Arsenal winning race for Rice but Bayern face uphill struggle to capture Kane

By Sports Desk June 29, 2023

The summer transfer market remains busy with plenty of deals and speculation.

Here, the PA news agency rounds up some of the latest business and stories.

Top story

Arsenal’s pursuit of West Ham captain Declan Rice continues to command the most headlines. After having two bids rebuffed for the England midfielder, the Gunners’ third offer of £100million plus £5m in add-ons was reportedly accepted on Wednesday.

Manchester City had been interested but, after having a £90m bid rejected, decided not to match Arsenal’s proposition.

Done deals

Tottenham completed the signing of James Maddison from Leicester for an initial £40m on Wednesday. The 26-year-old England international has signed a five-year deal and becomes new manager Ange Postecoglou’s third new recruit.

Kai Havertz has crossed London to join Arsenal from Chelsea in a £65m deal and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has also left Stamford Bridge to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

Deals closing in

Arsenal are shaping up to be one of the biggest movers in the summer window as they also close on the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.

Chelsea are also reportedly in “advanced talks” over Santos winger Angelo Gabriel.

Other gossip

Chelsea’s interest in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo has now apparently been matched by Manchester United. This adds a layer of intrigue to United’s pursuit of Chelsea’s Mason Mount.

Caicedo has emerged as a potential United target after they were knocked back by the Blues over Mount, so it will be interesting to see if this changes the picture.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga, who has a £34m buyout clause, is being looked at by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Fulham and Nottingham Forest are potential destinations for another Chelsea player, Callum Hudson-Odoi. Liverpool are also being linked with RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and the German side’s centre-back Josko Gvardiol is another potential target for champions City.

Unlikely move

The future of Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane remains the subject of considerable speculation as Bayern Munich apparently prepare a second bid, but the prospect of this move happening still seems remote.

Bayern’s first offer of £60m was rejected out of hand and the feeling is the Germans would have to up it considerably just to get Spurs to the table. Even then, there has been no indication that Kane would be interested in such a switch.

No move

It was inevitable there would be some interest in Jamie Vardy following Leicester’s relegation but the 36-year-old apparently has no interest in joining Saudi Arabian side Khaleej FC.

Related items

  • Bayern star Kane scores 400th senior goal Bayern star Kane scores 400th senior goal

    Harry Kane surpassed the 400-goal mark for his senior career as his double helped Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

    Kane moved within one of the milestone as he put Bayern 1-0 up after just nine minutes, coolly finishing from close range after Konrad Laimer's pass had set him up.

    Then, after Frankfurt levelled through Hugo Ekitike, Kane slotted home a penalty with typical aplomb following a foul on Thomas Muller to move himself onto 400 career goals and ultimately lead Bayern to victory.

    Kane scored 280 of his goals in 435 appearances for Tottenham, overtaking Jimmy Greaves to become the club's all-time leading scorer when he netted for the 267th time in Spurs colours against Manchester City last February.

    His tally of 213 Premier League goals, meanwhile, puts him just 47 behind the competition's all-time leader Alan Shearer, who scored 260 times for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.

    Kane is also the most prolific player in England's history, his 62 goals for the Three Lions coming in 89 international appearances. 

    He memorably missed the chance to surpass Wayne Rooney's previous record of 53 when he blazed a penalty over the crossbar in the Three Lions' quarter-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup, only to clinch his place in history in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy three months later.

    The very first goal of Kane's senior career came in League One during a loan spell with Leyton Orient as they thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 in January 2011.

    That was the first of five goals Kane scored in O's colours, while he also netted nine times in a loan spell with Millwall in 2011-12 and twice during a stint with Leicester City the following season.

  • West Ham 2-2 Liverpool: Antonio header damages Reds' dwindling title chances West Ham 2-2 Liverpool: Antonio header damages Reds' dwindling title chances

    Liverpool suffered another blow to their dwindling Premier League title hopes as Michail Antonio's late header snatched a 2-2 draw for West Ham at London Stadium.

    Jurgen Klopp's side disappointed in Wednesday's 2-0 defeat against Everton, with Jarrod Bowen's goal and assist inflicting further pain for the Reds on Saturday.

    Liverpool responded well to Bowen's first-half opener, edging ahead through Alphonse Areola's own goal after Andy Robertson's 48th-minute leveller, only for Bowen to tee up Antonio's headed equaliser 13 minutes from time.

    This draw left Liverpool two points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ Sunday meeting with Tottenham and one behind Manchester City – who have two games in hand on the Reds – while West Ham remain eighth.

    A tepid opening befitted two sides struggling for form as both failed to carve out any gilt-edged opportunities.

    Liverpool wanted a 27th-minute penalty for Angelo Ogbonna's tackle on Cody Gakpo and, though an offside call against Luis Diaz silenced those appeals, that passage livened the game up.

    Harvey Elliott's curling attempt was held by Areola after Vladimir Coufal went close at the other end, before Diaz blasted a low strike against the West Ham goalkeeper's right-hand post.

    Bowen saw a deflected drive parried behind by Alisson but the West Ham forward headed Mohammed Kudus' left-wing delivery into the far corner from the resulting set-piece two minutes before the break.

    Ryan Gravenberch flashed a powerful half-volley over immediately after the interval – and West Ham did not heed that warning sign.

    Diaz cut inside from the left to find Robertson before a slight deflection off Lucas Paqueta saw Areola caught off-guard as the left-back found the bottom-left corner via the post.

    Gravenberch arrowed narrowly wide before one-way traffic finally paid dividends midway through the second half when Gakpo's miscued strike from Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner forced Areola to turn into his own net after a deflection off Tomas Soucek.

    Alisson kept his side ahead with a remarkable stretching stop to thwart Emerson's volley, yet the Liverpool goalkeeper was powerless when Antonio headed into the top-right corner from Bowen's right-wing centre.

    Elliott almost snatched all three points in the 89th minute but his dipping effort found the top of the crossbar rather than the right-hand corner from long range.

    Reds falter once again

    Under Klopp, Liverpool have only won more Premier League games against Crystal Palace (13) than West Ham (12).

    Yet the visiting Reds faltered once more as what appeared to be a promising season continues to unravel in disappointing fashion for Klopp's final campaign.

    Having threatened an unlikely quadruple at the start of March, Liverpool now require a minor miracle – and slip-ups from Man City and Arsenal – to muster a slight shot at the title.

    Bowen on target but West Ham struggle at home

    Bowen had already found the net in the Premier League and EFL Cup against Liverpool this season and became just the second West Ham player to score in three different games with the Reds in a single campaign – after Geoff Hurst in 1964-65.

    His well-taken headed opener eased the nervous home crowd, yet this draw left West Ham with just one win from their last nine Premier League home games.

    That concerning home form may be what costs David Moyes’ side a higher finish. The Hammers trail seventh-placed Newcastle United by a point, despite the Magpies playing two games fewer.

  • Postecoglou not motivated by denting Arsenal's title hopes in north London derby Postecoglou not motivated by denting Arsenal's title hopes in north London derby

    Ange Postecoglou insists Tottenham must focus on themselves heading into the north London derby with Arsenal, rather than on denting their rivals' Premier League title hopes.

    With four matches remaining, the Gunners are a point clear at the summit from reigning champions Manchester City, who still have a game in hand on Mikel Arteta's side in second place. 

    While Arsenal look to stay very much in the hunt for a first league crown in 20 years, fifth-place Tottenham will aim to reduce their six-point deficit to fourth-place Aston Villa, on whom they have two games in hand.

    Spurs are winless in the last three north London derbies - winning just one of the most recent six - though they twice came from behind to earn a point in September's reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

    And Postecoglou has his sights firmly set on beating his side's rivals, and says his players are not driven by the prospect of thwarting their opponents' title bid.

    "Not in terms of that as a motivation," he said when asked if he would like to dent Arsenal's title hopes.

    "I understand the importance of winning against your traditional rival. I never believe your motivation should revolve around the demise of somebody else.

    "Your motivation should be about yourself. We can win on Sunday, but it doesn't mean we are title contenders this year. I want to win because I want us to progress. I want us to be in a position fighting for the title.

    "If that's your kind of measure, always peering over the back fence to see what your neighbour's building, you could both have the worst houses in the street because everyone else is building beautiful places, and you're looking over the back fence."

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