Everton are embarking on a new era under David Moyes and could now land themselves a summer transfer bargain once the window opens for business.

Everton look to make summer window mark

Survival has been achieved with flying colours by Everton and there is only one match now left at Goodison Park before supporters say goodbye to their home ahead of moving to Bramley Moore Dock.

Emotions are running high and there will be plenty of time for sentimental thoughts over the next few weeks, but fans will feel emboldened that the club are headed in the right direction under David Moyes.

Exciting times are on the horizon under The Friedkin Group and plenty of transfer movement is expected on Merseyside, with Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck cited as an ambitious potential arrival.

Gustavo Hamer could also join the Toffees from Sheffield United if Moyes has his way, as the former Netherlands Under-20 international is viewed as an ideal creative midfield option by the man in charge.

Abdoulaye Doucoure heads up a lengthy list of players that could be set to leave Everton upon the expiry of their contract or loan deals, which could be the signal for a sea change to take place in the dressing room.

Everton make first contact in race to sign "talented" ex-Arsenal defender

He could complete a Premier League return.

ByTom Cunningham May 1, 2025

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are among other potential departures on free transfers, leaving Moyes with some tough choices to make when considering the future look of his group.

While money is set to be available this summer, PSR regulations will keep clubs in check, meaning Everton could be forced to look for inexpensive pick-ups in certain positions to boost squad depth.

Spying an opportunity to land a bargain, the Toffees are now said to be in pole position to land one of England’s most trustworthy strikers.

Everton looking to seal move for Jamie Vardy

According to reports, Everton are looking to sign Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and are believed to be at the front of the race. Evaluating his profile, Moyes and TFG are said to value the former Three Lions international’s work ethic and capacity to deliver in pressure moments, citing him as someone who could be a leader in the short-term.

Jamie Vardy’s Premier League statistics – 2024/25

Shots

52

Shots on target

23

Chances created

19

Touches in opposition box

106

Goals

7

Assists

3

Becoming a shining light in a grim season for Leicester, the 38-year-old has been labelled “brilliant” by Gary Lineker and still retains a desire to offer something at the highest level.

Financially, Everton would be able to land the veteran on a free transfer, allowing room for manouvre to spend on other areas in need of surgery. Nevertheless, plenty of other clubs will also be in the hunt for £140,000 per week earner Vardy’s signature due to his potent nature, creating an intriguing few months ahead to see who will eventually land his services once the window opens.

In an attempt to weaken their top-five rivals, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly readying a big transfer play to sign a Manchester City star who’s not short on potential suitors.

Leicester clash now a must-win for Nottingham Forest

After one win in their last five Premier League games, Nottingham Forest are in danger of derailing their season at the worst moment possible, with just three games remaining to claim Champions League qualification.

A 1-1 draw against Brentford last time out at least ensured that they avoided three consecutive defeats in all competitions, but Nuno Espirito Santo will be well aware how important victory against Leicester City is this weekend.

The Nottingham Forest manager told reporters in his pre-match press conference: “We are always aware of the quality of our opposition, and this is the responsibility of the players no matter what situation the team is in.

“Both sets of players are going to give their all, and as long as we are the better team, we should be proud. We expect a tough match and it’s an East Midlands derby and it means a lot for all of us at the club.

Nottingham Forest believe they can sign "exceptional" £50m star this summer

The Tricky Trees are keen to sanction reinforcements.

BySean Markus Clifford May 10, 2025

“Looking back at our last game, we insist we have to be more clinical, improve on set pieces, create more and defend properly. Everything we have done during the week we have to bring to the game. This is what we have to evaluate if we’re going to the fundamentals that we want to.”

What Champions League qualification would do for Nottingham Forest in the transfer window this summer cannot be overstated, especially as they reportedly go in pursuit of signing one particular Manchester City midfielder.

Nottingham Forest readying McAtee move

According to The Boot Room, Nottingham Forest are now readying a big transfer play to sign James McAtee from Manchester City this summer. The midfielder is reportedly keen to leave the Etihad in pursuit of a starting place elsewhere, opening the door for those at the City Ground to make their move.

That said, Forest aren’t alone in the race for his signature. Reports have also revealed that the likes of Bayer Leverkusen are also interested in the City graduate and see him as an ideal player to replace Florian Wirtz.

Of course, the advantage that the Bundesliga club have is that Manchester City are one of the reported clubs chasing a deal to sign Wirtz this summer.

Described as “talented” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, McAtee is likely to have a decision to make when the summer transfer window arrives. However, whether that ends with a move to Nottingham Forest remains to be seen.

He is being monitored closely by the CSA medical team and is expected to be available for the T20 World Cup

Firdose Moonda15-May-2024Kagiso Rabada has returned home from the IPL on Sunday evening with an infection in the soft tissue of a lower limb, but is expected to be available for the entire T20 World Cup.Rabada played 11 matches for the Punjab Kings and took 11 wickets at an economy of 8.85 but will not feature in their last two matches. With PBKS ruled out of the playoffs, Rabada was allowed to travel back to South Africa, where he consulted a specialist. A CSA statement said he was being “closely monitored by the medical team” in the lead-up to the World Cup.Rabada’s inclusion is particularly important to South Africa because he is the only black African player named in the 15-man provisional squad, which has become a source of some controversy. CSA currently has targets for the national team that require them to field, on average over the course of a season, six players of colour in every XI, of which at least two must be black African. South Africa will miss that at the T20 World Cup, where they have six players of colour in the squad but only one black African. So Rabada will have to play every game to ensure they do not fall too far behind the overall target. South Africa will have the opportunity to increase the average over the 2024-25 season.Lungi Ngidi is the only other black African player who was in realistic contention for the squad and has been included as a travelling reserve. South Africa’s other fast bowlers are Anrich Nortje, who has returned after a nine-month break caused by a stress fracture, Gerald Coetzee, Ottniel Baartman and Marco Jansen.

During his Under-19 days, he saved his daily allowances to help his family repay their debt. Now, he saves the senior team from precarious situations

Hemant Brar in Lucknow15-Jan-2019Rinku Singh is no stranger to adversity. Born in a lower middle-class family in Aligarh, a young Rinku saw his father deliver LPG cylinders to take care of the family. Around 2015, when they had run up a debt of INR 5 lakh, Rinku was playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Under-19s, and had started saving up from his daily allowance to help repay it. If that wasn’t enough, he once almost took up a job as a domestic worker, where his primary tasks would have been sweeping and mopping.Compared to all that, even if dealing with the former might not necessarily prepare one for tricky situations on the cricket field, walking in on Tuesday with his team at 54 for 4 would have appeared trivial, even in a Ranji Trophy quarter-final against a strong Saurashtra side that is unbeaten in the tournament so far.It wasn’t a new task for the 21-year-old Rinku, though.In the league game against Jammu and Kashmir, UP were at 79 for 5 when Rinku walked in. His 66 off 88 balls from No. 7 helped lift the side to 188. Then, against Haryana , UP were in similar trouble at 53 for 4. Rinku’s 43 from No. 6 ensured that when he was last man out, his side had the first-innings lead. They went on to win both games.Coming into the quarter-final, Rinku had 803 runs from 11 innings at an average of 114.71 and a strike rate of 71.25. His tally was already the most for an UP batsman. On the eve of the game, Rinku had said that he was aiming for 1000 runs for the season and wanted to get to the mark against Saurashtra as there was no guarantee of another game.Before he got a chance to bat, Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat had used the new ball and early moisture to dismiss Rahul Rawat and Mohammad Saif for ducks. Madhav Kaushik and Akshdeep Nath had then taken the side past 50 before left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja removed both in one over.Rinku is known for his fearless approach, and brought it to the fore when on just 3, stepping out to a flighted delivery from Jadeja and hitting the ball down the ground for a one-bounce four.There was a distinct feeling of déjà vu for those present at the ground during UP’s practice session on Monday. The only difference was that Rinku’s team-mate Saurabh Kumar was at the receiving end on that occasion.

Just a glimpse of Rinku Singh's power hitting. U.P. takes on Saurashtra in the second quater-final this tuesday. #adelaide #happymakarsankranti #kitesurfing #indvsaus #ranjitrophy #upca #CricketMeriJaan #bcci #icc #ipl #lucknow #mondaymotivation #monday #mondayquotes pic.twitter.com/YEqdXFAdR9

— EkanaCricketStadium (@EkanaOfficial) January 14, 2019

Two balls later, when Jadeja cut down the flight, Rinku reverse-swept him behind point for four. Left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya was pulled off the front foot while Unadkat was punched through the covers as Rinku reached 36 at lunch.After the break, with the sun out and the moisture having dried out, Rinku started toying with the bowling. Unadkat was taken for four consecutive boundaries. Twice he was flicked off the pads and once steered behind point. However, it was the fourth that really helped Rinku stamp his authority. Unadkat went for the bouncer, but the youngster was up to the challenge. He rocked back and pulled behind square with disdain as if telling the opposition that he would dictate the terms thereon.Along with Priyam Garg, Rinku added 145 for the fifth wicket, but such was his dominance that he scored 94 of the runs. While Garg fell for 49, Rinku brought up his hundred – his fourth of the season – off just 136 balls, celebrating the milestone with a David Warner-esque leap.When Jadeja returned to the attack after tea, Rinku once again used his feet to dictate the length, driving inside out through the covers. The next ball was short of a length, and was cut off the back foot for another four.In all, Rinku scored 56 runs from the 47 deliveries he faced from Jadeja, and 35 off 27 from Unadkat. Of his 19 hits to the boundary, 15 came off the two premier opposition bowlers. Saurashtra’s hopes of bowling the home side out cheaply were well and truly dashed as a result.Rinku, though, played his efforts down afterwards, saying that he hadn’t done anything special. “I just batted the way I have been batting,” he said after first day’s play, with UP at 340/7. “To be honest, those were actually loose balls (off which he scored four fours in a row). I just put them away.”He also had an interesting take on his aggressive approach against Jadeja. “I just love batting against spinners. When a spinner comes on, I feel like scoring all my runs in that one over itself.”The only chance Saurashtra had during Rinku’s 150 off 181 – that too a tough one – was when the batsman was on 122. A Jadeja delivery had kicked off the surface but Rinku opened the face of the bat at the last moment and the ball went between the wicketkeeper and first slip.While Rinku fell 47 short of 1000 runs for the season, his counter-attacking innings ensured UP finished day one with their noses ahead.

تغنى أسطورة الكرة الإيطالية، أليساندرو نيستا، بقدرات لوكا مودريتش، نجم نادي إي سي ميلان الحالي، موضحًا أن الدولي الكرواتي لاعب مدهش.

مودريتش وقع مع نادي ميلان خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الأخير، وذلك في صفقة انتقال حر وبعقد مدته عام واحد، مع إمكانية التجديد لعام آخر.

وقدم مودريتش عروضًا استثنائية مع ميلان منذ قدومه للروسونيري بعد رحيله عن ريال مدريد، وأصبح ابن الـ40 عامًا قطعة أساسية في تشكيلة النادي الإيطالي.

وقاد مودريتش ميلان إلى تصدر ترتيب الدوري الإيطالي، بينما يستعد رفاق الكرواتي لمواجهة قوية ضد يوفنتوس مساء اليوم الأحد بالمسابقة المحلية.

أقرأ أيضًا .. تشكيل برشلونة أمام إشبيلية في الدوري الإسباني.. ليفاندوفسكي يقود الهجوم

ويرى نيستا في تصريحات لصحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت”، أن ميلان أصبح أقوى حقًا مع مودريتش.

وقال: “رؤيته في الملعب أمر رائع، لقد أسعدني للغاية ولم يشهد سان سيرو لاعبًا مثله منذ عهد بيرلو”.

واضاف نيستا في حديثه عن مودريتش: “معه، ميلان أقوى بالتأكيد. مع لاعبين أو ثلاثة لاعبين آخرين سيصبح الفريق أكثر قوة وآمل أن تكون هذه نقطة انطلاق”.

وأوضح مدافع ميلان ولاتسيو السابق: ”نعم توقعت هذه النسخة من ميلان، حتى  بعد الهزيمة الأولى في الدوري، الأمور واردة حتى الجولة الثامنة، لكنني توقعت أيضًا ميلان الذي لدينا اليوم، إيجلي تاري مدير رياضي رائع ويعرف الكثير عن كرة القدم، إنه إضافة مميزة للنادي”.

واختتم نيستا: ”ثم هناك عودة ماكس أليجري الذي يبذل قصارى جهده في مثل هذه المواقف، إنه يعرف كيف يفرض النظام في ظل الفوضى ودعونا لا ننسى عاملًا أساسيًا آخر، وهو قوة ووحدة الفريق”.

مودريتش لم يجدد عقده مع ريال مدريد ليغادر الفريق الملكي، وذلك بعد حوالي 13 موسمًا في ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو حقق خلالها اللاعب الكرواتي كل شئ ممكن، قبل أن يوقع مع ميلان.

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva claims his side's exit from the Club World Cup feels like a Champions League defeat.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bernardo Silva on Club World Cup exit
• Claims it feels like the Champions League
• City knocked out by Al-Hilal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City were beaten 4-3 by Al-Hilal in a thrilling last 16 tie, ending a miserable season in which they finished trophyless. Silva is adamant they will bounce back in the 2025-26 campaign but admits the disappointment is similar to their European exit to Real Madrid in February.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT SILVA SAID

  Silva said: "It does feel a little bit like going out of the Champions League, yeah. No one wanted to lose, we are very used to not having holidays unfortunately because the schedule is crazy. But when we are in a competition we take it very seriously and we had a lot of ambition for this Club World Cup and we wanted to win it. In one month when we start the Premier League, we will forget and focus on having a great season."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City's defeat means they end the campaign without silverware for the first time since 2017, Pep Guardiola's first season in charge. He has made several signings to help fix his side's slump but they were not enough to prevent a poor defensive performance letting them down against Al-Hilal.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  City must recover quickly, with the Premier League campaign little more than six weeks away. They face Wolves on the opening weekend of the season.

Visitors lead by 165 overnight, with hopes of pushing for third consecutive win

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2024Fifties by Jake Libby, Brett D’Oliveira and Adam Hose ensured Worcestershire would make Essex bat again in their rollercoaster match at Chelmsford.When bad light took the players off the field with 20 over remaining on day three of the Vitality County Championship match, Worcestershire had turned a 138-run first-innings deficit into a 165-run lead.Libby laid the foundations for the recovery with a 112-ball 65 at the top of the order. But it was an 80-run stand for the sixth wicket between D’Oliveira (51 from 71 balls) and Hose (64 off 91) – the pair coming together with two runs still required to erase the arrears – that gave Worcestershire hope of securing a third successive victory to move clear of the relegation area.Simon Harmer spearheaded the mercurial Essex attack, sending down 26 overs in the foreshortened day and taking 3 for 110, including the wicket of Hose to an extraordinary delivery. Essex will be looking for a first victory in four games on the final day to maintain their fading interest in the title race.Nightwatchman Joe Leach lasted just four balls on a grey, overcast morning before Sam Cook ended his 21-ball nought by inducing a thick edge through to the wicketkeeper. Gareth Roderick narrowly avoided a pair before he was turned around by Jamie Porter on six and nicked to second slip.Libby found good support from Kashif Ali in a 51-run third-wicket stand until Paul Walter was introduced and with his fourth ball had Ali following the ball across him through to slip.Libby survived a couple of scares but reached his fifty from the 90th ball faced, his eighth four helped on its way high over the wicketkeeper’s head. His latest partner Rob Jones took a liking to Harmer, hitting four successive boundaries, two of them identical shots on the sweep.However, the 55-run fourth-wicket stand was broken soon after lunch when Libby drove loosely at Cook and was caught low down at backward point. And six runs later, Jones went for another sweep against Harmer, this time more uppishly, and Dean Elgar completed the dismissal when running back from square leg.That left Worcestershire five down and still two runs short of making Essex bat again. That landmark was duly achieved and built on as Hose and D’Oliveira dug in obdurately initially to the extent that Porter came on for three overs and went off again without conceding a run. The first fifty of their partnership took 16 overs.The run-rate rose steeply with 31 runs added by the pair in the next four overs before Matt Critchley switched ends to give Harmer a rest and first ball had D’Oliveira fencing to second slip. Harmer’s rest spanned the tea break but his first ball after the interval brought the downfall of Hose, who padded up outside off-stump to a ball that turned prodigiously as it hit the crease to leave him bewildered to see the bails lying on the ground behind him.Harmer had a third wicket to his name when Ethan Brookes went to reverse-sweep, as he had successfully on several occasions in the first innings This time, however, the ball popped up off an edge to Robin Das diving full-length at short leg to cling on one-handed.With the floodlights on and the light deteriorating appreciably, Essex declined the option of taking the new-ball when it was due after 80 over, sticking with their spinners. The gesture proved in vain as the umpires deemed it too dark to continue an over later.

MS Dhoni’s quips and one-liners

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2020If I tell everyone what it is, then they (CSK) won’t buy me at the auctions. It’s a trade secret.Dhoni tight-lipped on the secret behind CSK qualifying for the playoffs at will.I won’t count it as a bad performance. It was so bad that I can’t count it as a performance.
MS Dhoni usually didn’t mince his words after a poor display.You can convert 1.8 runs or 1.9 runs into twos, but not 1.75 or 1.7.
Some calculations from one of the best runners between wickets for when an outfield has dew.Personally I feel I use a bit too much of my brain in this format.
Has anyone summed up the Twenty20 format better?That’s why you should watch the game. What went wrong you would have realised.
There were times when journalists were at the receiving end of his one-liners.Another 20 days and you can apply for citizenship.
The feeling after India’s long tour of Australia in 2014-15.It’s like having 100kg put over you. After that even if you put a mountain, it will not make a difference.
What’s pressure? A matter of a few extra kilos.Whenever we have played with four fast bowlers, two things happen. One the captain gets banned, two we lose.
He often got straight to the point when discussing tactics.They actually feel it will be better off to put a bowling machine there.
When his bowlers didn’t like the new ODI rules introduced in 2013.God is not coming to save us.
The words of wisdom in the huddle before India’s successful defence of a below-par total in the 2013 Champions Trophy final.At the moment, we are not even using one, where will we bowl two?
The time he felt helpless when two-bouncer-an-over rule was introduced in ODIs, given how India’s fast bowlers were either injured or out of form.Frankly, I am quite bad at analysing technique; you have seen my technique.
But will we see him as an expert on the telly?We will be busy shopping. That’s something we can afford to do. There is nothing really in our hands.
What to do when your team’s fate lies in the hands of a match played by others.From Kishore Kumar, we have gone to Sean Paul.
Dhoni had to adapt to the old and the young during his stint as captain.You die, you die. You don’t see which is the better way to die.
His wit didn’t desert him during back-to-back whitewashes in England and Australia.I don’t mind repeating everything.
After he led India to the 2011 World Cup. A lot of Dhoni fans wouldn’t mind hearing those words now.The only person who can control Sreesanth is Sreesanth. It is beyond my control and I don’t think too much about.
Man-management MS Dhoni style.Till the full stop doesn’t come the sentence is not complete.
The time when he got metaphorical ahead of the 2011 World Cup final.One other guy won’t play.
It’s not easy remembering your XI, especially when it’s the first game of a World Cup campaign.The only thing that went well for us was the warm-up before the game.
The positives from a bad game.Frankly speaking I don’t understand Duckworth-Lewis. I just wait for the umpire’s decision.
He is like the rest of us.What happens inside a meeting, where the selectors, the captain and the coaches are there, when it comes out, it is disgusting and disrespectful.
The time when he got upset when discussions of the selection meeting were leaked to the media.If you are not 100 per cent fit and not at your best [and still play], it’s cheating.
When he made his stance on fitness clear after sitting out a Test series in Sri Lanka, in 2008.When you’ve played international cricket, you realise you never play 100 percent.When his stance on fitness evolved in a 2019 IPL match.I’ll just ask Mahela if he will lend Mendis for a couple of practice sessions.
That was a plan.You [media people] change my girlfriends every two days. Please let one continue for some time.
The days when Indian media loved speculating about all things Dhoni.We are told that Mumbai is a city which is always on the move. See, me and my boys have brought the entire city to a standstill today.
His reaction after crowds thronged to welcome the team at a parade following the World T20 win.Before I start I should say I read an article by you in Cricinfo. You’d said Australia were the favourites. Today I think me and the boys, we proved you wrong.
Speaking to Ravi Shastri after India’s victory over Australia in the semi-finals of the 2007 World Twenty20, MS Dhoni had revealed that he read our site.Now even PETA has said you can’t cosmetically remove the tail.
A woke answer from a woke captain – after many questions about India’s lower-order batting.You may put hybrid fuel in the car but the cylinder, the engine, everything, needs to be like that.
On whether India needs a fielding coach.I love to go back to Ranchi. I have three dogs at home. Even after losing a series or winning a series, they treat me the same way.
On the break from being India’s captain and under constant scrutiny.In countries like Australia or England, people speak English in such an accent that it is very hard to understand. So, at parties when locals come to us and start talking, even if we are not getting anything, we say ‘yeah’. Or if I have a drink in hand, I excuse myself by saying, ‘I’ll just get a drink’ but never show up in front of that person again
Early tours with the Indian team were challenging on many fronts.From 1929 hrs consider me as retired
Finally, Dhoni using his first Instagram post in six months to announce retirement in a way only he could

MatériaMais Notícias

da aposte e ganhe： O São Paulo encara o Tigre, nesta terça-feira (26), pela última rodada do Grupo D da Copa Sul-Americana. Na primeira posição da chave, com 13 pontos conquistados, o Tricolor está a três de distância dos argentinos. Mas há algum risco de eliminação? Quais são os critérios de desempate? Dorival pode se dar ao luxo de poupar jogadores na partida? O Lance! responde.

da apostaganha： Para os tricolores apaixonados: produtos a partir de R$39,90 na FutFanatics!

Como o São Paulo está a três pontos do Tigre, o máximo que o time argentino consegue chegar é o mesmo número de pontos, 13. Portanto, fica a pergunta de quais são os critérios de desempate para definir o único classificado diretamente às oitavas de final da Sul-Americana. A Conmebol define o saldo de gols como o primeiro critério de desempate. Em relação a isso, a situaçâo do São Paulo é muito cconfortável.

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

O Tricolor tem 11 gols pró de saldo, contra apenas três do Tigre. Ou seja, para ser eliminado, o São Paulo precisa levar oito gols do clube argentino. Curiosamente, a defesa é um dos pontos fortes da equipe de Dorival Júnior no torneio, já que o time ainda não sofreu gols em cinco jogos disputados.

O outro critério de desempate é em relação ao número de gols feitos, critério que o São Paulo também leva vantagem. O Tricolor fez 11 tentos, já o Tigre balançou a rede em sete oportunidades. Portanto, apenas uma ‘tragédia’ tira a classificação do Tricolor para a próxima fase da Sul-Americana.

Arsenal have now submitted an opening offer for an “exceptional” young player, and they’ve had a response, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Gunners set sights on new goalkeeper

After initially usurping Aaron Ramsdale in the starting XI, David Raya has established himself as a key player for the Gunners, making 36 appearances in the Premier League this season, but there are signs that Mikel Arteta has now started looking at bringing in a long-term heir.

Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia is among the main targets, with the north Londoners recently holding talks over a deal for the Spaniard, who would prefer a move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of signing for Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Garcia has been a target for quite some time, having initially agreed to join Arteta’s side last year, and while they seem well-positioned to get a deal for the Spaniard over the line, Romano has now revealed that a move has been made for a different goalkeeper.

Arteta's a fan: Arsenal racing to sign "entertaining" Hazard-esque maestro

The Gunners have set their sights on a midfielder, who has been likened to former Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

By
Dominic Lund

May 11, 2025

In a recent update on X, the transfer expert stated that Arsenal have now submitted an opening offer of £1.25m for Chelsea goalkeeper Freddy Bernal, but the Blues were not convinced by their rivals’ proposal.

The Gunners’ rivals have knocked back the bid, given their eagerness to keep hold of Bernal, who is clearly impressing for the Blues at youth level, having also attracted the attention of several other unnamed clubs.

"Exceptional" Bernal catching the eye at youth level

Given that he is just 16-years-old, the Chelsea ace is likely to be some way off a first Premier League start, but he has caught the eye with his performances for the U18s, having been lauded for his “exceptional distribution” by scout Felix Johnston earlier this season.

The youngster was also the only Chelsea youngster to be named in the England U17 squad earlier in the campaign, highlighting his potential, so it is little wonder the Gunners are keen on taking him to north London.

That said, with the Blues knocking back Arsenal’s offer, it seems unlikely they will be able to prise the teenager away from their London rivals, and Garcia could well be a preferable option, considering the 24-year-old is already proven at a much higher level.

The Espanyol star made 35 appearances in La Liga last season, during which time he caught the eye of football scout Ben Mattinson, who appeared to suggest he could be the perfect heir for Raya, given the similarities in their play-styles.