Football League World

Newcastle United have joined the race for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

The Foxes kicked off their Championship campaign with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, coming from behind to defeat the Owls.

However, Marti Cifuentes may have to fend off yet another side in pursuit of one of his star players.

Newcastle United eyeing up move for Bilal El Khannouss

El Khannouss has been the subject of extensive transfer interest this summer, following an impressive debut campaign with the Foxes last term.

Sunderland, AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have all previously been linked with the 21-year-old, who provided two assists in Leicester City’s Championship opener against Wednesday.

The Mackems now reportedly face competition from their arch-rivals, Newcastle United, with John Percy stating via X that Eddie Howe’s side have a strong interest in the attacking midfielder.

Percy also mentioned that Leeds United were keen on El Khannouss earlier in the summer, alongside other Premier League clubs.

It has been previously reported that the player has a release clause worth €26 (£22.5) million in his deal, which is just higher than the £21 million Leicester forked out for his services last summer.

El Khannouss has a contract with the Foxes until the summer of 2028 after joining from Genk last summer.

The young talent featured 32 times in the Premier League last term, contributing two goals and three assists. This couldn’t prevent Leicester’s relegation however, but impressed a whole host of top-flight teams.

Leicester City have an uphill fight to keep Bilal El Khannouss

With Newcastle United now joining the hunt for El Khannouss, it seems an even harder task for Leicester City to retain his services this summer.

Champions League outfits such as Tottenham and the Magpies will present an extremely attractive opportunity for the 21-year-old, which may prove too tempting to turn down.

The attacking midfielder showed how crucial he could be for the Foxes during their Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday, providing two assists and claiming the Player of the Match award.

His skillset and ability are clearly above the second-tier level but keeping an asset such as El Khannouss would boost Leicester’s chances of promotion tenfold.

However, the prospect of that seems increasingly unlikely with the calibre of names that have been credited with an interest in the Foxes’ man.

Leicester may hope that the fact some top-flight teams wouldn’t be able to guarantee El Khannouss playing time might work in their favour, but that seems to be the only slight bit of hope Cifuentes and Co. can cling on to right now.

Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs eyeing a potential move for Swansea City duo Harlan Perry and Brogan Popham.

According to Teamtalk, the pair of 17-year-old’s have an uncertain future with the Swans, with multiple sides keeping tabs on their availability.

Neither player has made their first team debut for the Welsh outfit, but they have earned a lot of attention for their performances at underage level.

They have already featured for the Wales U19 side, and have reputations as promising up-and-coming stars.

Swansea starlets targeted by Spurs and Watford

Spurs are reportedly keen on the Swansea pair as they look to bolster their options at underage level in a bid to improve their pool of homegrown players under Thomas Frank.

It has been claimed that the Championship club are vulnerable to losing both players, with rivals Watford also scouting their situation.

Manchester City and Manchester United have also been credited with doing their due diligence on the duo’s potential.

However, despite their interest in the players, it’s believed that Spurs and the Hornets are currently leading the race to their signatures, in the event they move from Swansea.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee either club would be willing to pay, but it’s believed the Swans are facing a battle to hold onto the highly-rated prospects this summer.

Perry is a midfielder that will turn 18 in November, while Popham plays as a centre-back.

Swansea City’s summer business

This summer has seen Alan Sheehan add a number of names to his first team squad, having been appointed permanent manager at the end of the previous campaign.

The Swans have signed the likes of Zeidan Inoussa, Ethan Galbraith, Bobby Wales, Cameron Burgess, Ricardo Santos, Paul Parman and Kaelan Casey.

Sheehan’s side lost their opening game of the campaign 1-0 to Middlesbrough.

Next up in the league they will face Sheffield United at home on 16 August.

Swansea should be demanding big fees for their underage talent

Popham and Perry certainly both have a lot of potential if they’ve already got this calibre of club eyeing their signatures.

Spurs are in desperate need of adding younger talent to their ranks in order to consistently meet the homegrown quotas in European competitions, which has been a big factor in their business over the last 12 months.

So Swansea should be holding out for significant fees, and certainly notable sell-on clauses in any potential deals for this pair.

They could both break into Sheehan’s side this summer, and that immediate pathway to senior minutes could help convince them to stay, so the Championship side should not be letting them go so easily.

Two more Premier League outfits have joined the race for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling.

The Saints are preparing to embark on their 2025/26 Championship campaign with a home clash against Wrexham.

Will Still and Co. have pressing matters to attend to off the pitch too, with Dibling’s future destination now seemingly undecided.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United join Tyler Dibling hunt

It looked like the 19-year-old’s future lay in Merseyside, with Ben Jacobs revealing that there was an optimism between Everton and Southampton that a deal could be completed.

The Toffees saw a bid of £27 million for Dibling rejected, with Still’s side reportedly holding out for an offer in the region of £40 million, as per Alex Crook.

Now, Everton are rumoured to face serious competition for the teenager’s signature.

According to Teamtalk, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are now showing interest in a deal for Dibling, with David Moyes’ outfit in danger of missing out on the transfer.

Spurs are believed to be following the situation closely whilst monitoring developments, whereas Newcastle are rumoured to have made early contact with the player, with talks still in a very preliminary stage.

This isn’t the first time the North London side have been linked with a move for Dibling, as it was reported by Football Insider that they saw a bid rejected for the winger in January.

Despite Southampton’s struggles last term, the 19-year-old’s quality was clear to see throughout the campaign, quickly emerging as one of the top-flight’s leading young talents.

Dibling has a contract with the Saints until 2027, but it seems inevitable that he will exit St. Mary’s this summer in pursuit of Premier League football.

New interest will suit Southampton in Tyler Dibling transfer saga

Everton seemed by far the most likely club to acquire the teenager’s signature this summer, but now they face strong competition from two Champions League outfits.

The financial muscle this duo possesses far outweighs that of Everton, which means that the Toffees probably wouldn’t fare to well if things come down to a bidding war.

Therefore, Southampton now hold all the cards during negotiations.

They can now comfortably stick to their asking price of £40 million, knowing that if Everton refuse to pay, there are two more teams interested in Dibling.

This also pressures Everton into making a decision quickly, which would further benefit the Saints.

Huddersfield Town are in search of a new attacking midfielder, as Lee Grant continues to shape his squad that he hopes will be capable of winning promotion from League One this season.

After a disappointing campaign which saw a late collapse leaving the Terriers outside the play-off places, there's certainly been no messing around in the transfer window to try and achieve promotion this time around.

Grant has already been very busy this window, bringing in some hugely impressive and smart signings for the Yorkshire-based club, which helped them kick off the new season with a 3-0 victory over last season's play-off finalists Leyton Orient.

However, the rookie boss isn't done yet, with reports from Alan Nixon via his X account revealing that Huddersfield want to add a new attacking midfielder to their ranks before the transfer window shuts in just under a month, despite adding Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine in recently.

With that in mind, Football League World opted to look at two options for a new attacking midfielder Huddersfield could explore this summer.

One player who is somewhat of an unknown for the season ahead is Cameron Humphreys at Ipswich Town.

The 21-year-old had an excellent loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers last season, but it's unclear where he fits in at Portman Road this term.

Having come so close to gaining promotion with the Chairboys last season, the midfielder could be an excellent option for Huddersfield, providing a proven League One player who is only going to get better and better.

Whilst it would likely only be a loan deal for Town, getting one of the best midfielders in the division from last season would be yet another huge statement from the Terriers, and he would bring some excellent qualities to the side.

Comfortable in Grant's preferred 4-2-3-1 system as the middle attacking midfielder, Humphreys brings energy, great ball retention, and the ability to unlock defences with his quick link-up play. He's also proven to be capable of moments of individual brilliance to win games.

Tottenham Hotspur have made young attacking midfielder Alfie Devine available for loan once again this season, after a strong campaign with Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League last season.

The 21-year-old is a highly-rated prospect with the Premier League giants, and could well be a huge addition for Huddersfield, having already gained valuable experience in the EFL with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle respectively.

Similarly to Humphreys, the system that Grant uses for his Terriers side will bring the best out of Devine, with two wingers besides him and the sole striker in front. The Spurs prospect would have creative freedom to link the defence to the attack, which is a role he would absolutely thrive in.

Dominant with the ball at his feet, Devine has the ability to evade the press and create moments of magic by using his mobility and technical ability, whilst also being able to chip in with a goal every so often thanks to his intelligent forward runs.

Tottenham may prefer a Championship move for Devine at this moment in time, given he's already experienced the division, but sending him to an expected League One promotion contender in the form of Huddersfield could be just as beneficial to get him on the ball and develop as much as possible.

Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson played a key role in getting Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips to return to the club.

It came as a surprise to many when the young Spurs centre-back chose to return to the bet365 Stadium for a second stint with the club, especially following a campaign that almost led to Stoke's relegation to League One.

The 20-year-old was one of the few strong performers in the City camp in the 2024/25 campaign, helping the Potters to keep 10 clean sheets in his 35 starts in the Championship.

Another big reason behind Stoke's survival was their Swedish international goalkeeper. In his first season with the red and white-striped side, Johansson continued to show why many people felt that he was one of the best shot-stoppers in the division, even in his relegation season with Rotherham United.

He recorded the second-highest goals prevented in the division, only behind James Trafford, and, unsurprisingly, he won the supporters' Player of the Season award.

Viktor Johansson's part in securing the signing of Ashley Phillips

There were reports that West Ham United and other Premier League clubs were interested in the 26-year-old on Monday, however they have decided to pursue another target between the sticks in the form of Botafogo's John.

Stoke Sentinel reporter Pete Smith said, amid the keeper's links with the top flight, that the Potters weren't expecting any approaches for their number one and that Johansson was happy at the bet365 Stadium.

In the same post on X, Smith also revealed the part that the former Rotherham captain played in Stoke's move for Phillips. According to the journalist, Johansson led a group of the club's players who urged the 20-year-old to return to the Trent-side city.

The Championship side clearly have a good relationship with Phillips' parent club as they have also managed to beat some of their second-tier competitors to the signing of Jamie Donley, Spurs' young Northern Irish international who had a breakout season with Leyton Orient last term.

Stoke's incredibly impressive loan summer signings

Donley's arrival makes it three impressive Premier League loanees that have come aboard the ship captained by Mark Robins this summer - Manchester City's Divin Mubama being the third of them, alongside the two north London-based prospects.

Championship clubs are limited to how many temporary acquisitions they can use - up to five in the matchday squad - so Stoke are nearing their max on that front.

They have received some criticism this summer for some of their transfer activity, particularly the sale of Wouter Burger to Hoffenheim. What you can't doubt is that they definitely know how to convince top-flight clubs to send their brightest talents their way.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are both monitoring the situation surrounding Bilal El Khannouss at Leicester City.

According to TBR Football, both of the Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on the forward ahead of a potential move.

The Morocco international joined the Foxes last summer following their promotion to the top flight, but relegation back to the Championship has led to uncertainty over his future.

El Khannouss featured 32 times in the league, contributing two goals and three assists, with Leicester finishing 18th in the table, one place below Spurs.

Tottenham and Newcastle eye Leicester swoop

Tottenham and Newcastle are among the Premier League sides keeping tabs on El Khannouss this summer.

It is believed that multiple clubs still think he is capable of competing in the top flight despite Leicester suffering relegation last season.

Spurs and the Magpies face potential competition from Crystal Palace, who have also been linked with the player.

The likes of West Ham, Leeds United and Arsenal have all also been mentioned as possible destinations for the 21-year-old.

El Khannouss has a contract with the Foxes until the summer of 2028 after joining from Genk last summer.

However, it has been previously reported that the player has a release clause worth €26 (£22.5) million release clause in his deal.

Leicester City’s summer business

Martí Cifuentes has taken over at Leicester since their relegation was confirmed, replacing Ruud van Nistelrooy as manager.

The Spaniard has overseen the arrival of Asmir Begovic, in what has been a quiet summer for the Foxes.

The club have until 1 September to conclude any remaining transfer business before the market shuts.

Leicester will begin their Championship campaign on 10 August with a clash against Sheffield Wednesday.

El Khannouss sale would hurt Leicester

Leicester haven’t been spending this summer and their financial position likely means there won’t be much to come in the last month of the market either.

Perhaps a sale could generate funds for a couple of additions, which might be what Cifuentes wants at this stage.

However, losing El Khannouss would be a blow, as they would love to have his attacking threat in the Championship.

The Morocco international didn’t quite shine in the Premier League, but a year in the second division might be what he needs at this stage of his career, especially as he should be guaranteed regular minutes as a starter with the Foxes, which he might not get at any of these other clubs.

But, having shown glimpses of real star quality in such a struggling side, it's little wonder why so many clubs are circling around his services and, in all honesty, Leicester need to be prepared for the inevitability of his exit in the coming weeks and should already be targeting replacements accordingly.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Bromwich Albion were never expected to be the biggest spenders in this transfer window, but they have been effective in the deals that they have made.

The club's chairman and owner, Shilen Patel, warned supporters early in the summer that they weren't going to be splashing cash all over the pitch in order to renovate Ryan Mason's options.

Still, they have made three permanent signings in Nat Phillips, Aune Heggebo and George Campbell, players that are hopefully going to be upgrades on some of the current options.

West Brom have also held onto winger Mikey Johnston after some heavy links with Brazilian side Flamengo. He is expected to play a significant role in Mason's team in the upcoming campaign.

Albion wanted another Mikey (Moore) to help out creatively, but the Tottenham Hotspur winger that they and Birmingham City were after is now looking likely to head north of the border to link up with Russell Martin at Rangers.

West Brom told to go after alternative Tottenham youngster after Mikey Moore revelation

There are an abundance of other Premier League loanees that the Baggies could look at, though. Football League World's West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess believes that another of Spurs' youngsters, Jamie Donley, could be a great option for his side to look at.

The attacking midfielder spent last season in League One, on loan at Leyton Orient. He helped to guide them into the play-offs, where they lost in the final to Chartlon Athletic.

Albion have been linked with him this summer, but it was latterly reported in late June that Tottenham were batting back offers for the 20-year-old Northern Irishman at the time.

"A somewhat realistic choice for who I'd love to see Albion sign before the end of the transfer win now would be Jamie Donley on loan from Tottenham," said Burgess.

"He had a really impressive loan spell at Leyton Orient last year and got nearly double digits in both goals and assists.

"He can play attacking midfield, central midfield and also further forward on the left, I believe, so he'd be really versatile, and I think that he'd bring a creative spark to the Albion team that we might be missing with the departures of [Grady] Diangana and [John] Swift.

"While we've got Tammer Bany and Isaac Price who can fill in as attacking midfielders, I think Donley would be a really good creative option and would bring lots of creativity to the side and support our attackers really well."

West Brom should go after Jamie Donley, 100%

Donley certainly looks ready for the step up to the Championship from League One. He's got that confidence in his ability that a lot of younger players struggle to find, especially in their first moves away from their parent clubs.

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are set to miss out on landing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore on loan, with one former Championship boss looking likely to secure his services.

The two sides' respective promotion hopes haven't been directly mirrored by their transfer action this summer. West Brom's chairman, Shilen Patel, admitted that they weren't cash-rich heading into the transfer window and that spending may be limited.

Meanwhile, slightly south of them, the Championship returnees are pulling out all the stops to give themselves the best chance of securing back-to-back promotions as possible.

Attacking options in wide areas of the pitch have been on Ryan Mason and Chris Davies' agendas. One of their reported targets was Moore, the 17-year-old Spurs winger who was once compared to Neymar by his teammate James Maddison. Unfortunately, he is not looking likely to join either side.

Birmingham and West Brom set for Mikey Moore transfer blow

Instead, Moore's most likely destination is Rangers, linking up with former Southampton head coach Russell Martin, according to Matt Law. Despite interest from the Championship, as the Daily Telegraph reporter put it, Ibrox is his most likely landing spot at this stage.

Football Insider claimed that Birmingham and Albion were interested in bringing him to the Midlands from north London this summer, but it was unclear at that stage what Tottenham's plans for the youngster were.

That was until another report from the aforementioned online outlet, which stated that new boss Thomas Frank had reluctantly agreed to let Moore leave on loan this summer in order to continue his development.

Moore's role in Spurs' first-team increased last season under Ange Postecoglou. He made 10 Premier League appearances, including three starts, and he racked up some continental experience in the Europa League, which Tottenham won.

Talking about the young winger after a sensational performance against AZ Alkmaar, the Aussie manager said, via The Athletic: "It’s exciting. You have got such a young player who wants that responsibility to make an impact, rather than just sometimes with young players they are a bit worried about making mistakes.

"He is developing well. We have to be really careful about how we use him, and when we use him, that is the key for us, particularly in these early stages."

Birmingham and West Brom will be frustrated by latest Mikey Moore development

Players that have that sort of confidence and belief at that age will always stand out. You hear a lot of these types of youngsters described by pundits as being fearless. That's exactly the sort of trait that sides like Birmingham and West Brom will look for in potential loanees; someone that's going to affect games rather than let somebody else do it.

Had Postecoglou, a former Celtic manager, still been in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then the chances of Rangers landing Moore on loan probably would've lessened, even just slightly, which would've handed the two interested Championship outfits a boost in their hopes of signing him.

It'll be frustrating for them if Moore lives up to expectations north of the border. Based on the data we have so far on him, that outcome is looking quite likely.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City have completed a second loan deal with Tottenham Hotspur that will see Ashley Phillips return to the bet365 Stadium for another season.

The Potters have made a handful of signings to bolster Mark Robins' playing squad this summer, as they look to try and snap their seven-year-long bottom-half curse in the Championship in 2025/26.

Maksym Talovierov, Aaron Cresswell, Sorba Thomas and Divin Mubama have all penned deals with the club. However, City have just seen star midfielder Wouter Burger depart for German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, in what will be a major blow to the team.

But, the disappointment surrounding that deal has been largely extinguished by the news that Phillips, a highly-rated young central defender who impressed during his season-long loan spell in the Potteries last season, has signed on for another term.

"Massive" - Stoke City lauded for Ashley Phillips deal - Premier League claim made

We asked our Stoke City fan pundit, Daniel Buxton: 'Stoke have managed to re-sign Ash Phillips on another season-long loan. Is this a huge coup for the club given he was said to be in Thomas Frank's plans? Is it a statement to the rest of the division?'

Buxton said: "Well, put it this way: I've just seen the signing of Phillips, and I'm currently on holiday, and I've just let out a massive 'GET IN THERE!'

"He is a massive signing. Absolutely huge. I have no doubt he is a Premier League player, and I believe that he could play in the Premier League now, so it's massive for us.

"We actually interviewed Ashley Phillips a couple of weeks ago - for the Every Step Along The Way Podcast - and he was saying then that his happiest time has been playing at Stoke - he's absolutely loved it.

"But he wanted to see if he could give it a go at Spurs, but they've signed a few players in his position (Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai), so he's obviously felt that chances are going to be limited.

"So I think him, we've got Talovierov coming in from Plymouth and we've still got Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson as well, we've got Aaron Creswell that we've signed who can play in the left of a three as well.

"We've got all different types of options now, we've got strength in depth, and like I say, he would get into any team in this division Ashley Phillips would.

"So it's a massive deal for Stoke. He fits us, we fit him, so hopefully it's a mutually beneficial deal that maybe, just maybe, sees us fly up the league for once! Who knows, maybe he will be playing in the Premier League with us."

Stoke City may have finally rectified defensive issues with new-look 25/26 Potters unit

It's been a frustrating few years in the Potteries, with perennial bottom-half finishes and precious little for Stoke fans to get overly excited about.

However, change may well be on the wind, as an encouraging summer of transfer business so far appears to be setting Robins up to deliver the club's most competitive Championship team, perhaps since their Premier League relegation in 2018, next season.

With their cutting edge sharpened with the arrivals of Mubama and Thomas, with perhaps a couple of further reinforcements in that department still to arrive too, Stoke have perhaps done their best work so far at the other end of the pitch.

The Potters shipped 62 goals on their way to an 18th-placed finish last season, conceding an average of 1.3 goals per game, in what was a hugely frustrating campaign all-round.

However, getting one of their brightest sparks back in Phillips for another term, whilst also adding a veteran and experienced figure in Cresswell alongside the talented Talovierov - who was excellent for Plymouth after joining them in January - could see Stoke's new-look defensive unit bring about major improvements in 25/26.

Stoke City have secured the return of 20-year-old centre-back Ash Phillips on a second successive season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Phillips becomes the fifth summer acquisition for Mark Robins' side and rejoins a squad that finished 18th in the Championship last term after conceding 62 goals.

According to journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon, new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank reportedly informed Spurs' hierarchy that the 6ft 3in defender was in his first-team thoughts - and to reject any loan offers.

Despite that stance, former Potter and current sporting director at Stoke - Jonathan Walters - convinced Spurs to sanction another temporary switch, branding the deal "a major achievement" when it was announced on 23rd July.

Ash Phillips could be a "real asset" for Stoke City

Sky Sports pundit, Don Goodman, has exclusively told FLW his thoughts on Phillips re-signing for the Potters - initially finding it hard to believe he would've been near Thomas Franks' plans at all.

"With respect, I find it difficult to think that Ash Phillips would be part of Thomas Frank's plans for Spurs given he’s only 20, it’s been a real short, fledgling career," Goodman told FLW.

Phillips started all 35 matches he appeared in during the 24/25 campaign, playing a total of 3,082 minutes - the second-most for a centre-back at the Stafforshire outfit behind Ben Wilmot (3,243).

Goodman also pointed out how his other second-tier loan spells were to relegation-threatened sides, "He’s only ever played in struggling teams at the bottom end of the Championship," Goodman added.

Although he made eight Championship appearances for Blackburn Rovers before signing for Spurs in 2023, Phillips joined Plymouth Argyle on loan the year after and played 18 times as the Pilgrims finished 21st.

"Stoke’s defensive record wasn’t great last season, that wasn’t down to Ash Phillips of course it wasn’t, but what we’ve got at the moment is we’ve got a player with huge potential that could be a real asset for Mark Robins and Stoke City next season," Goodman continued.

"So, hopefully he’ll manage to have a season where he’s part of a team that isn’t struggling at the wrong end of the Championship."

The road ahead for Ash Phillips and Stoke City

Unlike last season, when the Potters flirted with relegation before staying up on the final day against Derby County, expectations are already higher for 25/26.

Robins has already bolstered his squad with the likes of Premier League-experienced left-back Aaron Cresswell and Slovakian international Robert Bozenik from Portuguese outfit FC Boavista - with the latter playing for his country at Euro 2024.

Nixon also reported that several clubs were keen on signing Phillips before Frank had shooed them away - including Sheffield United, who have since signed Tyler Bindon on loan from Nottingham Forest.

Upon Phillips coming back to Staffordshire, Robins spoke of his delight on the situation after a pre-season win to Crewe.

"He was brilliant for us last season," Robins told StokeonTrent Live.

"I spoke with him while we were away in Spain and Jon Walters has been working really hard behind the scenes on that and thankfully he's got it over the line.

"We're over the moon," he added.