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Sunderland completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window earlier this week when they confirmed the arrival of Simon Adingra from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Black Cats have signed Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Habib Diallo, Enzo Le Fee, and Reinildo to bolster Regis Le Bris’ options across the park.

Sunderland have only added Reinildo to their defensive ranks, though, and could look to improve their back four in the coming weeks before the end of the window.

It had been reported in June that the club were considering a permanent deal for Chris Mepham, who spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Bournemouth, but there has not been an update on the situation since then.

Sunderland plotting deal for Ligue 1 star

The Black Cats appear to be looking at alternative options to the Wales international in that area of the pitch, though, as they are reportedly keen on another right-sided centre-back.

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 Football Insider, Sunderland are interested in signing Toulouse central defender Charlie Cresswell to bolster their team this summer.

The report claims that the Premier League new boys are ‘plotting’ a deal to bring the England U21 international to the Stadium of Light in the coming weeks.

Speaking to Football Insider, scout Mick Brown added: “Sunderland have been looking at Charlie Cresswell. They had scouts at the Under-21 Euros and from what I hear they were impressed by what they saw.”

The Sun have previously claimed that it will take a fee of £18m to tempt Toulouse into cashing in on the former Leeds man, who would be an upgrade on Mepham for Sunderland.

Why Sunderland should sign Charlie Cresswell

Le Bris should push the club to strike a deal for the 22-year-old colossus, who won the U21 Euros with England this summer, because he would add defensive quality to the squad.

Cresswell caught the eye with his impressive performances at the Euros, winning 67% of his duels across six appearances, but he also showcased his ability in Ligue 1 for Toulouse.

The English star showed that he can deliver brilliant defensive displays on a regular basis in a major European league, which is something Mepham, who played 38 times in the Championship last term, has failed to do.

Stats

Cresswell (24/25 Ligue 1)

Mepham (23/24 Premier League)

Appearances

31

10

Goals

3

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.0

1.9

Clearances per game

6.1

2.9

Duels won per game

4.9

4.3

Ground duel success rate

51%

37%

Aerial duel success rate

66%

60%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Cresswell’s showings in Ligue 1 were significantly more impressive than Mepham’s were when he last played in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

These statistics suggest that the former Leeds man would come in as an immediate upgrade on what the Welshman could have offered in the top-flight, as he is more dominant defensively and offers a greater threat from set plays.

The Toulouse star, who was once hailed as “incredible” during his loan spell at Millwall by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also five years younger than Mepham, which means that he also has more long-term potential as a young player with time left ahead of him to develop and improve.

Therefore, Cresswell could be a significantly better signing for Sunderland than Mepham due to both his quality in the here and now, as well as his potential to get better in the future.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 9, 2025

Russell Martin is the 20th permanent manager in Rangers’ 153-year history, but he’s got plenty of work to do if he’s going to be a success at Ibrox.

Last season, the Gers finished second in the Premiership, a whopping 17 points adrift of the champions, and ended the campaign trophyless, most notably dumped out of the Scottish Cup having suffered their first-ever home defeat against lower-league opposition in the competition.

So, if the Light Blues are going to be ready for the start of Champions League qualifying next month, Martin is going to want to be very busy in the transfer market, so could he be reunited with a player for the third time?

Rangers targeting a new centre-back

According to a report by EFL Analysis, Rangers remain interested in signing centre-back Harry Darling, labelling this potential move to Glasgow a ‘very intriguing prospect’, with Norwich City also pursuing the defender.

The 25-year-old is a free agent, having left Swansea City, and has twice played for Martin before, first at Milton Keynes, before the new Rangers manager signed Darling three years ago when he was in charge of the Swans.

Recently-appointed Norwich boss Liam Manning, who replaced Martin at MK, described Darling as “outstanding”, adding that he is more than “capable” of playing at a high level, so could he turn down the Canaries and reunite with Martin once more?

How Harry Darling compares to Robin Pröpper

According to reports in the Netherlands, Robin Pröpper is set to re-join FC Twente this summer, with the Eredivisie side willing to pay around half of the £2.5m they received for the centre-back a mere 12 months ago.

The Dutchman made 43 appearances during his first, and potentially only, season at Rangers, scoring during victories over both Celtic and Dundee United, but more notably getting sent off just 13 minutes into the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club.

Pröpper himself admitted that “maybe I underestimated” the level of competition one faces in the Scottish Premiership, with his performances often widely criticised, including by Aaron Nijjar of Football Insider, who noted that his ‘struggles continued’ following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in December.

Meantime, Ewan Paton of the Rangers Review believes that Scottish football is ‘too quick and physical for his capabilities’, suggesting that supporters would be pleased to see the back of him.

But, would Darling be an upgrade? Let’s assess the pair’s respective statistics to answer that question.

As the table outlines, pretty much across the board, Darling comes out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics included.

Worth considering that also, according to Global Football Rankings, the EFL Championship is the 11th strongest division in the world, with the Scottish Premiership down in 43rd, albeit 11 of Pröpper’s outings did come in either Champions League qualifying or the Europa League.

Writer Kai Watson believes that Darling would be ‘perfect’ for Martin’s system, labelling him ‘very comfortable on the ball and a brilliant passer’, underlining that this deal is a no-brainer for Rangers, especially considering he’s a free agent.

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By
Dan Emery

Jun 12, 2025

Chelsea have done it. Enzo Maresca’s side have won the UEFA Conference League, beating Spanish outfit Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.

The Blues have made history in winning the title, becoming the first side to have won all three major European titles currently on offer, a historic achievement for the club.

In terms of the game, it got off to the worst start possible for Chelsea. Their LaLiga opponents took the lead just nine minutes into the clash, with left winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli firing a well-struck effort into the bottom right corner past goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

It took Chelsea until the 65th minute to equalise. Cole Palmer set Enzo Fernandez up with a teasing ball. The Argentine midfielder ran onto his cross and headed home into the bottom left corner to score a crucial goal for his side.

From there, the floodgates opened. First, Nicolas Jackson struck, once again set up by the irresistible Palmer. Second-half substitute Jadon Sancho soon got in on the act to make it 3-1. His strike was sublime, bending a shot from the left-hand corner of the penalty area into the top right corner of the Betis goal.

Moises Caicedo’s strike from distance capped off the night for Chelsea, who were unstoppable once they got into their groove. One of the stars of the show was the scorer of the second goal, Jackson.

Jackson’s performance vs. Betis

When his side needed him most, Blues striker Jackson came up clutch with the goal which won them another European title. It was a hard-working night’s work for the Senegal international, who ran the channels diligently and looked to link up play all night long.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

His goal, which saw Chelsea take the lead in the game, was a smart finish. The 23-year-old miscued his effort, surely meaning to head Palmer’s cross home, instead bouncing the ball past Adrian off his chest. However, the run was clever, darting into the six-yard box to put the ball in the back of the net.

Jackson’s performance earned him a 7/10 rating from Standard journalist Malik Ouzia. He explained that, whilst the striker did take a ‘hideous touch’ when attempting to seal the deal late on, he ‘repaid the “debt” he owed his team-mates’ with his crucial strike, having missed the final two league games of the season through suspension.

It was certainly an impressive performance from Jackson, stepping up in a European final when his side needed to. However, he was perhaps overshadowed by another of his teammates.

The Chelsea player who outperformed Jackson

Just over 13 years ago, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba inspired his side to a heroic Champions League final comeback against Bayern Munich. He scored an 88th-minute header at the Allianz Arena, before sinking their opponents with the winning penalty in the shootout, to deliver Chelsea the Champions League.

Well, little more than a decade later, Palmer has just put in a performance worthy of rivalling Drogba’s iconic effort. His two assists breathed life into a flat Chelsea side, putting them into a title-winning position.

Those contributions will be remembered for the next decade, just like Drogba’s have been. His first assist was a delicate cross to Fernandez, who rose highest to nod home an inch-perfect cross.

The second was magical, teasing the Betis defenders, twisting on the spot before turning into space and delivering another perfect cross for Jackson to convert.

It was not just the assists that were exceptional from Palmer, but his overall performance. As the stats on Sofascore show, he ranked highly for several metrics on the night.

For example, no player completed more dribbles than his four, nor did they create as many as his two big chances.

Ground duels won

5/8

1st

Dribbles completed

4/6

1st

Assists

2

1st

Big chances created

2

1st

Key passes

2

3rd

Passes completed

32/38

7th

The Chelsea number 20 was so good, he earned himself a 9/10 for his efforts from Ouzia. The journalist was full of praise for Palmer, describing him as a ‘genius’ following the former Manchester City man’s two moments of magic.

So, the Blues have another European title to their name, and with it, another memorable performance from a genuine superstar. Perhaps Chelsea have found their new version of the legendary striker.

Palmer, player of the match, delivering a performance worthy of rivalling Drogba’s heroics 13 years ago. Sensational.

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2 ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025

It may feel like we’re in the thick of the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans, but that’s not the case. Rather, FSG are working with incredible prudence to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League champions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely feature for the final time as a Liverpool player on Sunday in the season’s closing game against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, but sporting director Richard Hughes has already engineered and wrapped up a move for his successor.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong will play for the Merseysiders next season, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez also being pursued, discussions at an advanced stage.

Liverpool need something more in attack, too. While Mohamed Salah has forged an individual season for the ages, he’s perhaps been let down at times by his peers.

After penning a two-year extension, the Egyptian King needs to be supplemented by some elite-level firepower, someone capable of being his next Sadio Mane.

FSG may well have found just the man for the job.

Liverpool pushing to seal marquee signing

According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Liverpool’s ambitious push to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is very much intact, with FSG doing everything in their power to bring the 22-year-old under Slot’s influence.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool have been locked in a transfer battle with Bayern Munich for the talented midfielder’s services, and have been emboldened in recent days after Manchester City dropped out the race. Die Roten, however, remain favourites at this stage.

The truth is Liverpool will do all they can to get a deal done for Wirtz, Germany’s poster boy. However, given that the Bundesliga champions are also doing everything in their power to sign the playmaker, it’s not going to be easy.

In spite of the Germany international’s €150m (equating to about £126m) price tag, FSG are willing to green-light a staggering club-record transfer.

Here’s why.

Why Wirtz could be Slot's new "superstar"

Some might question why Liverpool aren’t instead preparing to fork out a similar sum on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but if the Magpies seal a place in next season’s Champions League, the Swedish striker isn’t going anywhere.

And anyway, with Alexander-Arnold set to depart and take his boundless creativity with him, Liverpool need to find a new playmaker-in-chief.

That could be Wirtz, who, aged 22, has already overcome a crushing ACL injury to win an invincible domestic double, win the Bundesliga Player of the Year and be called “the best midfielder in the world” by former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

He’s the real deal, all right. After just 197 senior appearances for his current club, the 5 foot 9 midfielder has scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists, showcasing a level of reliability in the final third that the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai don’t project with the regularity of Salah.

Or Mane, for that matter. You could say that Wirtz stands a stellar chance of becoming Slot’s own version of the Senegalese legend, whose “world-class” attacking threat, as remarked by Jurgen Klopp, hasn’t yet been recaptured by any signing at Liverpool.

Mane signed for Liverpool in 2015, leaving Southampton for a £34m fee. He devoted the prime years of his career to Anfield and left a legend, instrumental in conquering the Premier League and the Champions League.

Though typically playing off the left, Mane was positionally fluid and made a menace of himself through remarkable powers of intensity, overwhelming his opponents before finding space to strike on goal.

Wirtz is more central (see the table above), but he does enjoy playing out on the left, with his heatmap from the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign suggesting he drifts over more often than not.

It would give Slot a new tactical piece to play with, in any case. Wirtz has only missed eight big chances across Leverkusen’s league and European campaigns this year, scoring 16 goals. Moreover, he’s created 21 big chances, denoting his immense playmaking ability that will allow the Reds to transition away from the Alexander-Arnold era, such as it is.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal contributions, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

The German’s unrelenting energy in driving the ball forward is something to be admired. It’s something, perhaps, that is Mane-esque.

With flair and fleet feet and a deadly switch when placed at the end of an attacking sequence, Wirtz is the real deal. ESPN correspondent Rob Palmer called him a “superstar in the making” a few weeks ago, but he may well already be of the highest station.

Liverpool need to get it done, giving Salah the perfect new attacking partner to win more silverware over the next few years.

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ByAngus Sinclair May 19, 2025

Leeds United have fallen into a sticky predicament within their promotion push, but that hasn’t stopped the club in pushing to land a high-profile summer target, per reports.

Leeds United risk failing to claim automatic promotion

Despite claiming a point at Luton Town courtesy of Daniel James’ first-half strike in a 1-1 draw, the Whites have won one of their last six Championship matches under Daniel Farke.

Frustratingly, Burnley now sit at the summit following their narrow victory over Coventry City, while Sheffield United remain in contention even after a shock loss to Oxford United on Saturday lunchtime.

On the eye, a sense of fragility has crept in at the wrong time for Leeds United. The situation is still salvagable as it stands, but they will certainly want to rectify their on-field issues to put forward the best picture possible to potential targets come the summer window.

Providing a marker of their ambitions in the market, the Yorkshire giants have made an opening approach for West Ham star Tomas Soucek in a deal that could see the Czechia international earn £120,000 per week.

Premier League promotion would need to be a certainty for the veteran to entertain the possibility, and the same goes for Leeds United’s pursuit of Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

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By
Charlie Smith

Apr 4, 2025

Illan Meslier has been dropped due to a string of erratic performances, so it only makes sense that their recruitment team begin to do their homework on stoppers far and wide that could replace the Frenchman.

Looking to rectify the problem, Farke and company have now cast their eye on a Premier League veteran who could be on the move this summer.

Leeds United eye surprise move for Newcastle United stopper Nick Pope

According to The Sun, Nick Pope is being lined up by Leeds United as a replacement for Meslier following question marks over his form since recovering from injury.

Intriguingly, the Magpies’ pursuit of James Trafford could put the England international under ‘serious pressure’ at St James’ Park. However, the Whites also have Trafford in their sights should promotion occur at Elland Road.

Labelled “brilliant” by Pep Guardiola, there is no doubt Pope has lived up to that billing since arriving in the North East. The former Burnley man has kept 31 clean sheets in 86 appearances, playing his part in a top-four finish and EFL Cup triumph under the stewardship of Eddie Howe.

Nevertheless, the 32-year-old, who is a CAA Stellar client alongside Leeds United pair Joe Rodon and Jayden Bogle, may feel his best chance of continuing to receive first-team football could come elsewhere amid Newcastle’s desire to land a younger profile.

Saying that, it does feel unlikely that the £60,000 per week earner would drop down to the second tier, making promotion a necessary development before any serious talk of a move can take place.

Brad Currie’s boundary grab for Sussex has had multi-million views on social media. Now he’s leading Scotland’s attack in a World Cup

Matt Roller03-Jun-2024It was the catch that stunned the cricketing world. The standard of boundary fielding has risen exponentially in the T20 era but last June, Brad Currie’s diving effort set a new benchmark. It immediately went viral: Ben Stokes – who has taken a few screamers in his time – described it as “filth”.Currie, a left-arm swing bowler, had taken 3 for 27 on his T20 debut for Sussex but Hampshire were taking the game deep. They needed 23 off the last 11 balls; when Benny Howell swung Tymal Mills out to square leg, it looked a certain six. Enter Currie, who sprinted to his left, flung himself in the air at full stretch, and somehow plucked the ball out of the night sky.”It was a crazy experience,” Currie tells ESPNcricinfo. “The way social media just blows up over it, it’s pretty mental. I’ve got a decent set of hands and I prefer fielding on the boundary when I can get set more. I track the ball quite nicely and I’m quite quick across the ground.” He jokes: “In front of the boys, I’d probably say I’m the best fielder ever; in an interview, I’ll be a bit more modest.”

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING

BRAD CURRIE HAS JUST TAKEN THE BEST CATCH OF ALL TIME #Blast23 pic.twitter.com/9tQTYmWxWI

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 16, 2023