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Sunderland fans must have been praying that the managerial appointment of Regis Le Bris last year would be the spark their beloved side needed to push back into the Championship promotion spots.

The decision to bring in a left-field option looks to be working a treat so far, with the ex-Lorient manager dreaming that a push up into the automatic promotion spaces can still be achieved as a playoff finish looks to be nailed on.

The Frenchman will also hope he can continue to utilise the transfer window to his high-flying team’s advantage, having made headlines recently for bringing in Enzo Le Fee.

Why Sunderland signed Enzo Le Fee

In an alternate reality, Le Fee could be currently lining up for Arsenal with the Gunners once linked with a move for the 24-year-old before his surprising Black Cats loan move was clinched.

In need of breathing life back into this playing days after a choppy time at parent club AS Roma, Le Fee will hope he can demonstrate his class on Wearside to steer his new team to promotion, having previously picked up eight goals and 15 assists under Le Bris’ wing at Lorient.

He certainly showed off his class in spurts during Sunderland’s recent away win at Derby County with two key passes tallied up, whilst his debut against Burnley the match prior saw him complete three successful dribbles as a stylish operator from the middle of the park.

Whilst having a player of Le Fee’s stature in the team is a big bonus – with the Frenchman’s value coming in at a weighty £15m according to Transfemarkt – Le Bris did already have a top performer in central areas of the pitch before the grand unveiling of the new number 28.

The Sunderland star who's worth as much as Le Fee

The player in question here is Sunderland captain Dan Neil who arguably slips slightly under the radar as one of the Championship club’s top assets, with Jobe Bellingham’s name often dominating conversation when it comes to potential big sales in the midfield.

Now, however, Neil could soon leave his boyhood employers for pastures new at Everton, with reports suggesting that David Moyes and Co could be prepared to offer the Black Cats in excess of £15m to land the 23-year-old.

Indeed, former Mackems boss, David Moyes, has been a keen admirer of the midfielder since working at Sunderland himself, with Neil just a wide-eyed starlet in the academy when the Scotsman was at the helm.

Since then, he has turned himself into a consistent starter in the senior fold by notching up a hefty 178 first-team appearances and counting, with the strike above against Swansea City showing off his ability to hammer a fierce effort home away from being known as a brave battler.

Year on year, Neil has seen his value drastically increase, with the 23-year-old worth just £674k when first making substantial waves in the Sunderland first team picture back in 2022.

He has since been able to establish himself as a “fantastic” talent in the eyes of many, including journalist James Copley, as a move up to the Premier League now potentially beckons.

The Black Cats will be clinging onto a crumb of comfort that Neil will want to stay put with his boyhood club to make promotion a reality though, with Neil remaining meaning Sunderland’s midfield options are stacked with some unbelievable quality for the level.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 3, 2025

The U.S. international has swapped South Beach for Minnesota in the Western Conference

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• MNUFC acquire Julian Gressel off waivers
• Inter Miami waived midfielder to clear cap space
• 30-year-old has six USMNT caps
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Minnesota United have acquired versatile MLS veteran and U.S. international Julian Gressel off of waivers. Inter Miami waived Gressel – an integral member of their 2024 Supporters' Shield-lifting squad – earlier this week to create cap space in the roster. Gressel's 2025 guaranteed compensation is $1.09 million, and the Loons are taking on the rest of that after adding him to their ranks.

  “I’m really excited to be here at Minnesota United and to get integrated into the group,” said Gressel. “I can’t wait to get started with the guys and continue the momentum that has been established within the team.”

  Gressel will be under contract through 2026, with a club option for 2027.

  “We welcome Julian and his family to Minnesota and are excited for him to join our team,” said MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad. “Julian brings an impressive depth of MLS experience and championship pedigree to Minnesota. He is a proven winner and competitor and our hope is that he will contribute those qualities to our team and continue to push our club forward throughout the rest of this season and beyond.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gressel has six international caps with the U.S. men's national team, where he recorded two assists. His last international call up was in March, 2024 and he was a member of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.

  Previous stops if his in MLS included stints with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Atlanta United and the Columbus Crew. With the he won 2018 MLS Cup, the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2019 Campeones Cup. At Columbus, he helped them to the 2023 MLS Cup title and in Vancouver, won the Canadian Championship in both 2022 and 2023.

  Most recently, he helped Miami to the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield.

  Across his illustrious MLS career, including both playoff and regular season games, Gressel has made 258 appearances (232 starts), where he has provided 67 assists and has scored 28 goals.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  ESPN reports that with the addition of Gressel, are contemplating putting midfielder Hassani Dotson on the season-ending injury list. The midfielder underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late March.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR GRESSEL?

  The Loons take on Austin FC on Matchday 11 next weekend, where Gressel will be aiming to make his MNUFC debut.

Ange Postecoglou has been the manager of Tottenham Hotspur for a season and a half now, and it would be fair to describe his tenure as mixed.

The Australian has managed to turn his team into one of the most entertaining in all of European football, but that, combined with injuries, has also seen them become rather easy to play against.

On the transfer front, he’s welcomed in some brilliant players, like Dominic Solanke, Micky van de Ven and Archie Gray, but he’s also signed Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner.

The German winger has not been a success in North London, so it’s good news that recent reports have touted an ideal replacement for a move to the club this month.

Tottenham chase incredible talent

According to a recent update from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are one of several clubs interested in Bayern Munich gem Mathys Tel.

Transfer Focus

Romano has revealed that, alongside the Lilywhites, Manchester United and seven other unnamed teams have made contact over signing the player on a loan deal for the rest of the season with talks set to open soon.

However, according to the Italian journalist, the player is after assurances over game time, which, with Solanke out injured, could be something Postecoglou could give him.

Moreover, reports from earlier this week revealed that the German giants would be willing to accept the offer of around £40m to sell the youngster permanently, should Spurs decide that the best course of action.

In all, while there is a lot of interest in Tel, the North Londoners should do what they can to bring him to N17, as even on loan, he’d be the perfect replacement for Werner.

Transfer Focus

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

How Tel compares to Werner

So, if Spurs can convince the 19-year-old that he should join them for the rest of the season or more, then that would mean he’d be coming to the club under the promise of regular football.

Therefore, he’d surpass Werner in the pecking order, and based on comparisons between the pair, we think that would be entirely correct.

For example, when you compare the Frenchman’s form from last season, when he was actually playing, to the German’s from this same campaign, the difference is night and day.

For his part, the “unbelievable” prospect, as dubbed by reporter Florian Plettenberg, scored ten goals and provided six assists in 41 appearances, totalling 1406 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

In contrast, the former Chelsea ace scored four goals and provided four assists in 28 appearances, totalling 1295 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 3.5 games, or every 161.87 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Stuttgart-born star, the comparison is even more one-sided when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers from the start of last season to today.

For example, the Sarcelles-born dynamo comes out on top in the majority of forward-relevant metrics, including, but not limited to, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target, successful take-ons, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Tel is the far superior player in every meaningful way and significantly younger as well.

Therefore, Spurs should be doing all they can to bring him to North London this month, and maybe on more than a loan deal.

Perfect Son replacement: Spurs weigh up late move for "unstoppable" PL star

Spurs could replace Heung-min Son with a late move in the transfer window.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 29, 2025

Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants Cesc Fabregas to take the reins at RB Leipzig as the former Liverpool manager's Red Bull role becomes more hands-on.

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• Klopp took up his role at Red Bull last summer
• Has held talks with Fabregas about moving to Leipzig
• Fabregas might end up staying at Como

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Klopp is keen to see Fabregas become the next head coach at the Bundesliga club as they search for a permanent replacement for Marco Rose, who was dismissed in late March. Though his managerial career is still in its infancy, the Spaniard has already attracted the attention of Leipzig's leadership thanks to his bold attacking philosophy and the results produced at Como, which have propelled them to a mid-table spot in Serie A. Klopp is now serving as Red Bull's head of global soccer, and as such, is playing a key role in all the off-pitch goings-on at Leipzig.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Romano has confirmed that Klopp reached out to Fabregas recently to discuss the Leipzig project. However, the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder is yet to decide on his future and might take a call after the Serie A season ends.

• WHAT ROMANO SAID

  Romano said: "Klopp had direct contact with [Como manager] Cesc Fabregas a few weeks ago to speak about the Leipzig project. Cesc is still deciding to stay at Como, that's the position of the coach."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  One of the significant challenges Leipzig may face in bringing Fabregas on board lies in his ties to Como, not just as head coach, but also as a part-owner of the Italian club. His personal investment in the team could make him hesitant to leave, especially with Como currently enjoying a strong run of form in Serie A. Moreover, Leipzig are going to face competition as Roma view him as a successor to Claudio Ranieri in the capital.

Following the departure of Diego Carlos to Fenerbahce, another Aston Villa player who just earned the praise of Unai Emery is reportedly set to complete a move away from the Midlands.

Aston Villa transfer news

For some time, it looked as though Loic Bade would be on his way only for his valuation to rise outside of the Villans’ range this month even after Carlos’ departure. In a race to secure back-to-back top four finishes, it’s the type of transfer frustration that Villa could do without and the type that would have only been increased by Mings’ ill-timed injury blow.

Speaking about his side’s transfer activity which has so far seen both Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia arrive and Carlos leave, Emery told reporters as relayed by the Times and Star: “We’re doing everything we can and we have to control everything that’s in our hands.

“This transfer window is not easy, we did not want him to leave but he decided to leave because he accepted an offer from Turkey and we’re trying to get one centre-back to replace him. But there are still days to decide how we can do it.”

Aston Villa agree personal terms to sign £80k-p/w ace as Carlos replacement

A new defender has emerged on Aston Villa and Unai Emery’s radar.

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By
Brett Worthington

Jan 28, 2025

To make room for another central defender, meanwhile, the Villans have seemingly shown the door to another player. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Emiliano Buendia is now on the verge of joining Bayer Leverkusen on loan with an option to buy.

The former Norwich City man may well fall into the category of what might have been at Villa Park, but a move away to Leverkusen could yet hand him the revival that he so desperately needed.

"Fantastic" Buendia needed move

When Buendia first arrived from Norwich, it was a move full of excitement. A spell full of frustrating injuries later, however, it’s one that could have been so much more. At this stage, the Argentine midfielder desperately needed a move away having failed to start a single game in the Premier League all season.

His struggles didn’t stand in the way of Emery’s recent praise though. The Spaniard was quick to speak highly of Buendia following his performance despite the fact that his side suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco in the Champions League.

Emery told reporters as relayed by the Birmingham Mail: “Today, especially with Emi Buendia, because he has the option to leave but today we needed him and he played fantastic with his qualities, fantastic mentality and fantastic with his commitment with the squad.”

It now looks as though the £75,000-a-week man has taken that option to leave and join up with Bundesliga champions Leverkusen in what is an impressive move. It’s there under Xabi Alonso that Buendia could rediscover his best form.

Fair to say, in the last decade or so, some ultra-talented players have come through Manchester City’s academy.

As noted by Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Cole Palmer, Roméo Lavia, Morgan Rogers and Liam Delap are all flourishing elsewhere in the Premier League right now, having either been sold or discarded by Man City as youngsters in recent seasons.

Rob Dawson of ESPN adds Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jadon Sancho and Brahim Díaz to this list, while Sam Lee of the Athletic would include James Trafford, Gavin Bazunu, Sam Edozie, Juan Larios, Pedro Porro, Shea Charles and Tommy Doyle to those who’ve been sold for big fees.

So now, at a time when Man City have, as Jamie Jackson of the Guardian puts it, an “ageing squad”, they’ve sold off their best young talent, so are unable to refresh the team, but could the next generation of youngsters change that fact?

They’ll be looking towards Arsenal for inspiration, that’s for sure…

Ethan Nwaneri's amazing impact at Arsenal

During Sunday’s 5-1 demolition at the hands of Arsenal, Manchester City experienced first-hand the value of keeping your best young talent at the club and putting them in the first team when Ethan Nwaneri spanked home the fifth, really rubbing salt into the wounds.

A year ago, Football Insider reported that Man City actually attempted to sign Nwaneri, but Gooners everywhere are delighted that this did not come to pass.

That’s because the teenager has seven goals to his name this season, becoming the second-highest Arsenal scorer in history for goals scored at the age of 17 or younger, behind only John Radford, whose goals came in 1964/65, one shy of his tally of eight.

Nwaneri has earned rave reviews, with James McNicholas of the Athletic noting during a recent Arsecast Extra how extraordinary and unique it is for a 17-year-old to have a “trademark goal”.

He has also become only the third Premier League player to score seven or more goals before celebrating their 18th birthday, after Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, both of whom were strikers, and both had pretty decent careers didn’t they?

Yousef Teclab of Breaking the Lines described Nwaneri as a “prodigious talent”, while Ali Tweedale in Opta’s The Analyst believes Arsenal supporters should be “very excited” about his talent.

So, could Pep Guardiola learn a thing or two from his former assistant when it comes to unleashing top teenage talents?

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Manchester City are brewing their own Ethan Nwaneri

As alluded to earlier, Manchester City have, as Neil Leigh puts it, quite the “conveyor belt” when it comes to academy talent, so could Reigan Heskey be the next cab off the rank?

Born in January 2008, we know, we feel old too, he joined Man City’s academy at the age of eight, and is the son of former Leicester, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey, who won 62 caps for England, scoring seven goals.

Heskey junior has come in for rave reviews, with scout António Mango on Twitter stating he is “flourishing” and that his talent “can’t be ignored”, while Bix Williams, who writes about Man City’s Academy for Salford Now, states that it’s “only a matter of time before he makes that big jump”.

A winger by trade – like Nwaneri – the 17-year-old has been in phenomenal form this term notably scoring 20 goals in 24 games. So, let’s assess how Heskey and Nwaneri compare at youth level.

As the table shows, Heskey compares favourably to Nwaneri for a lot of statistics, especially his output in this season’s UEFA Youth League, scoring a brace against Feyenoord as the Sky Blues reached the round of 32, set to face Midtjylland next week.

By the time he made his breakthrough at Arsenal, Nwaneri had much more PL2 experience than Heskey currently has, still predominantly plying his trade at U18 level, but it is clear that Man City have a hot prospect on their hands, one that they’ll have to give an opportunity to in the first team, or he’ll simply become just the latest player to leave.

Huge Nunes upgrade: Pep must surely regret selling Man City star for £21m

Man City continue to have issues at right-back; with Walker departing, Matheus Nunes is filling-in there, but they already had one of the world’s best

By
Ben Gray

Feb 5, 2025

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have "multi billionaires" lined up at Wrexham that are ready to aid the club's quest to reach the Premier League.

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• A-list stars completed takeover in 2021
• Have guided Red Dragons into the Championship
• Further assistance required to reach top tier

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since completing a stunning takeover in 2021, Reynolds and McElhenney have funded much of a meteoric rise themselves. Commercial deals have bolstered the kitty, with record-breaking revenue figures being posted, but two A-list co-chairmen have also dug deep into their own pockets.

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  They have been able to guide Wrexham into the Championship on the back of three successive promotions. Shrewd recruitment, on the field and in the dugout, has allowed the Red Dragons to take flight while building a global fan base.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series has brought more eyes to SToK Racecourse. The Allyn family are already on board alongside Reynolds and McElhenney, while further investment will be required in order to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing top-flight football to North Wales.

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  WHAT HUMPHREY KER SAID

  Several interested parties are waiting in the wings, with Wrexham director Humphrey Ker telling the of potential changes in the boardroom: "I think it's very possible. But I think that's if we build our training ground, because we don't have a training ground, and we build our stand, and we renovate the stadium, and we get ourselves up to like a 20,000-seat modern-ish stadium that retains the charm, we can make that jump.

  "Then what happens is Rob and Ryan go into their Rolodex, and call up one of the dozens and dozens of people that have got in touch over the past four years and been like 'Hi, I'm a multi, multi, multi-billionaire. I want to join in on this with you.'

  "They would stay on, remain in their roles, but we would have someone that would help out, because, basically, getting out of the Championship and to the Premier League, you are just lighting money."

West Ham United manager Graham Potter is privately blown away by one player who wasn’t fancied by his predecessor, Julen Lopetegui, with the squad member potentially in line for a more key role as a result.

West Ham aim for solid 2024/2025 under Graham Potter

In his first interview as Hammers boss, Potter pledged to bring a brand of entertaining football to the London Stadium, and you can make a case that we have already seen flashes of that promise over his first few games in the dugout.

West Ham hold talks with "underrated" forward's camp ahead of free transfer

Graham Potter’s side are sensing a bargain opportunity.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 14, 2025

West Ham were involved in a five-goal thriller at home to Fulham, where they came out on top in a 3-2 victory and secured Potter’s first win at the club. They were also dramatically knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa in Potter’s first ever game, despite holding a one-goal lead for most of the clash, with late goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers ending their cup run very early.

The Irons arguably should’ve come away from Stamford Bridge with something to show for their efforts after a promising display overall, but were instead on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, courtesy of second-half strikes from Pedro Neto and an Aaron Wan-Bissaka own goal.

Nevertheless, there are signs of promise from the first stages of Potter’s reign, as West Ham aim to finish 2024/2025 in solid fashion in preparation for the next campaign.

They currently sit 10 points above the relegation zone but too far off the European qualification places, but Potter will be keen to embed his style of play into this West Ham squad as quickly as possible ahead of 2025/2026.

West Ham signed Evan Ferguson on loan in a bid to solve their striker crisis, with both Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug out injured for the long-term, while the club also decided to re-call James Ward-Prowse from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Ward-Prowse was told by Lopetegui that there was no place for him at West Ham, according to some reports, with the Spaniard giving his green-light for him to go out on a temporary spell to Forest.

Graham Potter privately blown away by James Ward-Prowse at West Ham

However, it appears Potter’s stance on the 30-year-old is drastically different.

According to a report in the print edition of The Sun newspaper (via WHZ), Potter has been impressed by Ward-Prowse in West Ham training sessions since his return to the capital, and he could even start today’s clash at home to Brentford.

The tactician is also said to be keen on immediately reincorporating him into the West Ham side, so this could be one to watch over the coming games.

The Englishman – who bagged seven goals and 12 assists during David Moyes’ final campaign in charge last term – could be a major asset for the east Londoners, with Ward-Prowse’s famed set-piece specialism handing Potter a brand-new weapon for the remaining season.

Wydad Casablanca are interested in a stunning move to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for the Club World Cup.

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• Wydad playing in expanded competition
• Interested in deal to sign Ronaldo
• Future at Nassr currently unclear

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per Marca, Wydad are interested in a stunning deal to sign Ronaldo on a short-term deal specifically for the Club World Cup. They want both the sporting and commercial benefits that Ronaldo's presence would bring, amid doubts over his future at Al-Nassr.

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  Ronaldo's contract expires on June 30 and the Club World Cup is scheduled to take place between June 14 and July 13. Wydad would only sign Ronaldo for the duration of the tournament, in which they will face Manchester City, Juventus, and Al-Ain in the group stages.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Nassr have endured another trophyless season despite Ronaldo's presence, and have also failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League, meaning he could seek pastures new in the summer. Brazilian club Botafogo are interested, while Sporting CP have also been linked with an emotional move for their former youth star.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Nassr play Al-Khaleej on Wednesday before their final game of the season against Al-Fateh this weekend. It is not yet clear if these will be Ronaldo's final two fixtures in a Nassr shirt.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is set to run a brutal pre-season training regimen as he bids to transform the club's fortunes.

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• United endured awful campaign
• Finished 15th and lost Europa League final
• Amorim to get tough in pre-season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per The Sun, Amorim is poised to run a brutal pre-season as United aim to return to form in 2025/26. The club finished 15th in the Premier League table, and also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham. Now, the Portuguese is set to demand that his players return to Carrington by the end of the month, with players set a target of achieving personal bests, when it comes to fitness, by the middle of July.

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  Amorim has reportedly told players that failure when it comes to their fitness targets will see them sidelined. Players have also been told to report where they are going on holiday as he bids to keep tabs on his top stars.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United will not be playing in Europe next season, so they are likely to be playing one game a week for the majority of the campaign. As a result, Amorim is keen to improve fitness levels as United look to put a terrible campaign behind them.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United's next pre-season friendly comes against Leeds on July 19. The two sides will play at Friends Arena in Sweden; ironic, given their lengthy rivalry.