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USMNT star Josh Sargent has seen a loan transfer theory floated that could work in favour of Norwich and the striker’s Premier League suitors.

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• Striker impressing in the Championship
• Posted personal-best goal return
• Linked with a summer switch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United States international Sargent has hit a personal-best 14 goals for the Canaries this season, bringing him to the attention of clubs in the English top-flight. There has been talk of Brentford mulling over an approach as they prepare to part with England hot-shot Ivan Toney.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Norwich are still hoping to book return tickets to the big time in 2024, as they push for a play-off spot, and promotion would aid their efforts to keep Sargent at Carrow Road. It may, however, be that a deal is done over the summer that offers the 24-year-old a long-term route back to the Premier League while allowing him to remain in Norfolk for the more immediate future.

• WHAT PALMER SAID ABOUT SARGENT

  Ex-England international Carlton Palmer has told of what the next window may have in store for Sargent: “Josh is still only 24 and has been hugely impressive this season for Norwich City, scoring 14 goals in 21 appearances. Norwich City sit in the final play-off place on 67 points, Coventry City sit just outside the play-off place and have a game in hand on Norwich, but they are four points behind Norwich City. So, Norwich will hope they can get in the play-offs and hopefully fire themselves into the Premier League. If they were to get promotion, then I think Josh Sargent’s future would be assured, but if they didn’t get promotion, I think it is highly likely that Sargent will be sold to raise money to build the squad, so they can go one better the following season and to get into the automatic spots.

  “It is getting more and more difficult now with sides who are relegated from the Premier League. Teams who get relegated from the Premier League have rich pickings and so, therefore, the sides that do get relegated are always going to be in the running of getting promoted the following season. But Norwich will be hoping they may be able to convince Josh Sargent to stay one more season or, if he is sold for a big fee, they could possibly get him back for a season loan.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SARGENT?

  Sargent joined the Canaries in 2021 when they were a Premier League team, but scored just four goals in his debut campaign as relegation back into the Championship was suffered. He has come a long way since then, gracing a World Cup squad with his country, and would appear to be ready for another shot at the top tier in England.

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham met his lookalike ahead of Los Blancos' 1-0 win over Mallorca and the midfielder couldn't stop smiling.

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• Real Madrid win 1-0 over Mallorca
• Bellingham meets lookalike before kick-off
• Midfielder can't help but smile at similarity

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Aurelien Tchouameni's incredible long-range goal gave Carlo Ancelotti's team a 1-0 victory and moved them one step closer to winning the La Liga title. The outcome guaranteed that Real also kept their eight-point advantage over bitter-rivals, Barcelona going into the El Classico next weekend. Before kickoff, Bellingham spotted his doppelganger on the touchline. The 20-year-old gave a small chuckle when he saw the person and embraced him with a hug.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham has already cemented his place in the hearts of Real Madrid fans thanks to his stupendous performances with the club in what is just his first season at Santiago Bernabeu. The midfielder started the season in a more advanced role and has scored a total of 20 goals and given 10 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

  The next week will prove to be very pivotal for the Englishman as Real Madrid will travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash. Bellingham had an outing to forget in the first leg at home and will be looking to show his class this time out.

Manchester United may soon be on the search to replace manager Erik ten Hag, and one reporter has claimed the ‘hottest property in management’ could be a target.

Man Utd update – Erik ten Hag

Ten Hag enjoyed a productive first season in charge at Old Trafford, winning the EFL Cup, finishing in the Premier League top four and reaching the final of the FA Cup, however, he hasn’t had the same success so far this season. The Dutchman watched his side lose 3-0 to rivals Manchester City on Sunday and were dumped out of the EFL Cup by the same scoreline to Newcastle United. Prior to their cup exit in the week, there were reports claiming that both the Glazers and Ratcliffe were in agreement that Ten Hag’s position in charge was safe for now.

However, with the club now losing eight of their first 15 matches in all competitions, something they last suffered in the 1962/63 campaign, Ten Hag’s days could be numbered if he fails to turn things around quickly. As a result, talkSPORT reporter Callum Vurley shared a story following the defeat on Wednesday evening, looking at who could possibly replace Ten Hag as Man Utd manager. He identified a number of potential contenders, one of which being Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi, saying:

“Arguably the hottest property in management right now, De Zerbi has turned Brighton into a force to be reckoned with despite regularly losing players and coaches. Their attractive style of football is easy on the eye and has taken them to the Europa League where fans have dreams of going far. Several clubs have already been keeping tabs on the Italian while some have even mentioned him as a potential Pep Guardiola replacement at Manchester City. If United could snap up the Brighton boss instead, it would be hailed as quite the coup.”

Roberto De Zerbi profiled

De Zerbi has made an eye-catching impact on the south coast after taking over from Graham Potter last year. In total, the Italian, formerly of Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, has won 25 of his 53 games in charge of the Seagulls so far. (Roberto De Zerbi stats – Transfermarkt)

The 44-year-old guided Brighton to the semi-finals of the FA Cup against Man Utd and into the Europa League last season and recently came in for praise from Pep Guardiola, who admitted De Zerbi is one of the coaches that he admires the most in world football. There have even been discussions that the Brighton boss could go on to become the best manager in the world, so if Man Utd do decide to part ways with Ten Hag in the near future, it wouldn’t be a shock if someone like De Zerbi is on their radar.

Six years after she pondered retirement, the Norwegian superstar is looking for a third Champions League title as the Catalans prepare to face Chelsea

There has been no better women's player on the planet this season than Caroline Graham Hansen. The two-time Champions League winner has racked up truly insane numbers, 26 goals and 24 assists in 31 Barcelona appearances, and is surely the front-runner for the Ballon d’Or while the Catalans target a first-ever quadruple. But this stage of her illustrious career almost never arrived. At 23 years old, she was ready to quit.

After losing the 2018 Champions League final with Wolfsburg, subbed off at half-time due to injury, Graham Hansen called her family and told them she was done. “I was serious,” she explained. “I was so far down. I was injured again. I couldn't perform at my best level. I didn't have any fun anymore. At that moment, after so many rehabs, I didn't have any motivation to keep getting smashed in the face.”

Fortunately, it wouldn’t come to that and, in the six years since, the injuries have stopped slowing Graham Hansen down, allowing her to play a key role in Barcelona’s development into the best team in Europe, if not the world. As the business end of the season approaches and Saturday’s Champions League semi-final meeting with Chelsea looms, the Catalans boast so many world-class players who can decide a match almost single-handedly. None, though, are as dangerous as Graham Hansen is right now.

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  Going again

  It’s hard to overstate how much bad luck Graham Hansen endured with injuries in the early stages of her professional career. That it led to her being on the brink of walking away from football while still only 23 perhaps paints the picture better than any words could.

  Thankfully, a return to Norway as her season with Wolfsburg came to a close allowed her to reset, refresh and get ready to go again. Mats Moller Daehli, the Norway international who is one of her oldest and closest friends, was also injured that summer, and the two spent time doing some rehab together, which helped.

  The influence of Graham Hansen’s family was huge, too. “They supported me, kept me calm and just said, 'Hey, take it easy. We will come back. Don't think so far ahead',” she explained in an interview with GOAL after Barca’s first Champions League triumph. “You can't always win, but it was the way it happened, always being injured. It was not because you weren’t necessarily the best player, or you weren’t performing at your best. I was not performing at my best because I kept being unlucky.

  “Of course, that's also part of sport, but you have vacation, you get back and then eventually you find your way again. I did, luckily for me. It's a fun and nice story when you then win the Champions League three years later in the way we did. It makes all the hours you put down really worth it. It's also a motivation to just keep going, no matter what happens.”

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  Reaping the rewards

  As Graham Hansen says, powering through those difficult times has certainly paid dividends. She has been one of the best wingers on the planet for most of her career, joining two-time European champions Wolfsburg when she was just 19 years old, but a move to Barcelona has helped elevate her game even further and added new elements to it.

  The Catalans were not the dominant power they are today when Graham Hansen first signed in 2019, far from it, and so there were many who questioned her decision to join them from an elite side like Wolfsburg. However, she believed in the project and has played a significant role in its potential being realised, winning 13 trophies in five years, including two Champions League titles.

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  Making the difference

  That’s despite her style of play not necessarily conforming to Barca’s. The Catalans are renowned for that iconic tiki-taka philosophy, and it is one that Graham Hansen has had the footballing intelligence to understand from day one.

  “Her first day, I remember one player told me, 'She is an amazing player'. We were only five minutes in! And doing a very easy exercise,” Barca head coach Jonatan Giraldez told GOAL. "But when the rhythm of the pass, the precision of the pass and the movement before and the timing is so good, when you are coming from another country… It is not so easy for the foreign players. And Caro had it.”

  However, it is Graham Hansen’s tendency to, in her own words, “break out” of that which makes her dangerous. “I think I was brought in to bring diversity, to break out of the passing style,” she told GOAL previously. “I'm a very vertical type of player that goes fast in transitions. I can dribble, get out of closed spaces when there's no space to create unbalance in the opposing team.

  “When you have a style of play where it's all about controlling the game with passing, you need some players who can break out of that pattern. That's why I'm playing on the wing and I enjoy it so much because I also get put into a lot of situations where I get to contribute with the best parts of my game, too.”

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  World-class

  That’s been seen in spades throughout Graham Hansen’s time in Barcelona, but especially this season. Having had some time out with an injury last year, the Norwegian returned last March and ended the campaign in scintillating form to help the Catalans win the league and the Champions League. It is momentum she carried into the current campaign.

  In Liga F, Graham Hansen has 17 goals and 16 assists from just 20 appearances, only 16 of them starts. Unsurprisingly, she leads the division for direct goal involvements by some distance. She tops the charts in the Champions League, too, thanks to her five goals and four assists from seven games.

  Asked for the secrets behind such numbers, the 29-year-old told : “Having a good team, so I can enjoy myself. I'm very grateful to my team-mates because in the end, football is a team sport, and if your team plays well, it's easier for things to work out for you. Nothing has changed. I think I was playing very well in the other years too, but because people only look at the numbers, they didn't look at it as much. I've scored more goals and people take notice of that.”

Derby County are believed to be in the race to sign an exciting youth international in the January transfer window, according to a fresh update.

Derby transfer news

The Rams have made a solid enough start to the 2023/24 season, going into the campaign as arguably one of the favourites to seal promotion from League One to the Championship.

Last Saturday, Paul Warne's side eased to an impressive 3-0 victory at home to Barnsley, and in the process, it meant that they drew level on points with their opponents. Derby are seventh in the table going into the final international break of the year, now only sitting outside the playoff places on goal difference.

While the Rams are showing positive signs of being right in the mix for promotion come the end of the season, bringing in some new faces in January could act as a further boost to Warne, as fixtures come thick and fast, and legs potentially start to tire within the squad.

Derby are reportedly interested in signing Ali Al-Hamadi from AFC Wimbledon in the winter window, seeing him as a good option to bring in, and a fresh claim suggests that they could also snap him up as a long-term addition.

Derby send scouts to cup final

Football League World relayed an update from TEAMtalk that suggests that Derby one of the clubs who are interested in signing young Irish midfielder Adam Murphy, potentially signing him in January after scouts watched St Patrick's Athletic in cup final action last weekend.

"Murphy has been excellent in his breakthrough season at St. Patricks and was watched by a collection of academy scouts during the Irish cup final at the weekend. Sources say at least 10 clubs had a representative in attendance.

"Derby County and Southampton also had scouts watching the final as they try to find the best young talent in the country to help them back to the English Premier League. There is major competition, and they will face a challenge to convince the teenager to join their ranks."

Not a huge amount is known about Murphy as a player, which is only natural because he plays for St Patrick's in Ireland, but such a scramble for his signature suggests that he is someone who could have a massive future in the game. The fact that Manchester City are mentioned as potential suitors is particularly eye-catching and makes the idea of Derby signing him instead even more enticing.

Murphy already has 10 caps and two goals for the Republic of Ireland's Under-15s, and will now hope to mark his mark in older age groups, with the Irishman still only 18 years of age. A pre-contract agreement in January can be agreed with any club and could cost £200,000 – so the Rams could look to make it happen, planning for the future rather than simply the present.

Alisha Lehmann has been watching boyfriend Douglas Luiz in action again, with the Switzerland international witnessing VAR drama against Chelsea.

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• Dramatic Premier League clash at Villa Park
• Late goal ruled out in controversial fashion
• Swiss stars among those in the stands

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lehmann, who represents Aston Villa’s women’s team, has been a regular at men’s fixtures in 2024 as she offers her full support to Brazilian partner Luiz. The 25-year-old forward has attended Europa Conference League and Premier League matches.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  She was back in the stands for Villa’s dramatic clash with Chelsea. Luiz started that game, before being withdrawn with a yellow card to his name, and Villa hung on to take a point in a 2-2 draw that saw them throw away a two-goal lead and survive late VAR controversy.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea thought that they had snatched a winner through Axel Disasi, only to see that effort ruled out on review for a supposed push by Benoit Badiashile. Lehmann was among those watching on, with Swiss colleague Amira Arfaoui by her side.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Villa’s women’s team will be in WSL action on Sunday when they take in a home date with Lehmann’s former club West Ham. They have just three games on their schedule this season, while Luiz and Co have three Premier League games and a Europa Conference League semi-final clash with Olympiacos to come.

Ipswich Town face a tough test this Saturday when they travel to the Hawthorns to face off against West Brom, Carlos Corberan's Baggies in the promotion hunt much like Ipswich but for the playoff positions as opposed to the automatic spots.

The Tractor Boys will hope they can add another win to their sequence of results in November, picking up back-to-back draws before the 3-2 win versus Swansea City last time out.

Kieran McKenna could fancy freshening his first team for their trip to the West Midlands, with a congested fixture schedule awaiting the Tractor Boys in December very soon.

With that in mind, here's how McKenna's line up could look this weekend…

1

GK – Vaclav Hladky

Hladky will be Ipswich's goalkeeper of choice for the West Brom away game, the Czech shot-stopper present in all 16 games this season in the league.

Despite the Suffolk-based club leaking 21 goals from 16 games played, Hladky remains McKenna's preferred goalkeeper and will retain his spot against the Baggies.

2

RB – Harry Clarke

The former Arsenal youth product has become an established first-team presence under McKenna, which should see him start at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

Always wanting the ball down the channels with an average of 62.5 touches per 90 minutes this season, according to Sofascore, Clarke is as important as Leif Davis is at right-back in how his team play out from defence and begin attacking moves.

3

CB – Luke Woolfenden

Much like Clarke next to him in defence, Luke Woolfenden is a starter week in, week out for Ipswich in the second tier under McKenna.

Recovering the ball an average of 6.5 times per game this season, the lofty centre-back is key for Ipswich when he recycles the ball and then plays it to the more forward-thinking presences in the team who then kickstart an attack.

4

CB – Cameron Burgess

Signed from Accrington Stanley on the eve of Ipswich's 2020-21 League One campaign, Cameron Burgess has been a regular in the first-team ranks ever since in Suffolk.

The two-time Australia senior international has played every minute of Ipswich's last three contests after being absent from the squad for the Plymouth Argyle home win, and should start again at the weekend when his team travel to West Brom.

5

LB – Leif Davis

Leif Davis is arguably the man making the Tractor Boys tick going forward, despite the former Leeds United man playing in defence and the plethora of attacking talent at Ipswich's disposal away from him.

His performances on the pitch see him push so far forward to the point where the 23-year-old is positioned like a winger for his team – it has worked too with Davis notching up a staggering ten assists already this season from 15 second-tier matches played.

6

CM – Sam Morsy

Sam Morsy will not be dropped from the Ipswich first team any time soon, the Tractor Boys captain is loved and adored by the Portman Road masses and presumably his boss who continues to field him.

Scoring versus Rotherham United in Ipswich's last away game – a collector's item for the Egyptian midfielder who isn't known for his prowess in front of goal – he will revert back to being a defensive midfielder for his team against West Brom to thwart the likes of opposing midfielder Alex Mowatt centrally.

7

CM – Jack Taylor

The first notable call McKenna could make is sticking by Jack Taylor instead of starting Massimo Luongo.

Taylor was dubbed "excellent" by his manager after netting against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup, prior to scoring an equally breathtaking strike against Swansea.

The 25-year-old's ability to conjure up a beauty from nowhere could be an effective weapon when coming up against a resilient and dogged West Brom team, another wonder goal from the 6 foot 1 machine could make all the difference in a potentially tight affair.

8

RM – Wes Burns

McKenna could decide to start experience over youthful exuberance at the Hawthorns on Saturday, Wes Burns eager for a first-team return with Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson likely to be sacrificed to make way for the Welshman.

Burns had a successful 26-minute cameo against Swansea to brush off any cobwebs after a shoulder knock had kept him out of the side, dragging one shot wide, but looking back to full sharpness.

If he is performing back to the peak of his powers versus West Brom, Burns could be the difference maker as a full-throttle option down the flanks to come out on top up against a tough West Brom side.

9

CAM – Conor Chaplin

Chaplin hasn't let the step-up to the Championship faze him one bit, consistently popping up with vital goals this season for the Tractor Boys – scoring six times in the league to date, all whilst playing in a second strike role behind the lone forward.

The ex-Portsmouth man will be hungry for more goals up against West Brom, hoping he can add another important strike to his back catalogue.

10

LM – Nathan Broadhead

Let go by boyhood club Everton permanently this summer, the Toffees are now, no doubt, regretting their decision to offload their former Academy prodigy.

Broadhead has been a goal machine down the channels for Ipswich so far this campaign, scoring six goals which means he's tied with Chaplin at the top of goalscoring charts for the Suffolk-based club this season.

The 24-year-old will start against West Brom this Saturday, looking forward to potentially turning his marker inside out and netting another goal at the Hawthorns.

Celtic could now be in danger of losing one of their first-team men at Parkhead after it emerged that a surprise suitor has joined the race for his signature, according to a report.

Celtic's January plans…

Despite sitting top of the Scottish Premiership table with 36 points from their opening 14 fixtures, it is no secret that Celtic will be keen to enter the January market in search of further reinforcements as Brendan Rodgers looks to retain his side's league title.

Reports suggest that the former Leicester City boss could look to bolster his options on the left-hand side of defence, with Estoril defender Tiago Araujo believed to be one of the Hoops' January targets. Celtic have made overtures to try and land the 22-year-old in a deal that could be worth around £4 million in total.

Capable of functioning as a left-back or further up on the same flank, Rodgers is said to be keen to get a deal over the line for the Portugal Under-21 international, who would add competition for Greg Taylor and Alexandro Bernabei if he were to move to Parkhead.

Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden is once again on the Scottish champions' radar after they previously tried to sign the Birkerod-born attacker in the summer window; however, the Hoops will need to fend off stiff competition from clubs in England, Germany and France for his signature, as per reports in Denmark via Football Scotland.

Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu could be unavailable come the New Year if they are selected to feature for their respective nations on Asian Cup duty, making acquiring a striking addition an important part of Rodgers' transfer plans.

Nevertheless, outgoings will be necessary at Celtic and one of their key men is now being eyed by a European giant as the mid-season transfer window approaches.

AC Milan eye David Turnbull swoop

According to Pianeta Milan via Football Scotland, AC Milan are eyeing a surprise swoop for Celtic midfielder David Turnbull alongside several Italian clubs, as his contract at Parkhead is set to expire in the summer of 2024. Hoops boss Rodgers has also previously put on record his ambition to keep the former Motherwell man in Glasgow.

Speaking to the outlet, intermediary Michele Fratine revealed the Rossoneri's interest in the Scotland international, stating: "He has broken verbally with Celtic and his contract expires on 31 May 2024 . Signing him in January would cost 8 million euros, maximum 10. Otherwise Milan will have to hope to be chosen next summer from a very vast list of suitors.

"Scottish international, like Bologna 's Lewis Ferguson, with different characteristics. Modern, complete midfielder: he scored 7 goals in 11 league games for Celtic. Very interesting profile that many Italian clubs are looking at, including Milan."

Labelled "excellent" by Celtic boss Rodgers, Turnbull has took his chance to impress this term when called upon; however, his lack of regular minutes may force him to look elsewhere as his future continues to hang in the balance.

Celtic could land Johnston replacement in swoop for teen "rising star"

The Hoops have been linked with an interest in the talented young defender.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 29, 2023

Mark Clattenburg has quit his refereeing consultant role at Nottingham Forest – shortly after Gary Neville called on him to resign.

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• Forest criticise officiating in loss at Everton
• Neville calls on Clattenburg to resign after comments
• Ex-ref steps away from consultancy role at Forest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Premier League referee was only appointed to this position in February in a bid to, ostensibly, improve understanding and relationships with match officials. However, the 49-year-old has announced he has left the club, saying the furore around his role was more of a "hinderance" than anything else. This comes just over a week after Gary Neville told Clattenburg to resign.

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  WHAT MARK CLATTENBURG SAID

  The statement on Forest's website reads: "Since February this year, I have been proud to have done so under a consultancy agreement between NFFC and Referee Consultant Ltd. I performed my services under the consultancy agreement in good faith, to the best of my abilities and in the hope of using my extensive experience as a match official to help NFFC understand how decisions in relation to key match incidents are made amid the workings of VAR.

  "However, it is now clear that the existence and performance of these consultancy services has caused unintended friction between NFFC and other participants, to the extent that it has become more of a hinderance than help to NFFC. It has also led to the unmerited targeting of me, personally, by certain participants and pundits.

  "Such reactions and outcome was not expected and is regrettable, as it is my sincere belief that there is a place for and value in such a role in the modern game. I am grateful to NFFC and wish them all the best during the remainder of the season and in the future. It’s been an honour."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Clattenburg was criticised after Forest complained about three penalty decisions that went against them in a 2-0 away loss to relegation rivals Everton last month. The ex-referee wrote in a Daily Mail article that these errors were a "joke" and laid into the officials, something Neville quickly lambasted. Now Clattenburg has decided to step away from his post with immediate effect.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Following Clattenburg's departure, Forest will hope to return to winning ways when they face already relegated Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday. The Tricky Trees are 17th in the Premier League, just one point above the drop zone.

Chelsea are thought to be planning an £86 million double signing for manager Mauricio Pochettino in January, coming after his personal request.

Boehly's rumoured transfer plans for January

Pochettino was very candid in his public message that Chelsea should seek to make new signings next month, as the Argentine believes his side can be too passive both going forward and in defence.

Their latest loss, a 2-0 defeat to relegation candidates Everton at Goodison Park, was their seventh of the campaign and second in consecutive matches.

Club expecting Chelsea move for star who's "top of the tree with Bellingham"

Pochettino really wants him now.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 14, 2023

Chelsea languish in mid-table and face a real mountain to climb, especially if they're to salvage potential European qualification from what has been another disappointing season thus far.

After spending nearly £400 million in the summer, chairman Todd Boehly and the club's transfer chiefs may be sailing a bit too close to the wind regarding FFP, so its reported Chelsea sales may fund their January signings.

Trevoh Chalobah appears likely to leave Stamford Bridge alongside Malang Sarr (Rudy Galetti), and there are even reports that in-form midfielder Conor Gallagher may also be sold by Chelsea next month.

With these potential funds, it is widely believed Pochettino wants more steel in his Chelsea squad (The Mail) – both in an attacking sense and defensively.

Chelsea plot £86m Vlahovic and Palhinha move

Now, as per reports from Spain, the west Londoners are plotting an £86m double swoop to solve certain issues. Indeed, Chelsea are allegedly planning moves for Joao Palhinha and Dusan Vlahovic in an attempt to back Pochettino and resurrect the club's stumbling season.

It is believed £51.4 million will be put towards signing midfielder Palhinha from rivals Fulham, and a further £34.3 million will be invested in tempting Vlahovic from Juventus – which roughly translates to around £86m from Euros. This comes at "the request" of Pochettino as he seeks to upgrade Chelsea's squad.

Palhinha has been a star player for Fulham since joining them in the summer of 2022, and they managed to keep hold of the Portuguese earlier this year despite advances from Bayern Munich.

Vlahovic, meanwhile, is starting to rediscover his best form at Juventus as Premier League clubs reportedly take note of his exploits in Turin.

Both men are important players for their respective sides, so it will be intriguing to see if the aforementioned fees can do enough to tempt Juve or Fulham into doing deals mid-season.

Vlahovic has been called a "lightning" striker by Sky pundit Micah Richards, while Palhinha is revered for his leadership qualities by Whites boss Marco Silva.

"He leads through his attitude, he's not the most vocal guy and he's improving his English as well. I want him to be more vocal and in that position it's important," Silva said.

"His attitude, his commitment, the way he leads the others around are things that are hard to find in football."