Manchester United could now be offered the chance to sign a “strong” Juventus star in exchange for selling striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to a recent report.

Amorim determined to keep key man at United

United are all set to play the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao, knowing they are in a very good position to seal their place in the final. Leading up to United’s biggest game of the season, there has been talk about Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal wanting to sign talisman and captain Bruno Fernandes.

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Al-Hilal are said to be prepared to pay a British record transfer fee and also pay the Portugal international more than £1 million a week to get him out of Old Trafford. However, that may not be an easy task for the Saudi team, as Ruben Amorim has once again confirmed that he wants Bruno to stay at the club, as he is “one of the top players in the world”.

Amorim said in his pre-match Bilbao press conference: “Our idea didn’t change. We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here.

“It’s normal; a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader, and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player; we need top players.”

Man Utd could be offered £135k-p/w star in exchange for Hojlund

While Amorim makes it clear he wants Fernandes to stay, he may be open to the idea of letting other players leave, in particular Hojlund, and the Red Devils could now be offered an intriguing player swap. According to Tuttosport, Juventus could be prepared to offer Douglas Luiz to Man United in exchange for Hojlund.

The report states that the Serie A giants are leading the race to sign Hojlund this summer and have taken steps to move towards a deal. There is talk that Dušan Vlahović, who Juventus are open to selling this summer, could be a part of a deal for Hojlund, but it also mentions that Luiz is an ‘important card to play’ in the negotiations for the United striker.

Luiz, who has been dubbed “strong” by Aston Villa sporting director Monchi, only joined Juve in the summer but has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot, featuring in just 17 Serie A games and mostly from the bench. Despite being under contract until 2029, Juventus may look to use Luiz in a deal for Hojlund to bring United’s price down.

Apps

17

Starts

3

Minutes per game

30

Touches per game

29.4

Passes per game (accuracy)

21.2 (90%)

Key passes per game

0.9

Tackles per game

0.7

Balls recovered per game

1.7

Hojlund, who earns £85,000 a week at Old Trafford, has struggled in front of goal all season for United, and it could be that the Red Devils do move him on, so it allows them to bring in a suitable replacement. However, it is unclear if the Premier League side would be interested in doing a deal which sees them sign a new midfielder in Luiz, who earns a staggering £135,000 a week at Juventus despite barely making an impact. If there is going to be a player swap, United may want a striker for a striker instead of a new midfielder.

Manchester City took a gigantic step towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday night.

The Sky Blues beat top five rivals Aston Villa 2-1 at the Etihad, with Bernardo Silva breaking the deadlock early, only for Marcus Rashford to equalise from the penalty spot soon after.

Nevertheless, just as the game seemed set to fizzle out to a stalemate, Jérémy Doku’s trivela cross across the box found Matheus Nunes at the back post, and he poked home a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

This propelled Pep Guardiola’s team up to third, ahead of Sunday’s huge FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, seeking to reach a third consecutive final.

One Man City star in particular impressed on Tuesday night, suggesting he could stake a claim to be first choice next season.

Manchester City planning for next season

As Kevin De Bruyne continues to wave farewell to Manchester City, he really put on a show on Tuesday night, creating six chances, the 60th time the Belgian has registered five or more chances created in a Premier League match, the most by any player since Opta records began.

However, De Bruyne is not the future of this side, having announced he will be leaving at the end of the season, and, after a difficult campaign, Guardiola is surely already making plans for the summer.

Full-back has been a problem position for Man City all throughout this season, following Kyle Walker’s sudden exit in January, while numerous players have been deployed at left-back.

Thus, as noted by Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, the Citizens have a ‘longstanding interest’ in Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, expecting a bid to be made this summer, with Tuttosport reporting that la Vecchia Signora value the player at around €80m (£68.5m).

However, could the emergence of one star save the Sky Blues a lot of money, as he continues to impress at right-back?

Manchester City's long-term right-back

Matheus Nunes’ last-gasp winner against Villa capped off an impressive night from the Portuguese international, as the table below outlines.

Minutes played

90

=1st

Accurate passes

88%

6th

Dribble success %

100%

=1st

Ground duels contested

7

=4th

Tackles

2

=1st

Defensive actions

3

=6th

Sofascore rating

7.3

=3rd

Nunes has been deployed all over the pitch this season by Guardiola, central midfield and left-wing among other positions, but has found a home at right-back, starting ten of the last 14 Premier League matches in that spot.

In his player rating piece for the Manchester Evening News, Simon Bajkowski gave Nunes a 7/10, noting that he made a ‘needless error’ for Villa’s equaliser, reflecting the fact he is still learning how to be a right-back.

Nevertheless, Guardiola has previously stated that Nunes “is one of the best players in the world today”, with Loay Mamdouh of Breaking the Lines impressed by his ‘decision-making’ as well as his ‘technical and physical attributes’.

Back in January, Graham Ruthven of Forbes asserted that Nunes ‘doesn’t have the defensive instincts of a natural full-back’, but this is offset by the fact he offers ‘plenty in possession’, with the Portuguese international having improved since then, so let’s assess how he compares to Cambiaso.

Appearances

35

37

Minutes

2,320

2,532

Goals

4

2

Assists

9

3

Progressive carries

87

92

Take-on Success %

53.6%

62.5%

Pass completion %

87.5%

89.3%

Chances created

30

33

Duels Contested

219

210

Aerial Duel Success %

44.8%

37.5%

Ground Duel Success %

45.6%

53.2%

Tackles

46

47

Clearances

29

20

Interceptions

19

16

Ball Recoveries

86

134

Touches per 90

62.71

63.16

As the table outlines, Nunes and Cambiaso’s statistics this season are remarkably similar, as noted by FBref.

In a near-identical number of minutes, the duo are extremely comparable when it comes to the vast majority of statistics included, with the Man City man coming out on top in terms of goals and assists, as well as duels contested, aerial duals, clearances and interceptions.

Thus, rather than spending upwards of £65m to recruit Cambiaso this summer, Guardiola should show faith in Nunes, entrusting him to be Man City’s right-back going forward.

Pep must axe 5/10 Man City dud who just proved why they need to sign Wirtz

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Today is the day that Leeds United could officially secure their promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking in the Championship.

The Whites play host to Stoke City at Elland Road in a 3 pm kick-off this afternoon, knowing that if they win and Sheffield United fail to beat Burnley in their 5:30 pm kick-off, they will be promoted.

Despite beating Oxford United 1-0 last time out in the Championship, Daniel Farke could look to make some changes to his starting line-up to keep the team fresh, after only two days of recovery, and Dan James is a star who should come back in.

Why Dan James should start for Leeds

The Wales international missed the 2-1 win over Preston North End with an injury and returned to play a part off the bench in the clash with Oxford on Friday.

After his cameo at the Kassam, James should now be put back into the starting line-up against Stoke this afternoon, just days after he was named as one of the finalists in the race to win the Championship Player of the Season award.

The former Manchester United winger has scored 12 goals, created 16 ‘big chances’, and delivered nine assists in 30 starts in the second tier this term, which shows that he has made a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.

Leeds know that today could be the day that they seal promotion, if they beat Stoke, and they need their best players on the pitch in order to have the best chance of success.

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With this in mind, Farke must bring the influential star back into the team by ruthlessly ditching Brenden Aaronson from the side that started on Friday.

Why Brenden Aaronson should be dropped

The USA international played 89 minutes against Oxford and failed to offer much in front of goal, as he missed one ‘big chance’, lost possession 15 times, and failed to create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

Aaronson was described as “anonymous” by reporter James Marshment back in February, and that assessment still rings true, as it was his 12th game without a goal or an assist in his last 13 appearances in all competitions.

The £45k-per-week flop has produced two goals and zero assists in 19 matches in 2025, with one of those goals coming in the 7-0 win over Cardiff, which illustrates how ineffective he has been in the final third.

24/25 Championship	Brenden Aaronson	Wilfried Gnonto
Appearances (starts)	43 (40)	40 (23)
xG	10.24	5.50
Goals	9	6
Minutes per goal	368	345
Big chances created	8	9
Assists	2	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wilfried Gnonto has been more effective as a finisher whilst also providing more creativity despite starting 17 fewer games than the American dud.

This suggests that Farke should keep the Italy U21 international in the team, moving him into the number ten role, and drop Aaronson from the side in order to start James on the right wing.

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This would mean that Leeds would have an attacking midfield trident of James, Gnonto, and Manor Solomon behind either Joel Piroe or Patrick Bamford in the centre-forward position.

Sir Alex Ferguson always had an eye for homegrown talent, building his Manchester United dynasty on the backs of British and Irish stars like Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane.

The legendary Scottish manager was well known for not always seeing eye to eye with even his greatest stars however, and was not afraid to dish out punishment to some of the biggest names in the game.

Gary Neville recalled a dispute after he swore at the 83 year-old during their time together at United: “He fined me a week’s wages, battered me after the match.

“Did it again the day after in his office. Then he proceeded to leave me out for the next two weeks, put me on the bench. He shouted something on to me [in the game] and I knew it. I spent the next 15 minutes of the match thinking, ‘I am done. I’m done.’”

Perhaps the most well-known case of ‘Fergie’ taking on one of his own players came in 2005, leading to Keane’s departure as Red Devils captain.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder had been in and out of the team since an injury sustained due to a poor tackle from Liverpool’s Luis Garcia, and had also taken issue with the quality of the team’s accommodation during a pre-season camp in Portugal.

And after an outburst criticising his teammates on MUTV as well as several rows with Ferguson and assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, Keane left Old Trafford by mutual consent in November 2005.

Ferguson: Gerrard was the best midfielder in the Premier League

Suddenly United had a gaping hole in a team that had dominated the Premier League for years, and Sir Alex has since revealed the only man capable of filling that void at the time was Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

It’s little surprise the Scot was so appreciative of Gerrard’s talents either. At a time when United were dominating their north-west counterparts domestically, Gerrard was the sole constant thorn in their side.

Appearances

35

Wins

13

Draws

2

Losses

20

Goals

9

Assists

5

Yellow cards

6

Red cards

2

The Premier League has seen some of the best midfielders in the world throughout the years, leading to fierce debates as fans rank the likes of Keane, Gerrard, Vieira, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard.

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Sir Alex wasn’t the only one full of praise for Liverpool’s skipper though, with the legendary Jose Mourinho once admitting he tried to sign him both with Internazionale and while he was in charge at Chelsea.

It’s truly difficult to comprehend how England’s ‘golden era’ was unable to succeed with the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes leading the charge.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is preparing for the Xabi Alonso era, and he wants to back his new manager with an ambitious double-deal for two Arsenal stars worth a potential £101 million.

Arsenal set for busy summer of incomings and outgoings

The north Londoners have already sealed an agreement for Martin Zubimendi, who looks set to become Andrea Berta’s first signing as the club’s new sporting director (Fabrizio Romano).

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Zubimendi will come as a direct replacement for midfielder Jorginho, who is on his way to Brazilian side Flamengo once his contract expires on June 30, so Berta has acted quickly to fill the Italy international’s boots for next season.

Race for Champions League qualification with 2 games remaining

Points

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

More replacements for squad members are highly anticipated as we fast approach the summer window as well, as Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a full-back to replace Kieran Tierney, who has agreed to join Celtic, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who Berta is expected to sell.

A new central defender is also on Berta’s ever-growing reported to-do list this summer, with Arsenal among the many contenders to sign Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen, who is being courted by a host of top sides.

Their concrete interest in the 20-year-old is perhaps an indicator that the long-term futures of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes aren’t yet clear, despite Arsenal’s attempts to lock them down.

Arsenal have opened talks with Saliba over a contract extension, amid Real’s heavily reported interest in the France international, and it is quite simply imperative that Berta manages to keep hold of the former Saint-Étienne starlet.

Los Blancos are said to be eyeing up a few Arsenal players alongside Saliba, with goalkeeper David Raya also on their radar. However, as per a new report from Spain, left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly is now also turning heads at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid planning £101m double deal for Arsenal stars Saliba and Lewis-Skelly

Indeed, as per the Spanish media source, Real president Perez is personally hatching an ambitious plan to lure both Lewis-Skelly and Saliba to La Liga in a “double deal”.

It is reported that Real could splash £101 million on the signings of Lewis-Skelly and Saliba from Arsenal.

While the latter is seen as their priority target, Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy’s unconvincing performances have prompted Real to consider Lewis-Skelly as an option as well, with the 15-time European champions pondering ways to orchestrate a deal with Arsenal.

Both Lewis-Skelly and Saliba have been vital cornerstones of Arteta’s backline, and there would be uproar over any green-light to sell both men, especially after Arsenal lost out on this year’s Premier League title to Liverpool by some distance.

It is highly unlikely to materialise, unless a truly unthinkable offer were to come Berta’s way. Even then, it would arguably need to be high above the mooted £101m mentioned by this report.

Manchester City are yet to solve one of the most difficult issues that will present itself to a Premier League side this summer: how do they replace Kevin De Bruyne? The Belgian legend will depart the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, after years of success.

He has played 419 times for the Citizens, scoring 108 goals and providing an extraordinary 177 assists. Of course, the real highlight for De Bruyne in that famous Sky Blue shirt was the treble success of 2022/23, which included the club’s first Champions League title.

Pep Guardiola’s side appear to be lining up potential replacements, ahead of the summer window, with a handful of names already being thrown into the mix.

Man City's search to replace De Bruyne

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Tuesday evening that Guardiola’s side ‘have contacted AC Milan to express interest’ in Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders.

Ornstein outlined that no formal offer has yet been made, although early talks are underway for the playmaker – with that news coming amid prior links to both Morgan Gibbs-White and Florian Wirtz.

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One Premier League star who could also be in demand this summer, meanwhile, is Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze. The England international has had yet another impressive campaign for the Eagles, and could be in line to depart the club this summer.

According to a recent report from Football Insider, City are the side who are perhaps best placed to sign Eze. If the London-born star performs well against City in this weekend’s FA Cup final, the club could ‘launch an approach to sign the midfielder as soon as possible’.

However, Eze, who has a £60m release clause in his contract, will also be a target for other English top-flight clubs. Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa could all make a move for the England international this summer.

Why Eze would be a good signing

It has been yet another standout season in South London for 26-year-old Eze, who has been a key man under Oliver Glasner. The attacking midfielder has helped his side to an FA Cup final this weekend against City, where they can qualify for Europe with a win.

Eze has made 40 appearances across all competitions this term and has chipped in with an impressive 12 goals and 11 assists. In four FA Cup appearances, he has managed to find the back of the net three times and has provided one goal for his teammates.

The recent form from the Palace number 10 is perhaps exactly why City want to bring him to East Manchester this summer. In the last seven Premier League games, he has managed seven goal involvements, with five of those goals, including two against Spurs last weekend.

Whilst Eze has shown excellent form of late and could be subject to a bid from City soon, he is evidently not the only target they have to replace De Bruyne, amid those reports surrounding Reijnders.

Just as Eze has been important for Palace this season, so too has Reijnders in that famous Black and Red shirt of the Rossoneri.

He has 15 goals and five assists in 51 games, which is fewer goal contributions than the Eagles star has in more games.

Reijnders was once described as “one of the best ball-carrying midfielders on the planet” by Statman Dave. When looking at the stats on FBref for both the Dutchman and Eze, it is perhaps clear what City are looking for.

That is to say, Guardiola seems like he would like to add more ball-carrying prowess to his side. As the stats show, Eze averages 2.29 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, compared to Reijnders’ 1.1 successful take-ons each game.

Key passes

1.96

1.34

Goal-creating actions

4.68

3.27

Take-ons completed

2.29

1.1

Progressive carries

2.39

3.32

Ball recoveries

4.89

3.35

Described as a “magic” player by football analyst Antonio Mango, Eze could be an excellent alternative to Reijnders for City this summer. He fits the ball-carrying profile Guardiola seems to want, whilst also bringing goals and assists.

For a fee of £60m, this seems like it could be an excellent deal for City, and could really increase the quality they have in attacking areas.

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Everton lost their second game on the bounce in the Premier League, falling short against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 loss. David Moyes’ side held 45% possession, creating two ‘big chances’ in the match, but only generating 0.52 xG and taking six shots in total.

Meanwhile, Chelsea held 55% possession, having more control of the game, taking 10 shots and generating 0.98 xG. Whilst it wasn’t a blockbuster game, the Blues had enough control to see the game out, making it back-to-back losses for the Toffees without scoring a goal.

Everton have only scored 34 times this season in 34 games, so we already know they aren’t the most lethal attacking team, but they have been one of the tighter defensive sides this season, conceding 41 goals and holding plenty of teams to frustrating draws, having 14 draws this season. But they were unable to keep a clean sheet today against Chelsea, despite Jordan Pickford’s best efforts.

How Pickford kept Everton in it

The Everton and England shot-stopper has already made 36 appearances this season, conceding 43 goals in all competitions and keeping 11 clean sheets in his 3,240 minutes played. The 31-year-old was unable to add to his clean sheets, despite making some big saves to keep Chelsea out.

Pickford made six saves in the game, preventing a total of 0.66 xG, with four saves coming from inside the box. The only goal of the game came from Nicolas Jackson in the 27th minute, catching Pickford off guard with a shot from a turnover, finding the bottom corner from outside the box.

If it wasn’t for Pickford, Chelsea could have had a few more, but Everton didn’t really look like scoring themselves, apart from the odd snapshot, which isn’t a new story this season for the Toffees.

Why Everton should drop Beto

Beto has made 31 appearances for Everton this campaign, netting 10 goals in all competitions, six of which came in the Premier League in his 1,583 minutes played. All six of his league goals have come under Moyes since his arrival, but he now finds himself eight league games without a goal after not scoring against Chelsea.

Minutes

64

Touches

23

Accurate Passes

4/9

Shots

1

Dribble Attempts

0/1

Ground Duels Won

2/7

Aerial Duels Won

1/3

Possession Lost

12

Error leading to goal

1

The 27-year-old only managed 23 touches in the game, fewer than Pickford, who managed more than double Beto’s touches (54). He only made four of his nine passes, having a 44% pass accuracy in the match, and lost possession 12 times.

This saw Beto given a 1/10 match rating by Football Insider, labeling his afternoon as ‘horrendous’. Whilst the target man was often feeding off scraps at Stamford Bridge, his inability to make it stick up front and get bodies around him as an outlet saw Beto hooked after 64 minutes.

Therefore, Moyes should drop the Portuguese centre-forward from the starting line-up for the next match, because he has not done enough to keep his shirt.

Everton are being heavily linked with strikers for this summer, with both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Armando Broja not expected to be at the club next season. This could see Beto fighting it out next season for a starting spot, with far more competition in his position than there currently is.

An “outstanding” defender who could be ideal for Arne Slot is now high on Liverpool’s transfer radar, according to a report.

Reds set sights on new left-back

Andy Robertson has been a fantastic servant to the Reds, with the Scottish left-back playing a key role in the Premier League title triumph this season, but it appears as though a long-term replacement could be brought in this summer.

Milos Kerkez is among the main targets, given the Hungarian’s impressive performances for AFC Bournemouth this season, while Slot’s side are also in the race for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri as a potential alternative.

There will be competition for Kerkez’s signature, however, with Manchester City also keen on the left-back, which means a list of alternative options is being compiled, and a report has now revealed a new target is now on the shortlist.

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According to Anfield Watch, Club Brugge defender Maxim De Cuyper is now high on Liverpool’s transfer radar ahead of the summer transfer window, having scouted the left-back over the course of the last 12 months.

Dubbed a dream target, the Reds and FSG seemingly view De Cuyper as an ideal alternative to Kerkez, having impressed in the Champions League this season, most notably catching the eye by covering the second-most distance for Brugge in the competition.

Given that players in a Slot system need to work hard off the ball, the 24-year-old could be the perfect addition to the squad, and the fact that he could be available for £21m is also attractive, with Kerkez likely to cost far more.

Not only that, but the Brugge defender is also versatile and able to play at right-back, which also makes him appealing, given that Trent Alexander-Arnold is in line to leave this summer.

"Outstanding" De Cuyper impressing in Belgium

The full-back is yet to prove himself in a major league, but he has certainly caught the eye with his performances in Belgium this season, having received high praise from scout Ben Mattinson, who believes he is now ready to make the move to a bigger club.

Mattinson highlights the Belgian’s attacking capabilities, and he has flourished going forward over the past year, ranking in a high percentile across a number of key metrics.

Statistic	Average per 90
Assists	0.16 (85th percentile)
Shot-creating actions	4.93 (99th percentile)
Progressive passes	7.44 (99th percentile)

De Cuyper has proven he could be ready to make the step-up to a top club this summer, although it may be wise for Kerkez to remain the top target, given that the Bournemouth defender has already proven himself at Premier League level.

Aston Villa chiefs are ready to back Unai Emery in the summer transfer window, should the manager make it clear he wants to sign an “incredible” player, according to a report.

Villa's summer transfer plans taking shape

We are now at the business end of the season, and things aren’t going exactly to plan for Villa, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Crystal Palace at the weekend, while the defeat against Manchester City has weakened their top-five aspirations.

As such, if Emery’s side are to take the next step and compete for major honours next season, the manager may feel he has to strengthen in the summer window, and targets have been identified in a number of key areas.

Despite having Emiliano Martinez on the books, the Villans are now ready to pay the £21m release clause for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, while they have also held talks over a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha.

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Last week, it was also revealed that internal discussions had been held over Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to be available on a free transfer this summer, and there has now been a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit.

According to a report from Football Insider, Villa are chiefs are now ready to back Emery, should the manager make it clear he wants to sign De Bruyne this summer, with the Belgian keen to continue playing at the highest level.

The attacking midfielder is on a monster £400k-a-week salary, but the board are ambitious, and they are willing to battle it out with clubs from Saudi Arabia and the MLS if Emery gives the green light.

Interested clubs are set to table lucrative contract offers, so while the 33-year-old is available on a free transfer, the Villans will have to be willing to spend big on wages to win the race.

De Bruyne could be "best player of his generation"

The Belgium international has started to play more of a sporadic role, recently being benched for his side’s 2-0 triumph against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final, but he is undoubtedly among the best players in Premier League history.

The “incredible” midfielder has played a major role in Man City’s golden era, picking up 107 goals and 177 assists in 417 appearances for the club, which perhaps makes it a little surprising they are willing to let him leave on a free transfer this summer.

That said, De Bruyne is set to turn 34 in June, and the fact he is receiving reduced game time suggests his best days could be behind him, so it would be a risk for Villa to snap him up on a big contract.

Newcastle United are keen on completing the loan signing of a player who has been described as “unplayable”, according to a new update from reliable journalist Sam Lee.

Newcastle prepare for final Champions League push

The Magpies have two games remaining in the Premier League this season, as they look to secure a place back in the Champions League, which would be huge for the club, allowing them to target top players in the summer transfer window.

Not only that, but victory away to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon would actually see Newcastle leapfrog the Gunners into second place in the table heading into the final round of fixtures of the campaign, which would be an amazing achievement.

Eddie Howe is well aware that nothing has been sealed yet, though, stressing the importance of his players remaining focused after last weekend’s crucial 2-0 win at home to Chelsea.

“The crowd were up for the game, the atmosphere was amazing. We’re on the road to what we want to do this season, but there’s still a lot of work to do and two tough fixtures to play. The size of the prize is huge, the players are aware of that. There was a worry when we won the trophy [League Cup] that there would be a negative consequence of that, but I think it actually gave us confidence.”

Newcastle keen on signing £100m ace on loan

Now, according to The Athletic‘s Lee, Newcastle United are among the clubs who are “interested” in signing Jack Grealish on loan this summer. The 29-year-old has struggled for playing time at Manchester City this season and a move away on a temporary basis is possible, with the report stating he “could leave” the Etihad before next season.

Grealish arguably hasn’t justified the £100m that City paid for his services back in 2021, even though he has won three Premier League titles and one Champions League crown, among other trophies. A tally of 17 goals in 156 appearances far from an impressive return for an attacking wide player.

That said, the England international’s maverick style has arguably been stifled a little by Pep Guardiola, who has made him a less entertaining player to watch, and he could be keen for a fresh challenge in order to express himself more, with Rio Ferdinand heaping praise on him in the past.

The fact that Newcastle would be signing Grealish on loan would take out some of the risk element, and he has the ability to provide great competition on the left flank, as well as being able to shine as a No.10.

Approach made: Newcastle now in contact to sign "incredible" £8m+ colossus

The Magpies have made a move for a new signing, who could be available on the cheap this summer.

1 ByDominic Lund May 15, 2025

Admittedly, he does turn 30 later this year, and some may argue that his peak has passed, but he is the type of footballer who Magpies supporters warm to, given his direct style of play and the way he could light up St James’ Park.