Category Uncategorized

Chelsea face a crunch Premier League encounter on Sunday afternoon, with the west London strugglers travelling to face capital rivals Tottenham Hotspur to try and veer back on course after a woeful run of form under Graham Potter.

Indeed, the two teams hold contrasting fortunes at present, with Spurs perched in fourth place and a remarkable 11 points above their neighbours, who are stranded all the way down in tenth.

Chelsea have won just two of their last 14 matches across all competitions, with owner Todd Boehly and technical director Christopher Vivell organising a crisis meeting earlier this week to devise a solution to the ongoing misfortune.

If any hope of Champions League football next season is to remain, the Blues must look to continue their marvellous record against Spurs – the Blues are eight top-flight games without defeat against the Lilywhites, having won six times and drawn twice.

In order to ensure that his grip on the Stamford Bridge reins does not become even more tenuous, Potter must bin “liability” Marc Cucurella – as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – from his pre-game thoughts and continue to unleash Ben Chilwell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium instead, as his dynamic and robust approach could pay dividends.

Should Chilwell be unleashed v Tottenham?

Chilwell has enjoyed much success at Stamford Bridge since signing from Leicester City in a £50m move  in 2020, but in recent months his progress has been blighted by long-term injury issues, and he has only started five times in the current league campaign.

However, during his time with the Blues, the 26-year-old has made 72 appearances, scoring eight goals and registering ten assists, with a notable triumph in the 2020/21 Champions League, playing a vital role in that success as he started nine times en route to lifting the trophy.

In his first start following his extensive layoff, which came against Southampton last week, the “creative” Chilwell – as dubbed by Nick Emms – impressed despite his team falling to a chastening home defeat against the league’s bottom club, making one tackle and two interceptions and winning six of his eight duels, as per Sofascore.

That vigorous and combative approach could be crucial for Chelsea against Spurs; with the fixture often fiery and tempers flaring, a composed figure to offer an assurance in their challenges will be most welcome for Potter.

Considering that the £190k-per-week Chilwell ranks among the top 18% of full-backs in Europe’s five main leagues for goals per 90, the offensive element of his game could bolster his side’s chances of victory even further.

Should Chelsea fail to secure victory over Tottenham, their run of form would stretch to a mere two wins in 15 games, while defeat would see Spurs move 14 points clear of their London rivals in the Premier League, all but eradicating any slim hope of the Blues mounting a late charge towards Champions League qualification for 2023/24.

It will be tough, and it will require tenacity, but with Chilwell – who has been hailed by some podcasters in the past for his “superlative” ball distribution – potentially offering such an attribute in abundance,  including him might just bear fruit for the Blues as they look to turn the tide on their recent travails.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale could have a busy summer ahead of him with a number of changes potentially on the way during the summer transfer window.

A number of first-team players are out of contract at the end of the current campaign and could need to be replaced heading into the 2023/24 season.

One player who is set to be a free agent later this year is Colombian marksman Alfredo Morelos.

The Ibrox star is reportedly attracting interest from teams in Spain, Italy, and Turkey and is said to be in a ‘stand-off’ with the club over a new deal, which has led to a summer transfer being described as ‘more likely than not’.

Will Rangers need to replace Alfredo Morelos?

Morelos has been a key player yet again for the club this season and has been the first-choice at the top end of the pitch under Beale so far – racking up nine goals and four assists in 23 appearances in the Premiership so far.

The 26-year-old has provided quality in the final third on a regular basis, both in terms of scoring and creating goals, and the Light Blues will need to bring another option in to replace his output if the gem departs this summer.

One player the club are reportedly keen on signing is Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic, who was valued at a staggering £45m by Dunajska Streda in an attempt to ward off interest from teams in the January window.

However, it remains to be seen how open they will be to cashing in on him in the summer and the Gers could look to snap him up as the heir to the current striker’s throne at Ibrox, albeit at a much cheaper price.

Krstovic, who was dubbed a “goal machine” and of a “similar mould” to Morelos by a Football Insider journalist, would come in as a player with the potential to be a dream long-term successor to the Colombia international at the age of 22.

He could be a terrific signing in the immediate term as well for the future, with his room and time to grow and develop, as his form this season in Serbia has been extraordinary.

The prolific youngster has plundered nine goals and six assists in 17 league starts last term.

These statistics show that the marksman, who scored 41 goals in 96 appearances for Zeta Golubovac at the start of his career, is a regular goalscorer who can also create chances for his teammates.

Therefore, Krstovic could be the ideal heir to Morelos at Rangers, if the Colombian striker departs this summer, as he could replace the goalscoring and creative output in the final third if the Montenegro international can adjust to Scottish football.

Newcastle United could well be eyeing yet another late window move, with the Magpies already currently wrapping up the signing of wantaway Everton starlet, Anthony Gordon on a £45m deal.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the Tynesiders are believed to now be in negotiations regarding a swoop for long-term target, James Maddison, with the 26-year-old’s current side, Leicester City, set to demand around £55m if they are to sanction a sale this month.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest, the transfer insider revealed: “Newcastle are in talks with Leicester for Maddison. NUFC are ready to make the first offer for the AM of around £45m. LCFC want at least £55m (£40m upfront). In case of no agreement, the player will remain a target in the summer.”

This follows reports during the summer that claimed the St James’ Park outfit had made an offer of around £50m for the England international, with the playmaker yet to commit his future to the Foxes with just 18 months to run on his existing deal.

‘Perfect’ for Howe

After what has been a rather quiet window for the top-four hopefuls thus far, it does appear that sporting director Dan Ashworth and manager Eddie Howe are finally beginning to act with deadline day looming, with both Gordon and Maddison potentially on their way to the northeast.

In the case of the latter man, while it may prove difficult to prise the former Norwich City ace from the King Power Stadium mid-season, if a deal can be agreed upon in the coming days it would no doubt be a major boost in Newcastle’s Champions League qualification bid.

The arrival of the one-cap maestro could well provide Howe and co with the creative, midfield spark that they are currently lacking, with regular starters Joe Willock (two goals, two assists) and Sean Longstaff (one goal and two assists) having been rather underwhelming with regards to goal contributions in all competitions this season.

Turning to Maddison – who can also feature on the flanks – could well prove to be a “perfect” signing for the Magpies, according to pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, with the playmaking gem having thrived for Brendan Rodgers’ side of late.

While injury has inhibited the £110k-per-week man’s influence of late, the one-time Aberdeen loanee still boasts a haul of seven goals and four assists in 14 Premier League games this season, with that tally greater than any player in Howe’s squad in the top flight so far this term.

That follows what had been a particularly impressive 2021/22 campaign for the clinical “monster”, as previously lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, with the Coventry-born sensation registering a staggering 30 goal involvements in 53 games in all competitions.

That remarkable consistency has illustrated that Maddison could well be a player that Howe can count on to deliver the goods if he is to make the switch before Tuesday’s deadline, with it potentially set to prove a ‘perfect’ signing both for the club and for the player himself.

Leeds United suffered a potential blow in their battle against the drop this season as they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday night.

The Whites are now two points off the bottom of the table, despite sitting in 14th place as it stands, and are facing the real possibility of dropping down to the Championship unless they can turn their form around in the coming weeks.

Jesse Marsch’s team have gone seven matches without a win in all competitions and Victor Orta may look to utilise the January transfer window to bolster the team’s chances of avoiding relegation.

The Leeds chief has already brought in Georginio Rutter and Maximilian Wober to improve the squad but the club have also been linked with adding another option to their ranks in the number nine position.

It was recently reported that the Whites, alongside Rangers, Celtic, Southampton, and Everton, are interested in a deal to sign Gue-sung Cho from Jeonbuk Hyundai this month.

Marsch and Orta could now land the dream heir to Rodrigo’s place in the squad by bringing the South Korean international to Elland Road in the next couple of weeks.

Leeds’ current first-choice striker has been in fine form in the Premier League this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. The Spaniard has plundered 10 goals and one assist in 16 top-flight appearances for the club – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.06.

However, he will be 33 by the end of his contract in the summer of 2024 and the Whites may already be thinking about what life may look like after the ex-Valencia man departs.

Signing Cho to initially come in as the forward’s understudy before taking over during, or after, the next 18 months could be an astute move by Leeds as it would be a proactive signing, rather than waiting for Rodrigo to depart and then attempting to replace him.

The South Korean international, who was dubbed an “internet sensation” by The Athletic’s Daniel Taylor earlier this season, has shown plenty of promise in his home country as he smashed in 17 goals and provided five assists in 26 K League outings throughout 2022 – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.33.

Cho is also seven years younger than Rodrigo and this means that the signing would offer long-term value to Leeds if the gem can adapt to the Premier League and prove himself to be a reliable goalscorer in England.

Therefore, the 24-year-old, who scored two goals in three World Cup starts in Qatar, could be the dream heir to the Spaniard for Marsch due to his age and the goalscoring potential he has shown at both club and international level.

Phil Hay has insisted that there are now big questions over Junior Firpo’s Leeds United future.

The Lowdown: Firpo’s future up in the air

Firpo was hugely backed over the summer by Jesse Marsch as they opted against signing a replacement despite him picking up a hamstring injury. However, he’s been unable to repay that faith.

The former Barcelona man has only started two games across all competitions this season due to fitness issues, and that has led to Leeds bringing in Maximilian Wober in from RB Salzburg.

Therefore, Firpo’s future looks very unclear, with Wober now seemingly the number-one choice at left back, while Pascal Struijk has shown he can perform in that position if required.

The Latest: Hay not expecting Firpo to leave

Despite having an unclear future at Leeds, Hay has admitted on The Phil Hay Show that he would be surprised to see Firpo leave this month.

He said: “I don’t think you’ll see Firpo leave, I don’t think Firpo will go. But it does make you question more again whether or not Firpo is going to find a way to settle into that position and to make it his.

“It’s been a combination of things with him, but between fitness and form, you really can’t think to yourself of a period where you’ve watched Firpo play there and felt as if he was properly, properly settling in.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-13/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Firpo destined for an exit

Since joining the club for £13m back in the summer of 2021, Firpo – who has been slammed as a ‘liability’ – has only been able to make 20 league starts due to form and fitness woes, so a clean break could be best for everyone involved.

However, given he has a contract until 2025 and his performances have not been great for Leeds, it could well be difficult for the Whites to move him on without taking a significant hit on the investment they made.

It’s been a pretty drastic fall from grace for Firpo, who arrived as an exciting former Barcelona player and was once labelled the ‘driving force’ behind Leeds after his display against Brighton in the league by Matt Kilgallon on BBC Radio Leeds (via The Boot Room) and is now seemingly edging closer to the exit door.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly plotting a swoop for Dani Ceballos in January and the Spaniard could prove to be the next Joao Moutinho at Molineux.

According to reports from Spain, Julen Lopetegui wants to sign another midfielder in next month’s window and could look towards his old side for inspiration, with Ceballos seemingly on his shortlist.

The former Arsenal loanee has struggled for game time under Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu so far this campaign, racking up just two starts and six substitute appearances in LaLiga.

The 26-year-old’s contract with Los Blancos is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, which makes a January exit likely and given Wolves’ need for a creative influence in midfield, he could be a dream signing for Lopetegui.

Ruben Neves, Moutinho and Matheus Nunes have just two assists between them in the top flight this season, which suggests that the Old Gold need far more creativity in the middle of the park, if they are going to improve their goalscoring woes in the second half of the campaign.

WhoScored suggests that Ceballos’ strengths include passing and dribbling, which suggests that he certainly possesses the ability to unlock a defence, and he could come into his own with regular game time at Molineux.

He has already proven himself to be Premier League quality in a loan spell at the Emirates, where he caught the eye in the 2019/20 campaign.

After making his debut in a win over Burnley, he earned a lot of praise from former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on BT Sport.

He said: “It’s been a few years I think since they’ve seen someone this talented in the Arsenal midfield, with the confidence, panache, vision and desire to get on the ball.

“If he can produce that away from home, then Arsenal really will have all their prayers answered this season.

“I think he’s excellent, a really good addition to the group. Hopefully he’s going to have a big future at Arsenal, he’s been miles ahead of anyone else in this game.”

This praise will certainly remind Wolves fans of Moutinho, who also arrived at Molineux having spent time with European giants such as Monaco and Porto.

Since his arrival, the veteran midfielder has gone on to contribute five goals and 24 assists for the Old Gold, with his latest assist coming via a delightful pass to Daniel Podence in the Boxing Day win over Everton.

Unfortunately, these passes are few and far between for the 36-year-old these days and if Lopetegui wants a new creative midfielder in his squad, then Ceballos could be the ideal man.

Ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan has criticised Rangers for not securing new deals for Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos during the previous summer transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Kent & Morelos’ contracts

As things stand, Kent and Morelos are set to see their contracts at Rangers expire at the end of the season, alongside numerous other players in the squad.

The duo have made 25 league appearances combined this season, with Kent boasting 13 and Morelos making 12.

With the SPFL campaign set to resume in the next few days, the Ibrox board have been criticised for their missed opportunities during the previous summer transfer window, which could leave them needing to spend ‘tens of millions’ on replacements.

The Latest: Whelan slams Rangers

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan had this to say about Rangers’ opportunity in the summer to use the money they received for Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey to offer Kent and Morelos improved contracts.

“I think once you lose two personalities like they did for big money, of course it was big money but you have got to put that somewhere else.

“Put it into other big players whose contracts are about to run out. That to me was their perfect opportunity.

“You have got finances in the bank, you can offer these two players new contracts. It shows them that they are wanted at the club, their worth to the club.

“This is not a good position for Rangers. How are they going to replace these two? To replace players of their quality they are going to have to spend at least tens of millions on each player.”

The Verdict: Decisions to be made

Given the significant number of players now in the final years of their contracts, it does seem strange why Rangers didn’t avoid this during the previous summer transfer window when they had the chance.

Focusing on Kent, the fact that only four figures in the squad have played more minutes than him in the league this season shows how important he is to the team and why getting him to sign a new deal should be a top priority.

On the flip side, Morelos has only started one league game, meaning that Michael Beale could now have a big impact on what the striker ends up doing depending on how often he plays throughout the remainder of the season.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos. 

The Lowdown: City’s transfer previous

The Premier League champions have a track record when it comes to signing players from Champions League clubs across Europe.

The likes of Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland, among others, have all come to the Etihad Stadium from various sides who have featured in Europe’s premier club competition.

It now appears that the Citizens have their eye on signing a player who has been no stranger to competing in and winning the Champions League.

The Latest: Man City eyeing Kroos

According to a recent report from Sport, Pep Guardiola’s side are interested in signing the midfielder and have already ‘made a first approach’ to sign him. 

The report adds that City are willing to offer the player €14m (£12m) per year to join the Premier League champions.

The Verdict: Would be a big coup

Across the 11 La Liga appearances that the 32-year-old has made for his side this season, Kroos has made more progressive passes (99) and more passes into the final third of the pitch (159) than any other player in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.

Having also racked up the fourth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (28) at the Bernabeu this season, this showcases how effective the German can be out of possession as well as on the ball.

Hailed as an “extraordinary” player by former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, the £367k-per-week dynamo has also received praise from Guardiola, who managed Kroos during their time together at Bayern Munich and described him as “a very intelligent, very brainy and very calm” player.

Taking all that into account, even though the midfielder would become one of City’s oldest players if he were to join, he certainly appears to have the quality to be a crucial player for the club.

Chelsea will make the trip to the North West tonight to take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the third round of the EFL Cup, and Graham Potter will be hoping his team can leave their poor Premier League form behind.

The Blues have failed to secure a win in their last four league outings and have now fallen into seventh in the league table which will be frustrating for new manager Potter as he attempts to lead Chelsea to better things following the departure of Thomas Tuchel.

As a result, a great performance and run in domestic trophies should be a huge priority for the manager considering Chelsea went to both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup final last season so expectations will be high when they face Pep Guardiola’s side this evening.

One player who could be set to make his senior Chelsea debut this evening is former Arsenal wonderkid, Omari Hutchinson, with Potter hinting about the player’s potential inclusion during his pre-match press conference yesterday.

When asked about the idea of Hutchinson and other youngsters featuriing in the EFL Cup, Potter responded:

“He’s in the squad. Lewis Hall is in the squad. They’ve impressed, They’ve been training with us for a while now, and we’ve got some good quality young players we just need to nurture and take the right steps with. They will be in the squad and involved.”

It comes as The Athletic reported that Hutchinson was asked by the club not to report for Jamaica duty and it is clear now that the request was made based on an opportunity to play against Man City this week.

The London-based club signed the Redhill-born talent from the Gunners after rising through the ranks at the Emirates for seven years, but Arsenal’s loss could now be Chelsea’s gain.

Hutchinson scored a whopping 17 goals and registered 16 assists from his attacking midfield position in Arsenal’s U18 and U21 teams but did not a senior appearance before making the move to West London, where he has continued to shine in the Chelsea youth set-up this season.

The 19-year-old, who was hailed “outstanding” by Mark Worrall, has scored six goals and delivered six assists in the U21s, with a goal contribution every 101 minutes so far proving that he is deserving of taking the next step in his career.

With that being said, Potter could hand Hutchinson his first-ever senior appearance tonight and it could be the perfect opportunity for both the manager to get an initial impression of how the talented teenager can become a part of the future at the club.

Either way, it’ll be the biggest test of the youngster’s embryonic career to date, as with no prior senior experience, he could come up against the best the country has to offer on Wednesday evening.

Nottingham Forest defender Loic Bade is ‘down in the dumps’ at the club and is already eyeing up an exit, according to reports in France.

The Lowdown: Poor start for Bade at Forest

The Reds’ spending during the summer transfer window was remarkable, with Bade one of the endless new signings who arrived at the club, having previously been linked with Liverpool.

The 22-year-old loanee has experienced a tough start to life at Forest, however, finding himself out of Steve Cooper’s plans and not playing a single minute of action.

It is a situation that has seemingly already led to the youngster weighing up his options.

The Latest: Defender ‘down in the dumps’

According to Foot-Sur7 [via Sport Witness], Bade is currently ‘down in the dumps’ at Forest, with his Premier League dream quickly turning into a nightmare.

A return to Rennes is mooted, having left them to move to the City Ground, and it would mean they miss out on the Reds triggering the €14million (£12.1m) buy clause in his contract.

The Verdict: Get rid?

It could simply be that Bade hasn’t adapted well enough to the Premier League to cut the mustard, with Cooper watching him in training and making a decision on him straight away.

Then again, he is still only 22 years of age, and with Forest having so many squad options at the moment, it could be that the manager is allowing the player to adjust more to life at his new club before using him more regularly.

This update certainly suggests that Bade is not happy with the situation as it is, however, which is no great shock, and it could be that this a transfer that is accepted as one that didn’t work out.