Harry Kane has delivered an update on how his German lessons are going, with the Bayern Munich superstar still in the process of becoming bilingual. The England captain stepped out of his professional comfort zone in 2023 when completing a move to the Allianz Arena. His communication skills are improving, but there is still work to be done on the linguistics front.
It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that, so far, this summer has been one of Nottingham Forest’s most memorable for some time.
Nuno Espirito-Santo’s side haven’t done anything of much note on the pitch, but there has been plenty happening off of it.
For example, the club were embroiled in a dispute with Tottenham Hotspur, which they appear to have won, over Morgan Gibbs-White; they’ve secured their place in the Europa League, and to top it off, they’ve made several exciting signings.
However, there is no sign of the club slowing down, as, on top of closing in on James McAtee, they appear keen on someone who’d be a perfect teammate for him.
After securing the services of Igor Jesus, Dan Ndoye and Jair Cunha, it appears that the next player on Forest’s transfer list this summer is McAtee.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Manchester City academy product impressed in spells last season, scoring seven goals in just 936 minutes of first-team action, and it looks like he’ll be making his way to the City Ground for just over £20m, with personal terms already agreed.
While that would be enough business in one window for many other teams, the Tricky Trees aim to make at least one more addition before the window closes next month.
At least that is according to a recent report from Sky Sports, which claims Nottingham Forest are still very interested in Omari Hutchinson.
The report has revealed that, while the Tricky Trees saw their previous offer of £35m rejected, they are still discussing the possibility of another bid.
If the club do go back in for the Englishman, they’ll have to stump up at least £40m, which is what he’s valued by Ipswich Town.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Hutchinson’s ability and potential make it one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be brilliant with McAtee.
The first reason that Hutchinson would be an excellent teammate for McAtee at Forest is the simple fact that they’re already teammates for England’s U21.
The City gem has made 24 appearances for the team and captained them to glory at this summer’s European Championships.
For his part, the Ipswich ace has made ten appearances for the junior side, in which he’s produced six goal involvements and was a key part of the team’s success this summer, starting five of the six games, including the final.
Not only does this mean the pair will already have a great relationship and understanding of one another’s game prior to joining the Tricky Trees, but also that they can thrive in the same lineup together.
Another reason why the former Chelsea gem could end up being a perfect teammate for the Salford-born ace is his positional versatility.
|
Hutchinson’s versatility |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Games |
G+As |
|
Right Winger |
59 |
28 |
|
Attacking Midfield |
58 |
25 |
|
Left Winger |
17 |
11 |
|
Right Midfield |
8 |
2 |
|
Centre-Forward |
3 |
2 |
|
Second Striker |
1 |
0 |
|
Left Midfield |
1 |
1 |
|
Central Midfield |
1 |
0 |
|
Left-Back |
1 |
1 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
The 21-year-old’s ability to play on either wing and in the middle of the park should give him plenty of opportunities to start alongside McAtee, and therefore further develop their relationship.
However, it also means that Nuno can play the Redhill-born dynamo in place of the 22-year-old when he needs to rest and therefore reduce the risk of injury.
Finally, while the “explosive” Ipswich talent, as dubbed by one Arsenal content creator, was somewhat limited by the team he was playing in last season, he still managed to produce five goal involvements in 31 league games.
Moreover, he showed glimpses of something quite special at times, like that goal against Manchester United.
Ultimately, while it won’t be cheap, Forest would be wise to sign Hutchinson alongside McAtee this summer, as the pair could develop a brilliant partnership at the City Ground.
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Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was effusive in his praise for left-back Alvaro Carreras, who was one of the four players to join Los Blancos over the summer. Arriving from Benfica, Carreras' impressive start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu has left his manager "pleasantly surprised", with the former Bayer Leverkusen head coach labelling the 22-year-old a "very complete" player.
Whilst recent weeks at Birmingham City have been focused on making a strong start to their Championship return, this week’s PFA Awards served as an evening of celebration for their promotion from League One.
Seven of last season’s squad were named in the PFA League One Team of the Year 2025 following their record-breaking 111-point season.
In addition to the team of the season, Tomoki Iwata and Jay Stansfield were shortlisted for the PFA League One Player of the Year, with QPR’s new striker Richard Kone taking home the award.
Birmingham had been building a squad in League One that was capable of competing in the Championship, and they’ve continued to add to it this summer. Their next target looks to be a young Premier League forward, but the Blues are facing competition from one of the sides that got promoted with them.
Birmingham City are one of the teams in pole position to sign young Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas. The 19-year-old spent last season playing Championship football whilst on loan at Stoke City and is set to leave the club permanently before the transfer deadline.
This report comes from Liverpool Echo, who have indicated that Koumas has received significant Championship attention this summer, with Norwich City, Preston North End, Sheffield United and Hull City all monitoring the player’s situation. However, Birmingham’s biggest rivals for this transfer will be Wrexham, who are the other team said to be “leading the chase” for Koumas.
The young striker will cost a pretty penny, as the Reds see Koumas as more developed than Bobby Clark was when he joined RB Salzburg for £10 million last year. Koumas’ family has ties to the Birmingham metropolitan area, as his father, Jason Koumas, played for West Bromwich Albion for the first few years of Lewis’ life.
At 19 years old, Koumas is already attracting a lot of attention. Not only are there the interested Championship parties, but he has also received recognition at the national level, having represented the Welsh National Team on six occasions.
During his season spent in the championship with Stoke, Koumas was one of the top players in a number of attacking metrics. Koumas registered in the top 25% of players for both shots and shots on target, meaning not only does he shoot often, but when he does shoot, it is accurate.
While he did underperform his xG by just over two goals, Koumas is still only a teenager and calmness on the ball and precision with his shots will further develop as he matures.
In addition to his impressive attacking attributes, what’s unique about Koumas is his ability to defend from the front. The teenager ranked in the top 15% of wingers for tackles made and the top 20% of wingers for possession won in the final third of the pitch. His ability to win the ball high up the pitch can often catch the opposition by surprise, leading to important attacking opportunities.
Based on his current skill set, it wouldn’t be surprising if Liverpool asked for a similar figure to what they did for Clark, but given his age and potential future development, he could be a worthwhile transfer in the long term.
Crystal Palace are now looking to sign an “absolutely incredible” attacking midfielder, who could be brought in as a replacement for Eberechi Eze, according to a report.
After the 27-year-old scored the winner in the FA Cup final, Palace were always going to find it difficult to keep hold of Eze this summer, and journalist Ben Jacobs has now revealed Tottenham Hotspur have made significant progress towards finalising a deal.
As such, one of the Eagles’ most important tasks before the September 1st deadline will be to bring in at least one new attacker, and there is certainly no shortage of options on the shortlist.
|
Player |
Current club |
G/A in 24/25 |
|
Bilal El Khannouss |
Leicester City |
8 |
|
Hwang Hee-chan |
Wolves |
3 |
|
Christos Tzolis |
Club Brugge |
37 |
|
Raheem Sterling |
Chelsea |
6 |
Tzolis is arguably the most exciting option on the shortlist, given the Greek forward’s attacking exploits in the 2024-25 campaign, albeit in a weaker league than the other targets.
However, according to a report from Caught Offside, Crystal Palace also have their eye on another Premier League attacker, namely West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta, who is now set to be available for around £30m – £40m this summer.
West Ham are now willing to cash-in on Paqueta, and they have dramatically dropped their asking price, having fielded offers of £80m at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
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The Eagles view the Brazilian as a marquee signing, who could offset Eze’s departure, but there could be competition for his signature from some top clubs, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.
The 27-year-old has certainly caught the eye in the Premier League in the past, with ex-teammate Declan Rice lauding him as “absolutely incredible”, while David Moyes described the Brazil international as “fabulous”.
Since then, the maestro hasn’t exactly kicked on, scoring just four Premier League goals last season, but in fairness, the former Lyon man did have spot-fixing charges hanging over his head, which he has now been cleared of.
Graham Potter believes a weight has now been “lifted” off the West Ham star, which suggests he could have a new lease of life next season, and given that he specialises in attacking midfield, he could be a direct replacement for Eze.
With West Ham making a very poor start to the Premier League campaign, Paqueta could be tempted to leave this summer, and Palace should have the requisite funds to sign him once the deal to sell Eze is completed.
Harry Kane’s release clause has sparked rumours of a Premier League return, but Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus insists the striker is “in very good hands” in Munich. The England captain has scored 13 goals in seven games this season and is closing in on his 100th strike for the German giants after a weekend hat-trick.
Barcelona sporting director Deco has explained why the club moved for Roony Bardghji despite the winger’s recovery from a serious injury. The 19-year-old, dubbed the ‘Swedish Messi’, was signed to provide depth behind Lamine Yamal, with Deco comparing the pair’s profiles while stressing the deal was a long-monitored opportunity.
West Ham United have now opened talks over a deal to sign a playmaker, who has the same agent as summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters.
Karren Brady has previously made it clear that West Ham have no plans to sanction Lucas Paqueta’s departure this summer, saying: “I think he wants to stay and we definitely want him to stay. So the thing is, he’ll be staying.”
However, there have since been widespread suggestions that the Brazilian could be on the move, with the Hammers reportedly willing to consider offers of £60m, amid interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
Cashing-in on Paqueta would be a gamble, given that there is no natural replacement for the 27-year-old in the squad, and Graham Potter is already light on options, having lost Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham earlier this summer.
As such, amid the uncertainty surrounding the Brazil international’s future, West Ham have now stepped up their pursuit of a new attacking midfielder, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
Taking to X, Plettenberg stated that West Ham are now in ongoing “talks” over a deal to sign Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid, who is also being targeted by Lille and a number of other unnamed clubs.
The Hammers are “exploring a deal” for Schmid before deadline day, and reports from elsewhere indicate that a move would not break the bank, with Werder Bremen thought to be holding out for around £13m.
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1
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Interestingly, the 25-year-old is represented by the same agents as Walker-Peters, CAA Base, which suggests a deal could be possible, given that they helped orchestrate the right-back’s move to the London Stadium earlier this summer.
West Ham are clearly in need of new attackers, regardless of whether Paqueta leaves, given that they are clearly overreliant on Jarrod Bowen, with the 28-year-old either scoring or assisting half of their 46 Premier League goals last season.
Schmid, who has been described as “talented” by Frank Baumann, could relieve the burden on Bowen, having performed well for Werden Bremen last season, chipping in with 11 goal contributions across all competitions.
|
Competition |
Appearances |
Goal contributions |
|
Bundesliga |
32 |
10 |
|
DFB-Pokal |
3 |
1 |
The Austrian has also established himself at international level, scoring his first goal for his country in his side’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at Euro 2024, before going on to impress in the UEFA Nations League.
That said, while Schmid could be an exciting addition to Potter’s squad, it is vital to keep hold of Paqueta, given that the West Ham star has already proven himself at Premier League level, and it would be a real blow to lose another key player to Spurs.
Tottenham’s 2025 summer transfer window will live in the memory of supporters as their most entertaining in a long while. It was a noteworthy blend of decisive additions and notable setbacks. Their biggest success was hijacking Chelsea’s deal for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for around £52 million.
His arrival adds much-needed creativity and flair to the midfield and forward lines, especially taking into account James Maddison’s ACL injury, Dejan Kulusevski remaining out with a knee problem and Son Heung-min’s exit to the MLS.
|
Tottenham’s summer signings |
Price tag |
|---|---|
|
Mohammed Kudus |
£55 million |
|
Kota Takai |
£5 million |
|
Mathys Tel |
£30 million |
|
Joao Palhinha |
Loan |
|
Kevin Danso |
£21 million |
|
Xavi Simons |
£52 million |
|
Randal Kolo Muani |
Loan |
Despite advanced interest in Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs were unable to complete a deal after Forest blocked it in very unceremonious fashion, leaving the club without a top target in that role for weeks. Another blow came when Eberechi Eze, who was initially close to joining Spurs, made a dramatic switch to Arsenal late in the window — pulling a major U-turn and leaving Tottenham reeling.
Enquires for £100 million Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers followed, but to no avail (Fabrizio Romano).
However, their capture of Simons negated their previous transfer humiliations, coming as an almighty boost for Thomas Frank ahead of his first ever campaign managing a big six Premier League side.
The pressure on Frank to succeed is nothing like he has ever faced at Brentford, and it was crucial that Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici backed him in the market.
Whilst not a perfect window, with Spurs failing to address their shortage at centre-back as well as not signing a proven left-winger, like they wanted to do (Sky Sports), the Lilywhites still reacted to Dominic Solanke’s potentially serious fresh injury by bringing in Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG in a deadline day deal.
It wasn’t your typical Spurs deal for a highly-rated player, either, with Alasdair Gold explaining that their straight loan with no buy option is quite out of the ordinary for Levy.
Yves Bissouma is still widely expected to leave even after the deadline, as the transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia remain open, with Tottenham believed to have held talks over a potential long-term replacement for him in August.
According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton attracted serious interest from N17 at one point.
As per their information, Tottenham and Palace held discussions about Wharton during the two clubs’ lengthy summer dialogue — where they also spoke about Manor Solomon joining Oliver Glasner’s side on loan and, of course, Eze.
In the final weeks of the window, Spurs and Man United apparently asked about the “generational” 21-year-old’s situation, but neither Palace nor the player were interested in entertaining the move.
While the Eagles know that a big move for him in the future is very much possible, it wasn’t a topic for this summer, and even when a transfer becomes more likely, Steve Parish still values the England international at £100 million.
Levy would have to smash Tottenham’s transfer record for a deal to happen as things stand, but Wharton will be hoping to put his recent injury problems behind him by justifying that price tag and battling his way into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad for 2026.
FC Porto president Andre Villas-Boas has lifted the lid on a bold new plan that could reshape European football, an Iberian Super Cup featuring Spanish and Portuguese giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, and Sporting. The concept, still sitting in what he called “the drawer”, could see Iberian powerhouses go head-to-head in a cross-border spectacle aimed at expanding brands and global reach.