After announcing the arrival of Jamie Gittens, Chelsea now reportedly want to hijack Newcastle United’s chase to sign a Serie A defender who’s worth over £50m.
Gittens realises Premier League "dream"
As ever, Chelsea haven’t been afraid to spend big in the summer transfer window. This time around, they’ve splashed out over £60m to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion, £35m to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and, most recently, £52m to welcome Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. But even then, the Blues are unlikely to be done there.
After putting pen to paper to confirm his big-money move, the winger told Chelsea’s official website: “I did watch Chelsea when I was younger. Not in the stadium but on the TV at home in Reading, during the time of the Eden Hazard era.
“Eden was the clear player for me at that time. I liked Willian as well, another attacker. He had that little shimmy he did, I liked that.
“It’s my dream to play in the Premier League. Obviously, watching it from Germany, it’s a really intense league. Every week is a battle, and I feel like I can enter that battle strongly. I’m excited to join this team that have a winning mentality – that’s the main thing.
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“I just want to keep improving, especially as a footballer and a human being. I want to be more consistent and keep learning. It’s a great feeling to join Chelsea, such a big club. I can’t wait to learn from everyone in the team and to push myself to the max here. It’s amazing.”
With Pedro, Delap and now Gittens at their disposal going forward, those in West London have seemingly turned their attention towards handing their backline a similar boost in the form of a Serie A star.
Chelsea eyeing Giorgio Scalvini hijack
According to Caught Offside, Chelsea now want to hijack Newcastle’s move to sign Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta and face competition from Manchester United to do so. The Magpies have set their sights on the defender, but now face competition from two rivals.
Like Gittens, however, the deal won’t come cheap for Chelsea with the Serie A club reportedly demanding as much as €60m (£52m) to sell their central defender this summer.
It’s clear to see why Chelsea are interested in Scalvini even as he returns from an ACL injury, and it’s not just because of his defensive talents. As analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted last year, the Atalanta man has the “front-footed aggressive style” to push into midfield if needed in the type of versatility that no side would turn down.
Whilst he may need time to get back to his best after a long-term injury, Scalvini remains one to watch this summer.
Liverpool have made a surprising decision over an "unbelievable" Reds player who Jurgen Klopp admires, with a January update emerging over the weekend.
Liverpool held by Man Utd
While much focus has been on the Reds' potential incoming business during the January transfer window, there are also players who could move on to pastures new in 2024. Both Joel Matip and Thiago are out of contract at the end of the season and are 32 years of age.
Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future is also set to become a big talking point once again, with rumours of a huge bid from Saudi Pro League Al-Ittihad emerging over the weekend. With the 31-year-old's current deal running until 2025, he will surely either leave or sign a new deal next year.
luis-diaz-mohamed-salah-liverpool-opinion
There are also players who could head out on loan, with young right-back Conor Bradley wanted by a host of English clubs on a temporary basis, and a significant update has emerged regarding a player already at another club this season.
The Reds were held by Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in a frustrating encounter that saw them rack up over 30 shots and hold nearly 70 per cent of the possession, so their latest decision on a player who could add a bit of creative spark in those sorts of games is a surprising one.
Fabio Carvalho transfer update
According to a fresh transfer update from The Mirror, FSG are planning talks to recall Fabio Carvalho in the winter market, but not to unleash him into Klopp's team. Indeed, Liverpool youngster Carvalho could make a "shock" return to former club Fulham next month instead.
"Fabio Carvalho is open to a shock return to Fulham – if Liverpool are able to recall him from his loan spell at RB Leipzig. The Reds have opened formal dialogue with the Bundesliga club as they're currently unhappy with Carvalho's lack of minutes in Germany so far this season.
Sources close to the player have allegedly confirmed there is interest from both Fulham and the player's side in making a deal happen.
Liverpool's success rate with signings has been so high under Klopp, with an endless number of players proving to be outstanding acquisitions – Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson stand out as arguably the best of this era – but Carvalho increasingly feels as though he could be a rare failure.
The 21-year-old couldn't make a proper impact in his first season at Anfield, barring a memorable late winner at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League, and the fact that Klopp was willing to loan him out says a lot about his squad status.
The attacking midfielder's time on loan at RB Leipzig has been similarly underwhelming to date, with Carvalho only making one start in the Bundesliga this season, and it could be best for him to end his spell there early and go back to Fulham – even though many may like to see what he could produce in front of the rebranded Reds midfield.
“Charismatic” Liverpool target is now open to leaving his club in January
This could be a big boost for the Reds.
ByHenry Jackson Dec 17, 2023
Given his age, all hope is not lost for Carvalho with the Reds, and Klopp has described him as "unbelievable" in the past, but big improvements are needed if he is to make the grade at Anfield, or a permanent exit could end up happening in the relatively near future.
Glasgow Rangers return from the international break straight back into domestic proceedings with a clash against Aberdeen this afternoon.
Between now and January 2, the Light Blues face 12 vital matches which could arguably make or break their season.
Included in this run is a League Cup final against the Dons, two crucial European matches and a trip to Parkhead to face Celtic in the Premiership.
If Philippe Clement can emerge from this busy run with a trophy, a place in the Europa League knockout stages and having closed the gap on Celtic in the league, it will be a job well done.
Philippe Clement
The signs have been positive over the previous few weeks as the Gers have won six and drawn one of the last seven matches and the Belgian has brought some confidence back into a squad which had stagnated under Michael Beale.
The main thing now is to build on these performances while also managing the first team with regard to workload, as there have been far too many injuries this season.
Slowly but surely, certain players are returning and Tom Lawrence was one of the many who had missed large chunks of the season before making just his third start of 2023/24 and the first since Real Betis in the tie against Livingston a couple of weeks ago.
Tom Lawrence’s game in numbers vs Livingston
The Welshman had proven during his maiden season in Glasgow that, when fit, he could be a valuable asset to the club.
Before suffering a season-ending injury in August 2022, Lawrence had scored three goals and registered two assists, and it was clear that the Light Blues missed his creativity during a dismal campaign.
He had managed only one assist before starting against Livi, yet his performance on the plastic turf was excellent, and he could certainly throw a spanner in the works regarding Clement’s future plans.
The 29-year-old was deployed just behind Cyriel Dessers in an attacking midfield slot and ran the show, making five key passes while also grabbing an assist.
The midfielder also created a big chance, succeeded with his only dribble attempt, and won two of his three duels, demonstrating his strength in one-on-one battles.
It was a display which showcased Lawrence’s talents from the number ten role and one that surely pleased the manager.
With that in mind, however, Clement faces a selection headache ahead of the tie against Aberdeen, especially when Todd Cantwell is performing well in the same role.
With plenty of games to come in the next few weeks, keeping players fresh and healthy will be his main concern and this could see the Welshman return to the bench against the Dons today.
Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers
The Englishman endured a difficult start to the season under Beale as he was played out of position several times and while he grabbed an assist against Servette in the Champions League qualifiers back in August, that was his last goal contribution until Clement arrived.
Cantwell suffered a knee injury against Celtic at the start of September and this meant he missed the next seven matches, disrupting the progress he had built since joining the club in January.
Todd Cantwell
Since returning to the first-team fold, however, he has been in solid form and even scored his first goal of the season against Sparta Prague last month.
The Belgian has deployed him on the right side of the attack, yet the playmaker is more effective from the attacking midfield slot.
During the second half of last season following his £1.5m move from Norwich City in January, he scored four goals and grabbed four assists from the number ten role in just 11 games in that position.
Following the end of last season, journalist Josh Bunting lavished praise on the former Norwich gem, saying:
“Really interested in seeing how Todd Cantwell goes next season. Has proved to be an excellent bit of business and I don’t think it’s unfair to say he’s probably a level above this league. With the momentum he has he’s going to be the catalyst in that Rangers side. Has that desire.”
Due to his injury, his performances have taken a while to get back to that sort of level, but with more game time under the Belgian plus some added confidence following his goal against Sparta, he should be raring to go now.
He was given a 12-minute cameo against Livi a couple of weeks ago and during his time on the pitch, he completed 100% of his passes (10/10) along with succeeding with his only dribble attempt, and he should be fresh to start against the Dons.
Todd Cantwell’s market value
Since joining the Glasgow side less than 12 months ago, the 25-year-old has shown a significant improvement on the pitch and this has led to his market value increasing slightly.
According to Football Transfers, Cantwell is now currently worth €3.6m (£3.1m) and this is a decent rise on the £1.5m that the club signed him for at the start of the year.
Jack benched & £26k-p/w machine unleashed in Rangers predicted lineup vs Aberdeen
The Gers return to league action against Aberdeen on Sunday
ByRoss Kilvington Nov 25, 2023
It means that the Ibrox side could potentially cash in on him if they received an offer too good to turn down, or if the player failed to adapt to Clement’s tactical system and style of play.
Hopefully this is not the case, however, as the Gers currently have a player who was valued at around £40m just a few short years ago, and he appears to be shining north of the border.
Although Lawrence made an impressive return to the starting XI against Livingston before the break, his game time should be managed in order to ensure he will be fit once the fixtures start rolling in thick and fast leading up to the festive season.
This should give Clement the licence to unleash Cantwell from the first whistle and if he performs like he has done since joining the Gers, he could certainly cause the Aberdeen defence plenty of problems, that’s for sure.
A win today would exact revenge for the 3-1 defeat suffered against the same opposition in what turned out to be Beale’s last game at the end of September.
It's fair to say, the Light Blues have come a long way since then.
Since Farhad Moshiri bought into Everton in 2016, there have certainly been more misses than hits in the transfer market, with the club spending huge wads of cash on players who never really settled at the Premier League outfit.
The likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin and Jean-Phillippe Gbamin, just to name a few, have all been some of the Toffees' most expensive signings of all time, yet none of them still remain at the club.
However, there isn't a fine line between being a success and a failure. Some of Everton's acquisitions over the past seven years performed at a solid level during their stints in Merseyside and didn't set the world alight but weren't the root of the side's problems either.
One of the players who fits into this category left during the summer and has been having a torrid time at his new club.
Yerry Mina's stats at Everton
Yerry Mina became Everton's sixth most expensive player of all time and the fifth most expensive signing of the Moshiri era when he moved to Goodison Park for £28.5m back in 2018. The Toffees reportedly even fought off late interest from Manchester United to secure the centre-back from Barcelona on transfer deadline day.
The Colombia international went on to make 99 appearances in all competitions for Everton during his five years at the club and bagged nine goals in total which is quite an impressive number for a central defender despite the team's struggles on the pitch. Former Everton defender Michael Ball even claimed that Mina was a "monster" when on form for the Toffees.
Unfortunately, Mina came to the club during a difficult spell and throughout his time in Merseyside, the Colombian played under five different permanent managers. The coach he featured the most under was Carlo Ancelotti, playing 43 times during the Italian's stint in charge and his game-time massively diminished after the legendary coach left in 2021.
Marco Silva
31
Carlo Ancelotti
43
Rafa Benitez
8
Frank Lampard
9
Sean Dyche
4
Stats via Transfermarkt
Mina played less under Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche combined than he did under Marco Silva or Ancelotti and eventually left in the recent summer transfer window on a free.
Yerry Mina's stats at Fiorentina
The former La Liga champion moved to Fiorentina once his contract with Everton expired. The Florence-based club had reached two finals last season and finished in eighth place, earning a spot in the Europa Conference League once more. However, Mina's time at the Artemio Franchi Stadium has been a disaster so far.
In all competitions, the 29-year-old has made just two appearances for La Viola, while having been on the pitch for merely two minutes in total. Mina came on for one minute in Fiorentina's recent games against Juventus and Bologna prior to the international break, having spent the rest of the season sidelined with a muscle injury.
Former Everton player Yerry Mina
Mina's campaign has been even worse since leaving Everton than his ex-teammate Mason Holgate. The latter joined relegated Championship outfit Southampton during the summer but has featured for only 290 minutes in a Saints shirt over the course of five different games. He hasn't been a regular but has been a key part of a squad currently fourth in the second tier as they bid to compete among England's elite once more.
During Mina's time at Goodison Park, Holgate played 107 games in all competitions for Everton, more than the Colombian, and was shoehorned all over the backline due to his versatility, even playing in the midfield at one point. However, like his former colleague, the 27-year-old made four appearances under Dyche and parted during the summer, albeit on loan.
Everton defender Mason Holgate.
While playing for Everton may have seemed like a nightmare at times, both men have suffered desperately for minutes since leaving the club and now could have to live with the regret of doing so.
A reprimand for damaging the pitch compounded Ajmal Shahzad’s disappointing 2011 but he is ready to put in the hard graft as Yorkshire seek promotion
David Hopps31-Mar-2012Ajmal Shahzad wants to put a horrific 2011 behind him as part of a Yorkshire side aiming to make a quick return to Division One of the Championship.As well as feeling the fury that met Yorkshire’s relegation, Shahzad’s position on the fringes of the England side disappeared as his bowling deteriorated amid the struggle to combat a long-standing ankle injury first suffered on England’s 2010-11 Ashes tour.To make matters worse, his personal reputation also suffered as he was found guilty of a pitch-scuffing incident at Edgbaston. By the end of the season, with only 25 Championship wickets to his name at 41 runs apiece, one of county cricket’s most ebullient figures cast a forlorn figure.Shahzad was severely reprimanded and fined £750 ($1,200) by an ECB disciplinary panel for scuffing the pitch in a late-season match at Edgbaston, an impromptu act that summed up the frustrations of a season in which Yorkshire’s reputation as the brightest young side in the country collapsed and Shahzad also fell out of form and favour.One ankle operation later, he shakes his head in embarrassment at the memory. “It was just a stupid error by me,” he said. “I went to Lord’s for the hearing and I could see from the footage it was just incredibly stupid what I did. There wasn’t even any point in doing it.”It’s not the way I want to play my game. I don’t want to be seen as a cheat, or a pitch-damager. We were hoping to win that game; we needed to win it to stay up. It didn’t really go the way we wanted it to go. Emotions and actions kind of just built up.”What I did was stupid. But I have been reprimanded and been given the penalty for that. It’s one mistake I’ve made in an eight- or nine-year career so far. It’s out of the blue for me, and I definitely would never do anything like it again. It was just a random, stupid act.”Shahzad suffered for trying to play through his ankle pain with the help of two injections. His bowling action suffered, he lost his ability to swing the ball and he tried to compensate by quickening his pace. Yorkshire grumbled, without much justification, that he had lost focus and, as relegation became a reality, the chairman Colin Graves also had him on his hit list when he accused some players of turning in “unacceptable” performances.”I played a bit more than half the season with a dodgy ankle,” Shahzad said. “I was in a lot of pain, but just kept playing through it because I wanted to put my performances in for Yorkshire. In hindsight, I could have probably taken that time away and got it checked out. If I’d had it looked at during the season, had surgery then, it would have kept me out for that summer. I had the surgery in October and it feels good now.”Injury kept Shahzad out of England’s winter squads, but he could not wait to pack his suitcase when he was invited to Dubai as net fodder for England during their one-day series against Pakistan and he played in all but one of Yorkshire’s pre-season games in Barbados.”It was just a nice feeling to be in and around the England team,” he said. “It’s been a year or two since I’ve felt that – enjoying their victories in the one-dayers and seeing again what kind of level I need to be at to get back into the squad if the opportunity comes.”I feel as if I’m starting at the beginning again. Last season was tough. I tried to adapt the way I bowl to compensate for my ankle injury. I shouldn’t have done that. But I was trying to get through a season, and minimise the pain.
“Last season was tough – I tried to adapt the way I bowl to compensate for my ankle injury but I shouldn’t have”Ajmal Shahzad
“Then there were instances where I probably tried to bowl a little bit too fast, change a little bit of my action to compensate for my ankle. But now I feel consistent with my action, my run-up, my landing – and that’s come about with having my ankle pain-free.”I’m 26, coming near to my peak and I want to keep progressing. I don’t want to stagnate, I want to achieve the best I possibly can.Graves’ financial support has kept Yorkshire alive for several seasons, so he had quite literally earned his right to say his piece, but when he labelled the performances of some Yorkshire players on the day they went down as “a disgrace”, it caused shockwaves throughout the county.”There were some harsh words spoken,” Shahzad said, “but at the end of the day, the stats are there for everybody to see. I’ve got my reasons for why it was so tough personally. If they didn’t think I was fit to play then I shouldn’t have been on the pitch.”There were a few people, including myself, who did get a bit of a shock at the end of last season by a few words that were spoken by the owner of the club. That’s the nature of the game. We’ve just got to crack on with what we do. We try our best every time we get on the pitch. There’s not a point when we get on the pitch and think ‘Oh, today’s not the day for us’ or ‘I don’t really feel it’.”This is my job. I’m a fast bowler, who bats – and I go on to that pitch every day trying to take wickets and bowl as quick as I possibly can, and bowl well. I’m at the end of a three-year contract with Yorkshire. We’ve got some serious players in the squad. My personal ambition is to do well this season, and hope to get another contract offer from Yorkshire – and put some hard graft in.”Edited by Alan Gardner
Newcastle United are believed to be in pole position to complete the signing of a "brilliant" Premier League player, according to a new transfer rumour.
Newcastle eyeing new defender
The Magpies have had injury problems throughout this season, and defensively, they have been hurt by absences to a number of players. The influential Sven Botman has arguably been the biggest loss for a chunk of the campaign, but Dan Burn has also been a key injury victim, as has Nick Pope in goal.
For that reason, it could be that Newcastle decide to target a new defender in the January transfer window, in order to find a long-term partner for Botman at the heart of the back-line, considering Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles are both now in their 30s.
Two potential targets to have emerged are Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie, who are exciting young talents at Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, while Crystal Palace ace Joachim Andersen is another player who has been linked with a move to St James' Park.
Newcastle in pole position to sign Joachim Andersen
According to an update from The Sunday Mirror [via The Boot Room], Newcastle are now the front-runners to sign Andersen, in what represents a positive update.
The Eagles are demanding as much as £60m for the Dane's signature, however, so the Magpies will have to be willing to spend a huge amount on him. It isn't specified whether a January or summer move could come to fruition, although Eddie Howe could potentially hope that it is the former, in terms of bringing in a solid option ahead of the second half of the season.
Andersen could be a wonderful signing by Newcastle if they do strike a deal in one of the next two transfer windows, with the 27-year-old a dominant aerial colossus who has been so consistent for Palace over an extended period.
Appearances
20
Goals
2
Assists
1
Clearances per game
4.9
Aerial duel wins per game
2.4
Tackles per game
1.5
BBC and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has lauded the Denmark international in the past, too, lauding the impact he made last season:
"[Joachim] Andersen, he has been brilliant again this season. He always organises from the back. You have got [Ivan] Toney and [Yoane] Wissa, two physical guys, and he dealt with them really well."
As mentioned, finding a long-term centre-back partner for Botman may need to take precedence soon, given the age of both Schar and Lascelles, and Andersen could come straight in and make an impression for a number of years, having already racked up 117 appearances in the Premier League.
Journalist says “brilliant” Newcastle player is expected to join English club in January
Is this the right decision by the Magpies?
ByHenry Jackson Dec 31, 2023
A January move would be perfect, but Palace could be desperate to keep hold of one of their most important players until the end of the season, so it may be that a summer switch becomes more likely.
Liverpool are battling rivals Manchester United and Chelsea for the signing of an exciting young defender with "world-class" potential, according to a fresh transfer update.
Liverpool transfer news
After a quiet period in the transfer market in recent years, the Reds made genuine inroads during the summer, completing a much-needed midfield rebuild. Dominik Szoboszlai has caught the eye the most out of the all the new signings, looking like an outstanding addition, but Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo have all done their bit too.
With the midfield largely sorted, apart from a No.6 possibly being needed in the near future, Liverpool could now switch their focus to improving their defensive options and possibly looking like to bring in a top-quality long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, should the legendary attacker leave at the end of the season.
The Reds have been linked with a number of players in recent times, from Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala. While strong immediate options are important for Jurgen Klopp, it is also vital that they plan for the future, eyeing up some of Europe's best young talent.
Now, a new transfer claims suggests that Liverpool are planning to do exactly, as they tussle with some of their Premier League rivals for the services of a huge prospect.
Lille defender Leny Yoro.
Liverpool eyeing deal for Leny Yoro
According to a report from Spain, Liverpool want to sign young Lille defender Leny Yoro, but they aren't alone in expressing an interest in snapping him up – United are also thought to be in the mix to sign the 17-year-old, with Chelsea mentioned as potential suitors too.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Yoro recently, hailing his long-term potential and saying: "Leny Yoro is a player with the highest percentage of defensive duels won in Ligue 1 this season so far according to Wyscout – 89,3%. Almost 8% more than the 2nd one Yunis Abdelhamid. 17 years of age. World-class material."
This sums up how highly he is already rated as a teenager, and Yoro's stats further show why this is the case, with 27 appearances already made for Lille's first team, 22 of which have come in Ligue 1 – he has scored twice and assisted once in that time.
Jerome Sinclair
16 Years 0 Months 6 Days
Harvey Elliott
16 Years 5 Months 21 Days
Jack Robinson
16 Years 8 Months 8 Days
James Norris
16 Years 8 Months 13 Days
Kaide Gordon
16 Years 11 Months 16 Days
Centre-back is an area of the pitch that Liverpool will look at strengthening, considering Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both now 32 years of age, and Yoro is someone who could be viewed as a future leader at the heart of the defence, potentially alongside Ibrahima Konate.
It won't be easy for the Reds to beat the likes of United and Chelsea to the French teenager's signature, but the lure of playing under Klopp is an advantage that they will always have over others, and that could sway his thinking.
Christian Pulisic has responded to the questions of his character after being accused of being a “bad sport” in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Lazio.
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American drew two dismissals in RomeAccused of unsporting behaviourAdamant that he did nothing wrongWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international was heavily involved in that contest, drawing two red cards from opponents that lost their composure in the heat of Serie A battle. The first of those, when Luca Pellegrini was dismissed, saw Pulisic brought down after Lazio thought the ball was being played out so that Taty Castellanos could receive treatment for an injury.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT PULISIC SAID
Pulisic was blasted by those in the Italian capital for a supposed display of “unsporting behaviour”, with Lazio picking up two more dismissals deep into stoppage-time after seeing Noah Okafor snatch an 88th-minute winner – with Pulisic hauled down by Mateo Guendouzi prior to the former Arsenal midfielder being ushered down the tunnel.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Pulisic has told of the criticism that he has attracted: “For me, this was not a question of being a bad sport. I saw nothing behind me, I play to the whistle and I was brought down. I had no intention of doing anything like that, the whole situation got out of control. People who know me will know that, people outside can say whatever they want, but I didn’t mean anything against Lazio.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
Milan had Pulisic to thank again in their latest outing – as he grabbed the winner in a 1-0 victory over Empoli – and the USMNT star admits that he is producing the best form of his career after posting personal bests in 2023-24, while still having the promise of more to come.