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Brighton & Hove

Summer Transfer Talk 10th August 2023

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SPURS

I thought the Harry Kane deal was going to be done this week. I had a feeling that Bayern were going to bid just enough to lure Daniel Levy and Tottenham into a sale but the story rumbles on. The new premier league season is just 2 days away now and it has been reported that if he plays in that first game he will be here for the whole season. Bayern have upped their bid to around £95m in a last ditch attempt but will they get the move through.

While Harry Kane is clearly worth more than some of the players that have been going for £100-120m he is a different animal at 30 years old so represents no resale value, which is becoming increasingly more popular in todays market. Clubs need to have something at the end but really this is Kane’s last big move so Bayern are reluctant to pay ridiculous money for him. Bayern do have a blueprint for this with Robert Lewandowski who was then allowed to leave very cheaply aged 34/35 after smashing in the goals for years.

 

CHELSEA

Chelsea are still active in the market which is pretty crazy after their last 2 windows and Pochettino even coming out to say they have not got any depth in centre midfield. They are letting Casadei go out on loan, they have Andrey and have just bought Ugochukwu in, both central midfielders as well as Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, it’s just they want a more seasoned, premier league ready central midfielder. They are still in the hunt for Caicedo with talks apparently going well.

Chelsea’s last bid was around the £90m mark but Brighton are holding out for a figure over £100m with £90m the base up front fee. Interesting news coming from Italy is Juventus are interested in a swap deal involving Lukaku and Dusan Vlahovic. I have thought for a few years that Vlahovic is ready made for the Premier League, with his pace, power and raw physicality a threat for anyone. He didn’t have the most prolific year last year but Juve were in turmoil off the pitch so I think it would be wise to look past that.

 

BREAKING NEWS

Regarding Chelsea they have just made a £48m bid for Romeo Lavia, after Liverpool have had 3 bids rejected. And Kepa, has been subject of a loan bid from Bayern Munich to replace the outgoing Yann Sommer. Remember they have just signed Robert Sanchez from Brighton to compete for first choice at Chelsea.

 

LIVERPOOL

Over to Liverpool as that Romeo Lavia deal is going to affect them. Who is their next choice? It seemed they had all their eggs in this basket but maybe they’re slow negotiation is going to haunt them here? I still think they desperately need a right back, they have Trent and Calvin Ramsey but will Trent play in midfield? If so they are very light at Right Back. They could go for someone like Joe Gomez who has played there before if they go for a Man City like system. At Man City they play Walker and he doesn’t really bomb on, hes there to support the 2 centre backs, tuck inside to make a 3 and move into central midfield at times so maybe that’s what Klopp will go for.

 

WEST HAM

West Ham finally seem to be making progress in the market. Scamacca however is on his way to Atalanta, for around £27m. I had high hopes for him but he just couldn’t settle in England and fitness was an issue,. I’m sure he will bang the goals in back in Italy. Harry Maguire looks set to join the club, a fee of around £30m agreed. I know he gets ridiculed for his Man Utd performances but I think West Ham is the perfect choice for him. They like to sit deeper and play on the break.

They also place heavy emphasis on set pieces, with the likes of Soucek and Zouma also major threats. Which is why James Ward-Prowse is also perfect for them. Another £30m fee agreed, and this would be a bargain in my opinion. He is the best dead ball specialist the premier league has ever seen. You could argue David Beckham but JWP is going to have far more free kick goals and assists, and i think his delivery has more pace and dip than prime Beckham.

Don’t believe me? Go back and watch some old Beckham clips, there is a lot of curl but lacks a bit of pace, and the game has become much faster. Edson Alvarez from Ajax is another £35-40m signing on the verge of completion so that would be 3 players for the same price as they got for Declan Rice but they are sensible, solid signings.

 

Stay tuned to Football Kids for more transfer news, premier league predictions, previews and much more. Let me know who you think the best transfer of the window so far is?

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Leeds

Championship Preview 2023/24

Just for full transparency, I am for my sins, a Sunderland fan so I will try to write this as unbiased as possible!

 

Automatic Promotion

Leicester, Southampton. 

 

Both of these teams represent a huge risk and the squads are still in progress. Leicester City have a new manager, Enzo Maresca who has never managed in this league and has extremely limited experience but recently worked with Pep at Man City, so has the best schooling. Southampton have a terrific, young squad and with Russell Martin as manager have a good fit there with his style and approach to the game. The main concerns are that James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia are likely to go out the door still and how will they replace them? Leicester have made some shrewd signings though, in Harry Winks, Conor Coady and a couple of others and I think they will have too much for the rest of the league.

 

Playoffs

Leeds, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich

 

Let’s be honest, the Championship is one of the most open leagues in world football, and super competitive so any prediction is almost impossible to get right. I do think even though Leeds are in flux, they have managed to retain some very exciting players, and they have players with recent experience at this level. Keeping Willy Gnonto and Crysensio Summerville will be key though. 

 

Now on to my babies, Sunderland. I genuinely think we have improved since last season when we finished 6th. Ross Stewart is my only concern, a prolific striker at this level but refusing to sign a new deal. Do we keep him and let him go for free next Summer? Or do we cash in and get a new guy? We were hit hard by injuries last season and the majority are back and our squad is the youngest in the league but has a very good balance and depth, pre-season has also gone really well. 

 

Stoke are sort of my dark horse pick. I know a lot of pundits are saying Ipswich and I can see why, but they just don’t have the quality to make the leap this season, Sunderland did last year but the league was not as strong as it is this year. Stoke however on paper have a great squad, and a great manager in Alex Neil, i know him well as a former Sunderland manager, sadly he showed no loyalty and went to Stoke for a few more quid but he is class. I think this might be the year they get it right. 

 

Norwich again are a team with a great squad, but last season they were just poor and inconsistent. Again, I think they will have learnt lessons and they have some top young players, like Max Aarons and Andrew Omobamidele (try saying that 3 times quickly!). Pukki has gone but they have Josh Sargent who I am predicting will get at least 20 goals this season.

 

Relegation

Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield

 

These all seem pretty obvious to me, there is just a difference in level between all of these and the rest of the league. Huddersfield flirted with relegation most of the year before Warnock worked his magic and i just think now he has the job full time standards will slip and they will be bang in trouble, also their squad is really poor, no stand out players or anyone you can say “that’s the guy that will pull us up”. Sheffield Wednesday are in deep trouble, they have the oldest and least valuable squad in the Championship, they have lost Darren Moore who got them out of League 1, especially after a remarkable turnaround from 4 goals down against Peterborough in the playoffs. The owner is disengaged, no money is going into the club, and no transfers in, if nothing changes then I think most people will agree with this prediction. Lastly is Rotherham. Again, its just a matter of quality, manager Matt Taylor deserves credit for keeping them up last season, but they have lost Ogbene who was their best player last season to Luton on a free, and no real investment coming in. They are a club who do things right though, they only spend what they can afford and their sponsor which is “The Rotherham Hospice” shows they care about their community. Even so, there is no sentiment in football and they are going down.

 

Top Scorer

I think if Ross Stewart wasn’t unsettled I’d have to go with him but i think it is going to be Iheanacho of Leicester, they are going to be up near the top of the league, they will play expansive football and he is a class above. If not him then I will be interested to see how Ellis Simms gets on at Coventry.

 

Players to Watch

I’m very interested in how Xavier Simons and Liam Delap are going to get on at Hull City (on loan from Chelsea and Man City respectively). Another Chelsea loan signing im excited to see get some game time is Omari Hutchinson at Ipswich. Luis Hemir Semedo at Sunderland too is going to be exciting, as if it plays out how I think, he will start the season up front and he looks extremely lively. Ross Stewart misses the first few weeks of the season so he could get a few goals and we sell Stewart anyway, which is my guess.

 

I hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to comment and tell me how wrong I am! Stay tuned to Football Kids for more News, previews, updates and transfers!

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Aston Villa

Summer Transfer Talk 26th July 2023

Emirates Stadium Home To Arsenal Football Club

Well there really is only one place to start this week. And that is with a certain French footballer by the name of Kylian Mbappe, you may have heard of him! Already earning a reported £2m per week as well as bonuses he has locked horns with the owners and cheque writers at PSG. so much so that he was left out of recent pre-season games and forced to train alone. 

 

While that isn’t uncommon, we are talking about one of, if not THE most talented player on the planet right now. It all really comes down to money, and the look from the outside is unsavoury. Mbappe is happy to sit on the bench all year because he knows he is going to get a £100m loyalty bonus before he can leave for free. 

 

Reports in the media suggest he has been speaking with Real Madrid and already has an agreement in place for a £160m signing on bonus as well as high wages.If that’s true it is illegal and against the laws of the game for someone under contract but it is a sort of unwritten rule, and widely known that this goes on so therefore it goes unchallenged and unreported. 

 

Nonetheless it is troubling that a player can just down tools and say I’m not playing and collect a ridiculously high bonus, while also agreeing other deals elsewhere outside of his or her own contractual boundaries. The players now run the game, you only have to look back 25 years or so when the clubs had huge power and the Bosman ruling was brought in to allow players a way out of a club at the end of a contract. Now it seems to have gone too far the other way, but I can’t see it changing soon with a new influx of cash from Saudi Arabia poisoning the game.

 

Back to the story though, Mbappe has been subject of a £259m bid and apparently it has the option that he can leave for Real Madrid next year as he had planned while picking up £30m a week in wages. The numbers are eye watering but if they are able to pull this deal off, whether he stays for 1 year or longer, this is a huge coup, will bring broadcasters and Media companies to the table who will want to show Mbappe matches it will represent a sliding doors moment for the country. Think of it as a £1bn marketing budget. Huge corporations around the world spend this already to advertise their own products, whether that’s Google, Apple, Mcdonalds and so on.

 

My gut feeling is he will actually go for a year, the money is almost too much to turn down, and I believe Mbappe to be a fairly narcissistic money driven player, or that’s how it comes across and he will take the money. We will see if we have a concrete deal by this time next week.

 

Back to the UK, Henderson has now completed his deal to Saudi for £13m. West Ham are scrabbling around for players. They are looking at James Ward-Prowse again after having a bid rejected for Conor Gallagher, and being told a massive price for Scott McTominay. I think they should pay what it takes to get JWP, he is a quality player, years of experience in the premier league and brings leadership they will have lost with Declan Rice. They are also apparently in for Harry Maguire.

 

Aston Villa have been doing there business quietly and efficiently this summer. They look a real threat, Unai Emery is a top manager, they have some quality players already and have signed Tielemans and Pau Torres already. Now they have tied up a deal for Moussa Diaby who had been linked with a clutch of top clubs across Europe. He also had a massive offer from Saudi Arabia which he has turned dow to join this exciting project at Villa. Could they be the big surprise for the upcoming season.

 

Manchester City still haven’t sealed the deal for Josko Gvardiol, and a lot of players have already left with more potentially going. Not many other rumours to be fair to replace them but if there was a team to trust to get their transfer business correct then it’s Man City. Man Utd are still in the hunt for Atalanta Hitman Rasmus Hojlund, but £60m seems steep for a player who has scored just 8 Serie A goals thus far. We will see if there is further negotiation. Dean Henderson looks close to a loan deal to Nottingham Forest and Anthony Elanga has signed permanently for a fee of £15m.

 

Stay tuned to Football for Kids for more transfer news and please let us know what you’d like to know or hear about next!

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Chelsea

Summer Transfer Talk July 19th

It’s been a much bigger week this time around as suspected. The premier league clubs are back in pre-season training again. Basically all of the players are back bar the odd one here or there and this is my most exciting time of the year. The new season is just round the corner, the fixture lists are out and we can all discuss the transfers and outcomes of the teams now. Where will they all finish? Will Man City win the League again? Who will be the surprise package of the season? Can Newcastle sustain their form from last season? Are Liverpool and Chelsea back?

 

All I know for sure is that there are more players who won’t be part of the league this season, with a lot making the move to Saudi Arabia. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, both of Liverpool seem the next couple to move. I think this would mark a big shift in the profile of the league over there, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who constantly gets linked with top Premier League clubs has moved from Lazio and he is still at the peak of his powers. At this point it is still in the funny and intriguing stage, but there will come a point when this flood of oil money will be detrimental to European leagues.

 

Starting this week will be Manchester United. They finally have agreed the deal for Andre Onana, £47m fee, personal terms no issue and he will be a massive plus for them. For my money he is in the top 5 goalkeepers in Europe, particularly with his feet. Erik Ten Hag also knows the player very well from their time at Ajax. Rashford has signed a new long term deal, until 2028 so now they can concentrate on getting a number 9 in. Rasmus Hojlund is top of their list but is he the answer. He will also be pretty expensive and I’m not sure that links with him being “the next Haaland” are going to help him.

 

Over to Liverpool then who seem to be losing players left right and particularly centre mid. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both strongly linked with Saudi Arabian clubs, and Fabinho is as good as done for around £40m. Henderson seems open to the idea of quadrupling his wages, who wouldn’t? But a fee not close to being agreed. Luis Diaz is the latest name linked. I don’t think Liverpool would want to lose him. He has started positively and the fans love him, plus who would replace him? Rumours still swirling of James Ward-Prowse but also his team-mate Romeo Lavia who looks top class, and would be one for the here and now as well as the future.

 

Over to Manchester City who still haven’t got Gvardiol over the line and that story has gone a bit cold. But I think that will get done, for a world record fee for a defender. Riyad Mahrez heavily linked with a move to Saudi, alleged price of £30m. He wouldn’t be someone they couldn’t replace and i think that opens the door to exciting youngsters like Dario Sarmiento and Cole Palmer. The biggest loss would be Bernardo Silva, the ultimate utility player and someone of great importance to Pep’s squad. Can play pretty much anywhere, with great class but also tenacity and they MUST keep hold of him. Not much else in terms of incomings though, but perhaps that will change if Mahrez and Silva were to leave.

 

I never really focus too much on the lower end of the league so I’ll give it a bit more focus this time. Bournemouth close to an exciting young signing, Milos Kerkez. He is a Hungarian left back and has a great future ahead of him. £15m as well seems a bargain. Luton have signed a few players, Tahith Chong from Birmingham for £4m as well as Marvelous Nakamba who was on loan to them from Aston Villa last season. Around £8m for him. In my opinion they are just planning for the championship the season after this one, and they will have a strong squad for it. Nottingham Forest are close to a £30m move for Dean Henderson. Hefty fee for the England international but again he has been on loan there and know what they’re getting.

 

I hope you enjoyed the roundup this week and keep it locked to Football For Kids for more exciting transfer stories!

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk 12th July 2023

I’m not sure if it’s been a quiet week or not, but it just seems that the same transfers are rumbling on. Arsenal yet to finalise the Declan Rice deal, although West Ham have been assured this will be done by the weekend. Jurrien Timber is the same. Perhaps they are waiting on outgoings with Partey set to be the latest player to move to Saudi Arabia. Rob Holding has been the subject of a £2.5m bid from Fenerbahce but this is well below Arsenals value for him.

 

Chelsea now, who are trying to make themselves the busiest club in every window it appears! Lukaku is the main one, apparently he has not turned up for pre-season training. Not sure whether this has been authorised by the club or not but he is notoriously one-track minded and wants the Inter Milan move. He is one of only a few players who has turned down Saudi Arabia and i guess for that he can be applauded. Inter Milan and Chelsea are getting closer to a deal and I’m sure it will end up getting done around the £30-35m mark. Cristian Pulisic has left for the red half of Milan for a fee of around £20m. Incomings are a bit quiet though, the club are very keen still on Caicedo and seem to be the clear frontrunners, but £100m may be too much for them and they also have an interest in Lyon winger Rayan Cherki. The prices I have been seeing seem unbelievably high for him, £50m in some quarters. Undoubtedly talented, but i rate him around £30m.

 

Manchester United seem to have the same issues as Arsenal, Onana seemingly wants to move to the club, a fee very close to being agreed and personal terms no issue, but Inter are stubborn negotiators. In pre-season Dean Henderson actually picked up an injury so they are down to just Tom Heaton as the recognised senior keeper at the club, that just won’t do. Crazy rumour that Antonio Rudiger may be coming to the club, I can’t see that one happening myself but perhaps he is unhappy in Spain and Real Madrid seem to be recruiting a younger profile of player at the moment. Sofyan Amrabat is someone very much on their radar though and he made a huge impression on everyone at the World Cup for Morocco as a tough tackling all energy midfielder. £30m seems to be the price, but they may be waiting to offload Fred who has interest from Fulham and Turkey at the moment. 

 

Nothing really going on at City at the moment, just Mahrez out as Saudi Arabia looms. They would need a replacement if he goes as they seem light in that position. I almost forgot, they are still driving forward with a deal to make Josko Gvardiol the most expensive defender ever.

 

Newcastle have secured the signing of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. That one is massive in my opinion, constant links with him and the great Andrea Pirlo, and rightly so. They boy oozes class, not sure he’s quite as good at free kicks as Pirlo but he has a tremendous eye for a pass, loves to come deep and conduct play and will make Newcastle’s midfield formidable with Bruno Guimaraes already in there. Harvey Barnes has been heavily linked although Tottenham are also very keen. Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen is another one i thought may be heading to St. James Park, however reports seem to suggest Aston Villa are leading the race there.

 

Talking of Aston Villa, they have secured the services of Pau Torres of Villareal, a fee of between £30-35m plus add-ons agreed. The guy is a Spanish international and although only had one year left on his deal is an absolute Rolls-Royce of a player. Fantastic with the ball at his feet, yet tall and powerful and great in both boxes aerially. They have got themselves a bargain.

 

Tottenham are still scouring the market, they need a fair bit of strengthening, particularly at Centre back. They have been linked with Levi Colwill although I can’t see that happening. Harry Maguire too, but thats also a weird one. Micky Van De Ven of Wolfsburg seems more realistic. Strong, powerful left sided defender, with a lightning turn of pace in recovery situations, he would be just what Tottenham need. Hojberg looks like he may be off to Atletico Madrid and the Harry Kane saga is definitely not over, but I don’t think Bayern will stump up the kind of cash they are looking for. Right now, the smart money says he stays with Spurs and signs a new deal, rumours of a £400k a week deal on the table as well as coaching or manager role after he retires.

 

That’s the summary of it this week folks, I hope you were entertained, informed and I’ll catch you next week for all the juiciest rumours and transfer here on Football For Kids

 

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk July 5th 2023

Dad Playing Football With Child In Garden

We finally have some movement in the biggest transfer dealings of the window. Mason Mount has completed his move to Manchester United. Although being associated with Chelsea since the age of 6, Mason is a known Manchester United supporter, so although sad to leave London, he will be living out a boyhood dream. United have strengthened their midfield, I am a huge fan of Mount, who can play a number of midfield positions and possesses a great trait, hard work!

 

Declan Rice is imminent, I still don’t think he’s “officially been announced” yet. But Arsenal have made a fantastic signing there and someone who could easily be captain, and leader of that club for the next decade. He has the drive and quality to succeed and I’m sure he will. Jurrien Timber from Ajax is very close too, a fee finally agreed of around £38.5m plus add-ons. I’d love to know what these add-ons are but sadly we never get the details of it. Usually it’s dependent on appearances and achievements of the club in the Champions league etc. I still think Arsenal need another midfielder and a proven striker. Folarin Balogun, who had a breakout season at Reims, wants out and so they will need someone to either replace or back up Gabriel Jesus.

 

United are busy and they need to be. Andre Onana is the name of the goalkeeper they desperately want but a fee is deemed too high by Inter Milan and they also have the added complication of Saudi Arabia turning his head with a pay day. I really feel for David De Gea, if United had just said we are letting him go on a free it would be fine, that’s football. But a new deal for less money was apparently agreed and then taken away and now he has been getting married and officially a free agent. They are still in talks but I think they have treated him really poorly, he’s been their for a decade, player of the year at least 3 times that i can remember and recently got the Premier League Golden Glove. Strange!

 

They also want a forward, Rasmus Hojlund is the man they want, Atalanta are tough negotiators though, they want at least £50m for him. Seems a bit rich for someone who has had one good season, but his potential is very clear to see. A physical presence too at just 20 years old, that one will rumble on. Dean Henderson is on his way out, a £30m fee from Nottingham Forest, where he’s been on loan.

 

Liverpool are busy searching for new recruits, Dominik Szoboszlai though is a done deal, it all happened very fast, a release fee of £60m was met and personal terms agreed very quickly. A lovely technician, great on the ball as you’d expect coming through the red bull system, he would be an exciting addition. They still have quality in the midfield but i think they are short of some sort of destroyer, but who’s out there?

 

Chelsea have been quietly going about culling their squad, a plethora of players off to Saudi Arabia, Azpilicueta off to Atletico Madrid for a free. What a loyal servant and a Chelsea legend whos been there 11 years and won many trophies, but a good decision by all. They seem to be buying a load of youngsters from across the globe, Angelo Gabriel the latest, who looks an exciting prospect, more so a year or 2 ago but maybe he will shine in the premier league after inevitably going out on loan to their new farm club Strasbourg. I don’t know for sure that he will be loaned there but it seems an obvious link to me.

 

What are Manchester City doing? Well they are still working on Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig who will be drowning in cash but need to fill 2 massive voids left by key players. What an unbelievable defender, left footed too which is a rare commodity in the world, he is fast, reads the game impeccably, tenacious and aggressive in both boxes and fantastic on the ball, he will provide competition, but i think he will go straight in either at centre back or left back where Ake has been playing that sort of wide centre back role.

 

Plenty more stories will be coming next week as the teams all get back from their holidays. It’s going to be an exciting and expensive Summer!

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk 28th June 2023

Dad Playing Football With Child In Garden

Do we finally have a breakthrough in the race to sign Declan Rice? Well breaking news last night at bang on 11pm GMT, we got word that Arsenal had submitted a record breaking bid for an English player (£105m – £100m up front and £5m in add-ons). This puts them at the head of the race again after Manchester City had previously matched their £90m bid but with more favourable payment terms. It has yet to be seen what West Ham’s reaction is on this bid, but there have been positive murmurings around the club. West Ham just need to wait and see whether Man City will match it. There is also a slight concern how much money they are going to get day 1, as with a lot of modern day deals, they are paid on the drip over a few instalments.

 

One confirmed deal now is Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City from Chelsea as they seek to replace Ilkay Gundogan who has signed for Barcelona on a free transfer. He has very big shoes to fill but he is a classy operator with 95 caps for his country and he’s won 4 champions leagues. A fee of £25m + add-ons seems fair and good luck to him on a new journey. Staying with City, they are rumoured to be bidding or have bid an enormous amount for Centre Back Josko Gvardiol. A compatriot of Mateo Kovacic, he looks an unreal talent, ever since bursting through with Dinamo Zagreb a few seasons ago and looks sensational every time I’ve watched him at RB Leipzig. What may complicate the deal is whether Newcastle bid for Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian wonderkid as RB Leipzig only need to sell one to balance the books.

 

More outs for Chelsea, Kai Havertz has agreed a deal to sign for Arsenal, just a medical to be done which should happen towards the end of this week. Leaked pictures on social media have shown him already in an Arsenal kit so this is as good as done, £65m fee. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who incidentally I have actually met in person, (and sold him a camera) has agreed to sign for AC Milan, £15m + add-ons. One that rumbles on though is Mason Mount, Manchester United are holding firm that their £55m bid is their last one, and there doesn’t seem much interest elsewhere in the player. Aubameyang is still sticking around, a new offer has been rebuffed for his services from Galatasaray.

 

Tottenham have finalised a 5 year deal for Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli on a 5 year deal. Lloris was coming to the end, very shaky at times, and this is a good move. A fee just shy of £20m for his services. They are also very close to agreeing a deal for James Maddison, personal terms understood to be no issue and a fee of £40m agreed, presumably with add-ons. To me this seems like an absolute snip, the way the rest of the market is. Guaranteed goals, and assists. Harry Kane may be on the move, allegedly personal terms have been agreed in principle with Bayern Munich and a verbal £60m bid tabled. It’s understood this has been rejected out of hand, but Bayern are confident an agreement could be reached.

 

Elsewhere though, there doesn’t seem to be too much going on, when the free agents are released on the 1st July, i expect a bit more movement and when players are back from holidays there will be more too. Keep it locked to Football for Kids for more great transfer updates and interesting football articles.

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk 21st June 2023

Another week, and plenty more rumours and deals to satisfy us all. With the international matches now completed, England were sensational by the way, the players have all gone off for their Summer holidays. After the longest season in history, their holidays won’t be long as most will be back by the 2nd week of July for pre-season.

 

That doesn’t stop deals being made between clubs and agents are in overdrive. Saudi Arabia’s march to buy every player on the planet continues, Kante has been sealed, Ruben Neves is expected to sign in the next coming days for a £47m fee. A lot of this is convenient, as Wolves were facing FFP difficulties.

 

A clutch of Chelsea players are set for the Middle East, inlcuding Eduoard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku. The targets are becoming more adventurous, and the ages and profile of the player is becoming more exciting. By moving for players more in their prime, Saudi Arabia could become a disruptor in the market in the longer term.

 

I am also a boxing fan, and I was hoping we would have seen Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk by now, but because of Saudi money this fight has not been made. This is happening in other sports, and I’m not sure it’s a good thing for sport as a whole. It will be interesting to see who has made the move to the Petro state by the end of the Summer Window.

 

Could Mbappe be on the move? It is still unlikely at this stage, but with only one year left on his deal, and the optional year held by the player not the club, I wouldn’t rule it out. The player has stated he is not going to extend that, but also he is prone to U-turns. President Macron, whom Kylian is close to has apparently tried to persuade him to stay in France but it looks like he has his heart set on the Spanish goliaths Real Madrid. Whether they have the budget is the thing, they have just shelled out £115 for Jude Bellingham but I’m sure they could rustle a few quid from their luxury sofas if they needed to. 

 

On to the Premier League and the main story of course is around Declan Rice, his favoured move is to Arsenal and they have 2 bids rejected. One at £80m and on at £90m, both structured and apparently with unrealistic bonuses. West Ham have rejected both out of hand, as they are holding out for a British transfer record fee which is the £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish’ services. I think Arsenal are making a mistake by stalling here, as Manchester City are prowling and other clubs are interested.

 

Arsenal are also bidding for Kai Havertz of Chelsea, a £60m fee mooted. It seems such a strange one for me, but again Bayern Munich are very keen on him too. In my opinion he is one of those players who promises much, but constantly under delivers. Jurrien Timber of Ajax has been subject of a £30m bid too, although competition is expected to be fierce here, with Manchester United very keen (Ten Hag worked with him at Ajax) as well as Romeo Lavia of Southampton, so bids in but nothing signed yet.

 

Manchester City are close to signing Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, does this signal the end for Ilkay Gundogan, who was Pep Guardiola’s first signing? They are also in for Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol who I have been keeping an eye on for a few years since his Dinamo Zagreb days and he could be the best defender in the world, that isn’t a joke.

 

Manchester United are trying to ship out a few players first, Harry Maguire, Jaden Sanchio potentially. Fred has interest from Fulham if a fee can be agreed. Their key target at the moment is definitely Mason Mount, 2 bids have been made, the current one £50m but that is expected to be rejected with Chelsea wanting £70m. The player is set on a move so its just a matter of time. They also want “the next Haaland”, Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, but that’s a complicated deal, Atalanta are tough negotiators.

 

Liverpool are still looking for midfielders, James Ward-Prowse has appeared on their shortlist, as well as Kephren Thuram and Manu Kone who looks an exciting young player. No concrete bids on the table as far as I’m aware.

 

Tottenham’s Son has been subject of a bid from the Middle East and all has gone quiet on the Harry Kane front, looking increasingly more likely to stay at the club. A big boost for them. Harry Maguire has been touted, and I think he has a point to prove, but I don’t think he’s the right fit for Ange Postecoglou’s approach as he loves a high line and Maguire just doesn’t have the pace.

 

For now the rest of the league are just drawing up their targets, but if there’s any breaking news, we will be on top of it here at Football For Kids. Let us know your thoughts or transfer rumours in the comments, catch you next week!

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk 14th June 2023

£20 notes

Well a lot changes in a week in football. Developments and steps have been made in the market. Declan Rice looks on the verge of joining Arsenal. I reported as much last week however I had my doubts as to whether Arsenal could win trophies and he would actually sign. Looks like £100m up front with a few add-ons is enough to get this deal over the line, and Arsenal are continuing to build an exciting young squad. They are still hopeful of signing Moises Caicedo, too from Brighton to fully overhaul that central midfield but we shall see as they have lots of competition for his signature.

 

Tottenham are rumoured to have agreed personal terms with David Raya of Brentford, who in my opinion was the best goalkeeper in the Premier League last season. His distribution is exceptional and he had the highest save percentage in the whole league. But David De Gea wins the Golden Glove? Don’t get me started on that! So just a fee to be agreed between the clubs, Tottenham want to pay £20m, Brentford want £40m, but a deal looks close.

 

The Harry Kane interest seems to have died down, and it looks ever more likely he will stay at the club. With only a year left on his contract though, will he sign a new one or leave for free next Summer? Daniel Levy is insistent he will not sell to a rival and Real Madrid look like they are now on high alert with Kylian Mbappe as a replacement for Benzema, who departed for the Saudi League.

 

And what’s going on with that now? Benzema and Kante this week have gone, Lukaku, Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech and more are being strongly linked. No one was taking them seriously but if this keeps happening for a few years then they may become a serious threat to European leagues. Not necessarily the premier leagues best stars, as the economics are far higher than other leagues but one to be wary of.

 

Newcastle have been linked with a couple of players. Harry Maguire for £30m, seems a strange one for me, but he would certainly have a point to prove and under the right management he may still have a lot to offer. Great experience, in both International and European competition, he would aid in thickening their squad for the Champions League campaign this season. Talks of a double raid from Leicester City emerging for both Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, although Leicester ant £60m for the latter. For a man with one year left on his deal, it looks to be a waiting game there, Leicester can’t afford to lose him for nothing but £60m is unrealistic given their position.

 

Chelsea are busy as usual, many ins and outs on the cards. Outs will include Kepa, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Aubameyang and possibly Trevoh Chalobah. Mateo Kovacic looks close to signing for Manchester City, seems kind of a strange deal to me, but perhaps he is a replacement for Gundogan who hasn’t renewed a contract yet. Andre Onana, Inter Milans superb keeper has reportedly agreed personal terms and a fee should be agreed. They are also looking to raid the other half of Milan for their keeper Mike Maignan but the player and club seem much more resistant. A much more exciting development might be the Victor Osimhen rumour. It will take a fee over £100m but they need a number 9 and he would be exceptional for many years.

 

The main story this week though is still the ongoing saga with the Manchester United takeover. It still isn’t completed but it doesn’t seem to be stopping them in the market. The thought I’ll leave you with this week though is if they do get taken over should they go all out for Mbappe and really try to challenge Man City?

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Arsenal

Summer Transfer Talk 7th June 2023

boots in the air

This is my favourite part of the season, still a couple of big matches to finish off, namely the Champions League Final. But most of the clubs and players are on their holidays and after the longest season in History thanks to the last Winter World Cup they deserve it.

 

Behind the scenes clubs have been planning for months about who they should sign and what players are considered “deadwood”.

 

The furthest story along is Brighton’s Alexis MacAllister moving to Anfield to rejuvenate an ailing and ageing Liverpool Midfield. Reports suggest it could be as low as £35m as a fee, which begs the question why was the release clause so low?

 

He just signed a new deal before the world cup, presumably to tie up the player on the basis of him performing well there and his value increasing. But then the £35m price seems oddly low for a world cup winner and an integral piece of what made Brighton so special this season. Either way I believe its an absolute snip for Liverpool and they don’t tend to make too many mistakes in the transfer market and this further concretes that record.

 

Where is Kane going? Perhaps new manager Ange Postecoglou has spoken to him and convinced him to stay and has plans to massively improve Tottenham Hotspur. It won’t be difficult as they were extremely underwhelming this season, plus the amateur dramatics of Conte thrown in for good measure. Rumours are that Real Madrid are sniffing around as a replacement for Karim Benzema who is the latest victim of the corruption of Saudi money.

 

Bayern Munich have also been talked up but i just can’t see him moving abroad. Perhaps that’s British bias, but also he is 47 goals away from reaching Alan Shearer’s all time goalscoring record, and I think he has his eyes on that. So that leaves Manchester United who do need a striker but is he the right option for them stylistically? Erik Ten Hag is very focussed on his own style and it means hard workers and high pressing and Kane likes to drop off and get involved, he doesn’t do the high intensity press as well. Then you have Chelsea who certainly have the money but they also have Lukaku coming back who will be an option, although likely he will be moved on. Perhaps Newcastle could send out a statement to the league by taking Kane, but will Daniel Levy, a notoriously tough negotiator let that happen?

 

Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice are constantly being talked about, Rice looks likely to move to Arsenal, although he has stated he wants to go somewhere he can win trophies, but I don’t believe Arsenal will do that. Their chance was this season, when a lot of the big clubs were off the boil, plus they have the complication of Champions League football on top and a thin squad. So it would surprise me, I think Caicedo may be a better option for Arsenal anyway and Chelsea want the Ecuadorian too. He looks an absolute beast, could make it right to the top, if he isn’t already there.

 

Who will Newcastle sign, they will have money burning a hole in their pockets too. They need to sign 5 or 6 players at least as again they have Champions League football, but a thin squad. They have lined up a Gambian winger who looks to be one for the future, but could we see a couple of statement signings to send a message to the rest of the league.

 

Rest assured, I will update you here with the very latest news so keep it locked to Football For Kids and comment below on what you think will happen in this summer window and who’s on the move. 

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