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West Ham United are still on the lookout for Declan Rice's midfield replacement, two weeks on from their captain departing for Arsenal in a British-record deal.

Who are West Ham signing to replace Declan Rice?

David Moyes' side have been linked with countless midfielders in the weeks before and since Rice's exit, namely Fulham's Joao Palhinha, Everton's Amadou Onana and Juventus' Denis Zakaria.

Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is another name that refuses to go away, even if the England international is not strictly a like-for-like replacement for Rice in terms of their playing style.

According to The Guardian, West Ham are looking to bring in two midfielders with the windfall they received through Rice's sale, and have now stepped up their interest in Ward-Prowse.

How many free-kicks has James Ward-Prowse scored?

Southampton are said to value Ward-Prowse in the region of £40m, which is a large fee on the face of it considering the Saints were relegated to the Championship last season.

The 28-year-old boasts plenty of Premier League experience, however, having played 343 times at that level since making his Southampton debut in the competition on the opening day of the 2012/13 season.

Ward-Prowse has also played 11 times for England – though not since last year – and has scored a couple of goals in heavy wins over Andorra and San Marino in 2021.

With nine goals and four assists in a poor Southampton side last season, Ward-Prowse ranks in the top 13% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for goals scored, as per The Analyst.

The Portsmouth native is also in the top 15% for chances created, showing that he is more than capable of doing a job in the Premier League, even if he was captain of a relegated side last time out.

Three of those nine goals were scored via direct free-kicks – the most of any player in the Premier League last season. Indeed, only Manchester United legend David Beckham (18) has scored more than Ward-Prowse in the competition's history.

That ability to both score and pick out a team-mate from set-pieces would be a major asset for Moyes, and would also bring back memories of fan favourite – at the time, at least – Dimitri Payet.

Payet has scored 14 direct free-kicks in his career, as per Transfermarkt, six of those during his 18 months at West Ham.

Indeed, after a run of netting via that method for club and country in 2016, Payet revealed he had stopped practising them on the training ground as there was no way to further improve his technique.

It is not too dissimilar in the case of Ward-Prowse, with former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl previously hailing the midfielder as a "quality" player whose set-piece prowess was – and is, for now – "such a good weapon" for the Saints.

That is not the only similarity between the two players, either. Taking Payet's only full season at West Ham in 2015/16 and potentially Ward-Prowse's final season with Southampton last time out into account, the pair each scored nine Premier League goals.

The only notable difference is in attitude, with Ward-Prowse very much a team player. While he may not be able to replace Rice on his own, the Englishman can at least bring a bit of the past back to the London Stadium should he arrive.

Celtic have their eyes on another new defensive target this summer, with the Hoops now tracking Maik Nawrocki, according to reliable journalist Pawel Golaszewski.

Who is Maik Nawrocki?

The 22-year-old currently plays his football for Legia Warsaw in Poland, but has criss-crossed between Germany and his native country over the course of his career. He's been in the Ekstraklasa though since he was 19, starting with Warta Poznan. Despite being only in his teens at the time, he was brought in from the Werder Bremen Under-19 outfit and played three times for them and managed to bag a goal to boot.

It prompted his switch to Warsaw and he instantly became a more frequent member of the first-team squad. He managed 19 league games in his opening campaign and, once more, he bagged himself a goal and an assist along the way. Having proven himself in that top division, he then built on those appearances a season later and helped drag Warsaw up to second in the table. He featured 25 more times in the league and added four more strikes to boot. It means that despite only being early on in his career, he already has nearly 50 games in Poland to his name and has proven he can get on the score-sheet from set pieces.

The youngster has yet to make his mark on the national team setup. He has been able to break into the fold for their Under-21 side in the past, making his debut for them in 2021 and featuring four times for them in total. However, he has been unable to make the step up and play for their main eleven. Nawrocki though could be about to switch clubs and countries – and that could lead to him being on the radar of Poland's selection team more.

Are Celtic signing Maik Nawrocki?

That's because, according to reliable Polish journalist Pawel Golaszewski, the defender could be snapped up by Celtic this transfer window. With the Scottish Premiership outfit desperate to add more options to their backline this summer, they have identified the 22-year-old as a potential target – and his report also states that they could be the "last days" of the talent's time at Warsaw.

The Hoops though will face competition for his signature from Galatasaray in Turkey, as the reporter said via his personal Twitter account: "In addition to Galatasaray, Celtic Glasgow entered the game for Maik Nawrocki. It seems that these are really the last days of the defender in Legia Warsaw."

Nawrocki would be a versatile option for Celtic if they were to seal a deal for him. He can play in either central defending position, having been used on both sides in the past, and has even been pushed out wide onto the right flank when needed.

It means that he could be a good option to provide depth in several areas, a sure boost to Brendan Rodgers' options back there. Even better is that he has also been used as a defensive midfielder too – so if there is no room for him in the backline, he can still get onto the field and provide a barrier for the opposition before the back four. The Poland man then could be a bit of a coup for the Hoops if they do make a move.

Callum Hudson-Odoi "could be the next player to leave Chelsea" this summer after genuine interest from Saudi and European clubs make a move possible, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

Stamford Bridge has once again become a hub of transfer activity this summer, as it seems to every year. Only this time, the focus has been on selling players, with a swath of first-team players leaving the club for other European destinations like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Premier League rivals like Kai Havertz, or the burgeoning Saudi Pro League like N'Golo Kante.

Despite the club starting to switch focus towards incomings now, with the arrival of youngster Nicolas Jackson, the firesale of Blues players doesn't look to be coming to a halt anytime soon, with the next star to depart west London potentially being Cobham graduate Hudson-Odoi.

The 22-year-old winger has been with the Pensioners since age eight, but after a poor few years with the club, followed by an even worse loan spell to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, his time as a Chelsea player looks to be well and truly over.

Several clubs have been linked to the player, once described as "special" by Frank Lampard, with at least two clubs from the Saudi Pro League holding a genuine interest in him, per The Athletic.

Closer to home, he has attracted interest from a few Premier League clubs so far, with Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest and Marco Silva's Fulham said to be the two most interested parties in his services, whereas European royalty AC Milan are also monitoring the player, per The Athletic.

Of all the options available to the Wandsworth-born winger, his priority is to remain in Europe, be that by joining a team on the continent or joining another Premier League side; he isn't keen on a move to the Middle East, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Hudson-Odoi has decided to leave Chelsea, he wants a permanent move, wants to try something different to also have a different kind of challenge in his career. So discussions are ongoing.

"He had some approaches from Saudi, but the priority is European clubs, and this is why his agents are working on some solutions in Italy for Hudson-Odoi, who could be the next player to leave Chelsea."

Would Callum Hudson-Odoi be a good signing?

There is no denying that, at this point, Hudson-Odoi is not performing anywhere near the level required to play for a Champions League-level side, nor has he really been anywhere near that level for a good few years either.

That said, before suffering a series of injury setbacks between 2019 and 2022, he showed glimpses of world-class potential for the Blues, so much so that German giants Bayern Munich wanted the then 19-year-old on loan with an option to buy for £70m in 2020.

His underlying numbers also suggest that there is still something to work with for whoever ends up as his manager next season.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Hudson-Odoi sits in the top 10% of wingers for pass completions, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top16% for progressive passes, and the top 24% for successful take-ons, all per 90.

Whether it ends up being Fulham, Forest, or another club from the continent, signing Hudson-Odoi will certainly be a gamble, but if he can fulfil even a fraction of the enormous potential so many believed he once had, it could be a gamble with massive upside.

Arsenal are poised to once again return to a Premier League rival for reinforcements, if reports are to be believed…

Is Joao Cancelo going to Arsenal?

The latest comes from German outlet Kicker, who detail the Gunners' pursuit of Manchester City star Joao Cancelo.

With the Portugal international having been banished to Bayern Munich for the latter half of last season, the Bavarian giants opted against activating their buy-out clause to keep him at the Allianz permanently.

This has opened up an opportunity for others to try and swoop for the out-of-favour full-back, who would add to most teams he joined.

The report states that the 29-year-old is top of Mikel Arteta's wish list, however, he has drawn up a number of alternatives for that role should they fail in securing his top target.

His expected transfer value of €55.6m (£48m) could prove troublesome given the money they are already set to expend this summer on players such as Kai Havertz and Declan Rice.

Should Arsenal sign Joao Cancelo?

Despite being snubbed by Bayern, that is not to suggest that the Portugal international did not impress during his short stint in Munich.

Maintaining a 6.96 average rating, he would record five goal contributions alongside an 85% pass accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 1.5 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

He was his usual creative self from defence, but to return within a system akin to Arteta's, he could truly thrive.

Having been one of the first to popularise the inverted full-back role under Pep Guardiola, this defender defined a position that is becoming more and more commonplace in the modern game.

During the season in which it arguably reached its peak, Cancelo would boast a 7.33 average rating in the league, buoyed by his offensive figures rather than his work as part of the back line. One goal and seven assists gave way to 1.1 key passes per game, yet he would marry this with 2.3 tackles per game too, via Sofascore.

He was their fourth-highest-rated player within a term where they won the Premier League once again.

This form even led journalist Zach Lowy to laud him, comparing his talents to his exceptional Liverpool counterpart. He wrote: "This season, it seems like the biggest individual rivalry is between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joao Cancelo. Two world-class footballers."

To now place this kind of quality into Arteta's side, allowing him to recapture that form as he is in the midst of his prime years, he could prove to be the catalyst that topples Guardiola's reign over English football.

After all, his presence inverting beside Rice, who is closing in on a move to north London, could prove remarkable.

The creativity of Cancelo would allow the West Ham United captain to thrive as a defensive asset, yet his own beginnings as a defender give him that well-rounded skillset to also allow the 24-year-old to showcase his offensive talents too.

Last term for the Irons, their midfield general would uphold a 7.19 average rating alongside one key pass, 2.1 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

These figures could be set to only increase further if placed alongside the Citizens' former favourite, who would join with a serious point to prove.

With a pairing that could defend, create and score all from the engine room, these two could spur each other on to true greatness.

Arsenal could be set to mimic the success of a rival that led to their Premier League title success…

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

Back in 2017, as Jurgen Klopp sought to truly transform his team into challengers, he unloaded £75m to tempt Virgil van Dijk to join him from Southampton.

Many scoffed at that fee, as they likely will do at the £50m the Saints are now demanding for their young midfielder Romeo Lavia. It seems they will never learn.

Should the 19-year-old have a similarly transformative effect on Mikel Arteta's team that the Dutchman did at Anfield, it would certainly be a deal worth making.

After all, it has been reported by Football Transfers that, due to Thomas Partey's eagerness to exit the Emirates, Edu has now sped up his move to sign the teenage general who could replace the Ghanaian and potentially be the catalyst that earns them untold silverware.

Could Romeo Lavia mimic Virgil van Dijk's career path?

Having just enjoyed his first year in senior football, Lavia is far from the proven stalwart that Van Dijk was when he moved to Merseyside. However, age is no barrier when a player boasts this much quality.

In a Saints side that struggled all campaign, he stood out as one of few shining lights coming out of St Mary's Stadium. His 6.80 average rating made him the club's second-best performing midfielder behind only captain James Ward-Prowse, and this was a figure underpinned by his 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success rate, 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

His tackling numbers were only matched by the man he could be set to replace within Arteta's squad, to emphasise his defensive prowess. Journalist Ed Aarons clearly noticed this, branding the star "outstanding" back in January.

Should he be brought under the tutelage of this Spanish tactician, who has made steady progress with each passing year, then it would likely not take long until he can have the same effect that Van Dijk had after he too moved from Southampton to one of the big fish in the Premier League.

The Dutchman has played 222 times since joining the Reds, winning a Premier League, Champions League, FA and EFL Cup amongst other honours. This even merited a double swoop of the PFA Players' Player of the Year and UEFA's Best Player awards too in 2019.

Such prestigious recognition led Michael Owen to brand him "the best centre-half of all time" just last year.

Lavia will be keen to follow in these footsteps should he move to the Emirates, who are in a similar position to Liverpool when they made their big acquisition; if anything they are even more advanced. This pushed them over the edge to make them true challengers to Manchester City, which is exactly what Arteta is striving for now.

Although he would go under the radar amidst more lucrative deals for Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, he could still prove as important as a supplementary defensive midfielder that has once again been given a platform to shine in Southampton.

Chelsea are among the favourites to sign Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer, but they may have to do battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, and they have recently been linked with a move for Real Madrid Castilla's Rafa Marin, who could be available for a cut-price fee, given that his contract is set to expire next summer.

The Blues are also in the race for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, though they will have to do battle for his signature with Manchester United, while Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte also remains an option.

Inacio has been attracting the attention of multiple Premier League clubs, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool recently being named as potential suitors, however the Blues are now very well-placed to compete for his signature.

That is according to reports from Spain (via Caught Offside), with it being detailed that Chelsea are one of the main favourites to acquire the services of the 21-year-old, alongside Liverpool.

However, there is also a great deal of interest in the youngster from abroad, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also being named as interested parties.

Sporting CP are said to be holding out for €50m (£39m), which should be more than affordable for a club with the resources of Chelsea.

Who is Goncalo Inacio?

Despite his age, the Portugal international has been an important player for Sporting for a number of years now, already making a total of 122 appearances for the first team, including 33 in the Portuguese top flight last season.

Hailed as "fantastic" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the starlet has most commonly been utilised at centre-back, but he has shown a keen eye for goal, registering a total of 11 goals and eight assists for Sporting CP.

The Sporting CP star is also very competent defensively, as indicated by the fact he ranks in the 81st percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Although he is only 21 years old, Inacio already has a great deal of first-team experience, and his performances demonstrate he is ready to take the next step in his career, so Chelsea should undoubtedly test the waters with a bid in the coming weeks.

Over the course of his Manchester United managerial career, Sir Alex Ferguson managed to sign some wonderful talents. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic stand out due to their contributions across a significant period of time, winning countless honours.

However, it could be argued that one of his finest signings only won three major honours at the club, yet he had a devastating impact in front of goal – Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Across five seasons, the Dutchman scored 150 goals in just 219 games, displaying his ruthlessness in front of goal, and it’s fair to say his £19m move from PSV Eindhoven was a massive success.

And Erik ten Hag could repeat United’s Van Nistelrooy masterclass, especially since they have shown interest in a young Dutch talent who is currently playing for PSV – Xavi Simons.

Could Manchester United sign Xavi Simons?

According to Voetbal Primeur (via Sport Witness), the Old Trafford side are among those in the hunt for the youngster, alongside teams such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund. Paris Saint-Germain do have a buy-back clause of just €6m (£5.1m), however, which they could activate in July.

No fee was mentioned regarding a move to any other clubs, yet with Football Transfers valuing him at €34.5m (£30m) it may be that the Eredivisie side would be looking to demand a fee in that region at least, as the prodigy enjoyed a stellar campaign.

Despite his tender years, Simons – under the tutelage of Van Nistelrooy himself – was arguably the standout for PSV last term, managing to register 34 goal contributions (22 goals and 12 assists) across 48 matches, adding some silverware as they won the Dutch Cup.

Ten Hag could get a lot of uses out of the former PSG starlet, as he is able to operate in a variety of positions, including on either wing or in an attacking-midfield role, which is his primary position.

His creative talents would be a dream for United, as he created 11 big chances and made 1.7 key passes per game last season, with only Bruno Fernandes showcasing better figures for United across both metrics in the Premier League during 2022/23, clearly suggesting Simons could fit into their side rather well.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed the 20-year-old as “magic” previously, and with United having previous success of signing players from PSV, including the aforementioned Van Nistelrooy and Park Ji-sung over the years, they should be ready to raid the Dutch side once again this summer for a player who could turn into a world-class talent.

Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, leading Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 21-year-old.

Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol

The highly-rated defender is high of the watchlist of a number of big European clubs, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has tipped Manchester City as the most likely to secure the signing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano hinted that the champions of England and Europe are best placed to sign the central defender who starred at the World Cup for Croatia.

"Leipzig are not even accepting €80 million as a price tag for Gvardiol, so I think it will be around €100 million [£85m] instead and I see Man City being in a better position to sign him, but only if they are willing to spend that money, otherwise the player could stay in Leipzig for one more season," he said.

Josko Gvardiol could be City's next Vincent Kompany

City have a wealth of quality at the back, and signing Gvardiol would improve their elite defence even more.

Pep Guardiola tweaked City’s system this season, opting for an unusual 3-2-4-1 formation instead of their traditional 4-3-3 formation in which full-backs were constantly overlapping.

In the defensive three were three ball-playing centre-backs.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were typically the trio, while John Stones was turned into a transitional midfielder in a hybrid holding role.

Although Dias would be considered the premier defender in this side, City have yet to match the quality of club legend and former captain, Vincent Kompany.

Gvardiol could be that very replacement, and at just 21 years-old, he could become a pivotal part of the Manchester City team for years to come.

The Croatian "monster" – as hailed by Romano back in December – is the glue of the RB Leipzig defence.

The Bundesliga outfit have won 32 of the 59 games the centre-back has played.

Similar to the no-nonsense Kompany, Gvardiol loves a tackle, registering 219 of them in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season and winning 60 aerial duels.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both put the Leipzig defender in their World Cup 2022 team of the tournament, with Ferdinand proclaiming that the City target was his favourite centre back at the tournament.

“He’s young, he’s 21 years old, so to come and perform the way he did, so mature, so calm.

“He is really good on the ball, in the early stages coming out with the ball a lot. Against Messi and Argentina he got turned quite a few times, but this is Messi, so I would put that to one side. In general, I thought he was [a] stand-out for me. I think he has got a chance to go on and become one of the best defenders in the world, if he can continue improving like this.”

Kompany was of the world’s best defenders in his time at City, and Gvardiol could become the second coming of the Belgian international for the blue half of Manchester.

He, at 22, made a similar switch from the Bundesliga, signing for the Manchester giants from Hamburger SV back in 2008.

Good teams don’t wait until the team becomes stale to begin rebuilding, they continually look to improve whether results are good or bad.

Guardiola, fresh from the treble, could send out a major statement signing one of Europe’s hottest young prospects to add to his already stout defence.

Manchester United look set to finally complete a deal for Kim Min-jae, with a report from Il Mattino, via Sport Witness, stating that the club will pay his release clause and that the player has agreed terms.

Is Kim Min-Jae joining Manchester United?

The defender has been in fine form for Napoli this campaign, featuring in 35 Serie A games for the side and bagging two goals with two assists along the way. Despite it only being his first season in Italy, he has already become an important member of the first-team and has helped his side to a league title victory along the way.

Despite having to adapt to a new country, Kim has shown no signs of letting it deter him. In fact, he has ranked as one of the best in his position amongst those in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. His ability with the ball at his feet is clear to see, with the centre-back ranking within the top ten percent for his pass completion rate (90.2%) and his 4.81 progressive passes per 90 puts him in the 88th percentile too. It means that he is excellent at playing out from the back, a trait required to play in Erik ten Hag's defence.

He could suit the Man United team well then and it appears as though a deal is pretty much done to send him to the Premier League. According to a report from Naples-based outlet Il Mattino, via Sport Witness, a move is "sure" to go through on July 1, as the Red Devils have agreed to pay his 60 million Euro (or £51m) release clause. With the player having also accepted personal terms according to this report, it seems as though the only thing left to do is to finalise the deal when the clause officially becomes active in July.

"From July 1st he will be at Manchester United who will pay the 60 million clause," their report reads.

When does Kim Min-jae's contract expire?

The defender's current deal expires in 2025 too, so for the player to leave already having spent only one season with Napoli would be a blow for the club. When you consider how highly he is regarded too, it means the Italians won't be happy to see him leave the side.

Former player Park Ji-Sung for example has been impressed with Kim, stating that he is an "extraordinary" talent because of his showings in the Serie A.

Kim then looks like he could soon be unveiled as a United player – and if he is, then it would certainly be a welcome addition to their backline.

Rangers have signalled their interest in signing Los Angeles FC winger Kwadwo Opoku, though their Old Firm rivals are also in the race, according to a recent report.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

With Ryan Kent leaving Ibrox this summer, Michael Beale will need to bring in a replacement, and the manager has started to run the rule over a number of potential targets.

Having missed out on him in January, the Gers have recently reignited their interest in signing Swansea City's Morgan Whittaker, while Sunderland's Jack Clarke is also an option, with Beale trying to get the majority of his transfer business done early.

The Light Blues have also considered some more unknown players from abroad, including Aris Thessaloniki star Luis Palma, as well as Brian Gutierrez, who currently plays for MLS side Chicago Fire.

Another MLS player that Beale has set his sights on is Opoku, according to Fussball Transfers (via Sport Witness), with it being reported that Los Angeles FC may allow him to leave for anywhere between €3.7m and €4.8m (£3.2m-£4.1m)

Both Rangers and Celtic have signalled their interest in the Ghanaian, placing him on their summer target list, but there is set to be a great deal of competition for his signature, with the likes of Stuttgart, Nice and Bordeaux also named as potential suitors.

At the moment, Los Angeles FC are under no pressure to sell the 21-year-old, as he is contracted until the end of this calendar year, with the option of an extra year.

Who is Kwadwo Opoku?

The Accra-born attacker has started to make a name for himself in MLS, after signing for Los Angeles FC back in October 2020, weighing in with seven goals and two assists in the 2022 regular season.

During the current campaign, the starlet has picked up where he left off, making 13 appearances in the league, and he has averaged 1.5 dribbles per game – the fourth-highest figure in the squad – while 0.8 key passes ranks him fifth.

Football scout Jacek Kulig has previously given an overview of the 5 foot 7 speedster's key traits, claiming that he possesses "pace", "acceleration" and "flair" – all of which are important qualities for an attacking player.

Opoku is still young and relatively unproven, so signing him would undoubtedly be a risk, but he has all the key attributes to become a top-quality player.