Ayling posed with Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear as he signed his new deal.
He made no secret of how happy he was to be extending his stay at Elland Road as he said he was ‘buzzing’ about signing his new contract.
Unfortunately, injuries have meant Leeds supporters are yet to see Ayling on the pitch this season, but he’s assured fans that he will be back – declaring that he’s looking forward to getting back playing.
Mikel Arteta is now driving Arsenal’s move to sign Scott McTominay, with the manager of the belief the Scot would be the perfect addition to his midfield, and Napoli’s asking price has been revealed.
Arteta is already blessed with a wide array of options in central midfield, having signed Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi in the summer, while Declan Rice also continues to impress, receiving plaudits from Gary Neville after the recent 4-1 North London derby victory.
Neville said: “The only player you would be worried about losing for a period of time would be Declan Rice because you cannot replace that,”
“That is your Roy Keane, that is your Rodri, the player that holds you together. There is only one of them.”
However, despite strengthening considerably in the summer, the Gunners have struggled injury-wise this season, with Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus being ruled out against Tottenham Hotspur, meaning Mikel Merino had to lead the line.
As such, it could be a wise idea to bring in another central midfielder in the transfer window, and Arteta is personally a fan of a Serie A star…
Arteta driving Arsenal move for Scott McTominay
According to a report from Spain, Arteta believes McTominay could be the ideal addition to his midfield, with Arsenal closely monitoring the Napoli star’s performances over the past few months.
The Spanish manager rates the Scotland international highly due to his ability and press forward, and there are signs that a deal could be possible, though Andrea Berta will have to stump up £60m.
The 28-year-old is under contract until 2029, meaning Napoli are in a strong negotiating position at present, but interest from elsewhere is growing, with Manchester United also joining the race to re-sign their former player.
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The Napoli star has certainly taken his career to new heights since leaving Old Trafford, with football writer Mark Carruthers praising him for the part he played in the Serie A side winning the title last season.
The former Man United man displayed his attacking quality as Napoli went on to win the league, picking up 12 goals and six assists in 34 Serie A outings, and he recently scored a remarkable bicycle kick as Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for the World Cup.
It may be difficult for McTominay to force his way into the Arsenal starting XI ahead of Rice and Zubimendi, but he would certainly provide Arteta with fantastic depth in the middle of the park.
Scott McTominay has been named as one of the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)
Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?
5 ByCharlie Smith
As Bayern Munich step up their pursuit of Luis Diaz, Liverpool are now at risk of losing another star man amid reports that one European club are now readying an improved offer for his signature.
Bayern Munich submit opening offer to sign Diaz
With just two years remaining on his current deal, Diaz’s immediate Anfield future has been thrown into doubt courtesy of interest from Bayern Munich. The German giants have reportedly submitted an offer worth just £45m to sign the South American and have unsurprisingly been told that the winger is not for sale, especially at that price.
Given that Diaz, himself, is reportedly keen on the move though, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Liverpool’s stance changes in the coming weeks. If it does, then the Reds could reportedly demand around €80m (£69m) to sanction the Colombian’s exit ahead of next season.
It’s a transfer saga which could force Liverpool back to the market for incomings in unexpected fashion. Just who they would turn to as a replacement for Diaz is the unanswered question, however.
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon reportedly remains a target following long-standing interest and the Magpies’ decision to sign Anthony Elanga may at least leave the door ajar for the Reds to make their move for the Liverpool-born winger.
Salah's dream CF: Liverpool make contact to sign "incredible" £85m talent
Liverpool are hoping to sign a centre-forward in the summer transfer market.
1 ByAngus Sinclair
Meanwhile, as interest in Diaz begins to steal the headlines, the exit door could also be about to open for another Anfield star in the coming weeks.
Napoli readying fresh £48m Nunez bid
According to Caught Offside, Napoli are now readying a fresh offer to sign Darwin Nunez from Liverpool this summer. The Italian giants have already reportedly agreed personal terms with the Uruguay international and are now preparing a bid worth more than €55m (£48m) to secure his arrival ahead of next season.
Like Diaz, however, Liverpool value Nunez at more than £48m this summer. In fact, reports are suggesting that the Premier League champions could demand as much as €70m (£61m) to sanction the South American’s exit. Whether Napoli agree with that hefty valuation remains to be seen.
Whilst there’s no denying that Nunez’s Anfield spell hasn’t gone the way anyone would have wanted, the forward has still had some important moments, with late goals against Brentford and Nottingham Forest particularly standing out.
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Ultimately, however, a departure is best for all parties as the Red continue to chase a deal for Hugo Ekitike and, therefore, an instant upgrade on their struggling forward.
Darwin Nunez
Liverpool record (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances
143
Goals
40
Assists
26
Once dubbed “wonderful” by former manager Jurgen Klopp, Nunez now seems destined to leave Liverpool after just three seasons at the club.
As Manchester City look to commence their summer rebuild, they’ve reportedly set their sights on a Champions League star who those at the Etihad already know all about.
Man City transfer news
For the first time in a decade, the Citizens are in need of an overhaul. Whilst the amount of injury setbacks that they’ve suffered has shocked many, those injuries have simply been a consequence of their success on all fronts in the last four seasons. Not even Pep Guardiola’s side can outrun the eventual exhaustion of winning four Premier League titles in a row and a treble along the way, and they’re now suffering from that success.
What that success has done, however, is put them in a position to welcome some much-needed reinforcements this summer and, with that in mind, the Citizens have already reportedly set their sights on one target.
According to reports in Spain, Manchester City are now plotting a summer move to sign Michael Olise from Bayern Munich in what would see the winger return to the Premier League just one season after leaving Crystal Palace.
Man City send officials to watch £6m gem who Arsenal scouts are tracking
City are looking to beat their Premier League rivals in the race to sign a young midfielder.
ByBrett Worthington
The winger has only kicked on at Bayern Munich in what should come as little surprise. The Frenchman is as talented as they come and whilst the likes of Jeremie Doku have struggled for end product at Manchester City, Olise has been firing on all cylinders in front of goal.
At just 23 years old, the best is yet to come from Olise, who may well find the form of his career back in English football, with Guaurdiola seeing him as a perfect fit in Manchester.
"Special" Olise would replace Doku
In many ways, Doku’s recent performance in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool perfectly encapsulated the best and worst of his talent.
Whilst he ran Trent Alexander-Arnold ragged, it was ultimately the right-back who came out on top after the Belgian failed time and time again to produce the killer pass needed after an impressive take-on – much to City’s frustration. Mohamed Salah at the other end, meanwhile, was decisive without those take-ons.
Finding players who are both clinical and skilful is rare, but City are certainly looking in the right direction in search of that. Olise even showcased those very traits to silence the Etihad when he scored a 95th-minute penalty to secure a shock 2-2 draw for Palace against Manchester City last season.
Since reaching new levels at Bayern – scoring 13 goals and assisting a further 12 in all competitions – manager Vincent Kompany has been full of praise for his summer signing.
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The former Manchester City captain told reporters earlier this season: “He’s a special talent. It’s a luxury at Bayern to have so many good players. Michael did very well.
“His start at FC Bayern couldn’t have been much better. He has to keep going. I haven’t got the feeling that he’s a player who feels much pressure. He just enjoys football.”
It’s been a whirlwind few years for Ipswich Town, as Kieran McKenna has led them from the depths of League One to the heights of the Premier League in the blink of an eye.
The Tractor Boys have made a good account of themselves in the top flight so far, as while they are without a win, they have picked up five points.
Moreover, a few of the club’s summer signings have quickly established themselves as key players for McKenna and look like brilliant buys.
Ipswich’s PL record
Match
Opponent
Result
1
Liverpool
2-0 Defeat
2
Manchester City
4-1 Defeat
3
Fulham
1-1 Draw
4
Brighton & Hove Albion
0-0 Draw
5
Southampton
1-1 Draw
6
Aston Villa
2-2 Draw
7
West Ham United
4-1 Defeat
8
Everton
2-0 Defeat
9
Brentford
4-3 Defeat
10
Leicester City
1-1 Draw
All Stats via the Premier League
However, that cannot be said of all of them, including one who simply cannot be trusted to play for the first team again this season.
McKenna's brilliant buys
So, before we get to the offending player in question, let’s look at a couple of the club’s more successful signings this season, starting with the best of the lot: Liam Delap.
The Tractor Boys agreed to pay Manchester City up to £20m for the up-and-coming striker in mid-July, and while there was some excitement around the potential so many believed him to possess, few would have expected him to play as well as he has for the Suffolk side.
In just 11 appearances, the Winchester-born poacher has scored five goals, including a brace against Aston Villa, and if the club are to beat the drop this season, it’ll undoubtedly be largely down to his impressive output.
Now, another star that McKenna welcomed to Portman Road this summer is Sammie Szmodics, and while he hasn’t been able to quite replicate the ludicrous form that saw him rack up 33 goals and four assists in 48 games last season, he’s shown glimpses of quality here and there.
For example, he’s found the back of the net twice in ten appearances from an expected goals figure of 2.01 and, given that he’s missed three big chances on top of that, he could see his tally balloon when he’s fully acclimated to life with the Blues.
However, alongside some of their excellent to middling transfers, the club also made what is now looking like a poor decision to sign another vastly experienced star on loan, a star who might not play for the club again.
Ipswich's transfer mistake
So, the player in question is Manchester City ace Kalvin Phillips, who put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal in mid-August.
The first thing to say is that even though he has had a rough few years, the former Leeds United star showed just how talented he was when playing with the Peacocks, and only last year John Stones commented on his “outrageous” passing abilities.
However, in the last few years, we have not seen the player who starred for the Whites.
The 28-year-old seriously struggled on loan with West Ham United last season, playing just 320 minutes across 14 poor performances that saw him pick up a red card in just his fourth game before ending the season out of the squad entirely.
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Unfortunately, his form has not improved much this season, and despite making just eight appearances for the club, he has already picked up a red car, which completely turned the tide of the game against Leicester City on Saturday.
Moreover, reports have now revealed that discussions are being held at the club over potentially cancelling his loan deal due to serious concerns over his conditioning, with some at the club supposedly “amazed” at his ‘lack of mobility and running power.’
Ultimately, Phillips has shown in the past that he is a Premier League-level footballer, but so far this season, he has looked way off the pace, and after costing the club what should have been their first win of the season, he shouldn’t be trusted to play in the league again.
Left for £0m: Ex-Ipswich star is outperforming Hutchinson & Szmodics
The proven goalscorer enjoyed a long stint with Ipswich Town.
ByJack Salveson Holmes
Based on the way he’s performed over the past six months, Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to be a future legend for Manchester United.
The 19-year-old’s quality and class continue to impress week in and week out, and he looks set to become a crucial player for England during the knockout stages of Euro 2024.
Mainoo’s performances and three goals over his 24 Premier League starts last campaign earned him a spot on the plane, and he’s certainly not letting the opportunity pass him by.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will look to build around the fantastic teenager next season, and he could start with a move for a fantastic talent who’d make the number 37 world-class.
Man Utd want to sign a defensive midfielder
As per a report from Sky Sports, via Dharmesh Sheth, Man United are weighing up a move for Manuel Ugarte.
The Red Devils have made an ‘initial approach’ to Paris Saint-Germain regarding the Uruguayan midfielder.
Despite there being no bid just yet, it’s said that ‘discussions continuing internally over next step.’
Luckily for United, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has announced that the French club are willing to sell the 23-year-old this summer.
Why Ugarte could be perfect for Mainoo
This time 12 months ago, Ugarte was regarded as one of the most highly rated young midfielders in Europe, hence why PSG splashed around £50m on him last summer.
The defensive midfielder started the campaign in the Ligue 1 side's best lineup, but as the season progressed, his involvement decreased.
This meant that across the entire league campaign, Ugarte made just 21 starts in 25 appearances, often operating as a lone defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3.
However, his performance levels were extremely impressive, and given the statistics he produced, he’d be an absolutely perfect fit alongside Mainoo.
Ugarte vs Mainoo vs Casemiro 23/24 League Stats
Stats (per game)
Ugarte
Mainoo
Casemiro
Passes completed
48.5
31.1
46.5
Pass accuracy
91%
87%
83%
Tackles
3.9
2
3.3
Interceptions
1.6
0.9
0.7
Balls recovered
7.2
4
5.3
Duels won
6.4
5
5.8
Via Sofascore
Last season, it was mainly Casemiro who partnered the English midfielder, and the Brazilian was tasked with providing the majority of the defensive support.
However, as you can see from the table, Ugarte is just on another level entirely, particularly defensively and from an athletic standpoint.
The Uruguayan plays with intensity, tenacity, and aggression, which often makes him horrible to play against, and his tackles alone prove how effective he truly is, and it is why he's been called a "machine" by football scout Jacek Kulig.
On top of that, he can read the game brilliantly and mop up loose balls continuously, which would make United much more secure on the counterattack.
This means that Mainoo could be handed the license to impact the game more frequently in the final third, as he has that defensive foundation behind him.
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As you can see from the clip below, this is arguably where Mainoo is at his best, due to his technical class, creativity, and ability to pitch in with goals.
On the other hand, Ugarte is also extremely composed on the ball himself, and he retains it brilliantly, which would enable the academy graduate to get on the ball much more frequently.
Another aspect that would make Ugarte an incredible signing is his reliability and availability, which would enable him to strike a telepathic relationship with Mainoo, as he’s only missed five matches in his entire career.
Overall, Ugarte ticks every single box that Man Utd so desperately need, and if he can even make Mainoo better, Ratcliffe must surely look to secure his signature.
What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree
Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.
1 ByTom Lever
Aston Villa's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League suffered a significant blow on Sunday as they lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Villa Park. Douglas Luiz had cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund's opener, but Scott McTominay came on to score the winner for the visitors late on.
Villa have now dropped to fifth after failing to respond to Tottenham's dramatic 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday. That may still be enough to make it into the Champions League, but United have closed the gap to five points with their second win against the Villans in the space of seven weeks.
In general, Unai Emery's side are stuttering at the moment – either side of a resounding 5-0 win over a seemingly doomed Sheffield United, they suffered home defeats to Newcastle in the Premier League and Chelsea in the FA Cup. They hadn't lost a league game in front of their own fans since February before this recent stretch.
Premier League form (last seven gameweeks)
Rank
Team
P
W
D
L
GD
PTS
1
Manchester City
6
6
0
0
11
18
2
Liverpool
7
5
1
1
11
16
3
Spurs
7
4
2
1
3
14
4
Arsenal
7
4
1
2
11
13
5
Man Utd
7
4
1
2
3
13
6
Aston Villa
7
2
2
2
2
8
And in another devastating blow, it emerged after Sunday's game that Boubacar Kamara, who came off in the second half, has suffered a "significant knee ligament injury". Kamara will see a specialist for a full prognosis, but a long-term lay-off seems inevitable.
Villa injury luck has become a "joke"
Quoting an earlier tweet about Villa's misfortune, Sky Sports presenter and Villa fan Dan Bardell said the situation had become a "joke" following the news of Kamara's injury.
Ball-winner Kamara joins Buendia and Mings
You can certainly see why Bardell is so frustrated. Kamara is actually the third Villa player to go down with a long-term knee problem this season after Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings, neither of whom have played since the opening day of the Premier League season.
Kamara's absence in particular will sting because he's been a crucial player for Emery this season. While he's been suspended for four matches (once for an accumulation of yellow cards and once for a straight red against Brentford), he's started every single game for which he's been available.
Emery could now drop £70k-p/w Aston Villa star after Man Utd defeat
There were a couple of Villa players who failed to shine against Man Utd
ByRoss Kilvington
The 2022 acqusition from Marseille has been a vital ball-winning presence at the base of the midfield, winning more tackles (2.2) per game and notching more interceptions per game (1.1) than anybody else in the squad. It remains to be seen who replaces him in the side, but Youri Tielemans looks the most likely candidate.
Wolverhampton Wanderers cashed in on a number of players over the course of the most recent summer transfer window as they attempted to overhaul their squad.
Fosun raked in funds from the sales of Matheus Nunes, Conor Coady, Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, Raul Jimenez, and Ryan Giles, among others.
The club were able to make a profit on several of those stars and one of the fantastic signings who they struck gold with was central defender Coady, who completed a move to Leicester this summer.
How much did Wolves pay for Coady?
Former Wolves manager Kenny Jackett swooped to sign the English brute from Huddersfield Town for a reported fee of £2m ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.
At the time of the transfer, Coady was valued at €750k (£650k) by Transfermarkt after he had played 45 Championship games for the Yorkshire-based outfit throughout the 2014/15 season.
He started his career at Liverpool and only made two first-team appearances for the Premier League giants before his switch to the Terriers.
Although, the commanding centre-back did play 50 senior matches, and scored six goals, in a loan spell with Sheffield United before his move away from Anfield.
How many appearances did Coady make for Wolves?
Coady went on to rack up an outstanding 317 appearances in all competitions across an eight-year spell for Wolves after Jackett brought him to the club in 2015.
The former Liverpool enforcer played a key role in their promotion back to the Premier League during the 2017/18 campaign as they won the Championship title under Nuno Espirito Santo.
He played in 45 of their 46 league matches throughout the season as they fought their way back to the top-flight and was named in the Championship Team of the Year, which highlights how impressive his performances were.
Coady was a constant presence at the back for the club over the subsequent four years as he only missed one Premier League game in four seasons, which resulted in 151 league appearances in that time.
Former Old Gold boss Bruno Lage once hailed the ex-Wolves captain's leadership around the club and hailed him as "one of the best" in that regard.
How much did Wolves sell Coady for?
Wolves eventually decided to part ways with the England international this summer, after his season-long loan spell with Everton last term, for a reported £8.5m package as Leicester swooped for his services.
The former Huddersfield man now has the opportunity to win another Championship title and promotion to the Premier League as the Foxes are currently top of the second tier with nine wins and one defeat in their opening ten matches.
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His move to the King Power did spell the end of his time with the Old Gold and his tenure at Molineux turned out to be an excellent one, which means that Jackett struck gold with his decision to sign the then-22-year-old back in 2015.
Coady's value rocketed up by a whopping 325% from £2m to £8.5m within the space of eight years. This meant that Wolves were able to make a significant profit on the English titan whilst they also profited from his excellent performances on the pitch, at Championship and Premier League level, over the years.
Former Scottish midfielder Stephen McGinn has been reacting to Celtic’s reported interest in Fabian Rieder.
What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?
The Hoops have made a start on bolstering their squad ahead of the new season under Brendan Rodgers, who has reportedly been handed a £30m transfer budget this summer.
Cash has already been spent on Odin Thiago Holm and winger Marco Tilio, who have both signed from Valerenga and Melbourne City on five-year deals. More arrivals could soon be on the way, with Scotland internationals Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay linked with potential moves to Parkhead.
Gangwon FC forward Yang Hyun-jun is another who may soon be on the way to Glasgow, with a £2.1m fee already agreed between the two clubs. A transfer ‘breakthrough’ has emerged in recent days, with rumours suggesting that the K League 1 side are now ready to allow the forward to leave immediately instead of in January.
Alongside Yang, Rieder is another player who the Hoops are reportedly interested in. The Young Boys midfielder could cost upwards of £15m, though, but it looks as if the funds are there, especially following Jota's £25m move to Saudi Arabia.
Talking on Go Radio's Football Show, relayed by Glasgow Times, McGinn said that Reider could be a “next level” signing in a possible deal worth £15m – which would be a club record fee for Celtic.
"With all the talk of Brendan Rodgers and taking them to the next level in Europe it's probably the first signing that suggests that. Some of the players that have been suggested and have been signed so far are the type of signings Celtic have been making in the last five or six years.
"I think Reider is one of those next level signings. I think as far back as 25 years the signing limit for Celtic has been around that £5-£6million mark.
"It would take upwards of £14-£15million to sign Reider and it's the 'wow' signing that shows that it's not a fantasy about taking Celtic to the next level and the board saying 'we have the money here so to make that progression we are not just going to sign the projects, we are going to sign the next level projects'.
"It's the first player of this kind of new vision of taking Celtic to the next level."
Who is Fabian Rieder?
Rieder is 21 years of age and is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play in a deeper midfield role or out on the right-hand side.
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The Swiss U21 international is valued at a career-high €15m Transfermarkt valuation and has come through the Young Boys academy.
Rieder already has plenty of experience under his belt, making 116 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring 14 goals and providing 23 assists. Therefore, he could provide Rodgers with a solid versatile midfield option and could represent a statement signing both in the short and long run.
It looks as if a deal could be one to keep an eye on, but the Hoops may need to write a big cheque for his services.
Celtic are open to offers for forward Liel Abada with an approach already being plotted this summer, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Abada scouted in January
The Hoops winger only made the move to the Scottish Premiership back in 2021 so isn’t out of contract until 2026, but being Ange Postecoglou’s second top-performing offensive player, has been generating interest.
The Athletic report that Southampton have identified the 21-year-old as an ideal target having sent scouts to watch him in January, with a view to making their move at the end of the season.
Maccabi Petah Tikva president Avi Luzon, the player’s former club, recently admitted that he thinks the Israel international will leave Parkhead at the next available opportunity. He said:
“I believe he will be sold in the summer to the Premier League. There were talks already in the last window, but he didn’t want to be sold.
“They offered him a contract extension and I know he didn’t agree, because he wants to be sold. I don’t know the names of teams, but there are offers and I believe at a probability level of over 90% that he will move to the Premier League in the summer.”
The Latest: Saints plotting approach
According to the Daily Mail (via the Southern Daily Echo), Southampton are ‘ready to pounce’ for Abada following a ‘breakdown’ in talks to extend his stay at Celtic.
The St. Mary’s outfit are claimed to be ‘long-term admirers’ of their target and are ‘likely’ to try their luck ahead of the new term.
It’s stated that a fee of £10m would be ‘enough to tempt’ the Bhoys into sanctioning a sale with the boss having already committed to using transfer funds to invest further into his squad.
The Verdict: Don’t let him go
Abada won the Best Young Player award in the Scottish Premiership in 2022 and considering the positive impact he makes, it’s important that Celtic don’t let him leave in the summer.
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The Hoops attacker has posted 15 goal contributions in 29 league outings so far this season and he’s currently averaging 3.55 shots per game, form which has seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.
The Petah Tikva native is also comfortable playing out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside up front, making him an extremely useful option to have in the building.
Abada has been dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Josh Bunting and even the thought of losing him is a huge blow.