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Tottenham Hotspur are ready to put all their energies into a new club record deal for an elite Premier League playmaker who they have ‘relief belief’ they can sign, and with Thomas Frank understood to be ready to pull the plug on their move for Manchester United target Bryan Mbeumo.

Mbeumo has found himself in huge demand this summer after making it clear he was keen to leave Brentford and make the next step in his career. And while the Bees are not prepared to stand in the 25-year-old Cameroon international’s way, they have made it clear they will demand a high price to let the talismanic star move on.

However, after Mbeumo made clear his preference to join Manchester United, the Red Devils have been feverishly working at trying to strike a deal with the Bees. Their first offer – worth £45m guaranteed and a further £10m in add-ons – was quickly batted away.

It has now emerged that United have lodged a second offer with the London club – now worth around the £60m mark and with a larger percentage of the cash laid down up front.

And while it has been said that Tottenham Hotspur were prepared to make a more hefty offer, Sky Sports now suggests the renewed offer from United, coupled with the fact that Mbeumo’s preference has always been Old Trafford, means they are now prepared to walk away from a possible move for the Brentford man.

Spurs, though, are not prepared to dwell on that apparent miss for too long, with multiple sources now revealing that a bold move is being planned for an alternative addition.

And according to both The Mirror and talkSPORT, Frank has now ordered Spurs to instead put their energies into a move for Crystal Palace superstar Eberechi Eze.

The 11-cap England star was mentioned as a target for Spurs last summer before they instead decided to strengthen in other areas of their side.

However, per the latest reports, Spurs now have a renewed belief that a deal is there to be done and a deal is seen as a relatively straightforward one to complete with a £68m exit clause existing in the player’s Selhurst Park contract.

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Tottenham transfers: Frank has ‘belief’ Eze deal can be done

Per The Mirror, Frank wants Spurs bosses to move quickly and decisively for Eze, believing a deal will be far easier to strike than moves for both Mbeumo and another reported target in Antoine Semenyo.

Indeed, with Bournemouth having already lost Dean Huijsen this summer and with Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi also subject to big-money offers, the Cherries are ready to play hardball and demand an eye-watering fee for winger Semenyo.

But with a price in place for Eze – set at £68m (€80m, $92.5m) – Spurs know exactly what would be required to land the 26-year-old and without the need for messy negotiations.

Furthermore, the fact they can offer Eze, who finished the 2024/25 campaign with 14 goals and 11 assists from 43 appearances – the Champions League football he craves and stay in his native London has given them ‘real belief’ a deal is there to be done.

Such a move, though, would still represent a new club-record deal for Tottenham, beating the £65m package (£55m up front, £10m in add-ons) paid last summer to Bournemouth for Dominic Solanke.

Indeed, according to our transfer insider, Fraser Fletcher, Spurs have already been in contact over a deal for Eze, having learned they have until mid-August to trigger his clause before it expires.

Fletcher has also revealed that Spurs could yet look to offer the Eagles a possible swap deal in order to reduce their initial outlay for Eze.

Tottenham transfer latest: Deal on for Japan defender; Richarlison upgrade eyed

Meanwhile, multiple sources have confirmed that Spurs have agreed a deal for Japanese centre-half, Kota Takai, which will net the selling side a club-record fee.

Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly given the ‘green light’ for injury-plagued striker Richarlison to join a European heavyweight this summer, with an exciting replacement for the Brazilian already lined up.

Frank is also plotting a crafty free-transfer swoop to bring a former Spurs academy man back to the club this summer, per reports.

Tottenham have fully agreed a deal to sign a defender that will smash a transfer record, and Spurs’ plan for the player has quickly emerged.

Tottenham have already completed two signings this summer, though both were pre-agreed long before Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou in the dugout.

The options to buy Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel outright via their loan arrangements were taken up. News has now broken of Spurs agreeing to sign a player for the first time since Frank took charge.

Japanese centre-half, Kota Takai, is the player in question. Multiple sources including The Times, BBC and Fabrizio Romano have all confirmed a deal to sign the 20-year-old is in place.

Spurs will pay £5m to Takai’s side Kawasaki Frontale which represents a record sale for the J League.

Nevertheless, Tottenham believe they’ve snagged a bargain and the versatile right-footer is equally comfortable playing at left centre-back as he is at right centre-back.

Takai will continue to play for Kawasaki Frontale over the coming weeks before linking up with his new Spurs teammates for pre-season later in the summer.

Spurs have agreed to let Takai continue playing in Japan for the time being in order to not stifle his development.

That decision would appear to make perfect sense given the vast bulk of Spurs’ squad don’t report back for pre-season from their summer holidays until early-mid July.

Takai has already racked up four senior caps for Japan and was named the J League’s best young player for the 2024 campaign.

Takai’s arrival is the latest example of Spurs investing in younger stars who despite their tender ages, can make an impact in the first-team right now.

Archie Gray, 19, Wilson Odobert, 20, Lucas Bergvall, 19, Antonin Kinsky, 22, Yang Min-hyeok, 19, and Mathys Tel, 20, have all been signed within the last two years.

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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly given the ‘green light’ for injury-plagued striker Richarlison to join a European heavyweight this summer, with an exciting replacement for the Brazilian already lined up.

Richarlison has largely flattered to deceive during his time in north London, showing flashes of brilliance only to be hampered courtesy of a succession of injury issues that have ended up curtailing his playing time.

Indeed, in three seasons at Tottenham he has featured 90 times in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and adding 10 assists in that time.

Despite reports that new Spurs boss Thomas Frank is a fan of Richarlison‘s qualities, Turkish media state that a move to the Super Lig is on the cards for the 28-year-old.

The former Everton man has also been heavily linked with clubs in the Saudi Pro League, but Turkish outlet Posta has reported on Galatasaray’s stance when it comes to adding a new No.9 to their squad if they fail to capture Victor Osimhen on a permanent deal.

The Nigerian spent last season on loan with the Turkish champions, but there is uncertainty if he will remain in Istanbul amid links to a number of other clubs – including the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

However, the report states that Richarlison has now emerged as a target for Galatasaray and Spurs are said to have given the ‘green light’ for the frontman to join them.

The report adds that Tottenham are willing to sell Richarlison or even loan him out, while it’s also claimed that Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho is weighing up a move of his own for the player in a potential Turkish head-to-head.

Should Richarlison be offloaded though, there will be the need for Tottenham to sign a replacement – and it would appear that they already have the perfect man in mind in the shape of Brentford star Yoane Wissa.

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One striker in, one out at Tottenham

Bees frontman Wissa is obviously no stranger to new Spurs chief Frank, having excelled under the Dane at The Gtech Stadium.

With the 28-year-old’s contract running until June 2026 and an option to extend, Brentford hold a strong negotiating position, though are wary of the growing interest for the £50m-rated star.

For their part, the Bees are aware of the mounting interest and are reluctant to lose their talisman, especially with Bryan Mbeumo looking increasingly certain to join Manchester United this summer.

Indeed, Brentford are actively working to tie Wissa down to a new, long-term contract, aiming to protect his value and strengthen their stance in negotiations.

With 12 goals and three assists in the 2024/25 Premier League season, and 49 goals in total for Brentford since 2021, Wissa’s importance to the Bees cannot be overstated. However, Frank’s influence is likely to play a big role in any Tottenham move for the pacy attacker.

In fact, a report from The Guardian claims that internal discussions regarding a potential move for Wissa have already taken place following Frank’s arrival – ramping up the chances of the DR Congo star replacing Richarlison in the Spurs squad and providing immediate competition for Dominic Solanke as a result.

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Manchester United will this week resume talks with Brentford aimed at striking a full agreement to sign Bryan Mbeumo, though the spectre of Tottenham Hotspur gazumping them to a deal remains a strong possibility and with a transfer expert revealing the huge dilemma the star is facing.

The Cameroon winger finds himself in high demand off the back of an excellent 2024/25 campaign for the Bees in which he scored 20 goals and added nine assists from 42 appearances – a G/A every 123.3 minutes he had on the field. And with his contract at the Gtech Stadium expiring a year from now, Brentford will not stand in Mbeumo‘s way of making a high-profile move to a Premier League rival.

While the player has a wealth of sides all keen to sign him, the 25-year-old quickly made clear his wish to sign for Manchester United, with four big factors proving key.

And while personal terms with the player have quickly been agreed, striking a club-to-club agreement has proved much trickier.

That delay has opened the door for Tottenham Hotspur to try and hijack the transfer themselves.

As a result, football financial expert, Stefan Borson, has revealed the huge dilemma now facing the star – and it’s all down to Thomas Frank.

“I think you look at it two ways,” Borson began on Football Insider.

“First of all, all the people that do know about transfers, they say that United are still very much in the driving seat on the transaction.

“United don’t seem to have been particularly perturbed to the point where they’ve rushed around to do a deal. They seem very relaxed, so I would think he still ends up at United.

“But if you look at it, there’s quite a lot to be said for a Tottenham transfer. They have got Champions League, he’s got a manager he knows really well, and he wouldn’t have to move house.

“I suspect that Spurs can match Manchester United’s wages given that they do have Champions League football next season and given that United are trying to bring the whole cost base all the way down.

“I suspect that he wants to go to United, but I think there’s quite a lot to be said for him moving to Spurs right now.

“If he really has a very good relationship with Thomas Frank, then I don’t think it’s impossible that he could choose Spurs.

“I still think he’s likely to go to Manchester United.”

Man Utd ready to raise Bryan Mbeumo bid

Having already signed Matheus Cunha in a £62.5m agreement this summer, the club’s second major signing of the off-season has taken time to get over the line.

And without a clause fixing his price, together with strong competition for his services, a deal to bring Mbeumo to Old Trafford has proven a laborious process so far.

United are understood to have had an opening offer of £45m fixed, plus £10m in add-ons, rejected by the Bees.

And while discussions have taken place at reaching a compromise, United are yet to officially lodge that second offer with the south-west London side.

However, according to Rudy Galetti, all that is about to change – and there is a growing belief that an agreement can soon be reached.

Writing on X, our transfer insider has revealed that United are now willing to pay £63million plus add-ons for the winger, adding that “final details” with Brentford will be sorted soon.

Such a deal will comfortably be the biggest in Brentford’s history, roaring past the £34m fee received from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for Ivan Toney last summer.

Mendes to aid Man Utd raid on Real Madrid;

Meanwhile, United remain determined to get Jadon Sancho off the books with former manager Jose Mourinho now reportedly looking to bring him to Fenerbahce, though two Italian giants also remain keen.

Elsewhere, United are hoping super-agent Jorge Mendes can aid their quest to sign a Real Madrid star in the summer transfer window, according to a Spanish report, though Ruben Amorim’s plan to get him out of the Santiago Bernabeu may not work.

Over at Spurs, a club insider has revealed how Frank’s first signing at his new club could be a shrewd move to bring a former star back to the club, who has gone on to rack up some 226 career appearances.

Frank is also reportedly looking to add an elite attacking midfielder to Thomas Frank’s squad after making ‘active enquiries’ to sign a top Bundesliga talent who is also on Chelsea’s radar.

Tottenham are reportedly considering a move for Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who Everton have rejected the chance to sign this summer.

The 28-year-old started his career with Spurs and is set to embark on a new chapter, as he will leave Southampton and become a free agent once his contract expires on June 30.

A number of sides have shown interest in Walker-Peters, including Everton, who decided against a move for the twice-capped England international to focus on Fulham’s Kenny Tete.

According to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, Tottenham have ‘considered’ Walker-Peters and he believes he would be a smart addition for new manager Thomas Frank.

“The one I do believe they have considered for this summer is Kyle Walker-Peters,” Gold said on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham podcast.

“He’s had a terrific career, over 200 appearances for Southampton, a Premier League regular for a lot of that. I think he has a couple of England caps as well.”

“On one side, the full-back spots are pretty busy right now, there are a lot of full-backs there, but as the window goes on, if he’s not been snapped up yet, I can see it as a clever solution, he’s club-trained, he can play on both sides, and from my understanding I think he would love to come back to Spurs as well, they’re his boyhood club.”

Tottenham consider Walker-Peters swoop

Tottenham are expected to be busy this summer, with Daniel Levy set to back Frank in the market.

A new full-back isn’t a top priority, with Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro both good options on the left and right of defence.

However, the opportunity to re-sign Walker-Peters, a proven Premier League star, on a free transfer, could tempt Spurs into a move.

Walker-Peters would no doubt be open to the switch given he was a boyhood Tottenham supporter.

He made 33 Premier League appearances in a very disappointing campaign for Southampton that saw them finish bottom and the table, and relegated to the Championship.

It’s thought that staying in the top flight is Walker-Peters’ priority and a move to Champions League side Spurs would be a dream for him.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to add an elite attacking midfielder to Thomas Frank’s squad after making ‘active enquiries’ to sign a top Bundesliga talent who is also on Chelsea’s radar.

Spurs have already been active early in the summer window after completing the permanent signings of centre-back Kevin Danso and forward Mathys Tel following loan stints in north London. However, they are still expected to make more additions for new boss Frank as they gear up for a return to Champions League football next season.

Tottenham are focusing on the spine of the side and the midfield in particular after struggling to control games from their engine room under Ange Postecoglou during the past campaign.

While they are not exactly short of creativity in that area, with Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusesvki all capable of playing in a No.10 role, Spurs continue to be linked with a move for outstanding RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.

The Netherlands international is capable of playing in multiple forward positions, including on the left-wing, where Tottenham have already reportedly made a decision over the future of legendary skipper Son Heung-min.

And now journalist Ben Jacobs has delivered an update on what the future holds for Simons, along with the role that Spurs could play in a future transfer.

When asked about the race for Simons’ signature, Jacobs told GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast: “There are a couple of suitors that are looking. One is Bayern Munich, outside the Premier League, who are going to spend some serious money. We know their number one position, though, is a left-sided attacker first and foremost.

“You have Tottenham, who could be one to watch as well. They’re going to be looking for a right-sided attacker first, but don’t rule out this kind of profile for them as well. I can only tell you about Spurs, who have made an active enquiry to just understand the desire on the player’s side and also the price.

“Nothing is advanced at this point, and it might be the kind of deal that happens a little bit later in the window. Heung-min Son is going to go off and do pre-season with Spurs and then, after that, decide on his future.”

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Simons’ asking price within reach for Tottenham

As TEAMtalk have previously reported, Simons is also a major target for Chelsea as they look to add another layer to their attacking ranks.

The Athletic recently reported that the 22-year-old talent has informed Leipzig that he wants to leave, with the Bundesliga club expected to demand €70m (£60m) for his services.

That sort of figure is not expected to present much of a problem to Tottenham, given they have been willing to pay around that fee for three other attacking targets in Bryan Mbeumo, Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo.

And while Bayern could end up being the likeliest competition for Simons, he is not currently a priority signing for the German champions – leaving the door open for Spurs to potentially strike a deal of their own.

At this stage, Frank and his assistant Justin Cochrane are assessing the current Tottenham first-team squad and areas that need improving after a disastrous domestic campaign last time around.

However, midfield and attack are two areas under serious consideration as Frank looks to build a squad capable of coping much better with the demands of domestic and European football next season.

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Manchester United look increasingly likely to face disappointment in their quest to sign Bryan Mbeumo amid claims a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur is gathering pace and with Fabrizio Romano explaining how the prospect of Thomas Frank reuniting with the star was discussed “as soon as he signed his contract” at the club.

The Brentford frontman is one of the summer’s most in-demand stars, having blazed his way to 29 goal contributions (20 goals scored, nine assists) in 42 appearances across the 2024/25 season. And with just a year left on his contract at the Gtech Stadium, the Bees have made it clear that Mbeumo will be allowed to leave this summer if their asking price is met.

That scramble for his signature quickly whittled down to just one side, with the 25-year-old star seemingly making clear his wishes to join Manchester United.

But while the Red Devils have continued to haggle with the Bees over a fee, so far seeing a £45m, plus £10m in bonuses, offer fail, that has opened the door for Tottenham to make their move.

Indeed, Spurs have already lodged a more chunky offer for the star and now the prospect of a U-turn has been talked up by several sources, including transfer journalist Duncan Castles.

And with Sky Sports also revealing the Cameroon international is also ‘intrigued’ by the prospect of reuniting with Frank in north London, Fabrizio Romano has now made clear Frank’s masterplan.

“For sure, there is appreciation from Thomas Frank. And so it’s quite obvious to discuss a target like [Bryan] Mbeumo for Tottenham, because he’s one of the names they discussed internally as soon as he signed his contract as new Tottenham manager,” Romano told Givemesport.

“It’s obvious in football to see these kinds of situations.”

It’s easy to see why Frank would be so keen to reunite with Mbeumo, a player he used more than anyone bar one other man, Christian Norgaard (262 games), while at Brentford together.

Having played under him on 242 occasions, Mbeumo registered 70 goals and 51 assists, including his first 20-goal Premier League season last term.

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While Manchester United still retain a hope they can secure the Mbeumo signing, they have some way to go in order to match Tottenham’s offer, understood to be worth £60m and a further £10m in bonuses.

And while Castles claims United’s new offer for the star is likely to be worth up to £60m, a move to Tottenham now looks a genuine possibility.

“The indication from Manchester United was Mbeumo had chosen to move there and verbally told them that his preference was to move there,” Castles said on The Transfers podcast. “But I’m not hearing exactly the same on that.

“I think there is a good chance that Mbeumo, should Tottenham get to the price that Brentford are asking, that he might choose Spurs ahead of Manchester United.

“There are a couple of obvious reasons for that. One is that it allows him to stay in London and secondly it allows him to carry on playing for Thomas Frank, who has joined Tottenham as the replacement for Ange Postecoglou.”

Despite Castle’s claims, it is worth noting that Romano does not commit either way to saying which way Mbeumo will turn.

And it remains our understanding that Mbeumo’s preference remains on a move to Old Trafford.

To that end, our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed this week that constructive talks had led to the valuation gap between the two sides being reduced.

That also tallies with Romano’s claims from Thursday of this week when he stated: “They [United] are talking to the club, always in contact with player agents, and with an agreement with Bryan Mbeumo, because the player wants to go to United.

“And so at the moment, United remain frontrunners on this story. Let’s see if they can be able to reach an agreement on the fee with Brentford.”

Mbeumo himself has been keeping a low profile as the two clubs work on thrashing out a compromise.

However, the Sky Sports cameras did catch up with him during Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

“It is a bit new for me, I would say! I think it can be the life of a footballer and you need to accept it,” the attacker stated.

Mbeumo was also quizzed about his future last month, while appearing alongside his Brentford strike partner Yoane Wissa on former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel’s on The Obi One Podcast.

“I think this is something we can always do. But you need a lot of resilience because you can say, ‘I want to be there’ but if you don’t do [enough] you won’t be able to achieve what you really want,” Mbeumo began.

“I think the mental part is to say to yourself when it’s getting hard, ‘can I go harder, yes’ if you say no, you will stay the good player you are, you can’t be the best.”

During the interview, Mbeumo was also questioned about his mental fortitude to handle the pressures that comes with playing for a club like Manchester United.

“I always wanted to play the biggest game[s] for the biggest club when I was younger,” Mbeumo answered. “It’s easy to say that I want to be there, but obviously you need to put a lot of demand on yourself and I’ve shown what I’m capable of.

“I’m really demanding of myself as well because I know I have the abilities [but] we never know what might happen.”

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Meanwhile, United are being urged to spend their money on Victor Osimhen by a talkSPORT pundit, while the Napoli striker’s recent comments on his future have also shed light on his future.

Elsewhere, United will officially welcome Ruben Amorim’s first Old Trafford signing to the club on July 1 – some seven months after they announced his arrival and with the player tipped for a bright future in the game.

Over in north London, Tottenham have reportedly been told they will need to smash their transfer record again to sign a top Bournemouth star this summer after the Cherries’ stance on a sale gave them hope.

And the arrival of Frank as manager has reportedly convinced a world-class Spurs star to abandon his plans to quit the club this summer in what is being billed as a shock U-turn.

Tottenham have reportedly been told they will need to break their transfer record again to sign another Bournemouth star this summer.

Days after Brentford boss Thomas Frank was sworn in at Tottenham, the Europa League winners are trying to put together a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts next season.

Spurs completed the signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich on a permanent basis for around £30 million (€35m, $40m) this week, but now they are looking at Bournemouth signings once again.

The north London team paid the Cherries an initial £55m (€64m, $74m), with £10m in add-ons, to recruit striker Dominic Solanke in 2024, and now reports suggest they will have to exceed that to land forward Antoine Semenyo.

The Athletic states that Tottenham, who sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou earlier this month, have enquired about the 25-year-old but are not proceeding any further at present. That is because they and Manchester United are put off by his £65m (€75.9m, $87.5m) price tag.

TEAMtalk contributor Ben Jacobs adds that Andoni Iraola’s team have no plans to sell the former Bristol City star and would want £65m as part of a ‘package’ deal.

Incidentally, Semenyo is just one of several Bournemouth players who could leave the south coast outfit this summer.

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Bournemouth in danger of being stripped apart

Despite losing their top scorer last summer in Solanke, Bournemouth had their best-ever Premier League season in 2024/25.

However, it is going to be very difficult to top those efforts next term as star centre-back Dean Huijsen has already joined Real Madrid for £50m and more key players could leave the club, too.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Paris Saint-Germain are in the ‘final stages’ of negotiations for Bournemouth centre-back Ilya Zabarnyi.

He adds a new proposal has been sent to the Dorset team by the Champions League winners and an agreement is expected to be reached to land the 22-year-old Ukraine international.

TEAMtalk reported months ago that Liverpool wanted Cherries left-back Milos Kerkez and now the 21-year-old is inching closer towards an Anfield switch.

The Hungarian is set to join on a long-term deal but Bournemouth will hope they can hold onto Semenyo, else they could struggle in the Premier League next season.

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Arsenal have convinced one of Europe’s best strikers to turn down a move to Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report, while another source makes a startling revelation about Viktor Gyokeres and his stance on a switch to the Emirates Stadium.

One of the reasons why Arsenal failed to last the distance in the Premier League title race last season was the lack of a clinical number nine. While injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz did not help matters, it must be noted that the Brazilian is not a prolific goalscorer and the German is not a natural centre-forward.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Sporting Director Andrea Berta are determined to add a new striker to the squad in the summer transfer window.

One of the strikers that Arsenal are actively pursuing is Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.

Hailed by former Chelsea striker and talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino in June 2024 as being “extraordinary” for the way “he will run at people and he will literally go around them”, Sesko scored 21 goals and gave six assists in 45 matches in all competitions for Leipzig last season.

The German media reported this week that Arsenal have reached an agreement on personal terms with Sesko, and now TuttoJuve has claimed that the striker has turned down the chance to move to Tottenham to accept the Gunners’ offer.

The Italian news outlet has reported that Sesko has ‘said yes to Arsenal’s offer’, adding that the north London club are ‘ready to present a formal offer in the coming days to convince’ Leipzig to sell them their star striker.

Arsenal are said to have beaten the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United and convinced Sesko to join Arteta’s team.

None of Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham have shown ‘the same financial availability’, meaning that Arsenal have won the race for the 22-year-old Slovenia international striker, claims TuttoJuve.

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Viktor Gyokeres wants Arsenal move – report

Alongside Sesko, Arsenal have also looked at signing Gyokeres from Sporting CP, although it must be noted that the Gunners will bring in either and not both.

The Gunners do not want to pay anything more than an initial €55m (£47m, $63m) for Gyokeres, with Sporting CP changing their stance from letting the striker leave for €70m (£60m, $80.6m) because of a gentleman’s agreement to selling him only for €100m (£85m, $115m).

Manchester United are also interested in Gyokeres, with sources telling TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, on June 17 that the Red Devils are confident that the Sweden international striker will move to Old Trafford because of the presence of his former Sporing CP manager Ruben Amorim at the Red Devils.

TalkSPORT’s chief football correspondent, Alex Crook, though, claimed on Thursday morning that Gyokeres wants to join Arsenal.

Crook said on talkSPORT: “I had a message 24 hours or so ago suggesting that Viktor Gyokeres has told friends and family he expects to join Arsenal.

“We know that Manchester United are interested in signing him as well, obviously there is that pre-existing relationship with Ruben Amorim.

“But Arsenal can offer Champions League football, maybe can offer a tilt at the title next season.

“But Sporting are going to play hardball, there’s been a fallout between Gyokeres and the club because his agent has suggested that they had a gentleman’s agreement he could leave for £60million, I think they’re looking for nearer £80m.

“Arsenal are juggling both him and Benjamin Sesko, they’ve opened talks with Leipzig as well but at the moment, I would say Gyokeres looks the more likely.”

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Meanwhile, Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign a striker that Tottenham are also keen on.

Arsenal have received a huge blow in their pursuit of Noni Madueke after targeting the Chelsea winger, whose previous comments on leaving Tottenham Hotspur have come to light.

Following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign where they failed to last the distance in the Premier League title race, Arsenal are keen on adding quality players to their squad in the summer transfer window. Liverpool and Manchester City have already been very active this summer, and Arsenal are aware that to become the champions of England in the 2025/26 campaign, manager Mikel Arteta needs more firepower.

Arsenal manager Arteta and Sporting Director Andrea Berta are working hard behind the scenes to sign a top-class number nine, while a wide player is also on the wishlist.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea winger Madueke is a player that Arsenal have taken a shine to.

The report, published at 4:59pm UK time on Thursday, claimed that the former Tottenham prospect is on the ‘radar’ of Arsenal among other clubs.

Rivals reportedly believe that Chelsea could sell the 23-year-old this summer, with Arsenal having ‘looked at his situation’.

However, at 6:28pm UK time, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made it clear that the winger is not for sale.

BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella has quoted Maresca as saying about Madueke’s future: “Noni is our player, you can read a lot of speculation at the moment but we consider Noni our player for the coming season.”

Maresca made the aforementioned comments about Madueke in a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s match against Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Madueke played predominantly as a right winger last season and scored 11 goals and gave five assists in 42 appearances, as Chelsea finished in the Premier League top five and won the Conference League.

What Noni Madueke said about leaving Tottenham

Arsenal and Tottenham are bitter north London rivals, and it is interesting that the Gunners have made Madueke a target despite his previous stint at Spurs.

The winger was on the books of Tottenham from 2014 until 2018 before he decided to leave for Dutch club PSV.

Speaking to Sky Sports in February 2023 about his decision to leave Tottenham, Madueke said: “Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan.

“I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.

“Going to PSV is not going to harm my development at all and if I’m good enough, I’m going to play quick in the first team, so that was really my mindset.

“I’m thinking ‘if I jump the queue, I’ll just be better than all my peers because whilst they’re playing Under-18’s and Under-21’s, I’ll be playing against men.”

Latest Arsenal news: Gyokeres decision reached, striker offered

Arsenal have reached a final decision on whether or not they will pay the asking price for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to a report.

A report has claimed that Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign a striker that Tottenham are keen on.

Arsenal are progressing well in talks over new deals for two players.