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Nottingham Forest will host Sheffield United in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final clash, and Steve Cooper will be hoping they can continue their momentum after their 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane.

What’s the latest?

The Forest manager took to his pre-match press conference to give a promising injury update on his team ahead of the important challenge facing them this evening.

Cooper told the press (via Nottinghamshire Live):

“There isn’t anything new from the game. We were carrying a few injuries going into it, with the players who were unavailable yesterday. There’s no changes from yesterday. There’s the normal bumps and bruises, and a little bit of fatigue from the game.”

The manager continued: “But that’s very normal for the day after a game. I’m fairly sure we’ll be as we were for the first leg.”

Cooper will be delighted

At this stage of the season after playing 46 games as well as a short turnaround in the play-offs when it comes to fixtures, Cooper will surely be delighted that his team are still fit and raring to go with just one game standing in the way of joining Huddersfield Town at Wembley for the final in just under two weeks time.

Despite having less possession (39%) Nottingham Forest took their chances and offered a superior attacking threat than their Premier League promotion competitors with over twice as many shots on target, five more big chances created and ultimately scoring two goals to secure a lead ahead of their home leg this evening.

If Cooper could lead his team to the final at the end of this month it would be an incredible achievement considering the position they were in when he inherited the side from Chris Houghton in September 2021.

Upon appointment, Forest were bottom of the Championship table, suffering their worst start to a campaign in over a century and Cooper has since completed a turnaround supporters would have felt was impossible when he joined the club seven months ago.

Thus, to get to the final and potentially return to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years would be a dream. With a lack of injuries, that could well become a reality.

AND in other news: Forest can land the new McKenna in “outstanding” 19/yo prodigy, Cooper surely ecstatic

Rangers have been issued a huge injury relief over Ibrox centre-forward Kemar Roofe…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that the current plan is for the striker to be fit enough to play in the Europa League final later this month.

He was absent from the matchday squad for the 2-0 Premiership win on Sunday and he has now missed five games in all competitions with this knock.

Football Scotland quote the head coach as saying: “He’s going to work hard to make it. Of course he didn’t make it for last Thursday’s game. That means he’s got two weeks to prepare more.

“All he wants is to be available for those games so he will push himself. My medical staff will do everything possible to get him fit.

“We have to wait and see how it goes but the intentions are there to have him fit.”

Supporters will be delighted

Ibrox supporters will surely be left feeling delighted by this news as it is a big boost for the club heading into that huge clash with Frankfurt in Seville.

The Gers have the chance to win a major European final in under two weeks and Roofe will be desperate to play a role in the game.

Rangers’ last final in Europe came in 2008 and this proves that occasions like this do not come around too often in football. This may be the only chance the majority of the players in the squad have to play in such a match and that is why there will be extra motivation for the Jamaica international to get himself in contention to play.

Fans will be eager to see him in action as he has the quality to be a match-winner for the club. He has scored ten goals in 21 Premiership outings and twice in four Europa League starts, which shows that he is capable of being a difference-maker.

In the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Roofe scored the winning goal in extra-time against Portuguese side Braga. This proves that he can step up in big moments, in Europe, for Rangers and that will be a huge boost to the side for the final as the team will know that they have a centre-forward capable of producing the goods at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, the fans will be buzzing with van Bronckhorst’s hopeful comments on the attacker’s injury and will be hoping that he is available for selection in Seville.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McLaughlin: Rangers dud with 0 duels won was a passenger on Sunday…

Highly-rated Bristol Rovers youngster Elliot Anderson is wanted by West Brom and a host of other clubs this summer, according to journalist Mark Douglas.

The Lowdown: Anderson shine for Rovers

The 19-year-old has emerged as a hugely exciting player in League Two this season, catching the eye with his brilliance for Rovers.

Anderson has scored six goals and registered four assists in 20 matches from midfield, being described as ‘unbelievable’ by teammate Sam Finley.

The youngster is only on loan at Rovers, however, with Newcastle United his permanent club, and it could be that the Magpies allow him to head out to another team next season.

The Latest: West Brom keen on move

Taking to Twitter, inews‘ Douglas claimed that West Brom are in the race to sign Anderson on loan, calling him a ‘cheat code’:

“Elliot Anderson is a SkyBetLeagueTwo ‘cheat code’ – but he nearly didn’t go out on loan. Bristol Rovers & Joey Barton have managed him well & could yet go up. WBA one of clubs who want him for next season (along w/ most of the Championship & Swfc).”

The Verdict: Exciting summer addition

This is exactly the kind of loan signing that the Baggies could do with next season  – a vibrant midfield presence who could bring end product and entertainment value to the team.

Granted, Anderson won’t likely be able to come in permanently but his performances for Rovers have shown what he is capable of and he should only improve in the coming years.

Steve Bruce is likely to want experience in his squad ahead of what is hopefully a Championship promotion push next season but having someone of Anderson’s raw ability would also make perfect sense.

In other news, a West Brom injury has been confirmed by journalist Steve Madeley. Read more here.

West Bromwich Albion are now facing another season in the Championship after failing to maintain a consistent run of promotion-worthy form throughout the current campaign.

With Steve Bruce at the helm and the summer transfer window set to open for business in the coming weeks, it seems as though the Baggies may have identified one man for a potential swoop.

According to journalist Alan Nixon (via Birmingham Mail), the Midlands club are eyeing up a move for Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell.

Since arriving at the Lancashire club in 2018 from Oxford United, the 27-year-old has gone on to make 161 appearances across all competitions. In that time, the midfielder has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists, showing that he can be effective in front of goal.

According to WhoScored, in addition to having three goals and 10 assists to his name in the current Championship campaign, the Englishman has an overall performance rating of 6.95/10, making him the third-highest rated player in Blackburn’s squad to start more than two league games.

With his current contract at Ewood Park set to expire in the summer, the Baggies could theoretically land Rothwell on a free transfer, as they did with Alex Mowatt during the summer 2021 transfer window.

Rothwell is better than Mowatt

To compare the two midfield maestros, the Blackburn man has recorded more interceptions (48) than Mowatt (35) and has a higher percentage for shots on target. Also, despite playing seven more games than the West Brom midfielder, Rothwell has committed nine fewer fouls than his fellow countryman this season.

This all suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on last summer’s midfield recruit for Bruce’s side if they bring him to the Midlands.

Described by his manager Tony Mowbray as a player who has “Premier League talent”, he could be just what the Baggies need in their side to make a strong push to get back into the top flight in 2023.

With Bruce discussing a possible transfer overhaul at The Hawthorns during the upcoming window, adding Rothwell to their ranks could be a perfect way to start.

In other news: West Brom dealt another big injury setback, it’s worrying news for Bruce

Manchester United are interested in signing Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to reports from Spanish media.

The lowdown: Torres a wanted man

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for some time now, and Chelsea were among the leading contenders in last summer’s transfer window.

Since then, Torres has gone from strength to strength in Spain and has helped guide the La Liga outfit to an unlikely Champions League semi-final spot, having overcome Juventus and Bayern Munich along the way.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It now appears that the strongest interest could be coming from the northwest of England…

The latest: Transfer tussle

As per Spanish sources, United are set to do battle with local rivals Manchester City for the capture of the Spanish defender.

Reports claim that the Red Devils and City have the ‘same goal’ for next season in attempting to capture Torres this summer.

It is stated that the 17-cap ace – who was hailed as ‘sensational’ by Spain manager Luis Enrique – is regarded as the ‘best option’ for Erik ten Hag as the Dutchman looks to strengthen the squad at Old Trafford.

The verdict: Top-drawer player

Bringing Torres to United would be a superb piece of business from Ten Hag and what looks sure to be a new-look backroom team.

While club captain Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly make up a well-stocked defensive department, they have fallen short of their expected levels at various times this season, as proven by the concession of 52 Premier League goals.

So far this season, Torres has scored five times in 42 appearances across all competitions whilst earning an impressive 7.07 Sofascore rating from 29 La Liga outings – making 3.2 clearances and 54.6 accurate passes per match and helping to keep 10 clean sheets in the process.

That is the type of solidity and assurance that Ten Hag and United could do with as they seek to restore the Old Trafford club to its former glories.

In other news: Rangnick has set his sights on one of Serie A’s brightest talents…find out more here

Southampton have been one of a number of teams with a managerial vacancy in the Championship during the international break, alongside Norwich, Middlesbrough, and Swansea.

Boro are set to appoint Kim Hellberg from Hammarby and Vitor Matos is in talks to take over at Swansea, but it is Norwich who have made the most eyebrow-raising appointment.

The Canaries have hired Belgian coach Philippe Clement, who has won four domestic cups in Belgium and Scotland and four Belgian top-flight titles in his career, per Transfermarkt, working for Club Brugge, Genk, Monaco, and Rangers.

Norwich are 23rd in the Championship table, with half as many points as Southampton, yet they have attracted a head coach who has won 170 of his 287 league games as a manager, averaging 2.00 points per game, per Transfermarkt.

The latest on Southampton's managerial search

According to Daily Echo reporter Alfie House, as relayed by SaintsExtra, Southampton are set to hand interim head coach Tonda Eckert the next three Championship matches before further assessing the situation.

Manager Focus

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The Saints play Charlton, Leicester City, and Millwall in those three games, after Eckert beat QPR 2-1 and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in his first two matches in the dugout.

House’s update adds that Southampton have spoken with managerial targets and that they do not have a clear standout candidate at this moment in time, which is why Eckert will be given the next three games to stake his claim for the permanent job.

Instead of appointing the interim on a permanent basis, Sport Republic could hire their answer to Norwich’s ambitious Clement swoop by bringing reported target Brendan Rodgers to St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should appoint Brendan Rodgers

If the Canaries are able to attract a manager like Clement, who has won eight trophies and managed some big European clubs, whilst second from bottom in the Championship, Southampton should make a statement of their own with a move for the former Celtic boss.

Described as “world-class” by Gabby Agbonlahor, like the new Norwich manager, Rodgers would come in with an incredible career behind him and a history of winning games and trophies on a consistent basis. In fact, he won the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership title with Celtic ahead of Clement’s Rangers side.

The Northern Irish boss, who was hailed as a “pillar of strength” by Hoops captain Callum McGregor, is an incredibly experienced tactician who has been there and done it in England and Scotland.

League games managed

597

287

League games won

322

170

League games drawn

122

63

League games lost

153

54

Points per league game

1.82

2.00

Trophies won

13

8

League titles won

4

4

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers is even more experienced than Clement and has won five more trophies in his career, with 11 of those coming at Celtic, and the other two with Leicester.

The Saints target also has experience in getting out of the Championship. He won the play-offs in the 2010/11 campaign after a third-placed finish in the second tier with Swansea, which shows that he also has experience for what Southampton need this season.

Therefore, Rodgers could be a brilliant appointment for the club if they can convince him to make the drop down to the Championship, which is what Norwich were able to do with Clement.

Southampton can end Eckert experiment by hiring "insanely talented" manager

Southampton can replace Tonda Eckert by swooping to hire this experienced former Championship manager.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

To be heralded as Arsenal’s signing of the summer takes some doing. After all, this was one of the best transfer windows we’ve ever seen in the club’s illustrious history.

It didn’t take Andrea Berta long to settle into his role, replacing Edu as the Gunners’ Sporting Director.

While his biggest project was to sign a new striker, notably welcoming Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium, the Italian transfer chief did not stop there.

What a window this was. Even when you thought they were done with the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, Berta surprised us all by completing a deal for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie on Deadline Day. It wouldn’t be a transfer window at Arsenal without a hybrid defender arriving during the Mikel Arteta era.

Eze’s acquisition was exciting, as was Gyokeres’. In adding those two players, they’ve strengthened two of the big weak points in the side; goals and unpredictability from the left flank.

Yet, Berta made a number of underrated signings during his first window at the club.

Arsenal's most underrated signings of 2025

It remains to be seen how someone like Christian Norgaard settles in at Arsenal. While the Dane played a prominent part in pre-season, he’s not been seen in competitive action yet due to injury.

However, having captained Brentford under Thomas Frank, he will no doubt bring valuable experience to what is still a relatively young crop of players.

For those we have seen, two players immediately stand out. Noni Madueke is one of them.

When the winger arrived at Arsenal during pre-season, it’s safe to say fans were unhappy. Not another Chelsea reject, they cried. Quite. That being said, protests that were lodged disapproving of the deal were rather bizarre.

Since moving to the red side of London, it’s safe to say that Madueke has proven a number of supporters wrong. Against Liverpool prior to the international break, the 23-year-old looked like Arsenal’s best player.

Despite not scoring or assisting against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, he also arguably looked like the best player on the park.

The England international was relentless in his endeavours down the right flank, twisting Morato and Neco Williams inside and out. Madueke completed a whopping five dribbles and also completed five key passes.

Minutes played

78

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

5/8

Touches

65

Accurate passes

22/31

Key passes

5

Accurate crosses

4

Duels won

10

Tackles

3

In previous years, when Arsenal have been without Bukayo Saka due to injury, they have struggled. However, with Madueke now in the squad, they look far better equipped to deal with a problem like that one.

Another hugely underrated signing is Cristhian Mosquera. Arriving from Valencia for just £13m in the summer, very few expected the Spaniard to play too many minutes this campaign.

Aware of the player’s potential, the 21-year-old has already exceeded all expectations, standing in for the injured William Saliba.

When the Frenchman hobbled off in the early exchanges of the clash at Anfield two weeks ago, everyone feared the worst. That said, Mosquera stood in with ease and looked at home next to Gabriel Magalhaes in Arsenal’s backline.

The same could be said of the youngster’s performance against Forest this weekend. Mosquera was phenomenal, notably making a last-man tackle in the second half to deny what looked like a certain goalscoring opportunity.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Described as “an incredible signing” by Gunners writer Dan Critchlow, the centre-back looks like he could dominate Premier League attackers for years to come.

Despite his impressive start to life in the English capital, he’s not quite the best signing Berta made during the summer months.

Arsenal's signing of the summer is emulating Xhaka

When Granit Xhaka left the Gunners behind in the summer of 2023, very few expected to see him back in the Premier League two years later.

Well, Xhaka left Bayer Leverkusen behind as a league champion and came back to England, moving to newly-promoted Sunderland.

Since returning, we’re seeing more of the Xhaka of old. A deeper-lying playmaker who breaks up the play.

Yet, that hasn’t always been the case, as his final season at the Emirates proved. That campaign was arguably the best of his career, scoring nine goals and assisting seven in all competitions.

Since then, Arteta has been searching for a replacement. He initially struggled to do so.

Kai Havertz was signed with the idea of filling the Swiss’ void in the left 8 position but ultimately ended up being better as a striker. Declan Rice has perhaps found the most success in that role, involved in 19 goals last term.

However, in £60m arrival Martin Zubimendi, they’ve signed another player capable of emulating the former club skipper.

Zubimendi isn’t the aggressive tackler that Xhaka is or was, but there are certain qualities that the Spaniard has offered and will offer that are reminiscent.

Like Xhaka, the 26-year-old controls and dictates the tempo of a game brilliantly. In fact, in that regard, he’s probably even better.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has already described him as “the second best” midfielder in the world behind Rodri. Speaking of Rodri, talking about his international colleague last week, he said: “He [Zubimendi] has the discipline and mentality that can lead him to become one of the best, if he isn’t already.”

The Spaniard is certainly more disciplined than Xhaka ever was but in their ability to break up the play and dictate, they are alike. Zubimendi showed during the 3-0 win over Forest that he can contribute in the final third like Xhaka too.

The Switzerland star has near immaculate technique and we all know how much of a rocket his left foot was. Well, the former Real Sociedad star emulated just that on Saturday, hammering home a volley from the edge of the area.

Not usually a goalscorer, Zubimendi rolled back the years at the Emirates with a Xhaka-like goalscoring display from the middle of the park.

It was the summer arrival who rounded off the scoring late on when he headed home Leandro Trossard’s cross. It was the first brace of his professional career and a 10/10 performance that cemented him as “the signing of the summer” in the words of club insider AFC Camden.

If he has an Arsenal career like Xhaka then we are in for quite the ride.

£115m Arsenal duo look like they could be the new Saka and Smith Rowe

Arsenal have unearthed another exciting duo at the Emirates duo.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 14, 2025

Manchester City find themselves in a mini-rut after two successive defeats, though could be about to announce a statement signing ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

Manchester City suffer problematic defeat at Brighton

Despite being billed as one of the Premier League title favourites, Manchester City have lost back-to-back Premier League matches after falling to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring and looked set to send the Citizens on their way to a victory, though a penalty from James Milner and Brajan Gruda’s late strike left Pep Guardiola with much to ponder after a disappointing collapse on the South Coast.

Speaking after the loss, Manchester City star Rodri admitted his side ‘are not at the level’ that they should be and urged newcomers to step up quickly if they have designs on fighting for major silverware.

He told Sky Sports: “Disappointed because we are Manchester City and we come here to win, but this is the reality. We are not at the level for a long, long time.”

“We are missing the level. It is a matter of the team and the changes. New players have to adapt, and of course, when you change the team that much, it is difficult. This is our reality, it is not for excuses and we have to see that this is not the way to achieve things.”

Man City plan to submit record £130m offer to sign Ballon d'Or nominee

The Citizens are ready to break the bank.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 29, 2025

Undoubtedly, the lack of cohesiveness between Manchester City’s defence and goalkeeper James Trafford is one factor behind their shaky nature. £27 million was forked out on the stopper who joined from Burnley, while fan favourite Ederson looks set to depart before the window closes.

Needing a replacement with the wherewithal to become a rock behind Guardiola’s backline, Manchester City could now have found their man with time ticking before tonight’s deadline.

Manchester City set to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma

After weeks of speculation, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed on X that Manchester City are set to seal a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Ederson has agreed to join Fenerbahce, the renowned journalist added in his description, and the former AC Milan stopper is set for a medical this afternoon before an official announcement.

Weeks after Pep doubled down on Ederson’s importance to Manchester City, Donnarumma looks set to replace the Citizens’ legend between the sticks, though he hasn’t exactly had a simple journey of his own to get to this point.

Speaking about his situation at Paris Saint-Germain, for whom he kept 17 clean sheets in 47 appearances across all competitions last term, he admitted that he has been somewhat forced out at the Parc des Princes after protracted negotiations to extend his £212,000-a-week deal fell through.

Either way, that all appears to be water under the bridge and Manchester City will land an apt replacement for Ederson who will make a major difference between the sticks.

After overseeing a third-consecutive promotion to make unforgettable history, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have now reportedly put Wrexham in pole position to sign a clinical MLS talent.

Reynolds & McElhenney full of praise for Parkinson

Whilst it’s Reynolds and McElhenney who steal the headlines, Phil Parkinson is one of the main reasons why Wrexham find themselves in the Championship from National League frustration. The experienced manager will forever be a legend at the Welsh club and is now set to take charge of a side in England’s second tier for the first time since Bolton Wanderers in the 2018/2019 campaign.

Reynolds and McElhenney are well aware of their manager’s impact too. The former told reporters after promotion was sealed: “You can look at so many beating hearts at the club but it all goes back to Phil, I mean the leadership in that locker room and we thankfully don’t make football decisions but the faith that the club has in Phil and the community has in him speaks volumes.”

McElhenney then added onto that by saying: “In Phil we trust and Ryan and I always find it silly that at the end of the games it’s us standing here with microphones because we’re not the ones out here on the pitch doing the work.”

Alas, the Hollywood stars are far from finished even after securing a place in the Championship. They, alongside Parkinson, will have their sights set on causing their biggest upset yet in the Championship, and the summer transfer window is likely to play a large part in that.

Wrexham lead Sunusi Ibrahim race

According to GiveMeSport, Reynolds and McElhenney are now leading the race to sign Sunusi Ibrahim for Wrexham this summer. The Montreal talent is reportedly valued between $300,000 and $500,000 (£222,000-£370,000) this summer and could be on his way to English football after struggling for starts in the MLS.

Although there may be some concerns that Ibrahim, 22, has yet to earn his place in Montreal’s starting side, it must be said that it’s not for the want of trying. The Nigerian has scored seven goals in around 1,000 minutes this season – the same as just over 11 games – but has still been forced to settle for a bench role.

Reynolds and McElhenney plotting Wrexham move to sign "great" 7-goal star

He could be their first Championship signing…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 29, 2025

Whether that starting place would come his way at Wrexham is the big question. Those in Wales can’t risk getting things wrong on the transfer front ahead of their return to England’s second tier and whether they take a risk on an MLS talent remains to be seen.

As ever, of course, Wrexham will be ones to watch when the transfer window swings open amid links to Ibrahim and Cardiff City’s Isaak Davies in recent weeks.

West Ham United have come forward to sign an “outstanding” striker, who is now likely to leave his club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Hammers set sights on striker after Forest defeat

Graham Potter would have been hoping the 2-0 victory over Manchester United would give his side the platform to have a strong end to the Premier League season, but his side fell to yet another defeat on Sunday afternoon, with Nottingham Forest prevailing 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Jarrod Bowen, who has been one of the only bright sparks for the Hammers this season, was once again on the scoresheet, netting his 12th Premier League goal of the campaign, with the England international featuring as a striker.

Bowen’s output this season indicates he could be capable of remaining the first-choice centre-forward in the 2025-26 campaign, rather than moving back out wide, with Potter currently short on options in that area of the pitch.

However, with Michail Antonio now 35-years-old and Niclas Fullkrug failing to make an impact in his debut Premier League campaign, it could be wise to bring in another striker this summer, and a forward with top-level experience has now entered the frame.

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), West Ham have now come forward to sign AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is set to leave the Italian side permanently this summer, upon returning from his loan with AC Milan.

A deal will not be easy, however, with Abraham setting his sights on a move to a ‘top-tier club’, despite his recent struggles, and there are doubts over whether he would be tempted by a move to the London Stadium.

West Ham now racing to sign £84m striker who's been "blowing teams away"

The Hammers have set their sights on a striker, who is also being targeted by Arsenal and Aston Villa.

ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025 "Outstanding" Abraham could reignite career at West Ham

In truth, the 27-year-old is unlikely to be in a position to be too picky about his next club, given that he has hardly set the world alight in the Serie A this season, picking up just three goals and five assists throughout the campaign.

The Englishman could get his career back on track by moving back to his native country, however, and a move to the London Stadium could be a good fit for all parties, with Potter currently lacking options in the striker department.

Despite his recent struggles, the “outstanding” former Chelsea man also has a lot of experience at the top level, having made 22 appearances in the Champions League, winning the competition during his time with the Blues.

As such, Abraham, who cost AS Roma £34m back in 2021, could be a solid signing for West Ham this summer, should he be willing to change his stance and move to a club of the Hammers’ stature.