Leicester City stars reassigned due to FFP: Man Utd land £25m target, Newcastle solve defensive cris
Leicester City are the latest club in FFP hot water after following Everton and Nottingham Forest in breaching Profit and Sustainability rules.
Enzo Maresca’s side returned to winning ways on Easter Monday against Watford to get their promotion tilt back on track, but a summer fire sale could ruin the positive vibes brought about by a potential immediate Premier League return.
The Telegraph‘s John Percy recently revealed that the Foxes are ‘under pressure to sell players this summer’ even if they get promoted, while they are facing a points deduction next season after being charged for their PSR breach.
So while Leicester were ‘too good to go down’ last season and have been among the standout teams in the Championship this term, Maresca is at risk of losing a couple of his best players in the summer and this will make their return campaign in the Premier League way more difficult than he would have hoped.
It will surely be to the relief of Foxes supporters that we’ve kindly reassigned five of their priciest assets (fees taken from transfermarkt) to Premier League clubs, with Manchester United and Newcastle United among the teams to profit from Leicester’s misdemeanours…
Patson Daka (£12m) – AFC Bournemouth
Previously linked with Manchester United and Manchester City
Related video: Leicester City facing action over alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules (Dailymotion)
, Daka – who was a prolific goalscorer for RB Salzburg – did not reach previous lofty heights in the Premier League as he was regularly behind Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho in the pecking order at The King Power Stadium.This was also the case during the opening few months of this season after a proposed summer move to Bournemouth fell through on deadline day. But credit needs to go to Daka, who has taken his opportunity with both hands after injuries to Vardy and Iheanacho afforded him a rare run in the first-team.
The Zambia international has seven goals and four assists in his 15 Championship appearances this term and during an interview with The Athletic in February, he insisted that he would return to the Premier League as a “different player” following his experiences in the division below.
And Daka could show he is a “different player” at Bournemouth, who could renew their interest in the 25-year-old with 16-goal forward Dominic Solanke potentially on the move.
READ MORE: Gyokeres 3rd… Top 10 available strikers ranked as Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea chase new No. 9
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£25m) – Manchester United
Leicester City star man Dewsbury-Hall is the player they can make the most money from this summer, with transfermarkt likely under-pegging his valuation as the 25-year-old has been tipped to cost £40m this summer.Having previously gone under the radar compared to James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, the drop to the Championship has allowed Dewsbury-Hall to show his class and he has been sensational for the title-chasers.
The midfielder has stepped up for the Foxes in moments of need and 24 goal involvements in 38 games is a stunning tally for a player in his position.
Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur are already being mentioned as potential destinations for Dewsbury-Hall in the summer but Man Utd are also understood to be keen. With co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said to be emphasising signing English talent, the new-look Old Trafford recruitment structure could do a lot worse than look at the Foxes star (and Jarrad Branthwaite) as a priority summer addition.
© Provided by Football365
Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action for Leicester City.
Wout Faes (£17m) – Newcastle United
Leicester City’s lack of transfer activity last season contributed to their downfall last season as Faes was one of only three players to join the Foxes for fees during their relegation campaign.Faes has proven to be a worthwhile signing for Leicester as he was one of their better performers last season and he has remained an integral figure following their relegation from the Premier League.
Despite competing with summer signings Conor Coady and Callum Doyle, Faes has earned Maresca’s trust and has featured in all but three of Leicester City’s Championship games this term.
If Faes were to move on, it is easy to see him heading to St James’ Park, especially amid Newcastle United’s ongoing injury crisis. With centre-backs Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles suffering serious knee injuries, the low-cost addition of Faes would be a welcome remedy for Eddie Howe’s selection headaches.
Harry Winks (£10m) – Everton
Leicester buying Winks from Tottenham Hotspur was one of the coups of last summer’s transfer window as this signing firmed up the theory that Maresca’s side would be the team to beat in the Championship this season.We expected Winks to sign for a lowly Premier League team and tipped the England international to be a class above the rest in the Championship and this has proven to be the case.
The 28-year-old has only missed one league game this season as his selfless work rate has enabled Dewsbury-hall and Leicester’s abundance of attacking options to take most of the limelight.
Winks’ Tottenham career did not end as he would have intended but his valuable learning experience in Serie A with Sampdoria rejuvenated him upon his return to England and most bottom-half Premier League sides would surely be happy to have him in their squad.
He joined Sampdoria on loan during the 2022 summer window but before this move came about, Frank Lampard’s Everton wanted him but a £20m deal did not end up being completed. They could get him for around half of that fee now…
READ MORE: What the FFP is going on? Forest appeal, Man City ‘expulsion’, Chelsea wait, Everton PSR fight and Leicester?
Stephy Mavididi (£9.5m) – West Ham United
Speaking of transfer coups, Leicester invested around £6.5m to sign winger Mavididi from Ligue Un outfit Montpellier last summer and he has already proven to be a bargain.The former Arsenal academy product returned to England last year after cutting his teeth in Europe with Juventus, Dijon and Montpellier. Like many others, the 25-year-old has benefitted from honing his graft away from the limelight and he’s taken the Championship by storm this season.
Mavididi has contributed with eleven goals and five assists this term and he’s ready to become a regular in the Premier League.
West Ham are already spoilt for choice in attacking areas with the frightening combination of Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen, but *at least* one of the three will surely leave this summer.
While Mavididi is not yet to the calibre of the current Hammers trio, a small portion of the reported £85m fee from Man City for Paqueta can go on stealing the Leicester City standout as they repeat last summer’s rebuild following the sale of Declan Rice.
Man Utd, City put on hold as crucial condition emerges for Arsenal, Liverpool target’s transfer decision
Four Premier League clubs are interested in signing Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich, but the Bundesliga giants are persuading the midfielder to wait for one thing to happen before any major decision about his future, according to a report.
Kimmich is approaching the final year of his contract with Bayern, which has placed a number of clubs on alert. The versatile Germany international would be a smart pickup if he is available on a cut-price fee in the summer, should Bayern have to sell him.
There have been rumours of Pep Guardiola wanting to reunite with him at Manchester City, although they could face competition from Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as neighbours Manchester United.
Now, all of those contenders have learned a crucial condition that will have to be determined before they can try and sign Kimmich.
According to HITC, Bayern have convinced the 29-year-old to wait and see who their next manager is before he decides whether to leave or stay.
Bayern have already announced that they will be parting company with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season. Options on their shortlist to replace him include Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann.
The latter already had a spell in charge of Bayern before, so has worked with Kimmich for club and country.
When Bayern sacked Nagelsmann in 2023, Kimmich said: “I can only say that Julian Nagelsmann is an outstanding coach. He’s easily in my top three best coaches.”Related video: Why Everybody's Wrong About Arsenal (FourFourTwo)
Presumably, the prospect of working with him again could make a Bayern stay slightly more appealing for Kimmich. However, it is not a foregone conclusion that Nagelsmann – despite his contract with Germany ending after Euro 2024 – will be the next Bayern manager.
Whoever it is, though, will be a major factor for Kimmich to consider as he plans his own future towards the end of his prime years.
European giants in Kimmich queue
He has played for Bayern since 2015, making 379 appearances. His ability to operate as either a defensive-midfielder or a right-back has earned him plenty of admirers over the years, who may now be sensing a chance to get their hands on him.
The report claims that, other than the four clubs looking to bring him to the Premier League for the first time, Kimmich has also attracted attention from outside Germany with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain all considering him a potential target.
However, HITC concludes that Kimmich is ‘seriously’ thinking about a move to England.
It is not yet entirely clear what the asking price might be for the former RB Leipzig man, but Bayern will almost certainly be making a useful profit on him if they do have to cash in.
After all, they only paid €8.5m for him nine years ago. Even with 12 months left on his contract, Kimmich is comfortably worthy of a much more significant fee these days.
READ MORE: Big-money Man Utd signing accelerates after selling club line up Arsenal and Liverpool-linked replacements
Arsenal told they CAN’T win Premier League title with three games to kill Arteta bid and lift Liverpool, Man City
Arsenal will once again fall agonisingly short in the Premier League title race, according to one pundit, who believes three tough matches will ultimately end their chances and hand either Liverpool or Manchester City the advantage.
For the first time in years, the Premier League title race is being contested by three sides in the closing weeks of the season, serving up what looks to be an epic conclusion to the season and in the race to be crowned champions of England. And all of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have very strong individual reasons for wanting to ensure this is their year.
The Merseysiders, for example, hope the match serves as a golden farewell for departing manager Jurgen Klopp, who will wave goodbye to Anfield after close to nine years at the helm. Title winners in 2020, the German would love nothing more than to sign off with a second title triumph of his reign.
DON’T MISS: Why Arsenal WILL beat Liverpool and Man City to the Premier League title: Key defensive improvements explained
Arsenal, meanwhile, are chasing their first domestic league crown in 20 years – the year since their famous Invincibles side – in what would be a brilliant reward for the huge strides made under Mikel Arteta over the past couple of seasons.
The team that denied them last season – Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City – are themselves looking for a fourth-successive title; a feat never-before achieved by a side in England. That shot at history could be enough alone to get Guardiola’s side over the line once again in their quest for mortality.Related video: Premier League: Paul Coyte looks back at wins for Arsenal and Man City (GB News)
Paul Coyd is here, as you can see.
Video Player is loading.
All three sides are also still involved in European competition; Man City and Arsenal could meet in the Champions League semi-finals if both win their respected semi-finals against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Pundit names three games that will end Arsenal Premier League title chances
Liverpool, meanwhile, are favourites to win the Europa League and could face Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the final if the Reds overcome first Atalanta and then Benfica or Marseille in the semi-finals. The Germans face West Ham next, before a potential last four showdown with one of AC Milan or Roma.
However, it is domestic matters which will take on their focus first with City away at Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime knowing a win can see them move level with Liverpool at the top. Arsenal then tackle Brighton at the Amex on Saturday evening, while the match of the weekend sees Liverpool travel to Manchester United in a game Erik ten Hag’s side will be desperate to win.
Pundit Danny Murphy though reckons that, overall, it is Arsenal who have the far tougher run-in, naming the three matches in which he thinks Arsenal will come unstuck.
And speaking to talkSPORT, former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Murphy, feels the first of those banana skins comes their way this weekend on the south coast.
“This is what we want from a Premier League title race,” Murphy said. “Unless you’re a Man City fan you probably want someone else to win it.
“I wanted Arsenal to win it last year, for example. It’s not that I don’t admire Man City, of course I do, it’s a phenomenal team with a great manager. But we need that competition in the Premier League and this is turning into a real ding dong.
“I don’t think Arsenal will get over the line, just because of the fixtures. They’ve got to go to Tottenham, Old Trafford and Brighton.”
Arteta points to crucial Arsenal games
Gunners boss Arteta, who won the FA Cup in his first season at the helm but is yet to lift silverware since, also knows those three matches will be crucial.
Assessing the run-in, he knows his players will need to be at their very best to see the job through.
“Yes, but at home as well,” he said. “We have the Champions League games and we have some big games at home, so every game in this league is extremely difficult.
“You look at last night [Thursday] what happened again and everybody is just suffering to win because the level is so high and we’re going to have a really tough opponent again in Brighton. We know that, so we’ll prepare well and try to be better than them and try to win.”
READ MORE: The world-class XI Arsenal could field next season if Arteta lands top midfield, striker targets
Virgil van Dijk agrees with candid Jordan Henderson admission as Liverpool change explained
Jordan Henderson candidly expressed his feelings about leaving Liverpool a few weeks ago, a decision he believes was ultimately beneficial for the club despite the personal pain it caused him. The stalwart midfielder, who spent over a decade at Anfield, made the switch to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia last year before quickly transferring to Ajax this January following a challenging stint.
The 33-year-old's departure coincided with a period of significant transition at Liverpool as Jürgen Klopp reshaped his squad in preparation for what would be his last season at the helm. Reflecting on the upheaval last month, Henderson acknowledged the necessity of the changes.
"It was the best thing for the club and the team, and you can see that in the performances and how they've done, as much as that hurts me," Henderson remarked, via the Daily Mirror, before Ajax's Europa Conference League game against Aston Villa. "It's football and you move on. I'm so happy it's worked out for them so far and I've just got my fingers crossed it can be a fairytale end for Jürgen because he deserves it."
READ MORE: Liverpool injury latest and return dates pre-Man Utd as Diogo Jota and Wataru Endō boosts near
READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp ace advised to find new club this summer as staying at Liverpool is 'waste of time'Related video: Virgil van Dijk hopes composure will help Liverpool win title (Daily Mail)Henderson further commented on his departure, saying: "Looking back, I think it was the right time for me as a player [to leave] but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time.
"I was very emotional. Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club. It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil [van Dijk] becoming captain, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] becoming vice-captain, and how they've stepped up again this season. I think it has given them another lift."
And now Van Dijk, while saddened to see his close friend depart, has acknowledged that a reshuffle within the team's ranks was inevitable. "Jordan is a good friend of mine and we've been through everything together," Van Dijk shared with the Daily Mirror after being unveiled as an ambassador for Expedia.
"He's been one of the best captains Liverpool have had, with everything we achieved. He was amazing for the club and that won't change. But in football things happen like this.
"Players eventually move on and other players have to step up. The moment he left then things were going to shift, especially with our vice-captain James Milner leaving before him too. There were always going to be some changes in the squad, and new roles for different players, including me, but things like this happen and others have to step up and I think we all have done that."
With Van Dijk now wearing the captain's armband and Alexander-Arnold as his right-hand man, they can lean on the wisdom of the rest of Liverpool's leadership group — Andy Robertson, Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah. Van Dijk has emphasized the collective effort this season.
"It's good to have different opinions in order to make the right decision when it has to be made," he explained. "We definitely have certain things to be discussed, they can be small or big, and we have to rely on each other and it is working very well.
"The players in the group have all stepped up and are enjoying that responsibility. You have to do it together. That's what we try to do, and it's going pretty well."
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk has really stepped up this season and his performances are back to their peak levels. With the Dutchman in top form and Alexis Mac Allister playing brilliantly, Liverpool has two of the leading contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award. If the Reds go on to win the league, it will be a worthy outcome after a successful period of transition.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Daily Mirror by clicking here.
