Arsenal Joins Chase for Frankfurt's Ekitike as Man Utd Weighs Move for Martínez: Transfer News Roundup

Arsenal have set their sights on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, while Manchester United are reportedly preparing to initiate formal discussions to acquire Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Stay tuned for the latest transfer news, rumors, and updates from across the globe.

Key Transfer Updates:

• Chelsea agree to a £60m deal for Brighton's Joao Pedro.
• Dortmund and Leverkusen are monitoring Man City's James McAtee.
• AC Milan finalize a €25m deal for Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci.
• Villarreal midfielder Ramón Terrats extends contract, joins Espanyol on loan.
• Parma forward Ange-Yoan Bonny set to join Inter for an initial fee of €23m.
• Real Betis to sign Atletico winger Rodrigo Riquelme for €18m.
• Atlético left-back Reinildo Mandava on his way to Sunderland on a free transfer.

Trending Transfer Rumors:

• Arsenal are reportedly joining the competition to secure Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Bild. The 23-year-old striker, who recorded 22 goals and 11 assists in 47 appearances last season, is valued at €100 million by the Bundesliga side. While Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have been previously linked, the Gunners are now poised to make a move after facing difficulties in acquiring Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig and Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP.

• Manchester United are allegedly preparing to initiate formal talks to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez once André Onana departs, as per Football Insider. The 32-year-old goalkeeper is reportedly coach Ruben Amorim's primary target for the position, and Villa are open to his departure. However, the Red Devils will not pursue the Argentine World Cup winner until Onana leaves, with AS Monaco among the clubs interested in him. The Mirror adds that Chelsea have also been presented with the opportunity to sign Martinez for £45m.

• Liverpool are allegedly set to exceed £200m in summer spending as they aim to acquire Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, according to The Mirror. Guéhi, 24, has one year remaining on his contract, and Palace are expected to lower their initial £70m asking price as negotiations proceed. The Premier League champions have already secured midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen (£100m), left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth (£40m), and right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen (£30m) but seek a central defender to replace Jarell Quansah.

• VfB Stuttgart will only entertain offers exceeding €100m for striker Nick Woltemade, reports Kicker, amidst escalating interest from Bayern Munich. Discussions have taken place between the two clubs regarding the 23-year-old, but negotiations are anticipated to be challenging and protracted as Bayern are hesitant to spend over €50m-€60m for a player who might initially serve as a substitute behind Harry Kane.

• Al Nassr are willing to let defender Aymeric Laporte depart the club, according to AS. Laporte, 31, aims to return to Europe to enhance his chances of representing Spain at the 2026 World Cup, with Juventus and his former club Athletic Club expressing interest. Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Marseille, Inter, and Napoli are also reportedly in contention.

Confirmed Transfers:

• PSV Eindhoven have confirmed they will not exercise their €10m option to permanently sign Tyrell Malacia from Manchester United after his loan spell concluded.
• Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 28, has announced his departure as a free agent this summer after a nine-year tenure at the club.

Expert Analysis:

ESPN's scout, Tor-Kristian Karlsen, provides insights into Hugo Ekitike's playing style:

Ekitike often seeks the ball on the left wing before challenging the opposing right-back or exploiting space between them and the centre-back. He also demonstrates versatility by picking up the ball on the opposite flank and in central areas.

He excels in all attacking phases and is a penetrative presence as a second striker out wide, combined with the link-up abilities of a traditional No. 9 striker centrally.

Ekitike's high-intensity running is a key asset. His ability to shrug off tacklers frequently draws fouls, and his capacity to create goal-scoring opportunities independently is invaluable, making him effective against compact defenses.

He exhibits astute awareness of attacking patterns and is a prolific finisher, averaging over four shots per 90 minutes with diverse techniques.

A minor critique is his occasional impatience, sometimes opting for a long-range shot from a less favourable position instead of progressing with the ball.

Other Rumors:

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Dawson: Man City could struggle with Grealish this summer

Rob Dawson examines Jack Grealish's future with Man City.

• Jack Grealish's future at Manchester City is uncertain after Everton, Newcastle United and Napoli were deterred by his wage demands. Bayern Munich has also been tracking the 29-year-old winger (The Sun).

• Arsenal are seeking a new left winger and have shortlisted Atalanta's Ademola Lookman at around €50m (Alfredo Pedulla).

• Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, 19, is attracting interest from Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Tottenham (Football Insider).

• Nottingham Forest have made an offer for Lyon and Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze following the French club's relegation (TEAMtalk).

• Newcastle's £25m bid for Burnley and England U21 goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, has been rejected (Sky Sports).

• Al Nassr striker Jhon Duran, 21, will join Fenerbahce on loan just six months after his €77m move in January 2025 (Footmercato).

• Napoli favor Udinese's Lorenzo Lucca to partner Romelu Lukaku, instead of Liverpool's Darwin Núñez. The club will also pursue PSV Eindhoven winger Noa Lang, Brescia striker Gennaro Borrelli, and Bologna centre-back Sam Beukema (Sky Sports Italia).

• Juventus are accelerating efforts to sign Jonathan David following the expiration of his Lille contract, while also seeking a centre-back, with Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi being Igor Tudor's priority. Alternatives include West Ham United's Nayef Aguerd, Bologna's Jhon Lucumí, Stuttgart's Jeff Chabot, and Barcelona's Ronald Araújo (Gazzetta dello Sport).

• AC Milan aim to offload numerous players, including Devis Vasquez, Emerson Royal, Malick Thiaw, Theo Hernandez, Filippo Terracciano, Yunus Musah, Ismael Bennacer, Yacine Adli, Samuel Chukwueze, Marko Lazetic, Noah Okafor, and Lorenzo Colombo (Nico Schira).

• Real Betis will strive to retain Antony after his loan from Manchester United concludes, upon completing the signing of Atlético Madrid winger Rodrigo Riquelme (Nicolo Schira).

• Juventus and Bayern Munich are both monitoring Flamengo right-back Wesley, who is participating in the FIFA Club World Cup (Nicolo Schira).

• Birmingham City have joined the competition to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien. Southampton and Hull City also want the 26-year-old (The Sun).

• AS Monaco will announce the signing of winger Ansu Fati on Tuesday, with all documents finalized (Fabrizio Romano).

• Sunderland, Leeds United, Roma, and Real Oviedo are all tracking Real Madrid striker Gonzalo García (Ekrem Konur).