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After landing an early blow on North London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur’s week could reportedly get even better after a breakthrough in talks to sign a new midfield enforcer.

Tottenham seal pre-season derby victory

It may have been a pre-season game that took place many miles away from North London and one that featured a number of changes on the pitch, but Tottenham would have still enjoyed their victory over Arsenal. Coming courtesy of Pape Matar Sarr’s lobbed effort after David Raya and the Gunners’ midfield combined for a rare mistake, Thomas Frank has taken a big step towards getting fans onside.

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Defeating direct rivals two weeks out from the start of the season is enough to hand any side a boost, but Frank will particularly appreciate it at the start of his tenure.

​​​​​​​Now, his focus will be on ensuring that his side are ready to take such a victory into when it matters. And to help on that front, Spurs could yet turn back towards the transfer market.

Paratici holds talks with £207k-a-week star's camp about joining Tottenham

The Spurs advisor has reached out to his representatives.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 31, 2025

On that front, the North London club have already signed Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel on a permanent deal, but still have around a month to get any other deals over the line.

Just who arrives is the big question, however. With Heung-min Son potentially on his way to LAFC, Spurs will need to find a replacement for their captain and the goals that he provides.

It looked as though Yoane Wissa could be an option earlier in the window, before Newcastle United emerged as frontrunners and then Brentford blocked his exit altogether. Whether Spurs or Newcastle return to question that stance remains to be seen.

Instead, the Lilywhites have seemingly turned their focus towards reinforcing their midfield with a player already familiar with the Premier League.

Tottenham agree £26m total package for Palhinha

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Tottenham have now fully agreed the details on Joao Palhinha’s loan move from Bayern Munich, which will cost around £26m if they decide to make it permanent, with just over £4m of that guaranteed spend as the loan fee. The Portugal international will undergo a medical and sign “as soon as possible”.

Although things haven’t quite worked out in Germany, it wasn’t so long ago that Palhinha was starring for Fulham in England’s top flight and a swift return could result in a return to his best form.

Full of praise for his midfielder, Fulham boss Marco Silva described Palhinha as “great” in 2022, before he eventually earned a move to Bayern Munich. Now on the way to one of his London rivals, Silva will have to watch on as the defensive midfielder adds some much needed bite at Tottenham.

The Classique clash between French giants Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain has been called off and postponed due to heavy rainfall. The much-awaited Ligue 1 fixture, featuring top stars like Mason Greenwood and Ousmane Dembele, was supposed to be held at the Velodrome on Sunday evening, but it has now been postponed to a later date due to severe weather conditions.

• Marseille vs PSG postponed

  The LFP has announced that the highly-anticipated Ligue 1 clash between Marseille and PSG has been postponed due to extreme weather conditions in and around the Velodrome. They told AFP, "The match has been postponed because there may be significant reservoirs with significant risks of urban runoff."

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  Ambiguity over the new date for the Classique

  As per LFP rules, a Ligue 1 match postponed due to bad weather must be played the following day. However, as France are hosting the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday at the illustrious Theatre du Chatelet in Paris and PSG star Ousmane Dembele is being considered the favourite to win the Golden Ball, the French FA will now have to pick a fresh date for the Classique. 

• Dembele to face competition from Barcelona

  After a successful campaign with Luis Enrique's side, where the Frenchman won all major trophies, except for the Club World Cup, Dembele is naturally being tipped to win the Ballon d'Or on home soil. The French winger, however, will face stiff competition from Barcelona stars like Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

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  When will the Classique happen?

  While a revised date is yet to be finalised, the match could be postponed to a distant date. LFP will have to juggle Ligue 1, Champions League, and international break schedules to find a slot.

Liverpool have been one of the most active clubs this transfer window with numerous high-profile incomings and outgoings. Arne Slot is using the momentum from his first Premier League trophy to build a formidable side.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike are some of the biggest names to have arrived at Anfield this summer. All three of them have found recent success in the Bundesliga and this is a league where recent recruitment from has paid off for Liverpool, with the likes of Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

They’ve funded these big moves through a combination of on-field success, low spending in previous seasons and by letting go of some big-name players. Luis Diaz and Jarell Quansah have already left for Germany and now Darwin Nunez is set to move to Saudi Arabia and become the latest high-profile departure, while Harvey Elliott may not be far behind.

While most of Slot’s reign has gone the way Liverpool had hoped, they could be on the verge of losing a player they want to keep and one who is integral to the team.

Pérez targets Konate signing

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid’s President, Florentino Pérez, has identified Ibrahima Konate as a key Real Madrid target next summer, when he is available as a free agent.

This is a strategy that Madrid have enacted in the past, as this summer they secured the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free after his Liverpool contract expired. Pérez’s hope will be to reunite the pair under the new Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, so that they may rekindle their defensive connection.

Konate’s current contract sees him earn £70,000 a week, which is less than a third of what his defensive partner Virgil Van Dijk earns. Liverpool’s Director of Football, Richard Hughes, has attempted to rectify this wage disparity and has reportedly offered a new contract that Konate turned down. A report from The Times indicated that the defender wants around £200,000 a week.

Whilst there still seems to be some distance between the two parties’ preferred wages, French journalist Abdellah Boulma has indicated that talks are still ongoing with both Hughes and Konate open to working out a deal.

Konate's significance to Liverpool

There’s a reason both Real Madrid and Liverpool desperately want Konate in their squad for the start of the 2026 campaign – his presence on the pitch has a clear impact on results and defensive form.

Indeed, Liverpool win 10.6% more games when Konate features, over a 38-game season that will result in between an extra 8 and 12 points. The second major stat is that they conceed 0.24 fewer goals a game when Konate plays, 9.12 goals over a full Premier League season.

Based on their business in the last few windows and their on-field success, Liverpool clearly have more money to spend in order to bring in a Konate replacement if he did leave next summer. However, the difficulty that the club faces is in actually finding a player of high enough quality to replace him.

In another world, James Trafford would be making an emotional and triumphant return on Saturday to Manchester City with Burnley as the Clarets' shot-stopping extraordinaire. But instead he will be watching his former side take on City from the bench, watching the recently crowned Yashin trophy winner Gianluigi Donnarumma keep goal instead.

Trafford was one of the hottest properties in the goalkeeping market after his record-breaking season with Burnley last year, conceding just 16 goals in the Championship and boasting a save percentage of 85 percent. He looked destined to move to Newcastle United and the Magpies would have been a fine destination for him, offering him Champions League football for the first time. But City, who he left for Burnley in 2023 without making a first team appearance, had placed a matching clause in the terms of his contract and it allowed them to equal Newcastle's bid and take Trafford back to the Etihad Stadium.

It was a surprise move but there was a certain logic to it from Trafford's point of view as Ederson was winding down his long spell at City with one year left on his contract and the No. 1 spot was up for grabs. But the Brazilian fast-tracked his exit to join Fenerbahce towards the end of the transfer window and City jumped at the opportunity to sign Donnarumma.

Now Trafford is competing with arguably the top goalkeeper in the world, who has been performing at the highest level for the last decade but is only 26. And after starting the first three Premier League games of the season, Trafford is now confined to the bench for league and European games, with games in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup likely to be his only source of minutes unless Donnarumma gets injured or his form dramatically declines.

With Trafford likely regretting his decision to return to City and reports emerging already of him seeking a loan move in January, GOAL takes a look at other transfer decisions which quickly backfired from the point of view of the player…

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  Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 2019)

  Antoine Griezmann made a real song and dance of his choice to resist the temptation of a move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in 2018, following in the footsteps of Lebron James and making a documentary called 'The Decision' in which he weighed up the pros and cons of joining Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou. He opted to stay at Atletico and signed a new contract. And that was where the matter should have ended.

  But after all that, Griezmann signed for Barca anyway just one year later, infuriating Atletico directors and supporters who thought the Frenchman had committed his entire career to them. Barca, meanwhile, were already suspicious of a player who had let them down a year before. Griezmann was weighed down by his €120m (£104m/$140m) transfer fee and flopped at Barca, struggling to combine with Messi and Luis Suarez. 

  In his first season he scored only nine La Liga goals, his worst tally in eight years and which remains the fourth worst of his career. The departure of Suarez only made things worse as the Uruguayan inspired Atletico to win the title. Griezmann returned to Atletico after two miserable years in which he won zero league titles and Barca were humiliated in the Champions League.

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  Alvaro Morata (Juventus to Real Madrid, 2016)

  The Spanish striker's career had taken off at Juventus after leaving Real Madrid in 2014. He had scored his share of crucial goals, including to take the Old Lady to the Champions League final at Madrid's expense and to win the Coppa Italia final. But Real had inserted a buy-back clause in the terms of his transfer and they exercised it in 2016. 

  It must have been hard for Morata to resist the lure of returning to his boyhood club but a quick look at the world class quality in their attack, which included Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in their prime, should have told him that he was rarely going to be a starter back at the Santiago Bernabeu.

  So it proved and although Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League and Morata scored 18 goals, he was never a regular player for Zinedine Zidane's side, starting 14 league games and just once in Europe. He left Madrid after just one season to join Chelsea, a move which turned out to be an even bigger disaster. He is now back in Italy at Como, the seventh club and 10th separate spell in a career where he never settled anywhere for more than two years.

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  Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United to Man City, 2022)

  Kalvin Phillips' transfer to City in the summer of 2022 made sense at the time, as the midfielder had honed his playing style at Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, one of Pep Guardiola's coaching mentors, and played a key role in England's run to the final of the European Championship a year earlier.

  But Phillips got off to a difficult start at the Etihad as he injured his shoulder in a friendly against Barcelona and needed to have surgery. Guardiola then questioned Phillips' lifestyle by accusing him of returning from the 2022 World Cup overweight and kept leaving him out of the starting line up, including when he rotated the rest of his squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United.

  Not even a three-match suspension for Rodri in the first half of the following campaign could help Phillips stake a claim for a regular role, and he left City for loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town having made just six starts in all competitions, three of which City went on to lose. Phillips' stock had been so badly damaged that there were no takers for him last summer, leaving him no choice but to return to City. He made a surprise return to action against Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup this week.

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  Paul Gascoigne (Newcastle to Tottenham, 1988)

  Paul Gascoigne may have had many magical moments at Tottenham but his decision to move to Spurs over Manchester United is one of the great what-ifs in football. Gazza had given Sir Alex Ferguson his word and was all set to move to the Red Devils from boyhood club Newcastle but changed his mind and went to Spurs instead after they agreed to buy a car for his dad and a sunbed for his sister. 

  Gazza's career was famously destroyed by his alcoholism – plus some nasty injuries – and the popular perception is that Ferguson, who put an end to United's drinking culture when he took charge, would have straightened him out. The legendary manager later revealed that not signing Gascoigne was his biggest regret. "I think if we'd have got him, he would have had a great career, I really do. I'm not saying he didn't have a good career but he would have had a better career with us," he said in 2021.

  Gascoigne, however, disputes that. He told the Rest is Football podcast: "People always say it would have been different if I'd signed for Man United, he would have kept us under control. Well, Eric Cantona two-footed someone in the neck in the stands, Wayne Rooney went with a granny and Ryan Giggs went with his brother's wife. So, I might have fitted in."

It took Aston Villa a long time to finally kick into gear on the transfer front, but they’re now starting to make serious moves.

Last weekend, Unai Emery welcomed the arrival of Evan Guessand in a potential £30 million deal from Nice – their first major signing of the window – but NSWE are not done there.

In what is expected to be a hectic final two weeks of the summer window for the club’s president of footballing operations, Monchi, it is believed the Spaniard is eyeing a host of other late incomings.

Departures are fully expected too, with Leon Bailey left out of Saturday’s Premier League opener against Newcastle United amid his talks to join Roma – which are seriously progressing.

To combat losing the likes of Bailey, Villa are believed to be firm contenders to sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, who Enzo Maresca confirmed has a chance to leave Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline on September 1.

Villa are among the clubs to be offered Jackson, a player who Emery knows well from their time together at Villarreal, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll opt to meet Chelsea’s lofty price tag or could even agree a loan with an obligation to buy (talkSPORT).

Amid their links to the Senegalese, it is also reliably reported that PSG attacker Marco Asensio could make a return to the Midlands.

The former Real Madrid star made a real impact on loan at Villa from the European champions over the second half of 2024/2025, scoring a brace against Chelsea and notching three Champions League goals over two legs against Club Brugge.

With Jacob Ramsey leaving for Newcastle United, Villa have begun negotiations to re-sign Asensio, with personal terms on a three-year contract already agreed (Sky Switzerland).

Aston Villa in 'advancing talks' to re-sign Marco Asensio in cut-price deal

Now, according to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, those discussions are progressing well.

Villa are in ‘advancing talks’ with all relevant parties over a deal for Asensio, with Emery a ‘big fan’ and personally keen to bring the Spaniard back on an indefinite basis.

PSG are also open to the possibility of green-lighting this potential deal for a ‘cut-price’ fee, considering the 29-year-old has just one year left on his £120,000-per-week contract, which comes as a major boost for Villa in terms of avoiding the ever-swinging PSR axe they’ve had serious trouble with this year.

Earlier this summer, NSWE actually pulled the plug on a move for Asensio over costs, according to Veysey, but it appears they’ve pulled a U-turn and are now working on an agreement.

Emery praised Asensio during their spell together last term, and after losing Ramsey, the tactician could get a major boost in the form of his comeback.

Aston Villa are yet to show off their best in the Premier League this season.

It has been a disorienting summer for Unai Emery’s men after all, with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins being consistently looked at by their fellow top-flight rivals, away from the disappointing departure of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for £43m.

Still, with the transfer window wrapping up very shortly, the Spaniard will hope he can keep a firm grip on his top assets – away from the sad exit of Ramsey – with a bounce back from his side’s two winless opening matches also on the cards.

On top of that, he will further be eager to welcome in a few new additions before August is out, with a whole host of fresh signings reportedly on the Villans’ radar.

Aston Villa show late interest in £40m star

Minus splurging out £30m on Evan Guessand, Villa have been quiet in terms of flashy incoming signings.

Transfer Focus

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

That could soon change if Emery and Co are finally successful in their advances to land Chelsea outcast Nicolas Jackson, with Villa having reportedly made him their top target for the remainder of the window.

A deal makes sense, particularly considering he’s already worked with Emery. However, he isn’t the only costly addition rumoured to be making the switch to Villa Park.

The Daily Mail Online have revealed that Villa are in the hunt to sign wantaway West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

It won’t be straightforward for Villa to win the Brazilian, who has a hefty £40m price tag above his head, with the report further clarifying that Tottenham Hotspur are also keen to pick up another asset from their near-London rivals, having sounded out Paqueta as a target to now pursue after losing out on Eberechi Eze.

Yet, if Villa were to find themselves at the front of the queue for the lively 27-year-old, they might be about to win a far better signing than a hit-and-miss Jackson entering Emery’s group.

Why Paqueta could be a better signing than Jackson

Rampant transfer talk surrounding Watkins deserting Villa Park has died down in recent weeks.

Therefore, forking out £60m on a striker such as Jackson, who has been prone to widespread barren patches of form at Stamford Bridge, might not be the most sensible move, with £30m already shelled out on landing Guessand to enhance the Premier League side’s forward personnel.

Worryingly, Jackson has squandered a colossal 43 big chances across his last two league seasons at Chelsea.

His goal return of 24 league strikes when he isn’t being wasteful ultimately falls flat next to Watkins’ far superior 35 efforts across the same span.

While the former Villarreal forward might not be viewed as the most sensible use of money, landing Paqueta for £40m could be deemed a masterstroke if he can let his football do the talking in the West Midlands, away from being embroiled in off-the-field controversies at the London Stadium.

Indeed, Paqueta has stood out as a vibrant, versatile presence throughout his 122-game stay in East London, with his collection of 19 goals and 14 assists from those clashes seeing him line up in a plethora of different positions, showcasing precisely why he’s been described as “one of the best 10s in the world” by one data analyst.

Having been one of a select few to exit West Ham’s recent 5-1 loss with Chelsea with his head held high, too, having smashed home the Hammers’ opener, the Brazilian will be champing at the bit to line up alongside faces such as Watkins and Rogers, hoping he can elevate his game to their lofty standards in the process.

Well, he should be up for the test, having further been hailed as “magic” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Emery will also immediately want Paqueta’s energy from the middle of the park to rub off on his players after a lifeless opening to the season, with the Hammers’ number 10 winning a high six duels per game in league action throughout 2024/25.

Jackson could well go on to do a reasonable job up top in claret and blue, but with Paqueta once being touted for an £85m switch to Manchester City, snapping him up for just £40m is surely the better move to sign off on.

Villa already have Watkins and Guessand who can play up top, but adding another creative face to take the burden away from Rogers – particularly considering he could leave – would be a wise use of funds.

Their next Ramsey: Aston Villa advancing to sign £26m star in late move

Unai Emery could swoop in for his next Jacob Ramsey at Aston Villa by successfully purchasing this £26m ace.

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 25, 2025

Liverpool target Marc Guehi has been told he could join Real Madrid as the Crystal Palace captain prepares to discuss a free transfer away from Selhurst Park. The England defender was set to join Liverpool in the summer before a move collapsed. Instead of sulking, the 25-year-old has delivered his best football yet, spearheading Palace’s record-breaking run under Oliver Glasner.

• Guehi central to Palace form

  Palace are unrecognisable from the club that once clung to Premier League survival, flying under Glasner. Nineteen games unbeaten in all competitions, the longest run in their history, has brought silverware in both the FA Cup and Community Shield, and now a first taste of European glory. On Thursday, the Eagles marked their continental debut in style, swatting aside Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 away from home in the Conference League.

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  Hargreaves hails a 'dream' defender

  Former England and Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves couldn’t contain his admiration for Guehi while analysing Palace’s latest European triumph on

  "He’s a fabulous player but he’s probably even as nice a lad as he is a player," Hargreaves said. "The way he handled that situation, he could’ve thrown his toys out of the pram like some others players did, and got their move but he has been the ultimate professional. He knows he is the captain of the football club, they’ve helped him, and he will get his move probably at the end of the season and he could probably go anywhere…Real Madrid."

  He added: "[Guehi is] a dream. On the ball he’s really good, he can defend really well. He’s only 25. He’s the oldest 25-year-old I’ve ever seen because he’s so level-headed. He’s so composed and so reliable."

• Guehi puts summer transfer saga behind him

  It’s Guehi's maturity, combined with his leadership at Selhurst Park, that has Europe’s elite circling. Liverpool may regret not closing the deal when they had the chance, with Real Madrid potentially ready to pounce when Guehi’s contract winds down. Guehi’s former Palace colleague Joel Ward added his voice, applauding the defender’s mindset.

  "What happened in the summer is in the past," Ward said. "I think, for me, one of Marc's biggest strengths is the way in which he handles situations. He’s got such a great support network around him in his family."

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  Palace emerge as surprise package

  Palace sit second in the Premier League table, the only unbeaten side left in the division. While Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City grab headlines, Glasner’s team have quietly become the story of the season. With Everton next up on Sunday, the Eagles are out to extend their streak and keep the pressure on the league’s big guns.

Ruben Amorim can breathe a sigh of relief after Manchester United registered a much-needed 2-0 win over the in-form Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Following the game, Mason Mount, who got himself on the scoresheet along with summer arrival Benjamin Sesko, asserted that the team is fully behind the under-pressure Amorim amid reports that he could face the axe.

• Man Utd pick third Premier League win of the season

  Although Sunderland were a newly-promoted side, their return to the top flight had been spectacular. On the other hand, United had lost three of their opening six Premier League fixtures, reeling in 14th position. However, goals from Mount and Sesko ensured Amorim lived to see another day in the United dugout, as the Red Devils registered a convincing 2-0 win over Regis Le Bris' men at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.   

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  Amorim at risk of facing the sack

  Despite being backed with an investment of over £200 million, United sat 14th in the league ahead of the Sunderland clash, with just 34 points from 33 games under coach Amorim, whose tactical rigidity has drawn criticism. Speculation about his future has linked several potential replacements, including Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, former England boss Gareth Southgate, and Barcelona icon Xavi.  

  Following the game, however, the Portuguese boss hailed the resilience of his players and admitted that it was a performance which proved they don't want him to be sacked. "I saw today and I know they want to do the best and I know they don’t want to change the coach all the time," he said.  

• Mount says "we are 100% behind Amorim"

  Speaking to reporters after the game, Mount said: "We're 100% behind the gaffer. We've had some difficult results that hurt us, have been painful for the team, the staff and the fans, but today it was important to win." 

  The ex-Chelsea star hopes the win can be the start of a winning streak. He added: "It needs to be – we thought after Chelsea it would be the start of something and then we go to Brentford and have a disappointing result. It starts today and we'll be working hard over the break. We want to get back-to-back wins, then three in a row and push on for the top four." 

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  Who are United's next opponents?

  With the international break set to begin, United will next be seen in action on October 19. A daunting away trip to the reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool, awaits.  

Fulham are now plotting an incredible raid to sign an “unbelievable” player, who is now one of their leading targets as we approach the climax of the summer transfer window.

Cottagers planning multiple new signings before deadline day

Marco Silva’s side have been extremely quiet in the transfer window up to this point, but Gary Neville has suggested they do not need any new signings to compete, off the back of an impressive showing in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Neville said: “I thought Fulham were really good, really organised. I know that there’s a lot of talk at Fulham about the fact they’ve not made signings and there’s a little bit of despair. When a club doesn’t make signings everyone feels a little bit sort of downbeat about it.”

“But I looked at the Fulham team and I saw the Fulham bench, I thought: Fulham are okay, Fulham have got a good team already, they’ve got a good bench.”

Keeping hold of Rodrigo Muniz was arguably the most important piece of business the Cottagers have done this summer, but it would be a bonus if Silva was able to make a couple of additions to his squad before the rapidly approaching deadline.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Fulham are looking to make three new signings, and they are plotting an incredible raid on Premier League rivals Man United for Kobbie Mainoo, who has found it difficult to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans.

Fulham in talks for £43m star with 6 G/A already this season, he's open to the move

The Cottagers are in discussions to sign a new forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 21, 2025

Mainoo could be given the go-ahead to leave this summer, having failed to play a single minute of Premier League football so far, but there is likely to be widespread interest in his services, which could be prohibitive for the west Londoners.

Not only that, but a potential £70m price tag has previously been touted, which may be why the 20-year-old is being considered as a loan signing by the Cottagers.

Fulham move could be ideal for "unbelievable" Mainoo

At 20-years-old, the Man United youngster needs to be receiving regular game time, but minutes have been hard to come by under Amorim, who clearly doesn’t favour the Englishman.

As such, a loan move to Craven Cottage could be ideal for the 10-time England international, who needs to be playing most weeks if he is to stand a chance of being called up to the World Cup squad next summer.

Declan Rice is certainly a big fan of his compatriot, with the Arsenal midfielder lauding him as “unbelievable” in the past, and the central midfielder already has plenty of first-team experience, having made 72 appearances for Man United, scoring seven goals.

Having only signed Benjamin Lecomte, Fulham have been extremely reluctant to spend money this summer, indicating loan deals may be more appealing, and Mainoo could be a fantastic signing.

Arsene Wenger worked with some of the best players to ever grace the English game. The iconic manager transformed Arsenal into Invincibles and took the Premier League into a new era entirely with the football that he had his side playing. And, in truth, it is the England team who should have benefitted the most.

Whilst Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp – just to name a few – all starred under Wenger, it’s worth remembering that the Frenchman also handed the likes of Ashley Cole, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Ian Wright and David Seaman the keys to unlock their potential at Highbury.

At the heart of Arsenal history, Wenger worked with a core of England legends and some of the best players in the club’s history, who have not forgotten his impact.

However, as much as Wright and others thrived under Wenger and handed him deserved praise as a result, the former Arsenal boss only decided to name one former England player in his list of favourite Gunners.

Wenger names Wilshere among his best ever Arsenal players

Snubbing Wright, Campbell, Seaman, Cole and others, Wenger named just one England player when asked about his favourite ever Arsenal players and that was, perhaps in surprising fashion, Jack Wilshere.

The former midfielder broke into Wenger’s side as a young prospect full of potential and whilst injuries eventually took control of his career, the ex-Arsenal boss has not forgotten the ability that Wilshere always had in abundance. Naming the Hale End graduate alongside Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Cesc Fabregas and Aaron Ramsey, Wilshere won’t receive much higher praise.

Ultimately, Wilshere’s career went down as a ‘what could have been’ rather than what was, but no one can take away 197 Arsenal appearances and the two FA Cup wins that came alongside that.

Following his retirement, the former England ace received quite the tribute from Wenger, who said: “Well for me it’s a sad moment because Jack is an exceptional football player.

“He was brave, he was talented, he wasn’t scared of anybody. Which is why we thought he could start at a very young age. Straight away he showed he had the ability to be a main player.”