Whilst recent weeks have been filled with frustrations away from the pitch, Sheffield Wednesday are now reportedly ready to sign as many as five future stars in a major EFL haul.

Chansiri yet to receive Sheffield Wednesday offers

The job that Danny Rohl is doing at the club continues to look like a miracle with every passing week. Although players and staff were finally paid for March last week, it’s not the first time that owner Dejphon Chansiri has landed the club in hot water over finances. And it looks as though his reign is set to continue amid a lack of offers to buy the Owls.

The Thai businessman addressed the fans in a letter on the club website, which read: “We have all seen speculation and stories that a consortium or individual is ready to come in and take over. But I can guarantee there have been no offers at all.

“There has been some interest but nothing at all substantial that has been followed through. During this situation no one has come forward. To say I am in the way or I prevent this or prevent that, it is not true. This is the football business and I repeat if the right package is agreed, I will not be the one to stand in the way.”

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On the pitch, meanwhile, the Owls are at least all but safe even after going without a win in their last five games. Whether their Championship status will remain without a manager of Rohl’s talent is something that Sheffield Wednesday will have no choice but to consider this summer, either, given reported interest from RB Leipzig and Southampton.

Losing the German would represent their biggest blow yet and could leave them among the favourites to suffer the drop next season. That said, planning has still gone on for the summer transfer window, which could yet see the arrival of as many as five future stars.

Sheffield Wednesday readying academy haul

According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday have now taken as many as five EFL talents on trial as they ready their move to seal a number of rising stars from Championship rivals.

The Star report that Luca Jackson and Adam Abbas from Burnley, Cole McGhee from Preston North End, Liam McAlliney from Leicester City and Leeds United’s 17-year-old Owen Grainger all lined up for Sheffield Wednesday’s youth side in a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Monday night. Five players covering both the backline and Wednesday’s frontline, it seems as though the Owls have set their sights on the future of their side.

Welcoming young players from both Burnley and Leeds would be particularly impressive, given that both sides are likely to earn promotion to the Premier League this season. Financially speaking, meanwhile, signing players with such potential rather than those more established certainly makes sense for Sheffield Wednesday amid their ongoing problems.

Whether all five have done enough to earn permanent deals remains to be seen, but welcoming a haul of young Championship players on trial was certainly a wise decision from those at the club.

Manchester United are now determined to sign an “incredible” Barcelona star, having identified him as a top target for the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Man Utd in need of summer rebuild

Harry Maguire’s late winner to send Man Utd through to the Europa League semi-final was undoubtedly the best moment since Ruben Amorim’s arrival, but the high was short-lived, with a 1-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers following at the weekend.

With United just two points clear of 17th place, it is clear a rebuild will be needed this summer, and with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee failing to deliver in front of goal, a new striker is of particular interest.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha, Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are among the potential targets, but striker is not the only position in which Amorim is looking to strengthen this summer.

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Signing a new central midfielder is also on the agenda, and there have even been suggestions they could make a move for Scott McTominay, who has been thriving since moving to Napoli last summer.

According to a report from Spain, however, Man United’s top target for the summer transfer window is Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong, and they are determined to get a deal done, which means they are willing to make a huge offer for his services.

De Jong has been identified as the ideal option to upgrade United’s midfield, and there are plans to force Barca to the negotiating table with a tempting offer, despite the La Liga club’s insistence that he is not for sale.

The Red Devils are set to step up their pursuit in the coming weeks, but for a deal to transpire, the Dutchman’s entourage would have to change their stance, with the move not currently of interest.

"Incredible" De Jong impressing at Barcelona

It is no surprise to see the 27-year-old being linked with a move to Man Utd once again, given that he has been a long-term target, and he has continued to impress for Barcelona in La Liga this season.

After overcoming an ankle injury early in the season, the Netherlands international has received regular game time for the title-chasers, picking up two goals and two assists in La Liga, while he also ranks highly on some other key metrics for midfielders over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Pass completion %

93.7% (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

7.19 (90th percentile)

Progressive carries

2.05 (85th percentile)

Former United boss Erik ten Hag is also a huge admirer of his compatriot, saying: “Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality.”

That said, a move does not seem likely this summer, given that Barcelona are unwilling to part ways with their £313k-per-week midfielder, so Amorim may be forced to move on to alternative targets.

Aston Villa are currently preparing for one of their biggest matches in recent history with a trip to play Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this evening.

The Villans come into the first leg clash off the back of a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen.

Unai Emery must be ruthless with his team selection and one brutal decision that should be made is the one to drop Ollie Watkins from the starting line-up.

Why Ollie Watkins should be dropped

The England international is on a barren run of form in front of goal and would not come into this evening’s clash with PSG full of confidence and ready to help the team pick up a historic result.

Watkins has scored one goal in his last nine matches in all competitions for the Villans, which came in a 1-0 win over Brentford towards the start of March.

Shots on target

2

1

0

0

0

Goals

1

0

0

0

0

Key passes

0

0

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

0

0

Pass accuracy

53%

50%

100%

50%

50%

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old striker has offered little at the top end of the pitch whilst also being incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last five matches, completing just half of his passes in three of those five matches.

With this in mind, Emery must ruthlessly axe Watkins from the team, after he offered next to nothing in the win over Forest, to bring Marcus Rashford back into the side.

Why Marcus Rashford is Aston Villa's answer to Ousmane Dembele

The big threat for the Villans to deal with this evening is likely to be Ousmane Dembele, who has scored 32 goals and provided eight assists in 40 matches in all competitions for PSG this term.

He has played started 17 matches on the wing and 15 games as a centre-forward, highlighting his versatility, and uses his pace and ability on the ball to cause constant problems to opposition defenders.

Rashford is similar to Dembele in many ways, starting seven games on the wing and three times as a striker for Villa, with his versatility at the top end of the pitch as well as his ability to create chances for himself with his pace and the timing of his movements off the shoulder of the last defender.

As you can see in the clip above, the England international showcased his pace and ability in front of goal with his maiden Premier League strike for the Villans against Brighton.

Rashford, once hailed as “unplayable” by analyst Raj Chohan, has scored three goals and provided one assist in his last four matches for the club in all competitions, showing that he is far more in form than Watkins at this moment in time.

His recent goal burst also suggests that he is the kind of player PSG would also be wary of ahead of tonight’s game, in the same that Villa be wary of Dembele, which is why Emery must unleash him from the start after he was on the bench against Forest.

Interestingly, Rashford has played the most games (four) and scored the most goals (three) against PSG out of all of his appearances in the Champions League in his career to date, suggesting that they are a favourable match-up for the English forward.

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The 27-year-old marksman has punished the Parisian side in the past and Emery must ditch Watkins to put Rashford in a position to break French hearts in the Champions League once again.

It’s been a rough ride for the Lilywhites this year. The end of the 2024/25 campaign is just one month away, but despite the pain that Tottenham Hotspur have endured, there may yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ange Postecoglou made a big claim in the early stage of the season, suggesting silverware may be on the way. Well, even though Spurs are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League with just a few years of the term left to play, they have one foot in the Europa League final.

Despite his polarising time at the helm, Postecoglou may yet leave an unforgettable legacy down N17.

Postecoglou's Spurs legacy

Tottenham have fallen by the wayside this season, of that there is no doubt. However, they could yet pick themselves back up, with Ange’s attacking philosophy looking to dig its claws back in ahead of the penultimate hurdle in the Europa League.

He’s received a lot of stick for his team’s issues across the term, but Postecoglou’s reign has unfortunately been characterised by persistent injuries.

Even so, he’s managed to create a semblance of offensive quality that was vacant in the years preceding his tenure, those post-Mauricio Pochettino years when things went awry and Tottenham regressed away from their staple flair and fearlessness in the final third.

And it’s remarkable that he’s achieved this. Long gone are the days of Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in an £86m deal two years ago. The Three Lions skipper became Tottenham’s record goalscorer when netting against Manchester City in February 2023, scoring 280 goals across 435 appearances.

His partnership with Dele Alli and Heung-min Son was truly a thing to behold, but Son, now skipper, is the only one still kicking around down N17.

Dele might have endured his share of off-field issues in recent years but he will always be remembered for his prodigious start to life in the Premier League, scoring 37 goals and supplying 27 assists across his first three top-flight campaigns alone.

Son, meanwhile, has long been regarded as a “world-class” forward, as has been said here by former boss Jose Mourinho, with his 127 goals in England’s top flight placing him joint 16th in the all-time scoring charts.

Dele and Kane’s brilliance felt irreplaceable, and Son’s influence and longevity in the Englishg capital too, but Postecoglou’s formula appears to have found a new generation of forwards capable of collecting the torch from their Tottenham predecessors.

Postecoglou took on quite a weight when replacing Antonio Conte, but he’s succeeded in restoring Spurs’ attacking quality, their flair. In fact, he’s even moulded the Londoners’ frontline back into top shape, with three current stars looking like the next version of the iconic trio.

Spurs' new attacking superstars

Though this has been a campaign fraught with peril, Postecoglou has still managed to keep his attacking identity somewhat intact, with the 16th-placed Premier League side still among the division’s top goalscorers.

1

Liverpool

1st

80

2

Man City

3rd

67

3

Newcastle

4th

65

4

Arsenal

2nd

63

5

Tottenham

16th

62

This is largely down to Dejan Kulusevski, whose energy and creativity have been an invaluable source of respite for a sinking ship. However, he’s not done it alone; Brennan Johnson has hit 16 goal contributions in the Premier League alone, despite only starting 23 times throughout an injury-affected year.

Then there’s Dominic Solanke, Kane’s belated replacement as the focal frontman. Injuries have been the crux of Tottenham’s struggle this year, and their club-record signing has very much been a victim of the blows. Even so, he’s been a worthy presence at number nine, notching 22 goal involvements across just 34 starts.

The trio, whose combined wages total some £270k per week, have definitely staked their claim for central roles over the coming years, be that under Postecoglou’s wing or in a different manager’s system.

Having each registered over 20 goal involvements across all competitions, they’ve proven their attacking credentials, with Son and James Maddison also hitting that mark.

But Son is indeed approaching his twilight in the Premier League, and Ange and co will be well aware that Tottenham need a new attacking lifeforce, one which could revive the feeling that the South Korean provided when alongside Dele and Kane.

Of course, these were attacking superstars capable of firing their way to lofty hauls every year, actually becoming the first trio to hit 20 goals each in a campaign back in the 2016/17 year, when the Pochettino era was in its heyday from an attacking standpoint.

Now, Postecoglou has found new players capable of breaking such records, and though there’s been plenty to be desired this year, this certainly bodes well for the years ahead.

Three of Tottenham’s brightest stars of the modern age, they may well be reborn through this new batch of talent, one which might just go one further and end this ceaseless wait for silverware.

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Leeds United are said to be interested in completing the signing of a “brilliant” Celtic player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Leeds eyeing signings amid title push

The Whites have secured promotion back to the Premier League, following a scintillating run of form in the Championship that included a 4-0 win at home to Bristol City on Monday evening.

Daniel Farke’s Leeds side know that victory away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday will seal the title, too, with their superior goal difference over Burnley meaning the Clarets’ result at home to Millwall will ultimately be meaningless.

Amid all the promotion positivity at Elland Road, the club continue to work on new signings for when the Whites are back in the top flight, with Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone mentioned as a potential upgrade to Illan Meslier and Manor Solomon expected to join permanently.

Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons is another rumoured target for Leeds ahead of next season, with the Englishman spending the second half of the current campaign on loan at Valencia, and possibly not having a long-term future with the Cherries.

Leeds keen on signing "brilliant" attacker

According to an update from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is a summer target for Leeds, as they look to strengthen in the final third. He is valued at £25m.

It is claimed that the Whites have “watched” the Japanese star in action, but they are far from alone in that respect, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham all getting a mention.

Maeda would be an interesting option for Leeds, possessing blistering pace and end product, having scored 62 goals in 154 appearances for Celtic, as well as registering 27 assists. The 27-year-old is also a five-time league champion, winning four Scottish Premiership titles with the Hoops and one with Matsumoto Yamaga in his homeland, and Brendan Rodgers is a big admirer.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant wherever he’s played, however he’s played, he’s had an amazing season. He earns every penny and we feel as a club he deserves more. He doesn’t give away much, other than saying he’s very happy.”

The step up from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League is huge, so there would be a risk element in Leeds making a move for Maeda, but the level of interest in him from some of the biggest clubs in the country suggests many believe he is good enough to make the jump.

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Still only 27, the 23-cap and four-goal Japan international is at a great age to come in and be a key man for several years – he also knows Ao Tanaka well from international duty and he could help him settle – so it is a deal the Whites should look to strike.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League was the first time they have done the double over the Red Devils since the 1970s.

It was a win that proves how good this Wolves squad is, and next season they should be aiming for a top-half finish without a shadow of a doubt.

Vitor Pereira has worked miracles at Molineux since taking over towards the end of 2024, and if he is backed in the summer transfer window, he can take the club to the next level.

One burning question is, will Matheus Cunha be in the starting XI for the first Premier League fixture of the 2025/26 season?

Matheus Cunha’s future at Wolves is uncertain

The Brazilian may have enjoyed a wonderful season on the pitch, scoring 16 goals and grabbing four assists, but his behaviour in recent months suggests he could be sold this summer.

Cunha has clashed with supporters on social media following a post he put up on his Instagram. He even confessed that he wishes to leave in order to challenge for trophies, and if a big offer comes in, the forward may depart.

The former Atlético Madrid star only signed a new contract back in February, tying him down for another four years. A £62.5m release clause has been inserted into the deal, so whoever wants to sign him this summer will need to stump up the cash.

While losing him would be a big blow, the club sold a player in the summer of 2022 who is now worth £40m more than the Brazilian and is also starring in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha’s stats in the PL for Wolves
Goals	14
Assists	4
Big chances created	12
Key passes per game	1.7
Shots per game	3.2
Goal conversion percentage	16%
Via Sofascore

Wolves must regret selling £100m-rated star

While Cunha has been stealing the limelight in Wolverhampton, a player not so far away in Nottingham has also very swiftly become one of the leading Premier League players; Morgan Gibbs-White.

Selling the playmaker for a fee in the region of £42.5m was seen as excellent business by the Old Gold initially. Indeed, he’d registered a total of just three goals and one assist in 88 matches for the club was hardly an impressive return, but the move has backfired spectacularly.

Since moving to Nottingham Forest, the Englishman has racked up 111 appearances for the club, registering 43 goal contributions – 16 goals and 27 assists – in the process.

It is no wonder he has been dubbed “sensational” by certain sections of the media for his displays and according to journalist Graeme Bailey, the attacking midfielder is now being valued at around £100m by Forest amid interest from Manchester City.

This is nearly £40m more than Cunha, and the statistics back up his high valuation. In the top flight this term, he has created eight big chances, averaged 1.6 key passes and succeeded with one dribble per game.

Furthermore, he ranks in the top 11% for goal-creating actions (0.63) and in the top 5% for passes into the final third (4.33) per 90 when compared to his positional peers this season in the top flight.

Wolves perhaps made the correct decision at the time by selling the 25-year-old, but boy, must they be rueing that decision now.

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1

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A Liverpool star who Arne Slot doesn’t trust is now thought to be open to a move away from Anfield this summer, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool close in on Premier League title after Trent winner at Leicester

The Reds and Slot are now in touching distance of officially being crowned Premier League champions following a 1-0 win at Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose future remains uncertain, came off the bench to score the winner and relegate the Foxes, which led to Slot being quizzed on the right-back.

Talking after the win on Alexander-Arnold’s future, Slot said: “The headline should be today the goal he scored and not about his contract but what I can say is it would be ridiculous if someone argues his commitment for this club because the work rate he has put in today to be back and score such an important goal, and all the work he has done for this club in all the years he is here, no one should, in my opinion, argue with his commitment for this club. Let the headlines be his great goal and not his contract situation.”

With a free transfer to Real Madrid on the cards for Alexander-Arnold, he could be followed out of the Anfield door by more Reds players, including striker Darwin Nunez.

The Uruguay international has been linked with a move away from Merseyside, which has resulted in Liverpool and FSG looking at potential replacements such as Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Now, a fresh update has emerged on Nunez’s Liverpool future.

Nunez open to leaving Liverpool for Saudi Pro League

According to Football Insider and reporter Pete O’Rourke, Nunez is ‘open to a Saudi Pro League move this summer as he closes in on a Liverpool exit’.

The report even adds that Slot doesn’t trust Nunez, with a transfer away looking likely over the coming months.

The 25-year-old has started just once in 2025 in the top flight under the Liverpool boss but did come in for praise from former manager Jurgen Klopp, who said 12 months ago: “He loves to play for this team together with these boys and has quality coming out of his ears, to be honest. Is he at his absolute peak in general? Not now for us. But can he develop? Yes. Is he a threat all the time? Yes.”

Games

138

Goals

40

Assists

26

Minutes played

7,312

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has also labelled the £140,000-a-week striker as “world-class”, but by the looks of things, his days as a Liverpool player could be numbered with the player now open to an exit, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of the £85m fee Liverpool can recoup if they decide to cash in.

Not since the 1989/90 season had Manchester United lost 16 games in a single league season. That was until this campaign, one that’s seen the Red Devils plummet towards the relegation places.

Ruben Amorim’s side are perhaps fortunate that the three relegated sides, Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, were all so poor.

Indeed, after a bruising 4-3 loss at the hands of Brentford on Sunday afternoon, United now sit 15th in the league on 39 points, one point above Tottenham Hotspur who have been equally as bad.

It’s strange, therefore, that they could both meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao if all goes well on Thursday night when Amorim’s men face Athletic Club in their semi-final second leg.

It’s safe to say, despite their first-leg aggregate lead, they will need to be a lot better than they were this weekend when a certain Luke Shaw hardly covered himself in glory.

How Luke Shaw let Man United down vs Brentford

Signed as one of the most promising young players in English football back in June 2014 for £27m, it’s safe to say Shaw has been a brilliant signing.

Despite that horrific leg break and his recent injury troubles, by and large, Shaw has lived up to the hype of one of England’s best left-backs of his generation.

The trouble is, it looks as though his days at United are now coming to a sorry end courtesy of those fitness issues.

The fact of the matter is that the defender has endured a nightmare few years on the treatment table, missing 48 games for club and country through injury last season and sitting out 62 games for club and country this term.

He has only played eight times this term and his second start of 2024/25, which was against the Bees this weekend, may well have been his final one in United colours.

After all, the 29-year-old struggled big time as the left-sided centre-back, hauled off after 45 minutes having nearly scored two own goals in that first period. Shaw did, sadly, find the back of the net at the wrong end of the pitch, and it was a moment that rather typified his struggles during the Erik ten Hag and Amorim eras.

Minutes played

45

Touches

30

Accurate passes

19/24 (79%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0

Clearances

2

Tackles

1

Interceptions

0

Duels won

1/3

Evidently struggling with a lack of fitness, perhaps the current incumbent of the manager’s position at Old Trafford should not have started him.

The same could be said for Patrick Dorgu.

Patrick Dorgu's performance in numbers against Brentford

What a puzzling, topsy-turvy first few months to Dorgu’s career in the north west this has been.

Amorim’s first signing, brought in from Lecce in Serie A, as a flying wing-back he looked tailor-made for the manager’s new system at United.

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While the 20-year-old still has plenty of time to come good, in the short term, it’s certainly not looking good for the young Dane.

He’s been riddled with inconsistency, something that has been typified by a red card against Ipswich back in February, a lack of goal involvements – he has just one – and his withdrawal at half-time on Sunday.

Amorim admitted after the 3-0 win last Thursday that Dorgu was feeling fatigued and thus, it was perhaps strange to see him selected on the right-hand side of United’s attack a few days later.

Clearly still lacking a bit of fitness, just as Shaw was, it was no surprise that he only lasted 45 minutes against the Bees.

Manchester Evening news reporter, Samuel Luckhurst, was one to criticise his display, dishing out a 4/10 match rating and writing: ‘Defended dozily at the far post for Schade’s headed goal. Only started in the absence of a senior right winger.’

Minutes played

45

Touches

28

Accurate passes

12/16 (75%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Ground duels won

1/3

Aerial duels won

1/2

Clearances

2

Interceptions

0

Tackles

0

Defending dozily just about sums up United’s day as they were left to bemoan their tendency to hand over straightforward chances to Brentford.

Unsurprisingly, Dorgu left the field having had fewer touches (28) than goalkeeper Altay Bayindir (57) and Shaw (30), but more alarmingly, considering he was playing as a wing-back, he didn’t have a single shot, didn’t make a key pass and lost two of his five duels. He didn’t score an own goal like one of his teammates but it was a similarly haphazard and timid display.

With Amad now back and scoring, giving him a runout at the expense of the Denmark international on Thursday certainly seems like a viable solution here.

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West Bromwich Albion fans should be full of excitement and anxiety ahead of the final game day in the Championship, hopeful that their side can enter into the second tier playoff picture.

However, Tony Mowbray’s dismal return to the hot-seat has unfortunately seen the Baggies drop out of the top six altogether, with the 61-year-old only able to mastermind a weak five victories from 17 games before being given his abrupt marching orders.

The Hawthorns hierarchy will know they need to get their next appointment spot on to ensure the Baggies can finally break out of the Championship, with a whole host of different names up for consideration as Mowbray’s successor.

West Brom could now appoint "outstanding" manager

The main name being heavily linked with a switch to the West Midlands is current Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes, with the Spaniard even being put on gardening leave by the Hoops to see out their season.

However, it has now been surprisingly revealed that Cifuentes isn’t even on the West Brom short-list at this moment in time, meaning the drawn-out search for a fresh manager drags on.

Gary O’Neil’s name has also been thrown into conversations away from Cifuentes being floated around, with pundit Joe Jacobson tipping him to be in the frame for the Hawthorns vacancy.

The “outstanding” former Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach – as he was previously labelled by Old Gold chairman Jeff Shi – would be an arguable upgrade on the wantaway QPR figure, on top of perhaps also boasting a sturdier reputation in the game than ex-Hawthorns fan favourite Carlos Corberan.

Why O'Neil could be an upgrade on Cifuentes & Corberan

Corberan’s sudden exit from West Brom last December was the unfortunate nail in the coffin for their season, with Mowbray unable to get the very best out of a camp regimented in the now Valencia manager’s philosophies.

Whilst the Spaniard did steer the Baggies to a mightily impressive 47 victories from his 107 games in the dug-out, a promotion up to the Premier League would continue to evade his side throughout his memorable spell, with O’Neil at least holding the advantage of being a top-flight proven boss.

Indeed, O’Neil has plenty of experience in the elite division, both at the helm of Wolves and AFC Bournemouth, with his time at Molineux a bumpy ride to say the least.

The Old Gold had turned into relegation fodder by the time of his exit – before Vitor Pereira then transformed fortunes at Molineux – but O’Neil had secured a positive 15th place finish the season prior, meaning he might well be able to consolidate West Brom as a Premier League worthy outfit if promotion was to be finally secured.

24/25

16

2

3

11

19th (at time of sacking)

23/24

38

13

7

18

15th

22/23

34

10

6

18

16th

Overall, the 41-year-old has managed to pick up 25 top-flight victories in total. Amazingly, this alone only puts him three off Cifuentes’ win count at Loftus Road, with Cifuentes perhaps not ready to make the leap up to the top league like O’Neil, especially when you further consider QPR are situated in 15th spot heading into the final day.

The major hurdle for O’Neil would be whether he’s capable of cutting it in the nitty gritty of the Championship himself, but he worked well under pressure at the Cherries and Old Gold for the majority of his stays there, meaning he might be able to better Corberan in finally guiding his new team to the big time.

Whoever is chosen to be Mowbray’s replacement will have a pressurised job on their hands, but O’Neil could be just what West Brom need to put Corberan’s spell firmly to one side.

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Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “excellent” AC Milan player, who is set to leave the Italian club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Forest stepping up summer transfer plans

Forest should be well-positioned to bring in some top-quality players this summer, given that they have a very good chance of qualifying for the Champions League, and Nuno is keen to bolster his options in a number of different areas.

The goalscoring burden has largely been on Chris Wood this season, and the Tricky Trees are eager to bring in a new striker to provide competition for the New Zealander, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the targets.

There appears to be a heavy focus on strengthening in attacking areas, with Marseille winger Luis Henrique also of interest, alongside Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and there have been suggestions Jota Silva could be used as a makeweight in a deal for the Sweden international.

Contact made: Nottingham Forest make enquiry for £40m "one-man machine"

The Tricky Trees have now made a move for a midfielder, who is attracting widespread interest from across Europe.

ByDominic Lund Apr 16, 2025

Bringing in attacking reinforcements may be of key significance to Nuno, but the manager could also look to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, with a report from Italy revealing Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.

Thiaw will be allowed to leave Milan this summer, and the Serie A side are set to hold out for around €25m to €30m (£22m – £26m), amid widespread interest in his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal also keen.

The asking price shouldn’t be a problem for any of the Premier League clubs, but Bayer Leverkusen’s interest could pose an issue, with the German club already making an approach for the 23-year-old.

"Excellent" Thiaw could be success at the City Ground

The German centre-back remained on the substitutes’ bench at the beginning of the campaign, but he has since gone on to establish himself as an important player for Milan, getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid.

That was not the first time the 6 foot 4 colossus put in an impressive performance in the Champions League, having previously received high praise from former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi for a top display against Tottenham Hotspur in February 2023.

Sacchi said: “He played an excellent game. He often found himself in one-on-one situations and did not give up an inch to the opponent.”

It has not been the best of campaigns for Milan, with the Italian side sat ninth in the Serie A, but Thiaw’s exploits in Europe indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Forest, and a fee of £22m – £26m is very reasonable for a defender of his quality.