Chelsea booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino made four changes to the side that lost against Brentford and in a season that has been plagued with injuries and the Argentine would have been delighted to see one of his stars return to the starting lineup and open the scoring as Benoit Badiashile sent the Blues on their way to the last eight.
He wasn't the only player to return to the first eleven as Reece James gave a good account of himself on his return from injury, with the pair coming off unscathed in the 61st minute, just after Raheem Sterling put the icing on the cake with a curled effort into the top right corner.
Raheem Sterling's stats vs Blackburn
Described as "clinical" by journalist Ben Jacobs for his well-taken finish against the Championship side, Sterling showed shades of being back to his best.
The Englishman terrorised the visitors with his electric pace and explosive ball-carrying, fashioning space for his team while wreaking havoc in the Rover's defence.
Touches
60
Accurate Passes
26/32 (81%)
Key Passes
2
Dribble Success
5/9
Possession Lost
16x
Duels Won
8/17
Stats via Sofascore.
Sterling's strongest asset is his fleet-footed dribbling and he showcased that to devastating effect on Wednesday night, recording the most completed dribbles out of anyone on the pitch (5), as per Sofascore.
The 28-year-old's approach play was exceptional, expertly fashioning space to create a chance and complimenting that positive play by supplying the end product to match.
He was a constant thorn in the Rovers back line, making two key passes, creating one big chance and successfully completing 81% of his passes.
Perhaps more impressively, Sterling's hard work to press and win possession back for his team didn't go unnoticed, throwing himself into challenges and making two tackles while winning eight of his 17 attempted ground duels.
The former Manchester City man set the benchmark for a positive Chelsea performance on the night but midfield maestro, Enzo Fernandez, somehow managed to eclipse his impact with an outstanding display.
Enzo Fernandez stats vs Blackburn
When the Blues captured Fernandez for a British record £106.8m from Benfica in the January transfer window, many anticipated him to transform the midfield and lead their charge up the Premier League table.
Unfortunately, the Argentine has been a central figure in a woefully underperforming side over the last ten months, typifying the club's struggles in piecing together a squad capable of challenging.
On Wednesday night, however, the 22-year-old rose to the occasion and showed his truly world-class talents.
Touches
131
Accurate Passes
102/110 (93%)
Key Passes
7
Duels Won
11/13
Times Fouled
5
Tackles Won
6
Stats via Sofascore.
A midfield metronome, who likes to control the tempo of a football match with his exceptional passing range, Fernandez was central to everything positive that Chelsea did, with journalist Nizaar Kinsella describing his performance as "ridiculously dominant".
That evaluation couldn't be closer to the truth as the World Cup winner recorded a Sofacore match rating of 9.0 – the best of any player for either side – made an astonishing 131 touches and completed 93% of his incredible 110 passes, as well as seven key passes.
If Fernandez was exquisite in possession, his desire to ferociously press and win the ball back was absolutely phenomenal, rarely giving the visitors a moment's peace in the engine room.
He came out on top in a whopping 11 of his 13 ground duels and made the most tackles in the match (6), putting in the sort of defensive performance that brought his South American roots to light.
When in this sort of form, Fernandez is a joy to watch and if he can translate that level of performance to the Premier League, the critics will soon realise why Chelsea shelled out a triple figure sum to lure him to Stamford Bridge.
From EFL goalkeepers to Serie A players with famous brothers, there are a lot of very tall players available to be used in the new EA FC 24.
Football FanCast runs you through a list of the 15 tallest male players at your disposal in the game, as per Futbin.
The 10 Fastest Male Players on EA FC 24
15 Sebastian Selin (Hammarby IF)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
6ft 8 is quite some height and yet there are a number of players on this list that are that tall.
Sebastian Selin is the first to meet that criteria, a bronze goalkeeper from Sweden.
14 Anosike Ementa (Viborg FF)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that a lot of these players will be goalkeepers but Anosike Ementa is one of the few that doesn’t fit that mould.
The Dane is a striker and he plies his trade in the top division in his home nation.
13 Massamba Ndiaye (Clermont Foot 63)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
From Denmark to France with Clermont Foot’s goalkeeper Massamba Ndiaye.
He is 64 rated with one of his highest attributes involving the ball being at his feet.
12 Samuel Brolin (AIK)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
The goalkeeper union continues to dominate heading into the silver cards with Samuel Brolin being the first up.
Brolin is another of the 6 ft 8 players on EA FC and he plays for Swedish side AIK.
11 Kjell Scherpen (SK Strum Graz)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
Kjell Scherpen certainly catches the eye with his impressive 5-star weak foot.
A goalkeeper having 1-star skill moves is hardly groundbreaking, but his weak foot makes the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee a fascinating card.
10 Skelly Alvero (OL)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
Frenchman Skelly Alvero is a defensive midfielder, with his height making him a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park.
He has 3-star skill moves and 3-star weak foot, as well as the best stat on his card being 80 physical.
9 Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
Milinkovic-Savic is of course a well-known name in European football, particularly in the Serie A, but it is Vanja who makes this list as opposed to Sergej.
The Torino goalkeeper is our first gold card with a rating of 76 and is yet another 6ft 8 man.
8 Cian Tyler (Coventry City)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
The first of a few EFL goalkeepers on this list comes from the Championship, with Coventry City.
Cian Tyler is just 21 and so is one for the future both with Coventry and Wales.
7 Matthew Nocita (Red Bulls)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
New York Red Bulls have several players of a smaller stature on their roster but at the other end of the spectrum is Matthew Nocita.
Nocita is a centre-back who has 4-star weak foot.
6 Corey Addai (Crawley Town)
Height: 6ft 8 inches
Returning to the other side of the Atlantic with Jamaican shot-stopper Corey Addai.
There aren’t many better feelings than watching your team home and away.
Win, lose or draw, we’re there to support our beloved clubs whether it be at the home ground or as part of a tiny away section.
League One in particular is as competitive as ever, containing some historic names of English football, and so with that comes a number of must-visit grounds.
Focusing on the third tier, Football FanCast has ranked the top ten away days in League One which you should be looking to embark on if your team ever gets the chance.
For this list, we've considered the area, affordability, potential nearby activities and the stadiums themselves when coming up with the best away trips League One has to offer.
10 The Valley – Charlton Athletic
We are kicking things off in the capital, in particular Greenwich, where we have The Valley.
This is the home of Charlton Athletic, who were playing Premier League football as recently as 2007, but have since hit a bump in the road.
Fans of the Addicks currently find themselves struggling to get out of League One, but they do have an excellent stadium to show off with a capacity of over 27,000.
Visiting such a big stadium at this level of course means that a sizeable away allocation comes with it as well – a couple of thousand are able to attend.
Given that Charlton is London, it is easy enough to make a weekend out of a clash with this team, as there is no shortage of activities and pubs and whatnot in the surrounding area.
One slight downfall, though, is that with the location comes more expensive drinks than fans from further afield may be used to.
Away day rating: 6/10
9 Memorial Stadium – Bristol Rovers
Travelling further west to Bristol now, which is a two-team city.
Bristol Rovers and Bristol City divide the land in blue and red and it is the latter who are the more established, having been in the Championship consistently for nearly a decade now.
Rovers are the team going under our microscope with their ground, the Memorial Stadium.
The stadium itself has a capacity of just over 12,000, so whilst it may not be competing with the venues that have graced the top flight, it is still very impressive.
Rovers originally spent 89 years at Eastville Stadium but left there in 1986 and then moved to the Mem ten years later.
Away day rating: 6/10
8 Weston Homes Stadium – Peterborough United
Iconic stadiums losing their names to sponsors is a plight that is working its way through the EFL.
Peterborough United’s London Road is the first victim on this list, but the Weston Homes Stadium is certainly not as bad as another that will feature later on.
The Posh is a highly regarded club, this reputation being boosted by the openness shown by owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony when it comes to the dealings in the transfer windows.
Peterborough has a historic cathedral if that is something that piques your interest before or after your team goes to battle with the Cambridgeshire side. Beyond that, there is a fair amount of general history on show and as the location suggests – Cambridge isn’t far away at all, either.
London Road is another stadium that holds a very respectable capacity, which is in excess of 15,000, with the possibility of a great atmosphere from home and away supporters.
Away day rating: 6/10
7 Pride Park – Derby County
Derby County are the first club to creep beyond the 6/10 mark and hit the heights of a very respectable seven.
They are another team who have played top-flight football in the Premier League era, although they do of course hold that haunting record for the lowest points tally.
Pride Park is where they call home, and according to BetVictor, this is the best ground in all of League One.
GiveMeSport states that season ticket price, price per game, stadium utilisation, total mileage, number of votes, atmosphere, location, stadium view, infrastructure and food were the various criteria that were assessed in BetVictor’s study.
Back in 1888, Derby were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, showing just how steeped in history they are, making them a shoo-in for this list.
Away day rating: 7/10
6 St James’ Park – Exeter City
St James’ Park is a famous location up in Newcastle but also down south as well, with Exeter City having a ground of their very own going by the same name as the Magpies’.
Exeter are very proud of their reputation of being a fan-run club and so that quickly endears them to the football purists who come to visit in Devon.
The Grecians are a loud and proud group of supporters, with their clashes against local rivals Plymouth Argyle always being extremely fierce whether it's at Home Park or St James’.
There is a standing area and a seated area for away fans at Exeter, which is a nice touch, and with a fine city just minutes away from the ground, the stadium itself is worth a visit.
Away day rating: 7/10
5 Bloomfield Road – Blackpool
Returning to the trend of former Premier League teams, Blackpool reached those particular heights with Charlie Adam as captain and Rob Edwards and Ian Evatt also featuring – a pair who now manage Luton Town and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Blackpool is known for having its infamous tower, the Pleasure Beach, waterparks and a zoo.
Once again, this is a location which would be suitable for the family, so a weekend getaway could be arranged around the main event of a football match.
Bloomfield Road has a capacity of 17,625, with the figures for away fans able to creep into four figures once again.
The presence of plentiful empty seats does lead to Blackpool being marked down, but it remains a desirable location for away fans, for sure.
Away day rating: 7/10
4 Kassam Stadium – Oxford United
Peterborough United affords you the chance of visiting Cambridge, while the other famous university city can be attended when your team goes toe-to-toe with Oxford United.
People of an older generation may know Oxford’s home as Grenoble Road, but it is now known as the Kassam Stadium in honour of Firoz Kassam, who owned the club between 1999 and 2006 as well as having a stint as chairman.
Kassam paid just £1 for the club due to the financial difficulties they were enduring at the time.
Oxford is considered to be a great place to visit, while as of 2021, it was named as the eighth-most expensive area in the country to buy a pint, so visiting fans will have to be wary when they flock to the nearby pubs.
Away day rating: 8/10
3 Toughsheet Community Stadium – Bolton Wanderers
Weston Homes Stadium isn’t the best name around, but that is nothing compared to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
There have been a lot of changes to the name of Bolton Wanderers’ home, from the Reebok Stadium to the University of Bolton Stadium and now to this.
But this name is one of very few blemishes on an away day to Bolton, in truth, with the size of the stadium certainly working in their favour.
Referring back to BetVictor’s research, Bolton ranked 14th in the entire Football League. This put the Trotters ahead of Premier League grounds such as Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United to name just a few.
Away day rating: 9/10
Newcastle fans against Arsenal at home
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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2023 2 Oakwell – Barnsley
Barnsley join Bolton at an away day rating of 9/10, but the former gets the slight edge, and finishes second on the list as a result.
Oakwell is an old-school, classic ground for football and Barnsley in general are a club with a lot of history.
They are firmly ingrained in the landscape of England from a football perspective which makes it a worthwhile away day instantly.
The club doesn’t own the stadium anymore, with the council having to take over to save the club from facing extinction, and whilst they have gone from the Championship play-offs to League One in just a couple of years, Barnsley remains a massive club that deserves a lot of respect and admiration.
Away day rating: 9/10
1 Fratton Park – Portsmouth
There aren’t many better grounds that one can visit in the EFL than Fratton Park.
The University of Portsmouth labels itself as “one of the most affordable UK cities for university students”, and why can’t that carry over to football fans wanting to frequent the pubs, particularly when “the cost of a pint [is] averaged at £4.51, one pound cheaper than London.”
We have no notes for Pompey, it is a club with a great following in a nice area and Fratton Park is the best stadium in League One, all things considered.
Chelsea were keen to reach an agreement for a new striker last year, and a reliable journalist has revealed that chiefs held a meeting with his family to discuss a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's summer arrivals
Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino recruited 12 fresh faces over the summer all on a permanent basis, with some of the biggest names to walk through the doors being the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson just to name a few.
The Blues may have had a complete squad transformation, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a disappointing start to the new season having won four, drawn four and lost four of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves 10th in the Premier League table.
The Stamford Bridge outfit will no doubt have had targets who they failed to secure during previous transfer windows, and one of those appears to be Palmeiras striker Endrick who has established himself as Abel Ferreira’s best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Palmeiras stats).
The Brazil international has already agreed to join Real Madrid next summer with Carlo Ancelott’s side acting fast to get a deal over the line, but if the following update is to be believed, the 17-year-old could well have been on his way to SW6 had things have turned out differently.
Chelsea held talks over deal for Endrick
Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Chelsea held a meeting with Endrick's family regarding a move, but in the end, his heart was set on a switch to the Bernabeu Stadium.
He wrote: “Endrick deal background story… PSG had €93m [£81m] package bid rejected for both Estevao and Endrick. Chelsea invited Endrick’s family to London to present their project. Real Madrid’s Juni Calafat, key to make it happen.”
Palmeiras striker Endrick.
Boehly could have landed "phenomenon" in Endrick
Whilst Chelsea have missed out on Endrick, Pochettino will know that he could have had an extraordinary talent on his hands in the capital, with the centre-forward having posted 26 contributions, 24 goals and two assists, in 70 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – Endrick stats).
The Taguatinga native also currently ranks in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons (FBRef – Endrick statistics), highlighting his ability to use his pace, dribble past his marker and create as many chances as possible for himself and his teammates in the final third.
Indirect set-piece threat
Likes to dribble
Gets fouled often
Sponsored by Nike, the left-footed teenager is additionally a versatile operator having been utilised in four various positions over the pitch following his arrival on the professional scene, including three across the frontline and one in the midfield.
According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Endrick is a “phenomenon” for his age and he has an extremely bright future ahead of him, so it may prove to be a real shame that the Blues failed to secure the signature of their target who is a real up-and-coming prospect.
Glasgow Rangers forward Ross McCausland was one of the stars of the show on Tuesday night as he played a key role in the thumping 5-2 win over Dundee at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.
The Northern Ireland international scored the first goal for the Gers on the night, prodding the ball past Jon McCracken, before going on to register an assist for the fifth goal from Scott Wright.
A product of the Gers academy system, the 21-year-old starlet has emerged as a regular first-team option under Philippe Clement this season and looks to be one of the most promising young talents at the club.
However, the Light Blues could now land an even bigger talent than McCausland as they reportedly eye up a teenage sensation from England.
Rangers' interest in Championship starlet
According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are one of a number of teams interested in a possible swoop for Stoke City teenager Sol Sidibe in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that Premier League giants Chelsea have been keeping tabs on the 17-year-old defensive midfielder, who was dubbed a "terrific" talent by former boss Alex Neil.
It adds that the Light Blues and Italian side AC Milan are also keeping an eye on his situation as they eye a potential swoop to sign the young whiz.
Derek Ferguson
16 years 1 month 14 days
1983
Bailey Rice
16 years 4 months 14 days
2023
Tom Walsh
16 years 4 months 27 days
2012
Paul Nsio
16 years 5 months 15 days
2022
Zak Lovelace
16 years 7 months 7 days
2022
As you can see in the table above, plenty of players have made their debuts and broken through at first-team level for the club well before their 20th birthday, which suggests that the potential is there for Sidibe to come straight into the senior side.
Why Sol Sidibe is a bigger talent than Ross McCausland
McCausland had only played three first-team matches for Rangers prior to the 2023/24 campaign and has now racked up 39 games by the age of 21, with 37 of those coming this season.
The 21-year-old had been playing academy football on a regular basis prior to the current term, with nine goals and five assists in 41 B team outings.
Sidibe, meanwhile, made his first-team debut for Stoke at the age of 16 and has already played eight senior games for the club in all competitions this season.
Ross McCausland
This means that the young whiz has already made more than three times as many first-team appearances for the Potters by the age of 17 than McCausland had by his 20th birthday last May, when he had played two games for Rangers.
Sidibe has also registered one goal and seven assists in 18 academy games this season for Stoke, which is one goal contribution every 2.25 matches on average as a defensive or central midfielder.
Whereas, McCausland managed 14 goals and assists in 41 B team appearances as a winger, which is one every 2.93 outings on average. That average drops to one every 4.33 first-team games with three goals and six assists in 39 games.
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Sidibe could, therefore, arrive as a bigger talent due to his emergence at a much younger age whilst also making a bigger impact in the final third at youth level, despite playing in a less attacking position.
This is why Clement should push to bring him to the club this summer as the Stoke youngster could emerge as a future star for the Light Blues, given the promise he has shown so far.
Beginning to think ahead to 2025, Liverpool are now reportedly preparing a £50m offer to sign an impressive attacking midfielder who has a fan in the form of Reds boss Arne Slot.
Liverpool transfer news
Given how close to perfection the Reds have been so far this season, it’s difficult to pick out just where they could find a sufficient enough upgrade. Instead, their transfer strategy seems to be focused on preparing for the worst when it comes to Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. All three players, as things stand, are set to depart at the end of the season as free agents in what would be a disaster for those at Anfield.
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It remains to be seen just where that trio of stars will be next season, but reports have at least been positive when it comes to Salah and Van Dijk’s Anfield future. Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, has decided to keep his cards close to his chest amid interest from Real Madrid.
It’s not just right-backs, central defenders and wingers that the Reds could look to sign in 2025, however. According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now preparing a €60m (£50m) offer to sign Charles De Ketelaere from Atalanta in 2025.
The Belgian is back to his best at Atalanta after struggling at AC Milan and has, therefore, gained a fan in Liverpool boss Slot, who reportedly likes the attacking midfielder. It must be said too, that De Ketelaere would be a fairly ideal fit for the Dutchman’s 4-2-3-1 system at Anfield.
"Magical" De Ketelaere can return to Europe's biggest stage
Whilst De Ketelaere’s last big move didn’t exactly go to plan, that failure should have prepared him for the chance to step back into the limelight, having rediscovered his best form at Atalanta. On that front, there’s arguably no bigger limelight than Anfield and the Premier League, making Liverpool both a daunting and potentially perfect next step.
Milan forward Charles De Ketelaere.
Having scored twice and assisted a further three goals against Young Boys in the Champions League last month, De Ketelaere’s evening was rightfully described as “magical” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.
With an impressive six goals and nine assists to his name this season, the 23-year-old is one to watch once again. With his AC Milan days behind him, De Ketelaere could emerge as an ideal option to play in the advanced midfield role in Slot’s Liverpool side. The likes of Curtis Jones have thrived in that role. Now, the young Belgian could be next.
Still over a week until Arsenal can hurl themselves back toward the ascendency in the Premier League. The international break has taken centre stage, and the best that fans across the world can do is watch various Gunners perform for their countries.
Not all within Mikel Arteta’s squad have jetted off to compete for their nations for the third of such pauses since the season began three months ago – almost to the day.
In fact, some pretty salient names have been kept back.
Why Arsenal stars have stayed in north London
There’s been a degree of frustration within the Three Lions camp concerning the spate of absences in the build-up to the November international break. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are among those to have opted against the call-up, citing injuries.
Elsewhere, Martin Odegaard made his anticipated comeback last time out and proved crucial in the draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, arcing the delivery for Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.
However, after such a long layoff, the skipper’s decision to stay in north London, instead of linking up with the Norwegian national team, was one of great prudence.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard
As the dynamic midfielder recuperates, another Arsenal star has found an opportunity to step up this week and put in a top showing ahead of the next round of gruelling domestic action.
Indeed, Mikel Merino ran the show for Spain.
Mikel Merino's stats for Spain
Arteta was bound to have taken note of Merino’s display against Denmark on Friday evening. Arteta, after all, is Spanish, and his compatriot is starting to grow into his skin after an injury-affected start to life in the English capital.
Mikel Merino in action for Spain
Merino joined the north Londoners from Real Sociedad this summer in a deal worth £32m but found himself languishing in the infirmary until October, having picked up a shoulder injury before he could make his competitive debut.
The 28-year-old has since completed nine appearances and scored during the draw against Liverpool. His combative and silky style brings much to Arteta’s squad, and he showcased such qualities superbly on the international stage this weekend.
Minutes played
80′
Shots (on target)
1 (0)
Touches
60
Accurate passes
35/44 (80%)
Long balls (completed)
4 (3)
Possession lost
13x
Dribbles (completed)
5 (4)
Tackles
3
Ground duels (won)
13 (9)
Not only was Merino one of the steeliest figures on the field, winning a whopping nine ground duels and making three tackles, but he also completed four of five attempted dribbles, highlighting a mobile edge that, when enforced under Arteta’s wing, keeps things fluid for Arsenal.
Spain defeated Denmark to extend their lead in League A Group 4 of the Nations League, of which they are the holders, and Merino’s performance was crucial – especially as he was performing in another man’s boots, so to speak.
Indeed, Barcelona superstar Pedri was left on the bench for this one and introduced for Merino with ten minutes left to play. It was a big show of faith from Luis de la Fuente, whose team needed to avoid defeat against the Danes to secure top spot and confirm a place in the title play-offs.
Pedri, 21, has been hailed as “one of Europe’s best young players” by journalist Sam Dean, and despite suffering adversity throughout his fledgling career, the £67m-rated talent is one of the most promising players on the globe.
His technical prowess wasn’t preferred to Merino’s dynamic command of the central circle, however, and Arsenal must rejoice at the quality of midfielder they have brought in this season.
A long season stretches ahead, and duel-winning stars like Merino could make all the difference when the business end draws near.
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Already looking ahead to potentially signing their next Liam Delap, Ipswich Town are now reportedly among the clubs eyeing a move to sign a Celtic youngster who just starred in front of their scouts.
Ipswich transfer news
On the performance front, it could be argued that Ipswich deserve more than just the nine points that they’ve won so far this season, sitting 18th in the Premier League as a result.
A case in point is their recent clash against Manchester United. After conceding in the opening moments of Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils, Ipswich enjoyed the better share of chances and arguably should have gone on and secured three points after Omari Hutchinson’s equaliser.
Forced to settle for a point nonetheless, Ipswich now have something that they must build on in pursuit of survival. Once again, it was Delap at the centre of the majority of the joy that Kieran McKenna’s side had up against Manchester United’s backline, making it no surprise that those at Portman Road are looking to repeat their transfer genius.
According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Ipswich Town are now eyeing a move to sign Daniel Cummings after he starred in front of on-watching scouts, scoring the winning goal for Celtic against Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League.
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An 18-year-old who has scored 22 goals in just 20 games at youth level so far this season, Cummings could yet leave Scotland in a cheap deal. As things stand, his current Celtic deal is set to come to an end next summer, which means that he’ll cost a cross-border compensation fee of just €310,000 (£250,000+) in what could quickly turn into a bargain move.
"Great" Cummings can follow in Delap's footsteps
Yet to step into senior football, Cummings could swap Celtic for Ipswich in pursuit of exactly that. Whilst Delap had at least already experienced first-team football when he decided to swap Manchester City for Ipswich, he too was struggling to establish himself on a weekly basis at the Etihad even after successful loan spells away. It’s a struggle that Cummings may soon want to put to an end at Celtic, which could result in an exit away.
Praised for his “great runs” and “spectacular strikes” by The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top stars, Cummings looks like a player destined to make an impact whether it’s at Celtic or in the Premier League at a place like Portman Road.
For a bargain fee, Ipswich could be landing an impressive coup ahead of a number of Premier League rivals.
After a disappointing month that almost entirely dismantled their Premier League title charge, Arsenal look back to their best.
The North Londoners blew Nottingham Forest away at home before blitzing Sporting CP and West Ham United away to reignite their campaign and give their fans reason to hope.
However, with Liverpool now firmly in the driving seat, Mikel Arteta and Co must also think ahead to ensure they don’t encounter similar attacking issues that plagued them prior to the international break next season.
Fortunately, that seems to be happening, as recent reports have linked the club with a forward who’s been compared to Thierry Henry and someone who’d help Bukayo Saka reach yet another level.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are still incredibly interested in Newcastle United’s star striker, Alexander Isak.
In fact, the Gunners are so desperate to bring him to the Emirates next year that the report claims they are prepared to make a club-record offer of €135m to make it happen, which converts to about £112m, or £7m more than they paid for Declan Rice last summer.
It would be a monumental sum of money to spend on a single player, but given his sensational ability, it could be worth it in the long run.
Moreover, the 25-year-old has been compared to the legendary Henry in the past and would surely form an incredible partnership with Saka.
Isak's comparisons to Henry and potential partnership with Saka
So, before looking at how he could help Saka reach another level, let’s examine this comparison with arguably Arsenal’s greatest player of all time, Henry.
In this instance, the comparison was made in April 2023 by sports presenter Daniel Hussey, who described the Swede as possessing “Henry vibes” following his mercurial assist for Jacob Murphy against Everton, and when you see it, it’s hard to disagree.
The former Real Sociedad ace races down the left-hand side of the pitch before dancing into the penalty area, beating four defenders and delicately dinking the ball into an almost empty net for his teammate to poke home.
It’s this ability to utterly humiliate defenders, particularly off the left, that makes so many fans and pundits make the comparison between the two players, especially as, like the Frenchman, the Toon star is more than capable of starting on the wing as well as down the middle.
However, beyond the positional similarities and the way in which the 25-year-old so often curls the ball into the back of the net like the former invincible, his attacking output is why so many clubs are after him and why he’d be a dream partner for the Gunners’ number seven.
Appearances
80
Starts
67
Minutes
5683′
Goals
40
Assists
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
120.91
For example, since joining the Magpies, the Solna-born monster has scored 40 goals and provided seven assists in 80 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.70 games.
Moreover, the “world-class” poacher, as dubbed by Eddie Howe, was utterly sensational last season, scoring 25 goals and providing two assists in 40 appearances, which is an even more impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.48 games.
In comparison, the North Londoners’ new starting striker, Kai Havertz, has scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 70 appearances for the team, which equates to a goal involvement every 2.25 games.
So, if Saka has been able to rack up an outrageously impressive tally of seven goals and 11 assists in 18 appearances this season, just think how much more effective he’d be alongside the Magpies ace.
Ultimately, Arsenal are already an incredibly dangerous team in attack, but were they to add Isak to the mix in 2025, then they would reach another level entirely and there is no knowing how many goal involvements Saka would be able to amass alongside him.
Arsenal could sign one of the "best CMs in the world" after Edu leaves
The incredible talent would be an excellent addition to Arsenal’s squad.
There are fewer things in football harder than replacing a club legend when the time comes for them to leave. Not only do you have to replace them as a footballer, but also as a figure around the club and in the dressing room. For Chelsea Football Club, it certainly feels like they are still in the process of replacing some of their legendary figures from years gone by.
Many people believed Mason Mount would go on to be the eventual replacement for Frank Lampard, who scored 211 goals in 648 appearances for the club. However, Mount ended up leaving Stamford Bridge last summer to join Manchester United.
Aside from Lampard, it certainly feels like Chelsea have still yet to properly replace legends like Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard, despite the billions of pounds spent by Todd Boehly since he became the club’s owner.
However, perhaps the toughest player to replace has been legendary left-back Ashley Cole. In an era when traditional overlapping full-backs are dying out, finding an heir for a player like Cole, who is now a Premier League hall-of-fame member, is not easy.
However, Chelsea might well have the perfect replacement for their former left-back currently out on loan, with the player set to return this summer and stake a claim for a starting spot next season.
Ian Maatsen is staking his claim
The player in question here is Dutchman Ian Maatsen, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea. The 22-year-old found it hard to break into the Chelsea side this season, perhaps somewhat surprising considering injuries to the likes of Ben Chilwell at left-back.
However, he got a loan move to Borussia Dortmund in January, where he has played a starring role, even scoring in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid to help the German side reach the last four. He already has two goals and two assists for Dortmund in just 17 games.
It marks another successful temporary stint away from the Bridge for the young defender. Last season, Maatsen helped Vincent Kompany’s Burnley get promoted from the Championship, scoring four goals and assisting six along the way. He nearly rejoined the Clarets last summer on a permanent deal but ended up staying at Stamford Bridge after rejecting the move.
The Netherlands U21 international is a superb modern full-back, using his electric pace to fly up and down the wing. Maatsen is a superb ball carrier. As per Fbref, his 2.78 carries per 90 place him in the 80th percentile, with his 0.60 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes rank him in the top 15% amongst full-backs in Europe.
Ian Maatsen West Ham target
He is a very progressive player, too, averaging 5.99 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and 4.63 passes into the final third per 90 minutes. That places him in the top 7% and top 10% respectively.
Not only is he impressive going forward, but Maatsen is impressive off the ball too. Specifically, the 22-year-old averages 5.93 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 81st percentile, and 1.25 interceptions per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 17%. Maatsen certainly epitomises what it means to be a modern-day full-back.
His future remains unclear at the minute; he might well depart Stamford Bridge permanently, but it certainly makes sense for Chelsea to keep the 22-year-old. He could well be their left-back for the next decade if he keeps up the form he has shown in Germany.
If he does decide to take his leave, then the Blues have another left-back waiting to make an impact.
Chelsea's next best academy prospect
It is not just Maatsen who could be Chelsea’s eventual replacement for legend Cole. They also have 17-year-old Ishe Samuels-Smith as a potential option in the future.
The left-back joined from Everton for a rumoured £4m last summer, a club where Cole was previously a coach, providing Samuels-Smith with the perfect education before his Chelsea move.
Samuels-Smith, who can also play at centre-back, is a wonderful defender, who uses his long legs to hook the ball away from an opponent and regain possession. He has good defensive awareness and is a superb long-passer, who enjoys playing long balls over the top for teammates to run onto in behind an opposition defence.
The teenager has yet to make an appearance at the first-team level, for either Everton or Chelsea. However, he has played 12 games in the Premier League 2 for the Blues this season, registering one assist.
With Maatsen and Samuels-Smith potentially breaking through, Chelsea might finally be able to find their long-term replacement for Cole and have two exciting left-backs in their squad for the next ten years or more.
Chelsea gem with "comparisons to Ashley Cole" could replace Chilwell