Man City have hit gold on £111m-rated star who is worth more than Wirtz

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola faces one of the most important summer transfer windows since he arrived at the club nine years ago.

So often the dominant club in England, as evidenced by their six Premier League titles since 2017, the 2024/25 campaign has been one of disarray.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts withJamesMcAtee

Indeed, their only chance of silverware rests with the FA Cup. Guardiola has won this tournament twice since 2016 and will be out to make up for the defeat to Manchester United last season.

Kevin De Bruyne will depart City in the summer, and the club will need to find a replacement when the transfer window opens in a few weeks.

Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White has been targeted as a possible arrival, with the Daily Mail even claiming that the Etihad side are currently the frontrunners for his signature.

His club have placed a staggering £100m valuation on the former Wolves starlet. Might this deter City from making a potential move?

They have also been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz ahead of next season, and perhaps he would be the better option out of the two players.

Latest on Man City's interest in Florian Wirtz

According to Football Insider, Wirtz remains the number one target to replace De Bruyne this summer.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also keen, but it appears as though Guardiola will do everything to ensure the German international signs for City when the window opens.

It would be a sensational move, that’s for certain. Since making his senior debut for the club during the 2019/20 campaign, Wirtz has already amassed over 190 first-team appearances for the club, scoring 56 goals and grabbing 63 assists in the process.

Remarkably, he is still only 21, and if he did join City, the German could be the focal point of a new era under Guardiola.

When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Wirtz ranks highly across a range of attacking metrics. Indeed, the attacking midfielder ranks in the top 7% for shot-creating actions, progressive passes, and successful take-ons per 90 over the previous 365 days.

2023/24

49

18

20

2022/23

25

4

8

2021/22

31

10

14

2020/21

38

8

8

2019/20

9

1

0

These statistics certainly prove that he is among one of the finest in his position on the continent, and given the fact that he hasn’t even hit his peak yet, Guardiola must do everything in his power to bring the player to England.

Florian Wirtz’s market valuation at Bayer Leverkusen

Whatever happens, Leverkusen stand to make an enormous profit on the player who came through their youth system.

According to Football Transfers, Wirtz is currently valued at €116.4m (£100m) at the time of writing. There is no doubt the club will be seeking a transfer fee higher than that should he express his desire to leave Germany.

Florian Wirtz looks dejected

If he continues on his current upwards trajectory, Wirtz’s value will only soar. City do have a couple of players in their first-team squad who have a higher market valuation, however.

One such player has done so much for the club since he arrived in the summer of 2019 – Rodri.

How much Man City paid to sign Rodri

Having just won their second league title in a row, Guardiola was keen to keep the momentum going as the club headed into the 2019/20 campaign.

This saw them splash out a then club-record transfer fee of £62.8m to sign Rodri from Atlético Madrid.

“Rodri has proven himself as a hugely talented, young midfielder,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain.

“He has as all the attributes we are looking for.”

Six years later, the Spanish midfielder has proven why he might just be one of City’s finest signings under Guardiola.

Rodri has been a major success at Manchester City

Across his first three seasons in England, the midfielder missed just 12 Premier League matches for City, winning two league titles in the process.

The 2022/23 season was arguably his finest since making the move from Spain to Manchester. City finally claimed their first Champions League trophy, which was won alongside the domestic title and the FA Cup to complete a stunning treble.

He made a total of 56 appearances, registering 11 goal contributions for City throughout the entire season, and was the fulcrum of the side.

When compared to his positional peers in the Premier League that season, Rodri ranked in the top 1% for passes attempted (92.35) and pass completion percentage (91.2%), which showcased how effective he was at controlling matches from the heart of the midfield.

Following a stunning 2023/24 campaign, which culminated in the player helping Spain win Euro 2024, he was awarded the 2024 Ballon d’Or last October for his performance throughout the calendar year.

Kyle Walker lavished plenty of praise on his teammate in the aftermath, saying: “For him, it’s absolutely fantastic. I think he’s been nothing short of probably perfect in the last couple of seasons. You can see what he means to Man City.”

How much is he currently worth, however?

Rodri’s market valuation at Manchester City

According to Transfermarkt, Rodri is now valued at a whopping €130m (£111m), and this could even rise further should he return to the player he was before suffering an ACL injury last September.

Indeed, this value is even higher than Wirtz’s value and proves just how excellent a signing the Spaniard has been for the club over the previous six years, showing that City have hit the jackpot with him.

It may not be a coincidence that City’s performance levels declined, missing out on the title for the first time in five years, when they couldn’t call on the 28-year-old after his injury.

He will return shortly, and a solid pre-season will ensure the player returns to full fitness ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, that’s for sure.

Wirtz would make for a sublime signing if Guardiola can stump up the cash, but his business in the past suggests he has struck gold on someone like Rodri.

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He'll get Salah firing: Slot must hand "special" Liverpool star rare start

When Liverpool beat West Ham United, responding after losing against Fulham one week earlier, it felt like a corner had been turned. Perhaps that defeat at Craven Cottage was the final twist in the overtures of a certain Premier League triumph.

The ribbons will turn red this season. Later this afternoon, Liverpool have the chance to win the top-flight title against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, should they return to winning ways on the road and second-placed Arsenal fall at Ipswich Town earlier in the day.

Though Mikel Arteta’s attention is almost solely focused on the continental stage, this feels improbable, if not out of the question. In any case, it’s a matter of when, not if, Arne Slot will join an exclusive list of managers to lift the Premier League trophy on their first attempt.

2004/05

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea

2009/10

Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea

2013/14

Manuel Pellegrini

Man City

2016/17

Antonio Conte

Chelsea

Leicester might be doomed but they still have quality in attack and will look to capitalise on any Liverpool complacency.

Liverpool team news

Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in first-team training after his ankle injury suffered against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield last month.

However, Conor Bradley looks set to reprise his role at right-back, with the under-fire Andy Robertson pushing for a recall after his cameo last week, skewing into his own net off the bench following a mix-up with the skipper.

Joe Gomez remains absent due to an ankle injury, but Darwin Nunez could feature after missing out on Merseyside one week ago.

Darwin Nunez for Liverpool

Nunez might be destined for departure this summer, but his return does boost a Liverpool frontline looking to return to its best.

That’s not to say the Reds have been poor in attack lately, but Mohamed Salah hasn’t scored in five games, Diogo Jota and Nunez are out of sorts and Cody Gakpo hasn’t got going again since recovering from injury.

How Slot can respark Liverpool's frontline

Liverpool looked somewhat back to normal last weekend as they secured victory over West Ham, all but sealing the already overwhelming odds in the title race following Arsenal’s draw at Brentford.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah

Salah, after renewing his contract, produced a stunning trivela assist for Luis Diaz, the one man in Slot’s attack who is very much on form right now.

However, the Egyptian, 32, will be desperate to return his name to the scoresheet as he looks to build on his haul of 32 goals across all competitions

For whatever reason, it’s not quite clicking for Salah in front of goal. But it will again. With Trent not fit enough to start from the outset, Slot might be inclined to unleash Harvey Elliott in midfield, perhaps replacing Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool enjoy the Hungarian’s tireless running but a more fixed creative point could be the perfect solvent of unfluent play in and around the final third.

Liverpool player Harvey Elliott

Having featured prominently under Jurgen Klopp last year during Liverpool’s injury-hit spell, Elliott has played a reduced part since the spinning of the managerial wheel, yet to even start in the Premier League this year. Still he’s got six goal involvements across the different competitions.

And it’s not as if he hasn’t demonstrated his capacities when given a shot. As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for all of goals, assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

This perfectly illustrates his ball-playing game and skill in driving into dangerous positions, but most importantly, it underlines his ability to maximise his output when reaching such junctures, something Salah will be eyeing hungrily.

24/25

12 (0)

0

1

23/24

34 (11)

3

6

22/23

32 (18)

1

2

21/22

6 (4)

0

0

20/21*

0 (0)

0

0

19/20

2 (0)

0

0

As you can see, Elliott’s playing a bit part for the first time since his debut campaign, having only featured six times in 2021/22 but starting on four of those occasions before suffering a season-ending injury at Elland Road.

Elliott, described as a “special talent” by Sky Sports’ Neil Mellor, hasn’t played all that much this season, but he has showcased his vast playmaking skills on numerous occasions. For example, Liverpool might have been abject in their Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle United, but subs combined to score a late consolation, the young midfielder expertly playing Federico Chiesa through.

Ultimately, claiming that Liverpool are out of sorts simply isn’t true, having won five of their past six Premier League matches, but fans have been frustrated by the lack of spark in the centre at times this term and Elliott surely deserves a starting berth having been limited to full appearances in the cup competitions.

He’s come up trumps on several occasions, notably scoring the winner in the first leg against PSG, but now the £40k-per-week talent needs a chance to show he can pull strings in the Premier League and bring Salah back into goalscoring form.

Salah doesn’t dribble as much as he used to but he’s hardly averse to an electric burst, and with Elliott’s crisp timing, it could be the perfect tonic for his recent struggles to break the net.

Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool

Elliott has acknowledged Salah for “teaching him” over the past several years at Liverpool, and now he has the chance to repay his tutor on what could be a momentous day for the Merseysiders.

Leicester won’t want to repeat some of their dismal displays of late, but if Elliott gets into a creative flow and connects with Salah, the Foxes simply won’t have a say in the matter.

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Everton agree deal to sign "excellent" 16 y/o ace with massive future

Everton are believed to have agreed a deal to sign a teenage player who could be a future star, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Everton preparing for vital summer

David Moyes may have impressively steered the Blues away from the Premier League relegation zone, but there is still a clear need for reinforcements this summer, with only one win coming their way in their last eight matches, including Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.

Auxerre left-back Clement Akpa has been linked with Everton, who have been boosted by the news that he is likely to leave his current club at the end of this season. Wolves are also battling to sign him, however, so the Merseysiders face competition.

The Blues also reportedly remain confident of snapping up West Brom youngster Tom Fellows, who was a rumoured target throughout the summer transfer window. The Englishman has shone for the Baggies throughout this season, registering 13 assists in the Championship.

Tom Fellows in action for West Brom.

A new striker is needed at Everton, especially if Domini Calvert-Lewin moves on, with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap named as an option to come in, as well as Brighton ace Evan Ferguson. While signing proven players is key this summer, planning for the future is also essential, and a young target has now emerged.

Everton agree deal to sign "excellent" young defender

According to a new report from Football Insider, Everton have “agreed a deal” to sign Hearts teenager John Dodds, with the 16-year-old an “extremely highly-rated” player.

They have had a “bid accepted” for the young centre-back, ahead of what is described in the report as a “transformational summer window”, which will excite Blues supporters.

Little is likely to be known about Dodds from the Everton fanbase, given his age and the fact that he is yet to represent Hearts at senior level.

He is clearly a special young talent with a high ceiling, though, so the fact that the Blues appear to have snapped him up should be considered a big positive.

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Dodds would clearly be a work in progress to begin with, spending time in the youth team to develop, but it may not be too long until he shows Moyes that he is worthy of a first-team place, with Hearts’ academy hailing him as “excellent” on X in the past.

Signing the brightest young British talent around should always be a priority for a club with the tradition and history of a club like Everton, so this is a major plus for them, as Moyes looks to slowly bring the glory days back and develop talented stars.

Best since Kante: Chelsea have struck gold on the “best DM in the world”

Many would regard midfield as the toughest area on the pitch, tasked with contributing to all phases of play, being at the very centre of everything your team does. Chelsea clearly value this area too, already spending £100m on two separate occasions to acquire top-level midfielders, breaking their transfer record twice in the process.

The Blues have an esteemed history of midfield talent in the Premier League era, whether it be midfield destroyers such as Claude Makelele, passing magicians such as Cesc Fàbregas and goal-scoring midfielders such as Frank Lampard.

But one of their very best, especially considering the price they got for him at the time, was N’Golo Kante, bought from Leicester in 2016 for a fee of around £32m.

N'Golo Kante's record at Chelsea

Kante made 269 appearances for the Blues, scoring 13 times, providing 16 assists and totaling 20,742 minutes played. The Frenchman is considered a huge legend of the club, winning the Premier League and Champions League in his time at Chelsea, alongside one Europa League, one FA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.

The France midfielder has always been praised for his ability to cover ground, winning tackles and often making it feel like there is a 12th man on the pitch, with his incredible engine and work ethic. This was highlighted by a famous quote surrounding Kante, stating “70% of the Earth is covered by water, Kante covers the rest”.

Kante was crucial in Chelsea’s 2020/21 Champions League campaign, earning him the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season award for that year and winning Man of the Match in the final against Manchester City.

One word that has always been associated with Kante is “humble” as fans often praise him for his humility as a person. And now there is another Chelsea star who is drawing comparisons, also being regarded as “humble” by his manager.

Chelsea have found their best since Kante

Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo for a fee of around £115m, making him the British record transfer. The 23-year-old has made 83 appearances since joining in 2023, scoring two goals, providing seven assists and totaling 6,859 minutes played.

Minutes

90

Touches

51

Accurate Passes

37/41

Long Balls

5/5

Successful Dribbles

1/1

Ground Duels Won

8/9

Aerial Duels Won

1/4

Tackles Made

4

It was after this performance that Enzo Maresca came out and stated that is”one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world right now”. Making four tackles and winning eight of his nine ground duels in the game, Caicedo protected the back line brilliantly, limiting Tottenham to just two shots on target in the game.

But it isn’t just his work rate and ability to cover ground, winning duels for his team, as Caicedo also plays a huge part in the build-up, making five out of five long passes in the match, and also having an absolute scorching strike chalked off, as Levi Colwill was stood in an offside position.

Whilst it’s tough for a £115m player to fully prove their worth, Caicedo has proven to be a successful signing for the Blues, anchoring their midfield and receiving notably praised, with John Obi-Mikel stating after the win over West Ham United earlier in the season that it was “like a Kante kind of performance” from the former Brighton.

As such, he is definitely proving to be a worthy heir to the Frenchman’s throne.

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Not just Meslier: Leeds must axe "reliable" star who won't cut it in the PL

Leeds United have the opportunity to improve the first-team squad this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in between now and the end of the season.

The Whites remain in a solid position to claim promotion from the Championship, currently occupying second place under Daniel Farke – with the German having the chance to win his third second-tier title.

However, the last few weeks have seen the side stutter towards the finish line, winning just one of the last five matches, surrendering their lead at the top of the table.

The last clash in the league saw Farke’s men draw 2-2 with Swansea City after a 97th-minute equaliser from Zan Vipotnik secured an unlikely point for the visitors.

One player in particular failed to deliver during the clash with the Welsh outfit, leading to questions over his long-term future at Elland Road, with many unhappy with his recent showings.

Illan Meslier’s future at Leeds United

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has been Farke’s number-one option between the sticks this season but has often produced a moment of madness, costing the side all three points.

He made two separate errors against the Swans at the weekend, with his penalty save forgotten after his mistakes which handed the visitors a point in Yorkshire.

The Frenchman hasn’t been a stranger to a mistake this campaign, currently having a goals prevented xG of -2.7 – massively impacting the club’s chances of getting promoted.

Regardless of what division the club find themselves in next season, Farke must part ways with the 25-year-old if the side are to reach the next level – with his mistakes ultimately too costly.

However, the goalkeeper shouldn’t be the only player to depart the club this summer, with the manager brutally needing to part ways with one player who’s not at the level required for the top flight.

The Leeds star who wouldn’t cut it in the PL

Ahead of the summer, numerous players’ contracts are set to expire, with time running out for the hierarchy to secure an extension on players whose deals are coming to an end.

Junior Firpo is just one first-team member who could depart Elland Road this summer, with the Spaniard no closer to agreeing a new contract – with teams in Spain already registering interest in his services.

Sam Bryam is another player who could leave this window, with the club needing to avoid offering him a new deal – especially if they are to achieve promotion by the end of the year.

The 31-year-old, who’s been labelled “reliable” by one analyst, is currently in his second spell with the Whites, after rejoining on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

The right-back has been a valuable squad member this campaign, making 30 appearances – but only 15 have come from a starting role, with the likes of Firpo and Jayden Bogle ahead of him.

However, the stats he’s produced are unfortunately not up to the level of a Premier League standard, with the 49ers needing higher quality players if they are to maintain their top-flight status if they secure promotion.

Games played

30

Games started

15

Pass accuracy

83%

Touches per 90

75

Tackles won

1.2

Duels won

5.3

Aerials won

2.2

There’s no denying he’s been a tremendous servant for the club over the years, but ultimately he’s coming to the back end of his career with Farke needing to offload him and invest in new blood.

It will be a harsh decision to part ways with him given his extended time with the Whites, but unfortunately, the club need to do what is right if they are to be more competitive in the years ahead, whether that’s in the Championship or the Premier League.

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“Pretty torrid” – Samuel Luckhurst slams Man Utd star vs West Ham

While Manchester United came from behind to defeat a stubborn Crystal Palace side last weekend, Ruben Amorim’s side could not follow that up with another victory.

This time, they dropped points at the hands of lowly West Ham. Diogo Dalot scored a rare goal but Soungoutou Magassa scored from a corner late on to rescue a share of the points for Nuno Santo’s men.

Unsurprisingly, the 1-1 result did not go down well with Amorim.

Amorim speaks out following West Ham draw

Amorim made his anger and frustration clear after his team drew with the Hammers on Thursday evening.

“It’s frustrating, it’s angry, that’s it,” he said.

“It’s not going backwards. The results are going backwards. We had some moments. That can happen. You were talking about when we had that run that team was really perfect and saying we are not that far from being in the perfect moment. We are really inconsistent. But if you look at the goal, 83 minutes, we have a long ball, we have everything under control and we need to do better.”

Amorim plans to debrief his players on Friday when he has cooled down, rather than hit a giant television in the dressing room like he did after the 3-1 loss to Brighton in January.

The Portuguese mentioned that incident after this latest setback. “In that regard, I’m almost always consistent,” he said. “I had one [outburst] and you know. Brighton last year. I will talk to them tomorrow. I always have the feeling – I think everyone has the feeling – that we need to score more goals. Even with Brighton (in October) we were 3-0 (up) and then suddenly (we conceded twice). We suffer with that, we are inconsistent and we need to improve.”

United return to action against a winless Wolves side next Monday but cannot take things for granted after failing to beat the team 18th at Old Trafford.

For that game, it’s likely that young central defender Ayden Heaven won’t be in the team again

Heaven disappoints in first half cameo

Signed from Arsenal nearly ago, the centre-back has made a promising start to life in United colours but this was perhaps his worst senior performance to date.

The 19-year-old was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign and sadly did not do too much to warrant being given a role in the team.

Heaven’s performance lasted just 45 minutes before Amorim decided to withdraw him at the break.

Despite being so young, it was a performance that took criticism, chiefly from journalist Samuel Luckhurst who took to social media in the first half to say that the Englishman had a “pretty torrid opening 11 minutes” at the back.

Luckhurst said in full: “Pretty torrid opening 11 minutes from Heaven. Got too tight against Wilson, booked and even that back pass did Lammens no favours. Big call pitting him against Wilson.”

The teenager’s numbers did not make for pretty reading either. He failed to make a single tackle, make an interception or win any of his duels. He also completed just six passes and had fewer touches (17) and Senne Lammens.

While Heaven is still young, he clearly has a lot of improving and maturing to do before he’s ready to start regular games at his level.

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Hansi Flick makes major decision on Pedri's fitness ahead of Chelsea v Barcelona

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has now made a major decision on Pedri’s fitness ahead of the Champions League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Tuesday.

The Blues will be looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League on Tuesday, having been unable to overcome Qarabag last time out, drawing 2-2 away at the Azerbaijani side, but they should be heading into the game with renewed confidence.

Enzo Maresca’s side have put together a good run in the Premier League, winning their last three matches without conceding, most recently securing a 2-0 win at Burnley courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

Maresca was particularly happy with his side’s defensive showing, saying after the game: “The way we competed I am very happy.

“To come here and not concede is very difficult. It’s normal to concede something. But overall they only had one real chance. During the game they didn’t have any big chances and during the game we had loads of chances.”

However, the manager will be well-aware that Tuesday’s opposition will be much tougher, and the west Londoners have now been handed a boost heading into the Champions League encounter…

Hansi Flick set to leave Pedri out against Chelsea

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Pedri is now unlikely to travel to London ahead of Tuesday’s game, as Flick and his coaching staff believe it is not worth risking the midfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury near the end of October.

The 22-year-old is now a serious doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge, having missed training on Sunday, which will be welcome news for Maresca & co, who need every advantage they can get heading into the game against the reigning La Liga champions.

Lauded as “amazing” by journalist Muhammad Butt, the Barcelona star has been absolutely integral for Barcelona over the past year, regularly displaying his ability to dictate games, set-up chances for his teammates, and drive the ball forward.

Pedri’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.17 (80th percentile)

Passes attempted

91.85 (98th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.42 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.40 (97th percentile)

That said, the La Liga side are likely to be just as fearful of Chelsea’s midfield, with Fernandez scoring his fifth goal of the season against Burnley at the weekend, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has waxed lyrical about Moises Caicedo this season.

As such, Chelsea should no doubt fancy their chances heading into Tuesday’s game, taking on Barca in a competitive game for the first time since a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou back in 2018.

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Joshua Zirkzee now a priority target for Everton as Arsenal refuse Gabriel Jesus sale

Everton are set to step up their interest in Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, with the Toffees’ interest in Arsenal front man Gabriel Jesus hitting a dead end.

The Toffees have shown plenty of signs of promise so far this season, albeit whilst remaining inconsistent. Their 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday represented their first Premier League win in three games and first clean sheet in eight games, but David Moyes reiterated that he wants everyone to “keep believing” at Everton.

The experienced manager told reporters: “Look, we’ve wanted to try to become a much better footballing team and the players we’ve brought in have helped us to do that.

“We don’t want to lose what we’ve had – desire, heart, commitment – but I think we had to try to find a way of getting a little bit better at certain things and I think we have to build. Look, I trust the owners will help us in all the windows as we go forward and we’ll try to make things better as we go along.

“We need to get people believing in Everton like we do, like the supporters here do, and what we want us to be in the future. To do that we need to keep picking up the wins and attracting top players like Kiernan and Jack Grealish and players of that ilk. We need to keep attracting that level of players to come to the Club.”

What was apparent against Fulham, however, was just how much Everton’s forwards are still struggling. Whether it’s been Beto or one of their most expensive signings, Thierno Barry, the Toffees just haven’t been able to get their strikers firing and something needs to change.

Friekdin are already reportedly looking at potential solutions and have now reportedly made their position on signing Zirkzee clear.

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As reported by Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Zirkzee is now “high up” on Everton’s shortlist and those in Merseyside could make their move if the Man United striker becomes available in January. Ivan Toney is the second name in contention, with Arsenal set to refuse offers for Jesus.

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The Dutchman has made just five appearances all season and is yet to start a single Premier League game. This follows the arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha as well as his own disappointing debut campaign last time out.

But is Zirkzee the answer to Everton’s problem? They’ve already revived the best version of Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City and now there’s a chance they could get the same opportunity with Zirkzee.

Praised as “amazing with his back to goal” by Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski last season, the Man United man is still just 24 years old and has plenty of time to find his feet elsewhere in the Premier League.

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Wolves in contact for new manager Abel Ferreira as Jeff Shi receives reply

Wolves have made an enquiry for Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira, with executive chairman Jeff Shi receiving a reply.

Wolves to “take time” in new manager search

The Old Gold parted ways with Vitor Pereira on Sunday following their eighth Premier League defeat of the season and are no further down the line in regards appointing a long-term replacement.

David Ornstein has revealed that Wolves didn’t begin the process for a new manager until Pereira was sacked after the 3-0 loss at Fulham, despite their struggles all season.

“I think they wanted to give Vitor Pereira as long as possible. And therefore, they didn’t start a process to replace him before he was actually sacked.

“Once he was, the work began in earnest, or maybe Saturday night after the Fulham defeat, into Sunday, phone calls were starting to be made to express interest in a number of candidates, including Gary O’Neil.”

It looked as if Gary O’Neil was going to return to Molineux, however, he walked away from talks to leave the club at square one.

Under-21s head coach, James Collins, and under-18s head coach, Richard Walker, are in interim charge ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea.

Sam Allardyce keen on taking Molineux job but reveals what Wolves are after

Veteran manager Sam Allardyce could potentially make a dramatic return to Premier League management.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025

It has been claimed that Wolves “want to take time” to find the right man after O’Neil’s move fell through and Rob Edwards distanced himself from the vacancy.

A leadership group involving Shi and Matt Jackson are involved in the managerial process, whereas Wolves are also being influenced by Jorge Mendes in the background.

The new Nuno Santo: "World-class" manager wants to hold talks with Wolves

Now, a new name has emerged with Wolves even making contact over a deal.

Wolves make Abel Ferreira approach

According to reports from ESPN Brazil, Wolves have made an enquiry over a move for Palmeiras boss Ferreira.

The Portuguese manager was wanted by Nottingham Forest following Nuno Espirito Santo’s exit and was also linked with Chelsea back in 2023.

However, following the latest move from Molineux chiefs, Ferreira has rejected Wolves’ offer as he is focused on the CONMEBOL Libertadores final and the Brazilian Championship with Palmeiras.

A two-time Brazil league winner with his current employers, Ferreira plays a 4-2-3-1 manager and has won 6-0 on four separate occasions.

Wins

361

Draws

149

Losses

154

Goals scored

1,093

Goals conceded

652

Points per game

1.86

Two of those came with Palmeiras and the other two in Portugal when he was in charge of Braga, and as can be seen, the 46-year-old has plenty of managerial experience at a relatively young age.

Unfortunately for Shi and co, a move to Wolves for Ferreira doesn’t look like it is on the cards in 2025, leaving Wolves to look elsewhere once again.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

Danny Rohl has now personally ordered the Rangers board make three new signings in the January transfer window, with the manager’s top transfer priority named.

Rohl is off to a solid start in the Scottish Premiership, recording victories in his opening two matches as manager, which means he already has more league wins to his name than Russell Martin, who left the Gers in nothing short of a terrible position.

Indeed, as a result of Martin’s awful start, the Teddy Bears have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to be serious contenders for the league title, with Hearts currently setting the pace at the top, opening up a 14-point lead.

As bad as the former Southampton boss was, the players must also take their share of the blame, however, and the Heart & Hand Podcast recently singled out a number of first-team stars for heavy criticism.

Consequently, the new manager may feel the need to strengthen his squad this winter, and his number one priority has now been revealed…

Rohl orders Rangers board to make three January signings

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Rohl has now ordered the Rangers board to make three signings in the January transfer window, with the club’s hierarchy ready to back their manager.

Top of the list is a ‘commanding’ new centre-back, given that doubts remain over Nasser Djiga, Clinton Nsiala, Emmanuel Fernandes, John Souttar and Derek Cornelius.

However, signing a new centre-back is not the only task on the agenda, with the 36-year-old making it clear he wants to bring in an energetic midfielder and a prolific striker.

It is clear to see why bolstering the backline is of the utmost importance, with the Gers looking shocking from a defensive point of view on multiple occasions this season, the most recent example of which being the display against SK Brann last month.

That result, in particular, will have underlined the size of the task at hand to Rohl, with James Tavernier being left disgusted by the performance.

Having also conceded nine goals across two legs against Club Brugge, the Gers should undoubtedly sign a new centre-back this winter, but a new striker wouldn’t go amiss either.

Tavenier is the only Rangers player to have scored more than two Scottish Premiership goals this season, despite being a right-back, highlighting the scale of the issues at both ends of the pitch.

Rangers urged to drop Youssef Chermiti ahead of AS Roma clash As bad as Aasgaard: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who was "so poor"

Danny Rohl must drop this Rangers flop who was as bad as Thelo Aasgaard at Hampden Park.

ByDan Emery Nov 2, 2025

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