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Chelsea’s experienced midfield pair, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, are out of contract at the end of the season, which consequently leaves the Blues hierarchy with a headache when assessing the best avenue to delve down in order to secure the club’s success over the coming period.

While reports indicate that Kante could still pen a new deal that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2026, Jorginho’s potential departure appears to be set in stone, and the club consequently need to replace the Italian stalwart.

Boss Graham Potter is at the helm of an outfit that is undergoing sweeping changes, with owner Todd Boehly having spent approximately £404m on new acquisitions since his arrival last year, and for all of the change, there remains a requirement to bolster the centre of the park, even without considering the aforementioned contract situations.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Yves Bissouma is the latest name to enter the rumour mill, with The Telegraph reporting several days ago that the Malian maestro was subject to an inquiry from Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell, but resistance swiftly met the approach with the Lilywhites reluctant to bolster their heated rivals, even though the north London outfit have an interest in the Blues’ creative whiz Hakim Ziyech.

However, given Chelsea’s affluence and Boehly’s incessant approach on the transfer front, the persistence could pay off if the Stamford Bridge outfit lodges a formal offer for the industrious ace.

And should the “influential” 26-year-old – as once dubbed by Joe Cole – indeed find himself donning Chelsea blue in the near future, his presence in the centre could provide the calm to pacify the storm, with the west London club winning just three of the last 12 matches across all competitions, despite the lucrative spending spree.

Bissouma, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, has made 22 appearances this season for Spurs, however, he has started just eight times in the Premier League, and is seemingly not quite settling in following his £30m arrival last summer.

Despite this, he would bring a particular set of skills that could allow him to flourish under Potter once again – having played for the tactician with the Seagulls – and could reignite the form that saw him record an impressive average league rating of 7.07 last term, as per Sofascore, completing 89% of his passes and displaying his tenacity with a remarkable 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per outing.

And with the ace still ranking among the top 6% of midfielders for pass completion and the top 10% for interceptions over the past year among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, he could certainly take the baton from Jorginho, who himself ranks among the top 13% for pass completion and the top 9% for interceptions.

Relations between Chelsea and Spurs are fragile, to put it mildly, with the two clubs rarely completing direct transfer business, but with Bissouma – who was once lauded as a “monster” by journalist Aaron Stokes – evidently a figure beloved by his former boss in Potter, a move could materialise this year, with Boehly indeed showing no mercy in homing in on his targets once distinguishing them to aid the club in the resurgence back to the very top of the global game.

A deal to bring Weston McKennie to Leeds United looks likely, Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Juventus midfielder looks set to leave in this window with a number of clubs interested, and according to Romano, Leeds seem to be among the frontrunners for his signature.

Jesse Marsch is after a central midfielder to strengthen his squad, and World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi has also been linked with a move to Elland Road.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that the clubs are in negotiations and a transfer could happen.

He said: “Weston McKennie is on the list at Leeds. Leeds are looking at McKennie; McKennie and Ounahi are the two options in the midfield for Leeds.

“Both options are open, but there are conversations ongoing between Leeds and McKennie, so it’s a serious possibility.”

A strong addition

The USA international could link up with national teammate Tyler Adams in the midfield while adding experience and quality to the side.

The 24-year-old could bring some attacking threat from a deeper position, as he ranks in the top 16% of midfielders for touches in the attacking penalty area, whilst also ranking highly for goals, as per FBref.

He has scored 13 times in 96 games for Juventus, and given the amount of interest in him, if Leeds can secure his signature, it could be a huge boost to their survival hopes.

Indeed, he has received high praise during his time at Juventus.

“McKennie is probably the best American player playing in Europe. I think it’s very important for him to continue showing the high level that he has at Juve,” Massimilano Allegri stated of his midfielder.

Given this high praise for him whilst he is at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, he would surely be a statement addition if Leeds can lure him to Elland Road.

Liverpool are desperately seeking for clarity over their immediate future as a competitive outfit at the forefront of domestic and continental competition after a woeful 22/23 campaign thus far.

One name who has been linked with a move to Merseyside across recent months is Chelsea favourite Mason Mount, with the 24-year-old English playmaker hitting a snag in negotiations with the Blues regarding a lucrative new contract.

And according to The Guardian, Liverpool are keeping one eye on the developing situation with hopes of swooping should an apt opportunity arise, and could make their move this summer by presenting the player with an enticing package to serve as a centrepiece for Klopp’s plans to return to prominence.

Liverpool have signed forward Cody Gakpo for £35m this winter, and are unlikely to make another high-profile signing before issuing heavy investment in the summer.

Imagine Mount & Bellingham

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have fallen heavily below expectations and are consequently facing a steep battle to achieve Champions League football next year after losing their once indomitable spirit and relentless cohesion.

The centre-midfield has clearly been discerned as the epicentre of the strife, with the inability to take control of matches and failure to effectively protect the backline leaving little doubt that something needs to change, and life needs planting at Anfield once again.

And by landing Blues maestro Mount, that seed of promise would only soar towards the sun, with Klopp nurturing his already spectacular skills and refining him into one of Europe’s leading creative phenoms.

In the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, the 36-cap England international has recorded an average rating of 7.23 – higher than any Liverpool midfielders – despite his west London outfit languishing in tenth place after their own seasonal perils.

Having scored three goals and served two assists, Mount has averaged 1.5 shots and 1.5 key passes per game, completing 81% of his total passes and making 1.5 tackles, also completing 60% of his dribbles – illustrating his commendable dynamism and robust attitude to his work on the pitch.

Should Klopp succeed in a bid, he could link up with fellow Reds target Jude Bellingham, who has been subject to intense speculation regarding his future with German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, renowned for developing talented prospects into prodigious, world-class athletes.

The assiduous Bellingham ranks among the top 4% of midfielders for completed dribbles and the top 14% for progressive passes, also in the top 13% for interceptions and the top 17% for blocks – as per FBref – which both illustrates his all-embracing stance on midfield work and creates a platform for teammates to flourish, which could indeed fall into Mount’s favour.

The £70m-rated Chelsea gem has often found a home from a more offensive role this term, and while Klopp would likely look to refine his skills and place him somewhat deeper within the midfield, having the assurance of Bellingham beside him would give him the freedom to dazzle both as a direct force and a creative outlet.

Once hailed as a “terrific talent” by former Premier League player Danny Murphy, Mount would indeed bring a bundle of energy and tenacity to a Liverpool side devoid of its former vigour, and if a deal truly can be struck – almost certainly against Chelsea’s wishes – it could be a major coup for Klopp and co.

And with Bellingham’s name also peppering Liverpool transfer conversation over recent months, the tantalising thought of the dynamic England duo entwining on Merseyside is a prospect that could indeed come into fruition, with both players already well acquainted and possessing respective skill sets that would fit Klopp’s footballing philosophy like a tailor-made glove.

It would be an “incredible” partnership – as Joe Cole once hailed Mount – and one that must be clinched by Liverpool’s boss.

Manchester United transfer target Marcel Sabitzer is ‘due to fly’ to England shortly, with a deadline day move looking increasingly likely.

The Lowdown: Sabitzer a late United target

On Tuesday, the damaging news emerged that Christian Eriksen is expected to be out of action until April or May because of an injury picked up against Reading last weekend.

The Dane has been an influential signing by United this season and it has seemingly made them look for a replacement immediately on deadline day.

Sabitzer has emerged as the clear favourite to join on loan from Bayern Munich, with numerous reports linking him with a move.

The Latest: Midfielder flying to England

Taking to Twitter, The Telegraph’s James Ducker provided an update on the situation, saying the midfielder has a flight booked to Manchester to try and complete his transfer before the deadline: “Marcel Sabitzer is due to fly to Manchester shortly as #MUFC race to complete a loan deal from Bayern Munich before deadline.”

Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth then added another positive update live on the channel’s Transfer Show (17:26), saying: “I’m told there is an optimism that Man United will get this deal done.”

The Verdict: Move looks done

This update feels like a significant one, with only a major late twist preventing Sabitzer from becoming a United player this month, filling the void left by Eriksen in the process.

The Bayern man is an impressive footballer who has scored 12 goals in 68 caps for Austria, as well as being described as having a ‘great mentality’ by Hasan Salihamidzic.

Sabitzer would add the box-to-box ball progressing that Eriksen has provided for United this season, also offering more defensively, averaging 1.8 tackles per game in the league this season compared to the Dane’s 0.6.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan is set to be available for the FA Cup game vs Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, according to Darren Moore.

The Lowdown: Initial concerns

The Owls secured a 1-0 victory over Plymouth in League One last weekend which saw them move to the top of the table, but there was a negative to emerge from the game.

The Hillsborough captain was substituted after 86 minutes, which caused initial concern among supporters that he’d suffered a repeat of the recent hamstring injury which had kept him sidelined for almost a month.

However, the latest update is much brighter news…

The Latest: Bannan fitness update

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s visit to the Highbury Stadium, Moore delivered a welcome update on Bannan’s fitness by confirming that he hasn’t sustained any kind of setback. As quoted by The Star, he said:

“That’s just cramp. I can say that, Barry’s was just cramp and he’s alright.”

The Verdict: Boost for Moore

Bannan has been dubbed a ‘threat’ by journalist Josh Bunting and it’ll be a huge boost to Moore having him available for selection for tonight’s fourth-round replay.

The Scotsman has posted ten goal contributions in 23 third-tier appearances so far this season and is currently averaging an incredible 3.3 key passes per league game (WhoScored). To put that number into context, no other Owls player can boast more than 1.5 key passes per game.

The Owls skipper is at the heart of everything his side do going forward and he continually plays a significant role in their success, so it’s positive news that he’s not facing another spell on the sidelines in Yorkshire.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Jude Soonsup-Bell, who recently joined from Chelsea, is one of the ‘most highly-rated’ young strikers in England, according to club ‘expert’ John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Spurs sign Soonsup-Bell

Tottenham confirmed the signing of Soonsup-Bell at the end of the January transfer window, signing from the Blues on a four-year deal that will run until June 2025.

The 19-year-old will initially be added to Spurs’ development squad, but the player himself has stated that he ‘won’t fear going to train with the first team’, given the learning experience he has had at Chelsea (via Daily Mail).

The Latest: Wenham reacts

In an interview with Football Insider, Wenham spoke of his elation that the youngster has agreed a move to Tottenham, saying: “I know a bit more about this guy than most.

“I have seen him come and play at Hotspur Way as part of Chelsea’s academy a few times. I would go as far as to say he is the most highly-rated academy forward in England, very exciting.

“He had a season where he scored something like 18 goals in 15 games. I think Chelsea picked him up from Swindon and he is very highly regarded.”

The Verdict: Good signing?

Once hailed as having ‘real potential’ by former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, the starlet made history for the Blues by becoming their first player in 59 years to score four goals in an FA Youth Cup tie.

In the 2020/21 U18 Premier League season, the marksman netted on 14 occasions in 16 appearances, exhibiting all the right signs to make the step up to the Premier League 2.

However, Soonsup-Bell has struggled at the higher level, scoring just twice in 19 appearances last season, and so there are question marks about whether he will make the grade as a Spurs player.

Given that he is still only very young and has little professional experience, it is too early to tell whether the striker will go on to be a success in a Tottenham shirt, and a loan move to an EFL team next season could be key to his development.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has criticised Malik Tillman for scoring a controversial goal in the most recent Rangers game.

Was Tillman wrong to score for Rangers?

In the Scottish Cup this weekend, the Ibrox side managed to claim a narrow 3-2 home win over Partick Thistle. The game, though, did not pass without incident.

Indeed, around the 70th minute, after the ball had been put out of play for Tillman to receive treatment for an injury, action resumed with the opposition thrown back the ball. However, the striker quickly moved to score without fairly giving Partick the chance to properly regather possession.

His effort stood but Rangers and manager Micheal Beale sportingly allowed Partick Thistle to then run through on goal unopposed to quickly even things up.

While talking about the incident on BBC’s 606, Sutton weighed in on it all, slamming Tillman for his “poor” behaviour.

The pundit said: “Yeah, there was a big, big controversial incident up there, wasn’t there?

“Tillman scoring a goal which he shouldn’t have done. He shouldn’t have scored because I think he was injured and went back on. And the Partick Thistle players were outraged. Really poor from Tillman.”

How does the Tillman incident reflect on Rangers?

There is no rule stopping Tillman from doing what he did, hence why the goal was allowed to stand, but it certainly wasn’t a good look for the youngster.

However, the case has been made that as he was the player down injured, he didn’t realise the ball had been put out of play and so when the game resumed he assumed things were just carrying on as normal.

Partick Thistle boss Ian McCall certainly seemed to give the player the benefit of doubt. He told BBC Sport: “I don’t think Malik Tillman knew what he was doing. I think he got mixed up and put it in the net.

“Michael Beale showed an awful lot of class, so did James Tavernier to do what they did. It was the right to do so there’s no blame on anybody, not even the ref. I’ve been involved in the game since 1981 – I’ve never seen it before.”

While Beale also defended his player, saying: “It was a big misunderstanding, the whole thing. Malik gets injured. We play the ball out. Malik’s on the floor, he’s unaware that we’ve played the ball out so when he gets up, he just thinks it’s a throw-in to Partick Thistle. He presses innocently and then he’s through on goal and he goes and finishes the move.

Ironically enough, Sutton was once involved in a similar incident when he scored for Blackburn Rovers against Arsenal. The former player has since admitted, “Martin Keown wanted to rip my head off”.

With that in mind, you’d think he’d be a little more sympathetic to the Rangers man.

Manchester United’s remarkable resurgence under Erik ten Hag continued with another impressive display at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening in the Europa League, with the Red Devils really taking the game to a Barcelona side who are currently the runaway leaders in La Liga.

In truth, the Premier League giants may well be disappointed not to have come away with more than just a draw on the night, although the United boss will no doubt have been encouraged by his side’s resilience, after initially falling behind soon after the interval as former Chelsea man Marcos Alonso nodded home.

While in recent years the Old Trafford outfit may well have wilted amid such a setback, the current bunch showcased that they are made of sterner stuff, with Marcus Rashford – in particular – grabbing the bull by the horns to drag his side back into the game.

After first utilising his breathtaking speed and finishing prowess to net from the tightest of angles for his 22nd goal of the season in all competitions, the England international then expertly skipped his way past a rather helpless Raphinha to set up a Jules Kounde own goal, having superbly fired the ball across the penalty area to cause chaos among the home defence.

That lead proved short-lived, however, as the visitors failed to deal with the aforementioned Raphinha’s whipped cross, with the curling effort evading both the visiting backline and opposition striker Robert Lewandowski to end up in the back of the net.

Despite the frustration of conceding in such a soft manner, Ten Hag’s men will take great heart from their confident and courageous display on the night, with that man Rashford stealing the show having looked simply “unplayable” once again, according to BBC pundit Chris Sutton.

Another key performer alongside the 25-year-old, however, was midfield maestro Casemiro, with the ex-Real Madrid man once again rubberstamping his importance to the side amid his recent absence in the league due to suspension.

How did Casemiro play against Barcelona?

After missing the two recent meetings with Leeds United after picking up a needless red card against Crystal Palace earlier this month, the experienced Brazilian showed no signs of rust as he smoothly slotted straight back into the heart of the midfield.

The “class” operator – as once lauded by journalist Dominic Booth – notably played a key part in Rashford’s opener after finding compatriot Fred in the build-up with a lovely, lofted pass, with such a moment of quality once again laying bare his previously unsung creative brilliance.

Although the 30-year-old did lose possession to spark La Blaugrana’s late equaliser, that was a rare blip in an otherwise serene performance, with much of the blame likely to be shouldered by his teammates for failing to deal with the inswinging delivery.

Simply a “diamond of a footballer” – according to writer John Ludden – the £70m addition unsurprisingly demonstrated his ball-winning prowess after winning five of his eight duels, including winning 100% of his aerial duels.

Despite losing the ball on 14 occasions, Casemiro was still able to achieve a solid 7.4 match rating, as per Sofascore, with that only bettered by David De Gea (7.8) in the sticks for the away side.

Such a dominant display was also lauded by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, who suggested that the 69-cap brute had been ‘vital’ in allowing United’s attacking talents to shine further forward.

In truth, amid the recent chaos of having to deploy both Fred and January arrival Marcel Sabitzer together in the centre of the park as a result of his absence, Casemiro’s return last night served as a reminder of the impact that he can make to Ten Hag’s side.

While the one-time Porto ace will again be unavailable at home to Leicester City this weekend, the second-leg clash at the Theatre of Dreams next week seemingly can’t come soon enough, both for him and the Red Devils as a whole.

Journalist James McNicholas has revealed that Arsenal defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba had an on-pitch “disagreement” at full-time after the club’s recent win.

What’s the latest on Gabriel, Saliba and Arsenal?

In their latest Premier League game, the Gunners managed to extend their lead at the top of the table as they picked up a victory against Leicester City.
Indeed, a single second-half goal from Gabriel Martinelli gave Mikel Arteta’s men an important 1-0 win away against the Foxes at the King Power Stadium.
Despite the three points and the clean sheet, it seems as though Arsenal centre-backs Saliba and Gabriel had some reason to be upset with one another.
Indeed while speaking on YouTube after the game, McNicholas noted the duo had an angry exchange on the pitch when the full-time whistle blew.

He explained (3:24): “There was a bit of a disagreement at full-time between Saliba and Gabriel, I noticed, about I don’t know putting the ball out of play or whatever it might have been.

“Listen, that’s good, it shows standards are high. Arsenal just won to go five points clear at the top of the table and they’re still looking for perfection, they’re still looking for more.”

How important are Saliba and Gabriel to Arsenal?

Considering the Gunners got the win and limited Leicester to just one shot in the entire game (which was off-target) it’s safe to say the two defenders did their job extremely well on the day.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why McNicholas notes this as an example of high standards between the duo who were still not entirely satisfied when the game ended.
Gabriel has started every league game alongside Saliba so far this term, tasting defeat just three times across 24 games – proving just how available they are to the north London club.
All in all, it sounds as though this shouldn’t be anything to worry about for Arteta and the club’s fans. Indeed, passions may have been running high in the heat of the moment but it seems unlikely that the pair will fall out over this issue.

Newcastle United have submitted a bid of around €40m (£35m) for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic via his agent, according to a report this week.

The Lowdown: Milinkovic-Savic on the move?

Milinkovic-Savic has been linked with a move away from Lazio for a long time, with Manchester United said to have prepared a bid back in the summer transfer window, while West Ham United were more recently said to be keen.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has previously stated that the midfielder is valued at more than £100m, which could be a fair assessment, given that teammate Ciro Immobile has claimed he is ‘on the same level’ as Kevin De Bruyne.

The Latest: Bid lodged

According to a report from CalcioMercato however, the Magpies have submitted a bid of just €40m (£35m) for the Lazio ace via his agent Mateja Kezman, although they are not the only club interested.

Both Arsenal and West Ham have submitted a similar offer for the 28-year-old, who is almost certainly going to leave the Serie A club in the summer.

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The Verdict: Joelinton upgrade?

Hailed as ‘world class’ by members of the media, the maestro specialises in a plethora of different areas, ranking in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals, as well as aerials won per 90, compared to other midfielders in the past year.

Joelinton has shown real signs of improvement this season, ranked by Sofascore as Newcastle’s best-performing midfielder in the Premier League, with an average match rating of 7.07, even managing to better Bruno Guimaraes.

However, the Brazilian is not finding the back of the net regularly in the top flight, picking up just two goals this season, indicating Milinkovic-Savic could be a real upgrade with his goal-scoring ability, also allowing Joelinton to flourish on the flank, as he has done at times this term.

Not only that, but the Serbian has just turned 28, meaning he should be in his prime, and Eddie Howe needs players at that stage of their career if he is going to take Newcastle to the next level.