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Arsenal haven’t had the rip-roaring start to the summer transfer window that their fans perhaps wanted, but the cogs are starting to churn as Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta plan to make improvements.

Across the past three Premier League seasons, the Gunners have finished second each time. Some might ridicule Arteta for failing to reach that final level, but were Arsenal not toiling in the pits before they arrived? And have they not rediscovered themselves as a European superpower?

We’re just lacking that special… something. The Emirates side have endured their share of frustration through recent transfer windows, and another disappointing finish this summer could derail a lot of progress.

Time was, Arsenal were defined by their incredible focal frontmen, but that now needs to change. It’s often futile to pinpoint exactitudes in regard to a club’s transfer strategy, but it’s clear that Arsenal’s problems could be halved through the signing of a new centre-forward.

The latest on Arsenal's striker search

Arsenal are planning to sign a new striker this summer. It’s their principal priority. There’s just cause for excitement in regard to Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, but such bids won’t be in lieu of a new number nine.

But we can’t deny that it’s taking its time. The summer saga has centred on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to leave Sporting Lisbon but has been left dismayed by his outfit’s stance on his leaving fee.

BBC Sport understand Arsenal have yet to find a breakthrough with Sesko or Leipzig, while the 27-year-old Gyokeres might indeed prove too expensive.

Advancements with either forward may well occur in the coming weeks, but the Gunners may well turn to an alternative option ahead of the beginning of pre-season.

He’s come close to north London before.

Arsenal open talks for new striker

According to GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal have joined Manchester United in the race for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, with both clubs making contact with their Premier League counterpart.

Transfer Focus

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

Arsenal saw a £40m offer rejected for the England international back in January, but could now return as they look to seal a new striker sooner rather than later.

It’s thought that the Villans value the 29-year-old at £60m, a figure that the north Londoners were unwilling to pay earlier in the year.

If the package can be reduced, there’s every chance a figure could be tabled.

Why Arsenal want Ollie Watkins

The issue with both Sesko and Gyokeres is that neither boasts experience in the Premier League – and that’s an important part of determining who’s the right pick.

In Watkins, Arsenal would sign a player who is proven at the very highest level, having scored 75 goals and provided 36 assists across 184 Premier League matches, who bears the stylistic qualities befitting a Gunners talisman – indeed, skills found in the game of both Sesko and Gyokeres.

But the same could be said for a former star in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who signed for Arsenal in January 2018 for £60m – level with Villa’s asking price for Watkins – and went on to score 92 goals and provide 21 assists across 163 appearances, a remarkable run of prolific performances that led to triumph in the FA Cup too.

In his pomp, the Gabonese icon was electric, intelligent and as clinical as you like. The right-footer also found success when peeling off the left, which is a role Watkins has played many a time for Unai Emery’s side.

The Three Lions star might be a goalscorer first and foremost, but he’s also a well-rounded forward, having ranked among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues in 2024/25 for assists and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Moreover, he’s something of a veteran at 29, which is similarly the case with Aubameyang, who joined the Premier League aged 28 and hit the ground running, calling upon all his experience and athleticism to post ten goals and four assists over his opening 13 matches in the division.

While Watkins is coming off the back of a campaign that left something to be desired, he still scored 17 goals and chalked up 14 more assists across all competitions, with his exploits rightly seeing podcaster Rohan Jivan name him “one of the best CFs in Europe.”

This is certainly underscored by his impressive track record (across all competitions) against the Premier League’s historic ‘big six’, having notably bagged six times over 11 matches against Arsenal, a statistic that will no doubt dredge up some off-putting memories for the club’s fanbase.

They say that if you can’t beat them, join them, but in Arsenal’s case, if they can’t stop Watkins from scoring, why not just sign him?

There is, of course, more to it than that, but Watkins’ goalscoring record against high-level opposition does underscore his suitability.

That and a consistent goalscoring record that would see Arsenal return to the striking success of old, when Aubameyang last plied his trade in an Arsenal shirt.

Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe, but they lack the deadly goalscorer of their domestic and continental rivals. Bukayo Saka is world-class, but he’s not an out-and-out striker.

And though Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have been out injured for a while, neither boasts the true clinical edge needed.

Watkins is a veteran, but so was Aubameyang when the mobile, high-speed star came over way back when. Imagine Auba in this current Gunners team? Such dreams may be realised if Watkins signs this summer.

He's a lot like Saka: Arsenal "working on" signing £50m star – Ornstein

The international attacker could add some more flair to Arsenal’s squad.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 3, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a race to sign a versatile £6.7 million international who could be a replacement for Nélson Semedo, according to a recent report.

Wolves target new midfielder and new striker

Given the fact the Midlands side have already seen Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri leave the club in big-money deals, Wolves have a rather large back pocket full of money. Manager Vitor Pereira will be hoping the club chiefs allow him to spend that money in the transfer market, as they look to avoid another relegation battle.

Wolves make approach for "major talent" also wanted by seven other clubs

The Old Gold are in the market for reinforcements…

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jul 4, 2025

According to a report from Spain, one way the Premier League side want to spend some of their cash is by signing Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid. It is claimed that Wolves are among the teams wanting to sign the midfielder, and they would be willing to pay as much as £43 million to bring him back to England. The Spanish giants could be open to letting the England midfielder leave in this transfer window, as that would allow them to improve their squad in other areas.

As well as a new midfielder, Wolves also want to add more firepower to their team and have made an approach to sign El Bilal Toure from Atalanta. The striker, who scored three goals in all competitions last season, is very much a wanted man this summer, as teams from France, Turkey, and England are all queuing up with an interest.

Wolves in race to sign Tchatchoua to replace Semedo

As well as looking to strengthen their midfield and forward line, the Premier League side may be in the market for a new right-back, and according to Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Molineux News, Wolves are interested in signing Jackson Tchatchoua from Hellas Verona.

Wolves are still working on a deal to keep Semedo at the club, as his contract expired at the end of June and he has been offered fresh terms. However, they are yet to receive an answer, and now the Premier League side are looking at possible replacements and therefore have turned their attention to Tchatchoua, who is also wanted by Everton, Marseille and Galatasaray.

The 23-year-old, who has earned 10 caps for Cameroon, joined Hellas Verona on loan for the 2023/24 season, and that move was made permanent last summer. He can operate as a right-back as well as a right midfielder, scoring two goals to go with three assists in 36 Serie A games last season.

It has been previously reported that Hellas Verona value Tchatchoua at €8 million, or roughly £6.7 million, which could be an absolute bargain if Fosun can convince his agency, DWMA, to bring him to England. The group also represented Wesley Fofana in his £75m move from Leicester to Chelsea however, so may be looking to drive that price up.

Nottingham Forest are now leading the race to sign a “world-class” £34 million star who already has an offer from West Ham, according to a new report.

Forest are still in the dark when it comes to the future of Morgan Gibbs-White, as Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in the England international after reportedly triggering his release clause, which the Reds believe was done illegally.

Nottingham Forest submit £6m bid for La Liga ace who's now pushing to join

The Tricky Trees have stepped up their pursuit of a defender.

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 22, 2025

In case Gibbs-White does leave the City Ground, Forest are looking at players who could replace their number 10 if needed. Manchester City’s James McAtee has been on Forest’s radar for a while now, and at the beginning of this week, it was reported by the Telegraph’s John Percy that the Reds are set to advance their pursuit of McAtee this week.

The England under-21 international looks free to leave the Etihad this summer, as his contract expires next year and he has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.

The Blues are said to be looking for a fee of £25 million, but the Reds will need to fend off other teams from the Premier League as well as the Bundesliga for the young attacking midfielder.

Forest leading the race to sign “world-class” Douglas Luiz

As well as looking to wrap up a deal for McAtee, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by The Mirror, Nottingham Forest are now ahead in the race to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus.

The report claims that Forest’s global head of football, Edu, is pushing the Reds to sign the former Villa man this summer. Despite only joining Juventus a year ago, the Italian giants are keen to offload the Brazilian, and Forest are one of the sides who are strongly interested.

However, they face stiff competition as Everton are also interested in a deal, while West Ham have already submitted an offer for Luiz, as Juventus look to get around £34 million for the midfielder.

Given the interest from England, this new update has revealed that Luiz’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, is flying into London to hold talks with the interested teams.

Luiz, who has been dubbed “world-class” by journalist Leonardo Bertozzi, was brought to Juventus by former manager Thiago Motta, but he struggled to make an impact for him, as he failed to nail down a starting spot before the Italian boss was sacked.

That is completely different from the situation he was in at Villa Park, as the Brazil international played 35 of 38 league games in his final season and scored nine goals and recorded five assists in the process.

Gennaro Gattuso says Italy's 5-4 World Cup qualifying win over Israel was the "craziest game" he's had as a coach.

• Italy beat Israel 5-4
• Manager Gattuso in disbelief
• Calls it his "craziest game"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Italy held leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 4-2 but Israel clawed their way back to 4-4 in a thrilling World Cup qualifier on Monday night. The hosts thought they had secured an excellent point but Sandro Tonali's 91st-minute winner secured the Italians a remarkable victory – one that manager Gattuso was astounded by.

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  WHAT GATTUSO SAID

  He said, "It was murder today. It’s the craziest game I’ve been involved with as a coach, but it is my problem and not that of the players. If we want to play in a certain way, we need to get better at this. We were crazy to systematically go on the attack, that’s what Israel were waiting for, they hit us on the counter every time. We could’ve defended deeper when leading."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This result gives Italy's World Cup qualification chances a huge boost as they have leapfrogged Israel into second in Group I. They are still three points off group leaders Norway, which puts them in pole position to advance to the play-offs. Not qualifying for two straight World Cups would be a disaster for Italy.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gattuso's Italy side, who have three wins and one loss so far, are next in World Cup qualifying action on October 11 when they travel to Estonia. They then round off the next international break at home to Israel three days later.

Leeds United supporters had the chance to see all of the club’s new signings in action on Saturday as they featured against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly.

The scoreline was far from exciting, as the two teams held each other to a 0-0 draw, but Sean Longstaff, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Lukas Nmecha, Gabriel Gudmundsson, and Jaka Bijol all played minutes.

Daniel Farke’s squad is also set to be bolstered by the arrival of defensive midfielder Anton Stach, after the club reportedly agreed a deal worth around £17m to sign the German star from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on a permanent transfer.

This means that Leeds will have signed two centre-backs, a left-back, two defensive midfielders, and an experienced centre-forward in the summer transfer window.

As Nmecha arrived on a free transfer, Leeds have yet to spend a transfer fee on a new attacker to come in and bolster their side ahead of the Premier League campaign.

The Championship champions have been linked with plenty of forwards, though, and one obvious link that predictably emerged earlier in the summer was one to Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia.

Why Leeds may want to sign Emiliano Buendia

The Argentina international worked under Farke during his time at Norwich City and it was reported in January that Leeds were eyeing up a loan move with an option to make it permanent in the summer, as they were pushing to secure promotion out of the Championship.

That move did not materialise at the start of the year, though, and Leeds have once again been linked with an interest in signing the attacking midfielder to improve their options in the number ten position.

Buendia is a target that makes sense for Leeds because of their need for a replacement, or at least competition, for Brenden Aaronson, as well as Farke’s pre-existing relationship with the player.

The 28-year-old star scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 appearances for the German head coach with the Canaries, winning the Championship title in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns.

This suggests that Farke knows how to get the best out of the right-footed magician, who thrived as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Norwich in his three seasons there, and that is why this could be a signing that makes a lot of sense this summer.

As you can see in the table above, though, it would be a risky signing because he has not been at his best at the top end of the pitch in the last three seasons, missing the entire of the 2023/24 campaign with an ACL injury.

Instead of taking a risk with Buendia, who may not be able to recapture the form he displayed at Norwich, Leeds may look elsewhere, amid reported interest in another former Canary.

Leeds pushing to sign Brazilian attacker

According to Turkish outlet Fotospor, Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Galatasaray central midfielder Gabriel Sara this summer.

The report claims that the Championship champions and fellow Premier League side Aston Villa are ‘constantly’ pushing to sign the Brazilian talent to bolster their respective midfields.

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, though, that Galatasaray are not actively looking to cash in on the left-footed star, and that it will take an ‘incredible’ offer to tempt them into selling Sara, who they claim has won over the supporters with his performances on the pitch.

No price tag is mentioned in this latest report but Fotomac claimed earlier this summer that it would take a fee of around £26m to sign the former Norwich man, amid interest from Manchester United.

It is now down to Leeds to put the money on the table to convince Galatasaray to sell Sara and to beat Aston Villa and Manchester United to his signature, as the £26m-rated star has the potential to be Farke’s new Buendia.

Why Sara could be Farke's new Buendia

Poetically, Farke could find his next Buendia by signing the player Norwich eventually signed to replace the Argentine star as their chief creator.

The Canaries sold him to Aston Villa in 2021 and did not directly replace him until they signed the creative Brazilian from São Paulo the following summer.

As you can see in the graphic above, Sara racked up a staggering haul of 13 goals and 12 assists from midfield in the 2023/24 campaign for Norwich, which was the first time any player hit double figures for both goals and assists since Buendia produced 15 goals and 16 assists in the 2020/21 season.

Like the Argentine whiz, the Galatasaray star is an attacking midfielder who has the quality on the ball to make a big impact in the final third, as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Sara, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed has a “magical left foot”, joined the Turkish giants off the back of his incredible season in the Championship with Norwich, and enjoyed a strong debut year in the Super Lig.

As you can see in the table above, the £26m-rated star did not provide goals on a regular basis, but his creativity was on full display yet again, creating 12 ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

His form for both Norwich and Galatasaray suggest that Sara has the potential to be a huge creative threat for Leeds in the Premier League, with his ability to consistently unlock the opposition’s defence to create high-quality opportunities for the forwards ahead of him.

This is why he could be Farke’s new Buendia, who registered 41 assists for the German at Norwich, and why the club should continue to push for a deal for him this summer.

It is now down to the club to thrash out a deal to bring the left-footed creator to Elland Road this summer, as he could be an exciting addition to the squad.

Farke's own Joelinton: Leeds made contact over deal to sign £22m "monster"

Leeds United have made contact over a potential deal for a star who could be their own Joelinton.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 19, 2025

They might not be partaking in pre-season at the moment, but it would be fair to say that the mood around Chelsea at the moment is a positive one.

While the fans are still basking in Enzo Maresca’s side’s Club World Cup triumph, the board continue to make moves in the transfer window.

The Blues have already welcomed in a host of talented attacking players like Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.

Yet, there is still seemingly more work to do, with Jorrel Hato the next player to come through the doors at Stamford Bridge, although if reports are to be believed, the club could risk spoiling some of their good work by making a Jadon Sancho-esque signing.

Chelsea target Sancho repeat

As things stand, it’s looking almost certain that the next player to join Chelsea will be Hato.

Transfer Focus

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

The young Ajax defender is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football, with 111 appearances to his name already.

His transfer has already been given the “here we go” treatment by Farbrizio Romano, who has also revealed that the final fee for him is around €40m, which is about £35m.

When it’s finally announced, it’ll be a massively exciting move, but there could be another transfer just on the horizon that doesn’t go down quite as well with fans.

At least that is according to journalist Alex Crook, who confirmed that Chelsea are still incredibly interested in Alejandro Garnacho.

In fact, he has revealed that the Blues are now “pushing for” the Manchester United ace this summer.

In terms of how much the Argentinian could end up costing the West Londoners, plenty of reports from earlier this summer have claimed that an offer of around £40m could be enough to get this deal done.

Garnacho might be a talented player, but this feels like a deal Chelsea do not need to do, especially as it could be another Sancho situation.

Why Garnacho could be another Sancho

Now then, it has to be said that Garnacho is clearly a talented prospect, as, even with United in their current state, a player doesn’t make 58 appearances in a season without having something about them.

However, before moving to Old Trafford, there was even more reason to think Sancho was going to be one of the future stars of English football, as in his final campaign with Borussia Dortmund, he racked up a sensational tally of 16 goals and 20 assists in just 38 games for the German giants.

Flash forward to today, and the former wonderkid has a pretty dire tally of 12 goals and six assists in 83 games for the Red Devils and a slightly better, but still poor, record of five goals and ten assists in 41 games for the Blues from last season.

Moreover, it’s not just that the 25-year-old underperformed on the pitch, but he also caused trouble off of it, getting into a public spat with former boss Erik ten Hag at the start of the 23/24 season, which ultimately saw him frozen out of the team for some time.

We’ve already seen that Garnacho has the same ability to cause trouble off the pitch as well, falling out in a rather spectacular way with Ruben Amorim at the end of last season, so much so that reports came out suggesting the manager told him he’d have to pray another side came in for him.

Now, on the rare occasion, a club might put up with someone who could disrupt the dressing room if they can have a massive impact on the pitch, but for all the talent the “electric” ace has, as dubbed by Statman Dave, he’s not got enough of it to be worth the trouble.

For example, in his 58 appearances last season, the Madrid-born dynamo only scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to a rather underwhelming average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games.

That’s certainly not a bad rate of return, but it’s not a game-changing one either, nor is it one that would make up for the potentially destabilising behaviour that might come with it.

Ultimately, Garnacho is a good player, but that is about as much as we can say at the moment, and therefore, Chelsea should avoid bringing him to Stamford Bridge this summer, as he wouldn’t be worth the fee that could end up being a Sancho repeat.

More exciting than Hato: Chelsea close to agreement for "phenomenal" CF

The talented gem could be a superstar for Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 31, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has sent an "I score a lot of goals against Marseille" to Mason Greenwood and Co ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener. World Cup winner Mbappe will be lining up against opposition from his native France at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday as Los Blancos get their European campaign for 2025-26 up and running in front of their own supporters.

• Mbappe waiting on first Champions League triumph

  Mbappe is still waiting on the first Champions League triumph of his distinguished career, with the decision taken to swap Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid a year before ambitious Ligue 1 giants finally got their hands on the most prestigious of prizes.

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  How many goals has Mbappe scored this season?

  Los Blancos are determined to conquer the continent again this term, with Mbappe very much leading from the front. He has netted four goals through as many games at the start of the new season.

• Mbappe's record vs Marseille: Goals and assists

  He is now preparing to face Marseille, who are experiencing the league phase of elite European competition for the first time. Mbappe boasts an impressive record against the men from Stade Velodrome – registering 10 goals and three assists against them through 15 appearances for Monaco and PSG.

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  What Mbappe said about facing Marseille again

  Mbappe told of facing familiar rivals: "I score a lot of goals against Marseille. They've changed a lot with a new project. Medhi (Benatia, director of football) is a friend. We'll see.

  "It's cool to meet French teams again. Plus, we're playing at home, at the Bernabeu. It's nice, it's been a long time since they played in the Champions League. It's going to be nice to play against them, it's going to bring back good memories."

Up until yesterday, this summer was shaping up to be pretty much perfect for Chelsea.

Enzo Marsca’s side looked brilliant on the pitch, and the board were making excellent additions to the squad off of it.

However, it’s now been confirmed that Levi Colwill has suffered an ACL injury and will miss the majority of next season.

The only good news is that there is still time for the club to bring in a replacement, and while they’ve been linked with Marc Guehi in the past, reports suggest they are looking at someone else entirely.

Chelsea target Guehi alternative

Chelsea have been linked with Guehi for quite some time now, with serious reports touting him for a move back to the club as far back as last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Those stories have remained fairly constant this summer as well, with some claiming that the Englishman could be available for a fee of around £43m.

However, while the Crystal Palace star could be a smart signing in the current circumstances, it now looks like the Blues are eyeing another international defender to replace Colwill.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are interested in Ronald Araujo.

The report has revealed that the Uruguayan defender is someone who has been discussed by the West Londoners and is now seen as ‘one of the main options’ to come in and strengthen the backline.

Interestingly, despite renewing his contract in January, the story claims that Barcelona would be willing to let the 26-year-old leave this summer for a fee of around €50m, which is about £43m.

While that’s still a lot of money, this feels like a transfer worth pursuing for Chelsea, especially as Araujo could be the perfect replacement for Colwill.

Why Araujo would be a great signing

So, there will be some of you out there who might make the point that Chelsea have only just signed Jorrel Hato, and so there is surely no need for another defender to come in and cover for Colwill.

However, while that is a fair point and we have no doubt the Ducthman will develop into a future superstar, he’s still just 19 years old and has no experience of playing in a top-five league.

Therefore, instead of placing an immense amount of pressure on the teenager and potentially hampering his long-term development, it makes far more sense to go out and sign a proven defender who has played at the highest level for some time now, someone like Araujo.

For example, the defensive “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has made 175 appearances for Barcelona, of which 141 have been starts, and he’s racked up a pretty good tally of ten goals and seven assists in those games.

Moreover, he’s helped the Catalans win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Spanish Super Cups, so he would bring a real know-how to Stamford Bridge that’s been lacking in recent years.

On top of his impressive experience and record, the Rivera-born titan can also play as both a centre-back and a right-back, meaning he’d give Maresca some extra tactical flexibility.

Finally, the 6 foot 2 ace is more than just a defensive wall, as he’s got several seriously impressive attacking underlying numbers to his name.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals and goals plus assists, the top 2% for goal-creating actions from shots, the top 4% for non-penalty expected goals and the top 9% for total progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

Ultimately, losing Colwill is a massive blow, but Chelsea can help mitigate that blow by going all out and signing Araujo this summer.

He'd be unplayable with Simons: Chelsea agree terms with £40m "superstar"

The dynamic international could develop into something special at Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 8, 2025

Paul Mullin has been told that a reunion with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham should not be written off, with there still a chance that he will be offered a shot at redemption. A cult hero from the Red Dragons’ historic run of three successive promotions is currently out on loan at Wigan Athletic, but he remains under contract in North Wales.

• Money well spent by Hollywood co-owners

  Mullin became one of the first marquee signings made by Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney following the completion of their stunning takeover at SToK Racecourse. He would prove to be money well spent.

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  Wrexham record: How many goals Mullin scored

  The humble frontman hit 110 goals for the Red Dragons through 172 appearances, becoming a three-time Player of the Year. He helped Wrexham to clamber out of the National League and into the Championship, enjoying three all-expenses-paid trips to Las Vegas in the process.

• Loan ranger: Offloaded by Parkinson

  He did, however, slip down the pecking order under Phil Parkinson last season and was eventually allowed to leave for Wigan in the summer of 2025. There are still two years left to run on his contract at Wrexham, which means that a slate there may be wiped clean.

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  Mullin target: Wrexham return & international debut

  Former Wrexham boss Dean Saunders believes a second chance could be earned at club level, and a first with the Wales national team, telling : “One thing about Paul Mullin is that he is a goal scorer, and he always will be. He knows where the net is, and when he is in form on a scoring streak, I’m not sure there is any forward scarier in the EFL. Wrexham have signed players from higher up and have decided to send him out on loan, which I think is fair enough, as they have Premier League ambitions.

  “One thing Paul needs to do is keep at it. He needs a manager who backs him to score goals and lead the line, which he seems to have found at Wigan. He needs to stay fit and bang in goals to show Wrexham what they are missing. I actually think Wales could still use him in an international squad. It’s hard to find natural goal scorers, and that’s exactly what Paul is. Wales could use some of his firepower.

  “In the footballing world nowadays, if you score 15 goals a season, you become a £100 million player, and I know Paul doesn’t play in the highest leagues in the world, but I think his talents have been undervalued. I wouldn’t toss him on the scrapheap yet. If Wrexham struggle for goals this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them recall him and get him back in the mix.”

Chelsea have now made an approach over a deal to sign a “special” Premier League player, according to a report.

Blues keen on new defenders after Colwill injury

After such a positive pre-season, during which the Blues emerged victorious in the new-look Club World Cup, the Blues suffered a major injury blow, with centre-back Levi Colwill set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL injury.

Consequently, Enzo Maresca wants to sign a new centre-back, although the Italian has revealed that club chiefs are hoping that one of the current players will be able to step up to the plate in Colwill’s absence.

Maresca said: “I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think.”

In the west Londoners’ Premier League opener against Crystal Palace, Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah were given the nod at centre-back, and the Cobham academy graduates kept a clean sheet with the help of Reece James and Marc Cucurella on either side.

Maresca is very well-stocked at full-back, with the likes of James and Malo Gusto to choose from on the right, but the Blues have now stepped up their interest in a new signing, having lodged an enquiry over a deal for a Premier League right-back…

Indeed, according to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now made an approach to Manchester City over Rico Lewis, who is currently in talks over extending his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea verbally agree deal for £192k-a-week star but need Nkunku to leave

It’s a case of one in, one out at Stamford Bridge.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 16, 2025

Pep Guardiola is determined to keep hold of Lewis, amid widespread interest in the right-back’s signature, with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Nottingham Forest have already tabled a €30m (£25.9m) proposal for the 20-year-old, which was immediately knocked back, indicating it could take a significantly higher bid to tempt City into a sale.

"Special" Lewis held in high regard by Pep

It could be difficult for the Blues to get a deal over the line, given that Guardiola clearly rates the starlet very highly, having once suggested he is a very well-rounded full-back.

The City boss said: “In the training sessions we always thought this guy has something special. Defensive he is aggressive enough. He has the margin to improve but with the ball inside he is so good and outside we saw today, one v one good crosses and good finishing.”

The England international is an ideal fit for Pep’s system, and perhaps Maresca’s, given that he is a superb passer of the ball, averaging a pass-completion rate of 91.9% per 90 over the past year, which places the City ace in the top 1% of all full-backs.

Lewis also got off to a flying start to the new campaign, picking up an assist in his side’s 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he clearly has a huge future ahead, but given that Chelsea already have James and Gusto, the deal should not be a priority.