Barcelona are reportedly considering whether to send Marcus Rashford back to Manchester United, less than two months after signing him on a season-long loan.
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
The old cliche goes that if you can’t beat them, join them, but the same is also true that if you can’t stop them, then sign them. Liverpool appear to be doing the latter.
Few players will have given Anfield hero Virgil van Dijk sleepless nights in recent years, although Alexander Isak might well be one of them, with Newcastle United’s Swedish sensation proving an absolute menace for the Dutchman and his fellow defenders.
Described by the Reds skipper as “definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football”, ahead of the Carabao Cup final in March, the returning Isak duly scored in that Wembley showpiece to seal an emotional, surprise win for the Magpies.
In all, the former Real Sociedad man has netted four times in just six appearances against the Merseysiders across all competitions, with that likely to have played its part in their apparent bid to prise the 25-year-old from St James’ Park on a £120m deal.
Such bombshell news has become the talk of the town from a Premier League perspective, although on Tyneside, Eddie Howe and co don’t appear to have thrown in the towel just yet.
Still steadfast in their desire to keep hold of the 6 foot 4 machine, Newcastle may steer Arne Slot’s side toward potential attacking alternatives…
The obvious place to start is with the man who could well have a pivotal role to play in Isak’s future, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
The young Frenchman is being lined up as a future replacement for the Sweden star at St James’, albeit with Liverpool also throwing their hat into the ring, should it prove too difficult to get their top target out of the north east.
It would appear that it isn’t just that duo who the Merseysiders have their eye on, however, with the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reporting that the champions are considering multiple other options in the bid for a new number nine.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Among those said to have been discussed at Anfield is Manchester United outcast, Marcus Rashford, with the Englishman noted as one of the six Isak alternatives that have been considered.
As the report does note, such talks have not progressed any further as yet with it looking unlikely that Slot and co will pounce, albeit with the 27-year-old certainly available having been exiled by Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim.
Valued at £40m earlier this year, amid the chance for Aston Villa to purchase their loan signing on a permanent deal, Rashford would represent a far cheaper choice than that man Isak. He would also be far more controversial, however…
It says it all that the last player to directly move between Liverpool and Man United was Phil Chisnall, with the forward scoring ten goals in 47 games at Old Trafford, before moving to Anfield on a £25k deal in 1964.
Even signing a player with a previous association to the ‘other’ club has been a rarity in modern times, with notable examples including a certain Paul Ince in the late 90s, alongside the more infamous ‘treachery’ of Michael Owen.
Once the golden boy of Liverpool, having emerged from the academy ranks as a dazzling teenager, Owen burned his bridges – and then some – after ending up on the books at United in 2009, having joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s side via spells at Real Madrid and Newcastle United.
Despite admitting that he had had his heart set on returning to Merseyside amid his exit from Madrid in 2005, no such homecoming came to fruition, with the declining striker later linking up with Fergie on a free transfer.
Still just 29 at the time of that controversial switch, it was evident that Owen’s powers were on the wane, with his last-gasp goal in a 4-3 win over rivals Manchester City the only real moment of note across the next three years. Just 17 goals in 52 games says it all.
While circumstances might be different in the case of Rashford, he too could prove to be something of a bizarre, unnecessary signing, this time for Liverpool, with it hard to see the wisdom in even considering the Three Lions star as an Isak alternative.
Like Owen – who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old at Anfield – Rashford was also once a teen sensation for Man United, having scored twice on debut as an 18-year-old back in February 2016, before ending that campaign with eight goals in just 18 games under Louis van Gaal.
|
Rashford’s last five Man Utd seasons (all comps) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2024/25* |
24 |
7 |
3 |
|
2023/24 |
43 |
8 |
6 |
|
2022/23 |
56 |
30 |
11 |
|
2021/22 |
32 |
5 |
2 |
|
2020/21 |
57 |
21 |
18 |
|
*Not including record at Villa |
|||
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
High points have followed since for the academy graduate, namely his 30-goal season in 2022/23 during Erik ten Hag’s time at the helm, although inconsistency has been the theme of recent years.
As evidenced in the table above, the forward’s “unstoppable” 2022/23 campaign, as hailed by Ten Hag, stands out amid a rather underwhelming half a decade, in truth, with Liverpool not exactly targeting a player in his pomp.
As was the case with Owen, for all parties this appears to be a move best avoided, with the scrutiny and controversy unlikely to be made worthwhile by performances on the pitch.
He's better than Ekitike: Liverpool chasing "monster" £60m Isak alternative
Liverpool are looking to sign a new number nine in the summer transfer window.
By
Angus Sinclair
Jul 15, 2025
Leeds United have their eyes on a £50,000-a-week striker as an alternative to Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, according to journalist Graham Bailey.
The Whites have been relatively busy so far during the summer transfer window, with seven new senior faces arriving at Elland Road.
|
Incomings |
From |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Lukas Nmecha |
Wolfsburg |
Free |
|
Jaka Bijol |
Udinese |
£15m |
|
Gabriel Gudmundsson |
Lille |
£10m |
|
Sebastiaan Bornauw |
Wolfsburg |
£5m |
|
Sean Longstaff |
Newcastle |
£12m |
|
Anton Stach |
Hoffenheim |
£17.4m |
|
Lucas Perri |
Lyon |
£13.9m |
Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises are still hoping to add more, with a new winger and forward now seemingly at the top of the to-do list for sporting director Adam Underwood.
Leeds recently missed out on an ambitious move for Igor Paixao, who chose Marseille over a move to Yorkshire. In regards to a new striker, Fulham’s Muniz has been a firm target in recent weeks, however, there is yet to be progress on any potential transfer.
Talking to Leeds United News, Bailey said that those at Craven Cottage are in talks over a new deal for the Brazilian.
“It’s not news that intermediaries are doing the work. Fulham remain in talks over a new deal, however.
“They still want to keep him, but until they get the new deal signed, it’s not going to stop other people offering him elsewhere. He’s a good Premier League striker with a high ceiling. He’s still quite young, so he’s going to get linked around.”
Leeds meet £24.5m star's agents and now ready to trigger his release clause
The Whites could have an advantage in their race to sign a talented playmaker.
By
Sean Markus Clifford
Aug 1, 2025
Leeds may soon have to move on from Muniz, and the journalist answered a question on the Whites’ alternative centre-forward targets.
Bailey added that Everton striker Beto, who was linked with Leeds at the beginning of the window, is still on the Elland Road radar as Farke and Underwood search for a new striker.
Beto, a Guinea international, is on £50,000-a-week with the Toffees and is into the final two years of his Everton contract.
However, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving Merseyside this summer, Everton currently have a shortage of senior strikers, despite signing Thierno Barry, so any Leeds move for Beto could be tricky, as they have found in their attempts to sign Muniz.
|
Beto over the last 12 months |
Percentile (FBref) |
|---|---|
|
Non-penalty goals |
72nd percentile |
|
Aerials won |
97th percentile |
|
Shots on target |
87th percentile |
|
Successful take-ons |
90th percentile |
Time is ticking, though, with Beto and Everton due to travel to Leeds on August 18 for a Premier League opener.
Kobbie Mainoo has reportedly had concerns over his Manchester United future for months as the midfielder eyes a January exit. Mainoo was once hailed as the heartbeat of United’s next generation, but fast-forward to September 2025, and the 20-year-old is facing the harshest dilemma of his young career: fight for scraps at Old Trafford or walk away temporarily to save his England dreams.
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Bournemouth's renovation of the Vitality Stadium will start before the end of the 2025/26 season, with plans to to almost double their home ground's capacity waiting for final planning permission. The proposed work will see a complete renovation of the South Stand and the filling in of all four corners of the stadium, adding 9,000 extra seats to the 11,379 capacity venue.
Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign is upon us. This weekend, Arne Slot will lead his troops out for the first time this term, looking to claim the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, who won the FA Cup in May.
The curtain-raiser is little more than a prelude to the campaign, but for the Premier League champions, it’s an opportunity to showcase the new quality added to the ranks, and to set the tone for the years ahead.
The likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will be gunning for starts up top, while full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong will hope to kick off a long and fruitful partnership on the flanks. Giorgi Mamardashvili may make his debut following Alisson Becker’s departure from pre-season due to a personal issue. The Brazilian has since returned to training.
One player who will not feature for the Reds is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who desperately wants to sign for the Merseysiders and has already been the subject of a rejected £110m bid.
But will sporting director Richard Hughes manage to pull it off?
Newcastle’s struggle to sign a new centre-forward has inhibited Liverpool in their quest for “the best striker in the Premier League”, as Isak has been described by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.
Isak’s position at Newcastle appears untenable, for he was not included in the club’s recent barbecue, a get-together involving the squad, staff and family members, and he has also been ordered to train alone.
With the Magpies actively searching for a new number nine, it feels like Isak will be granted the chance to move at some stage this summer, albeit that is hardly a certainty. For their part, Liverpool are said to be readying a fresh approach, according to reports.
|
Alexander Isak’s Record at Newcastle (all comps) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps (starts) |
Goals |
Assists |
|
24/25 |
42 (41) |
27 |
6 |
|
23/24 |
40 (36) |
25 |
2 |
|
22/23 |
27 (18) |
10 |
3 |
|
Data via Transfermarkt |
|||
Should Liverpool fail to capture their quarry, FSG have earmarked several alternatives, with one in particular appearing a curious choice.
According to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool are interested in signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford this summer, should they fail to prise Isak away from St. James’ Park. It’s understood that initial enquiries have been made.
Wissa, 28, was one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards last season and is valued at £50m. Suitors will hope to pay less. Newcastle have led the race over recent weeks, but Tottenham Hotspur and Al-Nassr have also expressed a desire to snap him up.
The DR Congo international has now returned to training after previously going on strike, though he still targets a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium.
That said, if Liverpool were to bump up the intensity of their intrigue, there’s perhaps a sense that Hughes might inadvertently add to the Magpies’ woes, for Wissa would surely be enticed by a one-way trip to Anfield.
Wissa might not be the flashiest name on the market, but he’s a clinical goalscorer and he’s proven in the Premier League. Last season, he scored 20 goals across all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League.
Hailed by Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam for his “absolutely sensational” finishing, Wissa might not have Isak’s dynamism or staggering technical ability, but he’s rather good at what he does, and would provide the perfect counterpoint to Ekitike.
Last season, Ekitike ranked among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
He does, however, mirror Isak’s ready-made clinical nature, and that’s something that could prove important given that Ekitike is not the finished product.
There’s a partnership there, for sure. Wissa and Ekitike might not be stylistically similar as number nines – and that bodes well for Liverpool’s long-term fluency – but the Bees star could become the Reds’ next version of the former Eintracht Frankfurt man all the same.
That’s because Newcastle have a vested interest in the £25k-per-week talent, with their interest longer-standing too (the Tyneside outfit first bid for Ekitike in 2022, before ultimately signing Isak).
For Liverpool to steal ahead and pile more misery onto the Carabao Cup champions would be a cruel blow to those of a Toon persuasion, but the argument for signing Wissa is strong.
Forking out another British-record fee on Isak is understandable, but that doesn’t mean Liverpool should spend a ridiculous amount on an alternative just to tick a box. In Wissa, an astute purchase could be made, and one which would enhance and progress the team all the same.
With Darwin Nunez on the cusp of completing a permanent transfer to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, this would be a necessary move to make, and one which would see Wissa establish himself as Liverpool’s next version of Ekitike.
Wissa might not have Isak’s show-stopping name, but there’s no question that the DR Congo star boasts a wealth of Premier League experience and would serve as a welcome counterpoint to the expansive Ekitike.
Liverpool have already stolen one centre-forward target from Newcastle this summer, and they could do the same again by completing a shrewd move for Wissa, should a deal for Isak fall through.
He's like Gerrard: Liverpool preparing formal offer for £120k-p/w "wizard"
Liverpool are looking to close several more transfer deals this summer.
By
Angus Sinclair
Aug 8, 2025
After suffering a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge, Rangers have reportedly been handed further concern in the form of an opening bid for one of Russell Martin’s star men.
There’s no denying that it’s been a disastrous start for Martin at Rangers. The former Southampton boss is yet to win in the Scottish Premiership and even watched on as his side made hard work of defeating Scottish League One side Alloa Athletic in the cup last weekend. So the arrival of Club Brugge couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Unlike Rangers as of late, the Belgian side were in a ruthless mood and raced into a shock 3-0 lead within the space of 20 disastrous first-half minutes. Ibrox began to empty and the thought of qualifying for this season’s Champions League proper became a mere fantasy for the Gers, who only managed to gain one goal back courtesy of Danilo.
Despite yet another evening to forget, however, Martin was “proud” of his side for how they responded to Club Brugge’s 20-minute thrashing. He told reporters: “That’s as hard as it will ever be for the players on the pitch. I’m proud of how they responded.
“We concede a crazy goal and don’t respond anywhere near well enough. Then we concede out of anxiety and make decisions based on desperation. The game plan went out the window. When you’re 2-0 down after seven minutes, tactics don’t come into it. It’s not about style of play it’s about the reaction and we didn’t react well.”
Not Djiga: Rangers must axe star who "looks like he's hasn't kicked a ball"
As Rangers’ Champions League hopes went up in flames, beaten 3-1 by Club Brugge, a summer signing “looks like he’s hasn’t kicked a ball before”.
By
Ben Gray
Aug 20, 2025
Meanwhile, with one leg out of the Champions League, the Gers could reportedly be in for an almighty blow on the transfer front to only add to their recent woes.
According to Rangers Review, LOSC Lille have now submitted a fresh loan offer to sign Hamza Igamane, only for that to be laughed off by the 49ers who have set their price-tag at a hefty £15m to sell the forward. Whether the French side now opt to get anywhere near that valuation before the end of the month remains to be seen.
The 49ers’ stance will come as a major relief to Martin, who simply cannot afford to lose a player of Igamane’s quality at this stage of the transfer window. The talented forward is yet to start a game under the new manager as he works his way back to full fitness after a disrupted pre-season, but Rangers will be hoping to see their star man become a much-needed difference-maker sooner rather than later.
A player who was described as “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig last season, Igamane has all the tools to become the most important player of Martin’s tenure and Rangers simply must avoid his departure at all costs this summer.
Former Newcastle United and Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has signed with the Arabian Falcons, a third-tier side from the United Arab Emirates, as a free-agent. The former England international had been without a club since July after Buenley allowed his contract to run out at the end of their Championship campaign. This will be Shelvey's tenth senior club.
Alejandro Grimaldo has admitted he could have joined either Real Madrid or Barcelona in the summer transfer window, only for both moves to fall through. The Bayer Leverkusen star revealed that Los Blancos opted for Alvaro Carreras instead, while discussions with the Catalan giants and Atletico Madrid also failed to materialise.
Aston Villa are fighting to secure more arrivals after a disappointing start to the campaign and have now made a proposal to sign a renowned star, according to a report.
Truthfully, there wasn’t much to write home about from a positive perspective as the Villans slumped to a 1-0 defeat away to Brentford last weekend, which has left them with a point from their first two Premier League encounters.
Unai Emery has been frustrated in his quest to add quality reinforcements in the West Midlands this summer and made it clear that his side need to improve several aspects of their game after a hapless afternoon in West London.
He told BBC Sport: “We reacted well to going behind, we created chances but didn’t score. There are some things tactically we need to improve. In the first half and second half we had chances to score. We had corners and we had a lot of crosses. Yes, it was a clear mistake (that saw Villa go behind). We are not like we want. Today we are very disappointed with the result.”
Nevertheless, there is no time for Aston Villa to dwell and recruiting quality reinforcements will be the priority before the deadline next Monday.
Reacting with urgency, Emery has initiated contact with Chelsea over a move for Christopher Nkunku, who could potentially offer a valuable alternative through the middle to Ollie Watkins as their attacking frailties continue to show on the pitch.
He's like Duran & Benteke: Aston Villa make £65m star their top target
Aston Villa are eyeing up a new striker who is a mix of Jhon Durán and Christian Benteke.
By
Will Miller
Aug 23, 2025
Nicolas Jackson and Geny Catamo are also on Aston Villa’s radar in the final stages of the market, though it may well be midfield where NSWE look to add a statement reinforcement ahead of the deadline.
According to L’Equipe, Aston Villa have made an approach for Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who may be on the market after one campaign at the Stade Velodrome due to a well-publicised bust-up with teammate Jonathan Rowe.
Galatasaray, West Ham United, Inter Milan and other clubs from Italy are keen on the World Cup finalist. However, their sporting director Medhi Benatia has no more relations with Rabiot and his mother amid recent events under Roberto De Zerbi’s watch.
Previously impressing at the Ligue 1 giants, the 30-year-old has registered ten goals and six assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, though it remains to be seen whether he will be available at a suitable price.
With the end of the window in sight, Aston Villa are targeting a statement finish and Rabiot would certainly fit the bill as someone who could move the needle in the West Midlands.