Gossip: Chelsea offer Nkunku for Simons
The Guardian, external reports that Chelsea are in talks with RB Leipzig over a potential swap deal for Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons, 22 with France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, returning to the German club.
The 27-year-old was signed for £50m in 2023 after impressing with Leipzig, making 125 goal contributions in 172 appearances.
In his time at Stamford Bridge he has however suffered from injuries and inconsistency but has still scored 18 goals and provided five assists in all competitions for the Blues.
Hojlund's big decision
Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter
Rasmus Hojlund has been pretty determined to prove himself at Manchester United.
Even heading into the weekend's game against Fiorentina, by which time we were pretty sure Benjamin Sesko was going to complete his move from RB Leipzig, the word was Hojlund was still of the same view as when he sought out journalists in Chicago to tell them he wanted to stay at the club.
But on Saturday, even though Sesko's involvement was limited to being paraded on the Old Trafford pitch prior to kick-off and head coach Ruben Amorim said afterwards his side lacked a number nine, Hojlund was left on the bench throughout.
There couldn't have been a clearer message and, in a season that contains no European football, how many opportunities is he going to get?
AC Milan are keen and there is plenty of interest beyond that. Hojlund has a big decision to make.
Is Grealish missing link for Moyes?
Is Jack Grealish the answer for David Moyes?
Everton signed midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea for a fee of about £28m earlier this month, and the 26-year-old played in a number 10 role against Roma on Saturday.
The Toffees have also bolstered their attack with the signing of striker Thierno Barry from Villarreal for £27m.
Grealish, who can play centrally or on the left of the attack, would add further options for Moyes, who also has the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil and Beto to pick from as he seeks a winning formula in the final third.
Grealishâs diminishing role for City
It has been a chastening two years for Jack Grealish since he enjoyed the most successful season of his career, when he had played an integral role in Manchester Cityâs historic treble in 2022-23. Only six outfield City players spent more time on the pitch than Grealish in the Premier League too.
A hamstring injury halted his momentum early in 2023-24, which the England international ended with more yellow cards (seven) than combined goals and assists (six) across all competitions. He featured in just 40% of the total minutes played by City.
His involvement dropped to 30% last term as Grealishâs career plummeted to its nadir. Three of his six starts after Christmas came against lower-league opposition in the FA Cup, while 16 starts in total is his fewest in a campaign since he was 20 years old. Unsurprisingly, it has also been the player's least productive season in terms of chances created and dribbling success since returning to the Premier League in 2019.
Cityâs team structure has seldom afforded Grealish the license to take on and glide past opponents as he did with such insouciance as the talismanic captain at boyhood club Aston Villa.
The question now is whether the affable 29-year-old can reverse the downward trajectory of his career â and where he might fit in at Everton, who already have Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz capable of playing left wing or number 10.
'A 10-goal and 20-assist player'
Marcus Alves
BBC Sport
Strong on the ball and able to change direction in a second fraction, Savinho was originally registered at third-division club Troyes by the City Football Group, but never featured for the French side. Instead, he was sent on loan to PSV.
An early injury, however, stalled his progression and, combined with reduced minutes after that, made it impossible for him to shine in the Eredivisie.
Girona had watched him in the 2023 Under-20 World Cup and decided he was worth the bet, although it was not easy to convince Michel at first as he had asked for an experienced winger.
"Savinho didn't have much senior football under his belt; he had been sidelined at PSV, played for the reserves, but not as starter, so that was a difficult sell," said Girona sporting director Quique Carcel.
He had to hit the ground running and so he did, imposing himself from the first moment he arrived in Catalonia. He wasn't allowed to switch off for a minute. He simply couldn't.
"You have the potential to finish this season with 10 goals and 20 assists, so do it," Michel told him during half-time in a match in which he had already scored and assisted once.
From milking cows to Man City - the story of Savinho
Marcus Alves
BBC Sport
Having grown up in his grandparentsâ home in Sao Mateus, in the south-east of Brazil, Savinho learned early in his life to ride horses, milk cows and plant vegetables such as lettuce, okra and tomatoes. It remains his favourite holiday destination.
"If you ask him whether he wants to spend it in Cancun, Mexico or with his grandparents, he will definitely choose the latter. That's his passion," his mother Dona Nilma said.
As much as Savinho enjoyed the daily routine on the farm, however, he was meant for football.
It didn't take long for Nilma to find it out either - he was only five when she heard a prophecy from one of his first coaches. "This kid will be a footballer," he predicted.
Savinho started playing on the beach, and after switching to the pitch, was soon on the radar of big teams.
Ultimately, the left-footer signed for Atletico Mineiro after impressing in a match against their under-17s side. He was 11.
He went on to become, at 16, the youngest player to play for Atletico in the Brazilian league and, at 18, the youngest to score for them in the Copa Libertadores.
His meteoric rise convinced City Football Group to move quickly and it beat competition from Arsenal to secure his services in 2022.
How has Savinho fared at Man City?
Manchester City signed Brazil winger Savinho from fellow City Football Group outfit Troyes in a deal worth around £30.8m last summer.
The 21-year-old had starred on loan at Girona during the 2023-24 season, scoring nine goals and creating 10 assists as they finished third in La Liga.
In his debut season at City, Savinho bagged 10 assists in 29 Premier League appearances while also scoring his only league goal against Leicester City last December.
He also made his Champions League debut against Inter Milan in September and scored his first goal in a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in January.
He was also on target in the summer's Club World Cup in a 5-2 win against Juventus in the group stage and also played the full 120 minutes in Pep Guardiola side's 4-3 extra-time defeat to Al-Hilal in the last 16.
Spurs in talks over Savinho deal
Tottenham are in talks with Manchester City over a move to sign Brazil winger Savinho.
Discussions have been held between the two clubs in recent days over a possible deal for the 21-year-old, with negotiations still at an early stage.
It remains to be seen whether City will sanction a move for the Brazil international.
Sources have told BBC Sport that City are not looking to sell Savinho and that it would take an offer of more than £50m for the club to consider doing so.
Should City obtain a fee in that region, the club would make a substantial profit on a player they signed from French club Troyes - who are owned by City Football Group - for £30.8m just a year ago.
Grealish closing in on Everton move
Everton manager David Moyes was pretty frank after watching his side's pre-season defeat to Roma, acknowledging the team needs a lot of work in order to have a successful campaign.
Moyes praised the promise shown by new signings Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry, but the need for further squad building. So, is Jack Grealish the answer?
Grealish, 29, was bought by Manchester City for a British record £100m four years ago from boyhood club Aston Villa, for whom he made 213 appearances, scoring 32 goals.
But, after playing a major role in the club's Treble-winning campaign, he saw his game time increasingly limited and he was left out of City's squad for the last Premier League game of the campaign at Fulham, as well as the Club World Cup in the United States.
Now, Moyes will be hoping to unlock the creativity and flair which inspired City to pay Villa huge money for Grealish.
Everton progressing in Grealish talks
Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter
Everton are progressing in talks to sign winger Jack Grealish on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City.
The 29-year-old has fallen out-of-favour at City and was left out of their squad for the final Premier League game of the season at Fulham, as well as the Club World Cup in the United States.
Grealish is on a reported, external £300,000-a-week deal at City and sources have told BBC Sport discussions between the two clubs around a deal are ongoing, but no agreement is yet imminent.
Grealish joined City from Aston Villa for a record £100m fee for a British player in August 2021 and has made over 150 appearances for the club, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and FA Cup.
But he made only seven league starts last season as City ended the season without winning a major trophy.
He was left on the bench by boss Pep Guardiola during the FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace, with Argentine teenager Claudio Echeverri being given a debut instead.
Crystal Palace have 'got a team that they can be really proud of'
Luke Edwards
Daily Telegraph writer on the Football Daily podcast
Luke Edwards speaking on the Football Daily podcast about Crystal Palace's story, the FA Cup and Community Shield victory:
"The whole Crystal Palace story is lovely," he said.
"I have been guilty in the past of asking the provocative question of 'what was the point of Crystal Palace because they never won anything and they just bob around in mid table and stay up every year but never got into Europe.'
"They've rammed those words back down my throat and I'm absolutely delighted that they have because the FA Cup success last season was everything you want from the FA Cup, everything that makes the FA Cup magical - their first major trophy.
"I just feel for them today, because it's been a tough summer and they haven't had the sort of transfer window that they'd want, which dominates in modern football, but they've got a team that they can be really proud of.
"I will caveat this with one thing - I'm not buying the Community Shield as a major trophy. I blame Jose Mourinho for that. He started all that nonsense, that suddenly it [the Community Shield] was a trophy worth to be alongside the FA Cup and the League Cup. It's not, it's a pre-season trophy for me.
"But what a great day out for them, you can tell the fans really cared about it and what an exciting team they have, what an enjoyable team to watch. They'll play for the badge, run all day and what a great manager they have in Oliver Glasner."
