All posts by z3u9t.icu

Willy Boly is no ordinary defender. “I like and want to have the ball,” he once said and this despite inhabiting a position where every second in possession is a risk.

It is fortuitous then that the 28-year-old French centre-back is so comfortable with the ball at his feet and for over two years now, since his £10m move to our shores from Porto in the summer of 2017, he has delighted with his rangy strides out from the back and array of passing.

It helps that in being part of a back-three so favoured by Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo he has insurance, particularly from Conor Coady. The rest though is on him.

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Not that Boly’s attributes are exclusively reserved for building from the back and retaining possession.

Defensively he has consistently been a colossus for Wanderers, benefiting from his height, pace and a fine positional reading to frustrate the very best strikers around.

In October he was a pivotal presence as Wolves emerged from Manchester City’s fortress with a 2-0 win while he is ranked by WhoScored as the second most impactful centre-back in the Premier League, second only to Liverpool’s Joel Matip.

Interestingly, Boly boasts a higher number of interceptions made with significantly more tackles completed than the Merseyside giant, further illustrating that first and foremost he is a solid, no-nonsense stopper.

With the added, precious ability to chip in with a goal or two along the way – Boly’s stoppage-time winner against Besiktas in the Europa League at the start of October kick-started a memorable week that ended with the shock defeat of City – it’s certainly no surprise to see transfer speculation arise in relation to the in-form star with Tottenham reputedly ‘keeping close tabs’ while Arsenal have been heavily linked in recent weeks and on both fronts this makes sense.

Are Gareth Southgate’s Aston Villa roots the reason behind the Wolves player in the video below being overlooked?…

Spurs’ defensive situation remains precarious with both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen out of contract next season with each appearing to be seeking a future away from North London. As for the Gunners their recruitment of David Luiz looks more like a panic decision with every fresh mistake the unpredictable Brazilian makes while Sokratis and Mustafi are hardly the dependable types that lead a team to silverware.

So it’s to the Black Country that the north of the capital looks, enviously and with serious intent to lure down a player who has made more tackles, interceptions, dribbles, key passes, and clearances than either Luiz or Sokratis in 2019/20; an estimable talent who is ranked a staggering 98 places above Tottenham’s best-performing defender Alderweireld this season.

Will they be able to dislodge a key figure for a club who claimed only this week that their finances have ‘never been stronger’? That remains to be seen while further doubt comes from this undeniable truth: as Boly’s reputation continues to soar so too does his price-tag.

Sunderland look as if they've stumbled across a gem in the managerial hot-seat in Regis Le Bris, who was an unknown entity to supporters of the Wearside club on his dramatic arrival over from France.

Months of speculation over who the next Black Cats manager dominated the conversation around the Stadium of Light before he was appointed, with the time spent painstakingly trying to find a new boss ultimately paying off, as Le Bris has steered his new team to a win in every Championship game they've faced so far.

Whilst players such as Dennis Cirkin have shone under the new early regime, other players have seen their standing in the pecking order fall, with Leo Hjelde a permanent fixture on the substitute's bench from the four league games to date.

Hjelde's time at Sunderland

Still only 21 years of age, Hjelde wandered through the door at Sunderland in January as a promising new recruit to help the Black Cats out defensively.

Comfortable playing at either left-back or in the heart of defence, Sunderland must have thought they'd purchased a gem considering he had made the odd Leeds United first-team appearance here or there when he was in West Yorkshire.

The Norwegian defender registered eight senior appearances for the Whites before leaving for a new adventure with Sunderland, with the hype surrounding him during his time at Elland Road not exactly helping him in his mission to become a top star.

Outlandish labels such as "the next Van Dijk" handed to him from former Ross County manager John Hughes followed him down to England from his positive time in Scotland, after impressing on loan away from one of Van Dijk's old employers in Celtic.

Hjelde hasn't quite ever lived up to that bold billing, with 12 forgettable games for the Black Cats passing him by so far since joining at the start of the year.

This campaign has only seen the Scandinavian make one start too, with a rotated Sunderland XI losing 2-0 to Preston North End in the EFL Cup before the Nordic defender dropped back out for the likes of Cirkin and other first-team stalwarts under Le Bris to comfortably slot back in.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

85

Accurate passes

59/74 (80%)

Possession lost

16x

Clearances

2

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Duels won

2/6

Failing to show off a creative edge playing out from the centre-back spots with his 85 touches, Hjelde also struggled physically at Deepdale, which then pointed in the direction of Luke O'Nien and eventually Daniel Ballard wriggling free of his injury concerns to easily come back in as more imposing options.

There could well be an argument that offloading Hjelde down the line could be smart – considering his value stands at a high £2.8m via Football Transfers – and his hefty wage in contrast to other more key Sunderland individuals.

Hjelde's wage at Sunderland

According to Capology, the out-of-sorts 21-year-old earns a handsome pay packet of £5k-per-week, matching Romaine Mundle's salary in the process, a player who by comparison has exploded into life in a Sunderland shirt as another new recruit who joined in January. He has fired home two goals in the Championship this season.

Amazingly, both Trai Hume and Dan Neil – as per Capology – earn less than their Scandinavian teammate at £3k-per-week and £1.3k-per-week respectively, despite being fixed first-team presences under Le Bris so far.

Between the pair of them, only one game has been missed this season to date – with Neil suspended for the recent away day win at Portsmouth – as both the Northern Irishman and the Black Cats homegrown product go from strength to strength under their new French manager.

Hjelde might well find it hard to break into the first-team picture, as Le Bris has no real reason to tinker with a system that's been hugely effective so far, with a 100% record still intact in league action.

Whilst the likes of Chris Rigg, alongside the other aforementioned first-team faces, will look to grow and develop at the Stadium of Light under the former Lorient boss, it looks unlikely that his teammate in Hjelde will prosper here if he remains stuck on the periphery.

Whisper it quietly, but the Black Cats may also be Premier League bound. It's even more unlikely the defender would get a look in there. Either a permanent or loan move would be beneficial once January swings around.

Once cost £48m: Sunderland missed out on "world-class" Bellingham partner

Sunderland nearly pulled off this amazing deal.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 4, 2024

Liverpool overpowered Manchester United in the Premier League last weekend, making a mockery of Old Trafford's resolve and maintaining the perfect start to the season.

Virgil van Dijk and co have yet to concede, and post-Jurgen Klopp life looks to be promising indeed, with Federico Chiesa the only addition to Arne Slot's first team, joining for a shrewd £12.5m from Juventus.

Chiesa has been beset by injury misfortune in recent years but played a central role for the Old Lady in 2023/24, starting 25 Serie A matches and scoring nine goals.

There's now a frontline that's six-man strong at Anfield, and it's quite an attacking coterie at that. Mohamed Salah turned 32 during the off-season but has returned to the Premier League with staggering ferocity. Will he? Won't he?

Mohamed Salah's contract situation

Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract at the end of the season… perhaps you've heard. You could put forth a compelling argument that this trio form the very nucleus of Liverpool's squad, and all could be gone come August 2025.

For free. That's a very important facet of this ever-deepening quandary. What should have been sorted long ago has festered and spread into a quagmire. All is quiet vis-a-vis Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk (Liverpool's homegrown vice-captain and their skipper), but there are promising signs on the Salah front.

The Liverpool Echo have gleaned through numerous sources that Salah is hoping to extend his £350k-per-week contract on Merseyside, with his family settled in the city and the man himself hungry for more of the illustrious success that has established him as one of the pre-eminent forwards of his generation.

He might be getting on a bit but it would be terrible to see Salah leave at the end of his contract next summer, and should he stay on, the ripple effect might be a wonderful thing for Slot and his Liverpool project.

Mohamed Salah under Arne Slot

Salah's seamless transition from high-output winger to more varied playmaker has been something special, with the Egypt international tinkering at his game in the same way Lionel Messi did.

Shots

3.6

3.3

On target

1.8

2.0

Touches

45.9

50.7

Key passes

2.1

1.7

Dribbles

0.8

1.3

Total duels won

2.4

3.7

A summer of recuperation appears to have worked wonders, with Salah posting three goals and three assists apiece in the English top flight over just three matches but, as the table above shows you, is proving to be more committed and energetic in ball-carrying and defensive phases.

Some things change and some things stay the same. Salah is no longer pulled by Klopp's strings but he rifles goals and places assists against Man United with frightening consistency, world-class consistency.

It's a haunting thought to imagine that he might ply his trade elsewhere anytime soon – Salah is in impeccable shape and he will continue to dominate defences for several years yet.

But Liverpool do need to think about a successor, and while Chiesa has been welcomed to mete out goals and assists at Anfield, he's got a shoddy injury record and may not be the long-term replacement that is needed to truly replace the Egypt international.

That man could be Ben Doak, who has been shipped out on loan.

Why Ben Doak could be the perfect heir

Some supporters expressed disappointment at seeing 18-year-old winger Doak leave on loan this summer, joining Middlesbrough for the remainder of 2024/25.

Doak had started to work his way into Klopp's plans last year before a cruel meniscus tear threw him to the sidelines in December, and there he remained until the off-season.

Last term, Doak featured prominently in the Europa League for Liverpool, starting three matches and averaging 2.7 dribbles and 4.7 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, which emphasises the athletic and combative qualities that have placed him in such high regard.

Liverpool U21

16

5

2

Liverpool

10

0

0

Liverpool UEFA U19

8

4

4

Liverpool U18

5

2

2

Celtic

2

0

0

He's still waiting to claim his first senior goal contribution but he's got the tools to build up an impressive portfolio over the coming year, with Middlesbrough playing exciting, fast-flowing football under Michael Carrick's management.

With blistering speed and deceptive strength, Doak has been christened the "Scottish Wayne Rooney" by his agent Jackie McNamara for such skills, and he might just be the dream Salah heir, should he develop in the right way over the coming years.

The signs this season are already promising, with the teenager playing his part in the build-up to Scott McTominay's equaliser for Scotland against Poland on Thursday night, having made an immediate impact from the bench for the senior side with a well-timed pass to Anthony Ralston.

Salah might be an incredible goalscorer, having posted 214 across 352 fixtures for the Reds, but he's also an immense playmaker, with no Premier League player bettering his 22 big chances created last season.

Moreover, while he has adapted his approach recently, drifting away from the electric-paced style that dominated the Premier League upon his arrival at Anfield, he was once a fearsome progressive outlet.

Doak has the pace, power and raw technical quality to emulate a player like Salah. Liverpool signed the teenager from Celtic in 2022, paying a compensation fee of about £600k, and though his 2023/24 campaign has been affected by injury, he has been proclaimed to be a "prodigy” by Liverpool youth correspondent Keifer MacDonald.

With the Reds well stocked up front, it made perfect sense for Doak to earn minutes in the Championship, where he can continue his physical development and start to build some rhythm ahead of a potential role in Slot's side next year.

Whether Salah will be there or not, Doak has the skills to eventually take his place, and he is definitely one to keep a close eye on…

Liverpool must regret selling a star with more PL goals than Salah in 23/24

He’s starred away from Anfield over the last few years.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 5, 2024

Chelsea's 6-2 thrashing over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last weekend has offered a flash of the future under Enzo Maresca, with this team carrying the trappings of a world-class attack.

It's not there yet, but with Cole Palmer (who is most certainly world-class) now bolstered by fresh arrivals Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, as well as rising talents Nicolas Jackson and hat-trick hero Noni Madueke, there's reason to get excited.

Chelsea have spent lucratively this summer but so too have they cashed in on a wealth of players, and there's room for one more addition, at the front of the ship.

Chelsea eyeing new centre-forward

There has been a long-standing interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen at Stamford Bridge but the pointers suggest that he is headed toward the Gulf to sign for Al Ahli.

Ivan Toney has also been on Chelsea's radar, and while he too has been mooted for a move to Saudi Arabia, the Brentford centre-forward is rumoured to be the subject of revised interest as we trundle toward deadline day.

Toney is a top striker, Prem-proven, but with an incredible financial package tempting him toward Saudi Arabia, the Blues would be wise not to put all of their eggs in one basket.

As such, Chelsea are seeking out alternatives, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano saying to "keep an eye" on the Londoners' striker situation, then revealing that Jhon Duran is still on the radar.

The Colombian, aged 20, was on the verge of signing for Maresca's side earlier this summer, but the £40m transfer unravelled following obstacles relating to wage demands and his capricious nature.

Why Jhon Duran could be an excellent signing

Duran signed for Aston Villa from Major Soccer League side Chicago Rapids for an £18m fee in January 2023, and he's still only started three Premier League fixtures.

Despite that caveat, he's evidently one of the most talented young strikers on English shores – perhaps even across the continent. Described as a "nightmare for defenders" by Villa captain John McGinn, Duran has the power and pace to send a frisson of fear through the meanest of backlines.

A maverick, he brings a chaotic element to the pitch that would make him the perfect signing for a team like Chelsea, blessed with plenty of attacking talent but yet to refine itself to the level anticipated.

Duran, in this way, would knit into the club's fabric and become an intrinsic part of the growth, battling against Jackson and co for a place in the starting line-up and completing the summer spending with a flourish.

After all, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored (0.88) and the top 9% for shots taken (3.86) per 90, suggesting that he has outperformed his expected level of scoring.

Matches (starts)

23 (3)

Goals

5

Assists

0

Shots (on target)*

0.9 (0.3)

Big chances missed

1

Touches*

9.4

Pass completion

71%

Total duels won*

1.6

Oh, he is indeed. Let's take a look at that metric, shall we? Duran ranks among the bottom 40% for xG (0.35) per 90, which translates to the expected goals scored from the shots that he has taken. Duran is eclipsing that statistic, speaking of his absurd clinical ability.

His movement and athletic acumen will only add to Chelsea's first team and might even prove to add that extra dimension to ensure that a spot in the Champions League is reclaimed and silverware is brought back to west London.

Imagine Jhon Duran & Noni Madueke

It's only been three years since Chelsea defeated Manchester City in the Champions League final, but plenty has changed since then.

Ben Chilwell and Reece James are the only first-teamers (barring Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is moving to Bournemouth on loan) still on the books, but after a period of tumult, rising stars such as Madueke look set to play a part in a fruitful future.

Madueke's resounding hat-trick in Wolverhampton on Sunday highlighted the level of talent that the 22-year-old possesses, having signed from PSV Eindhoven in a £29m deal in January 2023, only now starting to grow into his skin.

The right-sided attacker ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90.

Sure, he's shaping into quite the clinical winger, netting against Servette in the Europa League last Thursday before his three-strike performance at Molineux, but Madueke also offers a range of underlying qualities that would mark him as a dream partner for a player like Duran.

He finished the 2023/24 season, under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, very well indeed, and is now showing signs of sustaining that natural quality.

Duran would enter the fold in west London with the security of a healthy mix of support around him, taking particular benefit from Madueke's ability to drive forward and thread the play together while maintaining his own frightening goal threat,

His sharp passing would allow Duran to dart through the lines and latch onto his threaded deliveries with consistency, all the while returning the favour and creating a wonderful sense of dynamism.

Sure, Chelsea need to enforce several outgoings before the transfer window's over, but this could be an excellent deal to enrich the youthful sheen to Maresca's unit, showing promising signs of going from strength to strength.

Madueke would love him: Chelsea looking at bargain Osimhen alternative

The Blues would welcome this talented forward instead of Osimhen…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 26, 2024

West Ham United may be about to lose their captain, best player and all-round fan favourite, but the wider view of Declan Rice's imminent £105m switch to Arsenal is that David Moyes has funds to strengthen in multiple positions.

Who are West Ham United looking to sign?

John Cross claims in a report in The Mirror that West Ham have eyed up as many as seven newbies to bolster their ranks once the Rice sale – making him the second most-expensive British player of all time – officially goes through.

Among those being targeted by the Europa Conference League winners are Denis Zakaria of Juventus, Everton's Amadou Onana and Manchester United captain Harry Maguire.

While Maguire's name will not exactly get supporters' pulses racing all that much on the back of losing Rice, it is a move that could make sense in more ways than one.

The England international has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford and, according to TEAMtalk, he is available for £30m this summer – £50m cheaper than four years ago when he arrived at United from Leicester City.

Is Harry Maguire a good option for West Ham?

Maguire was restricted to just eight Premier League starts last season and a further eight appearances from the substitutes' bench after failing to win over head coach Erik ten Hag.

However, the 30-year-old – roughly entering the peak age for a centre-back – still performed to a high standard when called upon by Ten Hag last season, and likewise for England during the recent international break.

As Ten Hag himself said after bringing Maguire into the side for a Europa League tie against Real Betis in March, the Englishman has arguably become a "more dominant and dictating" defender, and one who is "taking more initiative."

FBref's player comparison model puts Maguire pretty much on a par with team-mate Raphael Varane and Real Madrid's Eder Militao in terms of their statistical profiles across the past 12 months, showing he is far from finished.

The 2.94 aerial duels Maguire won per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, is higher than any West Ham defender (Angelo Ogbonna is highest ranked with 2.55), while his pass-completion percentage of 85.1 is again higher than any Hammers defenders from last season (Kurt Zouma 84.4).

There is no hiding from the fact that Maguire is not the colossus he was early in his United career, but Moyes may just be the perfect man to kick-start his career – just like he did with Jesse Lingard's.

Lingard joined West Ham on loan from Man United in January 2021 at a time when many had written off his Old Trafford career (sound familiar?), only to score nine goals and assist five more in 16 games for the Irons.

That was more goals in half a season than he managed in any of his six full campaigns in Manchester, which would earn him a place back in the United team the following season.

It may have only been a temporary revitalisation for Lingard, who flopped at Nottingham Forest last season having not found the net in the Premier League, but Moyes proved the man to get the best out of him at his lowest point.

Different positions they may be, but who is to say the Scotsman cannot now do the same with Maguire?

According to reports, Southampton are making life difficult for Croatian Mislav Orsic to leave the club on a permanent deal.

How many goals has Mislav Orsic scored?

Orsic was signed by the Saints in January in a bid to save their season from resulting in relegation. The ex-Premier League side signed the Croatian international for £8million from Dinamo Zagreb.

The 30-year-old however failed to play, making only one Premier League appearance amounting to six minutes. Orsic did feature in the League Cup and FA Cup making four appearances across the two, but was an incredibly underwhelming signing.

This a far-cry from his 13 goals and eight assists in 27 appearances for Dinamo prior to the move, including two in the Champions League.

Orsic also featured heavily for Croatia at the World Cup, making six appearances with two assists in the process along with the winning goal in his nation's 2-1 win over Morocco in the third place play-off.

The only way to describe Orsic's time on the south coast is disappointing, a player who clearly has ability, but hasn't been given the time to show it or maybe the level is above him.

Therefore, it is no surprise that talk of a departure has been prominent. Despite this, reports from Sabah via Sport Witness have described Southampton's unwillingness to let the Croatian go.

The report mentions Turkish side Trabzonspor as the keenest party. However, the reluctance to agree a fee by Saints and owners Sport Republic means the suitors are beginning to look elsewhere.

It is explained by the outlet that the Süper Lig side 'want to add' Orsic however talks have 'not yet made any progress' in relation to a potential loan deal.

Orsic is described as a 'priority' for Trabzonspor, but the club are turning their attention to Guinean free agent François Kamano due to the English side playing hard ball and annoying the buyers.

What's the latest with Southampton's transfer news?

Southampton look likely to lose their prized asset. The latest report paints Arsenal as 'close to agreement' on a deal for midfielder Romeo Lavia. It has been said there are several top Premier League sides keen on Lavia, including Manchester United as reported by talkSPORT.

23-year-old winger Nathan Tella is another linked with departing Saint Mary's, with The Sun say the Saints will demand £15m for the winger who scored 17 Championship goals last season for Burnley. The Athletic have suggested a return to Turf Moor could be on the cards, with talks taking place between the two clubs, despite the asking price being a hurdle.

Sky Sports have also previously revealed that numerous Premier League sides and teams across Europe are targeting 21-year-old Armel Bella-Kotchap.

It appears a rebuild at Southampton will happen this summer, with quite a few talents set to depart as James Ward-Prowse also appears to be attracting Premier League interest.

Rangers are “insisting” in talks for Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo after confirming Sam Lammers’ signing, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who could join Rangers this summer?

Watching Old Firm rivals Celtic clinch a domestic treble last season would’ve been a painful one for Gers supporters, but the departure of their manager, Ange Postecoglou, could give Michael Beale’s side a chance to fight back dominance over Scottish football.

The Gers saw a plethora of former first team stars leave the club in May, with Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Filip Helander and Steven Davis all departing at the end of their contracts.

In what has been a major overhaul under Beale so far, Rangers have already confirmed the arrivals of Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and, now, Lammers from Sampdoria.

The 26-year-old forward joins Rangers on a four-year contract with the Ibrox outfit confirming his arrival on Thursday afternoon.

Following their capture of Lammers, attention now turns to other targets as Rangers aim to strengthen Beale’s ranks further.

One player heavily linked in the last few days is Panzo, who has been subject to approaches from the Glasgow giants as they continue to prepare for the 2023/2024 campaign.

Reliable transfer journalist Romano, taking to Twitter, says the Gers are “insisting” in talks for the Premier League defender after concluding a deal for Lammers.

However, he is a man in demand, as “many clubs” want to sign him this summer.

Who is Jonathan Panzo?

The 22-year-old was a member of England’s Under-17 World Cup-winning squad and has faced off against the likes of Kylian Mbappe during spells with AS Monaco and Dijon in France.

Panzo also made his Forest debut in 2022 against Hull City and would come to Rangers with plenty of potential, especially after a very productive 22/23 loan spell at Coventry City.

The player starred under Mark Robins on route to a Championship Play-Off Final last season, and given he is still very young, there could be plenty more to come.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their search for a new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Andoni Iraola to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, former Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola is preparing to throw his hat in the ring in the hope of being in contention for the job.

The club are in the market for a new boss after Ange Postecoglou left Parkhead to put pen to paper on a deal with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Iraola is currently a free agent after opting against a contract extension with Vallecano having kept them in LaLiga for a second straight season.

Would Andoni Iraola be a success at Celtic?

The Hoops could strike gold with the young tactician as he is an up-and-coming coach who has shown great promise in his short career so far.

Former Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch is another name to have been linked with the job but Iraola would be a far better option than the American boss, whose poor form at Elland Road raised red flags to those at Parkhead.

The 49-year-old barely avoided relegation from the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign as he lost five of his 12 matches with the Whites and finished 17th in the table.

He then lost ten and won four of the 20 matches he managed in the division the following campaign, and that led to him being relieved of his duties by the English side with a points per game rate of just 0.9.

That spell in England came after the American lost six of his 14 Bundesliga games with RB Leipzig in Germany, which included five wins that left them underperforming in 11th in the table. They went on to finish fourth in the table, with 17 wins to ten losses, suggesting that he was holding them back.

Iraola, however, won 22 of his 46 matches in LaLiga 2, including the play-offs, to win promotion to the top flight in the 2020/21 campaign and was then able to establish Vallecano in the Spanish top division.

The 40-year-old tactician, who typically plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, finished 12th in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and this shows that the Spaniard was able to successfully lead a club through a transitional period.

They finished outside of the play-offs in the second tier in the season before he joined, 2019/20, and was able to turn them into an established top-flight club within three years before his departure this summer.

Therefore, Iraola, whose work with Vallecano was hailed as "insane" by scout Jacek Kulig, is a manager on the up who has proven himself capable of uplifting a team above their means.

On the flip side, Marsch has failed in his last two jobs and has been a disappointment in England and Germany, which suggests that the Spaniard would be a far better option for Celtic at this moment in time.

Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign an extremely in-demand player this summer, as the Blues look to strengthen under Mauricio Pochettino.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager will officially take charge at Stamford Bridge on July 1st, as the club hope to turn their fortunes around after an abysmal Premier League season.

Pochettino must improve the painful year the Blues have endured, making improvements all over the pitch, something he is reportedly on course to do.

What’s the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Chelsea?

As reported by FootballInsider earlier this week, Chelsea are set to ‘finalise’ a deal for Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The report states that the 22-year-old is ‘keen’ on the move, and is ‘excited’ by the project that Pochettino could bring to the club.

The youngster has a £52m release clause in place in Portugal, with the Blues set to agree on a deal for the ace who has been a topic of interest for an array of clubs.

How could Pochettino use Manuel Ugarte at Chelsea?

Pochettino has lots to improve ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, however, the experienced manager can enforce a host of stability at the club by making crucial signings this window.

As well as Ugarte, the west Londoners have been strongly linked to Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, who could be the missing piece to the puzzle in Chelsea’s midfield as the Argentinian aims to fire the Blues back where they belong.

When looking at squads that have graced Stamford Bridge over the years, not many stand as dominant as Jose Mourinho’s back-to-back Premier League-winning sides of 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons.

The midfield trio of Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien at the time was pivotal to the club’s success, with the perfect balance of strength and finesse in the engine room.

Once hailed as being “Europe’s best midfield” at the time by The Guardian’s Jon Brodkin, the dominance of the trio could be replicated by Pochettino in the prospect of signing both Ugarte and Caicedo and placing them alongside Enzo Fernandez.

The three players, similar to the legendary Chelsea trio, all maintain stellar passing rates, with Enzo ranking in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for number of attempted passes per 90 with a monstrous 79.77, via FBref.

The Brighton machine is a superb reader of the game, as shown through his average of 1.61 interceptions per 90, as well as winning an average of 58% of his total duels with 5.9 per game, all while maintaining a pass completion rate of 88.5%.

As for Ugarte, the 22-year-old “monster” – as described by journalist Dave Hendrick – could be the Makelele of the three in sitting deep, making a gargantuan 4.63 tackles per 90 while maintaining a pass completion rate of 91.6, also per FBref.

It’s clear to see why the youngster is in demand this summer, and Pochettino could right a lot of wrongs in building a midfield around the rising star, potentially providing the Bridge with shades of Mourinho’s magnificent trio.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy may decide to keep hold of Harry Kane for another year despite interest in his services and risk the Lilywhites' talisman leaving on a free transfer next summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

The Guardian report that Manchester United are keen on signing Kane this summer and will step up their efforts to try and land the England international by bidding for his services in the early portion of the forthcoming transfer window.

Kane has a year left on his £200k-a-week contract at Hotspur Way and it is said that the Red Devils are aware that Levy will not be an easy person to negotiate with as they try to acquire the striker.

As per The Telegraph, Kane is believed to be open to seeing out the final 12 months of his deal at Tottenham before potentially being able to leave on a free transfer.

Speaking to talkSPORT with co-host Laura Woods, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara has boldly suggested that his old side could end up in a relegation battle without Kane to lean on for goals, stating: "Obviously, we all hope that he sticks around and signs a new contract. Because Laura, without Harry Kane, I seriously think we could be fighting relegation next season. We are that bad without him. We have been solely dependent on Harry Kane to score us goals and do stuff for us."

Journalist Jones recently signalled his belief in his column for GIVEMESPORT indicating that Spurs' chairman Levy would be willing to 'gamble' on keeping hold of Kane this summer despite the threat of him being able to depart his boyhood club on a free transfer the year following.

Jones stated: "Kane has one year remaining on his Spurs contract and has interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich if he wants a move. Spurs are hopeful they can avoid that situation by appointing someone with a blueprint for the future that gives Kane fresh hope of winning a trophy but also that he can continue to thrive as he closes in on the Premier League’s goalscoring record.

"Keeping him is a gamble—this summer he could fetch £90-100million in the market whereas if he does not agree a new contract in the next 12 months he will be leaving as a free agent in one year. Usually Levy would not take such a business risk yet there are indications he might do as – from a footballing point of view – Spurs cannot afford to let him leave.

"As of this moment there is no plan to replace him by signing a new striker and with so much upheaval behind the scenes, as they hunt for a new sporting director as well as a new boss, the team are looking like they could fall behind in their preparations for next season."

How has Harry Kane faired this season for Tottenham Hotspur?

Kane has been in brilliant form for Tottenham this season, registering 30 goals and five assists from 48 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per talkSPORT, the 29-year-old has earned praise from high places this campaign and has been labelled as "one of the best strikers I have ever seen in my life" by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

WhoScored shows that Kane has been a hard presence to contain for opposition backlines in the Premier League, detailing that he has had an average of 3.4 shots per match this term.

Spurs chairman Levy may feel that the risk of keeping hold of Kane and him not signing an extension is worth taking; however, it would make bad business sense and potentially stop his side from being able to reinvest a large sum of money into replacing the talismanic forward.