Latest news with #ex-Brentford
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ollie Watkins' telling exit comment as Man Utd add Aston Villa star to three-man wishlist
Manchester United have expressed an interest in Ollie Watkins but Aston Villa insist their player isn't for sale, even though the Englishman has made it clear he will not accept a squad role Ollie Watkins has made it clear he will never be one of those players who his "happy to sit on the bench" after Aston Villa rejected an advance from Manchester United to land the striker. The Red Devils are on the lookout for a No 9 and have shortlisted three players with the England international among them. Villa signed Watkins several years ago after he impressed in the Championship and he's since proven himself in the Premier League. Villa, who lost Jhon Duran back in January, have made it known that they have no interest in selling their forward despite interest from those on the red half of Manchester. Watkins will hope to return to the club's first choice striker after a difficult few months to end the season. Ironically it was the loan arrival of Marcus Rashford from United that saw Watkins' playing time suffer as a result. Rashford has since left and joined Barcelona on loan, but it means Watkins will face less competition as things stand. Last term Villa enjoyed a run to the last eight of the Champions League, beating Club Brugge, before running PSG close in the quarter-finals. For that tie Unai Emery opted for Rashford over Watkins - which was not well received. The ex-Brentford striker made it clear that was not a role he wanted. Watkins said last season: "He's the manager at the end of the day and you've got to respect his decision, but I'm not one of those players that's happy to sit on the bench. I was fuming I wasn't playing and I let him know that." Emery also had Marco Asensio as a loanee for the second part of the season, but he and Rashford have since left. Villa are yet to make any major attacking additions this summer and the Spanish manager has rejected the prospect of Watkins leaving with Arsenal keen on him back in January. Emery said: "I don't want (to sell Watkins). It is good news to have offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad." He also maintained: "Watkins is our striker." United are also thought to have considered moves for PSG's Randal Kolo Muani and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. Ruben Amorim though has claimed that he would be happy to go on with his squad as it stands, claiming: "If I start the season with this squad I will be happy."
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd draw up three-striker shortlist after making Alexander Isak transfer call
Manchester United still would like to sign a new striker after securing deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha but are not going to launch a move for Alexander Isak Manchester United have explored deals for three players after ruling themselves out of the race sign Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United forward has told the Magpies he would like to leave the club but the Red Devils have already acknowledged they will not attempt to gain the Sweden international's signature. It would likely take around £150million to persuade Newcastle to part ways with their star forward, a figure that would prove impossible for United at this moment. Regardless, Newcastle have thus far have maintained that they do not plan to sell the 25-year-old despite interest from Liverpool. Isak was left out of Newcastle's squad for their pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea after informing the club of his desire to move. But United's attention is set to lie elsewhere. Ruben Amorim's side are not close to signing a new striker after seeing their attempt to land Liam Delap fail, as the forward instead opted for Chelsea. After already spending significant fees on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, United are assessing what is feasible in the coming weeks. Deals have been explored for the likes of Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, PSG's Randal Kolo Muani and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, per ESPN. Sales have been noted to be 'essential' for any major however, despite Marcus Rashford's exit to Barcelona providing some headroom. Aston Villa have already told United that Watkins is not for sale after they enquired about the strike r. The ex-Brentford star is said not to be for sale at any price — the England international was the subject of a £60m bid from Arsenal in January that Villa immediately rejected. Kolo Muani is perhaps more attainable however. Paris Saint-Germain are open to a sale having see the Frenchman go on loan to Juventus last term. The Italian side are struggling to meet the financial obligations to any transfer however. Kolo Munai has been offered to a number of teams with Chelsea and Arsenal looking elsewhere but Newcastle could offer competition to United. PSG could agree to loan the striker again according to the report, providing it came with an obligation to sign the player permanently. An immediate transfer would seea fee of around €50m (£43.65m) required. Vlahovic meanwhile, also sees his current club want to part ways. Juventus want to sell the Serbian star before his contract ends next year. The forward is said to be content to see out his deal however.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Tottenham considering £15m transfer bid for Son Heung-min - but he won't leave yet
Tottenham are considering offloading Son Heung-min this summer with interest from the MLS but the club cannot sell the striker before their pre-season tour unless they want to cop a financial punishment Tottenham are weighing up a £15million offer for captain Son Heung-min with the South Korea star a target for LAFC - but no decision will be made before their pre-season tour in Asia. The 33-year-old's decade-long stint in north London could yet be over with Tottenham open to selling the 33-year-old if they receive an offer between £15m and £20m. Any move to the MLS is still reliant on Son agreeing to move across the Atlantic. Son will not be offloaded before the club head east for their pre-season plans. The Europa League winner face Newcastle in Seoul, South Korea on August 3. That comes after a clash with north London rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong. Tottenham's presence in Asia is massively driven by the appetite to see Son, who is an icon in that part of the world. As a result Tottenham would lose up to 75 per cent of the revenue they would receive for playing if their South Korean star was absent, reports The Sun. He is down as a "key player" in the contract for the touring Premier League side. If he were to travel with the squad but not play, then Spurs would still lose out on half of their fee. Son has remained a talismanic figure at Tottenham under a number of different managers. Thomas Frank is now at the helm and appears open to the forward staying or going as he embarks on a rebuild. The ex-Brentford boss said: "Right now, I have a player who is fully committed and training well. If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take." The South Korean, who won the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2022, endured his least productive season since arriving last term. He scored seven times and came up with nine assists across his 30 Premier League appearances. Despite the team's dire showing domestically, Son was the man to lift the trophy as the club ended a 17-year wait for silverware. The forward hoisted the Europa League trophy aloft in Bilbao as Manchester United were beaten. Last summer saw Dominic Solanke arrive, 12 months after Harry Kane's exit. This year Frank has looked to add even more firepower with Mohamed Kudus arriving from West Ham for £55m. Tottenham are also hoping to secure the services of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Tottenham strike £55m Mohammed Kudus deal in clear hint over Bryan Mbeumo future
Tottenham are poised to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and the transfer is expected to give Manchester United a free run at Bryan Mbeumo after weeks of negotiations Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign West Ham star Mohammed Kudus for around £55million, likely ending their pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo. Kudus, 24, is set to undergo a medical with Spurs before putting pen to paper on a six-year contract. The forward will become Thomas Frank's first signing since being appointed Tottenham manager. Frank had wanted to bring Mbeumo with him from former club Brentford, although Manchester United are the clear favourites to sign him after the Cameroon international informed Spurs that he wishes to join the Red Devils. Tottenham turned their attention to Kudus and after seeing their initial bid worth £50m turned down by West Ham last week, the Athletic report that the two clubs have now finalised an agreement. The Ghanaian has prioritised a move to north London and personal terms aren't expected to be an issue. Spurs have struck a deal well below Kudus' £85m release clause for Premier League sides which is only active for the first 10 days of July. The clause allows teams on the continent to sign him for £80m while clubs from Saudi Arabia would have to pay £120m. Kudus joined West Ham from Ajax for £38m in 2023. The 24-year-old made 65 Premier League appearances for the Irons, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists. Tottenham have already bolstered their attack by making the signing of Mathys Tel permanent for £38m on a six-year deal. French striker Tel spent the second half of last season on loan with Spurs from Bayern Munich, helping them win the Europa League which ended their 17-year trophy drought. Frank had been eyeing Mbeumo after getting the job but Tottenham deny making a bid after learning of his preference to sign for United. The ex-Brentford boss is a huge fan of Mbeumo, who scored an impressive 20 Premier League goals last season, and believes that his old club should demand a sizeable fee for the winger's signature. Is £55m a good price for Mohammed Kudus? Have your say in the comments section. "I'm the head coach. I want my best players to stay forever," Frank told Sky Sports. "I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he's thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don't know. "I've said many times: we are a selling club. But at the same time, we have to reinforce that there are 10 clubs in the world that aren't selling clubs. So, of course, if the right price - and that's going to be expensive - is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open for it. But I'm very happy he's here, and I'm convinced that Bryan will still be happy playing football here."
Metro
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
'I'm a big fan' - Thomas Frank backs Tottenham star to 'score a lot of goals'
Thomas Frank says he is a 'big fan' of Dominic Solanke and is confident the striker can become a prolific goalscorer under his guidance at Tottenham. Spurs put an end to weeks of speculation as they officially announced Frank's appointment to the media last Thursday, with the ex-Brentford boss putting pen to paper on a three-year contract in north London. The 51-year-old is tasked with picking up the pieces left by Ange Postecoglou, who steered Tottenham to Europa League glory while also overseeing the club's worst-ever season in the Premier League. Though Frank must wait a little longer to put his Spurs' squad through their paces, he has spent the past few days acclimating to his new home at Hotspur Way. Frank's first match at the helm will be Tottenham's pre-season contest at Luton Town on July 26 and the Dane is clearly looking forward to putting his ideas into action ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. 'It's a very talented squad, a very good squad and I'm very excited to start working with them,' Frank told Tottenham's official website. 'Of course, when you follow the Premier League, you see the other teams, you see Tottenham – you've seen some fantastic performances from the team over the last years. So, I think there's big potential. 'But, of course, I'm looking from the outside, so I'm looking forward to getting to know them, to be around them, to feel them, understand them, work with them on the training pitch. 'That's where you really get the big understanding, understand the relationships between players and how you can get the best out of them. 'I've got an idea already, my head is spinning [with] how can we play, how do I put them together, but I'm looking forward to that.' Frank is relishing the opportunity to work with Tottenham's players, both young and old, and is already thinking about how to get the best of Solanke, who managed just nine league goals last term. 'When I say 'talented', it's not only young players, it's also some of the more experienced players. How can we get the best out of them?' he added. 'Let's say, Dominic Solanke. I'm a big fan of him in terms of his abilities. I'm sure we'll make him score a lot of goals. How can we play (Rodrigo) Bentancur? (James) Maddison? 'But of course, the younger ones as well. I think it's all players that we need to develop and make perform at the highest level, but of course, Lucas, Archie, Wilson, Destiny (Udogie), all of them, they have high ceilings. 'Even the ones I haven't mentioned – the whole squad can do well. I'm big on, how do you say… it's always about winning. 'We need to make the team win on a Saturday, a Tuesday, then again Saturday and a Wednesday, but it's also about developing the individual player. 'That's me and my staff, and the player, how we work together about that on a day-to-day basis. Because we lift the players' performance, develop them, the team will grow and perform better, and hopefully give us an opportunity to win more matches.' More Trending The north London outfit completed their first piece of transfer business last weekend as Mathys Tel completed a permanent move following an initial loan deal. 'I'm very, very excited about Mathys signing with a permanent deal,' Frank said of the Frenchman. 'I think he's a very talented player who can play across the front four positions. 'He's a goalscorer, that we can develop even further, and be even more consistent in his all-round game and also more consistent to land in the right positions in the box. I'm looking forward to it.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
