Liverpool sign Murillo as Elanga returns: Nottingham Forest stars reassigned due to FFP…
Nottingham Forest’s FFP breach means they will have to sell some of their best players this summer. The four-point deduction has put them in the drop zone, but whether they’re relegated or not, they’ll need to balance those lopsided books.
A Football Insider report has claimed Forest may have to sell the five players likely to make them the most money, and we’ve done them the solid of reassigning that quintet (market value in brackets) to willing Premier League buyers. Evangelos Marinakis, you’re welcome.
Morgan Gibbs-White (£35m) – Tottenham
The midfielder is already displaying the qualities Ange Postecoglou favours – dashing about, always looking forward and making things happen – and the Spurs boss is thought to be a big fan.
He ranks sixth in the Premier League for tackles in the final third (10) and ninth for shot-creating actions (106), illustrating the dynamism and creativity Ange covets.
TalkSPORT reckon Tottenham have a decent chance of persuading Forest into Gibbs-White’s sale as they have ‘a good relationship after buying his former teammate Brennan Johnson last summer’, though Forest probably wouldn’t be in this mess at all had Spurs made that £47.5m bid a couple of months earlier.
Taiwo Awoniyi (£24m) – West Ham
David Moyes chose Gianluca Scamacca over Awoniyi, and probably wishes he hadn’t. The Hammers will definitely be in the market for a new No.9 whether Moyes stays or goes, and they’ve experienced the Nigerian’s quality first hand.
The 26-year-old has scored home and away against the Hammers this season, with his goal at The City Ground a particularly impressive show of the sort of strength, touch and composure in front of goal that Moyes’ side have been crying out for.
Danilo (£24m) – Aston Villa
Arsenal were linked before his move to Forest, they’ve since moved into a different buying bracket that could instead lead them to Douglas Luiz, meaning Danilo could be the man to fill his compatriot’s void at Villa.
Danilo is talented but very raw, and it’s hard to imagine a better place for a player to develop right now than under Unai Emery’s stewardship at Villa Park.
Murillo (£21m) – Liverpool
Everything points to him signing for Chelsea. 22 or younger? Check. Brazilian? Check. Potential? Check. Likely to crumble under the pressure of a big club? Check. And they are interested, along with Arsenal and Newcastle, but Liverpool feel like the best fit.
One of Richard Hughes’ priorities at Anfield as their new sporting director will be to sign at least one, maybe two, centre-backs. Jurgen Klopp’s replacement will have Virgil van Dijk (if he stays) and Ibrahima Konate as the only two senior players in that position, assuming Joel Matip is on his way and with Joe Gomez more typically now used as full-back cover.
Forest reportedly want £50m+ for Murillo, though that price may well drop as the pressure to solve their financial problems ramps up.
Anthony Elanga (£19m) – Manchester United
Hear us out. Of the Manchester United players, only Rasmus Hojlund (0.60) has more goals and assists per 90 minutes than Elanga (0.50) in all competitions this season. And he’s done that for a team fighting relegation.
United have given up on Antony, for good reason, Jadon Sancho will presumably stay away, and so too will Mason Greenwood, because bringing him back would be a PR disaster for Sir Jim Ratcliffe. A winger is sure to be one of their top priorities this summer.
And Elanga fits the INEOS recruitment mantra. He’s young, as homegrown as homegrown can be having come through the United academy and would represent good value for money given that value is only likely to go in one direction.
He won’t be “the next Mbappe” but he could become the player many at United were hoping he could be when he first broke into the first team. Ralf Rangnick loved him, and many of his hard truths – unsettling at the time – have since seen him hailed as a prophet.
