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Arsenal are believed to have made the most headway in the race to potentially sign West Ham United's Declan Rice ahead of the summer window.

How much will Declan Rice cost?

The Gunners may not have been able to get their hands on the Premier League's top prize this season but they will go into the new campaign with Champions League football on the menu.

And ahead of the summer transfer window, they are clearly looking to get off to a flying start as they monitor the situation of West Ham's Rice.

Indeed, it is believed the north London side have been eyeing a move for the 24-year-old for a while now but were waiting until the conclusion of the Hammers' European campaign.

Now the Irons have got their hands on the Europa Conference League trophy, it is reported the Gunners will look to lodge their first bid for the midfielder.

Arsenal are not the only club who are interested in potentially making a move for Rice this summer with Bayern Munich also believed to be keen on the Englishman.

What is clear, though, is that any side who are looking to secure his services this summer will have to part with a significant amount of money for the £100m-rated star.

And speaking on the Five YouTube channel, reliable journalist David Ornstein has claimed Mikel Arteta's side are the club that sit in the best position to land the midfielder, currently:

"But I sense that the consensus across the industry is that Arsenal will try and press on with this and rapidly to try and strike an agreement."

"From everything we know, Arsenal appear to stand the best chance and have made the most headway."

Will Arsenal sign Declan Rice?

The Gunners are expected to see a number of changes to their midfield from the 2022/23 campaign as they prepare for the new season.

Indeed, it is believed Granit Xhaka could well be headed for the exit doors in north London with a potential return to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach possibly on the cards.

On top of the Switzerland international's potential departure, Jorginho is also believed to be on the transfer pile this summer despite only signing in January.

However, it will be interesting to see whether Edu Gaspar is willing to allow any major exits in midfield before potentially securing a deal for the West Ham midfielder.

Given Arsenal are not the only side showing an interest in him, it will also be intriguing to see whether a possible bidding war develops over the coming weeks.

Of course, the player may have a priority to where he wants to play his football for the foreseeable future, however, West Ham will be keen to bring in the biggest figure for their star man.

Aston Villa could potentially sign Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres on the cheap this summer, according to an update from journalist Ryan Taylor.

After Villa after Torres this summer?

This summer promises to be an exciting one at Villa Park, with Unai Emery expected to be backed in the transfer market, bolstering his squad significantly in the process.

Centre-back is one area that Villa could certainly look to strengthen in and Torres is someone who has been linked with a move to the club a number of times in recent months.

The £48,000-a-week Spaniard again enjoyed an impressive season for Villarreal, starting 34 of his side's 38 La Liga matches, and he also featured once for Spain at the 2022 World Cup.

There is nothing to suggest that Villa won't keep looking to bring in Torres before the start of next season, with a fresh update hinting at as much.

Could Villans sign Torres on the cheap?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor continued to talk up Torres' possible move to Villa, claiming they could sign him for cheaper than the amount in his release clause:

"I think they'll be looking at Torres. Torres has one year left on his contract and a substantial release clause, but I think Villarreal will probably sell for significantly less than that this summer.

"The only thing I'd probably say is that he is a left-sided centre back and they do have Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos at the moment. So I'm not sure whether it is 100% viable, but he's a player highly rated by Emery."

Torres could be the perfect centre-back signing for Villa, coming in as someone with genuine experience at an elite level, and an individual who can take Emery's team to new heights.

The 26-year-old's pedigree is summed up by a tally of 23 caps for Spain, in a squad featuring world-class talent everywhere you look, from Rodri to Pedri, and also 136 outings in La Liga overall.

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has described Torres as "fantastic" in the past, also lauding his "fabulous left foot", and his combination of defensive expertise and quality in possession could help make Villa even more formidable under Emery next season.

More signings would still be needed for that to happen – fitting both him and Tyrone Mings may not be easy either, due to both being left-footed – but the Villarreal man would be an ideal place to start, linking up with his former manager and immediately coming in as arguably the best defender at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for another defender very soon, if reports are to be believed…

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Tottenham Hotspur?

The latest comes from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to offer a short summation on Ange Postecoglou's pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen ace Edmond Tapsoba.

Regarding the north London outfit, he simply wrote: "Edmond Tapsoba, top of the list as talks will take place in the next days."

Given other reports are suggesting the German outfit will command a fee of around £61m, this could prove a lucrative move for the Lilywhites to make. However, if Daniel Levy is to truly back his new manager, these are the kinds of deals he must push through to progress his club back into the big time.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

Many will likely be aware of this towering Burkina Faso international for his work in Germany since his 2020 move. It has not taken long to establish himself as one of the Bundesliga's top centre-backs, with journalist Raphael Honigstein even writing: "Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba has been outstanding since arriving in late, late January. Meet Edmond Tapsoba, the Bundesliga’s new sensation."

The figures support the 6 foot 4 titan's prominence as a skilful modern-day defender, but he maintains the necessary defensive steel that could complement Cristian Romero well within a new-look system at Spurs.

In fact, when compared to others in his position across Europe, Tapsoba ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, with his potential new teammate also noted on his 'similar players' list.

The comparisons between the two as creative stars will likely please Postecoglou, whose whole philosophy is embroiled in playing out from the back with confidence.

To further emphasise this quality in possession, the defender actually admitted to modelling his game around John Stones, who has arguably redefined what it means to be a ball-playing defender.

Tapsoba told The Athletic: "John Stones, at Everton. I really enjoyed watching him, he made a huge impression on me. His manner on the ball, and the way he played with the ball. I loved that. I still go back to Stones when it comes to playing in a certain style."

Combining this fleet-footed philosophy with the steel of the World Cup winner could be a match made in heaven,

Whilst his 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game in the German league (via Sofascore) might not be the most exceptional, when accumulated alongside Romero's figures in these categories (1.6 tackles, 2.5 tackles, 3.6 clearances per game in the league), the two could blend well and cover each other's weaknesses.

It is therefore no surprise that Tapsoba remains so high on the list of the Spurs hierarchy, who would surely thrive with these two impressive, aggressive and technically proficient titans at the heart of their defence.

The transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Wolverhampton Wanderers should be in the market to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

Julen Lopetegui's side were able to beat off a relegation battle with relative ease to finish 13th in the Premier League table but their lack of potency in the final third throughout the campaign was concerning.

Their tally of 31 goals in 38 matches was the lowest in the entire division and they were one of only four teams to fail to average at least one strike per game.

What are Chuba Akpom's statistics?

Lopetegui could go a long way to solving his team's goalscoring woes by securing a deal to sign Middlesbrough centre-forward Chuba Akpom, who is coming off the back of an exceptional season in the Championship.

The reported transfer target, who has been valued at £20m, is a player with the potential to be a prolific scorer, based on his form in the second tier, and pairing him with current Wolves winger Pedro Neto could help him to fulfil his promise in the Premier League.

Since the start of 2020/21, the Portuguese wizard has created 9.95 expected assists (xA) for his teammates in the top flight and has been rewarded with seven assists for his efforts.

This suggests that his fellow attackers have been letting him down over the last few years as they have not been able to make the most of the quality chances that the £50k-per-week ace has provided them with.

Therefore, Wolves could finally benefit from Neto's excellent creativity by signing a striker who has the quality to overperform in front of goal, instead of wasting chance after chance.

Akpom could be that player as the 27-year-old finisher plundered an eye-catching 28 goals in 38 Championship matches for Middlesbrough from 21.9 xG, which showcases his ability to be clinical when opportunities fall his way.

The former Arsenal youth prospect ranks in the top 4% of forwards in the Men's Next Eight Competitions for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.70) over the last 365 days which illustrates how impressive the Boro number 29 has been in front of goal.

He has significantly outperformed his xG in the second division of English football and the prolific dynamo, who was hailed for his ability to score "stunning" goals by journalist Josh Bunting, must now prove himself in the Premier League.

Wolves pairing him with a player like Neto, who has the ability to create good opportunities for his teammates, could allow the English hotshot to thrive and in the process, solve the club's goalscoring issues.

Liverpool are in the process of rebuilding their midfield after a disappointing campaign last season and now a new update has emerged on a huge transfer target that could revolutionise the centre of the pitch at Anfield.

What's the latest on Liverpool's move for Federico Valverde?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are preparing a €90m (£77m) bid to sign Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, an offer that Madrid will find very difficult to reject.

As per the report, Jurgen Klopp has been a huge admirer of the player for a while and there are now doubts surrounding Valverde's future at the Santiago Bernabéu due to the competition that exists in the centre of the pitch.

Will Liverpool sign Federico Valverde this summer?

There is no doubt that a refresh in midfield is needed following the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita and the club has already secured a £35m deal for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.

Many of the remaining midfield options available to Klopp are reaching the latter stages of their careers with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara well into their 30s at this point, whilst Fabinho will turn 30 before the turn of the year – so there is a real opportunity to build the next generation of success at Anfield.

As a result, the ambitious move for Valverde would be warmly welcomed as the 24-year-old would not only inject high energy, youth and a strong winning mentality into the heart of the team, but could finally replace Georginio Wijnaldum's deadly press and unrivalled work rate in midfield.

Before leaving the Merseyside giants in 2020 upon the expiration of his contract, Wijnaldum played a vital role in the success that Liverpool have experienced both in domestic competition and on the European stage, providing huge game-changing moments like his semi-final brace against Barcelona to lead the team to their first Champions League trophy since 2005.

Now Klopp could land his next game-changer with Valverde also a big game player who adopts the winning mentality and work ethic that is crucial to earn multiple accolades across several competitions.

The Uruguayan star – hailed "untouchable" by Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti – is an extremely attacking-minded talent who ranks in the top 16% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots in total, pass completion and progressive carries.

Wijnaldum, by comparison, ranks in the top 8% for non-penalty goals and the best 12% for shots to outline their similar attacking threat.

In comparison to Valverde's positional peers on Merseyside, neither Jordan Henderson nor Harvey Elliott were able to complete more progressive carries (70), goal contributions (11), shot-creating actions (81) or completed passes (1427) than Valverde in the Premier League last season, as per FBref.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Liverpool to acquire the services of Valverde this summer as he could have a huge impact on improving performances next season and become the much-needed game-changer that the team has been crying out for in midfield since Wijnaldum departed.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres on loan this summer, before potentially snapping him up permanently next year.

Is Torres leaving Barcelona?

The 23-year-old moved to Barca from Manchester City during the 2021/22 season, having struggled to ever look like a genuinely key part of Pep Guardiola's plans.

While Torres will have hoped to kickstart his career against back in his homeland, he has also found it difficult to nail down a regular starting berth under Xavi. He only started 14 La Liga games last season, coming on as a substitute on 19 occasions, and it has become apparent that he is expendable.

It means Barca could even allow him to leave during the summer transfer window, along with fellow young talent Ansu Fati, which is where Villa could come into play.

The Villans could be set to embark upon a hugely exciting summer window, with Pau Torres already expected to come in as an eye-catching defence signing, and funds available to bring in more players.

Are Villa eyeing summer move for Torres?

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Caught Offside], Villa are keen on the idea of signing Torres on loan ahead of the new season, with a view to signing him permanently in 2024, should he impress. There is a €25m (£21.5m) purchase option that would come into play at that point.

Newcastle United have also been linked with a move for the Spaniard in the recent past, however, so there could be competition for his signature, should he and Barca both agree to a move away makes the most sense.

Torres could be another statement signing by Villa this summer if they could get a deal over the line, possessing genuine pedigree, having already won three league titles in his short career to date, not to mention scoring 15 goals in 35 caps for Spain.

The fact that Xavi has called him "world-class" in the past says a huge amount about what the youngster is capable of as a footballer, and while he clearly hasn't set the world alight at City and Barca, he could thrive by being one of the first names on the team sheet at Villa Park.

At 23, he still has so many years to hone his talent and he could fulfil his potential under Unai Emery, with his compatriot outlining why he is one of Europe's leading managers after a great start to life at Villa.

Leeds United are yet to sign anyone in the summer transfer window to bolster the squad ahead of their Championship challenge next season, however, outgoings are already starting to take shape.

Robin Koch has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the season, whilst Weston McKennie has returned to Juventus following his loan spell and Brendan Aaronson has signed for Union Berlin.

Newly-appointed head coach Daniel Farke will now be tasked with identifying the right players to join the project at Elland Road and help the side compete for an instant bounce-back to the Premier League next season.

This week The Athletic's Leeds reporter Phil Hay has revealed the recruitment plans and a number of potential targets that the club's hierarchy are looking to acquire over the coming weeks ahead of their return to action next month.

One player who has been linked is Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer, an incredible talent who could be the perfect player to work alongside Jack Harrison next season – who is expected to be retained by the West Yorkshire club this summer.

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

The talented Netherlands international joined Coventry three years ago and has been a revelation at the club despite only costing £1.5m, an absolute steal when considering his impact in the centre of the pitch.

According to SofaScore, Hamer was the highest-rated player for the Sky Blues over their latest campaign in the Championship, with his explosive performances and attacking-minded style of play. helping them achieve a play-off final berth.

Over 41 Championship appearances, the 26-year-old – hailed "unbelievable" by former Coventry City goalkeeper Marko Marosi – scored nine goals, registered ten assists and created a whopping 16 big chances.

No Leeds player in their entire offered more shots on goal per game or key passes and only Rodrigo scored more goals (13) than Hamer over last season, as per WhoScored, a testament to the influence he could have on improving Leeds' performances next season.

Not only that, Hamer – who has a reported valuation of £10m – has been the recipient of high praise during his first 12 months in the second tier, with Ali Maxwell of the 'Not The Top 20' Podcast claiming that the midfielder was one of the best pieces of business they've done recently.

"Gustavo Hamer is the class act in the Coventry side, one of the best pieces of recruitment in the summer [of 2020]."

The Coventry star could use his keen eye for playing a killer final ball and attacking qualities to form a fantastic partnership with Harrison next season, playing behind the popular winger in midfield and providing goal-scoring opportunities to boost Harrison's output next season in the Championship.

Harrison wasn't at his free-flowing best throughout the 2022/23 campaign, but still posted some impressive numbers, scoring six and registering ten assists in all competitions. Such numbers would surely only improve if a creative asset like Hamer joins the team with the Leeds winger potentially set to become a more unstoppable member of the squad.

As a result, the Whites must make the signing of the Coventry star a top priority before the window is said and done.

Newcastle United "remain in talks" with Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi over a summer move to the club, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Axel Disasi earn?

The 25-year-old is currently earning £18,000 per week at Monaco and has matured into an important player who generally walks into the starting lineup week in, week out. Last season, he started an impressive 37 out of 38 Ligue 1 matches, highlighting both his influence at the back, and also his fitness levels and consistency.

Disasi could feel that now is the right time for him to enjoy a fresh challenge, however, and there is plenty of interest in him from Premier League clubs. Newcastle are one of them, seeing the Frenchman as a strong to bring in and make them even more formidable defensively, having only conceded 33 goals in the league in 2022/23.

He still has two years left on his current Monaco deal, but there could well be a temptation from the French side to sell him this summer, in order to receive a big amount of money, rather than a smaller fee in 2024, or even worse, losing him for free 12 months after that.

What's the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle?

Taking to Twitter, Romano dropped a brief update on Newcastle's interested in Disasi, claiming that talks are ongoing over the signing, although Manchester United are also in the picture:

"Newcastle and Man United remain in talks for Axel Disasi deal, as reported two weeks ago."

Disasi may not necessarily be a household name compared to some centre-backs across Europe, but he is someone who could be a superb addition at Newcastle, having impressed so much more Monaco.

At 25, he is still relatively young, especially for a player in his position, and he could be viewed as Sven Botman's centre-back partner for the next five or six years, assuming the Dutchman stays put at St James' Park.

Disasi averaged 2.9 clearances per game in Ligue 1 last season, and also completed 84.7% of his passes across eight Europa League appearances, showing that he can impress both in and out of possession. He won 2.6 aerial duels per match in the former, too, with such dominance in the air something that is needed in what is a physical Premier League.

The fact that United are also competing for Disasi's signature is a potential issue, considering their continued reputation as one of the world's biggest clubs, but the days are gone of them having such a big advantage of Newcastle when it comes to signing players, with the Magpies now back in the Champions League and only going from strength to strength.

Joining this exciting project at St James' could appeal to the Monaco ace even more than a switch to Old Trafford, and he arguably has more chance of being a regular for the Magpies, too. Manager Jean-Luc Vasseur has said that the player's "great quality is his intelligence" in the past, further showing what a shrewd addition he could be to Newcastle's back-line.

Everton's Dele Alli has an "uphill task trying to get into a Sean Dyche team" this season, as the former England international has yet to do anything in Merseyside that "suggests he deserves much of a chance in the team", claims journalist Paul Brown.

Everton transfer news – what's the latest on Dele Alli?

To say Dele's time at Everton has been a disaster would be an understatement.

The idea behind the transfer, if a little bit hopeful, was at least solid. Had it worked out, the former Spurs man would have had a platform to rediscover his form and the Toffees, for their part, would have a player that, at times in his career, has shown near enough world-class talent.

Ultimately though, it hasn't worked, and now Dyche and Co appear stuck with a player that looks like he doesn't want to be there and is still on a hefty £100,000-a-week for another year.

The former Burnley boss did speak positively about Dele in April this year, however, saying:

"I just got a sense that he wants to be back playing football and playing well."

While that may be true, the club have a serious decision about whether they will persist with the 27-year-old as a clause in his contract stipulates that Everton must pay Tottenham Hotspur an additional £10m should he reach 20 appearances. He is currently on 13.

What has Paul Brown said about Dele Alli's potential return to Everton?

Brown was blunt in his assessment of Alli's chances of saving his career whilst at Everton, explaining that he has shown the Toffees no reason to expect a resurgence in form from the former Spurs man.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Nothing that he's done in an Everton shirt since he's been there suggests that he deserves much of a chance in the team. If he comes back and he's suddenly on fire in training. Great, you know, I'm sure Dyche will look at that and make a decision.

"But I just think that the cold hard financials of it are that it just isn't really isn't in Everton's interest to be playing Dele Alli. He hasn't really given them any calls at the moment to get him in there. So I think he's got an uphill task trying to get into a Sean Dyche team."

How good was Dele Alli at his best?

It has been a dramatic fall from grace for the former MK Dons man, with last year's loan spell to Besiktas being perhaps the lowest point in his career thus far.

It starkly contrasts his first few Premier League seasons for Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham. The 2015/16 season saw him truly burst onto the scene, starting 28 games for the North London side, scoring ten goals and providing another nine assists. It was around this time the Argentinian hailed him as "quality" and a player with "fantastic potential."

It was the year after, however, when he somehow found another level and threatened to become the best player in the league at certain points. It was this campaign when he scored a ridiculous 18 league goals and produced another seven assists.

It begs the question, could Dele get even close to these numbers again in the right environment? It could be a possibility, but with the performances he's put in over the last few years, Everton might well be better off just cutting ties at this point.

Nottingham Forest could be set to truly kickstart their summer of spending, with a new addition certain to bolster Steve Cooper's backline…

Who are Nottingham Forest signing this summer?

According to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, the Tricky Trees are willing to take a punt on former Arsenal man, Konstantinos Mavropanos, after an impressive time in Germany.

However, the 25-year-old has reservations due to his prior stint in the top flight, as noted in the report: "Nottingham Forest are still keen on signing Konstantinos Mavropanos from Vfb Stuttgart. But except no deal on transfer fee yet, Mavropanos has second thoughts on playing a Premier League club at the moment."

The centre-back is valued at just €9.9m (£9m) by Football Transfers and would add to their other acquisitions from the window, including Chris Wood and Ola Aina.

How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?

Last season saw the Greece international enjoy his finest year of top-flight football yet, having finally settled in Germany and starring too.

His 7.26 average rating for the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign should serve to emphasise this, which is heavily influenced by his 83% pass accuracy, 2.2 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore. Such an overall rating would have made him by far the Nottingham club's best performer from last term, to put that into context.

He has grown into a defensive leader at his current club, for whom he has now enjoyed just under three steadily improving years despite only leaving the Emirates permanently last summer.

Initially moving to north London as a 20-year-old, the bright lights of the Premier League likely overawed the young defender, who had previously only featured in his homeland. Given he would make just eight senior appearances, one of which saw him sent off, before being permanently moved on speaks volumes for his period in the English capital.

Despite that, Unai Emery still spoke highly of the youngster, suggesting that the future remained bright even if his chances were limited: "Mavropanos, I think he has a big mentality, his mindset was every day to work to improve his fitness and every training session he showed us what we wanted.

"We want to give him the opportunity to train and sometimes play because I think he has a good future."

Given how his tenure with Stuttgart has since gone, the Spanish coach has been proven right, as his former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo noted whilst he was on loan: "He's our gladiator! He's a monster in terms of physique. And when he makes a mistake, he hums around some Greek swear words. I like that. He's just a tough dog."

To now return him to England, with the knowledge he already has plus the additional experience that starring in another of Europe's top five leagues offers, it could be time for him to realise that huge potential at last.

Especially given that he would likely join as one of Forest's finer players, making him a supplementary asset to help the rest of the team thrive. The defensive platform built from his quality would allow his teammates to thrive.

Aina, in particular, would benefit from being partnered with such a steely stalwart, as the presence of the 6 foot 4 titan would allow him to bomb forward, showcasing his true starring assets.

After all, when compared against other full-backs across Europe, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, the top 8% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 14% for non-penalty goals per 90, via FBref.

He is a dynamic defender who loves to push on, and with Mavropanos behind him, the Nigerian can be safe in the knowledge that an unflinching ace is protecting his flank with ease.

This could help propel his disappointing two goal contributions from an injury-hit 2022/23 season to new lofty heights.