The Mirror

Henderson to Sunderland?

Jordan Henderson is unlikely to return to Sunderland this summer.

That's according to The Northern Echo, who have played down talk of such a move after fresh speculation overnight.

Henderson, 35, is a free agent after deciding to leave Ajax at the end of his contract.

Al-Hilal plot Sesko bid

Arsenal might not be signing Benjamin Sesko, but Al-Hilal would certainly like to.

The Sun say they will try and lure the RB Leipzig frontman to Saudi Arabia after missing out on a deal for Victor Osimhen.

Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta is among their back-up targets.

Spurs close on Kudus

As well as weighing up a move for Yoane Wissa, Tottenham are also set to snap up Mohammed Kudus.

The Athletic revealed yesterday that Spurs have agreed a £55m deal to sign the Ghana star from their bitter rivals, West Ham.

Kudus is expected to finalise his switch across London shortly.

Man Utd's Mbeumo worry

Manchester United are still confident of striking a deal for Bryan Mbeumo.

However, Sky Sports claim that Tottenham are interested in the Brentford star's striker partner, Yoane Wissa. And that could scupper United's chances of landing Mbeumo.

To put it bluntly, the Bees do not want to lose both stars. Which could give United food for thought as they continue to try and strike a deal for Mbeumo...

Arsenal's big Gyokeres decision

The Arsenal have finally decided on their primary striker target.

But will they stump up the cash Sporting want for Viktor Gyokeres?

A delegation led by Andrea Berta failed to strike a deal for the Swede during face-to-face talks in Portugal last week. Word is that Arsenal's offer of €65million plus a further €15m in add-ons is not enough for the Portuguese champions, who want a guaranteed €70m for their star striker, per The Independent.

Will Arsenal change the structure of their deal to finally land the top No 9 they need? We should find out shortly...

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live transfer news blog.

As always, there's plenty to get stuck into, so lets get started...

The Premier League is the target of many football players across the world, but one star, after being linked with Chelsea and Tottenham in the past, looks to be getting his move

Crystal Palace are on the verge of signing former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur target Borna Sosa from Ajax. The left-back was recently given permission to travel to the UK by the Amsterdam side ahead of a £2million move to Selhurst Park, according to reports.

Oliver Glasner is believed to be looking for competition at left-back for Tyrick Mitchell. Last season, they loaned Ben Chilwell, but there are no signs that they will be signing the out-of-favour Chelsea defender permanently.

Sosa, 27, made 20 appearances on loan at Torino last season and also has 26 international caps for Croatia. He played a huge role in his country's run to the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting all but one match on their run to the last four.

According to The Athletic, Sosa was scheduled to undergo a medical last Monday. He has previously been linked with a move to Chelsea when Thomas Tuchel was still in charge of the west Londoners.

Antonio Conte was also keen to bring him to Tottenham during his fiery reign in north London. However, a move never came to fruition, despite Sosa saying he had always wanted to play in the Premier League.

In a past interview with Sportske Novosti in March 2022, when Sosa was still playing for Bundesliga side Stuttgart, Sosa said: " I can confirm that I have a lot of interest.

"That is a fact. A lot of people are calling me. The summer transfer window is approaching. We know that negotiations start early, usually in April. And that’s in less than a month. I can say that the time has come for me to take a new step in my career."

He added: "(The Premier League) I would say is by far the strongest league, and it is clear that the goal of every footballer is to play in the strongest leagues in the world. Definitely, I have a great desire to play in the Premier League. I can also tell you that I was very, very close to leaving last winter. However, the club decided not to let me go.

"But I got a promise. And it reads, 'If I get a satisfactory offer in the summer, I can leave.' We agreed to find the best solution together. But I say, I’m still in Stuttgart, we’ll see what opens in the summer."

A move to Chelsea or Tottenham did not suffice in the following summer. Instead, the Blues forked out £52.5million to sign Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion, while Spurs bought Destiny Udogie, Ivan Perisic and Djed Spence from Udinese, Inter Milan and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

After Stuttgart maintained their place in the Bundesliga during the 2021/22 season, Sosa remained with the German side for another season, before moving to Ajax one year later. In the following campaign, he was loaned to Torino by the Dutch heavyweights.

Now he looks set to become Palace's second signing of the summer. The Eagles have already secured the signature of Argentinian goalkeeper Walter Benitez, who joined on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven.

Tottenham have had a relatively quiet transfer window so far but have announced their first new addition of the summer after signing Japanese defender Kota Takai, who will add to Thomas Frank's defensive options

Tottenham have announced the signing of Japanese defender Kota Takai from J1 League outfit Kawasaki Frontale, with the centre-back joining Thomas Frank's men on a five-year deal.

The 20-year-old becomes the club's second transfer of the summer after completing a permanent deal for loanee Mathys Tel. Defender Kevin Danso also joined permanently at the end of last season.

Frank will be grateful for a new addition in defence after Radu Dragusin was ruled out for a lengthy spell after suffering a serious ACL injury in February, with the Romanian not expected back until the end of the year.

Takai will compete for a starting spot with first choice pairing Cristian Romero and Mickey van de Ven as well as Danso and will hope to make a quick impact after being named Japan's young player of the year in 2024.

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Kota Takai from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale, subject to international clearance and work permit," Tottenham said in a statement.

"The Japan international defender has agreed a deal with the club that will run until 2030."

Takai made his international debut in September in a 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over China having helped his club side to an eighth-placed finish domestically last season.

Takai has made four senior appearances for his country, having broken into Kawasaki’s first team in 2022 at the age of just 17.

He made a total of 81 senior appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring four goals, and helped them reach the 2025 AFC Champions League final.

Frank will still be hoping for more signings as he continues to stamp his mark on the squad since taking over from Ange Postecoglou last month.

Spurs are in talks with West Ham to sign winger Mohammed Kudus, but they have seen a £50million bid rejected after reportedly including "unrealistic" add-ons.

It was claimed by talkSport that Tottenham's add-ons would only be triggered if they won the Premier League or Champions League, with West Ham demanding a guaranteed £60m.

The Europa League champions have also been linked with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo - but appear to have cooled their interest in the latter two.

West Ham have rejected a £50million bid from Tottenham for Mohammed Kudus, with the Hammers left unimpressed by the add-ons that Spurs tried to include in the deal

West Ham have reportedly told Tottenham to make a 'more realistic' offer for Mohammed Kudus after rejecting their opening bid. Spurs have made Kudus their top target after cooling their interest in Eberechi Eze and accepting that Bryan Mbeumo wants to join Manchester United.

Tottenham were also linked with a move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, but he has since signed a new five-year deal with the Cherries. Kudus is now being targeted and West Ham have already knocked back a £50million bid.

According to a report from talkSPORT, the Hammers were not happy with the add-ons included in the offer and want a guaranteed £60m. It is claimed Spurs included add-ons that will only be triggered if they win the Premier League or the Champions League.

Tottenham only ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Europa League in May, their first piece of European silverware since 1984, and they have not won a league title since 1961.

As a result, West Ham are said to have told Spurs to 'come back with a more realistic proposal' for Kudus. However, it is also noted that Tottenham's deicsion to include those add-ons was an indication of their 'serious belief' in new manager Thomas Frank.

And Frank is confident that he can get the best out of Spurs after they finished just one point above the relegation zone last season, despite their Europa League triumph. "It's a very talented squad, a very good squad and I'm very excited to start working with them," Frank told club media.

"Of course, when you follow the Premier League, you see the other teams, you see Tottenham - you've seen some fantastic performances from the team over the last years. So, I think there's big potential.

"But, of course, I'm looking from the outside, so I'm looking forward to getting to know them, to be around them, to feel them, understand them, work with them on the training pitch. That's where you really get the big understanding, understand the relationships between players and how you can get the best out of them.

"I've got an idea already, my head is spinning [with] how can we play, how do I put them together, but I'm looking forward to that. When I say 'talented', it's not only young players, it's also some of the more experienced players.

"How can we get the best out of them? Let's say, Dominic Solanke. I'm a big fan of him in terms of his abilities. I'm sure we'll make him score a lot of goals. How can we play [Rodrigo] Bentancur? [James] Maddison?

"But of course, the younger ones as well. I think it's all players that we need to develop and make perform at the highest level, but of course, Lucas [Bergvall], Archie [Gray], Wilson [Odobert], Destiny [Udogie], all of them, they have high ceilings.

"Even the ones I haven't mentioned - the whole squad can do well. I'm big on, how do you say…. it's always about winning. We need to make the team win on a Saturday, a Tuesday, then again Saturday and a Wednesday, but it's also about developing the individual player."

Son's Spurs decision

Son Heung-min is set to turn down the advances of Los Angeles FC this summer but the Tottenham captain retains interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

Spurs skipper Son, 32, has entered the final 12 months of his deal in north London and there has been speculation of a move away from the club having finally won a trophy in May’s Europa League final.

After a decade of loyal service to the club Son, who earns £200,000 per week, is open to moving on but he will also wait for the right opportunity rather than rush into a move.

Man Utd eyeing Calvert-Lewin

Manchester United are reportedly ready to offer Dominic Calvert-Lewin a contract.

Calvert-Lewin is a free agent after leaving Everton and United believe he could be a cost-effective signing for Ruben Amorim's squad, according to The Sun.

The 28-year-old has struggled with injuries, but they think those wouldn't be such a problem if he was merely a squad player.

Arsenal agree personal terms with Madueke

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Noni Madueke and are now mulling over an approach to Chelsea in order to thrash out a deal for the versatile England attacker.

Madueke, 23, is among a number of forward targets that Arsenal have been considering as they bid to add more firepower to Mikel Arteta's squad. And while the Gunners have seemingly settled on Rodrygo of Real Madrid as their top left-winger target, talk of a move for Madueke refuses to go away.

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min set to reject lucrative transfer exit for key reason

Son has entered the final year of his £200,000 per week contract at Spurs, placing his future in north London in doubt after a decade of loyal service and finally a major trophy

Son Heung-min is set to turn down the advances of Los Angeles FC this summer but the Tottenham captain retains interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

Spurs skipper Son, 32, has entered the final 12 months of his deal in north London and there has been speculation of a move away from the club having finally won a trophy in May’s Europa League final.

After a decade of loyal service to the club Son, who earns £200,000 per week, is open to moving on but he will also wait for the right opportunity rather than rush into a move.

And LAFC are set to be snubbed, as first reported by the Sun, despite Son considering Major League Soccer a reasonable relocation option.

Tottenham are set to step up pre-season preparations next week under new head coach Thomas Frank. The Dane last month replaced gung-ho Ange Postecoglou after he paid the price for a 17th-place league finish.

But Postecoglou also won the club’s first piece of silverware for 17 years by winning the Europa League – meaning Frank will not just inherit a squad full of players that excite him but have an immediate chance to impress in the Champions League.

And in his first interview since leaving Brentford, who received £10m in compensation, Frank made similar noises to his predecessor when it comes to describing his desired style.

“The intention is to play aggressive, front-footed football. I know the ethos and the history of the club is it’s massive on attacking football,” he said.

“There’s so much attacking talent in the squad. I’m very excited by that. They’ve clearly shown over the last two seasons that the ability to score goals is fantastic.

“I’m very, very in on that. I love a team that scores goals. We just want to build on that attacking football we already have.

“I’m a big believer in if you don’t take risks, you also take a risk. It’s important we take risks. “If we play man-to-man in some situations, the risk is you need to play forward. If you don’t risk, you can’t create anything.

“The players need to be brave and trust themselves. I’ll do my best to instil that trust. If they lose the ball by trying, that’s never a problem. Of course I can react, that’s natural, but they need to do that.

“If they don’t work hard, I struggle more with that. That’s my non-negotiable. If you don’t take risks, it’s impossible to achieve something big.”

Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham have all been interested in Antoine Semenyo this summer but the Ghana star will now be staying with Bournemouth long-term

Antoine Semenyo is eager to continue his growth at Bournemouth after shunning transfer interest from rival Premier League clubs to sign a new five-year contract with the Cherries.

A slew of top-flight clubs, including Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham, have all been credited with an interest in the Ghana star after Semenyo, 25, enjoyed his most productive Premier League season under Andoni Iraola last term.

It was reported last month that Bournemouth were standing firm on their £70million valuation of the former Bristol City star after losing both Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez already this summer; a price which was said to be 'deterring' Semenyo's suitors.

But a transfer has now been taken out of their hands with Semenyo putting pen to paper on a deal until 2030.

Explaining his decision, Semenyo told afcb.co.uk: “I’ve grown so much at the club, both on and off the pitch, and I’m really happy to have signed ahead of returning for pre-season.

“From the fans to the staff and my teammates, I can’t speak highly enough of the people around the club. It’s a great place to be and I’m excited to get back to Bournemouth and continue the hard work with the new season just around the corner.”

Bournemouth's president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, added: “Antoine has been crucial to the club’s progress and is a key member of the project here at Vitality Stadium.

“We have a great relationship with Antoine and we’re looking forward to continuing that as we hope to build on a record-breaking season. His commitment to the club matches our ambition and I’m excited to see what can be achieved as we prepare for the new campaign.”

Join the debate! Would you have signed Semenyo, Man Utd and Spurs fans? Let us know here

While Manchester United and Tottenham were said to have cooled their interest in Semenyo after enquiring about the versatile forward, who scored 13 times last season, links to Newcastle have continued in recent days.

United have since pressed ahead with a move for Bryan Mbeumo - their No.1 target - while Tottenham have been linked with Eberechi Eze in recent days.

Newcastle are now pursuing Anthony Elanga and have tabled an offer for the Nottingham Forest winger, who has impressed for the Reds since leaving Manchester United back in the summer of 2023.

Tottenham are looking for reinforcements ahead of Thomas Frank’s first season at the helm at Anfield and former star Jamie O’Hara believes he knows who the perfect signing would be

Tottenham have been told to make a move for Liverpool star Harvey Elliott following his starring England under-21 role this summer. The former Fulham starlet has turned in some brilliant displays for the Young Lions at the Euros.

He has scored four goals throughout the tournament - his brace against the Netherlands sealing their spot in the final against Germany. And O’Hara believes the youngster would be an excellent alternative to Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who is being eyed by North London rivals Arsenal.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Tottenham star said: “I’d have him at Tottenham. 100 per cent I’d have him at Tottenham. He’d play on the right and compete with Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski.

“Kulusevski is quite a similar player, but I think Harvey Elliott has got something about him. He can play in the No10, further back in central midfield – there’s a lot to like and he’s only 22. He could definitely play for a team that is playing in Europe.”

Elliott’s future with current employers Liverpool is far from certain. He has just two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, having started just six games under Arne Slot last season.

The midfielder still managed to score five and notched three assists. He admitted that he might be forced to look elsewhere for first team football.

“It's just a situation that me and the team on my behalf have to have a conversation about,” Elliott said earlier this month. “I'm coming into an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season and I don't really want to be wasting years on my career because it's a short career.

“You don't know what's going to happen. Touch wood it doesn’t, but injuries and things, it could shorten it. It's a situation that, as I've said before, I need to reflect. I need to see if I'm content in doing what I'm doing and how can I improve as a player because that's the most important thing. That's the main thing, really.

Should Liverpool sell Harvey Elliott please? Share your thoughts in the comments below

“I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself and the best player I can be. If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision that I'm going to have to make and I just need to see what happens.”

He added: “Nothing makes me want to leave. I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well. But as I said, most importantly, it's just about what's best for my career. I just need to make that decision.”

Tottenham were on the verge of signing Fulham striker Moussa Dembele in January 2016, but the deal was dramatically cancelled at the last minute despite the player wanting the move

Tottenham were once close to signing Fulham’s Moussa Dembele - only for the transfer to be scrapped at the eleventh hour after the forward had already completed his medical. In January 2016, Spurs were hot on the heels of rivals Arsenal and surprise Premier League contenders Leicester City in their pursuit of a first Premier League title.

Spurs had Harry Kane in their ranks following his incredible breakthrough 18 months earlier. Yet club chairman Levy identified the need to strengthen the side's attacking options and provide support for Kane as they sought to compete in the second half of the season.

Fulham's promising striker, Dembele - not to be confused with Spurs' own dynamic midfielder at the time - was subsequently targeted as Spurs' main January target. Levy negotiated a bargain £6million deal with Fulham for the then-19-year-old, whose contract was due to run out that summer.

Dembele even passed a Spurs medical two days before the January transfer deadline, with the move seemingly a done deal.

However, the West Londoners were keen for their talented youngster to return to Craven Cottage until the end of the 2015/16 season due to their efforts to battle relegation and a transfer embargo that left them unable to sign any replacements in January.

They hoped to agree a deal that would still see them receive a fee for Dembele despite him becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Spurs, however, were unimpressed by Fulham's demands and insisted he be allowed to join their squad immediately.

The Guardian reported that the disagreement led to Fulham 'angrily' cancelling the deal with Tottenham. Negotiations were not revived, and the forward was said to be left bitterly disappointed.

The Lilywhites didn’t end up buying a player in January and finished third that season, while Leicester City remarkably clinched the league title with a ten-point margin.

In the following summer, Spurs signed Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen, while Dembele joined Scottish giants Celtic on a four-year contract. He had two successful seasons there, scoring 51 goals in 94 appearances and winning two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.

In 2018, Dembele returned to his home country, signing for Lyon where he netted 70 goals in 172 appearances between 2018 and 2023.

He then joined the influx of former big names moving to the Saudi Pro League in July 2023, signing for Al-Ettifaq as a free agent. Despite a disappointing season for the team, Dembele, having been one of Steven Gerrard's first signings, scored 14 goals in 26 appearances.

Still just 28 years old, he registered seven goals and four assists in 21 games for Al-Ettifaq in 2024/25. The team finished seventh in the Saudi Pro League, with the ship steadying following Gerrard’s departure after the side had been left just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Tottenham Hotspur dismissed manager Ange Postecoglou despite winning the Europa League under the Australian but he is already being lined up for a new role in a different league

Less than a month has passed since Ange Postecoglou was dismissed as Tottenham manager, but the Australian could soon have a new job waiting for him. Postecogou had been linnked with jobs in the Saudi Pro League, but now it looks as though Major League Soccer could come calling.

Postecoglou led Spurs to a fifth-place Premier League finish in his first season and secured Europa League glory in his second. That wasn't enough to keep him in a job, though, with Thomas Frank taking over ahead of a return to the Champions League.

According to BBC Sport, MLS side Los Angeles FC are considering replacing Steve Cherundolo with the former Premier League boss. Cherundolo has overseen a difficult Club World Cup campaign, with LAFC taking just one point from matches against Chelsea, Esperance and Flamengo.

Former United States defender Cherundolo is in his fourth season in LA, having finished in top spot in the Western Conference last term. Things have been tougher this year, though, with his team sitting 10 points adrift of conference leaders San Diego - albeit with games in hand.

Cherundolo already plans to leave at the end of the current campaign. He is due to return to Germany, where he spent his entire playing career at Hannove, saying the decision to return to Europe is "in the best interest of my family".

A move to Los Angeles could see Postecoglou reunited with Hugo Lloris. French goalkeeper Lloris was frozen out by the manager in North London, with Guglielmo Vicario brought in as his replacement, and chose to prolong his career on the other side of the Atlantic.

Lloris isn't the only former Premier League star at the Californian club. Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud leads the line, while ex-Spurs hero Gareth Bale finished his career there after a brief spell in 2022.

“No, nothing surprises me in football," Lloris said when asked about the sacking of Postecoglou. "But at the same time, it is hard to say something because I am on the other side. I don’t know what happened inside the club so it's really hard for me to judge.

“If they made this decision it is because they believe there is another option which is better for the future of the club. What Ange Postecoglou did was just remarkable. He brought this Europa League trophy, he brought a lot of joy to the Spurs community, a lot of pride as well and we all have to be thankful for that."