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Manchester United have identified a “terrific” Premier League player as a top target this summer, according to a promising new transfer claim.

Man Utd continue to eye attacking stars with Cunha

The Red Devils are expecting an exodus of attacking players before the new season gets underway, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho all moving on.

While Matheus Cunha has joined from Wolves, and Bryan Mbeumo remains a strong target from Brentford, United know the importance of bringing in a new centre forward, amid Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles. Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic has been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford, and would be an exciting addition who has proven himself at the top level. A swap deal involving the out-of-favour Sancho has also been mooted.

Eintracht Frankfurt ace Hugo Ekitike has been talked about as an option for many top Premier League clubs this summer, including Liverpool, and he could be an alternative option to Vlahovic for the Red Devils.

United are also said to have made contact over the signing of highly-rated Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling, who is arguably seen as one of the brightest young English attacking talents around. Now, another name has been thrown into the mix.

Man Utd make Premier League striker top target

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are “considering” making a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the summer window, with the forward also in Arsenal’s thinking ahead of the new campaign, however, ‘United consider him more of a top target’.

The 29-year-old is described as a “key target” for Ruben Amorim, who is no doubt desperate to bolster the attacking options at his disposal and has Watkins, Cunha and Mbeumo at the heart of his vision.

The report itself further goes on to state: “Amorim wants to reshape the squad by focusing on players with Premier League experience. Watkins is at the heart of this vision, along with names like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Amorim’s target is clear: Ready-made stars who will contribute immediately.”

The £130,000-a-week Watkins has the potential to be an excellent signing for United, having been such a consistent performer for Villa down the years.

He has scored 87 goals in 223 appearances for the Midlands outfit, not to mention netting a memorable winner for England against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 last summer, and he has also been lauded by Danny Murphy.

“He just looks like a player that is completely comfortable in his own skin and what he is good at. Every aspect of his game has improved under Unai Emery and he is also being pushed for a place by Jhon Duran, so that always helps you raise your game. He is a terrific player.”

The one negative that jumps out with Watkins is that he turns 30 later this year, however, so there is a risk that United could spend big on a player whose peak is about to drift by.

England

18

5

Aston Villa

223

87

Brentford

143

49

Exeter City

78

26

For that reason, Amorim would arguably be wise to look at a younger option to come in and lead the line, even though United signing him likely wouldn’t be a bad thing over the next two or three years.

The Blaze 140 for 2 (K Bryce 57*, S Bryce 54*) beat Sunrisers 137 for 7 (Scrivens 42) by eight wicketsKathryn Bryce continued her prolific Charlotte Edwards Cup form with an unbeaten 57 from 37 balls as The Blaze racked up an eighth straight success, coasting past Sunrisers at Lord’s.Bryce, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, registered her fourth half-century in six games, sharing a third-wicket partnership of exactly 100 with her younger sister Sarah, who struck 54 not out from 35.The Scotland international pair maintained their side’s 100 per cent record in the group stage, steering them to a comfortable victory with 29 deliveries still unused.Earlier, home captain Grace Scrivens top-scored with 42 from 38 as Sunrisers posted 137 for seven, but the result all but mathematically ends their slim hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.Scrivens was soon up and running after Sunrisers had been put in, cracking two boundaries from Grace Ballinger’s opening over – one wrong-footing the fielder thanks to a deflection off the bat of non-striker Mady Villiers.Having swept Sarah Glenn for four, Villiers was lbw attempting to give the spinner’s next ball the same treatment, but Lissy MacLeod maintained her side’s momentum, hitting over the infield to good effect in a brisk 16 from 11.Once MacLeod was bowled, beaten for flight by Gordon (two for 32), Sunrisers became bogged down during the middle overs – even more so after losing Scrivens to Marie Kelly’s direct hit from mid-off.Jo Gardner (22 from 26) and Jodi Grewcock (22 from 18) did their best to rebuild with a partnership of 35 from 31 before Heather Graham (two for 22) reasserted the visitors’ dominance with two wickets in three deliveries.Despite gleaning eight from Graham’s final over, Sunrisers’ total looked short of par – although their hopes gained a significant boost when Grewcock turned the first ball of The Blaze’s reply to send Tammy Beaumont on her way for a duck.The visitors would have been under more pressure if Gardner, running in from mid-on, had held on to Kelly’s miscued drive off Kate Coppack, but the opener capitalised on that let-off to clear the ropes twice in the next over.Kelly’s good fortune soon ran out when she speared Eva Gray to cover, but Sarah Bryce joined forces with her sibling in a measured partnership that ensured The Blaze were always ahead of the asking rate.The elder Bryce dispatched Nicola Hancock’s first two deliveries to the fence and brought up her half-century from 33 deliveries with another boundary, reverse-sweeping Villiers neatly beyond point.Sarah seized the initiative as The Blaze eased towards their target, hammering Gray for two sixes in as many balls and going on to post her first 50 of the tournament before applying the finishing touch with a square-cut boundary off Amu Surenkumar.

With Rasmus Hojlund continuing to struggle, Manchester United are now reportedly positioning themselves to sign an impressive 17-goal striker who would be an instant upgrade.

Hojlund up for sale this summer

Almost two years on from his £72m move from Atalanta, Hojlund is yet to burst into life in a Manchester United shirt. Even after paying such a price, the Red Devils would have been aware that any young striker would need time. By this stage, however, those around Old Trafford had hoped to see more from the Dane, who has struggled more than ever under Ruben Amorim.

Rasmus Hojlund at Man Utd	Record (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	94
Goals	26
Assists	4

26 goals in 94 appearances is a poor record for any striker, but for a £72m striker it’s undeniably disastrous. Now, according to recent reports, Amorim is ready to sanction Hojlund’s sale and find an instant replacement this summer.

This comes just days after the Europa League final, in which the 22-year-old was once again kept quiet as Tottenham Hotspur battled to a 1-0 victory. What will far from help his cause is how much more structured Manchester United looked following the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee.

Whilst Hojlund failed in his hold-up play approach, Zirkzee dropped deeper and instantly handed the likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes a connection between midfield and attack. As much as the Dutchman has also struggled in Manchester this season, he has shown glimpses of the traits that Manchester United signed him for last summer.

In desperate need of an upgrade to end their goalscoring woes, the pending arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers may not be the last time that Manchester United go in search of attacking talent this summer. As per recent reports, the Red Devils are also lining up another Premier League star.

Man Utd positioning themselves to sign Mateta

According to L’Equipe, Manchester United are now positioning themselves to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace this summer. The Frenchman is reportedly considering joining Amorim’s side in a bid to break into France’s World Cup squad next summer.

The forward has enjoyed another excellent season at Selhurst Park and will forever have his place in the club’s history after playing his part in their FA Cup win and their first-ever major trophy.

Man Utd ready move for one of the most sought after young talents in Italy

He’s a man in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 22, 2025

The question will naturally be asked as to whether Mateta will be willing to ditch such success for a United side in turmoil, but Cunha’s reported move proves that those at Old Trafford still have the ability to attract top talents.

Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Jean-Philippe Mateta	Rasmus Hojlund	Joshua Zirkzee
Minutes	2,587	1,924	1,402
Goals	14	4	3
Assists	2	0	1
Expected Goals	12.9	5.2	4.8

With 14 goals in the Premier League and 17 in all competitions, Mateta has found the back of the net more times than both Zirkzee and Hojlund combined. Described as “amazing” by Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner earlier this season, the Frenchman is someone that Manchester United should go all out for.

It feels like it is going to be a big summer of change at Glasgow Rangers as they look to bounce back from what has been a disappointing campaign on the pitch.

The Light Blues are heading into the final few matches of the season with little to play for, as the league title has already gone to Celtic and they have an interim head coach, in Barry Ferguson, in the dugout at Ibrox.

A new sporting director, Kevin Thelwell, will be in place in the summer, and a takeover involving Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers group is edging closer.

Rangers could also make changes to their playing squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, moving on players who need to be upgraded on.

One player the Scottish giants should be aiming to replace is wasteful centre-forward Cyriel Dessers, who has missed a staggering 59 ‘big chances’ in the Scottish Premiership and European competitions since the start of last season.

The Gers should try to recruit a striker who can be more effective in front of goal, and they could do that by looking closer to home, as they did with the signing of Kris Boyd.

Why Kris Boyd was a massive success at Rangers

The Scottish centre-forward came up through the youth ranks at Kilmarnock in the early stages of his career and proved himself to be an excellent goalscorer in the top-flight.

Boyd scored 62 Premiership goals across four-and-a-half seasons in the first-team at Killie, having emerged from the academy, and that convinced Rangers to swoop in for him in January 2006.

Because he was a proven goalscorer in the Premiership, it was not too much of a gamble by the Gers, and they were rewarded with consistent goalscoring from the Scottish forward.

Boyd was not a player coming from a foreign league and had all the relevant experience needed to be an instant success at Ibrox, which is backed up by his goal return during his first spell at Ibrox.

09/10

31

23

5

08/09

35

27

5

07/08

28

14

1

06/07

30

20

1

05/06

17

17

0

As you can see in the table above, Boyd consistently scored goals at an impressive rate in his four-and-a-half seasons at Ibrox between January 2006 and the summer of 2010, before his move to Middlesbrough.

The Scottish centre-forward led the Gers to two Premiership titles, in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 campaigns, and his success in Glasgow showed that the club can find top talents from within the Premiership, rather than having to look further afield for their big signings.

With this in mind, Rangers could find their next version of Boyd as they are reportedly looking at a striker who is currently shining in Scotland.

Rangers lining up move for Premiership star

According to the Chronicle Live, Rangers are one of a number of clubs interested in a swoop for Hearts centre-forward James Wilson in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The reports that Premier League side Newcastle United are considering a move for the 18-year-old talent after his breakthrough season in Scottish football this year.

It states that both Rangers and Celtic have ‘checked’ the attacker out, suggesting that they have sent scouts to watch him in action, ahead of the summer.

The Chronicle Live adds that there are other Premier League teams in England who are keen on the youngster, which means that there will be plenty of competition for his services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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 he has a market value of £1m but it remains to be seen exactly how much Hearts would demand for their star youngster in reality.

Rangers, however, should push the boat out to bring him to Ibrox ahead of the other interested parties because he could follow in Boyd’s footsteps at Ibrox.

Why James Wilson could be Kris Boyd 2.0

The 18-year-old talent does not have as much first-team experience as the player-turned-pundit had when he arrived in Glasgow from Kilmarnock, as this is his first season of regular senior football.

However, Wilson could be the next version of Boyd as another young, hungry, Scottish centre-forward who has already shown his quality in the Premiership.

As you can see in the clip above, vastly experienced goalkeeper Craig Gordon believes that the striker is a “special talent”, having worked with him at club and international level.

His opinion is particularly valuable because he has been part of title-winning teams in Scotland with Celtic and knows what players need to be successful at the top of the Premiership, which suggests that Wilson is on the right track.

Appearances (starts)

20 (15)

Goals

5

Big chances missed

4

Conversion rate

26%

Big chances created

2

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the teen star, who only turned 18 in March, has already scored five goals and created two ‘big chances’ in 15 starts in a struggling Hearts side this season.

He has also, notably, only missed four ‘big chances’. Whereas, Dessers has missed 20 ‘big chances’ to go along with his 13 goals in the Premiership, which suggests that the Jam Tarts youngster is more clinical in front of goal.

Now, imagine if Wilson had the ‘big chances’ that Rangers have created for Dessers throughout this season. The Scotland international could improve his output and improve the team’s effectiveness in front of goal with his finishing quality.

Therefore, the Hearts starlet could be Kris Boyd 2.0 for Rangers as another young Scottish striker with the quality and potential to be an excellent goalscorer for the club for many years to come, if they can win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window.

Rangers must axe £3m flop who has missed more games than Lawrence

Kevin Thelwell has a big job on his hands at Rangers

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 27, 2025

The Arsenal team today is undoubtedly better than the one from a few years ago.

Bukayo Saka has reached another level entirely, Declan Rice is a monster in midfield, David Raya is a reliable presence between the sticks and the defence looks set to be the best in the Premier League for the second year running.

However, one area that is probably weaker than it was at the start of the decade is striker; as for all their hard work, neither Kai Havertz nor Gabriel Jesus are prolific, at least not compared to former goalscorer extraordinaire Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon international was a force of nature for most of his time at the Emirates – he was the fastest Arsenal player to hit 50 Premier League goals and left with a tally of 112 goal involvements – but now it looks as if Andrea Berta and Co could be about to sign someone who’d be the club’s best striker since the former captain.

Arsenal's striker search

With Arsenal’s most acute area of need heading into the summer window being the striker positions, it’s not a shock that they’ve been linked with a mountain of potential signings over the last month or so.

Transfer Focus

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

One of the most talked-about links has undoubtedly been to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who has already racked up a sensational haul of 24 goals and five assists in 34 appearances this term – an average of a goal involvement every 1.17 games.

However, with the Toon reportedly after £150m for their star man, a move this summer feels increasingly unlikely, so reports have also touted the more affordable Benjamin Sesko for a transfer to the Emirates.

The Slovenian international could be available for around £67m, although at just 21 years old, there is a risk that Arteta and Co would be signing another project player when what they really need at this point is the finished article, someone like Viktor Gyokeres.

Fortunately, according to a recent report from Italy, the Sporting CP phenomenon is not only a target for the Gunners but also their primary striker target.

Moreover, the report has revealed that the North Londoners have now opened talks to try and sign the Swede and that the talks have been “positive” thus far.

A potential price for the marksman is not mentioned in the report, but stories from late last month claimed that he could be available for as little as £58m.

While that is still a sizable sum of money, it could prove to be incredible value for money in this case, and as Gyokeres could be the club’s best striker since Aubameyang, Arsenal should do all they can to get this deal over the line as soon as possible.

Why Gyokeres would be Arsenal's best striker since Aubameyang

Unsurprisingly, when it comes down to it, the reason Gyokeres would be Arsenal’s best centre-forward since Aubameyang was in his pomp is the simple fact that he is a lean, mean, goalscoring machine.

For example, in just 50 appearances last season, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 43 goals and provided 15 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.16 goal involvements every game.

This year, the Swedish monster has done even better, racking up a sensational tally of 42 goals and 11 assists in 42 appearances, which comes out to an average of 1.26 goal involvements every game.

Appearances

42

34

27

MIinutes

3340′

2776′

1204′

Goals

42

15

7

Assists

11

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

1.26

0.58

0.33

Minutes per Goal Involvement

63.01′

138.8′

133.77′

In contrast, Havertz produced 20 goal involvements in 34 appearances prior to his injury this term and Jesus nine in 27 appearances, meaning the German was averaging a goal involvement every 1.7 games and the Brazilian every three games.

Finally, on top of maintaining a level of output that is simply out of this world at the club level, the 26-year-old Sporting star is also incredibly effective at the international level.

For example, in 26 senior caps for Sweden, totalling 1568 minutes, he has scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.23 games, or every 74.66 minutes.

Ultimately, Arsenal are already an incredible team, but they lack a genuinely prolific number nine; if they sign Gyokeres, that won’t be a problem anymore.

Better than Nico Williams: Arsenal lead race to sign "Bergkamp-esque" star

The incredible international would make Arsenal a far scarier proposition.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 3, 2025

Both in terms of average and strike rate, No. 3s have been much better than openers so far this season

S Rajesh14-Apr-20251:14

Jaffer: Pooran hands down the best T20 batter at this point

After a lull in scoring rates, which lasted about ten games this season, the bat is dominating the ball again in IPL 2025. In the last 14 matches, the average run rate has gone up to 9.73, with 12 200-plus totals; in the previous ten games, the rate had dropped to 9.00, with only one total touching 200.Thanks to the batting revival, the overall tournament run rate for IPL 2025 has risen to 9.66, well clear of 2024’s 9.27 after 29 games. The total boundary count (4s + 6s) is 94 more than at a similar stage last year, sixes is up by 38, while the number of 200-plus totals is almost twice as many.