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Chelsea have had some of football's most talented players on their books, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Gianfranco Zola leading their attack.

However, in their 118-year history, the blue side of London have seen some of the world's best players slip through their fingers.

Therefore, we at Football FanCast have compiled a list of 11 players Chelsea should never have sold.

11 Oriol Romeu to Southampton – £5m (2015)

Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu joined Chelsea at just 19 years old from Barcelona in 2011, but in his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge, he failed to ever break into the first team, making only 33 appearances and going out on loan twice (to Stuttgart in Germany and Valencia in Spain) before moving to Southampton in 2015.

Nevertheless, since leaving the Blues the 32-year-old has gone on to have an illustrious career.

During the 2016/17 season, Romeu completed the third most tackles in the Premier League (117), only behind N’Golo Kante and Idrissa Gueye, furthermore between the 2016/17 and 2018/19 campaigns the Barcelona youth academy graduate was the Saints' top tackler, showing just how crucial he was to their side.

To make things worse for Chelsea, after leaving Southampton for Girona in 2022 Romeu has returned to his boyhood club where he has continued to impress.

10 Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool – £12m (2013)

Despite only being 34, today Daniel Sturridge is more commonly found appearing for Sky Sports’ punditry team. However, after leaving the Blues over a decade ago the striker became one of the Premier League's most prolific strikers.

The Englishman spent four seasons with Chelsea, making 63 appearances (32 off the bench), but he was only able to score 13 goals and in his final season, he only managed one goal. This led to his £12m January transfer to Liverpool, where his career took off.

After his move, Sturridge scored goals 10 in 11 starts and during his first full campaign in 2013/14 the Premier League winner netted 21 times and formed one of the most iconic partnerships in the leagues with Luis Suárez.

Perhaps Chelsea and previous owner Roman Abramovich would have been smart to hold onto the two-time Champions League winner, as since the departure of Drogba and then Diego Costa they have struggled to find a star striker.

9 Juan Cuadrado to Juventus – £17m (2017)

Chelsea paid £23.3m for winger Juan Cuadrado in 2015, however, the Colombian only ever made 13 appearances, of which only four starts, furthermore he never scored during his spell with the club. This means that he cost the five-time Premier League Champions £5.83m for every start the winger made.

Following a return to Italy on loan with Juventus (just seven months after moving to England) the 35-year-old criticized Chelsea for not giving him a chance.

He said to the Evening Standard: "I don't think I was given enough opportunity to show what I can do, but that's football. I'm happy to be back being a protagonist with Juventus."

And maybe Cuadrado was right, as after making his move to Juventus permanent in 2017, he went on to play 314 times for the Old Lady, scoring 26 goals and assisting 59 times, while also winning 11 trophies.

8 Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan – £25M (2021)

Fikayo Tomori first joined Chelsea in 2005 and worked his way up from just Under-8s level, all the way to the first team, where he made 27 appearances.

However, after 16 years in London, the centre-back permanently left the club, after his loan move to AC Milan was made permanent.

Since moving to Italy, the Canadian-born defender has excelled. During his first full season with the Rossoneri, Tomori won Milan’s first Serie A title in 11 years, while also making the team of the season.

It may be that Chelsea regrets selling the 25-year-old, with the squad being remade under the ownership of Todd Boehly, the blue side of London lacks some much-needed leadership and experience, which Tomori could have provided.

7 Tammy Abraham to Roma – £34m (2021)

Tammy Abraham had a very similar career path to Tomori, joining Chelsea at just seven years old, the striker worked his way up to the first team, where he made his debut at just 18 years old.

The England international broke into the Chelsea first team during the 2019/20 season under manager Frank Lampard, and in 34 league appearances, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals and finished the season as the Blues’ top scorer.

However, only a year later Abraham was sold to Roma, after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign where he scored just six league goals.

Since moving to Roma, the Chelsea academy graduate has shown his boyhood club what they could have had, scoring 36 goals in 107 games and winning the UEFA Europa Conference in 2022.

6 Declan Rice to West Ham – Released (2014)

Declan Rice never made it into Chelsea’s first team and was dropped from their youth set-up at just 14 after joining in 2006.

This led the England international to join London rivals West Ham, where he became a club legend.

In his eight years with the Hammers Rice made 241 appearances and became the club's captain, and in his final game for West Ham in 2023, he won the Europa Conference League, which was the London club’s first trophy since 1980.

Although the 24-year-old received interest from Chelsea after leaving, he eventually moved to bitter rivals Arsenal for a record £105m, leaving the Stamford Bridge outfit wondering how they let him get away.

5 Jamal Musiala to Bayern Munich – £172k (2019)

Jamal Musiala has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest young stars since breaking into the Bayern Munich first-team during the 2020/21 season.

Since leaving London the 20-year-old has already won four German League titles and a Champions League, on top of this he has been nominated for the 2023 Golden Boy – which is awarded to the best U21 player in Europe.

This prompted Golden Boy founder Massimo Franchi to reveal that he thought Musiala could have been integral to Chelsea.

Speaking to TZ he said:

"That FC Bayern took him from Chelsea almost for free was incredibly smart. An incredible loss for Londoners.

"It would be like the Louvre losing the Mona Lisa!"

According to Football Transfers, the German international is now worth £82.2m, meaning if Munich were to sell the former Chelsea academy player, they could make at least a £82m profit.

4 Arjen Robben to Real Madrid – £30m (2007)

Arjen Robben left PSV and moved to Chelsea in 2004 for £16m, however, he was out the door just three years later after only making 67 league appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing 16 assists.

After Leaving England, the winger moved to Real Madrid, where he again had an unsuccessful spell and was sold to Bayern Munich after two years.

But this move to Germany proved to be the making of the former Dutch international, as he became one of the world's best players.

The 39-year-old spent 10 seasons in Germany, where he made 309 appearances, scored 144 goals and made 101 assists, while also winning eight German League titles, a Champions League, and Bundesliga Player of the Year.

Proving to Chelsea and Real Madrid what they missed out on.

3 Eden Hazard to Real Madrid – £130m (2019)

Eden Hazard has to go down as a Chelsea club legend, he was voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year a record four times and won two Premier Leagues and two Europa Leagues while making 352 appearances and scoring 110 goals.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale came to an end in 2019 as the winger sealed his dream move to Real Madrid.

However, this move saw his career come off the rails, after numerous injuries and only 54 league appearances, the 32-year-old's contract was terminated with a year to go, and he is yet to find a new club.

This has left Chelsea, their supporters, and probably Hazard wondering what would have happened if he had stayed in London.

2 Mohamed Salah to Roma – £12.75m (2016)

It is unlikely that anyone in 2016 would have believed you if you had suggested that Mohamed Salah would become the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history or break the record for most Premier League Player of the Month awards in a single season.

However, he has certainly proved his doubters and Chelsea wrong.

The Premier League winner struggled while at Chelsea, only playing 19 times and scoring twice, meaning that he has scored more goals against the Blues than has for them, with seven in 21 appearances against the two-time Champions League winners.

Speaking to GQ in 2022 the Egyptian revealed the pressure was too much for him while at Chelsea.

He said:

“It was so tough for me, mentally. I couldn’t handle the pressure I had from the media, coming from outside.

“I was not playing that much. I felt, ‘No, I need to go’.

“You have two choices: to tell the people that they are right to put you on a bench or to prove them wrong.

“I needed to prove them wrong.”

Tottenham have had their fair share of high-profile blunders in the transfer market, notably their summer transfer window business on the eve of the 2013/14 season kicking off saw Spurs spend their newly obtained Gareth Bale millions poorly – splashing £120m on flops such as Roberto Soldado, Vlad Chirches and Paulinho with Christian Eriksen the obvious exception.

Other faces that will remembered as duds when pulling on a Spurs strip over years gone by are Moussa Sissoko, David Bentley and Clinton N'Jie, the last of that forgettable trio never scoring for the north Londoners after the striker was tipped to have the potential to be a future bright spark for Tottenham.

Another stand-out transfer mishap was Vincent Janssen, the Dutch striker electric in his native Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar before uncharasterically turning goal-shy when relocating to England.

It's a transfer that had so much potential, squashed within a lacklustre first season as Janssen would then be sold on to Mexico.

Burning a hole in Spurs' pocket, the now 29-year-old's transition to the Premier League was bumpy after leaving the Eredivisie for a sizeable transfer fee.

The cost of Vincent Janssen's move to Spurs

In 2016, Tottenham must have thought they'd struck gold by signing Janssen for a reasonable £18.6m transfer fee considering the then 22-year-old's exploits in the Eredivisie before signing on the dotted line at White Hart Lane.

He would net 32 goals from 49 games for ex-employers AZ Alkmaar in total, including a terrific 27 goals in his final full season in the Dutch top-flight which saw the deadly striker win the golden boot beating PSV Eindhoven sharp shooter Luuk de Jong to the prize by a solitary goal.

Janssen would have first come onto the radar of English football fans a couple of months before this move to Spurs was completed however, scoring a penalty against England at Wembley Stadium when featuring for the Netherlands in the March before he joined in 2016.

The allure of joining Tottenham at the time came from Mauricio Pochettino transforming Spurs into an easy-on-the-eye team to watch, the Argentine boss steering his team to a third placed finish during the 2015/16 season which meant the Lilywhites now had Champions League football to savour.

READ MORE: The starting lineup at Spurs if they never sold Gareth Bale

After signing for his new team, Janssen revealed – when speaking to Spurs TV per the Guardian – that it had always been a dream for him to play at that elite level which made the switch to Tottenham a simplistic move to make.

He said: "When I was a little child I watched every game in the Champions League and now I can play it for myself. It’s a beautiful club, a traditional club in England.”

Monterrey

94

24

Almere City

74

32

Royal Antwerp

63

27

AZ Alkmaar

49

32

Tottenham

42

6

Fenerbahce

18

5

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, the goals would dry up for Janssen when he made the move to England with the ex-AZ man never living up to this billing of being a commanding and potent striker he had garnered in the Eredivisie in his new home.

Janssen's numbers for Spurs

Signed to give Harry Kane competition, the Englishman must never have really sweated about the potential of being dropped by Pochettino with a goal-shy Janssen waiting in the wings.

The Dutch attacker would have to wait nine whole games to get his first Premier League goal, scoring a penalty against Leicester City on the stroke of half-time in a 1-1 draw.

After this strike against the Foxes, Janssen would only muster up one more top-flight goal for Spurs – leaving it until April of the same campaign to net again, rounding off a comprehensive 4-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth with a simple tap-in after an initial Cherries block.

In total, he would manage six goals for the Lilywhites with the domestic Cup competitions more fruitful for the 22-time Netherlands International – even scoring against Liverpool in the EFL Cup in a much-changed starting XI.

His poor stint in a Tottenham shirt even saw ex-Blackburn Rovers striker and football pundit Chris Sutton at the time comment on the situation, with Sutton feeling sorry for Janssen when speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.

He said: "You have to say you feel a bit sorry for him because it is hard to step into Kane’s shoes, but he hasn’t delivered.”

The disastrous move was put to one side in Tottenham quarters when Janssen left the club permanently in 2019 for Monterrey in Mexico, Spurs recuperating £8m in the process.

But, as much as Janssen did flop in English football, he has turned his career around since departing Spurs and is now the star man for Royal Antwerp out in Belgium.

Janssen's numbers since leaving Spurs

Outscoring Tottenham's shining light in James Maddison this campaign so far – Janssen hitting the back of the net six times in all competitions compared to Maddison's lesser three – the forward has undergone a career revival which has seen the 6 foot striker get back to his goalscoring best.

Scoring seven times from nine games played in the Copa MX in his first season out in Mexico was the confidence booster Janssen needed to shake off any doubts that he'd never recapture that deadly goalscoring streak he lost at Spurs again, eventually leaving Monterrey with 24 goals to his name for pastures new in Belgium.

Since joining Royal Antwerp in June last year, Janssen has already eclipsed his Monterrey total for Mark Van Bommel's outfit – netting 16 goals from 30 games in his debut campaign with the Reds, with Van Bommel's overperformers going on to lift the Jupiler Pro League title.

His goal output for Antwerp continues to flow, scoring a hat-trick in September versus Belgian opponents KV Kortrijk to help his side win emphatically in a 6-0 drubbing.

Janssen's first goal in that match at the Bosuilstadion saw an attacker brimming with confidence, connecting with a cross into the box first time to guide the ball effortlessly into the back of the net.

It's a sign of an attacker who has matured and learnt valuable lessons in the aftermath of his disappointing days at Spurs, the Dutchman often critiqued as being too static and passive when playing under Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

Now, he's found his goalscoring groove again and has been able to rebuild his career to the point where his time at Spurs just reads as a blemish on his otherwise impressive CV.

One Tottenham star's agent is said to have an "agreement" with two clubs over him leaving in January, but there's a major issue in the form of Spurs' demands.

Spurs injuries mounting

The Lilywhites boss Ange Postecoglou is having to contend with numerous squad depth issues after a quartet of key players were forced to leave the field in their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday.

Postecoglou will be without defender Cristian Romero, who is set to serve a three-match suspension, and Destiny Udogie after the pair were shown red cards against Mauricio Pochettino's side earlier this week.

However, the most worrying absentees come in the form of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who will now be out of action until 2024 – as confirmed by Postecoglou in a press conference this afternoon.

“Micky obviously with that hamstring injury, we knew it was fairly significant, probably a couple of months for him looking into the new year," said the Australian (via football.london).

“Madders is a lot worse than we thought. He came off with an ankle injury and the next day wasn’t great, so we sent him for a scan. Again probably into the new year for him."

For now, the Spurs head coach is having to make do with limited options, but according to reports, there is a belief that the north Londoners could still opt to part ways with midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

While both Maddison and van de Ven could be back by January, when the window reopens, there is still a glaring lack of depth – so you could make the case that is wise to keep a player of Hojbjerg's experience.

Spurs are apparently open to selling Hojbjerg permanently but won't authorise a loan deal, which is backed by another update on his future from Italy.

Hojbjerg's agent has "agreement" with two clubs

The midfielder's agent apparently has an "agreement" with both Juventus and Atletico Madrid, as per newspaper La Stampa, but coming after Juventus chiefs met with Hojbjerg and his representation.

However, Spurs have adopted a firm stance over his exit – he leaves permanently for around £26 milllion or not at all. Hojbjerg was somewhat of a peripheral figure before Tottenham's current injury crisis, making most of his appearances across all competitions from the bench.

Some reports now hint Hojbjerg could be used in a makeshift central defensive role to cover for the injured van de Ven and suspended Romero, so it will be very interesting to see how that develops.

At his best, the Spurs midfielder is an extremely useful asset to have, with former goalkeeper Paul Robinson believing he was playing the best football of his Tottenham career not too long ago.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson in October 2022 to Football Insider.

“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.

“He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Leeds United will have been disappointed to come away from the Preston North End game last time out with nothing, unable to follow up the comprehensive win over Ipswich Town with another straightforward victory.

The attackers fell below their usual high standards in the 2-1 defeat at Deepdale from a Whites perspective, both Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter failing to catch Freddie Woodman out in the opposing goal with zero shots on target from both as per Sofascore.

Not even the introduction of youth product Mateo Joseph and seasoned regular Patrick Bamford in attack in the second half could steer Leeds towards picking up an away win, Daniel Farke's men ultimately running out of steam and ideas come full-time.

Farke could well look to the transfer window to bring in more firepower up top therefore, with the Whites notable admirers of one wonderkid who continues to take his native South Africa by storm at just 17 years of age.

With Leeds unafraid to give their own homegrown teenage talents first team minutes in the form of Archie Gray, this could be the perfect next destination for this starlet to further develop and excel.

Leeds transfer latest

The Scottish Sun reported last month that Leeds alongside Celtic were interested in Cape Town Spurs striker Luke Baartman, the 17-year-old attacker regarded as one of the brightest talents in South African football currently.

This season for the Cape Town Spurs, Baartman has managed to find the back of the net twice for the senior side which included a fierce header last match in DStv Premiership action for his boyhood club.

Baartman won't instantly come into the first team and make an impact if he relocates to Elland Road this January, but Bamford's days will still be numbered anyway as Farke looks to bring in fresh youngsters to boost the squad to replace the old guard in West Yorkshire.

Patrick Bamford's numbers this season

Bamford has had a torrid season to date with Leeds, the 30-year-old striker goalless from 15 appearances with his minutes limited to exclusively coming off the bench when the clock is ticking down.

The ageing Leeds attacker has been on a decline for some time, with this season not coming as a shock or an anomaly with the ex-Chelsea man regularly out with injury if he's not misfiring in front of goal.

Season

Games played

Goals scored

2023-24

15

0

2022-23

31

6

2021-22

10

2

2020-21

38

17

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Bamford's powers diminishing could see Farke swoop in for Baartman as a shrewd piece of business therefore, buying with the future in mind and gaining a striker likened to Henrik Larsson according to Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor when speaking to the Scottish Sun.

Connor stated that the teenage sensation's "spatial awareness, movement and pace" reminded him of the iconic Swedish striker when he first set eyes upon the promising talent, a bold label to put on a 17-year-old who has so much more of his career left to go.

Leeds could well feel it's a gamble worth taking buying Baartman this January, initially placing the South African striker into the U21's fold to further hone his craft before unleashing him into the first team eventually to hopefully mirror the success story of Gray.

It will be a sad severing of the ties when the Whites do have to wave goodbye to Bamford, but a farewell they will have to consider soon with the injury-prone striker losing his clinical edge completely.

Bringing in Baartman may appear a move for the future, yet as has been shown in the case of Gray – who has featured 25 times in all competitions this season – Farke is willing to put faith in any talent regardless of their age.

Getting to see the two 17-year-old's thriving in the same side could, therefore, be a mouthwatering prospect for the Elland Road outfit.

It might well be the case that Manchester City look to reinforce in attack over the January transfer window. It was not really an area of focus for the East Mancunian side over the summer transfer window, with Rayan Cherki the only attacking player joining the club.

They’ve added to their attacking depth over the last few transfer windows, bringing the likes of Savinho and Omar Marmoush to the club.

However, they have played just 644 minutes combined in the Premier League, and it seems Pep Guardiola is still looking to add to the depth in forward areas.

Thus, the Citizens have been linked with some big-name attackers.

City’s latest transfer target

It seems like City aren’t afraid to splash the cash as they look to improve the quality of their attack.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

One player who has been linked is Real Madrid star Rodrygo, with Guardiola’s side reportedly considering a £70m move for the Brazilian.

However, another player the Citizens are linked with is RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande. According to a report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, City are said to be one of the clubs that have the Ivorian winger ‘in their sights’ ahead of a potential transfer.

Yet, this deal will be neither cheap nor straightforward. Several of City’s Premier League rivals are keen on the 19-year-old, including Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, with other clubs not named.

The fee will be astronomical, too. Leipzig are reportedly set to ask for upwards of £87m, and hold strong negotiating power because there is no release clause in his contract.

Why Diomande would be a good signing

If City were to pay the fee for Diomande, there is certainly evidence to suggest it would be a good piece of business and would strengthen out wide.

Despite being just 19 years of age, the winger is already a “defender’s nightmare” according to football scout Antonio Mango, having also been described as a “generational” talent by journalist Bence Bocsak.

It has been a really strong start to the season for the Ivorain winger. He’s shone for Leipzig, making 11 appearances across all competitions and racking up 11 goals and assists in that time. That includes six goals and three assists in 14 games in the Bundesliga.

One of the benefits of Diomande’s game is the fact that he can play on either flank. It is no secret that Guardiola likes the versatility in his attackers, and that is something the Leipzig number 49 would be able to offer the Catalan coach

Signing Diomande could be a brilliant alternative to Rodrygo for City.

Of course, the Los Blancos winger is one of the most reputable in the world, with over 100 goals and assists in less than 300 games for the Spanish giants.

He ended his 32-game goalless run against the Citizens in the Champions League last week, showing how deadly he can be at his very best.

After the game, Guardiola said he told Rodrygo himself “how good he is” and described him as “a player from another level.”

Naturally, that fuelled conversion surrounding a City move for the Brazilian. However, if that doesn’t materialise, signing Diomande could be an apt alternative.

He is equally as effective when it comes to chance creation and is arguably even more direct.

Indeed, that is something backed up by the numbers on FBref, where the two players are similar. This season, the Ivorian has completed 4.24 successful take-ons and played 1.41 key passes on average per 90 minutes.

In comparison, Rodrygo only averages 2.56 take-ons and plays 1.4 key passes each game.

Key passes

1.41

1.4

Progressive passes

4.04

3.26

Goal-creating actions

0.81

0.23

Take-ons completed

4.24

2.56

Ball recoveries

5.76

4.42

No matter who City sign, they are going to have to pay a large fee, such is the nature of the market and the fact that selling teams can demand a large fee. Yet, £87m may be seen as a real investment for Diomande.

He is a quick, direct winger who loves to take defenders on one-vs-one. It will encourage City that he already has impressive final third output, too.

At just 19 years of age, he is an investment for the present and future.

Man City offer Real Madrid shock swap deal to sign "the next De Bruyne"

He’s impressed under Xabi Alonso.

ByTom Cunningham 6 days ago

Manchester City could put their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on ice as they look to land an alternative target at the Etihad Stadium, according to a report.

Manchester City transfer updates…

With the January window approaching, Manchester City are likely to enter the market for reinforcements as Pep Guardiola continues to add to his well-oiled machine to make sure they are in a competitive position to battle for glory on both domestic and European fronts.

Largely, summer signings Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic have complemented their new teammates in a fairly seamless fashion, leaving the Cityzens just a point off the top of the Premier League table with 13 games played.

Nevertheless, further arrivals are always likely on the blue half of Manchester and the Sky Blues are now embroiled in a battle with Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid for the signature of Palmeiras wonderkid Estevao Willian, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk.

The youngster has a £47 million release clause inserted into his current deal at the Brazilian giants; however, it is unlikely that his interested suitors will have to activate the full amount to enter negotiations over a potentially life-changing move for the 16-year-old.

AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao is also reported target for Manchester City and they would be willing to pay a fee in the region of £129 million to tempt the Portugal international to the North West. If Leao were to join, questions would start to circulate regarding the future of Jack Grealish at the Etihad Stadium, though we will need to wait and see on that front.

In other news, the Blues could ditch their pursuit of another well-known target amid problems in negotiations, as per a fresh report.

Manchester City could now abandon Paqueta pursuit

According to FootballTransfers, Manchester City could pull out of their pursuit of West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta and instead swoop for Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry.

Serge Gnabry in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

10

Goals

1

Assists

0

Brazil international Paqueta is still a player whom the Sky Blues admire; however, they remain non-committal over a deal to bring him to the Etihad Stadium while gambling issues surrounding the 26-year-old remain unresolved. Gnabry has emerged as another serious candidate to add some extra verve in attack for Guardiola's men despite personal terms being agreed between Manchester City and the former.

Labelled "phenomenal" by Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport, cited via The Daily Mail in 2020, Gnabry, who earns around £247,000 per week at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, has offered plenty of innovation in attack this term for his current employers, averaging around 2.5 shots and 1.3 key passes per fixture in the German top-flight (Gnabry statistics – WhoScored).

Despite this, the Germany international may feel a new challenge is in the offing as he enters the prime of his career and Manchester City would be an exciting destination to prove his worth in England following previous spells in the Premier League with Arsenal and West Bromwich Albion.

Man City willing to submit £129m offer for "difference-maker" in January

The Blues are considering tabling a huge bid to bring the attacker to the Etihad.

ByChloe Chadwick Nov 29, 2023

As things start coming together for Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, with glimpses of what may come in their 2-2 draw against Arsenal, you can't help but notice that the Blues are still missing a couple of pieces to the puzzle that could unlock their route back among Europe's elite. They've got the manager they wanted. They got their defensive midfielder in the form of Moises Caicedo, and they kept hold of Levi Colwill in their backline. What they failed to arguably find, however, was an out-and-out goalscorer.

For all the money they spent throughout the summer transfer window, Chelsea did not solve their striker problem, leaving them to go again in the January transfer window. And that could lead them to a certain Bundesliga star.

Chelsea transfer news

Chelsea's need for a striker is no secret in the Premier League, especially after Nicolas Jackson's early-season form, which has seen him find the back of the net just three times in 10 games. Whilst the eventual return of Christopher Nkunku may help to solve Pochettino's crisis up top, the Blues may well look to the transfer market to put an end to their dilemma once and for all.

The latest Benjamin Sesko transfer news suggests that he's on their shortlist, too. According to reporter Simon Phillips, Chelsea are still scouting the RB Leipzig forward as a back-up option, in case deals for either Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney fail to come to fruition, be it in January or next summer's transfer window.

Chelsea have, of course, done business with Leipzig before, buying and then selling Timo Werner from and to the Bundesliga side, before also landing Nkunku from them last summer. With a relationship already in place, a deal for Sesko could turn out to be fairly routine if Chelsea meet whatever asking price Leipzig demand.

Benjamin Sesko's stats

Sesko has struggled to get into the Leipzig side at times this season, making just two Bundesliga starts in eight games. It's a surprise that he has failed to break into Marco Rose's side, though, given that he has scored twice in just 198 minutes played in the current campaign, which is almost an average of a goal a game. Sesko's stats have been more impressive than Chelsea's Jackson, too, as per FBref.

Player

Goals Per 90

Expected Goals

Goal Creating Actions Per 90

Benjamin Sesko

0.91

0.9

0.90

Nicolas Jackson

0.31

4.1

0.16

It comes as little surprise that Sesko has earned plenty of praise over the years, including from journalist Maxi Angelo, who posted on X back in 2022: "Benjamin Šeško has really showcased why top clubs in Europe wants him this summer against Liverpool tonight. Incredible strength and size. Nice technique and smart movements. One goal to his name in the first half too. Very impressive, especially for being 19."

With that said, as Chelsea continue to search for a striker, Sesko could quickly become an ideal option. When given the chance at Leipzig this season, he has had success in front of goal, making the rest of his season all the more interesting.

A major update has emerged over Everton potentially seeing their 10-point deduction reduced after an appeal, courtesy of football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Everton's 10-point deduction

The Blues had got themselves into a promising rhythm before the international break, with their results in the Premier League suggesting that a relegation battle felt unlikely this season. Sean Dyche's men were then hit with a 10-point deduction for breaking financial rules, however, which swiftly saw them drop into the relegation zone into 19th place.

Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester United has done little to improve the mood around Goodison Park, with a hostile atmosphere growing flat as soon as Alejandro Garnacho spectacularly opened the scoring, and Everton's best bet now is to see an appeal prove successful in the near future.

5/10 Everton man had a night to forget vs Man Utd

This usually dependable Everton star had an off game versus the Red Devils, the Toffees losing 3-0 at Goodison Park.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2023 Will Everton's punishment be reduced?

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire revealed he believes Everton's 10-point deduction will end up being reduced, in what could be a massive boost for the club.

"Everton’s punishment is broadly in line with the suggested tariff of the Premier League, although the commission didn’t take that into consideration. It’s certainly at the upper end of the scale. Given that this is very much a test case, I think there is certainly justification for saying it should have been a smaller points deduction with a further deduction suspended.

"The commission then could have made it very clear that future indiscretions from a financial point of view would have been treated more severely and to give guidance to clubs. I think one of the frustrations from Everton’s point of view is that the breach was only £20million over three years.

"Now that is a lot of money to the average person in the street, but to a business which is turning over £200million a year – you could argue that it’s less so.“There’s a lot of things to be learned from it. We know the Premier League were pushing for 12 points and I think they were trying to use that as a benchmark going forwards. But I think Everton will not end up with 10 points once the appeal has been heard."

This is clearly exactly what every Everton fan will want to hear, with so many Blues supporters feeling aggrieved at the speed at which the penalty has been handed to them, especially when clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea have not been punished for alleged financial wrongdoings down the years.

There is still definite hope that Dyche's side can avoid relegation this season, even with the points disadvantage that has come their way, but seeing the amount lessened would be such a shot in the arm midway throught the season.

Being relegated to the Championship simply doesn't bear thinking about for anyone of an Everton persuasion, especially with a takeover hopefully being completed soon and the move to Bramley Moore Dock happening at the end of the season, and it is imperative that results continue to improve in the coming weeks.

For now, the Blues have to assume that nothing will change in regard to their points tally, with any change in the current situation acting as a huge bonus for the club.

Newcastle United's owners are ready to complete the signing of an "incredible" defender with bags of "charisma", according to a new transfer update.

Newcastle January transfer links

The Magpies have had a disastrous time of things in the injury department all season long, with an almost unfathomable string of fitness issues affecting so many players. Not only has it meant that Eddie Howe has been without numerous important individuals in both the Premier League and the Champions League, but it has also led to other available figures playing too much football and looking fatigued.

For that reason, it could now be that Howe looks to make some key signings during the January transfer window, with defensive additions potentially at the forefront of the manager's thoughts, especially with Sven Botman unavailable for so much of the campaign.

Dan Burn is another player who has been out for a large chunk of action in 2023/24 to date, so while centre-back is one area to focus on, left-back reinforcements could arrive, too. Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi has been seen as an option for the Newcastle, with a bid possibly arriving at some point soon, while Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio, who can play in both positions, has also been mooted as a target.

Newcastle readying bid for Andrea Cambiaso

According to Tutto Juve [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are keen on signing Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso, and have even set aside a fixed sum they are willing to use to get the deal done.

Aston Villa and Fulham are also believed to be in the mix to snap up the 23-year-old, so it won't necessarily be easy for the Magpies to get their man. Newcastle and their fellow Premier League rivals are "willing to spend" €15m (£13m) on Cambiaso, although Juve are not keen on the idea of allowing him to leave at this point in his career.

The left-back could be a brilliant signing by the Magpies if they do manage to get a deal over the line in the January window, with Italy legend Mauro Tassotti once saying of him:

"I was immediately struck by Andrea’s ability to play both left and right. And above all his ability to kick with both feet. I haven’t yet understood whether he is right or left-footed. In this sense, he is similar to Paolo Maldini who however was much more powerful from a physical standpoint, had incredible charisma and was also very strong defensively, so much so that he ended his career as a centre-back."

Cambiaso could be a similarly strong option to Burn, possessing his all-round expertise that has shone throughout this season in Serie A to date, while he can also play on the right flank, offering similar versatility to that of Tino Livramento.

Appearances

14

Tackles per game

1.1

Aerial duels wins per game

0.5

Goal contributions

3

Pass completion rate

88.1%

Newcastle desperately need some fresh legs ahead of the second half of the season – failure to bring in new faces could be fatal to their top four hopes – and the Juve man is someone who ticks so many boxes.

Liverpool secured their third Europa League victory of the season with a noteworthy performance over French side Toulouse at Anfield on Thursday night, extending their perfect record in the group phase.

Having performed so poorly last season but captured the essence of Jurgen Klopp's system once more since the summer, the Reds' triumph in the continental competition appears to be on the cards.

Having finished fifth in the Premier League last season, Champions League football this year slipped out of reach but the resounding start to the campaign has placed Liverpool in early title contention, albeit alongside multiple rivals at this stage.

But the balance has been restored and against Toulouse, the kind of attacking intensity and incisiveness was most pleasing ahead of an important phase of the season.

Liverpool were "emphatic" vs Toulouse

Klopp was delighted after another victory and so too was The Athletic's James Pearce, who praised the "emphatic" showing and the growing cohesion within this new-look Merseyside squad.

Putting five past TFC, the offensive flow was laudable, though Thijs Dallinga's equalising goal after Diogo Jota's fleet-footed opener was a product of a defensive mishap from Joe Gomez and teenage starting debutant Luke Chambers.

There will be sterner tests to come, and it is perhaps telling that dropped points this season have come against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion, three of the toughest opposition faced this term, but the manner of the win left Klopp and the adoring Anfield support enraptured.

The Europa League group phase, at no disrespect to the opposition, may not be the sternest test of Liverpool, who could be wanting to fight for the one piece of silverware that has evaded Klopp's grasp, and their quality.

That being said, desultory displays will be punished, and the first half against LASK in September highlighted this, with renewed vigour after the break turning the deficit on its head.

In an idealised world, Liverpool would be fighting among Europe's elite in the Champions League for a fourth final under the German manager's wing, but last season's failure has enforced a return to the rung below on the ladder, and now securing success is crucial.

Making good use of the whole squad is crucial in this regard, with many first-teamers in the Premier League relegated to the bench on Thursday night once again.

Ryan Gravenberch retained his place after earning a maiden appearance from the outset in the English top-flight last weekend, during victory over rivals Everton, and the 21-year-old ace is swiftly emerging as a starring member of this resurgent team.

Ryan Gravenberch's performance vs Toulouse

Having failed to impress with German champions Bayern Munich last season after signing from Ajax in 2022, Gravenberch completed a £34m transfer to the Reds late in August, with each passing performance bolstering the decision to secure his signature.

With a license to shine this year, the £150k-per-week midfielder has already notched up two goals and assists apiece across all competitions, and left reporter Neil Jones claiming he has "got the lot" after a sensational showing against French opposition.

Statistic

#

Minutes played

70'

Goals

1

Shots on target

4

Pass completion

26/27 (96%)

Key passes

3

Dribble attempts

2/2 (100%)

Ground duels won

6/9 (66%)

Tackles

3

Interceptions

2

Touches

49

It was, quite simply, an all-action performance of the highest merit, and it's becoming increasingly clear that at Bayern Munich this dynamic Dutchman's qualities were not developed as best as they could have been.

He's not without blame, having failed to endear himself to either Julian Nagelsmann or Thomas Tuchel, but with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka ahead in the pecking order, opportunities were limited.

At Liverpool, he has been promised a platform to demonstrate his skills and has taken this with aplomb so far, and while he deserves the plaudits for his standout performance in red so far, the impressive account that holding midfielder Wataru Endo has given for himself, another summer signing, will have left Klopp positively delighted.

Wataru Endo has announced himself

When Liverpool purchased Endo, aged 30, from German Bundesliga side Stuttgart for around £16m after losing out on both Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea, were was a chorus of apprehension that Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke had fumbled the bag quite considerably.

But the veteran Japan midfielder is slowly proving his astute worth, and, against Toulouse, his assiduous role led journalist David Lynch to remark on the “outstanding” part he played.

Bagging his first goal for the club after deftly and accurately guiding Trent Alexander-Arnold's curling delivery home, Endo complemented his strike with an immense match driving away danger and recycling possession for the likes of Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez to wreak havoc in the final third.

As per Sofascore, having played the full 90, he took 87 touches and completed 66/69 (96%) of his passes, making two key passes and winning a whopping ten duels, also forging five tackles and three interceptions.

Alexis Mac Allister has been filling in in the No. 6 position in the Premier League and is undoubtedly the more technically adept of the two, but Endo's prowess as the natural anchor offers a valuable extra dimension.

Toulouse were overpowered, and the £50k-per-week machine played his part to near perfection, though he was dribbled past on three occasions and does lack a bit of mobility and raw pace.

Nonetheless, having lost possession just four times despite his placement in the innermost point of the pitch, he controlled the flow and snuffed out French advances impressively; it was a performance that announced his ability and confirmed that he has what it takes to do a job for an outfit targetting a silver-laden crescendo to the campaign.

For the majority of the Premier League, Endo's arrival on Merseyside went unremarked after Liverpool's failure to sign two coveted, more high-profile targets.

But there is a growing sense that the strong battler will prove to be a most valuable member of an ambitious crop of players and he boasts the industrious attributes to really make a difference throughout the campaign, as shown by his performance on Thursday night.

Gravenberch dazzled on the European stage and unsurprisingly stole the headlines, but do not not forget how important Endo was during the emphatic win, which has effectively sealed Liverpool's place at the top of Group E, five points ahead of Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse at the midpoint.

Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard was among those to wax lyrical following Liverpool's acquisition, pronouncing Endo a "proper warrior and leader."

Such qualities are imperative to the Reds' chances of success across multiple fronts this year, and Klopp's new man proved against Toulouse that he is every bit the calibre of player to thrive at Anfield, holding the team together with his tough, energetic midfield work.

Therefore, Endo could be Klopp's new hero alongside Gravenberch in the middle of the park if he is provided with an opportunity to play regular football, based on the pair's respective displays against Toulouse.