Wolves are “looking” at the signing of an exciting attacking player in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Mike McGrath.

Wolves targeting moves for Premier League pair

With the new Premier League season now on the horizon, Wanderers know the importance of adding to their squad and ensuring they aren’t looking over their shoulders in 2025/26.

Promisingly, Wolves are being linked with new signings all over the pitch, with Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi emerging as a target at the heart of the defence. Whether Levi Colwill’s ACL injury puts paid to his teammate moving to Molineux remains to be seen, though.

Liverpool attacker Ben Doak is believed to be wanted by a host of Premier League clubs, with the Reds possibly selling him permanently for around £20m this summer, and Wanderers are one of the teams who are reportedly in the mix to snap him up.

The loss of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United was a big blow earlier in the window, with further reinforcements needed to fill the void left by him, and Wolves have now been linked with a player who could be ideal to come in and make a difference in the final third.

Wolves "looking" at 22 y/o attacker

According to McGrath on X, who cites fellow Telegraph journalist John Percy, Wolves are “looking” at Nantes attacker Matthis Abline as a “strong” option this summer.

Abline may not be too well-known to English supporters, given his age and the fact that Nantes aren’t one of France’s biggest clubs, but he is an exciting option nonetheless. The 22-year-old Frenchman has scored 16 goals in 60 appearances for his current club, which a good return for a young player, and his versatility can be a weapon for Vitor Pereira.

The youngster played 27 times as a number nine last season, but also appeared in eight games on the right and a couple of occasions as a left winger, with most of his goals coming through the middle. Scout Jacek Kulig has admired the quality and long-term potential that Abline possesses for some time, saying he has an “gold” in his game back in April 2024.

While it would be unfair for Wolves supporters to expect the Nantes ace to come straight in and be a tailor-made replacement for Cunha, he would still be seen as a key man who could mature into a genuine star over time.

France Under-21s

9

2

France Under-20s

10

5

France Under-19s

11

6

France Under-17s

7

5

France Under-16s

7

4

The fact that he has scored 22 times for France at youth level speaks volumes about his ability, and Wanderers should be viewing him as a fantastic option to bring in.

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin has confirmed that the club are looking to bring in more signings before the end of the summer transfer window.

The likes of Nasser Djiga, Thelo Aasgaard, Joe Rothwell, Oliver Antman, and Djeidi Gassama, among others, have already arrived at Ibrox, but the former Scotland international wants more.

This means that Gers supporters still have plenty to look forward to before September’s deadline, as the Light Blues look to build a squad that is capable of competing for the Scottish Premiership title.

One area that the Scottish giants are looking to add more quality to is centre-back, despite having already brought in Emmanuel Fernandez and Djiga this summer.

Rangers lining up move for new defender

A fresh report has emerged linking the Light Blues with a move for a new left-sided defensive option, who could come in as Martin’s own version of Russell Martin.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to RangersReview journalist Chris Jack, Rangers are lining up a move to sign Real Betis central defender Nobel Mendy this summer.

The reporter claims, however, that a deal is not ‘imminent’ for the left-footed titan, which suggests that the Gers are not close to bringing him to Ibrox, despite the club’s interest in snapping the youngster up to bolster their defensive ranks.

It was reported earlier this month that Real Betis are looking for a fee in the region of £3.4m for the 20-year-old talent, and it remains to be seen if the Light Blues are willing to meet the asking price.

What Nobel Mendy could bring to Rangers

The Real Betis defender could be a shrewd addition to the squad to fill a hole in the squad, as Rangers will not have a left-footed centre-back in the squad if Ben Davies and Clinton Nsiala, who have not been involved in the games so far, leave.

Ridvan Yilmaz moving on would also leave Jefte as the only left-footed left-back option in the group, which means that a left-footed defender who can play left-back and centre-back would be perfect.

Bassey fulfilled that role perfectly for Rangers during his time at the club. The Gers swooped to sign him from Leicester City as a youngster, and he really made his breakthrough under Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the 2021/22 campaign, playing at left-back and centre-back almost alternatively.

Calvin Bassey’s positional flexibility for Rangers

Position

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

Assists

Left-back

35

0

4

Centre-back

27

1

2

Left-midfield

1

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

Mendy, who was hailed as “strong and powerful” by writer Kai Watson, is a left-footed centre-back who can also play as a left-back, according to Transfermarkt.

This suggests that the 6 foot 2 colossus has the potential to be Bassey 2.0 for the Gers as another powerful, young, and versatile left-footed talent who can cover at left-back and centre-back when needed.

He has only played six matches at senior level for Real Betis, winning 100% of his duels in two LaLiga games last term, and that makes it difficult to gauge where the youngster is at from a quality perspective.

However, Rangers must see something in him if they are interested in bringing the defender to Ibrox for a potential fee of £3.4m, so their scouting work must have identified his quality in his academy performances in Spain.

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Therefore, Mendy could arrive at Ibrox with the potential to be Bassey 2.0 for the club as another young and versatile star who could cover two positions, which would prevent the Gers from having to sign two separate players to fill those gaps in the squad.

Fighting hundred only delays inevitable as visitors end long wait for victory in New Zealand

Alan Gardner07-Dec-2024The winds came howling into Wellington off the Cook Strait but they were only blowing one way. England rolled through New Zealand inside three days at Basin Reserve to secure their first Test series win in the country since 2007-08. They were buffeted by a blistering hundred from Tom Blundell but could not be knocked off course.New Zealand had two notional targets: score 583 to win or survive almost nine sessions for a draw. Neither was a hot ticket, especially after they had shipped four wickets inside the first 14 overs of their innings. The card was given some respectability by Blundell’s counterattack, although it didn’t make much of a dent in the margin of victory. New Zealand’s next-highest score was the 42 contributed by Nathan Smith at No. 8.Sitting on an already formidable lead, England made a brief show of batting on, thereby enabling Joe Root to notch his 36th Test hundred, before getting down to the business of bowling out New Zealand for a second time. Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse made the initial incisions, before Ben Stokes himself finished things off with a trio of short-ball dismissals against the tail.The main resistance came from Blundell, who crashed 13 fours and five sixes in an innings that might have borne comparison with Nathan Astle’s famous 2002 Christchurch assault had he sustained it for another hour. Shoaib Bashir came in for severe punishment but was the bowler to eventually see Blundell off, albeit plenty of credit should go to Ben Duckett, who anticipated Blundell’s attempt to scoop and ran around from slip to intercept it down the leg side at the second attempt, after palming the ball up.New Zealand had been 59 for 4 when rain took the players off for an early lunch, and Blundell might have been dismissed third ball after the resumption. Jacob Bethell, at third slip, was unable to cling on to a thick outside edge off Carse, and Blundell was rock solid from that point on, initially in a steadfast partnership with Daryl Mitchell and then with increased abandon as he and Smith slammed 96 from 82 balls.Blundell’s fifth Test hundred, raised from 96 balls shortly after the tea interval, may not have altered the result but it was still a significant personal milestone, coming after a 22-month period in which he had averaged 13.52 from 14 Tests, with one half-century.Ben Stokes picked up three wickets to hasten the end•Getty ImagesHis dismissal, Bashir’s second wicket after that of Glenn Phillips during the afternoon session, was the cue for New Zealand to run up the white flag. Matt Henry launched Stokes’ fourth ball into the hands of the diving Bethell at deep midwicket, before Smith gloved a pull behind and Tim Southee, in his last Test appearance at Basin Reserve, fell swinging to leg.By that stage, England were content to wait for victory to fall their way – but they had begun the day in a hurry, Root gamboling to his hundred before Stokes’ declaration gave them time to knock over New Zealand’s top four before lunch.No team had successfully chased down more than 418 in the fourth innings of a Test – in fact, only in the timeless Durban Test of 1939 have more runs been scored, regardless of the result. That there was still the better part of three full days left in this game underlined the scale of the challenge for New Zealand.That only increased as Woakes, bowling into the wind, struck with his seventh delivery. Devon Conway perhaps made it look better than it was, leaving a big gap between bat and pad, but there was much to admire about Woakes’ wobble-seam nip-backer that kissed the top of off. Woakes then claimed the prize scalp of Kane Williamson with one that kicked up and left the New Zealand No. 3 for a thin edge through to Ollie Pope.Tom Latham fell to Carse, plunging acrobatically to his right in his follow through to hold a return catch off a leading edge. Mitchell responded with a salvo of boundaries before Carse had Rachin Ravindra edging behind trying to force a cut, the batter looking to the skies as the rain began to fall.England had resumed in an unprecedented position of comfort, sitting on a record second-innings advantage of 533 after two days of play. There was time to play for milestones, although only 6.1 overs were needed for Root to get to his hundred; Stokes then walked off with an unbeaten 49 to his name.Root’s innings had been a serene affair, but he went to three figures in somewhat ungainly fashion, tumbling over on to his backside while attempting his infamous reverse-ramp. Fortunately there was enough contact with his gloved hand for the ball to clear Blundell and bounce away for four, allowing Root to celebrate with an impudent smile. He was caught behind two balls later, at which point he and Stokes charged off and the main event could begin.

Arsenal have now made progress in their pursuit of a “magician”, having reached an agreement in principle with his club, according to reporter Sebastien Vidal.

Gunners set sights on new forward after Gyokeres

The Gunners finally got a deal for Viktor Gyokeres over the line on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta is clearly delighted with the signing, saying: “Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels.

“He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat.”

It will be a real relief to have signed a striker, but Andrea Berta and co have no plans to stop there, given that Arteta was left a little short on options out wide at times last season too, and they are currently working to get another forward through the door.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is among the main targets, with reliable reporter Ben Jacobs revealing the England international is “keen” on a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, and initial talks have now been held with the Eagles.

There has now been a further development in Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze, with journalist Sebastien Vidal revealing they are now “pushing” to get a deal over the line, having reached an agreement in principle with Palace.

The Gunners plan to pay £30m for the £27-year-old up front, and they are currently negotiating the time scale of when they will pay the rest of the installments, with the Eagles keen to receive full payment within two years.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 26, 2025

"Magician" Eze could be yet another fantastic signing

A deal for the Palace star is unlikely to be cheap, with the attacker’s current employers keen to receive £68m, but there are plenty of signs he could be yet another fantastic signing, in what has been an exciting window for the north Londoners.

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has lauded the Englishman as a “magician” in the past, and he was regularly among the goals for Palace last season, providing 25 attacking contributions across all competitions.

Competition	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Premier League	34	8	8
FA Cup	5	4	1
EFL Cup	4	2	2

By far the Greenwich-born forward’s most important goal came in the FA Cup final, scoring the winner against Manchester City, which meant Crystal Palace lifted major silverware for the first time in their history.

As such, Eze is clearly a big-game player, and it is exciting news that Arsenal are now making progress towards sealing a deal.

أعرب محمد هاني لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن سعادته بعد فوز فريقه على الزمالك بهدفين مقابل هدف، خلال المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم ببطولة الدوري المصري.

والتقى الأهلي مع الزمالك، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال محمد هاني في تصريحات عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “ألف مبروك للشعب الأهلاوي، هذا مكان الفريق الطبيعي ارفع رأسك وافتخر أنك أهلاوي”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | القمة 131.. الأهلي يحقق فوزًا مثيرًا على الزمالك في الدوري المصري

وتابع: “أشكر الفريق بالكامل والجهاز الفني والإداريين واللاعبين والعمال والجهاز الطبي، الفترة الماضية الأمر لم يكن سهلا علينا أن نكون في هذا المكان لأن هذا ليس مكاننا الطبيعي، قوتنا تجعلنا نفوز على أي فريق وأي مباراة في أي وقت، ولكن حدثت ظروف في أول الموسم عطلتنا بعض الشيء”.

وأتم: “اللاعبون المتواجدون على أعلى مستوى ومستعدين أن يضحوا بحياتهم من أجل الأهلي، (مش جايين النادي يأخذوا قرشين ويمشوا)، لا يوجد أشخاص مثل هؤلاء ويستمرون في النادي، الذي لم يعطي للنادي 100% لا مكان له، وهذه قاعدة في الأهلي أعرفها منذ أن كنت في الناشئين”.

وأكد: “أدعموا اللاعبين وهذا الوقت الذي لابد أن تقفوا فيه بجانبهم، الفترة الماضية كان جمهور الأهلي حزينا ومن حق الناس أن تكون حزينة”.

وواصل: “نحتاج أن تقف الجماهير بجانبنا، الذي حدث في بداية الدوري كان شيء بعيدًا عن إرادتنا، نحن نحاول ونجتهد، وتحدثنا واجتمعنا أكثر من مرة في منزل أكثر من لاعب وهذا ما ظهر في المباريات، هذا المكسب لا يأتي من فراغ”.

وأتم: “لا أحد يعلم ماذا يدور داخل غرفة الملابس، والأهلي أصبح اسكواد ثقيل جدًا أقوى اسكواد في إفريقيا، نحن تعاهدنا من بعد مباراة إنبي”.

It would be something of an understatement to say this summer has been a busy one for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s men hardly had a moment to catch their breath after winning the Conference League before they were thrown into the Club World Cup, which they then won.

Likewise, even though the board have made plenty of signings over recent years, they’ve been just as busy this summer, picking up some genuinely exciting talents like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.

However, they aren’t done there, as they’ve also been linked with another international star, someone who’d be a far better signing than another player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge: Alejandro Garnacho.

Chelsea target massive Garnacho upgrade

While most of Chelsea’s business this summer has been conducted without much controversy or fan backlash, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that there is a portion of the fan base who wouldn’t be overjoyed with the potential signing of Garnacho.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, the Argentine international has a massive public falling out with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, and while he’s talented, the supposed price tag of around £40m might be too much for someone who could disrupt the dressing room.

So, it’s good news that it now appears as if the club are closing in on someone else, someone who’d be a far better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Sports Zone, which claims that Chelsea are now rapidly advancing with their interest in Xavi Simons.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have now reached an agreement on personal terms for the RB Leipzig star, and that a first bid is expected sometime today.

While the report makes no mention of how much the Dutchman might cost the West Londoners, other stories from this month have claimed that the German outfit want around £61m.

It could therefore be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a way better signing than Garnacho.

Why Simons would be a better signing than Garnacho

So, if we ignore all the potential off-the-pitch problems and focus solely on what they can do on the pitch, why would Simons be a far better signing than Garnacho?

Well, first and foremost, the Dutchman is simply the far more dangerous attacking outlet, and that is clearly shown in their respective output from last season.

In his 33 games for Leipzig, totalling just 2763 minutes, the 22-year-old “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

That means the former Paris Saint-Germain gem managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes.

In contrast, the Madrid-born ace scored just 11 goals and provided ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3,568 minutes, for the Red Devils last term.

Appearances

33

58

Minutes

2763′

3568′

Goals

11

11

Assists

8

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

144′

169.90′

In other words, the Argentine international averaged a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes.

Unfortunately for the United ace, the one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look at their national team statistics as well.

For example, the former PSV Eindhoven superstar has already won 28 senior caps for the Netherlands, in which he’s scored five goals, provided four assists, made one World Cup appearance and six at the European Championships.

For his efforts, the Argentine has won just eight caps, one of which was a substitute appearance at the Copa América, and he’s only provided one assist in that time.

Ultimately, while Garnacho has undeniable talent, Simons is simply the better and more complete player, and therefore, Chelsea should be looking to sign him over the United ace.

Chelsea are now "close" to signing a talent who's as big as Estevao

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As they close in on Jacob Ramsey, Newcastle United are now reportedly ready to match the price tag of another Premier League rival who Eddie Howe has become convinced by.

Newcastle closing in on Ramsey deal

It’s been a disastrous summer for Newcastle and one that looked unlikely to turn around up until the last few days. They’ve missed out on several top targets, faced the ultimate fight to keep Alexander Isak, who is doing everything to leave the club, and have a matter of days before their Premier League campaign kicks off. But, at long last, things are finally looking up.

The arrival of Malick Thiaw from AC Milan finally put an end to their transfer drought and should solve Howe’s centre-back problem just in time for the new campaign. In a week of good news, however, he’s unlikely to be the final name through the door.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have now reached a verbal agreement to sign Ramsey from Aston Villa in an imminent £40m deal. The midfielder looks set to arrive to replace Sean Longstaff in the Magpies’ midfield following his move to Leeds United earlier this summer.

Whether Ramsey officially arrives in time to face his former club in a dramatic debut remains to be seen, but Howe will certainly welcome the midfield star with open arms at St James’ Park.

That said, although they’ve now solved their midfield and centre-back problem, Newcastle remain without a striker. It’s been a summer-long search, but ultimately one that PIF have been unable to conclude. Now, with just two weeks until the transfer window slams shut, they may be forced to turn towards a Premier League rival.

Newcastle ready to spend big on Nicolas Jackson

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are now ready to match Nicolas Jackson’s £60m price tag to end their search for a striker. The forward has been shown the door by Chelsea, who have reportedly lowered their valuation from £80m by around 25 per cent to a far more affordable £60m fee, which the Magpies are now reportedly willing to reach.

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What’s more, Howe is also reportedly becoming increasingly convinced that Jackson has the qualities to replace Isak should the Swede get his desired move to Liverpool this month. The immediate numbers suggest that the Chelsea man would need to step things up if he was tasked with doing exactly that, however.

Minutes

2,200

2,756

Goals

10

23

Assists

5

6

Expected Goals

12.3

20.3

What should instantly concern Newcastle is how Jackson failed to match or outperform his expected goals last season – instead underperforming by just over two goals.

Whilst their options are now few and far between, Newcastle can’t afford to get things wrong when replacing Isak this month. Jackson has plenty of Premier League experience to his name, but the stats highlight how he is a step below the Swede’s world-class level.

Chelsea’s summer spending spree is showing no sign of slowing down.

So far, the Blues have made eight new signings this summer, including bringing in Liam Delap, João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão Willian and others.

However, they’ve still got plenty to do in the transfer market.

Right now, by our count, the Blues have 46 senior players on their books, but one could be on the way out, making way for another exciting young talent to arrive in West London.

Chelsea set to bolster their attacking options

As already alluded to, Chelsea are seeking to offload at least a dozen high-profile players in the next month or so, with Mike McGrath of the Telegraph reporting that Raheem Sterling could be on his way to Fulham.

One player who is closer to the exit door is João Félix who, according to David Ornstein and Simon Johnson of the Athletic, is set to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr for around £26.2m, amid interest from boyhood club Benfica.

The Portuguese only joined Chelsea permanently from Atlético Madrid for £45m a year ago, but has scored just 11 goals in 40 appearances for the Blues across his two spells, spending the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, thereby very much not in Enzo Maresca’s plans.

So, with Félix on his way out, Chelsea are on the cusp of bringing in a replacement, with journalist Ben Jacobs noting that they are “advancing talks” to sign Xavi Simons, with “terms now broadly in place” to bring him to England. Club-to-club talks are ongoing to find a full agreement over a fee.

James Olley of ESPN claims that the Blues are willing to spend around £50m, with Leipzig holding out for closer to £60m.

So, will he soon become the 15th Dutchman to call Stamford Bridge home, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ruud Gullit, Arjen Robben and others?

How Xavi Simons will improve Chelsea

Simons is certainly a highly-rated player, with Sultan Babajide of Breaking the Lines asserting that he is ‘destined for the top’, noting how he is ‘brilliant between the lines’.

Meantime, Bart Vlietstra of the Guardian believes there has always been ‘something irresistible’ about a player he labels a ‘precocious’ talent, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout agrees, describing him as a ‘fascinating player’.

Simons’ career breakthrough came at PSV Eindhoven, scoring 22 goals and registering 11 assists in just 48 outings for the Dutch giants, while he has also racked up 21 goals and 23 assists in 76 appearances since making the move to RB Leipzig.

So how does he compare to the player he’s set to replace in the Chelsea squad Félix? Let’s find out.

Simons vs Félix season-by-season
Statistics	Simons	Félix
2024/25
Appearances	33	41
Goals	11	10
Assists	8	3
2023/24
Appearances	43	44
Goals	10	10
Assists	15	6
2022/23
Appearances	48	40
Goals	22	9
Assists	11	3
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, ever since Simons became a regular first-team player at PSV, his statistics have been more impressive than those of Félix.

The Portuguese international’s £113m move to Atlético Madrid back in 2019, making him the fourth-most expensive player of all-time, has turned out to be one of football’s great what if moves, with Jack Lang of the Athletic noting that he is widely-regarded as having ‘wasted his talent’, never able to fit into the playing style or system at any of the clubs he’s featured for since Benfica.

Simons, in contrast, is a player on the way up, likely to get even better, so he could have an enormous impact at Chelsea, potentially elevating them to a level where they’re fighting for the Premier League title and Champions League supremacy once again.

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Ross Kilvington

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Tottenham Hotspur also have their eyes on other players amid their widely reported negotiations for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and Man City’s Savinho, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy looking to back Thomas Frank over this final stretch of the window.

Following the departure of club legend Son Heung-min to LAFC, 10 years after he joined from Bayer Leverkusen, the north Londoners are now in need of a replacement – prompting them to open talks with City over a deal for Savinho.

The player’s agent, Frederico Moraes, told reporter Jorge Nicola earlier this week that Spurs have seen their opening £42 million bid for the rejected out of hand – with Pep Guardiola’s side valuing him closer to the £70 million mark.

Nevertheless, while there is a significant gap in valuation right now, the consensus is that Tottenham will keep pushing for the 21-year-old, as Frank is reliably believed to be a major admirer of Savinho and actively pushing for him.

Then, of course, there’s Eze. The 27-year-old’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term are glossed over only by his historic FA Cup final-winning strike against City at Wembley, gifting Palace supporters their first ever major trophy to shout about.

Tottenham are in formal talks with Palace over a deal for Eze as they look to fill the gaping creative void left by James Maddison, with the Spurs playmaker expected to miss most of 2025/2026 after rupturing his ACL in pre-season.

That being said, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge is among the reliable media sources to report that Levy does have alternatives in mind if a deal can’t be done, and Spurs also reportedly want to sign another centre-back.

Their transfer plans stretch beyond just Eze and Savinho, with Barcelona star Dani Olmo now thought to be on their radar too.

Tottenham now preparing £60 million for Barcelona's Dani Olmo

According to reports out of Spain, the 27-year-old former RB Leipzig star has found his way on to Tottenham’s target list.

It is believed that Tottenham are preparing a £60 million offer for Olmo, but given he plays an identical role to Eze, this could likely be a fallback plan from Levy in case a move for their top target goes nowhere.

In any case, the similarities in age, price and position, not to mention Barca’s need to sell so they can register new players, means a move for Olmo could be seen as a pretty realistic one.

Spurs were, after all, once ready to splash £60m on Morgan Gibbs-White in their bid to sign a new playmaker, so a move for the Spain international surely cannot be ruled out.

Called an “outstanding” player by Julian Nagelsmann, Olmo racked up an impressive 12 goals and seven assists in total across 39 appearances last season for the La Liga champions – including strikes against Inter Milan in the Champions League and a brace in the Catalan derby.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stressed once again that “whatever happens must be on the basis of equality”

Danyal Rasool30-Nov-2024A day after a virtual ICC board meeting concluded without finalising the venue for the Champions Trophy in 2025, a final decision remains elusive. The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was in Dubai today, and while he took in Pakistan’s Under-19 victory over India, there was greater intrigue over whether the PCB, the BCCI and the ICC have been able to come to an arrangement over next year’s tournament.As he did in the early hours of Thursday morning, Naqvi did not categorically rule out a hybrid model for the hosting of the tournament, something he has done in the past. “We will do whatever’s best for cricket,” he told reporters in Dubai. “If we adopt any other formula [except hosting the tournament in Pakistan], it will be done on the basis of equality. The most important thing for Pakistan is its respect; everything else is secondary.”Once more, Naqvi repeated what he stated multiple times at the Gaddafi Stadium earlier in the week. “A one-sided arrangement is no longer acceptable. It cannot be the case that we continue to go to India, but they do not visit Pakistan. Whatever happens must be on the basis of equality.”Related

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Decision on Champions Trophy venue expected over the weekend

Final call on CT25: Fresh venue one of three options, as ICC Board meets on Friday

Champions Trophy: PCB promises to do 'what's best for Pakistan cricket'

What form such an arrangement might look like, remains uncertain. Sources told ESPNcricinfo Pakistan are looking for an equitable solution across a three-year period where any arrangement made for the Champions Trophy is replicated for tournaments held in IndiaNaqvi’s repeated comments around “equality” have raised speculation that the PCB will seek to earn some concessions should they acquiesce to a hybrid model in any form. That could entail an agreement to have India play their matches outside Pakistan, but a decision that any future tournaments India hosts will offer provisions for Pakistan to play their matches outside India. There is also the possibility of some financial recompense for the PCB in addition to such an arrangement, though Naqvi did say earlier this week that decisions would not be based on money.ESPNcricinfo understands a decision should be reached in the next couple of days, though Naqvi’s comments suggest there remain significant loose ends to be tied up. In all likelihood, any proposal will have to be run past the governments of both India and Pakistan before it is presented to the ICC for approval; India was refused permission to travel to Pakistan by the Indian government and the PCB has said repeatedly, as a result, that any action they take will have to be approved by their government.”We need to settle this once and for all,” Naqvi said. “And whatever happens must see everyone treated equally. Any agreement will not be just for the Champions Trophy, but for the long term.”The tournament is due to begin in less than 90 days, on February 19. Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the venues scheduled to host the games, though if a hybrid option is chosen, that will involve another venue outside Pakistan. The UAE, where Naqvi met ECB officials earlier today, is the frontrunner in such a scenario.