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After securing automatic promotion back into the Championship, Derby County have shifted their focus towards their summer plans, with their first priority seemingly keeping hold of a future star.

Derby transfer news

The Rams weren't always on course to secure League One promotion, but Paul Warne's side battled well in the end to deservedly return to England's second division, finishing five points above closest challengers Bolton Wanderers.

The task must now be to put a squad together which is capable of staying up in the Championship – in an ideal world, this promotion will only be the start despite their limited finances. It wasn't so long ago when Frank Lampard's Derby young side were gunning for the Premier League and that's where the Rams must get back to.

It's not just the transfer market that will help ensure that survival and more, however. Those at Pride Park must also keep hold of players this summer, including youngster Darren Robinson.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Derby are in advanced talks with Robinson over a new deal at the club. As things stand, the 19-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the season in what would be a disaster for the Rams. The hope will be that the lure of Championship football is enough to convince the defensive midfielder to stay put, despite only making one appearance in the senior side this term.

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By
Kelan Sarson

May 9, 2024

It's then next season that Robinson will be looking to secure more first-team opportunities. As Derby earned promotion in the current campaign, the Northern Irishman's only showing came in the EFL trophy against Wolverhampton Wanderers' U21s.

At a crossroads, the next few weeks will be crucial for Robinson's future, whether he decides to stay put at Derby or seek opportunities elsewhere.

"Major talent" Robinson needs first-team minutes

Given the fact that he's yet to really be handed an opportunity under Warne, it's not too surprising to see Robinson's future still up in the air. The midfielder needs first team minutes to progress and that must come next season, even with Derby now in the Championship. Journalist Josh Bunting is certainly among those who'll be waiting to see Robinson progress, having handed him significant praise at the end of last year.

Described as a "major talent", Derby should do everything they can to renew Robinson's current deal and avoid dropping the ball entirely by allowing a free exit this summer. The last thing the Rams should want is to watch their youngster leave for nothing, before becoming worth the type of transfer fee they could use to improve Warne's side even further.

Manchester City have named 16-year-old centre-back Kaden Braithwaite in their starting XI to face Watford in the Carabao Cup.

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• Braithwaite handed first Man City start
• Becomes club's third youngest player ever
• Has impressed Guardiola in training

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Braithwaite will make his senior Manchester City debut on Tuesday after being named in Pep Guardiola's starting XI to face Watford in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The defender will become the third-youngest player in City's history when he takes to the field at the age of 16 years and 183 days. Braithwaite will also become the youngest player ever to be selected by Guardiola during his time at the club.

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  Braithwaite is a versatile defender who can play either as a left-back or at left centre-back. He has been in action this season for the club's Under-18 side, featuring in all four of their games, including a 6-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest last time out. Braithwaite has also featured for England's Under-17s this season and scored in a 3-1 win over Germany earlier in September alongside Arsenal record-breaker Max Dowman.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Braithwaite was one of 12 Manchester City players to sign scholarships ahead of the 2024/25 season back in July. The cohort also included Reigan Heskey, son of former England and Liverpool striker Emile.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRAITHWAITE

  Braithwaite has been selected to start after impressing Guardiola in training, according to The Athletic. He's in the starting XI alongside fellow teens Nico O'Reilly and Jacob Wright. The defender will hope he can shine against Watford and stake a claim for more first-team minutes this season with the Premier League champions.

Everton could reportedly now decide to sell a "monster" figure this summer, in order to keep Jarrad Branthwaite at the club ahead of next season.

Everton exit rumours

While the Blues will hopefully be eyeing a host of new signings at the end of this season, there may also be a huge amount of focus on two players who could head the other way.

The individuals in question are Branthwaite and Amadou Onana, both of whom are undisputed key players for Sean Dyche, with the Everton manager no doubt keen to keep hold of both.

In fact, Manchester United have been linked with completing the double signing of both Branthwaite and Onana, with part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe considering them strong targets to come in and take the club forward.

The midfielder, who earns £100,000 per week currently, has appeared in 29 of Everton's 37 Premier League games this season, and has been described as a "monster duel-winner" by Raj Chohan.

Then there's Branthwaite, who has been so impressive at the heart of Dyche's defence alongside James Tarkowski, even scoring the opening goal in Everton's memorable 2-0 win at home to Liverpool last month. He has won an average of 2.8 aerial duels per game in the league this season, pushing hard to be part of England's squad at Euro 2024.

Onana could be axed to keep Branthwaite

Now, according to an intriguing update from Football Insider, Everton are willing to "sacrifice" Onana in order to keep hold of Branthwaite this summer, seemingly seeing the latter as the more important of the two.

It is stated that Bayern Munich are "extremely interested" in snapping up Onana before the beginning of next season, adding that "Everton are aware they will need to sell players this summer in a bid to avoid breaching Premier League financial rules again."

If push came to shove, it does feel as though retaining Branthwaite over Onana would be the more preferable outcome for the Blues this summer. That's not to say that losing the midfielder would be good news, but he hasn't been as prominent a figure in the team of late, in terms of featuring week in, week out.

At 21, Branthwaite is also the younger of the pair, albeit admittedly only by a year, and his partnership with Tarkowski feels integral to the team's success moving forward, with the duo proving to be the bedrock of the team during a challenging season on and off the pitch at Goodison Park.

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The fact that Branthwaite is a young homegrown talent also adds to the importance of keeping hold of him, unlike Onana, and while his head could easily be turned by the idea of joining United, or another huge Premier League club for that matter, the hope is that the defender sees a future at Everton, ahead of next year's exciting move to Bramley Moore Dock.

A number of young players have made a name for themselves in Europe's premier club competition, and the latest batch could be the best yet

The Champions League is back, and with a brand new look. But whether you are in favour of, against or merely struggling to understand the 'Swiss Model', rest assured that plenty will stay the same about Europe's biggest and best club competition; Real Madrid will keep winning from impossible positions, Paris Saint-Germain will embarrass themselves in the knockout rounds, and those nights at Anfield will continue to be spine-tingling.

One other thing the new league format will not take away is the potential for young players to prove themselves on the biggest stage. A number of teenage talents have gone from relative unknowns to household names in the blink of an eye thanks to their Champions League performances in recent years, and the 2024-25 edition should be no different.

So who are the players to look out for over the next nine months? GOAL runs through the NXGN-eligible teenagers (born 2005 or later) who are set to light up the Champions League this time around…

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  Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich)

  Though Aznou is yet to make his first-team debut for Bayern, he is regarded as one of the top talents within the Allianz Arena, and is expected to be part of Vincent Kompany's plans as the campaign wears on.

  Having joined from Barcelona in 2022, the 18-year-old left-back is being tipped to step into Alphonso Davies boots if the Real Madrid target leaves at the end of his contract next summer. In the meantime, he has already become a senior international after making his Morocco debut in the September international break.

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  Isaac Babadi (PSV)

  Capable of playing both in central midfield and on the left-hand side of the attack, Babadi made 22 appearances in all competitions for PSV last term, and continues to impress when given the opportunity by Peter Bosz.

  Previously linked with Premier League clubs, the 19-year-old signed a new four-year deal towards the end of last season, and some strong showings in the Champions League could spark further interest in his services.

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  Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco)

  Ben Seghir broke onto the scene in December 2022 when he stepped off the bench to make his Monaco debut against Auxerre and turned the game on its head, scoring twice to secure a 3-2 win. Though injuries have impacted his development since, the attacking midfielder is now established as a starter at Stade Louis II.

  A four-time Morocco international, the 19-year-old is light on his feet and a bag of tricks with an eye for the spectacular, and if he can stay fit, this should be Ben Seghir's true breakout campaign.

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  Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille)

  Though he will not turn 17 until October, Bouaddi already has 20 first-team appearances to his name at Lille, where he was described as the best academy product since Eden Hazard even before he became the club's youngest-ever player just under a year ago.

  A holding midfielder who has also spent time filling in at centre-back, the France youth international figures to be one of the youngest players in this season's Champions League, but also one of the most promising.

Southampton's Jack Stephens has received a two-match ban and a fine following his rant at the officials after his red card against Manchester United.

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• Stephens was shown a red against Man Utd
• Swore at match officials while walking away
• Issued an apology for his choice of words

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Stephens was shown red by referee Stuart Attwell for a foul on Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho in the 79th minute of the game at St. Mary's Stadium, last month. Following his dismissal, the defender admitted during an FA regulatory commission hearing to using inappropriate language directed towards Attwell and fourth official Gavin Ward.

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  Stephens called Ward a “f*cking little c***” and then referred to him as a “c***” once more when he was making his way down the tunnel, per The Athletic. Attwell also testified that he too was the subject of the same derogatory language from Stephens immediately after showing the red card.

• WHAT STEPHENS SAID

  In the commission, Stephens expressed deep regret for his actions and issued a formal apology. He described the language he used as "out of character" and expressed remorse for the emotional response to the situation.

  “I bitterly regret my choice of language. The language I used is out of character for me," he said.

  During the hearing, he told the commission: “When the decision was confirmed I was upset. I did something that I am very disappointed with myself for. I know the importance of accepting a referee’s decision but instead I spoke to him saying something that I would not normally say. I then used that language again to Mr Ward.

  “This is not an excuse, but it was in the heat of the moment and I was not aggressive towards either of the officials and did not argue with them and left the pitch, returning only to pass on the captain’s armband.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR STEPHENS?

  Stephens has already served part of his punishment, having missed Southampton's Carabao Cup tie against Everton, as well as league fixtures against Ipswich Town and Bournemouth. The three-match suspension for the red card, handed down due to the serious foul play against Garnacho, will now be extended by an additional two games as a result of his outburst towards the officials.

  As a consequence, the 30-year-old defender will be unavailable for Southampton's upcoming Premier League fixtures, which include a challenging away match against Arsenal on October 5, followed by a home game against Leicester City on October 19.

Aston Villa’s turnaround from relegation candidates in October 2022 to Champions League qualifiers 18 months later is nothing short of remarkable.

Appointing Unai Emery – who had plenty of experience at the top of the game managing the likes of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain – proved to be the catalyst for Villa to embark on this stunning transformation.

They can now look forward to potential clashes against the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or Inter Milan next season, but this is just the first step on the journey under the Spaniard.

The summer will be spent eyeing up signings that can add some quality to several positions in his squad while also providing plenty of depth, something which Emery lacks.

He may be forced to sell one or two of his star performers in order to comply with financial fair play regulations, which could see the likes of Douglas Luiz or even Leon Bailey move on for big money this summer if the right offer comes in.

This isn’t the first time that the club have been forced into selling one of their prized assets, with Gareth Barry’s sale to Manchester City being a key example.

If you adjust for inflation over the years, Barry’s move to Manchester in the summer of 2009 was for a transfer fee which is currently more than the value of Bailey, who has been one of the club’s finest performers this season.

Leon Bailey’s market value in 2024

Bailey joined the Midlands side in 2021, yet he has taken until a couple of years to really showcase his true talents in the Premier League.

Across 52 games in all competitions throughout 2023/24, the former Bayer Leverkusen winger has registered 28 goal contributions – 14 goals and 14 assists – becoming a star player for Emery in what was a wonderful campaign.

Among his teammates, Bailey ranked second in the top flight for goals and assists (19), along with ranking third for shots on target per game (0.5), second for big chances created (12) and for successful dribbles per match (1.6), underlining how important he was to the squad.

This form surely won’t go unnoticed on the continent. Could Emery potentially cash in on one of his prized assets should an offer which is too good to refuse arrive during the summer?

According to Football Transfers, Bailey is currently valued at €23m (£19.6m) and this could rise should he continue his recent form into next season, regardless of who he is playing for.

In 2009, Villa did move on one of their most important players for a decent profit, as Barry joined the City revolution and his sale has since turned out to be more than what Bailey is now valued at.

What Gareth Barry would be worth in 2024 money

Barry came through the age groups at Villa before making his debut during the 1997/98 campaign. It wasn’t long before he emerged as a key figure in the Midlands side, going on to make close to 450 competitive appearances for the club.

It looked as though Liverpool were keen on signing the Englishman during the summer of 2008, as Rafa Benitez wanted to bolster his squad, but the transfer saga didn’t amount to much, with Barry spending the next season at Villa.

When City came in for him a year later, however, it was a totally different story. Now bankrolled by their takeover in 2008, the Manchester side spent £12m on getting Barry to the club.

Remarkably, as per Totally Money's index, this £12m transfer fee from 2009 would now be worth just shy of £29m, which is around £10m more than what Bailey is currently valued at.

Barry was arguably hitting his peak when he moved to City aged 28, but it was still an offer which the club felt they couldn’t turn down, especially after the Liverpool saga from a year ago.

What Gareth Barry achieved after leaving Aston Villa

While City were clearly on the ascendency, they were hardly the European juggernauts which Pep Guardiola has turned them into.

Barry appeared 43 times in all competitions during his maiden season before going on to win the FA Cup the following campaign as Roberto Mancini really began to take City to the next level.

The next two seasons saw the midfielder miss just 11 Premier League games, and he finally won the league title that alluded him during his career, as City claimed their first top-flight crown for over 40 years in 2012.

This was to be the highlight of his time at the club as he subsequently joined Everton ahead of the 2013/14 season, playing a handful of seasons for the Toffees before ending his excellent playing career with a spell at West Bromwich Albion in 2020.

The midfielder was certainly one of the most underrated midfielders of his generation and his longevity was superb. Indeed, Barry has made the most appearances in the Premier League since its inception back in 1992, holding the record with 653 games across four different clubs.

He also won 53 caps for England during a period in which the country produced midfielders such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Paul Scholes, again, more evidence of just how good he was during his prime in the mid to late noughties.

Martin O’Neil certainly didn’t want to sell his prized asset in 2009, but on the surface, there is no doubt the Irishman secured an excellent deal for the player.

Barry’s fee from 15 years ago is worth nearly £30m in today’s market, which proves he would be ranked highly if he played in the current era.

Emery, like O’Neil before him, won't be keen on selling his best players. If the Spaniard wishes to advance in Europe and finally end that near three-decade wait for a major trophy, however, he may just have to bite the bullet in order to further enhance his first team squad this summer.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Arsenal have launched a £45m+ bid to sign a transfer target for Mikel Arteta, however, it may not be enough to land the player in question.

Arsenal transfer rumours

It was another campaign of mixed emotions for Arsenal last time out, who took the Premier League title race down to the final day – an improvement on last year – before losing out to Manchester City after the Sky Blues beat West Ham to lift a fourth league title in a row.

Arsenal keen on "phenomenal" £250k-p/w star as Chelsea interest collapses

The Gunners could be set to make a statement signing this summer.

By
Ben Browning

Jun 1, 2024

In their quest to finally chase down the Manchester outfit, the Gunners are seemingly looking to be quite active on the transfer front this summer, with a number of names already tipped to make a move to the Emirates.

It has been claimed that Arsenal are in pole position to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer. The Gunners are said to be among the clubs who have held a long-term interest in the Nigerian, who has a £112m release. Arsenal are also reportedly preparing an official bid for Bologna star Joshua Zirkzee, but Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have the striker on their list of potential targets and are "involved" in the race.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are believed to have held talks with AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana via his representatives, but they face competition from Paris-Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid – who have done the same.

However, there is another big name from Europe being linked with the north Londoners as well. The player in question is RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko. Edu Gaspar and Arteta are thought to be prioritising the addition of a new striker this summer and Sesko has been regularly mentioned by sections of the press as a player who is wanted at Arsenal.

Meanwhile, last month, journalist Christian Falk provided an insight into Arsenal and Manchester United's interest in the hitman.

"Benjamin Sesko is the hottest Bundesliga stock in England at the moment," Falk said. "Arsenal FC and Manchester United are particularly interested in the striker. In Leipzig they say: Sesko is physically even stronger than Erling Haaland (Manchester City). Both strikers were trained at Red Bull Salzburg. Like Haaland, Sesko also demanded an exit clause for a move to the Bundesliga."

Arsenal make £45m+ transfer offer to sign "intelligent" star

Now, a fresh update on Arsenal's interest in Sesko, who scored 14 in 31 Bundesliga outings this past season, has been provided.

Football Transfers report that the Gunners have made a concrete step towards signing the 21-year-old this summer, with the club launching a bid of €55m (just over £45m) for Sesko. The striker's current release clause is €65m but Arsenal are hopeful their offer will still be accepted.

Should Arsenal complete a move for Sesko, Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has provided an insight into what he could bring to the club. When asked about Sesko, who he may face off against in the Euro 2024 group stages, Petrovic was full of praise for the forward.

"He’s having a good half-season, he’s in great scoring form. I read that he’s scored in his last seven matches in a row. He seems to have gained strong momentum for the Euros. He’s a forward who has everything a modern player needs. He’s tall, strong, fast and intelligent. I’ve watched some of his matches. Of course he can play in the Premier League. Absolutely! He has great potential and he’s been successfully proving it in recent months."

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson could head back to England during the January transfer window after struggling at Ajax.

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• Henderson could come back to Premier League
• Struggling for minutes with Ajax
• Left Saudi Pro League after six months

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 34-year-old left Liverpool last summer to complete a move to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League with Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard. However, his stay in the Middle East lasted only six months as he mutually terminated his contract to make a permanent move back to Europe with Ajax.

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  Now, The Sun reports that Henderson could leave the Dutch giants after just one year as he is struggling to make an impact in the Netherlands. The England international's situation is said to have alerted some Premier League clubs, though several top Championship sides are also keen on signing him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  When the midfielder left the Saudi Pro League earlier this year, reports emerged that tax issues could prevent his move back to England, and The Sun claim that similar problems could crop up once again if he leaves Netherlands for his homeland.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JORDAN HENDERSON?

  The veteran English star could be next seen in action on Sunday as Ajax take on Groningen at home in an important Eredivisie fixture.

Former referee Mike Dean claims Mohammed Kudus could be set for a lengthy ban after being sent off during West Ham's 4-1 loss to Tottenham.

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• Kudus sent off for violent conduct
• Kicked Micky van de Ven and hit out at Pape Matar Sarr
• Dean expects hefty punishment beyond three-game ban

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kudus had a moment of madness during West Ham's humbling 4-1 defeat to Spurs on Saturday, as he first kicked out at Van de Ven, before pushing him in the face. Then, in an ensuing melee, the winger also pushed Pape Matar Sarr in the face; he was initially shown a yellow card, but it was upgraded to a red after VAR's intervention. He had scored the Hammers' only goal.

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  Kudus will face a three-game ban by default because of his straight red but Dean believes that he could be handed a further punishment by the FA as a result of his behaviour. As it stands, he will miss clashes with Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Everton.

• WHAT MIKE DEAN SAID

  Dean said on : "When you see the footage back, the first one he could have got sent off for, which hopefully he has.

  "Hopefully the second one the FA will then take retrospective action so he'll get done twice in my opinion because he's hit two different players in the face on two occasions."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Kudus will wait anxiously to discover if he receives a further punishment. After his three-game suspension, the Hammers play Newcastle away and host Arsenal; being without the Ghana international would be a serious blow.

With new manager Enzo Maresca at the helm, Chelsea aren’t waiting around to get their transfer business complete.

Tosin Adarabioyo is already in the door, having joined on a free transfer from Fulham, and Michael Olise could very well be next.

According to a reports, Olise has agreed personal terms with the Blues as they look to bolster the attack.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a current Chelsea star who is now worth twice as much as Olise after just one year in the Premier League.

What Chelsea paid for Nicolas Jackson

Towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Nicolas Jackson finally announced himself to La Liga with an insane run of form.

With eight league games to go, the 22-year-old had just three goals to his name, but he ended the campaign with 12 goals in total and four assists in 16 starts.

This remarkable increase in performance was enough for Chelsea to take the risk of buying him last summer as they looked to replace Kai Havertz, who joined Arsenal.

The former Villarreal ace arrived at Stamford Bridge for a reasonable £30m, signing an eight-year contract at £65k-per-week, as per Capology.

Nicolas Jackson’s value in 2024

To begin with, Jackson found it somewhat difficult to adapt to the tempo of the Premier League, scoring twice in his first nine league appearances.

However, on November 6th against Tottenham Hotspur, the number 15 showed exactly why Chelsea brought him to the club, scoring a hat-trick.

The Senegal striker also netted in the following game against Manchester City, with his development earning him a spot in the starting lineup.

Over the campaign, the “extraordinary” Jackson, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, started 31 league matches, mainly as a centre forward, scoring 14 goals and supplying five assists in the process, making him the second-highest goal contributor in the squad.

Due to his consistent ability to be a handful in every game and put the ball in the back of the net, Jackson’s value has increased significantly.

As per CIES’ Football Observatory, the attacker is now estimated to be worth £67m, which makes him one of the most valuable players in the Chelsea squad.

This makes him only less valuable than Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, while being on par with Moises Caicedo.

Furthermore, when compared to Olise’s £60m asking price, Jackson is worth just a tad more, despite the former being regarded as one of the best Premier League players last season with ten goals and six assists in 14 starts.

Not only is Jackson one of the most valuable strikers in England, but he currently holds the status of the joint highest-valued African player in the Premier League, alongside Mohammed Kudus of West Ham.

Considering that the right-footed attacker is still only 22 years old, he has shown plenty of promise, and if he continues to perform, his value will continue to increase.

Chelsea deserve great credit for picking up Jackson last summer, and it’s clear that they truly hit the jackpot on his signature.

No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.

By
Tom Lever

May 29, 2024