Arsenal are currently working to tie up a few key summer deals for Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners also prepare to kick off their pre-season tour of Asia against AC Milan on Wednesday.

After announcing the signing of England international winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea for an initial £48.5 million, rising to £52 million with add-ons (Sky Sports), defender Cristhian Mosquera is poised to follow soon.

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Arsenal reached an agreement with Valencia to sign the 21-year-old some time ago, and reports suggest he’s undergone a successful medical in north London (Tribuna Deportiva Valencia).

However, sources from both sides are refusing to disclose the reason for Mosquera’s announcement delay (Tribuna Deportiva Valencia), and they’ll likely delay unveiling his capture until after their tour of the Far East.

Arsenal estimated transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Arteta’s side are in the market for a central attacking midfielder too, with both Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and now RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons among Arsenal’s chiefs targets for the role.

Bolstering that area of the squad and bringing in someone to complement captain Martin Odegaard will immediately be prioritised once they finally seal a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal reached an agreement in principle with Sporting over the signing of Gyokeres midway through July, for a total fee of around £64 million including add-ons (The Athletic), but it is taking some time to fully finalise his transfer to N5.

The final round of negotiations has reportedly centered around the conditions of those add-ons and bonuses involved, which could take the fee up to £69 million (The Guardian), with Gyokeres’ agent even agreeing to waive his fee to make this move happen.

Viktor Gyokeres has "chosen to go to Arsenal" with Man Utd rejected

The hold-up has prompted reports that Man United could mount a late hijack for the 27-year-old, and Fabrizio Romano even confirmed this morning that intermediaries have invited the Red Devils to make a bid of their own.

Now, journalist Duncan Castles has told The Transfers Podcast that Sporting are unhappy with Gyokeres’ conduct, informing the striker last week that he’s in breach of contract for refusing to train.

His lawyers defended against this by accusing Sporting of going back on their gentlemen’s agreement that Gyokeres could leave Sporting for a certain fee. So, there is a legal dispute apparently going on in the background, and the sense is now that Rui Borges’ side are attempting to make his exit as difficult as possible.

In some good news for Arteta, though, Gyokeres has “chosen to go to Arsenal” and will continue forcing through a move to north London, with United facing a brutal knockback if they decide to enter the race.

“There was a story in Portugal over the weekend that Manchester United had come in and gone over the top of Arsenal’s offer and that Sporting were very close to agreeing a transfer fee with Manchester United for Gyokeres,” said Castles.

“I’m told by sources at Manchester United that that’s not true, and also by people close to Gyokeres that it’s absolutely not true, and even if it were true, Gyokeres would not go to Manchester United. He has chosen to go to Arsenal, and he will continue to force that move.”

Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in all competitions for Sporting last season, leading the line in their charge for a first domestic double in around 20 years, but his memorable spell in Portugal isn’t about to end smoothly.

Brydon Carse to debut, Chris Woakes set for first overseas Test since 2022

Matt Roller05-Oct-2024Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England’s first Test against Pakistan in Multan, as he continues to recover from a torn hamstring. Stokes confirmed after training on Saturday that he is not yet fully recovered from the injury he sustained two months ago while playing in the Hundred.In Stokes’ absence, Chris Woakes will play his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years and his first in Asia since 2016, while Brydon Carse will make his Test debut. Ollie Pope will captain England for a fourth successive match in Stokes’ absence, having led them to a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last month.”I tried my hardest to try and get myself fit for this first game but we’ve taken the call to miss this one. I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready,” Stokes said. “We got to a certain point, but just looking at the bigger picture around what we’ve got coming up and actually physically where I’m at with my rehab, I’m not quite ready to play.”Related

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Stokes spent the first 45 minutes of England’s training session doing shuttle runs with Peter Sim, the strength and conditioning coach. He later batted in the nets, facing spin from Rehan Ahmed and local net-bowlers as well as throwdowns from England’s coaching staff, but is taking a cautious approach to his comeback.He will now target the second Test in 10 days’ time. “I’ve pushed myself incredibly hard,” Stokes said. “I’ve worked really, really hard with the medical team to get to where I’m at now. I think I’m further ahead than what we expected today. Look, I’ll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try and give myself a chance to be fit.”Whatever sports you play, you’re going to get injuries. I’m 33 now, so I’ve put my body through quite a lot. I’ve started working incredibly hard over the last two years: I know that I’m getting older, so it’s not through lack of effort. It’s just one of those things where, with what we do, you’re going to put yourself at risk every time you walk out on the field for injuries.”Brydon Carse has been confirmed for a Test debut•Getty ImagesIf Stokes is available for the second Test, it may only be as a specialist batter – though he said it was “too far away” to tell. “That’s in my 10-day plan from now to that next one, eking bowling back into my training. We’ve had a good plan put together by myself and the medical guys out here, so I’ll be working incredibly hard to try and give myself a good chance of being ready.”England confirmed their XI later on Saturday, two days out from the first Test. They have picked two specialist spinners, with Jack Leach returning to the side for the first time since January alongside his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir. Gus Atkinson has shaken off a thigh niggle and will play his first overseas Test after impressing during the English summer.Carse pipped Olly Stone and his Durham team-mate Matthew Potts – who both featured against Sri Lanka last month – to the final spot in England’s seam attack. Carse, like Potts, impressed in England’s recent ODI series against Australia but his additional pace and superior batting have seen him win the battle to be England’s third fast bowler.Having missed most of the summer due to a gambling ban, Carse regularly hit 90mph/145kph during Australia’s tour and has impressed England’s players in the nets. “He’s a natural wicket-taker,” Joe Root said. “He’s got those balls in him that, out of nowhere, on the flattest of wickets, you can make something happen… He offers a huge amount to the squad.”Carse, 29, was born and raised in South Africa but qualified for England through his ancestry in 2019. He will become England’s sixth Test debutant of the year after Tom Hartley, Bashir, Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Josh Hull, and has been carded to bat at No. 9, just below Atkinson.England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Shoaib Bashir

With all potential relegation permutations happily off the agenda at last, Warwickshire calmly settled down to avoiding defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on the final day of the 2024 Vitality County Championship. Saving the follow-on with five wickets down effectively saved the game.The draw, for which the pitch was probably intended from the start, thus duly arrived with ease, Notts taking 14 points to the visitors’ 13. Sam Hain signed off the season with an unbeaten 153 and his overnight partner Ed Barnard made 81 before Michael Burgess struck 56 from 71 balls in an eventual 373 for 7 after the resumption on 143 for 4.It was not until the 13th ball after lunch in fact that the fifth-wicket partners were finally separated after adding exactly 150. The wunderkind off-spinner Farhan Ahmed switched to bowling over the wicket for the first time in the day and Barnard, who had passed 5000 first-class runs on the way, immediately top-edged a sweep to the deep.The catch was well judged by the 21-year old substitute Sam King, yet to gain a first-class debut, with Brett Hutton briefly off the field. But only 84 more runs were then needed to avoid the follow-on, reduced to 58 by the time Hutton returned to take the new ball five overs later.In a challenging summer during which personal reasons and concussion had seen him miss six games, Hain had completed a heartening second hundred of the season from 202 balls just before lunch. As Ahmed shared the new ball, he remained the anchor while Burgess proved typically combative.The follow-on target of 333 was passed with 43 overs remaining but the match, bonus points aside, long since academic as certain to be drawn. Burgess entertained with four sixes in all until he swiped at Lyndon James 21 runs later and failed to clear mid-on. Ahmed came off next over with three for 93 from 33 overs, good figures on this pitch.A second substitute, James Hayes, also without first-class experience, then took a gentle catch at cover off Rob Lord as a loose cut undid Danny Briggs without score. After tea taken at 361 for 7, however, just four bonus-point overs remained, neither side adding to their tally. Notts brought Ahmed back on but he found no further success and bad light conveniently ended play at 3.50.Warwickshire could reflect on a season of just one win but the boon of no fewer than 33 batting points, a total bettered only by Surrey and Essex in Division One. Added to the reinstated increased reward of eight points for each of their nine draws, it served them very well.Nottinghamshire too benefited from eight draws and Lancashire would no doubt rue the fact that they arguably had a marginally better playing record than both their rivals but could muster just 15 batting points along with their four draws. They ended with three wins and six losses, compared to Notts’ two wins, four losses and Warwickshire’s one win also with four losses.

Leeds United are now in the race to sign a “highly rated” £17 million Ligue 1 ace who’s being chased by major teams throughout Europe, according to a new report.

As pre-season preparations get underway, Daniel Farke will be very pleased with the business the club have conducted so far, but he will be wanting more arrivals between now and September, as he knows Leeds have a lot of work ahead of them if they are to remain in the Premier League.

Better than Gudmundsson: Leeds want to land deal for "dominant" £22m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a star who would be even better than Gabriel Gudmundsson.

2

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Dan Emery

Jul 7, 2025

Three players have already arrived at Elland Road, but that could soon be about to double. According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds are closing in on the signing of Gabriel Gudmundsson from French side Lille. The Sweden international was expected to travel to England on Sunday to complete the transfer and add more options in the left-back spot for Farke.

That is not the only full-back the Whites are chasing, as Leeds are also interested in signing El Hadji Malick Diouf and are in a good position to beat West Ham to his signature, as they have already seen a bid turned down.

Meanwhile, the Premier League newcomers have also held talks with goalkeeper Lucas Perri over potentially replacing Illan Meslier between the sticks at Elland Road.

Leeds in race for highly rated Neil El Aynaoui

The transfer news doesn’t stop there for the Yorkshire side, as according to Foot Mercato, Leeds are interested in signing midfielder Neil El Aynaoui from RC Lens.

The report states that after a successful 2024/25 season on a personal level, where El Aynaoui scored eight goals in 24 Ligue 1 games, the 24 year-old midfielder is now wanted by many teams across Europe. As well as Leeds, Sunderland and Wolves showing strong interest from England, they all face competition from Juventus and AC Milan.

But it could be AS Roma who are the significant threat to the Whites, as the Italian side have already submitted a bid worth 20 million euros, which is roughly £17.2 million, and are looking to continue talks with Lens over the coming days.

El Aynaoui, who has been dubbed “highly talented” in the past, would bring versatility to Leeds’ midfield department, as he can operate defensively and offensively, as well as being comfortable playing out wide.

Capturing El Aynaoui would show significant intent from the 49ers, given the interest from huge clubs with multiple Champions League titles to their name, with the American group seemingly intent on putting Leeds back on their perch.

With a new goalkeeper likely to cost in excess of £10m and El Aynaoui’s price looking likely to breach the £30m mark, it may not be long before the Whites are heading towards a nine-figure spend in the summer market.

يستضيف فريق برشلونة نظيره ريال سوسيداد في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، مساء اليوم الأحد، بعد يوم من سقوط ريال مدريد ضد أتلتيكو مدريد بشكل مدوي.

ويلتقي برشلونة مع ريال سوسيداد على ملعب “مونتجويك” في إطار لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26.

ويمتلك برشلونة 16 نقطة في المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإسباني، بفارق نقطتين فقط عن المتصدر ريال مدريد، الذي سقط أمس على يد أتلتيكو مدريد بنتيجة 5/2.

ويفتقد برشلونة خدمات حارس المرمى خوان جارسيا الذي خضع لعملية جراحية أمس، وكذلك رافينها بسبب الإصابة.

(محدث) تشكيل برشلونة أمام ريال سوسيداد في الدوري الإسباني تشكيل برشلونة المتوقع أمام ريال سوسيداد اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني.

خط الدفاع: جول كوندي، إريك جارسيا، أراوخو، جيرارد مارتين.

خط الوسط: فرينكي دي يونج، مارك كاسادو.

خط الوسط الهجومي: فيران توريس، داني أولمو، ماركوس راشفور.

خط الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي. 

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Everton are now reportedly closing in on a double deal to welcome two teenage talents to their academy.

Everton continuing summer business after Thierno Barry

Having already kicked off their summer business by welcoming Thierno Barry from Villarreal, Everton are reportedly set to continue their pursuit of incomings by signing Bournemouth’s Mark Travers. The shot-stopper looks set to arrive to provide Jordan Pickford with some much-needed backup following the departures of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia.

The goalkeeper’s arrival will hand Everton their third signing of the summer after Moyes was left delighted by the signing of Barry last week to follow up the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent deal earlier in the window.

The Everton boss told reporters: “We are delighted to have brought Thierno to the Club. We see lots of potential and we are hoping for good things from him.

“We will give him plenty of time to settle in and we are looking forward to getting started working with him as soon as possible. I’m hoping to make more additions in the coming weeks.”

It’s no surprise that the Toffees have turned towards Travers as well as the talented forward, either. Following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s decision to leave the club as a free agent, Moyes desperately needed a fresh goalscorer and Barry will provide exactly that.

It’s not just current gems that the veteran manager is thinking about, however, with reports now suggesting that Everton are closing in on signing two future stars this summer.

Everton closing in on Dodds and Gokah swoop

As reported by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, Everton are now closing in on deals to sign John Dodds and Reuben Gokah from Hearts and Charlton Athletic respectively. The double swoop follows Friedkin’s decision to add significant investment into improving their academy and adding former Manchester United chief Nick Cox to their ranks as a result.

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While Dodds and Gokah won’t steal the same headlines as Barry or Travers, they may prove to be just as important in years to come. Both defenders, the teenage duo will feature for Everton’s academy before potentially breaking into Moyes’ first-team when the time is right for all parties.

Given the path that Jarrad Branthwaite has taken since arriving in Merseyside as a youngster, there should be no concern over whether there will be an opportunity for Dodds and Gokah to thrive if they impress enough at youth level.

With the teenage duo and Travers, Everton will be taking their list of incomings up to five for the summer in what has so far been a productive transfer window.

Captain vows to stick by defeated batting core for next month’s New Zealand tour, including out-of-sorts Ollie Pope

Matt Roller26-Oct-2024

England are unlikely to change their batting line-up ahead of their tour to New Zealand next month despite two heavy defeats to Pakistan. They were bowled out for 112 in Rawalpindi on Saturday, but their captain Ben Stokes insisted: “There’s no doubt in my mind that we have got the best top six batsmen in England.”After they racked up 823 for 7 in the first Test in Multan, England scored only 814 runs for the loss of 40 wickets – 39 of them to spin – across the second and third Tests. Ollie Pope had a particularly poor series at No. 3, making 55 runs at 11, while Stokes himself managed 53 in four and Zak Crawley was out four times in a row to Noman Ali’s left-arm spin.England initially planned to announce their squad for their three-match series in New Zealand immediately after the third Test in Rawalpindi, but have opted to let the dust settle and will wait until early next week to do so. But Stokes and Brendon McCullum suggested firmly that there are unlikely to be major changes to their batting line-up.”They’re the best players in England,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “We play all around the world and going to New Zealand in a couple of weeks’ time is going to be completely different [to Pakistan]. But there’s no doubt in my mind, no doubt in Brendon’s mind, that we have got the best top-six players in England.”You can’t shut the door on everything, because then you’re just being very single-minded towards what you want to do. But going back to the point before, there’s no doubt in my mind that we have got the best top-six batsmen in England. Sometimes guys will reap the rewards of performing well out in the middle, and unfortunately, some other guys will miss out.”McCullum gave a clear indication that Pope will be retained at No. 3 despite his lean run. “It is not an easy place to bat at No. 3,” he told the BBC. “I know Popey will be disappointed with the volume of runs he got in this series, but I expect him to bounce back strongly in New Zealand and we will make sure he’s got the required support around him to do so.”Obviously, Popey’s had a bit of a tough tour in terms of his output of runs… [but] we know that when Popey gets in, he makes big scores – and makes defining scores as well…We’ve got a pretty good idea of what the make-up of the squad will be for New Zealand, with the conditions that we’ll be confronted with.”Pope made three single-figure scores – including a duck – in five innings•Getty Images

England will make a forced change at No. 7, with Jamie Smith set to miss at least one Test and increasingly unlikely to be part of the tour at all due to paternity leave, with his partner expecting their first child in mid-December. McCullum has previously indicated that Jordan Cox, the Essex keeper-batter, will deputise for Smith and take the gloves.Stokes also conceded that England’s fingerspinners had been outbowled by Pakistan’s on favourable surfaces, yet claimed they had still done “a fantastic job”. Across the second and third Tests, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali took 39 wickets between them at a combined average of 17.38, while Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach managed 17 wickets at 35.47.”The difference between [the teams in] these two games was the understanding of how to bowl in these conditions the Pakistan spinners showed, but that’s not taking anything away from how our spinners have played in this series,” Stokes said. “I think they’ve done a fantastic job to take the wickets that they’ve done.”Shoaib in particular, I said to him the other day, ‘You are getting to learn on the job here. You’re getting to learn about yourself as a bowler through the Test match. You’re being able to work out how to bowl in different conditions at different phases of the game, and how exciting, how good is that?’ He’s absolutely loved it.”Stokes himself returned from a torn hamstring in the second Test and did not bowl a ball in the third, but insisted he is fully fit. “I worked very, very hard to get back in for that second Test,” he said. “I just didn’t feel like my bowling was going to be anywhere near as threatening as the [other] options we had… in terms of my fitness with me not bowling, that’s got nothing to do with it.”England’s first of three Tests in New Zealand starts on November 27 in Christchurch, with the squad arriving in time to play a warm-up match in Queenstown on November 23-24. Their white-ball squads leave the UK on Monday ahead of three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies.

It seems that Everton are looking to completely overhaul their attack this summer. David Moyes’ side have lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who departed the club after his contract expired. French under-21 striker Thierno Barry signed as his replacement.

Indeed, Moyes will no doubt be hoping for more consistency in front of goal. The Toffees were one of the Premier League’s lowest scorers last season, with Understat detailing that they managed just 42 goals. That was better than just three sides in the top flight, all of whom were the relegated trio last season.

However, an increase in goals will not only come from the strikers, but those playing in behind them, too. That is perhaps why the Toffees are heavily linked with a new attacking midfielder, too.

Everton target new attacking midfielder

It is clear to see that Moyes wants more goals from his attack. Barry is a statement signing for the present and future, and Charly Alcaraz, who made his loan move from Flamengo permanent, is also a clear sign.

Transfer Focus

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

Now, Everton are seemingly plotting a move for Manchester City and England international Jack Grealish. According to The i Paper, the Toffees manager is ‘a huge admirer’ of the former Aston Villa star, with the club ‘ready to make a pitch’ to the 29-year-old.

However, they are by no means the only side in for Grealish. West Ham United are one of the Premier League sides who will rival Everton for his signature, with Serie A winners Napoli also in the conversation.

Grealish was valued at £40m earlier in the summer, but the Merseysiders may only want a loan move for the England star.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

There is no doubt that the last 12 months or so have been tough for Grealish. He has not had any level of consistent game time at the Etihad Stadium, and did not make City’s Club World Cup squad over the last month or so.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Grealish played just 32 games for Pep Guardiola’s side. In that time, he scored three goals and managed five assists. In 2025, the attacker played just seven games in the Premier League, featuring for more than half an hour once in that time.

Yet, let’s not forget the contribution Grealish has made overall in his 190 Premier League appearances so far. He is a three-time champion and has 27 goals and 31 assists. In the 2020/21 campaign, he contributed 18 goals and assists in 26 games for Villa.

If Everton manage to pull this signing off and bring Grealish to the Blue half of Merseyside, he could be their new James Rodriguez.

The Colombian was described as “an intelligent, top player” by legendary manager Claudio Ranieri, and was sensational in a Toffees shirt.

He only played 26 games for the club in the 2020/21 season, but had a huge impact. Rodriguez bagged six goals and created nine across all competitions, bringing creative flair to their side from the number 10 role.

That is certainly the impact Grealish would love to replicate. Described as a “special” player by former Arsenal player Paul Merson, he could bring the same game-changing ability to the Hill Dickinson Stadium that Rodriguez showed at Goodison Park.

The stats via Squawka from the 2020/21 campaign show just how similar the pair are. For example, Grealish averaged 0.8 goals and assists and created an average of 3.3 chances per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Colombian averaged 0.7 goal involvements and created 2.1 chances each game.

Goals and assists

0.8

0.7

Chances created

3.3

2.1

Forward passes

13

12.2

Take-ons completed

2.7

1.8

Touches

65.2

72.6

Ball recoveries

5.2

6.3

If Grealish can replicate the form he showed in his final season at Villa Park, he can surely be the second coming of Rodriguez. The creative impact he possesses and the ability to drive his team forward is certainly similar to the former Toffees star.

This is, in many ways, a risk-free deal for Everton. Signing a player with the talent of Grealish on loan could be a smart move, especially if he can replicate what Rodriguez did for the club all those years ago.

He's the new Barkley: Everton showing real interest in "special" £55m star

Everton look to beat Manchester United and Tottenham to England starlet’s signature

ByWill Miller Jul 29, 2025

Lucas Paqueta has been put through the wringer over the past few years, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the West Ham United midfielder, having been cleared of wrongdoing in an FA betting scandal.

The spot-fixing charges pinned against the Brazil international would have had a ruinous effect on his career, had he failed to clear his name.

The 27-year-old can now turn his focus back to his football, and it’s a good thing too, for he struggled to capture his previous form under David Moyes last term, patently distracted by the off-field issues.

Graham Potter’s controlled, technical game aligns perfectly with the style of Paqueta, who has been described in the past as a “magician” by journalist Robbie Mustoe.

But he could do with some extra creative help in the middle of the park, and Potter is lining up a new dance partner.

West Ham in talks for new midfielder

Potter has welcomed Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf to the Hammers ranks this summer, but after losing Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur for a £55m fee, more is needed across the midfield and attack.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, West Ham have pitched their proposal to Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, who is weighing up his options after falling down the pecking order in Unai Emery’s system.

Villa don’t particularly want to cash in on their homegrown product, but it’s felt that a bid of £40m would seal the deal.

Tottenham also have a long-standing interest in the versatile Englishman.

What Jacob Ramsey would bring to West Ham

Paqueta’s struggles make the perfect comment on how bad patches of form can affect any player. But class is permanent, and Ramsey could join the South American in leaping back into the ascendancy if signing for West Ham.

Still playing for his boyhood club, Ramsey has featured 167 times for the men’s team, though the past few years have indeed been testing and it might be the right time for him to jump ship and try his hand elsewhere.

A resurgence may yet be on the cards; Ramsey was regarded as one of the finest talents in English football when he burst onto the scene, journalist Charles Watts singling out his “special” quality.

West Ham are happy to give him that chance. Energetic, creative and a confident dribbler, there’s a lot to like, with Sofascore recording that the 24-year-old created five big chances in the Premier League last season, also completing 66% of his dribbles and winning 59% of his duels.

But that’s not to say that Ramsey doesn’t have the potential to become a standout in the Premier League and a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad, with Statman Dave once claiming the attacking midfielder is capable of “magic” things on the ball.

24/25

29 (19)

1

3

23/24

16 (8)

1

1

22/23

35 (31)

6

7

21/22

34 (29)

6

1

20/21

22 (6)

0

0

The past two campaigns have been frustrating on an individual level for Ramsey, with injuries and consequent slides in form leading to a more peripheral role, but along with Paqueta, who also has a flair for shifting between the left wing and a central midfield berth, Potter could create something special indeed.

The South American playmaker spent the lion’s share of the 2024/25 campaign in central areas, and Potter will likely seek to retain that next year, especially with Ramsey charging up and down the wing, latching onto Paqueta’s passes.

Ramsey might not be the flashiest name out there, but he could bloom into a superstar yet, and West Ham might look back at this one as a shrewd bargain, should he sign this summer.

Potter's new Bissouma: West Ham accelerate move for "outstanding" £20m star

West Ham want to sign at least one midfielder this summer

1 ByJoe Nuttall Aug 1, 2025

Florian Wirtz says there were many voices giving him advice before he stepped up to score his decisive free-kick as Germany beat Northern Ireland.

• Wirtz scores free-kick against Northern Ireland
• Dismissed opinions from the sidelines
• Says it was simply good

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Under immense pressure following their disastrous performance against Slovakia, the German national team desperately needed a win from Sunday's World Cup qualifying clash. With his side 2-1 up in the second half, Wirtz had the chance to put the game beyond doubt when he stepped up for a free-kick outside the visitors' box. The Liverpool player was met with a chorus of advice from his team-mates, but their words fell on deaf ears as he had already decided on the perfect approach.

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• WHAT WIRTZ & NAGELSMANN SAID

  Asked what captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates were telling him before his effort, Wirtz said to : "Honestly, I don't know. There were too many comments from the sidelines – various ideas. I knew I wanted to try it because the position was simply good. So I did it."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Germany took an early lead through Nick Woltemade, but were pinned back later in the first half when their opponents pulled level. In desperate need of a win, coach Julian Nagelsmann was relieved to see Wirtz wrap up the three points.

  "He practices it often enough," he told . "He felt good – actually, even against Slovakia. He didn't shoot then. Unfortunately, he won't always score like that, but it was a superb goal—a good topspin free kick."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GERMANY?

  Germany are level on points with Northern Ireland but remain three behind Slovakia, who beat Luxembourg 1-0. Germany will be in action again in October against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.