Arsenal Joins Hunt for Ekitike as Transfer Market Heats Up; Man Utd Eye Martinez

Arsenal has reportedly joined the fray for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, while Manchester United is allegedly preparing to initiate discussions to acquire Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Here's a breakdown of the latest transfer buzz.

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Confirmed ESPN Sources

• Chelsea secures a £60m deal for Brighton's Joao Pedro -- James Olley
• Dortmund, Leverkusen target Man City's James McAtee -- Rob Dawson
• AC Milan finalizes a €25m agreement for Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci -- Moretto
• Villarreal midfielder Ramón Terrats to extend contract, then join Espanyol on loan. -- Moretto
• Parma forward Ange-Yoan Bonny set to join Inter for an initial €23m -- Moretto
• Real Betis poised to sign Atletico winger Rodrigo Riquelme for €18m -- Moretto
• Atlético left-back Reinildo Mandava heads to Sunderland on a free transfer -- Moretto

Trending Transfer Rumors

• Arsenal is reportedly entering the race for Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike. The 23-year-old, who tallied 22 goals and 11 assists in 47 appearances last season, is valued at €100 million by the Bundesliga side, according to Bild. While Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have also been linked, the Gunners are now eyeing Ekitike after setbacks in their pursuit of RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres.

• Manchester United is allegedly preparing to initiate formal discussions to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez following André Onana's anticipated departure, Football Insider reports. The 32-year-old is reportedly manager Ruben Amorim's primary target, with Villa open to his exit. However, the Red Devils will reportedly hold off until Onana's transfer is finalized, with AS Monaco among the interested parties. The Mirror suggests Chelsea has also been presented with the opportunity to sign Martinez for £45m.

Key Transfer Updates

• Liverpool are poised to exceed £200m in spending as they pursue Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, according to The Mirror. With one year remaining on his contract, the 24-year-old could see Palace reduce their £70m valuation as negotiations progress. 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 fill the void left by Jarell Quansah.

• VfB Stuttgart will only entertain offers exceeding €100m for striker Nick Woltemade, Kicker reports, amidst growing interest from Bayern Munich. Discussions have occurred between the clubs regarding the 23-year-old, but negotiations are expected to be challenging as Bayern are hesitant to spend over €50m-€60m for a player who may initially serve as Harry Kane's backup.

• Al Nassr is reportedly willing to let defender Aymeric Laporte leave the club, AS reports. The 31-year-old seeks a return to Europe to improve 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 has confirmed they will not exercise their €10m option to permanently sign Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia following his loan spell.

• Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 28, has announced his departure as a free agent this summer after nine years with the club.

Expert Analysis

ESPN's resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen provides insight into Hugo Ekitike's playing style.

Ekitike frequently seeks possession on the left flank, targeting the opposition's right-back for duels or exploiting space between them and the center-back. His versatility allows him to operate effectively on either flank and in central areas. He excels in all attacking phases, functioning as a penetrating second striker on the wings while possessing the link-up play of a traditional No. 9 centrally.

His high-intensity, determined running is a key asset. He exhibits impressive ability to fend off challenges, often drawing fouls, and his capacity to create scoring opportunities independently is invaluable against compact defenses.

Ekitike demonstrates a keen understanding of attacking patterns and is a prolific finisher (4+ shots per 90 minutes), scoring goals through diverse techniques.

One potential drawback is his occasional impatience in execution, sometimes opting for long-range shots from unfavorable positions instead of advancing the ball.

Additional Rumors

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Dawson: Man City could struggle with Grealish this summer

Rob Dawson discusses Jack Grealish's uncertain future with Manchester City due to high wages.

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

• Arsenal is reportedly seeking a new left winger and has identified Atalanta's Ademola Lookman as a potential target, valued at around €50m (Alfredo Pedulla).

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

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

• Newcastle's pursuit of Burnley and England U21 goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, has been met with a rejection of their £25m bid (Sky Sports).

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

• Napoli reportedly favors Udinese's Lorenzo Lucca as a striker partner for Romelu Lukaku over Liverpool's Darwin Núñez. The club is also targeting PSV Eindhoven winger Noa Lang, Brescia striker Gennaro Borrelli, and Bologna centre-back Sam Beukema (Sky Sports Italia).

• Juventus is reportedly accelerating efforts to sign Jonathan David following the expiration of his Lille contract. They are also seeking a centre-back, with Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi being Igor Tudor's top choice. 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 is reportedly looking 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 aims to retain Antony after his loan from Manchester United concludes, following the completion of Rodrigo Riquelme's signing from Atlético Madrid (Nicolo Schira).

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

• Birmingham City has reportedly joined the competition to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, 26, who is also wanted by Southampton and Hull City (The Sun).

• AS Monaco is expected to announce the signing of winger Ansu Fati on Tuesday, with all paperwork finalized (Fabrizio Romano).

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