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Enzo Maresca has left out several Chelsea first-team stars including Enzo Fernandez & Pedro Neto for the Conference League trip to Heidenheim.

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• Maresca takes a second-string squad to Germany
• Several academy graduates have been selected
• Reece James has also stayed back in Cobham

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Italian manager continues to rest key players in the Conference League as he aims to manage minutes in a bid to tackle an unforgiving schedule. Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson, Reece James, Fernandez and Neto are among the players who have been registered but left out of the 21-strong squad that will fly to Germany.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neto, one of the notable absentees, sustained an injury during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Poland. The 24-year-old forward was forced to sit out Chelsea's Premier League fixture against Leicester City last weekend and Maresca is not willing to risk the player midweek.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Maresca has included several academy prospects in the squad for the trip to Germany. Goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom is joined by midfielders Kiano Dyer and Samuel Rak-Sakyi, while winger Tyrique George and teenage striker Shumaira Mheuka add an attacking flair.

  Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom

  Defenders: Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Renato Veiga

  Midfielders: Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Kiano Dyer, Samuel Rak-Sakyi

  Forwards: Tyrique George, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Jadon Sancho, Marc Guiu, Shumaira Mheuka, Christopher Nkunku

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea has enjoyed a strong start in the UEFA Conference League, winning all three of their previous group-stage matches against Gent, Panathinaikos, and Noah. The manager will hope that the blend of seasoned players and emerging talents can secure another victory to further solidify their lead in the competition.

Al-Nassr defender Aymeric Laporte has not ruled out joining Real Madrid one day amid links with the Spanish giants.

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• Laporte swapped Man City for Al-Nassr
• Contract there runs until 2026
• Addresses Real Madrid rumours

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The centre-back swapped Manchester City for Al-Nassr in August 2023 for £23.6 million ($30m) and has become a key player for the Saudi Pro League team. His performances earned him a spot in Spain's squad for their triumphant Euro 2024 campaign and that led to links with Los Blancos. Now, the 30-year-old has addressed such speculation amid Madrid's ongoing injury issues.

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  WHAT AYMERIC LAPORTE SAID

  He told El Larguero: "I'm not really up to date, I've read the same thing as you. There's no problem. It sounds good. Obviously, teams like Real Madrid aren't being looked down upon."

  When asked if he intends to return to Europe after his contract expires in 2026, Laporte replied: "My idea of returning is there. I have all my family here in Europe. Obviously, what better than in Spain."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Relevo adds that Madrid will not have an easy time getting him out of Al-Hilal as they have 'no intention' of letting him go while he is under contract. Plus, it seems he is in no rush to leave team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Hilal.

  "I went there (Saudi Arabia) to play football, not to do other things. So far things have not gone badly for me. While there I have won a European Championship, which is the most beautiful thing I have experienced in my career," he added.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While Madrid look for answers to their defensive troubles, which include injuries to David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal, Laporte could feature for Spain in their Nations League clash away to Denmark on Friday night.

Over the years, Manchester City have had some of the Premier League’s best South American footballers play for them. It has been a region of the world that has given the Cityzens, and the Premier League, some of the most iconic players in history.

Perhaps the most famous South American of them all to play on the blue side of Manchester is Sergio Aguero. The former Argentina striker scored 260 goals for City in 390 games, registering 65 assists along the way. He left the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as a five-time Premier League winner.

Another of City’s most iconic South American players is defensive midfielder Fernandinho. The Brazil legend, who also won five Premier League titles in the blue of the Cityzens, played 383 times for the club, scoring 26 times and registering 31 assists from the base of midfield.

There are also two notable South American players currently at the club, with one being goalkeeper Ederson. However, the Brazilian could depart the Etihad Stadium this summer, with a move to Saudi Arabia thought to be on the cards.

There's one more and he could leave for mega money in the not-too-distant future. In fact, he's worth more than one of the game's global superstars, Lamine Yamal.

Lamine Yamal’s 2024 performances

It has been an astronomical rise to the top for 17-year-old Barcelona and Spain winger Yamal.

The exciting talent has lit up Euro 2024 and has started all but one of La Roja’s games. He has scored once, a stunner against France in the semi-final, and is the leading assister with three.

The teenager burst onto the scene during the 2023/24 season for Barcelona but made his debut for the Spanish giants at the end of the previous season, a seven-minute cameo off the bench against Real Betis.

Last season, Yamal played 50 games for Barca in all competitions, scoring an impressive ten goals and registering seven assists. He has very quickly become a household name around the footballing world.

Unsurprisingly, the talented youngster has seen his market value shoot up in a very short amount of time.

According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is worth £77m, an incredible rise from October 2023, when Yamal was worth just £21m. His performances for Barcelona and Spain have certainly shown why he is so highly valued.

That said, there are players in global football worth more than him. One of them is Argentine striker Julian Alvarez.

Julian Alvarez’s market value in 2024

The 24-year-old cost the Cityzens just £14m in 2022, but following some superb performances for club and country, he is now worth £77m, just like Barca’s 17-year-old starlet, as per Transfermarkt.

It is fair to say that since making the move to Manchester, Alvarez has had a superb time of things, despite playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland, or out of position to accommodate the Norweigan centre-forward.

In 103 appearances for the eight-time Premier League champions, he has scored 36 goals and registered 18 assists. That includes 11 goals and nine assists in just 36 games in the Premier League last season.

The 24-year-old is certainly the man for the big occasion. Within the past 18 months, Alvarez scored in the 2022/23 Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, grabbed two goals and an assist in the 2022 World Cup semi-final for Argentina and Croatia and most recently in the Copa America semi-final against Canada.

Those goals have clearly been of some importance, as he boasts a remarkable trophy cabinet despite being just 22 years of age. It would be a collection of trophies most legends of the game do not even boast. Alvarez has some collection.

At the time, Alvarez’s signing was deemed a wonderful piece of business for City, and that thought continues to be proven right. He was such a cheap signing, but to sign a player of that quality, whose market value has risen so much, is certainly commendable. The signing of the forward was certainly a superb piece of business from City.

What Man City's starting XI could look like after £128m spending spree

They could sign three new players this summer…

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 16, 2024

West Ham United will possibly benefit from stepping into the new post-David Moyes era without European football on the cards, having fizzled out last season.

It was quite the ride though, ay. Moyes lifted a relegation-threatened outfit toward sustained conquests on the continent, winning the Conference League in 2022/23.

But now, the squad needs sweeping change, and while Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Max Kilman is closing on a £40m move to east London to fortify Julen Lopetegui's defence, there is still, it would appear, room for another backliner.

West Ham lining up another defender

The Premier League side could lose both Nayef Aguerd and skipper Kurt Zouma this summer; both were under-par last season and both are attracting attention from the Saudi Pro League.

With veteran Angelo Ogbonna's contract having expired last month, it's safe to assume that Kilman is not the only defensive arrival on the cards.

Indeed, according to The Daily Mail, West Ham are mulling over lodging a second attempt to sign OGC Nice centre-half Jean-Clair Todibo, having already failed with a £25m offer.

The French defender had been set to sign for Manchester United in June but the deal was prohibited given Nice and the Red Devils' shared INEOS ownership.

What Jean-Clair Todibo would bring to West Ham

Given that Kilman is left-footed – and Todibo is not – West Ham would be wise to storm ahead and complete deals for both players in what truly could revolutionise the Irons' backline.

Both defenders are progressive and enterprising, with purposeful passing games that would suit Lopetegui's philosophy: maintaining a degree of aggression to feature invariably, whether the Hammers are involved in matches that require more control-based attacking play or counter-attacking football.

Hailed as a "Rolls-Royce" of a defender by journalist Antonio Mango, Todibo is athletically robust and defensively sound, but he also boasts one of Europe's most modern-tailored skill sets.

While the above-listed metrics lean heavily in Todibo's favour, it's important to note that Kilman has been performing in a more conservative system at Molineux. For example, under Lopetegui the term before, the 27-year-old averaged 0.52 successful take-ons per 90, taking him virtually level with the current rate of the Les Aiglons titan.

The key thing here is that both players would naturally fall into the respective sides of the central defence, and while Todibo has been described as "the complete package" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, his more expansive style could be a real asset to move the play forward, move that defensive line higher up the pitch.

This would allow for a more dynamic style of play than has been on offer at the London Stadium in recent years, with Zouma staying deep and failing to progress the play with his passing, averaging just 1.55 progressive passes and 0.20 progressive carries per 90 over the past year.

Ultimately, West Ham will need to work hard to navigate through this transitional period, but with a new style of play, it wouldn't be a bad idea to completely overhaul the rearguard with two talented players that befit a team fighting for a place at the top of the table.

Imagine him & Bowen: West Ham want bargain deal for “world-class” star

This talented forward’s club want to sell him this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 3, 2024

Martin Odegaard has returned to full training ahead of Arsenal's crucial matches against Inter and Chelsea this week.

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• Odegaard back with first-team squad
• Has been out of action for two months
• Wants to make comeback against Inter

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners skipper damaged his ankle ligaments while playing for Norway on August 31 and has spent the last two months on the sidelines. He missed several key games, including Arsenal's Premier League draws against Manchester City and Liverpool, however, according to , Odegaard has now returned to full training. The midfielder is said to be 'itching' to make his long-awaited comeback against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

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  It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta hands Odegaard any minutes against Inter, with Arsenal likely to be cautious over rushing him back into the fold. Odegaard has been left out of the Norway squad for their matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan during the November international break.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 25-year-old has established himself as a vital member of the current Arsenal squad, with the former Real Madrid man bagging 11 goals and as many assists in the 2023-24 campaign. Having him back could reignite their Premier League title hopes as the Gunners have slipped seven points behind league leaders Liverpool after ten games.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Even if the club captain does not feature against Inter on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta could consider bringing him back into the matchday squad in Arsenal's next Premier League encounter against Chelsea on Sunday.

Chelsea have now lodged a formal bid to sign a centre-back who Man United are targeting as an alternative to Everton starlet Jarrad Branthwaite.

Chelsea eyeing another centre-back after Tosin Adarabioyo

It didn't take long for the west Londoners to seal their first piece of business this summer, having put pen to paper on a deal for defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham.

Boehly now prepared to sell £175,000-per-week Chelsea star after Maatsen

The Blues could orchestrate an overhaul this summer.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 20, 2024

The former Man City starlet enjoyed a successful spell at Fulham, but opted to move just across west London to Stamford Bridge upon the expiry of his contract at Craven Cottage. Tosin's arrival will do wonders to fill the void left by fan favourite Thiago Silva, who has left Chelsea to re-join boyhood club Fluminese.

Despite the 26-year-old putting pen to paper on a four-year deal, it is believed that Chelsea could sign another centre-back after Tosin, as new manager Enzo Maresca seeks to reinforce his new backline further.

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewat and Paul Winstanley are expected to undergo a busy summer of recruitment. In the past week, Chelsea have held talks over signing Jhon Duran from Aston Villa, as well as pushed to seal a deal for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise (Fabrizio Romano).

Amidst all of this activity, as Maresca's side pursue a new forward, there remains a distinct possibility that Chelsea could bring another defender on top of this – with Romano tipping them to potentially bring in multiple central defensive options.

"It will continue to be a busy summer at Chelsea," said the journalist on his Dailybriefing. "It won’t be completely crazy but they will try to make smart things happen, including a new goalkeeper and I expect them to try for at least one new centre-back, but it could be two. I also expect Chelsea to be busy with the striker position."

Bayern Munich star Dayot Upamecano has been linked with a move to Chelsea as one option, but rather than negotiate with the Bavarians, it is believed they could instead look to pinch a transfer target of Man United's.

Indeed, Ten Hag's side are said to be monitoring Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino as an alternative to Branthwaite – with the Red Devils looking priced out of a move for the Englishman after having a bid rejected, according to widespread reports.

Chelsea make formal bid to sign Aaron Anselmino

According to South American journalist Uriel Lugt, Chelsea have made a "formal" bid to sign Anselmino, and offered the 19-year-old a four-year contract.

The teenager appears very highly-rated in Argentina, despite not making many first team appearances for Boca, and clearly Chelsea's scouting network have been doing their homework on him.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admits he "expected more" leadership from captain Reece James and that the Blues lack a "proper" figurehead on the pitch.

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• Maresca "expected more" from captain James
• Chelsea boss questions his leadership skills
• Says Blues lack a "proper leader"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international was made club captain under former manager Mauricio Pochettino in 2023, but over the past season and a bit he has been restricted to just 12 appearances in all competitions due to hamstring injuries – and received two red cards in that time. Now that he is back fit, the Chelsea head coach has publicly challenged skipper James to do more for the team, on and off the pitch.

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  WHAT ENZO MARESCA SAID

  He said, via : “I spoke with him and I expected from him more in terms of leadership, inside the changing room and for different kinds of things. He is on the way, he is doing well, he is progressing, but from Reece I expected more also in terms of leadership. Most of the time when they are captain, they think that because they are captain they have more. ‘Because I am the captain, I expect that you give me more.’ For me, because you are the captain you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest. And sometimes: ‘OK, I am the captain, I can give less.’ No. He is one of the captains and I expected from him, and his team-mates expected from him, to give always more in terms of leadership in general.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In another damning indictment of the state of affairs at Chelsea, Maresca believes his squad is not well-stocked with leaders. The former Leicester City boss does believe the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are not far off in that department, though.

  He added: “He [James] understands that we expected more from him. He’s one of our guys from the academy but this is one of the reasons why he has to show more in terms of personality. When you don’t have a proper leader, you need to build that. I think we don’t have a proper leader. Probably Tosin is one of the guys that is. So the rest, we need to build them. Reece is on the way but he is not there, so he needs to make an effort in that one. The one that is doing fantastic in this kind of thing is Levi. Levi probably at the beginning of the season was not a leader but now you can see that he is one of the guys that is always speaking. We need to build that. Marc Cucurella is one of the guys. We need more and more.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  James made his first appearance of the season in Chelsea's 2-1 loss at Liverpool last weekend and to manage his fitness, the 24-year-old will only play one game a week to ease him back in. Next up, the Blues host Newcastle on Sunday at Stamford Bridge in what should be a tight Premier League clash.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Milan Skriniar to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite Simone Inzaghi’s desire to keep the centre-back at Inter Milan next season, the Serie A side would nevertheless be willing to part with the 27-year-old for a figure in the region of €65m (£55m) in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that Paris Saint-Germain and Spurs are two of the most interested parties in the Slovakia international, while Tottenham’s sporting director, Fabio Paratici, is known to have been in Italy this week in order to discuss potential deals for both incoming and outgoing transfers.

“Unreal”

Considering just how impressive Skriniar has been for Inter in recent seasons, in addition to the fact that Antonio Conte already shares a relationship with the defender, the argument that the 27-year-old would represent a fantastic addition to the 52-year-old’s current options at the back is an easy one to make.

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Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances under the Italian’s management back in 2020/21, the £58.5m-rated defender was in imperious form for the Nerazzurri, helping his side keep 12 clean sheets and bagging three goals, in addition to making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

These returns saw the centre-back who journalist David Amoyal dubbed a “beast” and Andy Castell labelled “unreal” average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Inter’s seventh-best player in the club’s title-winning campaign that season.

As such, while it is true that Paratici has already secured the arrival of Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan this summer, it would nevertheless appear an extremely wise move for the Spurs sporting director to also make a £55m move for Skriniar ahead of 2022/23 – as the 54-cap international undoubtedly possesses the ability to become the rock upon which Conte builds his Tottenham defence for many a year to come.

AND in other news: Conte could land “unreal” £42.5m signing as Spurs plot fresh bid for “one of the best”

Leeds United have been offered the chance to bring Layvin Kurzawa to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Media Foot Marseille (via Sport Witness), who claim that, with Paris Saint-Germain making the left-back surplus to requirements at Le Parc des Princes, the 29-year-old’s representatives have now contacted both Leeds and Everton regarding a potential move in the summer transfer window.

In a further post on Twitter, James Marshment claimed that Victor Orta could seal the former France international on a “discounted deal” – with PSG reported to be demanding a figure in the region of £6m in order to part with the defender.

This news comes following Jesse Marsch’s confirmation on Wednesday morning that, with Junior Firpo looking to be ruled out for the start of the 2022/23 campaign due to injury, Leeds will be looking to sign a new left-back over the remainder of the summer window.

“Crazy”

While it is true that Kurzawa has fallen down the PSG pecking order in recent years – failing to make a single appearance in Ligue 1 last season – should the full-back indeed be available for as little as £6m this summer, the 29-year-old’s signing could still represent something of a real coup for Leeds.

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Indeed, following his £22.5m move to Paris back in August 2015, the £4.5m-rated left-back was in electric form over his 19 Ligue 1 outings in his debut campaign, scoring four goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

The £89k-per-week defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Les Parisiens keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.3 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 43.4 passes and winning 7.2 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per fixture.

These returns saw the 13-cap international who dubbed himself “crazy” average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.49, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the whole of the French top-flight that season.

As such, should Marsch trust himself to be the manager to help Kurzawa refind this breathtaking level of form, a £6m move for the left-back could very easily prove to be one of the bargains of the summer – leading us to believe that the Frenchman is well worth taking a punt on for Orta this summer.

AND in other news: Adam Pope relays behind-scenes Leeds transfer development, supporters will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur could look to add another signing even after the arrival of Djed Spence…

What’s the word?

The Premier League side have been locked in negotiations with Championship outfit Middlesbrough over a deal for the 21-year-old right-back and remain hopeful of getting it done before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, as per the Evening Standard.

And according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, their summer transfer business may not be complete.

“I think now they’ve got [Clement] Lenglet, that’s the defensive side of things tied up.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s another transfer down the line, they’ve got money to spend because of what ENIC put in at the beginning of the window,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

“He’s filled most positions he wanted. He wanted a forward to compete with and put pressure on Kane, he got that in Richarlison, he wanted a tough nut in midfield in Bissouma, he got a wing-back in [Ivan] Perisic and is going for another in [Djed] Spence.

“But it wouldn’t surprise me if they go for one more player.”

Spurs’ strength in depth

The Lilywhites have had quite a remarkable transfer window, signing no fewer than five new players as they look to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad for the new season, in which the side will be competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2020.

It is, therefore, quite important to add bodies to the team as it will allow the Italian head coach to rotate his squad with so many midweek matches on the horizon and he can do so without risking a drop-off in quality.

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Backup options like Harry Winks and Lucas Moura have been instantly usurped by Yves Bissouma and Richarlison, whilst Clement Lenglet fills a massive gap as Conte’s only left-footed centre-back.

Meanwhile, Fraser Forster has come in on a free transfer to play second fiddle to Hugo Lloris, with Conte also trusting his former star Ivan Perisic to do a job in the big time at 33 years of age.

Spence would be another much-needed addition, both in terms of positional need and squad depth, as he could solve the long-standing issue on the right-flank, a role that the Spurs boss has wanted to fix since he arrived in N17.

It remains to be seen exactly who that additional signing could be, though perhaps a new no.10 is amongst the priorities, having failed to sign one since the departure of Christian Eriksen in January 2020.

The likes of Jesse Lingard, Anthony Gordon, Memphis Depay and Lucas Paqueta have all been linked in recent weeks, so that suggests further reinforcements in the final third could well be on the agenda.

Either way, Conte will surely be delighted with the business that sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy have conducted, and he will be elated to seal Spence and potentially one more addition, too.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops Kyle Walker-Peters update…