da brdice： West Ham United are now in direct negotiations over a deal to sign an “excellent” defender, with his price tag not considered an issue, according to a report.
West Ham summer transfer rumours after Kudus sale
da pinnacle： One of West Ham’s main tasks this summer will be to bring in a replacement for Mohammed Kudus, with the forward recently sealing a controversial move across the capital to Tottenham Hotspur, but they are also keen to strengthen other areas of the squad.
With long-serving left-back Aaron Cresswell departing upon the expiration of his contract, the Hammers are now stepping up their pursuit of a left-back, with a report revealing they are on course to sign Slavia Prague’s El Hadji Malick Diouf for €22m plus add-ons.
However, there is also an eagerness to strengthen on the opposite side of the defence, with talks being opened over a deal for Celta Vigo right-back Oscar Mingueza, but the 26-year-old is not the only Spanish defender on the Irons’ shortlist.
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According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), West Ham are now in direct negotiations with the agents of Girona’s Arnau Martinez, with work underway to try and convince the right-back to make the move to the London Stadium this summer.
Martinez is viewed as one of Girona’s biggest assets, which indicates the Spanish side could be reluctant to sanction a departure on the cheap, but his price tag isn’t considered a problem for the Hammers, given the money that comes from playing in the Premier League.
The Irons remain in touch with the 22-year-old’s representatives ahead of potentially making an offer, and reports from elsewhere have detailed that it could take a bid in the region of €14m (£12m) to get a deal over the line.
Martinez could be "excellent" addition to Potter's squad
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has been left impressed by the Spanish defender in the past, taking to X to suggest that he is a versatile player, also capable of playing at right centre-back in a three-at-the-back system.
At 22-years-old, the full-back is at a good age to be a long-term success at the London Stadium, and he already has a great deal of first-team experience, making a combined 86 La Liga appearances over the course of the last three campaigns.
An asking price of just £12m is very reasonable, and there are plenty of signs that Martinez could be capable of pushing for Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s starting spot in the near future, while his versatility would be an added bonus for Graham Potter.
da bet7k： Birmingham City co-owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady are now in very advanced talks to sign a £10m+ star for Chris Davies, according to a new transfer report.
Birmingham City seal Demarai Gray return
da winzada777： It has been a busy summer transfer window so far for the Blues ahead of their Championship return, with a number of new players arriving at St Andrew’s ahead of the 2025/26 season.
One of the latest additions is former academy star Demarai Gray, who has returned to Birmingham nine years on after leaving for Leicester City. The winger joins from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq and has penned a three-year deal with the Blues.
Talking after returning to the club, Gray said: “To be back here now means a lot and having tasted success a bit throughout my career, I’m hungry and I really want to do it here with Birmingham and try and help the team get back to where we belong.
“It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. Seeing some old faces is always nice, to be back around the stadium brought back a lot of feelings and I can’t wait to get going now, get back in front of the fans and see where this season can take us.”
Related Birmingham City enter race to sign £6m "monster" ahead of Sheffield United
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Wagner and Brady aren’t showing any signs of stopping, though, and there has been a promising development in the club’s pursuit of Rennes forward Kyogo Furuhashi.
Birmingham City in “very advanced” talks for £10m+ Kyogo Furuhashi
According to reliable French outlet L’Équipe, Birmingham City are now in “very advanced” talks to sign Furuhashi from Rennes.
A deal is ‘close to being concluded’ and it may be worth a total of €12m (£10.3m), the same figure Rennes paid Celtic for the Japan international earlier this year.
Furuhashi has struggled in France after leaving Glasgow, however, he certainly enjoyed his time in the UK, scoring on a regular basis and winning numerous honours with the Scottish giants.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s Celtic stats
Games
165
Goals
85
Assists
19
Minutes played
10,741
Trophies won
9
Called an “elite striker” by Brendan Rodgers during his time at Celtic, whereas Ange Postecoglou also waxed lyrical of the forward when he was Hoops manager.
Now, it looks as if Davies could have the hard-working striker at St Andrew’s potentially lining up alongside Gray and Jay Stansfield in the Championship.
da dobrowin： Leeds United are in the market to make further additions to their first-team squad, on top of the two that they have already made, ahead of the Premier League season.
da imperador bet： The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering haul of 100 points in the 2024/25 campaign, but they know that they need to add more quality to their team for the top-flight.
Daniel Farke has already brought in two new recruits, one at either end of the pitch, as Lukas Nmecha has joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg and Jaka Bijol has been signed on a permanent deal from Udinese.
The West Yorkshire outfit are planning further moves in the market, though, as they aim to buck the trend after the last six newly-promoted teams all got relegated at the first time of asking.
Nmecha, who scored three goals in 19 Bundesliga matches last season, is not going to be the only striker who arrives at Elland Road this summer, as the club look for their new marksman.
The last time Leeds were promoted to the Premier League, Victor Orta swooped to sign Rodrigo from Valencia for Marcelo Bielsa, which turned out to be an excellent piece of business.
Why Leeds hit gold with Rodrigo
The Whites raised eyebrows in the summer of 2020 when they smashed their transfer record to sign the Spain international from the LaLiga outfit for a reported fee of £30m.
Leeds needed to bring in proven quality to bridge the gap to the Premier League, following their promotion from the second tier, and they found what they were looking for in Rodrigo, who had produced 59 goals and 41 assists in 220 games for Valencia.
The left-footed star hit the ground running in the Premier League, thanks to his experience at the top level in Spain, with a return of seven goals and two assists in the Premier League for Bielsa.
Rodrigo’s debut season impact (20/21 Premier League)
Opposition
Contribution
Result
Man City (H)
Goal
1-1 draw
Newcastle (H)
Goal
5-2 win
West Brom (A)
Goal
5-0 win
Newcastle (A)
Assist
2-1 win
Spurs (H)
Goal
3-1 win
Burnley (A)
Two goals
4-0 win
Southampton (A)
Assist
2-0 win
West Brom (H)
Goal
3-1 win
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, all eight of his goal contributions were important and meaningful ones, as Leeds picked up seven wins and one draw in the eight matches in which he provided a goal or an assist.
These statistics show that Rodrigo, who then scored 19 goals in the next two Premier League seasons combined, was a big success for the Whites, as they hit the jackpot on a star who had already shown his quality in Spain.
Leeds willing to spend big on Spanish striker
According to a report from Spain, Leeds United are now eyeing up a star who could be their next version of Rodrigo, as they are interested in a deal to sign Gonzalo Garcia from Real Madrid.
The outlet claims that the Whites are willing to bid on the Los Blancos starlet in a move to improve their options at the top end of the pitch, but they are facing competition from numerous clubs.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It states that Leeds are prepared to pay more than £17m to sign the 21-year-old centre-forward before the end of the summer transfer window, and that they are looking to sign him on a permanent deal right away.
Whereas Premier League rivals Sunderland are said to have proposed a loan deal with an obligation to sign him for £15m if they avoid relegation back down to the second tier.
Real Oviedo and AS Roma are also interested in signing the Spanish striker, whom Real Madrid would want a £25m buy-back clause for in any potential deal.
It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds’ willingness to pay £17m+ for the forward will be enough to see them win the race for his signature.
Why Leeds should sign Gonzalo Garcia
The Whites should push to secure his services before the end of the summer transfer window because he has the potential to arrive at Elland Road as Farke’s own version of Rodrigo.
Garcia is not as experienced as Bielsa’s £30m signing was, as he has only played nine first-team games for Real Madrid, but he would be another striker to arrive from Spain with an impressive goal return and the potential to be a key player for the Whites in their first year back in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old sensation got the call-up to the first-team squad for the Club World Cup under Xabi Alonso and has caught the eye so far, with a return of two goals and one assist in three games.
Garcia, who Alonso claimed has “Raul qualities”, scored a staggering 25 goals in 36 appearances in the third tier of Spanish football for Real Madrid Castilla last season, which speaks to his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
2025 Club World Cup
Gonzalo Garcia per 90
Percentile rank vs STs
Non-penalty xG
0.70
Top 23%
Goals
0.80
Top 16%
xG on target
0.53
Top 26%
Shots on target
2.00
Top 9%
Shots
3.20
Top 26%
Assists
0.20
Top 18%
Successful dribbles
1.20
Top 30%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the forward has impressed in America for Real Madrid’s senior side, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics.
Garcia being compared to Raul, who scored 324 goals for Real, sums up his style of play; he is a natural goalscorer. The Leeds target is an old-fashioned number nine who keeps it simple and delivers in front of goal, as shown by his record for his club’s first-team and B team.
Gonzalo Garcia in action for Real Madrid.
Whilst he may not be as proven as Rodrigo was at the time of his move to Elland Road, there appears to be enough evidence to suggest that the young marksman has what it takes to have as big of an impact in the final third in the Premier League next season.
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It is now down to the board, though, to ensure that they can beat Sunderland, Real Oviedo, and Roma to his signature in the weeks to come.
da betcris： Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is aiming to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by keeping the team in the Premier League at the first time of asking.
da casino： The Argentine boss is the only manager in the last 20 years to keep the Whites up in their first season back in the top-flight, as Jesse Marsch only managed it in the club’s second year in the division.
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.
Farke was relegated from the Premier League with Norwich City in the 2019/20 campaign, after winning the Championship title with the Canaries, and was sacked in the 2021/22 season after winning the second tier a second time.
The German boss will need to be backed in the transfer market by the board, as Bielsa was after he won the Championship. Sporting director Victor Orta provided him with the tools he needed to build a successful Premier League outfit.
Orta smashed the club’s transfer record to sign Rodrigo from Valencia for a reported fee of £30m, and he went on to score 28 goals in three seasons, as shown by the graphic above.
However, it was the signing of Raphinha from Rennes that proved to be the difference-maker for the West Yorkshire outfit, as he fired the team to safety in both of his seasons a Elland Road.
Why Raphinha was a huge signing for Leeds
The Brazil international was a huge signing for the Whites because his contributions at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League helped the club to avoid the drop on two occasions.
Raphinha’s ability to create things out of nothing in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leeds won many valuable points for Bielsa’s team, and Marsch’s in the 2021/22 season.
In fact, Farke felt the full force of the Brazilian star in one of his last games in charge of the Canaries, as the winger scored a sensational solo goal, as shown in the clip above.
That goal sums up Raphinha’s time as a player at Leeds. He had the quality to beat opposition players at will, despite their best efforts, whilst also having the end product to make the most of the chances he created for himself.
Raphinha (Premier League)
20/21
21/22
Appearances
30
35
Goals
6
11
Big chances missed
4
6
Big chances created
12
10
Key passes per game
2.1
1.9
Assists
9
3
Dribbles completed per game
1.9
1.8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed sensation produced 17 goals and 22 ‘big chances’ created in his two seasons in the Premier League, which helped the Whites to avoid the drop both times.
Former Leeds forward Raphinha.
Leeds then sold him to Barcelona in the summer of 2022, for a reported fee of £55m, and they were relegated from the top-flight in the following season, which further illustrates how important he was to the team.
Leeds closing in on attacking midfielder
Having confirmed the arrival of Jaka Bijol on Monday, the Whites are now reportedly eyeing up a new signing for Farke who could come in as the club’s biggest deal since they snapped up Raphinha from Rennes in 2020.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Le Nouvel Echo, as relayed by La Gazzetta Express, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign RB Salzburg playmaker Oscar Gloukh before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Championship champions are ‘close to securing’ a transfer for the Israel international to bolster their options in the number ten position.
Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh.
It adds that Salzburg value the 21-year-old starlet at a fee of around £21m and that Leeds have expressed an interest in bringing him to Elland Road ahead of next season.
The outlet reveals that the Whites are looking to improve the creativity within their squad and have identified Gloukh as a player who could add more quality to the team in the final third.
Why Leeds should sign Oscar Gloukh
Farke should push for the club to get a deal over the line because the young talent could be the club’s biggest signing since Raphinha, due to his potential to shine at Elland Road.
Gloukh, who scored a stunning goal against Pachuca in the Club World Cup earlier this month, is a player who has the potential to lead Leeds to safety with his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the attacking midfield positon.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed that the playmaker has “exceptional” vision for passes and is a “two-footed” player who is “destined for big things”, which speaks to both his quality in the here and now as well as his potential for the future.
At the age of 21, the Whites would be signing an incredible young talent who has the scope to be worth millions more in the future, as was the case when they signed Raphinha, who went on to be sold for a whopping £55m.
As well as having long-term potential, Gloukh’s performances for Salzburg in the 2024/25 campaign also suggest that he would come in as an instant upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.
24/25 season
Gloukh (Austrian Bundesliga)
Aaronson (Championship)
Appearances
26
46
Goals
10
9
Big chances missed
6
11
Key passes per game
2.5
1.6
Big chances created
15
9
Assists
5
2
Dribbles completed per game
3.0
1.1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Israel international could provide more quality in front of goal than the American dud, given that he scored more goals, created more ‘big chances’, assisted more goals, and completed almost three times as many dribbles per game.
Gloukh is an attacking midfielder who has the ability to influence matches on a regular basis, thanks to the threat he provides as a scorer and a creator, which is why he could be a huge signing for Farke this summer.
The young playmaker could be crucial to the team’s survival in the Premier League by winning vital points for the side with goals and assists from a number ten position, if he can translate his form over to English football.
This is why the £21m-rated star could be the club’s biggest signing since Raphinha because no player has kept the team up since the Brazilian ace left in 2022, and Gloukh has the potential to replicate the success the left-footed whiz had in West Yorkshire.
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da cassino： Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin knows that he has an incredibly difficult job ahead of him, as the club have failed to win the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons.
da betobet： The Light Blues also failed to win any trophies in the 2024/25 campaign under Philippe Clement or Barry Ferguson, which means that the former Scotland international is tasked with bringing glory back to Ibrox.
Martin may have to do that whilst dealing with some of his key players moving on from the club, though, as multiple stars have been linked with exits from Glasgow.
Both Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are reportedly being eyed up by teams in England this summer, which puts them at risk of being sold in the coming months.
This means that Martin could need to bring in new midfielders to lead the team forward, if Raskin and Diomande move on this summer, and the domestic market could be the way to go, as it has produced some terrific signings, such as Glen Kamara.
Rangers hit the jackpot with Glen Kamara
The Light Blues swooped to sign the central midfielder for £50k at the start of 2019, before his contract at Dundee expired that summer, in what turned out to be a bargain move by the club.
Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
In fact, the £50k that the Scottish giants paid for the Finland international was later described as the “steal of the century” by former Rangers midfielder and Kamara’s teammate Scott Arfield.
The Gers hit the jackpot with the midfield maestro because they snapped him up from a Premiership team and he hit the ground running as a player who did not need time to adapt to the league.
Kamara went on to play 193 times in all competitions for the Scottish giants, winning the Premiership in the 2020/21 campaign, and his value soared during his time at Ibrox.
Glen Kamara’s market value at Rangers
Date
Market value
January 2019
Reported £50k move to Rangers
August 2019
£720k
February 2020
£1.3m
January 2021
£3.8m
May 2021
£5m
June 2022
£6.3m
March 2023
£5m
August 2023
Reported £5m move to Leeds
Valuations via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, his value had risen from £50k to £5m by the time he left to join Leeds in the summer of 2023, which shows that the Gers hit the jackpot with the Finnish star.
New Rangers boss Russell Martin could, now, land his own version of Kamara amid reported interest in a midfielder from another Premiership side.
Rangers eyeing deal for Premiership midfielder
According to SportsBoom, Rangers have ‘quietly explored’ what it would take to secure a deal to sign Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Celtic and the Gers are both keen on snapping up the Scotland international to bolster their options in the middleof the park ahead of next season.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds, however, that Premier League side Sunderland are preparing an offer of £10m to sign the 18-year-old talent, after they sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund this week.
The outlet claims that Celtic and Rangers have both been watching the teenage Premiership starlet, but the Black Cats are quietly confident that they can get a deal done for the Motherwell talent.
Martin and Kevin Thelwell must work hard to convince Miller to remain in Scotland and make the move to Ibrox, over joining Sunderland, as he could be the new manager’s own Kamara signing.
Why Lennon Miller could be Russell Martin's own Glen Kamara
The teenage talent would come in as a similar signing to Kamara as a player who has already proven himself as a central midfielder in the Premiership.
He has already racked up 76 first-team appearances for Motherwell by the age of 18 and showcased his quality on a regular basis in the top-flight, even producing an exceptional assist against Celtic in the clip below.
This means that the 18-year-old star could come in to hit the ground running at Ibrox, given his knowledge of the league, which was also the case for Kamara after he joined from Dundee.
Miller, who has been hailed as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, is also similar to the Finland international when it comes to the strength and athleticism that he provides out of possession.
Former Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
Kamara won 59% of his duels and made 6.09 ball recoveries per 90 in the 2020/21 title-winning season, which shows that he was strong off the ball, and Miller displayed similar qualities in the 2024/25 campaign for his current club.
24/25 Premiership
Lennon Miller per 90
Percentile rank vs midfielders
Tackle success rate
68%
Top 28%
Duels won
5.84
Top 36%
Duel success rate
53%
Top 31%
Interceptions
1.38
Top 14%
Ball recoveries
6.52
Top 10%
Blocks
0.48
Top 28%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international ranked incredibly highly among midfielders in the division in a host of key defensive metrics, including his duel success rate and ball recoveries per 90.
Like Kamara, Miller is a central midfielder who puts him about the park to win possession back for his side on a regular basis, but the Scottish ace also has the quality to provide goals and assists.
The £10m-rated dynamo ended the season with two goals, 12 ‘big chances’ created, and eight assists in the Premiership, whilst Kamara never managed more than four assists in a single league season.
This suggests that Miller could bring the physicality that the Finnish ace brought to Ibrox, but with more quality in possession in the final third to make an impact in front of goal.
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Therefore, Martin could land his own version of Kamara, but with the potential to be even better due to his ability on the ball, by winning the race to land the Premiership starlet this summer.
