There is increased optimism from all parties that a deal can be finalised for Joshua Zirkzee’s move from Bologna to Manchester United.
Extensive talks have taken place with Zirkzee’s representatives and there is a broad agreement on terms with the player.
As was reported by Sky Sports, United have made it clear they will meet the 23-year-old’s £34m release clause.
Discussions are ongoing internally over whether United will pay the clause in full or negotiate a structure with Bologna.
Zirkzee is with the Netherlands squad at Euro 2024 and made his first appearance of the tournament in Saturday night’s quarter-final win over Turkey, coming on as a late substitute.
Arsenal and AC Milan are also interested in Zirkzee, who has two years left on his contract with Bologna.
Juventus are another club keen on Zirkzee but are currently working on other targets, and they would need to sell a striker to bring one in.
Why is Zirkzee in demand?
Image: Zirkzee is also on Arsenal’s radar
Zirkzee graduated through Bayern Munich’s system and had spells with Parma and Anderlecht before joining Bologna in the summer of 2022.
The forward received limited game time in his first campaign in Serie A, scoring only two league goals from 808 minutes.
Last season he scored 11 league goals and the shot map below suggests he is most lethal from the left-of-centre region.
The heat map below also shows how the forward typically plays deeper than a conventional striker.
He also ranks among the top five players in Serie A for creating big chances, attempting dribbles and regaining possession in the final third.
Indeed, the radar graphic below reveals he ranks among the top five per cent across Europe in those three metrics.
When does the summer transfer window close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at midnight in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
As sure as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Cristiano Ronaldo’s name appeared on Portugal’s team-sheet on Friday night. Perhaps for the last time. But there was no romanticism about his selection, Roberto Martinez wanted him there.
Only goalkeeper Diogo Costa played more minutes for Portugal this summer, as their tournament ceased with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to France. It felt like an abrupt end for one of the world’s greatest footballing talents, who shed more tears at these championships than he did much else.
This time, though, the tears were not Ronaldo’s. Instead, the Portugal captain’s role was to console a weeping Pepe as another painful quarter-final exit came into full focus.
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo consoled Pepe after Portugal’s penalty shoot-out loss to France
Portugal generated an xG of 9.41 over the five games they played, but only scored three times (five if you include own goals scored by Czech Republic’s Robin Hranac and Turkey’s Samet Akaydin). Ronaldo’s personal tally amounted to zero.
Why, then, was the 39-year-old chosen to lead the line against France over the abundance of talent stationed on Portugal’s exceptionally-gifted bench? Neither Diogo Jota nor Goncalo Ramos even made it onto the pitch, despite the game going the full distance – Martinez persisted with his labouring frontman for the entire 120 minutes. Bruno Fernandes was replaced with 15 minutes to go, but not Ronaldo.
Image: Ronaldo was comforted by team-mates after seeing an extra-time penalty saved against Slovakia
What is more alarming still, is that Portugal did not score at all during their final three fixtures. A 2-0 defeat to Georgia (with a severely-weakened side, that still included Ronaldo), was followed up by goalless stalemates against Slovenia and then fatefully France. Surely Martinez was feeling the heat? Or perhaps the Portuguese following, and press, are also afraid of what a Ronaldo backlash would do to the perceived stability of a side so often saved by their famed No 7.
Because, let’s face it, Ronaldo’s selection was not made on merit, it was dictated by the rigours of reputation. Martinez was scared to leave him out. Ronaldo’s unwavering self-belief in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary permeated all within the Portugal camp – there was little argument to be made. Certainly not one deemed valid enough to stand the great man down.
And so Jota, Ramos and co watched on as Ronaldo enjoyed six fewer touches of the ball than goalkeeper Costa – and less than any other Portuguese player. They agonised as Portugal created, backed up by superior xG data (1.84 to France’s 1.14), the more presentable chances of the two sides without finding the net. And finally, they despaired as France’s Theo Hernandez struck the decisive penalty.
Image: Having dumped Portugal out, France will play Spain in the semi-finals of Euro 2024
Neither Jota, Ramos nor indeed any other forward-minded substitute – reserve some sympathy for Pedro Neto too – was afforded the chance to impact the game. And thus the fascination with Ronaldo – who did convert his spot-kick during the shoot-out – is again called into question. It remains a symptom of a wider stubbornness on both his and Portugal’s behalf. Neither he nor his country can move on from his glory days.
Ronaldo has represented Portugal at six European Championships and four World Cups. He holds the all-time record for most international goals with 130, and is his nation’s most-capped player (212). His overall total of 14 goals is the most ever at Euros finals – for context, France great Michel Platini is second with nine.
And maybe those facts provide as compelling a rationale as any as to why the Portugal manager stood by his talisman until the very last. But this, Ronaldo’s final Euros hurrah, has ended without an in-game goal, and surely, an unavoidable realisation that it is time to move on to the next generation.
The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday’s newspapers…
DAILY MIRROR
Chelsea remain unwilling to meet Napoli’s asking price for striker Victor Osimhen despite the Italian club lowering their demands below his £110m release clause.
Reports in Italy have hinted that Liverpool are in pole position to sign a player Jurgen Klopp wanted while he was in charge at Anfield – Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.
THE SUN
England manager Gareth Southgate says left-back Luke Shaw is fit to start their Euro 2024 quarter-final versus Switzerland and he was also full of praise for the job Kieran Trippier has done in Shaw’s absence.
Chelsea have had a £42m bid for Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion rejected, with the Spanish club holding out for at least £70m.
Reports in Italy claim the Saudi PIF have met with representatives of Kevin De Bruyne and come away happy that the Manchester City midfielder “verbally agreed” to a move to Al-Ittihad.
With several Premier League clubs on the hunt for a new striker, Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz has the lowdown on ten of the most sought-after forwards in Europe.
THE TIMES
Harry Kane has called on England’s players to “repay” Gareth Southgate with the kind of statement performance they have been lacking so far at Euro 2024 when they take on Switzerland for a semi-final spot.
DAILY MAIL
Chelsea have agreed a £12m to sign Portugal U20 defender Renato Veiga from Swiss side FC Basel.
Switzerland and Newcastle United star Fabian Schar has told England to keep their hands off his club boss Eddie Howe, who is one of the favourites to replace Gareth Southgate.
Gregg Berhalter is set to learn his fate next week as US Soccer faces increasingly loud calls to move on from their head coach after a disappointing Copa America exit.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United’s pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee are both ‘going positively’ according to Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth, but their primary focus with Marcus Rashford is getting him back to his best form.
Manchester United have given Bruno Fernandes the go-ahead to open transfer talks with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund which could end up with him joining good friend Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, according to reports.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Leicester City hope to add free-agent forward Bobby Decordova-Reid to their squad over the weekend.
Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth outlines how Arsenal are interested in signing Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.
Switzerland’s goalkeepers have been training in futuristic battery-powered sunglasses designed to sharpen their reflexes ahead of the Euro 2024 last-eight clash with England.
The row over Olympic Games selection policy at UK Athletics continues to deepen, with hammer thrower Anna Purchase saying she fears for her future in the sport after being omitted from the team despite being in the world’s top 16.
Police in Germany have arrested a security guard who used to work for the family of stricken Formula One driver Michael Schumacher in connection with a recent blackmail attempt.
Watch the best of Arne Slot’s first press conference for Liverpool, as the Dutchman begins the task of taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
DAILY RECORD
Birmingham City have reportedly made their move to try and sign former Dundee loan defender Owen Beck from Liverpool on a temporary basis.
Kenny Miller has agreed to join former Celtic boss Ronny Deila in the United Arab Emirates with Al-Wahda.
Celtic have “positioned themselves” in the chase to sign Switzerland’s third-choice goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo from Lorient according to reports in France.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Celtic have made an approach to sign Adam Idah from Norwich City on a permanent basis this summer.
The striker joined Brendan Rodgers’ side on loan in the winter window and scored nine goals in 19 games – including their Scottish Cup final winner against Rangers – as Celtic added to their Premiership title success.
Sky Sports News revealed in January there was no option-to-buy clause in the loan deal, but, speaking in May, Rodgers made it clear he was keen to keep the 23-year-old at the club this summer.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes he can keep Scottish Cup goal hero Idah after his impressive loan from Norwich
“He’s been the real catalyst for us,” said Rodgers after their Scottish Cup final win. “I knew what I was getting, he’s fast and dynamic and has strength.
“What he’s shown since coming in is he is a goalscorer. Great headers, great movement in the box.
“He’s been absolutely immense for us and he’s clearly someone I would like to do something with.”
‘Celtic have to keep their best players’
Chris Sutton discusses Celtic’s transfer targets with a goalkeeper and striker on the wanted list, plus can they keep a hold of Matt O’Riley?
When discussing Celtic’s summer transfer targets, Sky Sports’ Chris Sutton told Sky Sports News last week: “There’s still a lot of work for Celtic to do over the summer, but Brendan Rodgers will feel he’s got his feet under the table again and feel like he’s in a stronger position than he was last season.
“He needs a goalkeeper, Joe Hart was brilliant for three seasons and he will be a big miss and big gloves to fill. That centre-forward position as well. Adam Idah came in January and really did well. I’d be surprised if they weren’t trying to do a deal, but Norwich City with their new manager will want to keep him.
“They certainly need to strengthen in that centre-forward position and hold onto Matt O’Riley as well. If they want to do well in Europe next season they have to hold on to their best players.
“I always think Celtic should do their business early in the transfer window, they dawdled last summer and I just wonder why there is a delay in this transfer window.”
‘A lot of work to be done’
Image: Will Idah and Paulo Bernardo make permanent moves to Celtic this summer?
When asked last week if Celtic could make moves for Idah or fellow loanee Paulo Bernardo this summer, assistant John Kennedy told Sky Sports News on Thursday: “Again, there are a lot of conversations taking place as we come back for pre-season and hopefully in the coming weeks some things will start to happen.
“There are a lot of plates spinning and a lot of work to be done.”
When does the summer transfer window close?
The 2024 summer transfer window is now open and will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Chelsea have shown further interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
New Blues boss Enzo Maresca is keen to add a proven Premier League goalscorer to his ranks and Isak fits the bill.
Newcastle need to sell a player to comply with Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) before July 1 and would be looking for over £100m to consider selling their star striker.
Newcastle do not want to sell any of their star players this window but are aware of the delicate situation and could incur a points deduction if they don’t sell.
Chelsea’s first enquiry landed earlier this week and Sky Sports News understands there has been further contact between the clubs on Friday.
Our pick of Alexander Isak’s best Premier League goals for Newcastle from the 2023/24 season
Isak scored 25 goals last season for Newcastle despite missing two parts of the season with a recurring groin injury.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s Yankuba Minteh was close to a £35m move to Everton earlier this week but the deal fell through.
Sky Sports News’ James Savundra explains what the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) rules are and why it is so important Premier League clubs follow them.
Chelsea and Leicester in talks over Dewsbury-Hall
Image: Chelsea are yet to make a formal offer for Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Talks are ongoing between Chelsea and Leicester over a deal for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Chelsea made their approach on Thursday but are yet to make a formal offer.
Sky Sports News understands some of the discussions are around the potential for a player to move in the opposite direction to Leicester.
Leicester are among the clubs under pressure to sell one or more players before Sunday to comply with PSR.
Brighton have also been very interested in Dewsbury-Hall and Leicester, in turn, have an interest in signing Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder.
Aston Villa sign Maatsen from Chelsea
Image: Ian Maatsen impressed on loan at Borussia Dortmund this season
Aston Villa have completed the signing of left-back Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.
The 22-year-old has signed a six-year deal and moves to Villa Park for a fee of £37.5m.
Maatsen had a £35m release clause which expired earlier this month, allowing Chelsea to negotiate the higher price they agreed with Villa.
Borussia Dortmund were keen on signing the defender on a permanent deal after his successful loan spell with them last season. They made offers but fell short of the original release clause.
Ziyech joins Galatasaray on permanent deal
Image: Hakim Ziyech joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan last August
Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech has completed a permanent transfer to Galatasaray.
The 31-year-old joined the Super Lig side on a season-long loan last August and scored six league goals in 18 league appearances, producing three assists.
Ziyech leaves Chelsea after four years at Stamford Bridge, where he won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
He scored 14 goals and provided 13 assists in 107 appearances after joining in a £33.3m deal from Ajax.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday’s newspapers…
DAILY MAIL
AC Milan have shown an interest in Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin as talks continue for the striker with Newcastle.
David Beckham is keen to sign Raphael Varane at Inter Miami this summer after the defender’s Manchester United exit.
Image: Dominic Calvert-Lewin controls the ball against Sheffield United
THE TIMES
The England squad have turned to the Professional Footballers’ Association for assistance with their commercial rights after splitting with the agent who also acted for the manager Gareth Southgate.
RB Leipzig are one of a number of teams interested in signing Liverpool and England Under-21 midfielder Tyler Morton.
Emerson Royal has confirmed that AC Milan have expressed an interest in signing him from Tottenham Hotspur.
THE SUN
Sam Allardyce has hinted he would love to return to management for the Wales job.
Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard has just changed agent to join Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brother Tyler and his PLG company and may soon also swap clubs.
DAILY MIRROR
Image: Joshua Kimmich celebrates after heading Bayern Munich in front against Arsenal
Joshua Kimmich remains in contention for a Premier League move this summer, but Manchester United won’t be in the mix unless the German has changed his stance.
Wilfred Ndidi is leaving Leicester City this summer but might yet remain in English football with Everton among the clubs interested in signing him.
DAILY STAR
Bayern Munich are interested in Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva who has a £50m buy-out clause in his contract at the Etihad Stadium, which still has two years to run.
DAILY EXPRESS
Andy Murray is not yet ready to pull out of a final Wimbledon appearance after undergoing surgery to remove a spinal cyst.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Phil Foden has revealed he takes himself away from the scrutiny of England’s performances his own role at the Euros by going fishing at the team’s Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land basecamp.
THE GUARDIAN
Anthony Joshua has said he is considering opening a care home for retired boxers with health problems.
DAILY RECORD
Rangers are considering a move for Hearts power-broker Andrew McKinlay as they search for a new chief executive after their own James Bisgrove stepped down last month.
SCOTTISH SUN
Former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will use his Scottish football connections to bolster his backroom team at Besiktas.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Newcastle are in talks with Everton over a deal for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The 27-year-old has a year left on his contract at Goodison Park and is a player Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has been monitoring for several years, although a deal could be tricky depending on the financial package the player and Everton want.
Calvert-Lewin, who has 11 caps for England, has scored 68 goals in 247 appearances across all competitions for Everton since making his debut in 2016.
Image: Calvert-Lewin has scored 68 goals in 247 games for Everton
In a separate deal, Everton are interested in signing Newcastle winger Yankuba Minteh.
The 19-year-old spent a successful season with Arne Slot’s Feyenoord last year but has never played a game for Newcastle.
However, there are a number of European clubs also interested in Minteh and preparing to rival Everton’s potential offer.
Both moves would help Newcastle and Everton with their respective issues around profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Image: Everton are interested in signing Newcastle winger Yankuba Minteh
Iroegbunam becomes Everton’s first summer signing
With Calvert-Lewin potentially leaving Merseyside, Everton announced their first signing of the summer transfer window on Saturday, with midfielder Tim Iroegbunam arriving on a three-year deal from Aston Villa.
The 20-year-old, who has cost a reported £9m, was a European U19 Championship winner with England in 2022 and has also represented the U20s.
Iroegbunam came through West Brom’s academy, making his senior debut in May 2021 before moving to Villa a month later.
He made his debut for Villa in February 2022 and went on to make 12 Premier League appearances for them, although only two were starts.
Image: Tim Iroegbunam has joined Everton on a three-year deal from Aston Villa
“We’re pleased to add Tim to our midfield options. He is a young player who is still learning and developing but clearly has a lot of the qualities we want in that area of the pitch,” said Everton manager Sean Dyche.
“My coaching staff and I are looking forward to starting to work with him in pre-season.”
Villa are currently in talks with Everton to sign 21-year-old winger Lewis Dobbin.
PSR explained: What limits clubs spending more?
In the simplest terms, when every Premier League team tots up their annual accounts, they can have made a loss no greater than £105m across the previous three seasons.
Clubs can only lose £15m of their own money across those three years. So that’s no more than £15m extra on outgoings like transfer fees, player wages and, in a lot of clubs’ cases, paying off former managers compared to their income from TV payments, season tickets, selling players and so on.
The other £90m of any £105m must be guaranteed by their owners buying up shares, known as ‘secure funding’, and essentially means bankrolling the club.
James Savundra explains why the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules may force clubs to sell some of the best players
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Netherlands survived an early scare to defeat Poland 2-1 in Hamburg in the opening game of Group D at Euro 2024 as former Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst came off the bench to score a late winner.
Robert Lewandowski was absent for the Poles due to a hamstring injury, but his replacement Adam Buksa filled the void to glance Michal Probierz’s side in front (16) from Piotr Zielinski’s corner.
Netherlands, who had already missed good chances through Tijjani Reijnders and Xavi Simons, ought to have levelled when Memphis Depay lifted his shot over the bar six minutes later – but they restored parity when Cody Gakpo’s deflected shot wrong-footed Wojciech Szczesny (29).
It was the first of five attempts Gakpo had in the first-half during a wasteful performance – the joint-most on record (since 1980) for a Dutch player in the first half of a match at the Euros.
Image: Cody Gakpo celebrates after equalising for the Netherlands
Poland needed the interval, but they showed more attacking intent upon the restart as Jakub Kiwior’s shot took a nick off Nathan Ake and forced Bart Verbruggen to make the save, before Piotr Zielinski’s attempt from 20 yards brought another smart stop from the Dutch goalkeeper.
This was a spirited Polish team but after Denzel Dumfries swept another attempt wide of the far post, it was substitute Weghorst – still a Burnley player – who scored the winner within five minutes of coming off the bench, latching onto a clever through ball from Nathan Ake to guide home his seventh goal in his last 11 appearances for the Oranje.
Poland refused to give up as substitute Karol Swiderski nearly levelled when he met Jakub Piotrowski’s cross to fire low towards the near post and have Verbruggen at full stretch before Piotrowski’s follow-up was blazed into the side-netting.
The result means the Netherlands top the group ahead of France facing Austria in the other match from the opening gameweek in Düsseldorf on Monday.
Strikers are expected to be in high-demand this summer, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Man Utd and Tottenham all on the lookout.
Sky Sports News understands there could be up to 13 clubs in the market for a centre-forward this summer.
Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich, Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves are also considering varying profiles of strikers.
Image: Joshua Zirkzee, Victor Osimhen, Jonathan David have been linked with summer moves
Some clubs have already got theirs, such as Brentford and their £30m January signing Igor Thiago, while we have seen one Premier League target – Benjamin Sesko – decide to stay at his club RB Leipzig already. The window opens on Friday.
In the coming market, there appears to be a few tiers to what is on offer at centre-forward, depending on their quality and market value; from the top strikers in the world such as Victor Osimhen – worth at least £100m to Napoli – to potential bargains such as Serhou Guirassy, who has a release clause of little more than £15m.
Here, Sky Sports takes a look at 15 of the best strikers out there in 2024 – some very much available, others near-impossible to get – and uses Wyscout data to showcase their potential for the Premier League.
The affordable bracket
Serhou Guirassy
A look at some of Serhou Guirassy’s best goals in the Bundesliga
Every team in the Premier League watched Guirassy last season as he spearheaded Stuttgart’s successful league campaign, which saw them earn Champions League qualification.
Sky Sports News mentioned him with the likes of Manchester United, West Ham, Fulham and Nottingham Forest during the January transfer window – but he stayed and finished the season on 28 goals in 28 Bundesliga games, the second-most in Europe’s top-five leagues behind only Harry Kane.
Inevitably, the Guinea international is on the list again at every club this summer, mainly due to his relatively cheap release clause, which leaves Stuttgart very exposed to losing him.
However, Champions League football helps them in their bid to keep him, at least from clubs outside European competition next term, although some of the interested clubs could blow them out of the water on wages, especially in England.
In a Bundesliga with a number of top strikers, Guirassy ranks third behind only Kane and Lois Openda in Wyscout‘s ranking system, which incorporates all of a player’s data over the course of a season. He has got a lot about him; great movement, good feet, and knows where the goal is.
Belgium is usually a cheaper market for Premier League clubs to shop in and has an increasing number of exciting young players, Denkey being one who is banging in goals in the Jupiler League for fun.
There is yet to emerge a firm Premier League suitor for him, but he is undoubtedly one that the majority of clubs have been watching considering his strong data set. According to Wyscout‘s rankings, he is the best striker in Belgium currently.
He is also the fourth top-scorer with 31 goals and has the second-best xG rating (35.04) of all the strikers in this list. He is also second on this list for shots per 90 (3.52). He has speed and power going for him.
Jonathan David
Image: Jonathan David has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer
With just a year left on his contract, Jonathan David is another seemingly affordable option for a Premier League club, and a good one after his exploits in the French league over the last few seasons.
He was behind only Kylian Mbappe for goals and assists among centre forwards in France last season, with 19 and four respectively. In 2022-23 season, he was top of the combined xG and xA metric for any striker across the top-five leagues, according to Wyscout’s data.
This season, David has the second-best xG (30.15) of the strikers in this list, hits more than half of his shots on target in all competitions and, again in Europe’s top-five leagues, David was second only to Jean Philippe-Mateta in terms of shot accuracy, with 60.5 per cent of his Ligue 1 shots hitting the mark.
France’s leading newspaper L’Equipe seem to be aware of the Premier League interest and have also mentioned Atletico Madrid. Further reports say Lille want €50m but with only a year left on his contract that seems optimistic.
Joshua Zirkzee
Could Manchester United be about to make a move for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee?
Just called up to the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024, Manchester United and Arsenal are currently very interested in Zirkzee as AC Milan push to try and sign him from Serie A rivals Bologna.
Milan are confident of getting a deal done but almost a week has gone by since talks intensified and it is not there yet, which has seen United and Arsenal monitor things more closely this week. Bologna, meanwhile, really want him to stay for another year and are even willing to increase his wages.
Zirkzee stepped-up last season with 11 goals to help Bologna qualify for the Champions League.
He is a really attractive prospect on the market, because of his dynamic profile and relatively young age, with plenty of room for improvement, especially for a relatively modest fee. Juventus also like him a lot but need to sell a striker before they can go after another one.
Artem Dovbyk
Image: Artem Dovbyk has impressed at Girona this season
Ukraine international Dovbyk scored 24 goals in 36 LaLiga games last season as Girona – Manchester City’s sister club – finished in the Champions League places.
AC Milan have him on their list if the Zirkzee deal collapses, according to Sky in Italy, while reports in Spain have linked him with Atletico Madrid and Napoli. He is unlikely to be a player for City and their owners are unlikely to want to see him strengthen their rivals, so perhaps a move to the Premier League is unlikely.
Astoundingly, Dovbyk has the third-highest xG (23.87) in top-five leagues behind Haaland (29.04) and Kane (23.9), according to Wyscout data. He is a top attacker, no doubt.
Jhon Duran
Watch Chelsea target Jhon Duran’s best moments in the Premier League for Aston Villa
Club: Aston Villa Age: 20 Approximate market value: Unknown Contract expiry: 2028
Chelsea have been interested in Jhon Duran since January and he remains on their list of strikers as they re-work the squad for new manager Enzo Maresca.
He has played second fiddle to Ollie Watkins since his £18m arrival from Chicago Fire in 2022, but that is to be expected given Watkins’ outstanding form. Duran has nonetheless shown what he is capable of when he is on the pitch, scoring five goals mostly as a substitute. Some of those have been absolute spectacular, though.
Duran is undoubtedly a top up and coming striker who needs to player regularly to realise his potential and, given Watkins’ status at the club, that may have to be away from Villa Park.
His value has risen and he has a lot of time left on his contract but Duran’s price cannot have increased that much given his lack of playing time and recent move to England.
A little more pricey
Victor Boniface
Image: Victor Boniface has been in good form for Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen
The Nigeria goalscorer scored 19 goals as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga. He would have scored more had he not missed a portion of the season through injury.
His valuation has therefore increased and, following Alonso’s decision to stay, it will be harder to prize players from his team. Leverkusen have a real chance to solidify their place at the top of the Bundesliga and go further in the Champions League next season.
Boniface has the best xG per 90 (0.71) of any player in this list, above Viktor Gyokeres (0.67) and Jonathan David (0.65), and the second-most shots per 90 (4.05) in Europe’s top-five leagues behind Kylian Mbappe.
Santiago Gimenez
Image: Santiago Gimenez is being looked at by Premier League clubs
The Mexican had a sterling season in the Eredivisie under Arne Slot, whose move to Liverpool has raised inevitable speculation that the striker could follow him to Anfield.
Gimenez was also spotted watching a Tottenham game this season and they are among the Premier League clubs who are on the lookout for a young striker they can develop.
He is highly rated by scouts and sporting directors at a number of Premier League clubs and his relative affordability makes him a likely proposition to come to England. However, the record that precedes him for players making the jump from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is not a great one and does create reservations among scouts.
Gimenez’s xG is good at 26.39 but he did not provided many assists over the past season. He very much leads the line, plays on the shoulder of the last defender and is devilish in the box, even with his head.
Dominic Solanke
Watch Dominic Solanke’s best goals in the Premier League
Dominic Solanke is understood to have a release clause that can be activated by only the ‘big six’ clubs, reportedly to the tune of £65m.
Andoni Iraola has helped develop him into a prolific Premier League goalscorer and that is what is attracting top clubs to his name again after it did not work out for him at Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in his career.
Inevitable speculation has been made linking him to Eddie Howe at Newcastle, given they worked together at Bournemouth, but Alexander Isak is clearly the first choice there. The top clubs looking at strikers appear to be after someone younger than 26 but if they do not get their first choices, could Solanke come into their sights?
According to Wyscout’s index based on performance data, Solanke was the fourth best-performing centre-forward in the Premier League last season, behind Ollie Watkins, Heung-Min Son and Jarrod Bowen. That’s quite something.
Ivan Toney
Watch some of Ivan Toney’s finest moments in the Premier League
Club: Brentford Age: 28 Approximate market value: In the region of £70m Contract expiry: 2025
If not for his ban from football last season, Ivan Toney would undoubtedly already be at a top club. He was the coveted centre-forward, newly in the England setup, and of interest to Arsenal and Chelsea last year, but instead spent most of last season on the sidelines and was not quite the same player after he returned.
Sky Sports News understands Arsenal have turned their attentions away from Toney and Isak and towards a younger profile of striker they can develop, and Chelsea too seem to be looking at younger players like Duran.
In January, Toney’s valuation at Brentford was £100m and that has dropped somewhat, as he enters the final year of his contract at the West London club, and if he has an impactful Euros with England, interest will inevitably pick back up. He needs to show his best again.
Brentford have been preparing themselves to lose Toney this summer, signing £30m striker Igor Thiago from Club Brugge in Belgium, but they will not let Toney go on the cheap.
Lois Openda
Watch some of Lois Openda’s best moments in the Bundesliga this season
Although Openda’s £67.6m (€80m) release clause is not effective until 2025, it does give a guide as to his valuation. Why wouldn’t Leipzig argue he is worth that much now given the season he has had?
Twenty-four goals in 34 appearances in the Bundesliga and four in the Champions League has seen him form a formidable partnership with Benjamin Sesko, in a very exciting RB Leipzig team that has finished in the Champions League places in a very competitive division.
Openda is up there among the best performers for xG (22.98), goals-per90 (0.67), and shots per90 (3.37) – and he has, of course, been linked with all the top Premier League clubs over the last 12 months or so.
Very expensive indeed
Victor Osimhen
Image: Victor Osimhen would command a huge transfer fee if he were to move this summer
Only a handful of clubs in the world can afford to spend £100m on one player, which limits the market for players such as Victor Osimhen. With two years left on his contract, a move is more practical but Napoli will not let him go for less than his value.
That is surely a reason why the prolific goalscorer is still at Napoli despite speculation that he would move elsewhere nearly every season.
Every top club has been linked with him at one stage or another, including Chelsea, but at such a high price, there are only a handful of clubs worldwide that could spend that kind of money – and most have their centre-forwards.
Reports earlier this year claimed he was high on PSG’s wishlist to replace Mbappe, but Antonio Conte will be hoping he sticks around for his first season in charge at Napoli.
Viktor Gyokeres
Watch Viktor Gyokeres best goals in the Championship for Coventry in the 2022/23 season
The Sweden striker only signed for Sporting last summer from Coventry and is thought to have had a €100m release clause inserted into his contract.
He has found the step from Championship to the Portuguese top-flight and European competition a relative breeze, scoring 29 in 33 league games and five more in the Europa League, which is what has alerted clubs to want to bring him back to England.
It will be an expensive job though and only one or two clubs could afford to do it, making it unlikely, especially given the current PSR rules.
Gyokeres’ stats are really strong; he has the best xG (36.94) and xAssist (8.8) of any strikers in this list over the course of last season, according to Wyscout data.
Alexander Isak
Our pick of Alexander Isak’s best Premier League goals for Newcastle this season
There is no sign that Newcastle would consider selling their star striker – only speculation that he is of interest to top clubs, which is inevitable given his record and performances last season.
Again, only a handful of clubs in the world could afford Isak and the market is just not fluid enough at the moment for a credible bid to appear on the horizon.
According to Wyscout data, Isak has the best goal conversion rate (28.9 per cent) of any of the strikers in this list.
Ollie Watkins
Watch Ollie Watkins’s highlights in the Premier League this season
Club: Aston Villa Age: 28 Approximate market value: £100m+ Contract expiry: 2028
Again, Watkins is another player nigh-on untouchable at his club unless for a stratospheric bid, and those buyers are just not out there at the moment.
Watkins is central to Aston Villa’s push to join the elite clubs and he has been superb under Unai Emery last season, scoring 27 times in all competitions. Villa are also in the Champions League now, so the list of reasons to go elsewhere is shrunk.
According to Wyscout’s index based on performance data, Watkins was the best-performing centre-forward in the Premier League last season.
Slovenia have had top-class football players before. Samir Handanovic and Jan Oblak come to mind. “But they were both goalkeepers,” Matej Orazem tells Sky Sports. “Goalkeepers can be stars but it is a completely different thing to have a striker.”
Benjamin Sesko is that striker. The 21-year-old RB Leipzig player has been attracting interest from the continent’s biggest clubs since he was in his mid-teens and will lead the line for Slovenia at Euro 2024. “I think that he is destined for greatness,” adds Orazem.
Orazem is the sporting director at NK Domzale, the club in Slovenia that took Sesko into their academy at the age of 15. The earliest memories of him were the whispers about a boy living nearby who had scored 50 goals in one season against much older players.
Watch all of Benjamin Sesko goals for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga so far
“We were quite quick after that. By the time that the media speculation began and bigger clubs noticed him, we already had an agreement. For anyone who went to see him, it was pretty obvious. He was pretty much a slam dunk at a very young age.”
Physically, Sesko stands out. He is now 6’5″ and was not much shorter then. There are stories about him kicking basketballs from out of the hoop. With a top speed of 35.47 kilometres per hour, he is also one of the fastest players in the Bundesliga. A true athlete.
“The physicality was the defining factor. He was amazing. With some young talents, you want them to play with the older guys but if they are not physically ready then you are a little more wary. With Beny, there was no doubt because of his physical presence.”
Sesko was in the U19 side at Domzale at the age of 16. “The only regret we have is not debuting him in the senior team as well.” The reason it did not happen is because soon after, at just 17, he was off to Red Bull Salzburg, ready for the next step on his journey.
Orazem believes Domzale played their part. “We are proud of every moment that he spent here. “I think it was very important. Our academy was the chance to be away from home in a known environment and begin to become accustomed to the unknown.”
Sesko’s choice of club was a shrewd one. There were more famous options but together with his family and agent Elvis Basanovic, it was the pathway that was the priority. Salzburg could offer quality coaching but also a clear route to the top end of the game.
Benjamin Sesko new deal with RB Leipzig will include a ‘gentleman’s agreement’
Initially, there was the opportunity to play senior football with second-tier side FC Liefering. From there, the link-up with Leipzig provided a natural progression to the Bundesliga at a club where everything from the tactics to the culture would be more familiar.
It helped too that Salzburg was only 180 miles north of Domzale. “It was not too much of a shock. He could see his family. It was a brilliant choice. There were options in Italy, Germany and England but it was a really good offer for everyone,” says Orazem.
“Salzburg was crucial in his development. Even though he was already a good player here, he learned a lot in Salzburg, progressing incredibly as a player and a person. Every move until now has been correct. Moving to Leipzig was not too big a step for him.”
Eighteen goals in his final season in Salzburg persuaded Leipzig that Sesko was ready for that step last summer. He started slowly. “He needed a little bit of time but showed everyone in the second half of the season.” Sesko finished up with another 18 goals in Germany.
Image: Benjamin Sesko boasted one of the best strike rates in the Bundesliga
Indeed, only Harry Kane and Serhou Guirassy could boast better strike rates in the Bundesliga. Leipzig’s counter-attacking style suited him with many of his chances coming after bursting clear with his pace but he was also a major threat from set-pieces.
Sesko’s skillset is rare. He instinctively wants to run at defences from deep with his great speed but he is also a player who has the physical capability of a target man. Only Kane scored more headed goals in the competition. Moreover, he can play.
“It is not just the physicality, it is the technical aspect.” It makes for an irresistible combination for the top clubs and helps to explain why Sesko was strongly linked with Arsenal, among others, before agreeing to extend his deal with Leipzig.
Image: Benjamin Sesko’s heat map and shot map in his debut Bundesliga season
That seems sensible after only one season. There is plenty of time if he stays fit and he has been diligent on that score. “He is very disciplined and that has prevented any injuries that, especially for bigger guys, can be problematic. He has been managed really well.”
In Domzale, his legacy is felt even if he never did make a senior appearance for the club. “It is difficult to find the next Sesko but he is inspiring the players in the academy – and not only them but the whole country at the moment. Everyone is in awe.”
There is the practical impact on the lives of those academy prospects at Domzale too. “Every time that he is transferred we will get solidarity contributions, which is of huge importance to us as a football club and has helped to build our academy,” adds Orazem.
“We had 20 beds, now we can have 28. We are developing our training camp with a second pitch coming soon. That would not happen if we were not making money. There are other transfers but his was by far the biggest. Hopefully, he moves again soon!”
Before that, there is the opportunity for Sesko to elevate his reputation once more with a strong showing at Euro 2024. Orazem plans to be in Germany with his family, having missed out on Slovenia’s only previous appearance in the tournament 24 years ago.
“My parents said they would take me to the next one. The next one never came.” It is here now. “We are really happy for him and happy for everyone in Slovenia. His quality gives us a lot of hope now. Perhaps there will be a possible World Cup in the future.”
We analyse the threat posed to England by Slovenia goalscorer Benjamin Sesko
Sesko has Slovenia dreaming. The country has Luka Doncic, the NBA basketball player. There is cyclist Tadej Pogacar. With Sesko, whose own father Ales had been a goalkeeper, it is different. This is someone capable of becoming one of the world’s best strikers.
“He will be successful wherever he goes. If he stays healthy, he will do amazing things. This is not the last time we will be hearing about him, it is just one step along the way. There is a lot more to come. I think he will be a star that we have not seen in Slovenia before.”
