, Abdoulaye Doucoure looked solid after netting a late winner last week. He succeeded with all four of his dribble attempts while winning 50% of his total duels during the game.

These two were the standouts, but a few of the starting XI struggled to contribute much. Jack Harrison delivered yet another poor performance on the right wing. He failed to deliver a single accurate cross from five attempts, lost possession 13 times and made just one key pass.

Accurate passes

Ruben Dias (97)

Key passes

İlkay Gündoğan and Omar Marmoush (2)

Tackles

James Garner (6)

Ground duels won

James Garner (7)

Successful dribble attempts

Omar Marmoush (5)

Armando Broja was by far the worst performer in an Everton shirt at Goodison today, however, that’s for sure.

Why Armando Broja must be axed by David Moyes

The on-loan striker had made just nine Premier League appearances prior to the City clash as he has been hampered by injury issues.

Indeed, he was making only his third start for the Toffees at Goodison today, but he failed to offer much threat in the final third.

Throughout his 63 minutes on the pitch, Broja completed just four passes while taking 22 touches, 30 fewer than Jordan Pickford in goal. The Albanian even failed to register a single shot at goal while winning just a single ground duel and losing the ball 14 times.

Moyes must axe the striker, as he offers no major threat when chosen to start as a centre-forward.

Journalist Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo gave the striker a match rating of 5/10, stating that he ‘worked hard to try and make an impression but needed to be stronger as little stuck before he was hooked again’, yet this simply wasn’t good enough for Moyes.

His loan deal expires at the end of the current season, and given his current form, he will return to Chelsea ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Beto replaced him during the City clash, and going forward, he should be the one to start games under Moyes. That’s a certainty.

Moyes tells Everton to sign both Delap and a new "superstar" top target

Moyes wants both in the door.

2 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 18, 2025

With promotion and League One title glory well within their grasp, Birmingham City have now reportedly turned their focus towards securing a bargain deal to sign a defensive addition this summer.

Birmingham strolling towards promotion

With games in hand on second place Wrexham, Birmingham sit clear at the top of League One and look unlikely to ease their hold on the top of the tree anytime soon. With just a handful of games left to play, the Blues are also on course to secure early promotion above third place Wycombe and could even seal their Championship spot as early as April 18 when they square off against the struggling Crawley Town.

Left delighted with his side’s most recent victory against Barnsley, watching on as they soared to a 6-2 win, manager Chris Davies told reporters: “It was a big three points. To score six goals at home and win 6-2 is a wonderful day for us.

“I thought were good throughout, we had to be patient when they went down to ten men but to score six in front of the home fans is brilliant. Against ten men, it’s a mental game. You can think it’s going to be easy, but it doesn’t work like that.

“To get a sucker punch after we score, with a long throw, that frustration can build so it was really important for me at half-time that I calmed the players down and made them see the game quite clearly and what we needed to do, the positions we needed to get into and how to attack them relentlessly. If we did that, we would score the goals to win the match and we did.”

That victory only strengthened their stride towards promotion and securing an early place should only benefit Birmingham as they go in pursuit of one particular summer bargain.

Birmingham plotting bargain Harry Darling deal

According ton Wales Online, Birmingham are now plotting a move to sign Harry Darling on a free deal once his current contract comes to an end at Swansea City this summer. The defender does reportedly have an offer on the table from the Championship side but is yet to put pen to paper on an extension – opening the door for his exit in the coming months.

That said, the Blues aren’t the only side reportedly interested, with Premier League hopefuls Sheffield United also linked to the Swansea contract rebel as the summer transfer window approaches.

The interest in the 25-year-old centre-back should come as no surprise either. Former Swansea manager Luke Williams is just one of few to praise Darling in recent months, telling reporters following a hard-fought draw against West Bromwich Albion in January: “Harry was outstanding, and it is impossible to question his commitment to the football club because that an heroic performance from him.

“He is fantastic at defending the goal, competing for everything with the opposition. But he also had plenty of brilliant actions in helping us to build-up to try and score. He was brilliant, he’s an excellent player.”

One area West Ham United have struggled in this season, even with the improvements made under Graham Potter, has been the construction of their midfield and lack of mobility in central areas.

Adjustments such as the pressing scheme and triggers under Potter have helped to cover those deficiencies, but this is clearly an area they should be prioritising in the summer.

Current midfield options include Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Carlos Soler, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse.

Since Ward-Prowse returned from his Nottingham Forest loan, Potter has favoured starting him alongside either Alvarez or Soucek, bringing more quality on the ball in those deeper areas for progression.

However, his return has not helped add mobility in the middle of the park, something they have lacked since Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal back in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, for a whopping £105m.

Declan Rice's record at West Ham

Rice made 245 appearances for the Hammers first team in his ten years at the club, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and totaling 20,580 minutes.

He also captained the side to their first European trophy since 1965 under David Moyes, winning the UEFA Conference League in the 2022/23 season, a campaign that would prove to be his last year with the club.

Towards the back end of his time at West Ham, Rice was lauded as a “monster on the pitch” by teammate Mark Noble, with the big-money move coming as no real shock.

Since Rice joined Arsenal, the club have been looking to replace his attributes in the middle of the park, signing a multitude of players, all of whom can offer different attributes, but all of whom have failed so far to replicate anything close to the performances Rice was delivering week after week.

Perhaps, the Hammers could well be regretting letting Rice 2.0 leave for a bargain price…

West Ham have already sold Rice 2.0

Moyes and co sold midfielder Josh Cullen to Anderlecht in 2020, for a fee of just £500k. The then 24-year-old became a key figure for the Belgian outfit, working under Vincent Kompany, who he then went on to work with once more at Burnley years later.

Goals + Assists

0.08

0.16

Progressive Carries

0.50

2.45

Progressive Passes

5.12

6.59

Pass Completion %

87.8%

86.5%

Passes into Final Third

5.32

6.40

Key Passes

0.76

1.02

Shot-Creating Actions

2.28

2.75

Tackles + Interceptions

2.09

3.94

Ball Recoveries

5.73

9.18

Aerial Duels Won

1.14

1.02

When comparing Cullen’s underlying metrics from this season against Rice’s underlying numbers from his last West Ham campaign, you can clearly see Rice ranks much higher in many metrics.

But the tenacity in midfield shown by ball recoveries, aerial duels won and tackles and interceptions is still there, and he would have eased the loss of Rice’s on-ball progressive impact, as Cullen also thrives in this department.

Kompany described Cullen as the “ultimate player” praising his effort and labeling him as a shining example for his fellow professionals.

This is the exact sort of character West Ham could have used after losing Rice, not only replacing many attributes they lost when he walked out the door, but also bringing that sense of calm and leadership to the team.

Whilst it’s hard to compare Cullen and Rice on talent alone, the hard-working culture they share in their respective midfield roles does draw comparisons, both willing to do the hard yards for their side, which is exactly what West Ham have been missing since Rice left the club.

Mark Noble discussing cheap West Ham transfer to sign "sensational" forward

West Ham could finalise a bargain deal ahead of next season.

BySean Markus Clifford Mar 21, 2025

It’s been a rough month for Ipswich Town.

Since their win over Coventry City in the FA Cup, Kieran McKenna’s side have failed to win again in five outings, four of which were in the Premier League.

If the Tractor Boys are going to pull themselves out of the relegation zone over the coming weeks, they’ll have to seriously step their performances up, and this afternoon’s game against Nottingham Forest could be the perfect opportunity to do so.

That said, the manager is going to have to make several changes to the starting lineup, changes that see Jaden Philogene drop to the bench.

Why Philogene should be dropped

Truthfully, you could argue why several of Ipswich’s starters against Crystal Palace should be dropped, but when it comes to the attack, Liam Delap is undoubtedly the team’s most dangerous player, and Jack Clarke appears to be slowly growing into his role.

So, unfortunately for Philogene, that leaves him as the most likely to be dropped from the lineup, and given his lacklustre display against the Eagles, he probably should be axed.

The former Aston Villa ace was wholly ineffective against the South Londoners, and the few times he did have the chance to influence the game, he was found lacking.

Unsurprisingly, the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones was equally unimpressed with the “ridiculous” Englishman, as dubbed by ex-Hull boss Liam Rosenior, giving him a 5/10 match rating and writing that it felt like he ‘hardly had any time in possession’.

The 23-year-old’s statistics do not make for pretty reading either, as in his 67 minutes of action he failed to score from an expected goals figure of 0.65, took just 22 touches, had a pass completion of just 57%, failed in 100% of his dribbles, missed two big chances, lost four of six ground duels and lost the ball six times.

Minutes

67′

Expected Goals

0.65

Goals

0

Big Chances Missed

2

Touches

22

Passing Accuracy

4/7 (57%)

Key Passes

1

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (2)

Lost Possession

6

It was a performance to forget from the talented winger and one that should see him replaced for today’s clash.

The Ipswich star who should replace Philogene

Given the injuries McKenna has to contend with and the lacklustre form of several other attacking options, the most likely and best choice to come in for Philogene this afternoon is Omari Hutchinson.

The former Chelsea ace came off the bench against Palace after missing the FA Cup defeat to Forest with a knee injury but will more than likely be fit enough to play from the first whistle today, which will be a big boost.

The Englishman has primarily played down the middle this term but has made five appearances off the right, so he should have no problem stepping in for the former Villa gem.

Moreover, while the “superb” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, hasn’t exactly been prolific this season, he’s been solid, amassing a tally of three goals and two assists in 26 league appearances, and two of those goal involvements have come in the last four outings.

Moreover, the 21-year-old has shown us that he can rise to the occasion and produce something quite spectacular, as he did when scoring his long-range effort at home to Manchester United last year.

Ultimately, there is no surefire way to get Ipswich back on track against Forest this afternoon, but with Philogene failing to take his chances last week, dropping him for Hutchinson seems like a positive step.

Forget Tuanzebe: McKenna can axe Godfrey by unleashing Ipswich "warrior"

Kieran McKenna will hope this Ipswich Town star can replace Axel Tuanzebe effectively.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 8, 2025

The January transfer window may be over for another season, but an intriguing new report has outlined the efforts Everton made on deadline day and how they were foiled in their attempts.

Everton shining under Moyes

The Blues are in far more positive spirits than they were with Sean Dyche in charge, with David Moyes making an immediate impact since returning for his second spell as manager at Goodison Park.

Everton are now nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, and have a game in hand on 18th-place Leicester City, so it looks as though they will once again beat the drop. A home FA Cup tie with Bournemouth awaits on Saturday afternoon, before a massive Merseyside derby showdown with Liverpool next Wednesday evening.

In the January window, the Blues completed the signing of Flamengo midfielder Carlos Alcaraz, bringing him on a temporary basis until the end of the season. They have the option of signing him permanently in the summer, too, should he catch the eye in the coming months.

There were players who Everton reportedly failed to snap up on deadline day earlier this week, however, with West Brom midfielder Tom Fellows reportedly an example of that. Instead, he stayed put with the Baggies, but interest could return for him at the end of the current campaign.

Everton's deadline day could have been so much busier

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Everton “had four players lined up and ready to sign on transfer deadline day”, with The Friedkin Group going big.

Their attempts to bring in new signings were “heavily restricted by profit and sustainability constraints which limited the deals they were able to do” though, putting paid to the Blues bringing in a host of new faces.

While Everton only ultimately signed Alcaraz at the end of the window, it is encouraging to see the club’s owners seemingly backing Moyes in the transfer market. Adhering to financial rules is clearly a must, in order to avoid the same punishment the Blues have received in the past, but this suggests that the funds are there for the Merseysiders to add significantly to the squad moving forward.

Moyes himself has discussed the financial situation: “I think we’ve still got a little bit of work to do with the financial situation, but in the main, I think once we get to the summer, we should be in a good place. Getting to the summer is the bit we need to do now.”

This feels like a key moment in Everton’s history, with the club going through such a torrid time in recent years, whether that be because of several relegation battles, issues with Farhad Moshiri, finances or disappointing managers.

After Alcaraz signing: Everton can now finally axe Dyche's "shining light"

Everton’s new signing might get a start at the weekend

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 6, 2025

With Moyes bringing stability back to the club, however, and a move to a new stadium happening in the summer, there is a reason for supporters to be feeling far more optimistic. A number of new signings will only add to that positivity.

Arsenal are extremely busy behind-the-scenes as they look to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s squad with proven quality, and it is believed yet another player has been given permission to join them by his club.

New sporting director Andrea Berta’s arrival has motivated plenty of excitement and anticipation among supporters for this summer window, with the Italian known to spin many plates at a time in pursuit of his preferred transfer targets.

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Berta’s track record at former club Atlético Madrid also makes him stand out as a proven replacement for ex-director Edu Gaspar, and the 53-year-old has already made a solid start to his tenure at the Emirates with a couple of completed deals.

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

After months of talks, Berta has put the finishing touches on Arsenal’s move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, with the Gunners set to pay £56 million for him. This is slightly above his release clause, but the fee will be paid in installments, with Zubimendi recently finalising his move to N5.

Arsenal also triggered Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5 million release clause to make him Berta’s second summer arrival after Zubimendi (Fabrizio Romano), securing a solid and experienced back-up option for David Raya.

Brentford captain Christian Norgaard was linked earlier this week, as claims started to emerge that Arsenal were considering a shock move for the 31-year-old to replace Thomas Partey, and that deal has seriously intensified in the last 24 hours.

Following accelerated talks with Brentford, they’ve now agreed a deal worth an initial £10 million, plus an additional £5 million in potential add-ons (BBC), and the Denmark international is set to become Berta’s third signing of the window.

Christian Norgaard permitted for Arsenal medical after deal agreed

As per trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Norgaard has now been “authorized” to undergo his medical at Arsenal after a deal was agreed for the Scandinavian, so barring any physical complications, the midfielder will be Arsenal’s “next” completed deal.

With Partey set to leave as a free agent after June 30, Norgaard comes in as a like-for-like stand-in for the Ghanaian, and one who boasts similar attributes as a Premier League proven defensive midfield anchor.

Berta has moved swiftly to ensure that Arteta won’t be left short in the midfield department, and Norgaard has long been praised as a player who “goes under the radar” with his consistent performances.

“Norgaard is a better player than a lot of people give him credit for,” said former top-level scout Mick Brown to Football Insider recently.

“So interest from clubs like Arsenal might come as a shock, but he would be a good option for them. He’s a very consistent performer who goes under the radar a lot of the time, and that’s what these clubs are looking for, a solid, consistent player.”