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Manchester City want to sign an “incredible” playmaker in the summer, but they may be forced to let a £15,000-a-week ace go in the opposite direction to complete a deal, according to a new report.

Man City transfer news

Given how the season has gone for the Blues and how busy they were in January, the summer is expected to be very busy once again for Pep Guardiola and co. as they look to move on some of the deadwood and bring in players for the future as they try to get back to being Premier League leaders.

Worse than Marmoush v Liverpool: Pep must finally axe 5/10 Man City man

Manchester City should allow the forward to move on from the club in the summer.

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By
Dan Emery

Feb 24, 2025

According to Caught Offside, one player who could be arriving at the Etihad is Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz. City are interested in signing Yildiz, and the Italian giants could consider selling the 19-year-old to raise funds for their own summer plans. Juventus are looking to get between 80-90 million euros for Yildiz, which is roughly £66-77 million. The winger has expressed interest in moving to the Premier League, but City face competition from Liverpool and Manchester United.

But there could be a few exits on the cards at the Etihad, with it being reported that star player Kevin de Bruyne is now close to finalising terms over a move to San Diego FC. The MLS side are keen to wrap up a quick deal and talks are said to be “progressing”.

Man City want to sign “incredible” Florian Wirtz

As De Bruyne potentially closes in on his exit from City, according to The Daily Mail, Man City are keen on signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, who could be seen as a long-term replacement for the Belgian.

The Blues are considered to be among the frontrunners to sign Wirtz in the summer transfer window but do face competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid. City see the German international as someone who can easily fit into their team and style of play.

Leverkusen, of course, want to keep hold of the playmaker, but they are expecting offers to arrive, and if one does come from the Etihad, they would consider asking James McAtee to be part of the negotiations, as they were linked with a move for him in the summer and remain interested now, as they want to sign a new number 10.

Wirtz, who has been dubbed “incredible” by former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole in the past, has been a key performer for Leverkusen, scoring 11 goals and recording 12 assists in the Bundesliga last season, as Leverkusen won the title. He has continued to be important this season, scoring nine times and recording 11 assists as they try to retain their league crown.

The German would be a significant upgrade on De Bruyne, given his age and the ability he has shown in recent seasons. However, he will be an expensive purchase, as he is said to be valued at £87 million. Meanwhile, McAtee, who earns £15,000 a week at City, has struggled to nail down a starting spot this season, and he could be a player that is sacrificed by Guardiola in the summer so they can add to their squad.

Tony Bellew says “Man City are going to end up in the Conference” if the 115 charges hanging over their head get the same treatment as Everton got.

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• Toffees waiting on another FFP ruling
• Forest have slipped into drop zone
• City yet to face any kind of action

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Toffees have been stung with a 10-point penalty this season for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which was reduced to six on appeal. They are waiting to discover the outcome of another investigation into supposed financial mismanagement, while Nottingham Forest have had four points deducted as they tumble into the Premier League relegation zone.

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  WHAT BELLEW SAID

  Boxing legend and passionate Everton fan Bellew has been left baffled by the entire saga, telling : “You’ve got a team in Manchester City who have had more charges than I can possibly think of, and there’s no charges coming to them. It’s an absolute disgrace and then Nottingham Forest, who have done far worse than us but get less of a points deduction. It doesn’t make any sense. The Premier League are not doing anything right and they’re destroying football, single-handedly. It’s just so difficult. We could take another points deduction and where’s the justice in that? If they did take another two points off us – that’s eight. You’ve taken four off Forest who have got more [charges] than us.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellew added on the City case, with it emerging in February 2023 that the reigning Premier League champions faced over 100 FFP charges: “It’s a mess and I don’t know the way out of it now. Where does it end? Man City are going to end up in the Conference if this comes off. You can’t have 115 charges, you done us for 10 points. A club could go into administration – that means you’ve failed on every level and you only get nine points [deducted]. They took 10 from us, which is insane. It’s a disgrace.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Premier League claims that a date has been set for City’s hearing, but that has not been revealed to the public. The rules regarding FFP and PSR in the English top-flight are also about to be revised, which could work in favour of City and big-spending rivals Chelsea – while the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa may avoid the need to part with prized assets.

An international team boss has hailed one Tottenham player's infectious personality, claiming he brings the "sunshine" whenever he's around.

How are Tottenham playing?

Spurs' best start to a league campaign since the 1960s has brought unrivalled joy to the Lilywhites fanbase, as manager Ange Postecoglou's appointment is arguably looking like one of the signings of the summer window. Since the Australian's arrival from Celtic in June, Tottenham have won six out of their opening eight Premier League matches, remaining unbeaten in that time.

They were forced to dig deep for their latest win, a 1-0 away to Luton Town, as Spurs played the entire second half with just 10 men following midfielder Yves Bissouma's first-half sending-off. Summer signing Micky van de Ven notched the only goal of the game in true smash-and-grab style, with Postecoglou later hailing the application of his players.

“Two different halves, I thought we played some great football in the first half. I thought it was as good as we’ve played and we probably should have been two or three up,” Postecoglou said.

“Obviously the red card changes the game but again I thought the lads handled it really well. They stayed calm and composed. In the end, just the sheer will and effort of them to make sure we won, not just the starters but the guys coming on, it was a great collective effort. Biss made a mistake. He has been brilliant for us this year. He made a mistake and the good thing is how he reacts to these things."

Tottenham – James Maddison praise

One player who has been utterly key to Spurs' early-season success is James Maddison, who signed from Leicester City in the summer for around £40 million. That fee is looking like the biggest bargain of the window right now, as Maddison has chipped in with two goals and five assists already.

Glenn Hoddle was effusive in his praise for the player earlier this week, saying he could be about to hit his "peak" years in a Spurs shirt.

"I think you would see the best and that’s coming out of him now," said Hoddle to Premier League productions.

"He has matured. He’s got three or four years where he is going to be at his peak.”

This sentiment has been echoed by England manager Gareth Southgate, who actually praised Maddison's personality as well in a pre-match press conference before their 1-0 win over Australia on Friday.

“He is in a really good vein of form," said Southgate.

"A really good character around the group. He connects people well. We have got the more steady, serious guys & we have a lot of guys who bring a lot of sunshine."

The former Norwich City star has dazzled alongside the likes of Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the forward areas, and if he continues like this, Maddison could well be a contender for one of the players of the season.

Vinicius Junior seemed unable to resist taunting Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham after Brazil's victory over England at Wembley.

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• Real stars met in tunnel after game
• Swapped shirts after Vini joke
• Brazil beat England 1-0 at Wembley

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Brazil edged out England 1-0 courtesy of a late goal from Real Madrid-bound Endrick in an international friendly clash on Saturday at Wembley. After the game, Vinicius Junior was spotted cheekily calling clubmate and England star Bellingham over to him outside the dressing rooms with a smug smile on his face, before the duo bonded and exchanged shirts. The England international was also seen swapping his jersey with another Los Blancos attacker in the former of Rodrygo.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  17-year-old Endrick's maiden goal in a Brazil shirt was historic as he became the youngest-ever male footballer to score a goal at Wembley. He is also now the fourth youngest goalscorer for the Selecao after Pele, Edu and Ronaldo.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Dorival Junior's side will next face Spain in their second international friendly on Tuesday at Santiago Bernabeu. The Three Lions, on the other hand, will take on Belgium on the same day at Wembley.

Leeds United opted to part ways with sporting director Victor Orta earlier this year after his decisions led to the club being on the verge of relegation to the Championship.

The Whites parted ways with the Spanish chief at the start of May but that was not enough to keep the team up as Sam Allardyce came in to replace Javi Gracia in the dugout and they were relegated from the Premier League.

Orta went through the highs and lows at Elland Road as he played a part in their promotion to the top-flight by appointing Marcelo Bielsa and assembling a squad to win the second tier.

However, the now-Sevilla mastermind also made some questionable moves in the transfer market throughout his almost six seasons in Yorkshire.

One decision that may now come under scrutiny is his sale of central midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, who has thrived since his exit from the club earlier this year – producing more goals and assists than Leeds ace Wilfried Gnonto.

When did Leeds sign Bogusz?

Orta swooped to sign the young gem from Polish side Ruch Chorzow in January of 2019, which was halfway through the club's first campaign under Bielsa.

The then-18-year-old ace had already broken into his club's first-team and arrived at Elland Road with 33 senior matches under his belt, in which time the talented whiz had scored five goals and provided one assist from a midfield position.

However, that experience did not allow him to burst straight into Bielsa's team in England as he failed to make a single appearance for Leeds during the second half of the 2018/19 season.

Bogusz finally made his senior bow during the 2019/20 campaign as he played 17 minutes of their Championship title-winning term and started one EFL Cup clash.

In fact, his first-team debut – against Stoke City in the EFL Cup in August 2019 – was an impressive one as the talented youngster showcased his ability at both ends of the pitch.

As per Sofascore, Bogusz played 90 minutes in central midfield and caught the eye with a pass completion rate of 82% and one chance created, along with a 100% dribble success rate (1/1).

The Polish whiz also displayed his defensive strength with six out of seven duels won, which included three tackles, and these statistics earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.1.

It was an excellent performance from the exciting young prospect, particularly when you consider that it was against a fellow Championship outfit, and some may have thought that it would lead to further chances at first-team level.

However, he had to wait until July 2020 to make his next appearances for Bielsa's side as the Argentine tactician brought him on for 17 minutes in a 4-0 win against Charlton.

The youngster then spent the following two-and-a-half seasons on loan in the second division of Spanish football with UD Logrones and UD Ibiza.

How much did Orta sell Bogusz for?

Orta reportedly cashed in on the 22-year-old midfielder for a fee of €1m (£900k) to LAFC in March of this year after his time out on loan in Spain in recent years.

The Polish technician did, however, impress in LaLiga 2 during the 2021/22 campaign as he made 20 appearances and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13.

The central midfielder contributed with four goals and six assists, alongside 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, as per Sofascore, as the Leeds loanee showcased his ability at both ends of the pitch.

However, his performances were not good enough to convince Orta or then-head coach Jesse Marsch to bring him into the first-team fold at Elland Road for the 2022/23 season.

How has Bogusz performed this year?

Bogusz has enjoyed an impressive year for Ibiza and LAFC – his current club – and displayed his knack for making an impact with goals and assists from midfield.

The right-footed ace produced two goals and zero assists in ten appearances for Ibiza on loan during the first three months of 2023 before his permanent transfer to the MLS from Leeds.

He has since thrived in America with a return of three goals and four assists in 28 league outings for LAFC. The Poland U21 international also has a case to be frustrated with his teammates as he has created nine 'big chances' and racked up 4.17 xA (Expected Assists) during that period.

These statistics show that Bogusz, who is able to play as an attacking or central midfielder as well as out on either flank as a winger, can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists.

How has Gnonto performed this year?

Meanwhile, Gnonto has not produced as many goals and assists combined as the former Leeds prospect, who is on nine for the year so far (five goals and four assists).

The Italy international produced two goals and three assists in 19 Premier League appearances during the second half of last season for the Whites.

A drop down to the Championship has not helped him to find outstanding form in front of goal as the 19-year-old whiz has scored one goal and provided one assist in six league matches so far this term.

However, he does not have a case to have more assists to his name as the teenage maestro has only produced 0.73 xA and has not created a single 'big chance' for his teammates during the 2023/24 campaign to date.

This means that Gnonto has three goals and four assists at league level for Leeds throughout 2023 so far, which is two fewer direct goal contributions than Bogusz has managed this year.

At the age of 22, the LAFC star still has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve further over the years to come and the decision to sell him may be looked back on with regret.

Whilst it is hard to say whether or not he would have been an excellent option for Daniel Farke this season, Bogusz's form in Spain and now America suggests that the Whites should have given him an opportunity to impress.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has explained why Marcus Rashford has been dropped for the clash against Chelsea.

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• Rashford dropped against Chelsea
• Replaced by Antony in the starting XI
• Ten Hag explains the reason for dropping

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international has been left out of the starting lineup by the Dutchman for their clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, dropping to the bench instead. Ten Hag has now explained the reason for the 26-year-old being dropped for Antony on the wing.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  Ten Hag has explained that Rashford was left out as part of plans to keep the English forward fit for the busy period coming up for the Red Devils, with United hoping to beat Tottenham to a place in next season's Champions League.

• WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to the media, Ten Hag addressed the dropping of the winger: "I decided for Marcus Rashford on the bench for rotation to keep him and the team fresh through a busy period with another big game on Sunday."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  The Manchester-born forward will hope to be back in the starting XI when United welcome Premier League title challengers Liverpool to Old Trafford in their next game on Sunday.

Prince William has sent his personal congratulations to Aston Villa star Rachel Daly after she announced her international retirement.

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• Daly announces shock retirement
• Royal family member sends congratulations
• Hopes Daly continues scoring form for Villa

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Daly announced her retirement on Wednesday morning, just hours after playing for the Lionesses against the Republic of Ireland in a Euro 2025 qualifier. The Aston Villa star made her debut in 2016 and went on to win 84 caps, scoring 16 goals, and playing a key role in both England's Euro 2022 triumph, and their run to the World Cup final.

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  Prince William is famously an Aston Villa fan and Daly plays up front for the Villans, alongside Alisha Lehmann. This season, she has scored seven goals in 16 games in the WSL, and Prince of Wales is hopeful that Daly will now focus on hitting the back of the net for the club.

• WHAT PRINCE WILLIAM SAID

  William tweeted from the Kensington Royal X account: "Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, Rachel Daly. Plenty more goals for Villa now!"

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Daly has retired mid-season so she will return to her club and focus on WSL action. Villa play Chelsea on Wednesday next week.

Tottenham Hotspur now have an agreement in place regarding an important off-field deal, with the key figure in question now set to start work next week at the Lilywhites, according to reports.

Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou

Since arriving in north London from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in the summer, Ange Postecoglou has been a revelation at the helm and has galvanised a side that looks capable of challenging for the Premier League title in 2023/24.

So far, Spurs have taken 26 points from their opening ten fixtures in the division, playing a style of football that has given supporters real cause for optimism following a damp squib of a campaign in 2022/23.

Nevertheless, former boss Harry Redknapp has claimed that Tottenham aren't a genuine contender to win their first top-flight title since 1961, citing the departure of Harry Kane as a reason why his old club may not be able to go the distance this term.

Speaking to The Daily Express, the 76-year-old stated: "Can Tottenham win the Premier League? No, but they will finish in the top four. People say they are better without Harry Kane, but that’s rubbish. Nobody is better without Harry Kane. He’s the best centre-forward in the world. If he was still at Spurs, he would have scored 12 goals already – and had another half dozen or so assists as well. If they had brought James Maddison in, and Micky van de Ven, and kept Kane – then they would have a team which could win the league."

Despite varying opinions on whether Spurs can genuinely challenge the likes of Manchester City for Premier League glory, it is clear that things are on the up in N17 – and nothing would crystalise that statement more for Tottenham than defeating London rivals Chelsea at home on Monday night.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou is tempering expectations among his Tottenham squad by adopting a game-by-game approach, as he stated ahead of the Chelsea clash via BBC Sport: "We know there's another challenge on Monday night. Looking beyond that doesn't really serve any purpose. The supporters – by all means, this is their football club and they've got to enjoy their football club if things are going well and it provides them with some hopes, dreams and aspirations."

Now, it looks as if Spurs are also taking steps to maximise their potential for success by making an appointment behind the scenes at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham Hotspur reach full agreement with Rob Mackenzie

As per Football Insider, Rob Mackenzie will begin his role as head of recruitment at Tottenham next week after reaching a full agreement to join the club from Aston Villa.

The report states that Mackenzie has now handed in his notice to Aston Villa and is free to return to Spurs, where he spent 18 months working alongside Paul Mitchell between 2015 and 2016.

38-year-old Mackenzie has also previously held various positions at OH Leuven, Derby County and Leicester City before going on to work as a chief scout and video analyst at Aston Villa.

Looking ahead, Spurs fans will hope he can help to continue their positive momentum by identifying some gems in the transfer market across future windows.

Aston Villa are contemplating a swoop for a new central player in January, but a fresh report has revealed that there are three other clubs who are also hoping to bring him to the Premier League.

Aston Villa's Premier League form

Unai Emery’s side have made an impressive start to the new top-flight campaign having won seven, drawn one and lost just three of their opening 11 games, meaning that they currently find themselves fifth in the table.

The Midlands outfit will be disappointed to have suffered their most recent defeat to Nottingham Forest at The City Ground last weekend, but the winter transfer window will give the hierarchy an opportunity to strengthen their squad even further to avoid such slip-ups again in the future, with one target in particular having already been identified.

Leicester City’s defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has made 252 appearances since putting pen to paper from Genk back in 2017 (Transfermarkt – Ndidi statistics), but there’s a strong possibility that he could be heading for the exit door early next year.

The Nigeria international’s deal is set to expire upon the conclusion of the current campaign (Leicester contracts), meaning that Enzo Maresca’s side are likely to cash in so that they don’t lose the 26-year-old for free, and should that be the case, he has a potential suitor waiting for him at Villa Park.

Aston Villa eyeing move for Wilfred Ndidi

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are interested in Wilfred Ndidi, but they are far from alone in their pursuit.

“TEAMtalk sources suggest that Leicester have been working hard to tie both Ndidi and Iheanacho down to new contracts but as yet, there has been no breakthrough. TEAMtalk understands that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have enquired about the midfielder, while Lyon and Monaco are also keen.

"However, there is also interest from within the Premier League with Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Brentford amongst those who are considering a January approach for Ndidi.”

Whilst Ndidi’s natural role is to protect his defensive backline, Leicester’s talisman has been stronger in the offensive aspect of his game this season having clocked up seven involvements (four assists and three goals) in 15 appearances across all competitions.

Sponsored by Nike, Maresca’s £75k-per-week earner (Leicester salaries), also ranks in the 99th percentile for attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area by a midfielder (FBRef – Ndidi statistics), displaying his desire to get involved with the action in the final third, which has seen him dubbed a “beast” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Ndidi has actually recorded three victories when playing against Villa, so if he’s capable of performing at a high standard with the visitors, imagine what he’d be capable of under the guidance of Emery at Villa Park.

Tata Martino has explained why he made no substitutions against Monterrey, with Lionel Messi given 90 minutes in a Champions Cup losing cause.

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• Herons crashed out of competition
• Beaten by Mexican opposition
• Argentine recovering match fitness

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons headed to Mexico for the second leg of their quarter-final tie trailing 2-1 on aggregate. They had it all to do against Liga MX opposition, and ended up crashing out of the competition after suffering a 3-1 reversal on the road.

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  Uncharacteristic errors proved costly for Inter Miami, leading to the game slipping away from them before the hour mark – with Drake Callender presenting USMNT star Brandon Vazquez with the opening goal, before Jordi Alba was sent off 12 minutes from time.

• WHAT MARTINO SAID

  Despite all of that, and with Messi still working his way back to full fitness following a hamstring injury, Martino opted to make no changes on the night. He told reporters afterwards of that decision: “All the players we had on the bench were young players, we were not in a situation to use them, I did not want to throw them into adverse conditions, so I felt it was best to finish the game with the players who started.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  United States international Julian Gressel added on a frustrating night for the Florida-based outfit: “It was disappointing to lose here and go out of the competition. We wanted to advance. We knew Monterrey was a very good team and obviously a tough opponent. They played really well and we made some mistakes that ultimately cost us. Hopefully we’ll learn from it and we can move on to the next competition and do well.”