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It has become something of a running joke that West Ham United are simply cursed when it comes to signing centre-forwards, with the club having brought in a seemingly endless string of names who have all failed to make the grade over the last decade or so.

From the likes of Mauro Zarate, to Simone Zaza to Sebastian Haller, the GSB era has been littered with costly mistakes, with current boss David Moyes having been left to, albeit successfully, mould the versatile Michail Antonio into his leading man.

Among all the strikers who have come and gone in the modern era, one name arguably stands out above the rest as one of the most head-scratching and bizarre of the lot – Jordan Hugill.

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Signing players is always something of a lottery, although in the case of the former Preston North End striker there was always a feeling that he wouldn’t cut it at the elite level, having only plied his trade in the second tier and below prior to his £10m move in January 2018.

After a spate of injuries, Moyes turned to the then 25-year-old as a striking solution, during what was his first stint in charge of the club, although he failed to showcase the cunning market expertise that has become the defining feature of his second spell.

For Hugill, in particular, the former Manchester United manager might as well have not bothered pushing ahead with the deal, such was the entirely forgettable nature of the Englishman’s time at the club.

In fact, the Middlesbrough-born man went on to make just three appearances for the club – costing roughly £3.33m per outing and £2.2m per minute in relation to his transfer fee – with his total competitive playing time reaching just 22 minutes in all.

Unsurprisingly, the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini in the hot seat later that year saw the forward turfed out on loan to the Riverside Stadium for the 2018/19 campaign, before he was shipped out again the following year to Queens Park Rangers.

“leader” by Daniel Farke – he has since again been resigned to temporary moves to both West Bromwich Albion and – currently – Cardiff City for the 2021/22 season.

On a personal note, having risen through the football pyramid from non-league level to the Premier League, the move to the Hammers would no doubt have been a major milestone, even though he failed to have the impact that he would have liked.

For the east Londoners, however, it begs the question of quite why they ever opted to fork out such a sizeable figure for him in the first place – as well as his reported £30k-per-week salary – particularly as they never even handed him the chance to try and make his mark.

At least they managed to recoup a reported figure of £5m when they moved him on to Carrow Road. Every cloud…

IN other news, GSB must complete WHU swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated star, Moyes will love him – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be monitoring Atalanta left-back Joakim Maehle and have identified him as a potential transfer target ahead of the summer, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Maehle in demand

The 24-year-old first made the switch to Serie A from Genk in 2020 and has made 59 appearances to date for his current club, scoring three goals and providing four assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The £15.3m-rated maestro is regarded as one of the world’s foremost attacking defenders right now, and with Antonio Conte being unable to nail down a regular left-sided player this season as a result of the injuries to both Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon, it’s no surprise that the north London giants are on the hunt for a suitable replacement.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Paratici eyeing another Serie A raid

In a report published by The Daily Mail, it is claimed that Tottenham are ‘looking at’ Maehle, who has been ‘viewed as ideal’ for the manager’s 3-4-3 formation.

Spurs’ director of football Fabio Paratici already has established connections to Serie A, having signed Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from his former club Juventus in January, and this report has suggested that he will ‘return there’ to try and complete the signing of the 25-cap Denmark international.

The Verdict: An all-round player

The full-back will have no doubt gained plenty of interest from possible suitors thanks to his impressive performances for Denmark throughout Euro 2020 last summer, where they managed to reach the semi-final stage.

Maehle currently averages 2.21 blocks and 4.33 progressive passes per 90 minutes, via FBRef, showing his ability to impact a game at both ends of the pitch, and he was once hailed as a “fantastic” player by ITV pundit Ian Wright.

If Conte wants to assemble a new squad which has the potential to push for a Champions League place next season – and reports of the Italian wanting six new summer signings hints as such – the defender could prove to be a great addition, and one who could easily slot into that required wing-back position if Spurs can entice him to north London.

In other news… one Sky Sports pundit has urged Spurs to keep Antonio Conte at the end of the campaign

Rangers return to action in Europe on Thursday night at Ibrox as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men fight to land a place in a major European final later this month.

The Gers are 1-0 down heading into the second leg after they lost away from home to a stunning late goal in Germany.

Rangers come into this clash off the back of a 1-1 draw in the Old Firm at the weekend. Fashion Sakala scored the goal for the Glasgow giants on Sunday in an entertaining match against their rivals and will be hoping to carry his form over to the Europa League.

However, not every player impressed against the Hoops and one player who must lose his place in the starting XI is Canada international Scott Arfield.

The midfielder’s last direct goal contribution when being named in the starting line-up came on the 6th of February in a 5-0 hammering of Hearts.

In his subsequent nine starts in all competitions, he has registered zero goals and zero assists and failed to record a single SofaScore rating higher than 6.9 – suggesting that his all-round performances have also been underwhelming.

He has two goals and zero assists in his last 19 appearances, from the start and off the bench, as he has been unable to consistently deliver when selected by the head coach.

The midfielder is not putting in outstanding displays, as shown by his ratings, and he is not making up for it by providing quality in the final third. This means that he is a liability to the team as he is offering very little, which is holding them back from being as good as they can be, as they have a player who is not having a positive impact on the pitch.

Athletic reporter Jordan Campbell and journalist Joshua Barrie both claimed that he was “struggling” against the Hoops last time out and it is now time for the £16k-per-week dud’s struggles to stop impacting Rangers’ performances.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must brutally axe him from the starting XI as his run of form has been nowhere near good enough to warrant a place in the team. He should, instead, be utilised as an option off the bench to bolster the team late on, if required, as he did when he came on in the Scottish Cup to score against Celtic recently.

AND in other news, Rangers are now set to repeat their awful Gilmour disaster at Ibrox, Gvb will be livid

In the last few years, there has been a debate raging at Manchester City as to who is the better striker, Sergio Aguero or Erling Haaland.

Well, it is not an easy question to answer, given how long the Argentine striker was successful at City.

In total, Aguero played 390 times for the East Mancunian outfit, and his record speaks volumes about how good he is. The 101-cap Argentina international bagged 260 goals in that time. You consider it ludicrous to go against him in this debate.

Yet, the numbers Haaland is putting up certainly make him better than Aguero in the eyes of many.

Why Haaland is Man City's greatest striker

This is a debate that, at this stage, doesn’t really have a right answer. However, with the trajectory that Haaland is on, it is hard to see him failing to overtake Aguero’s record as City’s all-time top goalscorer.

In just 161 appearances in the famous Sky Blue shirt, the 25-year-old already has 143 goals to his name, as well as 22 assists. He’s averaging a goal involvement in more than every game. That is why Jamie Carragher said Haaland is “the greatest goalscorer to ever play in English football.”

Indeed, his form this season has been astronomical. Already, he’s found the back of the net 19 times in just 15 games. Miraculously, he’s not added to the 11 hat-tricks he has for the club, but has bagged twice in a game six times.

Haaland is a simply ridiculous number nine who can do it all, from excellent link-up play to clinical finishing in the box. His goal against Arsenal is perhaps the best example, with the striker starting the move by tucking the ball round the corner to Tijjani Reijnders, before charging forward and receding the ball again to score.

The Norwegian is incredible, although City don’t have a natural striker as his understudy if he gets injured. If that were the case, the answer might be an academy star who could one day take the number nine shirt after Haaland.

Man City's in-house number nine after Haaland

Haaland’s injury record isn’t perfect. The striker has missed 26 games since he moved to City, and they don’t really have a natural replacement. Omar Marmoush can lead the line, but he excels in a slightly deeper role, a little like Julian Alvarez did.

Lucky for the Citizens, they might have the perfect striker in the academy in the form of Mahamadou Sangare.

The France U18 centre-forward only moved to the club in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain, but is already excelling in the youth side.

This season across all competitions for the esteemed City academy, Sangare has found the back of the net on nine occasions in just 14 games. That includes three goals in four UEFA Youth League games.

In fact, it was in that competition that Sangare put in his most impressive performance to date. The 18-year-old shone against AS Monaco U19s, bagging a hat-trick and assisting one goal, after creating two chances.

Touches

35

Opposition half passes completed

14/18

Aerial duels won

5/6

Shots

4

Goals

3

Chances created

2

Assists

1

One person who has spoken highly of the striker is football scout Antonio Mango. He called Sangare a “prolific” number nine, complementing him on the fact that he was one of the standout PSG youngsters last season. He scored 33 times in 35 games for their U19s.

Well, it certainly seems like City are seeing the quality he can bring to the youth sides. It will be fascinating to see how quickly Sangare’s development continues. He certainly has an eye for goal and will be hoping that he can translate that to senior level.

Of course, the 18-year-old is quite some way from being on Haaland’s level, but with his natural goalscoring instinct, there is no reason why he can’t establish himself in the first team. Perhaps he will even be the natural successor to Haaland’s iconic number nine shirt.

As important as Doku: £50m star just had his best ever game for Man City

Manchester City smashed Liverpool 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, Jérémy Doku the star of the show, but another player shone for Pep Guardiola.

1 ByBen Gray Nov 10, 2025

Newcastle United’s summer of transfer activity once again underlined the scale of ambition since the PIF takeover.

Deals for Jacob Ramsay, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale and Anthony Elanga have complemented headline-grabbing signings such as Nick Woltemade for £69m and Yoane Wissa for £55m.

Alexander Isak’s £125m move to Liverpool left a sour taste, but the overall picture was one of a club continuing to spend at the very top of the market.

That has not always been the case on Tyneside.

Before Saudi investment changed the landscape, Newcastle were known for trimming squads and selling talent to make a profit.

Promising youngsters would be moved on for financial reasons or simply slip through the cracks, only to thrive elsewhere.

This summer’s spending spree serves as a reminder of how much things have changed, but also how much has been lost.

The departure of Elliot Anderson last year remains a striking example.

Newcastle did not want to lose the academy graduate, but Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) forced their hand.

Nottingham Forest seized the opportunity, and now the Northeast club must watch a homegrown talent flourish elsewhere – much like another striker once forced to leave before truly being given a chance at St James’ Park.

Anderson's rise away from Tyneside

Anderson’s move to Forest in 2024, part of a deal that saw Odysseas Vlachodimos move the other way, was emblematic of Newcastle’s recent financial gymnastics.

The midfielder represented pure profit under PSR calculations, a valuable asset when books needed balancing.

Jankuba Minteh was sold to Brighton in the same scramble, and even the sales of Isak and Anthony Gordon were considered.

At the time, it looked like a sacrifice of potential for compliance.

Yet Anderson has proven exactly why the club were so reluctant to lose him.

Last season, the 22-year-old made 37 league appearances for Forest, scoring twice and providing six assists. His form earned him a first senior England call-up, and he started against Andorra, winning the Player of the Match award.

The numbers underline his growing influence.

Last season, Anderson ranked in the 88th percentile for assists per 90 (0.19) and 77th percentile for shot-creating actions (3.07).

His ability to progress play was matched by tenacity in midfield.

He sat in the 88th percentile for tackles per 90 (3.07) and 87th percentile for clearances (2.40).

Analysts like Max Scott have even gone so far as to describe Anderson as having “a bit of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Zinedine Zidane” in his game.

It is difficult to see how he would have found the same opportunities had he remained at Newcastle.

Competing with Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton for minutes, he might have stagnated.

Instead, Forest have given him the platform to grow, and Newcastle are left to reflect on a talent that got away, not for the first time either.

Newcastle's homegrown striker regret

Anderson’s story draws inevitable comparisons to Ivan Toney, another player who slipped through Newcastle’s net.

Signed from Northampton Town in 2015 for around half a million, Toney struggled for first-team opportunities and was farmed out on loan before leaving permanently for Peterborough United in 2018.

From there, his career trajectory exploded. Toney scored 72 goals and provided 23 assists in 141 appearances for Brentford, firing them to Premier League promotion with a goal in the 2021 play-off final.

His 20-goal return in the 2022/23 season made him one of the division’s most reliable strikers, hailed as such by Thomas Frank who described him as a “monster”.

Recognition followed on the international stage. Toney made his England debut in 2023 and was part of the Euro 2024 squad, holding his nerve to score in the penalty shoot-out against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

The numbers again tell the story of a rounded, top-level forward.

During the 2022/23 season, Toney ranked in the 72nd percentile among centre-forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals (0.43 per 90), 70th percentile for progressive passes (2.41), and was outstanding aerially, sitting in the 91st percentile for aerials won (3.32 per 90).

His defensive contribution was underrated too, with strong numbers for interceptions and clearances.

Matches Played

33

Goals

20

Assists

4

Progressive Carries

14

Progressive Passes

79

In 2024, Toney completed a £40m move to Al-Ahli, where he scored 23 goals and registered four assists in the Saudi Pro League last season.

At 29, he remains a high-level striker whose career arc must leave Newcastle wondering what might have been.

The parallels between Anderson and Toney are plain to see.

Both left St James’ Park for very different reasons, but both have gone on to prove themselves at a high level.

Each departure highlights the fine margins between financial management and footballing vision.

Newcastle’s current owners are now spending freely, with marquee signings transforming the squad.

Yet history shows that some of the biggest success stories can be those who slipped away. In Anderson, Newcastle may once again have let a future England regular leave too soon.

PIF have already signed Newcastle's new Elliot Anderson and he's "terrific"

Eddie Howe will hope he has his own Elliot Anderson now at Newcastle United in this terrific talent.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 8, 2025

Liverpool won the Premier League with relative ease last season, and so FSG’s staggering summer of spending at Anfield must have struck quite the frisson of fear through the rest of the European game.

Though Arne Slot’s side haven’t been at their best across the opening fixtures of the season, they have claimed nine points from nine in the league, winning a tough match at St. James’ Park before narrowly seeing off title rivals Arsenal after Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick.

The Reds haven’t looked at their most fluent, but new number nine Hugo Ekitike has certainly started in fine fettle, three goals and an assist from his first four games.

Undroppable, right? However, the deadline-day acquisition of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak maybe stirs the pot a tad up top.

What Isak brings to Liverpool

Liverpool have two of the most dynamic strikers in the game in Isak and Ekitike, but both would fancy themselves at their most fluent and formidable when threatening from the centre.

Isak is the more clinical and refined man, to be sure, but he’s also nearly three years Ekitike’s senior.

Having two high-level centre-forwards isn’t the worst problem for Slot to have, but he is going to need to consider ferrying one out to the left wing or pushing Liverpool toward a tactical transformation.

However, neither have Cody Gakpo’s fluency as a left-sided forward.

And, of course, Liverpool have already sold an elite winger in Luis Diaz who could have been the perfect balancing force in the frontline.

Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Liverpool sold Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65.5m in July, with the German giants convincing the 28-year-old to join after FSG failed to agree terms on a new contract with the Reds winger.

He arrived from Porto as Jurgen Klopp’s choice of replacement for Sadio Mane, and though he didn’t quite live up to the same stratospheric heights, succeeded all the same.

Indeed, Klopp himself lauded his new arrival as a “top world level player” back in April 2022.

He leaves an integral part of an illustrious period in Liverpool’s history, having scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions last term, filling in at centre-forward on multiple occasions.

Though some questioned Diaz’s output, he didn’t do too badly, ranking fourth among all left wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goal contributions, and in what many would describe as the toughest division of the lot.

Raphinha

18

11

Bradley Barcola

14

10

Vinicius Junior

11

10

Luis Diaz

13

7

Vincenzo Grifo

8

11

Given that Isak arrives at Liverpool with a wealth of prolific Premier League experience under his belt, he could have formed an incredible partnership with Diaz, who always balanced his output and ranked among the top 9% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for pass completion, keeping it crisp and opening up a strong supply line with the Sweden star.

The fact that Liverpool’s player sales across the summer has left them with a smaller net spend than Arsenal perhaps underlines the suggestion that Diaz needn’t have been sold.

The emergence of 17-year-old sensation Rio Ngumoha has tempered the Colombian’s departure, but Diaz remains one of the most experienced and dynamic forwards in the business.

Equally, Florian Wirtz’s struggles across his initial foray into the English game are a reminder that Diaz was pretty crucial in Slot’s title-winning team, and he will be missed as the campaign progresses.

Now worth more than Isak: Liverpool wanted to sign "one of the best in the world"

With Alexander Isak joining Liverpool for £125m on deadline day, do the Reds rue missing out on “one of the best players in the world” worth more?

ByBen Gray Sep 2, 2025

Manchester United will be adding further signings to their attacking arsenal before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September, after they agreed a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Man Utd in talks to sign Premier League attacker

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg recently claimed that the Red Devils are in talks with Brentford over a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo to bolster their attack.

The reporter claimed that the club already have a “verbal agreement” in place with the 25-year-old wing wizard, but that they are also facing competition from Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs recently confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank, who managed Mbeumo with the Bees, and they are hoping that he can convince the forward to make the switch to North London.

The Cameroon international played in an inside right position for Brentford in the 2024/25 campaign and could compete for one of the two number ten positions in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system alongside Cunha.

Mbeumo delivered 20 goals and seven assists in the Premier League for the Bees, which shows that he has the quality to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, and could provide the team with a boost offensively.

United would not be done there, though, as the Red Devils are also looking to sign a new centre-forward on top of Cunha and possibly Mbeumo.

Man Utd remain keen on Amorim favourite

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have been making calls in recent weeks in an attempt to sign Sporting number nine Viktor Gyokeres.

The reporter claims, however, that it is going to be a difficult deal for the Red Devils to get over the line because the Sweden international’s priority is to secure a transfer to Arsenal.

Romano states that the Gunners are currently assessing their options, as they look to sign a new striker, and adds that RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko is also on their radar.

This means that Gyokeres signing for Arsenal is far from guaranteed, as it remains to be seen what they are going to do in that position, which means that the door is still slightly ajar for United.

In fact, Romano claims that the Red Devils “remain keen” on the former Coventry City centre-forward, despite their belief that a move is unlikely at this stage, due to his preference to sign for the Gunners.

In April, football statistician Spencer Mossman described him as a “lethal” striker who is possibly “the best finisher in the world”, which highlights the kind of quality United could get if they land a deal for the Swedish star.

xG

30.95

25.37 (Mo Salah)

Goals

39

29 (Mo Salah)

xG differential

+8.05

+7.74 (Bryan Mbeumo)

Minutes per goal

72

89 (Jhon Duran)

Goals + assists

46

47 (Mo Salah)

As you can see in the table above, Gyokeres certainly has the potential to be the best finisher in the Premier League next season, as he outperformed his xG by more than any player in the English top-flight did.

The Sweden international, who also scored ten more league goals than any other player in England’s top tier, was on fire for Sporting in the 2024/25 campaign and could, therefore, be a fantastic signing for United if they can turn the odds around and beat Arsenal to his signature.

After Cunha: Man Utd join race for "red-hot" £47m Bryan Mbeumo clone

Man United need new forwards to improve Ruben Amorim’s team.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 14, 2025

It has been a strong season for Enzo Fernandez in a Chelsea shirt. The Argentina international, who joined the club in 2023, has largely been a key player under his namesake, Enzo Maresca, this term, despite a period where he was not first choice in midfield at the start of the campaign.

In all competitions, he’s made 44 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering 13 assists. Of those goal involvements, 13 have come in 35 Premier League appearances. He has also been the Blues’ captain this term, leading them in 29 appearances in total.

These impressive performances have clearly been eye-catching, with Fernandez now linked with a shock move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

The latest on Enzo Fernandez’s future

It will be an interesting couple of weeks for Fernandez, who is reportedly a key target for one of Europe’s biggest clubs Real Madrid.

The former Benfica star was first linked to Los Blancos back in March by TeamTalk, who said they ‘are considering a move’ for him. Fernandez was reportedly ‘very interested in a move to Madrid if the opportunity presents itself’ this summer.

In recent days, there has been more positive news for fans of the West London club to hear. Highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano said that Todd Boehly and co are desperate to keep the World Cup winner, after interest from the Santiago Bernabeu.

In a news article from one Spanish outlet, it seems that a potential price tag for Fernandez this summer has been revealed. It is an eye-watering amount that the Blues would ask for, specifically £102m, if Madrid want a deal to get over the line.

Although Romano suggests Chelsea do not want to lose their vice-captain, there could be a ready-made replacement in the pipeline and ready to step if he does depart.

Chelsea’s in-house Fernandez replacement

It is not often midfielders are described as a “complete” midfielder at just 21 years of age, but that is exactly what football analyst Ben Mattinson said about Andrey Santos.

The Brazilian – who signed for a fee in the region of £18m in January 2023 – is still on Chelsea’s books, but is currently on loan at French side Strasbourg.

What a season it has been for the former Vasco da Gama midfielder, who was born in Rio de Janeiro. He has featured in 34 games across all competitions from the middle of the park, scoring 11 times and registering five assists.

In Ligue 1 for a Strasbourg side who impressed throughout the campaign, he managed to hit double-figure goals, one of only two players from his club to do so. The tenth was a special strike in the final game of the season, in a 2-2 draw with Le Havre.

Between Fernandez and Santos, Chelsea have two players of very similar profiles. Just look at the position they have played this season. Fernandez has played as a number eight for the most part, playing 28 times in that role, also playing 11 times as a number six. As for the Strasbourg star, he has played 24 times as an eight and ten as a six.

In fact, when looking at their stats from this season, their profiles seem to align well. They are all-action midfielders who can pop up with a regular goal, create chances and also put in some impressive shifts without the ball.

There are numbers on FBref that reinforce the fact they are so similar, with Santos arguably better. For example, he averages 0.32 goals and 5.93 ball recoveries per 90 minutes compared to 0.19 goals and 4.83 ball recoveries each game for Fernandez.

Goals

0.32

0.19

Passes into final third

4.45

5.24

Progressive carries

0.91

1.86

Tackles and interceptions

4.48

2.46

Ball recoveries

5.93

4.83

Described as a “monster” in that midfield by Mattinson, it certainly seems like Santos could hold his own in the Chelsea side and replace Fernandez, should the need arise. He beats him in several key stats and has more combined goals and assists this season.

If Boehly and co do lose Fernandez, Chelsea fans must surely feel in safe hands, with Santos ready to step in at any given moment and help fill the void of such an important player in their side.

Could be another Sterling: Chelsea lead Arsenal in race for "superstar"

Chelsea are looking to add depth to their side this summer

ByJoe Nuttall May 22, 2025

Aston Villa now want to sign an “incredible” Barcelona player this summer, with Unai Emery believed to be a big fan, according to a report.

Villa eyeing new striker amid Watkins uncertainty

Ollie Watkins has been one of Villa’s key players for quite some time, with the England international reaching the 15-goal mark for the third campaign on the spin this season, underlining his importance to the side.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goals

2022-23

37

15

2024-24

37

19

2024-25

37

16

However, given the level of Watkins’ performances, the striker is attracting attention from some rival Premier League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, with the likes of Chelsea and long-term admirers Arsenal being named as potential suitors.

The 29-year-old has also had issues with Emery at times this season, admitting he was furious about being largely uninvolved in both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, saying: “I am not going to lie, I was fuming that I wasn’t playing – I let him [Unai Emery] know that.”

Watkins has since returned to the team, suggesting the pair have settled their differences, but a new report has now revealed that Aston Villa still want to sign a striker this summer, emerging as potential suitors for Barcelona’s Ferran Torres.

Emery is a big fan of Torres, who joined Barca for €55m (£46m) back in 2021, and there has been a long-standing belief that the forward would be a good fit for the Villans’ style of play.

That said, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has suggested the 25-year-old is unlikely to leave the La Liga champions this summer, having featured regularly throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

Aston Villa chiefs now identify £40m Liverpool star to replace Emi Martinez

Aston Villa are in the market for a new goalkeeper as Emi Martinez looks set to leave this summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 19, 2025 "Incredible" Torres impressing for Barcelona

It is no surprise the forward may be tempted to remain at the Camp Nou beyond this summer, fresh off the back of winning the La Liga title, as he was very impressive right the way through the 2024-25 season, during which he predominantly featured in the role of striker.

The former Manchester City man picked up 19 goals and seven assists across a total of 45 matches in all competitions, while placing in the top 1% for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to other forwards.

The Spain international has also impressed at international level in the past, scoring 21 goals for his country, including one en-route to his side’s Euro 2024 triumph last summer.

Once lauded as “incredible” by former manager Pep Guardiola, Torres could be a top signing for almost any Premier League side, but it may be difficult for Villa to prise him away from Barcelona, given his importance to Hansi Flick’s side last season.

Newcastle United have now identified “sensational” £50m+ midfielder as a major summer transfer target by Eddie Howe, according to a report.

Magpies set sights on new midfielder

The players responsible for ending Newcastle’s 70-year trophy drought have etched themselves into folklore forever, but with a Champions League campaign potentially on the horizon, Howe will feel a need to improve his squad in the summer transfer window.

The manager is relatively well-stocked in central midfield, but with doubts over the futures of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, at least one new addition may be needed, and Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera has recently emerged as a target.

Herrera has often featured in a defensive role throughout his career, but there are signs the Magpies could look at bringing in a midfielder with more of an attacking mindset, having now joined the race for Manchester City’s James McAtee.

Newcastle identify "incredible" £65m Prem forward as ideal summer target

The Magpies have expressed an interest in signing a Premier League attacker this summer.

ByDominic Lund May 6, 2025

Should Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League, it may also be wise to bring in an attacking midfielder with experience in the elite competition, and they have now set their sights on a player who has performed very well in Europe this season.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle are now keen on signing Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, with Howe clearly a big fan of the Englishman, having personally identified him as a major summer target.

Elliott has found it difficult to break into the Liverpool starting XI this season, which means a summer exit could be on the cards, but he will not come cheap, with Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly planning an offer worth in excess of £50m.

"Sensational" Elliott could ignite career at St. James' Park

The midfielder has impressed for Liverpool in the past, having been lauded as “sensational” by football writer Leanne Prescott, but he has only played a sporadic role in the Reds’ title triumph this season, making 15 Premier League appearances.

Given that the London-born maestro is now 22-years-old and yet to receive an England cap, it could well be time to leave the Reds for the good of his career, and he has proven he has what it takes to perform at the top level with his performances in the Champions League.

The former Fulham man scored three goals in five Champions League outings, most notably bagging a late winner in the first leg of his side’s round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.

While game time has been hard to come by, the Liverpool ace has certainly made the most of his limited opportunities, ranking incredibly highly across a number of key metrics over the past year, when compared with his positional peers in the ‘big five’ European leagues.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.46 (99th percentile)

Assists

0.46 (99th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

5.17 (99th percentile)

Elliott is showing signs he could go on to be a top player, but he needs regular game time to make that a reality, so a move to Newcastle could make perfect sense this summer.