Man Utd Directors Board Plane To Sign ‘Extraordinary’ £69m Star

Manchester United are yet to conclude any business during the transfer window, although the feeling is that something is close at Old Trafford.

Man United transfer news – Red Devils interested in Aurelien Tchouameni

While much of the early exchanges of the window have been with regards to signing Mason Mount, United are looking to spend even more money if reports are to be believed.

On Saturday, news broke from reports in Spain (via Football 365), that France international Aurelien Tchouameni was on the club's radar.

In fact, it's even suggested that Erik ten Hag has instructed United directors to fly to Spain in order to have a face-to-face meeting with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez so they can conclude a deal.

Ten Hag views the midfielder as an ideal option with the player looking likely to leave the Spanish capital following the arrival of Jude Bellingham.

That said, Madrid won't settle for anything less than a fee of €80m (£69m).

Who does Tchouameni compare to in Europe's top five leagues?

The Frenchman has been one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe for some time now and was totally deserving of a big move to La Liga last summer.

Having scored a quite delightful goal against England at the World Cup, the 23-year-old has only been going from strength to strength, playing a whopping 50 times at club level last term.

He may not have scored, but Tchouameni's primary function is to dictate and break up the play from the middle of the park.

aurelien-tchouameni-liverpool-premier-league-transfers

With that in mind, it's perhaps no surprise to see FBref suggest that Arsenal-bound Declan Rice is one of his most 'similar' players.

Rice was a target for the Red Devils this summer but looks set to sign for Arsenal in a mega £105m deal next week.

Ten Hag, therefore, will have to seek alternatives and there are few better than Tchouameni, a player branded "extraordinary" by fellow countryman and ex-Man United star Paul Pogba.

Over the last 365 days, both Tchouameni and Rice have had a similar level of impact in the final third, with the former registering an expected goals per 90 of 0.08 compared to the latter's xG of 00.07. Furthermore, the Irons star posted 2.75 shot-creating actions to the United target's 2.67.

Declan Rice Europa Conference league winner

Tchouameni tends to play longer passes more regularly, spraying the ball on average 332.9 yards per 90 to Rice's 259.8 but this success rate of passes over a medium distance is very similar; 94.2% to 93.2% in favour of the Frenchman.

Their creativity is remarkably alike with the West Ham skipper averaging 1.02 key passes per 90 to the Real Madrid star's 0.94 while there is just 0.33 between them when it comes to passes into the final third.

Not just confident in possession of the ball, both are capable of doing the dirty work with Tchouameni amassing 2.72 tackles per 90, while Rice is only slightly behind with 2.17.

Whether it's creating chances or tracking back to win the ball for their side, the two players in question have a host of similar qualities. Rice has already shown that they are more than a match for the Premier League so his positional rival should have no problems settling in.

You only need to look at how Casemiro has fared since making the move to realise it can be done swiftly and to great success. Alongside Mount, this would be a superb signing for Ten Hag and Co.

Spurs Eyeing Romero Repeat In ‘Extraordinary’ £17m Talent

Tottenham Hotspur could unveil their new goalkeeper shortly after agreeing personal terms with Empoli titan Guglielmo Vicario, ending speculation over the club's pursuit of a new shot-stopper.

What's the latest on Guglielmo Vicario to Tottenham?

That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who has taken to Twitter to provide a series of updates on the situation, the latest of which claims that a €19m (£17m) official proposal is incoming after personal terms were agreed yesterday.

Signing on a five-year deal, Vicario would likely assume the No 1. role at the club after impressing in Serie A this year; Spurs 'keeper Hugo Lloris is expected to depart this summer and he is clearly viewed as the replacement.

The 26-year-old Italian has been favoured by the Lilywhites hierarchy despite also agreeing terms with Brentford's David Raya, deterred by the £40m asking price.

Should Tottenham sign Guglielmo Vicario?

The 35-year-old Lloris has been a stalwart for Tottenham since signing from Lyon for £12m in 2012, but having made four errors leading to goal this year – the most in the division – and with Tottenham shipping 63 strikes, change is understandably afoot.

And while Raya would have been an impressive appointment after starring with the high-flying Bees in the Premier League over the past several seasons, the shrewder route has been taken and could still bear fruit, with Vicario offering all the promise of a first-rate goalkeeper for years to come.

Tottenham transfer target Guglielmo Vicario in Serie A action.

Hailed as an "extraordinary" talent by revered compatriot Gianluigi Buffon, Vicario recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.05 as Empoli finished 14th in Serie A, playing 31 matches, keeping seven clean sheets and making 97 saves at a rate of 69%.

As per FBref, the £18k-per-week star also ranks among the top 9% of positional peers throughout Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months for touches per 90, which underscores his prowess as a ball-playing goalkeeper, something that could fit the philosophy of new Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou to a tee, having been lauded for bringing "a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play" by club chairman Daniel Levy.

It could replicate Spurs' recent success in bringing Cristian Romero over from Italian football, with the no-nonsense centre-back signing from Atalanta for £42m in 2021.

Despite the north London outfit's defensive woes, the Argentine World Cup champion has been hailed as a "Rolls-Royce" by Martin Keown and has earned his stripes through his tenacious grit, ranking among the top 5% of centre-halfs for tackles, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 20% for interceptions per 90.

On top of the assurance that a burgeoning goalkeeper would bring, Spurs could continue their trend of fortifying the ranks from Serie A with the signing of Vicario, and it is a transfer that must be concluded swiftly ahead of a campaign of paramount importance.

Manchester United Looking At Deal To Sign £51m "Animal"

Manchester United are keen to bring Juventus defender Gleison Bremer to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Gleison Bremer leaving Juventus?

The Brazilian international only arrived at the Allianz Stadium from Torino last summer and he impressed during his debut season, establishing himself as Massimiliano Allegri’s overall third best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92.

However, even though the 26-year-old still has another four years remaining on his contract, the Serie A outfit are in need of funds and will therefore be looking to raise cash by selling some of their most prized assets during the upcoming window, the centre-back being one of them.

Back in 2021, Fantacalcio credited the Red Devils with an interest in the 6 foot 2 colossus when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge, and if the following update is to be believed, Erik Ten Hag is allegedly preparing to make a second attempt at securing his services.

Are Man United signing Bremer?

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Man United are “looking at” a potential summer swoop for Bremer. The Old Trafford side are “thinking about” the defender and are “particularly interested” in wrapping up a deal in the weeks and months ahead.

Juventus will demand an offer of at least €60m (£51m) in order to “carefully” consider a sale, and whilst a switch “doesn’t seem obvious at this stage”, Old Trafford chiefs did watch him live in action last season.

Juventus defender Gleison Bremer.

Where could Bremer fit in under Ten Hag?

Man United’s captain Harry Maguire has been heavily linked with a summer exit so Ten Hag will need a replacement in central defence should he depart, and having been dubbed an “animal” by Torino’s Mergim Vojvoda, Bremer could be the perfect candidate.

The World Cup participant was averaging 3.8 clearances and 2.6 aerial wins per Serie A game during the previous term, via WhoScored, so was a real solid option in the heart of the backline, but he also posed a threat in the final third with five goal contributions (four goals and one assist) to his name.

Bremer, who has the versatility to operate at right-back, also shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Raphael Varane, so his representative will already hold an existing connection to the club from when his other client joined, and this is a relationship that could give the Red Devils an advantage in trying to get a deal over the line this summer.

Man United Hold "Positive" Behind-Scenes Transfer Talks

Manchester United have spoken to Mason Mount's camp over the last few days to confirm their interest in the player ahead of the summer window.

Will Chelsea sell Mason Mount?

The 24-year-old's future in west London is looking increasingly unlikely as the days roll on with his contract now winding down to its final year.

There is believed to be interest coming from across the Premier League in the England international this summer with the Red Devils up there among the most interested.

Indeed, it is thought Erik ten Hag's side are seriously interested in potentially bringing the midfielder to Old Trafford as they look to strengthen on what was an impressive 2022/23 campaign.

However, the Blues are said to have an extremely high valuation on their academy product despite his contract situation.

According to reports, Chelsea will be looking for a bid in the region of £68m to allow their 24-year-old midfielder to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Red Devils have recently held further discussions with the player's camp to assure them of their intentions this summer:

"I can tell you that also in the last two-three days, Manchester United, in the contacts they had with the player side, they confirmed their intention to go for Mason [Mount]. They are not changing their mind.

"So they are confirming that they want him. They have a contract proposal ready. They know that Mason is prepared to say yes. So they kind of sent a positive message to Mason Mount."

Do Chelsea want to keep Mount?

The contract situation of the midfielder is far from ideal as he enters the final year of his time at the club which puts a lot of the power in his hands.

Yes, Chelsea will have the last say, however, they are at risk of potentially losing the player for nothing next summer if he is to stay and not sign a new deal.

But this is Chelsea. This is a club who have enormous financial backing behind them so perhaps they may be willing to take the gamble of keeping Mount ahead of next season.

chelsea-pochettino-kendry-paez-transfer-caicedo-brighton-gossip

Having said that, this is also Chelsea who have spent significantly under Todd Boehly's tenure and this does present an opportunity to reclaim some money this summer.

It has been reported their newly-appointed manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is keen to keep Mount around for the foreseeable future.

But the player was spotted walking around Stamford Bridge following their final game of the season against Newcastle United in what some have speculated to be a farewell.

With United seemingly so interested in bringing Mount to Stamford Bridge this summer, it is claimed the arrival of Pochettino may have come too late to persuade the £80k-per-week ace to stay.

Tottenham: Ange "Driving" Spurs Move For "Unplayable" Star

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is personally "driving" a Spurs move for Leicester City playmaker James Maddison, according to reports.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

As the transfer window officially opens for business today, the time for a major Spurs rebuild is now upon us, with many players being tipped to potentially leave or come through the door.

Postecoglou's arrival marks the return of attacking football and a 4-3-3 formation, meaning chairman Daniel Levy must now scour for players who suit his system.

Of the players who could depart N17, there are many, with over 11 players being linked to leaving. Indeed, Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Lenglet, Eric Dier and Ben Davies have all been tipped to potentially exit, while Spurs are also apparently planning to offload Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks (The Telegraph).

Meanwhile, it is believed Postecoglou has green-lit plans to sign a new centre-back, with reports suggesting Spurs are also hunting for a new goalkeeper to succeed Lloris. Maddison, who looks set to leave Leicester following their relegation from the top flight, is a firm transfer target as well.

james-maddison-newcastle-united-transfer-news-opinion-premier-league

The Lilywhites, according to reports, are contending with Eddie Howe's Newcastle for the England international with reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella of The Evening Standard sharing an update.

According to his information, while the Magpies are confident of beating Spurs to Maddison, Postecoglou is personally "driving" a move to bring him to Hotspur Way.

The Foxes will apparently demand around £45m and he is set to be sold after Leicester's drop to the Championship, with Spurs targeting a creative playmaker this summer.

Postecoglou has given his green-light to moving for Maddison, but with Newcastle now "frontrunners", Spurs could face a tougher task of signing him.

Who is James Maddison?

The Three Lions ace was, by some distance, Leicester's best player last season.

According to WhoScored, he stood out as their best-performing player by average match rating, all whilst totalling an impressive 19 goal contributions in the league alone (10 goals, nine assists).

Maddison also averaged more attempts at goal and key passes made per 90 than any other Leicester player, highlighting why Postecoglou is so keen to bring him to north London.

Journalist Josh Bunting, taking to Twitter last year, heaped praise on the 26-year-old – claiming he can be "unplayable" when at his very best.

Whoever wins the race for Maddison will surely have a real player on their hands.

Tottenham: Spurs Want To Sign Rapid £40M Star For Ange

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes for new manager Ange Postecoglou, according to reports.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

Spurs supporters have finally seen their club's long, drawn out manager search come to an end with former Celtic boss Postecoglou set to start work on July 1.

The Australian, fresh off the back of a domestic treble win at Parkhead, is tasked with the almighty challenge of transforming Tottenham into a major force again.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," said chairman Daniel Levy upon his appointment."He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Spurs missed out on European football for the 2023/2024 campaign, making the summer transfer market a challenge both financially and in terms of attracting star players.

However, reports suggest that the north Londoners and Levy are still determined to back Postecoglou, with the club ready to rival Newcastle for Leicester City star James Maddison.

harvey-barnes-leicester-city-transfer-newcastle-united-premier-league

According to The Times, however, Maddison isn't the only player being targeted from the King Power Stadium. Indeed, their forward Barnes is also wanted at Spurs, with Levy and co apparently being "keen" to sign him.

As well as the aforementioned duo, Southampton star James Ward-Prowse is another relegated star who is attracting interest.

Who is Harvey Barnes?

The Englishman, who is expected to cost around £40 million this summer, has been revered for his speed and stood out as one of Leicester's star players last season.

As per WhoScored, Barnes finished 2022/2023 as Leicester's top goalscorer in the Premier League with 13 – backing how he could inject some real threat into Tottenham's forward line.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, commenting on the 25-year-old in 2021, even heralded him as an "unbelievable player".

"They do good business, full-back, centre-half, all these things," said Klopp on Leicester at the time."Up front, [Marc] Albrighton, looks like he doesn’t get older, [Jamie] Vardy the same."Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I’m not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product."

Given he is likely to want an immediate return to the top flight, ir is reasonable to believe he could also be open to joining Tottenham.

West Ham must sign "unbelievable" 25 y/o ace

West Ham United are safe. An inconsistent, erratic, and stressful season has seen the Irons occasionally flirt with the devastating fate of relegation.

However, the Hammers finished relatively comfortably in 14th position and have the Europa Conference final next week.

Whatever the result of that European showdown, the east London outfit will undoubtedly be active in the summer transfer window, especially when considering their £179m outlay prior to this campaign.

For the quality of the squad, their league place was unflattering, and their underwhelming nature in front of goal hindered their progression.

David Moyes’ side netted an uninspiring 42 Premier League goals in 38 outings, drawing blanks in 32% of their domestic fixtures.

Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma were the club’s top scorers, sharing six goals a piece, to underline a mind-boggling lack of potency.

As a result, the Guardian has reported that West Ham are interested in Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes, which would be a huge statement of intent to resurrect their offensive woes.

Why should West Ham sign Harvey Barnes?

The Englishman is deliciously talented and has offered fantastic levels of output in a hideously disjointed Leciester team that suffered relegation back to the Championship after Everton defeated Bournemouth.

The one-cap international scored 13 goals this season, which is more than Phil Foden, Son Hueng-Min, and Roberto Firmino.

From a wider perspective, this is even more impressive as the former West Brom loanee ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals, which begs the mouthwatering question of what the winger could achieve in a more functional team.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has previously heaped noticeable praise on the £35k-per-week star and said: “Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I’m not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product.”

Barnes’ explosive style of play, combined with his ruthless productivity and commendable judgement of when to run in behind is reminiscent of Bowen’s feats last term.

Although not exactly at the race this season, scoring just six league strikes, during the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old was utterly phenomenal, recording 22 goal involvements in 34 starts, as he was an integral part of a Clarets side that came sixth and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

For the Irons to produce a more fruitful return in front of goal and reclaim a spot in the top half of the league, then the signing of £35k-per-week Barnes could be a stroke of genius and one that replicates Bowen, just from the opposite flank.

Palace: Rak-Sakyi has big opportunity

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira must place his trust in Eagles youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, amidst his latest injury setback.

What’s the latest

Crystal Palace will be without their French sensation Michael Olise for the remainder of the season, after he picked up a knock that saw him miss the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

Asked about the injury in the post-match press conference, as per Football.London, Vieira said: “Michael was injured. He had a step back and he’s not going to play again this season.”

Eberechi Eze started in place of Olise, whilst versatile Ghanian international Jeffrey Schlupp took up the right-wing position with just 12 minutes to go – scoring the all-important equaliser, having been on the pitch for just three minutes.

Opportunity Knocks

Having recently been named Crystal Palace’s U23 player of the season, Rak-Sakyi deserves a chance in the absence of Olise.

The 19-year-old has already spoken of his desire to impress Eagles boss Vieira before the end of the season, and with just two games left, he will need to stake his claim sooner, rather than later.

Last week, Vieira revealed that some of the U23s would train with the first team until the end of the season. Of course, Rak-Sakyi, who has been in and around the first team – having made the match-day squad on several occasions – is one of these players, having hit 15 goals and a further five assists in just 24 appearances in Premier League 2.

The 19-year-old, who has been described as a “standout” player by Dan Gibbs, has praised his manager for the number of opportunities he is willing to give to youth players.

As per Winsford Guardian, Rak-Sakyi said: “He [Vieira] is a great manager. I would say that he really trusts the youth. It just shows that if we work hard and we just put in the work in training and games then there are opportunities here.

“I have just got to work hard, keep training hard and hopefully I will get more minutes.”

With Olise out, Rak-Sakyi should be given the opportunity to make his second, and hopefully third, Premier League appearances in what are the final two league games for Palace.

In other news: Imagine him & Guehi: CPFC can save millions with 19 y/o starlet who’s “full of energy”

Leeds: Hay drops Bamford injury update

Phil Hay has dropped a worrying injury update concerning Leeds United centre-forward Patrick Bamford.

What’s the latest?

In comments made on a recent Q&A on The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent hinted that, after being left out of Jesse Marsch’s 20-man matchday squad to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, the 28-year-old may not be able to make a return to fitness before the crucial trip to Brentford this weekend.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Regarding the England international’s absence at Elland Road, Hay said: “No Patrick Bamford in the 20. Will be Brentford for him, if at all.”

Leeds supporters will be sweating

While it is true that both 18th placed Burnley and 16th placed Everton have a game in hand on the Whites, the point gained from Pascal Struijk’s late equaliser against the Seagulls will have undoubtedly given the Elland Road faithful hope that their side could well go on to pull off what would be a rather miraculous escape from the drop.

However, in order to do so, Leeds will need both Aston Villa on Thursday and Newcastle United on Sunday to do them a big favour against the Clarets, while the Whites simply must ensure that they take all three points home from Brentford Community Stadium this weekend – a task which will be made a great deal more difficult is Bamford is once again out.

Indeed, the £18m-rated forward has been a huge miss for Leeds this season, with the 28-year-old’s two goals and two assists over nine Premier League appearances in 2021/22 being pale in comparison to his return of 17 goals and eight assists over 38 top-flight fixtures last season.

As such, it is clear to see just how big of a miss the £74k-per-week striker has been in the Leeds frontline this term, with the Englishman’s availability for what is undoubtedly the Whites’ most important game of the season sure to be something that will have both Marsch and supporters sweating throughout the week – as Bamford remaining sidelined would certainly come as a huge blow to Leeds’ hopes of remaining a Premier League side in 2022/23.

AND in other news: Talks held: Leeds plot bid for £19.8m-rated “phenomenon”, it’s surely bye-bye Raphinha

West Ham: Predicted XI for Frankfurt

It’s crunch time for West Ham United on Thursday evening, as David Moyes’ side take on Eintracht Frankfurt in what is set to be an enthralling, Europa League, semi-final, second-leg clash.

The Hammers head into the game on a run of four matches without a win in all competitions – having lost their last three both in Europe and domestically – although all hope is not lost with the current aggregate scoreline at just 2-1 in favour of the Bundesliga side.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]

The London Stadium outfit weren’t at their best in that defeat on home soil, although that one-goal deficit ensures it is all still to play for, with history seemingly on their side as they overcame the same opponents at the last four stage of the European Cup Winners’ Cup back in 1976.

Ahead of this pivotal encounter, here’s how the Football FanCast think that Moyes will line his side up…

With the former Manchester United boss announcing a clean bill of health in his pre-match press conference, the only changes to be made are likely to be tactical ones, with the Scotsman having shuffled his pack in the weekend defeat to Arsenal. As such, we are predicting that the 59-year-old will make four alterations from the side that lost at home to the Gunners.

One of those tweaks will see Alphonse Areola return in goal having featured in nine of the ten games in the competition, while ahead of him Craig Dawson returns to the backline after his brief suspension on Sunday, lining up alongside Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell.

The latter will return to his usual left-back berth, meaning that £38k-per-week dud Ryan Fredericks will drop out – the full-back having been dubbed a “shocker” by journalist Thomas Clark earlier this season.

In midfield, the club’s “man mountain” Tomas Soucek, as he has been described by pundit Micah Richards, replaces club captain Mark Noble alongside talisman Declan Rice, while ahead of them should be the attacking trio of Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen.

Leading the line will almost certainly be Michail Antonio – with Said Benrahma making way – although as his manager admitted, the Jamaica international is in desperate need of a goal, having scored just twice in all competitions since New Year’s Day.

In other news, Forget Rice: Moyes now set for West Ham disaster on “remarkable” £125k-p/w giant