Brighton are close to agreeing a deal with Manchester United for Baleba, but they have now rejected a £50m offer from Liverpool for his teammate, Yankuba Minteh.
The Reds are actively searching the market to try to find a new winger following the departure of Mohammed Salah.
Brighton looks set to lose a number of key stars in the summer, with Jan-Paul van Hecke joining Tottenham and Carlos Baleba believed to be closing in on a move to Manchester United.
Aston Villa have reportedly made an £18 million plus add-ons bid to sign Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the summer transfer window, according to David Ornstein.
Harwood-Bellis could be searching for a move back to the Premier League this summer after Southampton failed to gain promotion last season.
Aston Villa could look to take advantage with Ezri Konsa closing in on a move to Arsenal.
Konsa isn’t the only player who sought a departure this summer, with Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers all moving on in the summer transfer window.
After qualifying for the Champions League, Villa fans may have been expecting their club to keep a number of their key players, but it hasn’t been possible.
According to Ornstein, Aston Villa have submitted an £18 million plus add-on bid to sign Harwood-Bellis from Southampton, but the Championship club have rejected the offer.
The England international is considered an option to replace Konsa this summer, but they’ll have to increase their offer to secure his signature.
Aston Villa need a busy end to window
Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka
Aston Villa certainly need a busy end to the summer transfer window, despite bringing in a few additions so far.
Aston Villa signings
Johan Manzambi
Joao Gomes
Zion Suzuki
Matteo Ruggeri
Modou Keba Cisse
Alejandro Garnacho
Although they have made some smart signings so far, you could argue that their starting eleven is going to be weaker than last season.
That could be a huge concern to supporters, especially after they qualified for the Champions League last term.
Losing players such as Rogers, Digne and Tielemans significantly weakens their starting 11, so they’ll need a busy few weeks in terms of reinforcements.
Add in Konsa on top of that, who looks set to leave the club, Unai Emery and his recruitment team need to get a move on.
Lionel Messi has long been at the forefront of football — and the same goes for his ratings on soccer games such as the EA Sports FC franchise.
Messi’s EA Sports FC 27 card landed at 89 OVR, a remarkable three-point surge from the 86 he carried through FC 26 — his biggest single-year rise in years, and one that reverses a steady decline since his FC 25 peak of 88.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is in the twilight of his career at 39, but proved at the 2026 World Cup that he is still box office and among the highest performers in the world, as he dragged Argentina to the final.
Now residing in the MLS with Inter Miami, his record after 108 games reads 92 goals and 53 assists (145 goal contributions in 108 games), and his FC score is certainly attributed to his performances for club and country. Let’s delve deeper into the news.
Lionel Messi’s FC 27 Rating Compared With FC 26
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta
Stat
FC26
FC27
Change
Overall
86
89
+3
Pace
78
76
-2
Shooting
85
87
+2
Passing
85
89
+4
Dribbling
90
90
=
Defending
33
33
=
Physical
63
63
=
Passing, shooting and the overall score are the standout gains. For passing, a four-point jump pushes it to 89, level with his overall rating. Dribbling remains untouched at 90, featuring as his best attribute and among the highest in the game regardless of position.
Pace, as it inveitably does with older players, ticks down again. It is the one number that continues to erode year over year as he approaches 40. The more significant shift is positional: FC 27 is the first edition to give Messi a base CAM listing rather than his long-standing RW tag, reflecting the deeper, creative role he’s played for both Miami and Argentina.
How Messi Compares to the Best in FC 27
At 89, Messi sits 18th among FC 27’s top-rated men’s players — one point behind a crowded group of ten players at 90, and two behind the game’s top tier of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, both at 91.
He’s the only Argentine and the only player outside Europe’s top five leagues to make the top 27 at all, a marker of how far his rating has outpaced the MLS competition context EA usually fails to credit.
Interestingly, too, Messi has stretched the distance between himself and perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who weighs in with an OVR of 84 in FC 27.
Why the Boost for Messi?
REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
EA’s stated rationale ties directly to Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final; Messi managed 12 goal contributions in eight games, only failing to register either a goal or an assist in the final.
The tournament has formed the basis of the FC 27 ratings refresh, and Messi’s performances there were the clear driver of the upgrade, alongside the CAM shift that better suits his current attribute profile as he has evolved into a different role.
It’s a pointed contrast with Cristiano Ronaldo, who again missed the top 27 entirely; his own rating has slid from 85 in FC 26 to 84 in FC 27, with no comparable international showcase to lift it. Neither his performances for Portugal or form in the Saudi Pro League could reasonably justify an increase.
Reaction
Responses over EA ratings have always been something fans love to have discourses over. Some fans have leaned into the age angle — “39 years old with a rating of 89” was a common refrain — with some arguing he’s still undersold relative to Mbappé and Haaland.
Detractors pushed back on the scale of the jump, with pointed comparisons to Ronaldo’s stagnant rating (“Messi 89? He should be 86, the same as Ronaldo”) and skepticism that eight strong World Cup matches could result in a dramatic three-point rise.
Dropping as more of a shock than a surprise, Messi’s involvement in MLS is akin to Ronaldo’s in Saudi Arabia — both leagues are far from Europe’s best and brightest. However, it is clear how crucial the World Cup has been for ratings, but none more so than for Messi.
One of the most debated reveal periods for the game’s developers every year is ‘Ratings Week’, as fans, clubs and players themselves, share their surprise and outrage at the updated player attributes.
Ahead of the game’s release, EA Sports has revealed the official rankings for the best men’s clubs in EA Sports FC 27.
Paris Saint-Germain (★★★★★)
REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
The French giants are one of eight five-star teams in EA Sports FC 27 this season, and for good reason too. They completed a historic back-to-back Champions League triumph last season, beating Arsenal in the final. Luis Enrique’s side also secured a fifth straight Ligue 1 title, continuing a long period of dominance in France.
PSG have already bolstered their squad significantly this summer, with the likes of World Cup final hero Ferran Torres joining from Barcelona. Ousmane Dembélé and co will be determined to make it three in a row in the Champions League.
Real Madrid (★★★★★)
REUTERS/Ana Beltran
The last team to complete the Champions League three-peat, Los Blancos unsurprisingly, earned a five-star rating from EA this year too. With José Mourinho back at the helm, the 36-time La Liga winners will be hoping to end their mini-trophy drought. Yan Diomande, the subject of a reported €125 million fee, will be hoping to make an immediate impact at the Bernabeu.
Manchester City (★★★★★)
via Manchester City Official Website
They haven’t won the Premier League since 2024 and are now without Pep Guardiola, but the Cityzens are still a force to be reckoned with. City completed the domestic cup double last season and finished runners-up in the league. But they will surely have deserved ambitions of unseating both Arsenal and PSG in the Premier League and the Champions League respectively.
Bayern Munich (★★★★★)
Via FC Bayern
Vincent Kompany’s side continue to dominate in the Bundesliga, having won 13 of the last 14 domestic league titles. Spearheaded by their prolific striker and England captain Harry Kane, Munich once again look like a team capable of challenging in the Champions League. The German giants made it to the semi-finals last season and have made a few key signings in the summer window. Munich will be keen to justify their five-star rating during the upcoming season.
Barcelona (★★★★★)
REUTERS/Vincent West
Barca justified their five-star rating with back-to-back La Liga titles, beating Real Madrid at home to secure another domestic success. And whilst the Catalan side bowed out at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League, they will be encouraged by their players’ international success over the summer.
The Gunners’ promising crop of players finally delivered, ending Arsenal’s 22-year wait for another Premier League title. It has been a long time coming for Mikel Arteta, who has patiently assembled one of world football’s most impressive squads. The Gipuzkoan coach has added Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães, Christos Tzolis, and the permanent signing of Piero Hincapié will ensure that Arsenal’s future ambitions remain in reach.
Liverpool (★★★★★)
REUTERS/Phil Noble
The Reds had a campaign to forget, failing to defend their Premier League title and barely scraping Champions League qualification. But their squad and legacy makes a strong argument for their five-star rating.
Talismanic forward Mo Salah was the biggest departure at Liverpool this summer, but a fresh generation of Anfield icons are loading under the stewardship of new boss Andoni Iraola. The Spaniard and the club as a whole have a point to prove this season.
Atlético Madrid (★★★★★)
via Reuters
Often an afterthought in Spanish football due to the dominant duopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona, Atlético continue to be a force all of their own in La Liga. Diego Simeone’s men may be without a major honour since 2021 when they beat the big two to the La Liga title, but they continue to present a highly competitive team on all fronts.
