All posts by n8rngtd.top

The Minnesota Twins reportedly are moving on from a 2024 draft pick after just a few months in their organization.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan reported Thursday that the Twins released minor league catcher Derek Bender after he told opposing batters the type of pitch that was coming to the plate during a game that eliminated his team from Florida State League contention.

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Twins' Low-A affiliate, were battling the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Sept. 6 in the second game of a doubleheader when Bender told multiple opposing hitters the exact pitch that was coming. The Flying Tigers scored four runs in the second inning and won the game 6–0 to eliminate the Mighty Mussels from playoff contention.

Fort Myers coaches were informed of Bender's self-inflicting pitch tipping by Lakeland coaches after the game.

ESPN also reported that Bender "had told teammates he wanted the season to be over."

Bender, selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (No. 188) out of Coastal Carolina, batted .200/.273/.333 in 19 games for Fort Myers this season. He hit .320/.422/.520 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs in 60 games for the Chanticleers in his final collegiate season.

Erling Haaland gave yet another reminder of his monstrous goalscoring powers as he scored twice in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, and afterwards the Cherries' boss Andoni Iraola and captain David Brooks admitted there was almost nothing they could do to stop him. Haaland drew a rare blank in last week's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa but responded in a typically ruthless fashion.

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  Bournemouth are Haaland's latest victims

  The City striker produced a lung-bursting run from behind the halfway-line after latching on to a Rayan Cherki header to slot the hosts in front and combined with the French playmaker again to restore their lead after Tyler Adams had equalised. Haaland has 13 Premier League goals in 10 matches this season, with 17 in 13 games in all competitions. Including his goals for Norway since the season began, he is on 26 strikes.

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• Haaland 'always going to be a threat'

  Bournemouth captain Brooks told : "We look to press but Manchester City are extremely comfortable on the ball. In the first half we created a lot of opportunities for ourselves through the press. But the big man up top for them – Haaland – is always going to be a threat. It's almost impossible [to prepare to face Haaland]. He's 6ft 5in, strong, a massive threat when the ball is falling to him. He took his chances well.

  "It was always going to be a tough game against Manchester City. It's probably the hardest week to prepare for. We knew we had to come here and be the best version of ourselves. A few minor details cost us today."

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  Iraola: 'You're not recovering from Haaland'

  Head coach Iraola added: "In the first half they punished us with Haaland behind our defensive line, probably the coordination between the centre-backs was not spot on. The first goal we were in a good moment before the goal, we were playing in their half but in our attacks we lose the ball, we jump, we don’t cover in behind and he punishes us. You make the smallest mistakes and they punish you. 

  "The timing the speed was top class. You sit deeper and maybe Haaland scores two headers at the second post because maybe they have 25 crosses. You lose one metre against Haaland, you are not recovering. It is going to be three metres at the end of the play."

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• Guardiola puts Haaland on same level as Messi & Ronaldo

  Pep Guardiola put Haaland on the same pedestal as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and said the Norwegian was so dominant that it didn't matter that City's other forwards were not contributing many goals this season. No City player aside from Haaland has scored more than one Premier League goal this season.

  "It's a little like when you play with Messi or Cristiano," Guardiola said. "The influence is so big. Of course we need the goals from Phil [Foden] and Tijjani [Reijnders] and the other ones." 

  Asked whether Haaland was truly on the same level as Messi and Ronaldo, Guardiola had no doubts at all. "Has he reached that level? You see the numbers of that guy? Oh my God, yeah, of course he's at their level. So the numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years. You see Messi still in MLS, he scores two or three goals every day. Cristiano in Saudi is the same. But he [Haaland] is at that level.  

  "The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, going down on the grass [saying] 'I am going to score this'. I have said many times, he is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes. I always try to be open minded with him and there are players who say, ‘What are you talking about?' He is completely down to earth, he wants to do it and he lives for the goals. Without him, it would be tough to be honest."

Yet another day and yet another disappointing draw for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

On Sunday afternoon, Russell Martin’s Gers failed to leave their away clash with all three points, taking the lead on the cusp of half-time through Bojan Miovski, only for Henry Cartwright’s long-range strike to pinch a deserved point for lowly Falkirk.

This means the Ibrox side have still won only one of seven Premiership fixtures, this coming at Livingston last Sunday, drawing five, including a quartet of 1-1s, thereby leaving them 8th, a whopping 11 points adrift league leaders Hearts.

Amazingly, Rangers are now without a clean sheet in 23 away games across all competitions, breaking the unwanted club record set in 1897.

Thus, ahead of an international break, the spotlight will once again be pointed in Martin’s direction, but could he save his job by dropping a player labelled “one of the worst players to ever play” for the club?

Joe Rothwell: Yet to make much of an impression

The surprise team news ahead of Sunday’s clash with Falkirk was the return to midfield of Joe Rothwell, having begun the last six matches among the substitutes.

Well, his return didn’t last too long, hooked after 70 minutes, replaced by Mohamed Diomandé, having made little discernible impact on the game.

The Englishman touched the ball only 32 times, that’s five fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland, while losing possession on five occasions, neither of which is ideal for a player at the base of midfield, supposedly there to control the tempo and dictate play.

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However, he was not the summer signing who caught the eye for the wrong reasons most in Falkirk.

Rangers forward was as bad as Rothwell

When Mikey Moore arrived at Rangers in the summer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, he did so with sky-high expectations.

The 18-year-old is incredibly highly rated by Spurs supporters, with David Hytner of the Guardian outlining his ‘many qualities’, including dribbling and finishing, labelling him a ‘rare talent’ who is ready to make a massive impact on the Tottenham first team.

By scoring against Elfsborg in a Europa League tie back in January, Moore became Spurs’ youngest scorer in a European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record that had stood since 1957.

Well, so far, Rangers supporters have seen none of this.

To date, in ten appearances for the Gers, Moore is yet to score a goal, while his only assist came against third-tier Alloa Athletic in a League Cup clash in August and, as you can see, scorer Nedim Bajrami did do most of the work!

Having been on the bench against Sturm Graz on Thursday, Moore did come into the starting lineup on Sunday, but was replaced by Oliver Antman on the hour mark, and his statistics make for grim reading.

As the table documents, Moore registered zero shots and zero key passes, ranked lowly for passing, chance creation, duels and touches too, being generally anonymous throughout.

This led to the teenager being described as “one of the worst players to ever play for” the club by one Gers content creator on X, representative of the general sentiment from those in Govan.

Thus, when Martin is leaving out Oliver Antman, who has shown flashes of brilliance at times since arriving from Go Ahead Eagles, fans are very much not on board with Moore’s inclusion.

If he remains in charge for the visit of Dundee United in a fortnight, then perhaps leaving the Spurs loanee on the bench may be the way to go.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 4, 2025

Saudi Arabia's efforts to make waves in the sporting world look set to continue when the wealthy Gulf nation hosts the 2034 World Cup. But a football stadium 350 metres off the ground seems ambitious even for them following the viral emergence of concept designs for a brand new venue dubbed the NEOM Stadium. A list of 15 host stadia complete with concept art was first revealed in the summer of 2024.

• 'Most unique stadium in the world'

  It's certainly out there to want to construct a football stadium in the sky, but fans on social media can't get enough of the idea. The so-called NEOM Stadium could, one of 11 new venues planned for construction over the next eight years to complement four existing stadiums that will be renovated already has a big reputation to live up to.

  Saudi Arabia's bid book submitted to FIFA stated: "Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world. With a pitch situated more than 350m above ground, stunning vistas and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other.

  "Within The Line, mass transport and personal transport will be enabled by a network of tram-like Autonomous Rapid Transit vehicles and Personal Rapid Transit, operating on five primary horizontal transport corridors."

  'The Line', announced in 2021, is a proposed smart city in a single long building measuring 170km by 200 metres and up to 500 metres high, designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions, and be big enough to house nine millione people, a quarter of Saudi Arabia's existing population. Although already under construction, full completion of the city itself is not actually expected until 2045, 11 years after the World Cup.

  What isn't clear is if the new concept images doing the rounds are part of any official plans, as the stadium doesn't appear to be incorporated into what 'The Line' would look like.

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  350m in the air

  NEOM Stadium proposes to accomodate 46,000 fans from is vantage point 350 metres above the ground. The other proposed venues for the World Cup will be spread across four existing cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Abha. But all are set to incorporate unique architecture and themes, including one dazzling with colour, another made up of crystal-like shards and another built specifically from locally-sourced materials.

• Saudi Arabia stood unopposed in bidding process

  Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host nation for the 2034 World Cup during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress on December 11, 2024. Despite FIFA lowering the existing stadium capacity requirements from seven with 40,000+ to just four, there were no other bidders. FIFA's rotation policy, which ensures that World Cup tournaments are spread evenly around the planet, meant that only bids from Asia or Oceania would be accepted anyway. Potential hosts were also given just 25 days to express an intent to host, which only Saudi Arabia did.

  It will be the third World Cup in Asia in the 21st century, following from South Korea and Japan's joint effort in 2002, and Gulf neighbour Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia will actually end up being the first single host nation since Qatar by the time 2034 rolls around, due to 2026 being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and 2030 being the shared responsibility of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with games also being staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of FIFA's World Cup centenary celebrations.

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  World Cup plans between now and 2034

  Saudi Arabia still has the best part of a decade to plan and build and/or renovate its venues for the World Cup. But the eyes of the world are unlikely to pay too much attention until much nearer the time. For now, the 2026 World Cup in North America is just over seven month away from its opening match on June 11. As many as 48 countries will compete for the first time following the tournament's expansion, including debutants Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde, but fans will need to wait another five weeks until December 5 for the group stage to take place and the fixture list be revealed.

  2026 could very likely be the last dance at the World Cup for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

One Aston Villa gem has signed a Villa Park contract which the club seemingly decided against posting on social media.

Unai Emery linked with surprise Aston Villa exit

It has been an unusual start to the Premier League season for Villa and Unai Emery, who finally picked up their first three points of the season at the sixth time of asking on the weekend.

After falling behind to Fulham, Villa scored their first home league goals of the campaign to win 3-1 and move out of the relegation zone.

Former transfer chief Monchi has also left the Midlands, and now, Emery is being linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who are on the search for a new manager after parting ways with Laurent Blanc.

Following Monchi’s exit, Emery was asked last week if he is more committed than ever to Villa, to which he said: “More speculation? I know it’s a different speculation. The reality is we drew and in the league we are not performing well.

“We have to work and work hard. With the players I have meetings after the game and talk about how we want to be, tactically and with the demands we have.”

Emery added: “We are starting the season with the problems we had, the problems before, with the transfer window. Some players joined us late. We are trying to recover our performance.

“Now we are a different team, our emotions and our emotional moments are becoming better. I will want to show how we’ve improved in everything.”

Aston Villa now racing Tottenham and Man Utd to sign £70m Premier League star

The Villans have joined the race for a new forward, who has made a very impressive start to the season.

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 30, 2025

Away from the speculation, though, Aston Villa have moved quietly to secure the services of a potential future star.

Aston Villa teenager pens first professional contract

It was announced on Aston Villa’s website on Tuesday that young defender Finlay Barnard has signed his first professional contract.

The club said they are pleased the U18 ace has committed his future at Villa Park after agreeing scholarship terms having signed over the summer Tottenham.

The update wasn’t posted on Villa’s X social media, so it is news that may have gone under the radar.

A versatile defender, Barnard will be looking to breakthrough into the first-team setup over the coming years, and continuing to impress Harrison will only help his case.

Marcus Rashford could be thrust into the starting line-up for Barcelona for the highly-anticipated El Clasico clash on Sunday following another damaging injury to a key Barca star just hours before the match. The England international has made an excellent start to his loan spell at Barcelona, bagging five goals and six assists in 12 appearances across all competitions.

• Barca's patched-up side head to Bernabeu

  Barcelona head to the Santiago Bernabeu with a significantly depleted squad and assistant coach Marcus Sorg has now confirmed that forward Raphinha will also miss the game, as the Brazilian has not recovered from a leg muscle injury. Sorg will be in the dugout for the defending champions after Hansi Flick was sent off during the recent clash with Girona. 

  Raphinha joins a long list of high-profile absentees, which includes Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Catalans are firmly up against it, but there was some good news as key players Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Frenkie De Jong all participated in Saturday's training session. And now Rashford could line-up against his Three Lions team-mate Jude Bellingham.

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  Rashford feeling the love at Barca

  The England international has thrived under coach Hansi Flick where his performances have been a key factor in the Catalan giants’ positive start to the season, and he has expressed his strong desire to make the loan move permanent.

  When asked if he would like to stay at the Catalan giants, Rashford told Barcelona's YouTube channel: "I'm really enjoying my time in Spain. The weather is the best part. It’s a very big change. I’m learning every day, I’m really enjoying it. I hope to be here for a long time. I get along really well with Roony (Bardghji), as well as Jules (Kounde) and Frenkie (De Jong). It’s a team where we all blend together. We’re united. The team is fantastic. I just have to be in the right position. I’ll keep trying to do this. We have to keep going like this to be our best. We have a lot more to do this season." 

  He added: "I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game so to play here is an honour. I just believe that things happen when they’re supposed to happen. It’s not the first time I spoke with Barcelona about potentially coming here, but for whatever reasons it didn’t happen in the past, and now is my opportunity to make it happen. I feel like there’s no time like the present now."

• Raphinha rocked on eve of El Clasico

  Sorg said: "Any team would miss Raphinha, but the situation is what it is. He is injured. We'll see if Ferran (Torres) starts, we'll decide tomorrow. Jules Kounde also trained this morning and may play. I still have no idea about the starting eleven."

  Sorg also spoke about Flick’s absence, he said: "Flick will always be missed because he's one of the most important parts of the team. I think to have Flick on the sidelines, because the players trust him, he gives them confidence. His absence does have an influence. But Flick is in a good mood, positive, motivated."

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  Yamal stirs up the tension

  The war of words ahead of El Clasico shows no sign of abating with Madrid captain Dani Carvajal planning to confront Barca wonderkid Lamine Yamal at the end of the match over what he sees as "disrespectful" remarks in the build-up to the hotly-anticipated clash between the Spanish giants. Speaking on a Twitch stream ahead of the game, Yamal stoked the ill-feeling between the two sides, saying: "They (Real) steal, they complain, and they do things". 

  Andres Iniesta has shared his thoughts on the situation and isn't too concerned by Yamal's words. He said: "It’s a comment to add a little spice to the Clasico. Beyond the comments or not, it will be a spectacular match. We'll see what happens. A lot of importance is always given to what is said, especially if it's before a match like this. I'm not very up to date with the news either. Some people will say it's to warm up the match and others won't like it, but what really matters is what happens in those 90 minutes."

A £90,000-a-week player has told Manchester United that he will join the club this summer no matter what happens in the Europa League final, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Amorim: Winning the Europa League will not solve United's problems

The Red Devils have a chance to bring some joy and achievement to their supporters on Wednesday after what has been a terrible campaign, as they face Tottenham in the Europa League final. Not only does this represent a chance for United to play European football next season, but it will also be Ruben Amorim’s first trophy as United boss, not even 12 months into his United career.

Man Utd now lead Man City in race to sign "world-class" £50m+ midfielder

United have now moved ahead in the race to sign a new midfielder this summer.

1

By
Brett Worthington

May 21, 2025

It is a very important game for United for multiple reasons, but Amorim believes winning the Europa League will not solve all of the club’s problems: “It’s strange because you have some coaches here that lose some games, and they are sacked… it’s hard to explain.

“I think people see what we are trying to do. I think that people see that sometimes I’m thinking more about the club than myself.

“People understand, especially the board, that we have a lot of issues that, in the context, is really hard. There are a lot of things we need to change.

“They way we do everything during the week at Carrington, the recruitment, the academy. It is hard to point to one thing, and it will not be solved by winning the cup.”

Cunha tells Man Utd he'd join regardless of Europa League outcome

As the Red Devils prepare for the Europa League final, they have already received a transfer boost regardless of the outcome. According to Fabrizio Romano, Matheus Cunha will join Man United whether qualify for the Champions League or not.

The Brazil international wants the move to Old Trafford, and the deal is expected to be confirmed fairly soon.

On Monday, Romano reported that Cunha had agreed to the project on offer at United and had also nearly finalised personal terms. It’s also been reported by Sky Sports that Cunha, who earns £90,000 a week at Molineux, is set to join the Red Devils once the Premier League ends this weekend, with United expected to trigger Cunha’s £62.5 million release clause.

Cunha’s arrival at Old Trafford is a big boost for Amorim heading into next season, as the Brazilian will no doubt improve United’s attacking options, and he appears to be the perfect player to fit into Amorim’s system, given his versatility in the forward line.

Liverpool have plenty of summer targets in their sights, but they are also aware that departures at Anfield will be needed to supplement incomings.

Liverpool looking to scale upwards in summer window

The Reds have enjoyed a mercurial season under Arne Slot and have been head and shoulders in front of their competitors for the Premier League title.

Nevertheless, the upcoming window is a test of FSG’s long-term ambitions at Anfield. The market sphere is becoming more crowded than ever, and several of their rivals will relish the opportunity to strengthen ahead of next campaign.

Thwarting any optimism that their crown can be deposed is the priority for Liverpool, who now have Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong at the top of their list to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Continuing that theme, the Reds are also monitoring Monaco right-back Vanderson following his exploits in Ligue 1 this term, signifying that they have several contingencies to fill the void that will be left by the academy graduate.

Nevertheless, Alexander-Arnold won’t be the only one to leave Merseyside behind in the coming months. Luis Diaz is being targeted by Saudi Pro League clubs and may fetch £68 million to invest back into potential reinforcements.

Fabrizio Romano reveals what he's heard about Liverpool signing De Bruyne

Could a shock move to Anfield materialise this summer?

By
Henry Jackson

May 9, 2025

Some may think changing things while they are playing out nicely is a strange phenomenon, but there can be no room for sentiment in the hunt for silverware. Ultimately, Liverpool want to be in a position to dominate English football for years to come, so it makes sense to be proactive on all fronts should the right opportunies to conduct business present themselves.

Tapping into that school of thought, Slot may have a decision to make following recent developments involving one of his high-profile stars.

Liverpool receive two offers for Darwin Nunez

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have received offers for striker Darwin Nunez from RB Leipzig and Napoli following his disappointing campaign at Anfield. The Uruguay international is the subject of bids of around £50.7 million, which has plunged his future at the Reds into doubt due to a lack of consistency since joining from Benfica in 2022 for £71.8 million.

Labelled “wonderful” by Jurgen Klopp, Nunez has registered seven goals and seven assists in 44 appearances this campaign, though Diogo Jota has sometimes been preferred to spearhead Slot’s attack. Finding himself at a crossroads, the Artigas-born man could be the one to make way as Liverpool hunt for an elite striker to build on their title success.

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak has been mooted as a Reds target. Still, big-money sales are likely to be critical in any successful pursuit of the Sweden international. Nunez doesn’t appear to be front and centre of Liverpool’s plans, making a departure an easy decision for all parties should a deal be agreed upon.

Last night might have been a real reprieve for Tottenham Hotspur, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this season has been a difficult one for the fans.

Ange Postecoglou’s side crashed out of both domestic cups and have lost 17 games in the Premier League.

While injuries have undoubtedly played their part, it would also be fair to say that the team have simply not performed to the required level.

So, it’s not surprising to see Daniel Levy and Co working to find new recruits ahead of the summer, with recent reports touting a standout striker for a move to the club, someone who could be a dream upgrade on Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attacking stars that Tottenham are reportedly interested in, such as Tyler Dibling.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Southampton gem could be available for around £35m in the coming months, and while that might seem like a lot for someone who is still just 19 years old, it’s because a lot is expected of him in the coming years, with the Saints’ academy manager Andy Goldie dubbing him a “world-class talent.”

A more developed star Spurs are also keen to sign in the summer is Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who could be available for a fee of about £70m.

Now, while that is an enormous sum of money, it might well be worth it, as even though he’s playing for an upper mid-table side in the Cherries, the Ghana international has still been able to amass a total of ten goals and six assists in 36 appearances this term.

However, when it comes to potentially replacing Solanke, the North Londoners will want someone even more prolific, which is where Jonathan Burkardt comes in.

According to journalist Christian Falk’s Daily Briefing via Caught Offside, Spurs are one of several sides interested in the Mainz striker.

Alongside the North Londoners, Falk has revealed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion have all scouted the German international.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Burkardt’s goalscoring ability, it is worth pursuing, especially as he could be a dream Solanke upgrade.

How Burkardt compares to Solanke

So, if Spurs are to get their man this summer and bring Burkardt to North London, his main competition for game time would be Solanke, but who would come out on top?

Well, when it comes down to their raw output, which is what matters most for a striker, it’s the German international who comes out ahead, and by quite some way at that.

For example, in just 24 league appearances, totalling 1679 minutes, he’s scored 15 goals and provided three assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.38 games or every 93.27 minutes.

In contrast, the former Cherries star has scored just seven goals and provided three assists in 23 league appearances, totalling 2033 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.3 games, or every 203.3 minutes.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Is it just as one-sided a comparison when we take a look under the hood? Unfortunately, for the Lilywhites’ record signing, it most certainly is.

For example, in almost every metric, the Darmstadt-born ace, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga”, comes out on top, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes and passes into the penalty area, shots and shots on target, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Solanke is a good striker, but he hasn’t been prolific this term and from output to underlying numbers, Burkardt looks to be the better player, so Levy and Co should do all they can to sign him this summer.

100% dribbles, 9 duels won: Spurs' 9/10 titan is as undroppable as Solanke

The Spurs star reminded everyone how good he really is last night.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 18, 2025

Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a deal for a midfielder who is expected to cost around £40m this summer, according to a report.

Forest set to strengthen in multiple areas

Despite losing their last two Premier League games, Forest are well-positioned to qualify for next season’s Champions League, given that they remain three points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea with just six games left to play.

The race is likely to go right down to the wire, but it is looking very likely the Tricky Trees will be playing European football of some description next season, which means Nuno may need to strengthen his squad in the summer transfer window.

Targets have been identified in multiple areas, having recently joined the race for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, but a new striker appears to be of particular interest, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and AFC Bournemouth’s Evanilson among the options.

Nottingham Forest plot hijack for "elusive" £30m forward who West Ham want

The Tricky Trees have set their sights on a winger, who looks set to leave his club in the summer transfer window.

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 15, 2025

There have also been suggestions Forest could look to bring in a new central midfielder, and they are believed to be very keen on AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, but the American is not their only target.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest have now made contact over Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, submitting an enquiry to discuss a potential summer deal, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.

Eight Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in Santos, who is valued at around £40m by the Blues, while there is also set to be competition from several unnamed European sides, which could make it very difficult to get a deal over the line.

Not only that, but the 20-year-old isn’t particularly keen on a move to the City Ground, given that his game time was very limited during his loan spell with the Tricky Trees last season.

Santos impressing on loan at Strasbourg

The Brazilian may have found game time hard to come by at Forest last season, but he has been seriously impressive on loan at Strasbourg, picking up nine goals and four assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances this term.

Not only has the maestro impressed going forward, but he ranks highly on some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, indicating he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also been left seriously impressed by the Rio de Janeiro-born starlet in the past, lauding him as a “one-man war machine in midfield” after starring for Brazil U20 against Peru.

Santos has proven he deserves another chance in the Premier League, but it seems pretty unlikely the youngster would be willing to move back to the City Ground, given that his previous spell didn’t go to plan.