Category: Football

Jadon Sancho is a player who looked to be a shrewd addition after his debut off the bench against Bournemouth earlier in the season, but it’s safe to say he’s not lived up to the hype.

The 24-year-old joined on loan with an obligation to buy from Manchester United in the summer but has seen a decline in form under Enzo Maresca, failing to register a single goal or assist in any of his last 13 appearances.

Such form over the last few weeks has led to murmurs over his future at the club, with the Blues prepared to pay a fee to send him back to his parent club at the end of his spell.

The former Borussia Dortmund star has massively struggled for a consistent home after his move to United, with his temporary spell in West London another one to add to his growing list of disappointing periods.

Given his form and the interest in ending his spell over the next few months, it would be a surprise to no one to see the club delve into the market, with one player appearing to catch the eye in recent days.

Chelsea make enquiry for another attacking talent

According to Italian outlet TuttoSport, Chelsea have made an enquiry for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz over a potential transfer during the summer window.

The Blues aren’t the only Premier League outfit to register interest in the 19-year-old, with Liverpool and Manchester United also in the hunt for the teenager’s signature.

The Turkish international has registered six goals and four assists in his 41 appearances throughout 2024/25, with one of his efforts coming in the Champions League.

The report states that Maresca’s men have already asked about a potential move, whilst trying to include the youngster in a deal that saw Renato Veiga move to the Old Lady in January.

Given his tender age and recent form in Italy, it would be no surprise to see Juve demand a hefty fee for his services, but he would be a better option than another player who’s already moving to London.

Why Yildiz would be better than Quenda for Chelsea

Over the last couple of days, it was confirmed that Chelsea had agreed a deal to sign Sporting CP’s 17-year-old Geovany Quenda, forking out a small fortune for his services.

The Portuguese star cost the Blues a deal in the region of £42m before add-ons, with the winger spending the remainder of the campaign at his boyhood club and also returning on loan next year.

He’s set to move to the Bridge ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, looking to cement his place in the first team and be a key figure in their ambitions of returning to the pinnacle of the English top flight.

Maresca’s side beat Manchester United in the race for Quenda, hoping to do the same with Yildiz this summer, with the Turkish star possessing a lot of qualities to further bolster their attacking unit.

In 2024/25 to date, he’s managed to outperform the Sporting sensation in numerous key areas, highlighting how much of a phenomenal addition he would be for the club.

The Juve star, who’s been labelled “one of the best left-wingers in the world” by one analyst has managed more combined goals and assists this season, whilst also managing to get more of his efforts on target – showcasing his clinical edge.

He’s also completed more dribbles per 90, whilst also achieving a higher take-on success rate, showcasing the threat he possesses with the ball at his feet within the final third.

Given the pending move for Quenda, it would be another huge investment from the hierarchy as they try to take the club back to their previous heights.

However, it’s an exciting prospect given the stats Yildiz has produced in recent times, undoubtedly offering another huge threat within the final third for the manager.

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is being lined up by Sevilla for a surprise summer switch to La Liga, a report has claimed.

Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since November after a failed doping test sparked an immediate provisional suspension. The investigation into the Ukraine international, who pleads his innocence, is ongoing.

Chelsea have offered their support to Mudryk and those involved with the Blues are hopeful of seeing the young winger cleared to return to football soon, but just what his future looks like at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen after two incredibly underwhelming years.

The Blues paid an initial £62m to sign Mudryk in 2023, agreeing to a deal worth up to £89m, but the 24-year-old’s adaptation to the Premier League has been far from convincing. He has managed just five goals and four assists in 53 outings in the competition and was not a guaranteed starter before his suspension.

Clearly needing to reinvigorate a career which has stalled horribly, Mudryk could be on the move in the summer and SPORT state Sevilla are looking at offering an escape route.

Sevilla have drawn inspiration from Real Betis’ successful loan acquisition of Antony, who struggled at Manchester United but has dazzled since his move to La Liga in January.

It is claimed Mudryk would welcome the chance to join Sevilla, but clearly the move hangs on whether he will be cleared to return to football in time. A ban of as long as four years could be issued if Mudryk is found to have intentionally used a banned substance.

Behind the scenes, Sevilla are working to position themselves at the front of the queue for Mudryk’s signature while everyone involved awaits a final ruling.

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Juventus will give manager Thiago Motta one final game to save his job before making a decision on his future, a report has claimed.

Motta joined Juve in the summer after inspiring a sensational 2023/24 campaign with Bologna, but the team have fallen well short of expectations this season. Not only are they 12 points behind in the title race, but the Bianconeri are outside the Champions League qualification spots.

Under Motta, Juventus have only lost three Serie A games this season but their inability to turn draws into wins – their return of 13 draws from 29 games is the highest in the division – and score enough goals have left the Italian on the brink of being sacked.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus will make a decision on Motta’s future after the international break, giving him one final game against Genoa on March 29 to save his position in the dugout.

A win against Genoa may not even be enough for Motta, who needs a decisive victory to showcase strong support from the playing squad and the tactical knowledge needed to lead a title-winning side further down the line.

If those responsible for making the decision are not satisfied, Motta could be relieved of his duties after the game.

Former Italy and Saudi Arabia manager Roberto Mancini is among the top targets to replace Motta, but reports suggest Juventus are leaning towards hiring Igor Tudor, a former player and assistant manager in Turin.

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Liverpool swiftly put paid to the notion that a bleak demise was on the cards after Jurgen Klopp said farewell. From the standpoint of the Premier League, things could hardly be going any better.

Sure, sure, Liverpool are out of all three cup competitions, but Arne Slot has done exemplary work on Merseyside this season, gathering the resources available and enriching the squad. With nine top-flight fixtures still to play, the Reds are 12 points clear of second-place Arsenal, a chasmic gap.

However, it would be remiss not to address the issues at Anfield. And there are problems. Liverpool’s robust and relentless first-team crop have worked wonders this year, but wintry defeats against PSV Eindhoven and Plymouth Argyle (you remember them), seemingly convinced in Slot’s mind his fringe ranks need some work.

The midfield, in particular, has looked a little leggy of late – and is it surprising? Slot’s tried and trusted central trio play together most every week, but recent defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United spoke of a sapped bunch.

Dominik Szoboszlai has perhaps looked the most fresh, but then he’s got an indefatigable engine to marvel at.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s season in numbers

Klopp drove Liverpool’s pursuit of Szoboszlai in 2023 as he sought to redress Liverpool’s midfield woes, bagging the athletic midfielder from RB Leipzig after meeting his £60m release clause.

A hefty fee, that, but one Liverpool will be delighted with paying. Szoboszlai didn’t enjoy the finest of debut campaigns but he showed more than enough ability. This year, he’s made tremendous progress in Slot’s system.

A purple patch since the turn of the calendar year has lifted the star’s seasonal haul to seven goals and six assists across 40 matches in all competitions, but that still leaves room for something desirable.

Indeed, for all his quality, Szoboszlai still lacks that Midas touch in the final third. Much has been made of the forwards’ profligacy, and rightly so, but Liverpool’s No. 8 could have assuaged the woes of his frontal peers with more clinical performances.

It’s not the most pressing concern that sporting director Richard Hughes must contend with this summer, but Liverpool are believed to be leading the race for a star would could add some competition in attacking midfield.

Who knows, he may even be an upgrade on the 24-year-old.

Liverpool ready offer for summer transfer

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are preparing to launch an official offer for coveted playmaker Xavi Simons. Curiously, the Dutch international plies his art with RB Leipzig.

The bid in question is said to be worth around €80m (£67m), which would make Simons, 21, one of the most expensive players in Liverpool’s history, more so than Szoboszlai.

Manchester United are also keen on adding the diminutive dynamo to their ranks, but the Reds have the lead in the race and must now act with conviction to strengthen the squad.

What Xavi Simons would bring to Liverpool

Aside from fortifying the Dutch tinge to the Liverpool set-up, Simons is a silky and stylish attacking midfielder whose performances over the past several years have led analyst Ben Mattinson to pronounce he will become “one of the best in the world.”

Already something of a footballing nomad, Simons joined Leipzig permanently from PSG in January, having first joined on loan ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The results, for sure, have been promising. 68 appearances have yielded a healthy haul of 31 goal involvements, with the Netherlands native’s ability to play across the attacking positions something Slot is no doubt excited by.

Simons’ knack for maintaining a steady production rate despite being shuffled about the frontline makes a compelling case that he’s fit for a role in Slot’s squad.

After all, he’s got a whole host of creative qualities that suggest he could outstrip Szoboszlai in front of goal. As per FBref, Simons ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Not bad at all, something that would surely enhance Liverpool’s transitional play, driving the ball forward and crafting openings for the forwards to feast upon.

Now, the caveat to all this would be that Szoboszlai posted higher counts when playing for Leipzig, and the jump to Premier League football may well knock Simons’ tally down.

However, this data from which to consider, not a rulebook to be strictly adhered to.

Simons perhaps poses more of a natural goal threat than Liverpool’s Hungarian engine. He’s certainly more focused on his sparkling playmaking, his eye for goal more eagle-tuned.

Sofascore also record some intriguing data to corroborate the praise around his name. Simons has bagged seven goals in the Bundesliga this season while only skewing two big chances wide. This is a promising level of clinical output, especially given he’s averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.3 dribbles and 5.3 successful duels per match.

This is a player of many parts. Szoboszlai boasts similar qualities, but he’s less accurate with his shooting and less productive across most other metrics. The Hungary skipper has missed seven big chances in the Premier League, scoring five goals. He also averages 1.5 key passes, 0.7 dribbles and 3.1 duels per game.

Ultimately, both stars could make a marked impact in Slot’s squad over the coming years; there’s room for two.

Liverpool need that extra injection of depth across a range of areas this summer, and with Simons signed, it might just be enough to prevent another Spring drop-off for a Liverpool side chasing silverware across multiple fronts.

Glasgow Rangers supporters haven’t had much to shout about this season. Victories over Fenerbahçe and then Celtic before the international break were just brief respites in what has been an otherwise dismal campaign.

The emergence of Hamza Igamane has perhaps been one of the brightest aspects of the whole season, with the summer signing settling into life in Glasgow with ease.

His performances have attracted plenty of attention from afar, meaning he could leave the Ibrox side sooner rather than later.

Why Hamza Igamane could leave Rangers

For a transfer fee of just £1.7m, Igamane moved from Morocco to Glasgow last summer, a move which certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Fast-forward several months into March 2025 and the striker has since scored 14 goals across 37 appearances for the Gers, including a stunning last-minute winner against Celtic last week.

Similar in stature to Alfredo Morelos, Igamane is much more flexible, being able to operate as a number ten or even out wide if so required by the manager.

He was recently called up to the senior Morocco squad for their matches against Niger and Tanzania, making his debut against the former on Friday.

With Everton showing interest in the youngster, he could turn out to be the club’s next big sale.

If that happens to be this summer, whoever arrives as the new manager will have some work to do to source a replacement.

They might have money to spend in the summer transfer window, but in terms of a long-term replacement, might Josh Gentles be the ideal solution?

Rangers already have their next Igamane

Gentles has made his way through the academy at Auchenhowie over the years before finally signing his first professional contract with the Gers in February 2023.

He scored the winner in the Scottish Youth Cup final during the 2023/24 season and has impressed for the U18s and B teams over the previous 12 months.

One popular Rangers fan media podcast said that Gentles was “making waves in the B team” when he turned 17 last September, also stating that the striker had a “big future ahead” for the Light Blues.

In January, the teenager joined Alloa Athletic on a six-month loan deal in order to gain some vital senior football and the move has worked a treat.

Across seven games for the League One outfit, the centre-forward has already scored twice while chipping in with an assist.

It only took him two games to open his account for the Wasps and he could turn out to be a great signing for the third-tier side.

This experience lower down the divisions will allow him to find out what it is like playing against men who might well be twice his age, giving the striker a chance to build up his confidence and strength.

The 17-year-old still has plenty of development to do, but if he keeps scoring, a chance for Rangers might not be too far away.