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Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol after being deemed favourites to land the ace’s signature if they prove willing to meet his release clause…

What’s the word?

The Croatian Gvardiol is quickly asserting himself as one of the standout young stars on the European scene, dazzling for both club and country despite having just turned 21 years old, and has subsequently earned interest from some of the continent’s most prominent outfits.

According to a report from The Mirror last month, Blues boss Graham Potter and technical director Christopher Vivell have been considering a January swoop for the colossus, but with AS Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile clinched for £35m, it appears that a transfer might not be forthcoming for the time being.

But now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, German Bundesliga insider Christian Falk has stated that Chelsea would be the probable destination if the west London outfit were among suitors submitting a concrete bid, with his alleged £97m release clause perhaps proving to be a stumbling block for most intrigued parties.

Falk said: “I would say Chelsea would be favourites if they pay that amount, and also Tottenham can hope, but it’s really expensive.”

Terry reborn

Having made 20 appearances for Leipzig this season, Gvardiol is swiftly emerging as one of the hottest defensive prospects on the globe, and has indeed found himself at the heart of intense speculation regarding his future, with Chelsea joined by the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in pursuing a move.

Zach Lowy was impressed by the defender following his excellent performances for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, remarking that his nation have the “leader of their defence for the next decade”, with the 19-cap star recording an average rating of 7.16 as his nation commendably clinched third place.

As per FBref, he ranks within the top 1% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed, the top 2% for attempted passes and the top 5% for progressive passes, illustrating his offensive emphasis and ability as a creative force from deep within his side.

The young gem ranks within the top 25% of positional peers for rate of goals, and if he can continue to build the blocks in this regard he could emulate Chelsea legend John Terry, who made 715 appearances across an illustrious career at Stamford Bridge, notably captaining the side to five Premier League trophies, the Champions League and five FA Cups, among other honours.

Terry was a distinguished phenomenon at the back, a supreme leader as Gvardiol is, and a regular goalscorer for his outfit – notching a remarkable 74 times across the entirety of his career for club and country.

Thus, the Croatian powerhouse, who has been dubbed the “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could emulate the pathway paved by his veteran positional peer.

Lauded as a “gladiator” by journalist Ryan Taylor, Gvardiol could certainly be the unflinching warrior that Chelsea need to steer the club towards glory under Boehly’s reign, and with the abundance of refined defensive might belying the tender age and relative inexperience, there is certainly a platform from which he can flourish.

The centre-back would be a diamond acquisition for a Premier League outfit hellbent on finding a seat within the select pantheon of football’s very greatest and most eminent outfits, and with his inclusion, there could certainly be a very good chance that Boehly has completed the jigsaw to kickstart the new era.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘leading the way’ to sign Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo and are ‘prepared to put more money down initially for the loan’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs renew Zaniolo interest…

Spurs are reliably believed to have renewed their interest in the 23-year-old after repeated links last summer, with journalists like Gianluca Di Marzio breaking the most recent links.

There have been further reports since then claiming that the Lilywhites and London rivals West Ham are in the running for the Italy international’s signature.

90min even claim that the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United are also eyeing a move for Zaniolo, but Spurs and their fellow capital club are more frequently mentioned in the press.

While there are admirers from abroad also in Borussia Dortmund, it appears that Antonio Conte’s side are in pole position, according to an update from West Ham insider ExWHUemployee.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘leading the way’ for Zaniolo…

The reliable Hammers in-the-know claimed via Patreon that Spurs are currently ‘leading the way’ for Zaniolo ahead of West Ham for one main reason.

It is believed that Tottenham are ‘prepared to put more money down initially’ for a proposed loan with an obligation to buy.

In a further boost for Conte and Spurs, the Irons have had their offer rejected by Roma.

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The Verdict: Good news…

As things stand, it would appear that Spurs are the frontrunners to sign Zaniolo this month as club chiefs look for a creative spark and heir to Christian Eriksen.

The Sky Sports panel have described the 23-year-old as a player who can fill the void left by Tottenham’s former fan favourite, dubbing him a ‘Conte sort of player’.

As per WhoScored, the Italy international’s creativity is evident through his league numbers last season, having racked up a higher rate of successful take-ons and fouls drawn per 90 than anyone in Jose Mourinho’s squad.

The only caveat to this move would be Zaniolo’s current dip in form, having only scored one goal all season.

However, we believe that working under a manager like Conte, combined with the excitement of working in Europe’s highest-ranked league (as per UEFA’s association club coefficient), could reignite a spark in the midfielder’s game.

His physicality is also a bonus given that Zaniolo stands at a lofty 6 foot 3 and has been called ‘physically imposing’ by members of the media, seemingly making him tailor-made for a move to England.

Tottenham winger Bryan Gil is reportedly interested in making a return to former club Sevilla in January and has even agreed personal terms with the La Liga outfit.

The Lowdown: Gil out of favour at Spurs

The 21-year-old has struggled to cement a place in Spurs’ team since arriving from Spain back in 2021, being loaned out to Valencia for a spell last year.

Gil has been limited to only two starts in the Premier League this season, with no goals and a solitary assist coming his way in all competitions.

It certainly looks as though the Spaniard has no future in north London under Antonio Conte, although time is ticking down for an exit this month.

The Latest: Return to Sevilla on the cards?

According to Vamos Mi Sevilla FC [via Sport Witness], the idea of returning to Sevilla appeals to Gil and he has even agreed personal economic terms.

The inconvenience is being ’caused by Tottenham’, who don’t wish to loan him out again and instead want a permanent deal.

The two clubs are set to ‘continue negotiating’ and Spurs have offered a loan with an obligation to buy, but Sevilla prefer a strictly temporary move.

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The Verdict: Hasn’t worked out

While getting rid of Gil may affect Conte’s squad depth, it makes sense to move him on at this point, potentially banking a small fee if they can convince Sevilla to take the plunge on a permanent switch.

A tally of no goals and two assists in 30 appearances for Spurs is a frankly dismal return and he has never looked like handling the more physical Premier League.

Getting the £40,000-a-week-earning playmaker off Spurs’ wage bill should allow them to sign a more sufficient replacement moving forward, while Arnaut Danjuma can likely fill the rotation role he currently has in the forward line.

Should the club hold firm and not allow a loan, keeping hold of the wide man is no disaster however  – Conte has hailed him as ‘intelligent’ and similar to Bernardo Silva in style – but it is hard to see how he will feature much during the second half of the season.

Tottenham failed to seal an 11th hour permanent exit for young defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott after document delays.

The Lowdown: Spurs exodus…

Spurs sealed a fair few exits on transfer deadline day last month with the club completing loan moves away for the likes of Djed Spence and Bryan Gil.

The Premier League top-four chasers also, in a dramatic late twist, announced that defender Matt Doherty would be leaving the club permanently after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

Doherty joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month deal after Spurs used up their allocated eight player loan quota.

The Latest: Spurs fail to seal Fagan-Walcott exit…

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, writing for Football Insider, the Lilywhites failed to seal another transfer away at the 11th hour.

Young full-back Fagan-Walcott could’ve joined Swindon Town permanently after both Spurs and the League Two side agreed a deal.

However, it is believed that both Spurs and Swindon ‘failed to get the paperwork done in time’ – resulting in the 20-year-old’s move collapsing.

There were apparently ‘delays’ over the registration documents with Fagan-Walcott now left in Spurs limbo.

The Verdict: Shame…

The centre-back has been starring for Spurs’ Under-21s in Premier League 2 this season, playing 13 games and even scoring two goals.

Fagan-Walcott, it would seem, is ready for the senior leagues and to test himself regularly in a competitive division.

The versatile ace can play both at full-back and in front of the back four but manager Antonio Conte hasn’t handed him a senior appearance since taking over last year.

Fagan-Walcott has been desperately unlucky when it comes to senior football – having gone out to Dundee on loan in 2021 only to return after two games through injury.

The former England Under-18 international looks set to leave Spurs this summer when his deal expires but the north Londoners would have ideally liked to have gain a fee for their academy graduate – however small.

Journalist Paul Brown has raved about Arsenal’s ‘brilliant’ decision to sign Jorginho in January. 

The Lowdown: Deadline day switch

Mikel Arteta’s side spent £12m for the Italian midfielder’s services on transfer deadline day, due in part to the injury to Mohamed Elneny and their decision to loan out Albert Sambi Lokonga to Crystal Palace.

The switch to north London ends Jorginho’s spell of nearly five years at Stamford Bridge, in which time he won the Champions League and the Europa League with the Blues.

The Latest: Brown praises Arsenal

Brown lauded Arsenal and their new signing, as he believes that he could help them land the Premier League title when speaking to GiveMeSport.

He stated: “I honestly feel like people are underestimating just how brilliant a signing this is going to be for Arsenal; I genuinely think this could be the signing that wins them the title.

“I thought for a long, long time the one thing they miss in that midfield is a kind of metronome passer who can dominate a game simply by keeping the ball and recycling it and sending it into the right areas of the pitch and feeding players in all of Arsenal’s attacking positions.”

The Verdict: More experience

We believe that Arsenal have added a wise midfielder into their ranks, as Jorginho is someone who offers a lot of experience.

TalkSport’s Simon Jordan has urged some Arsenal fans to ‘keep faith’ in the board after signing the player, and we can see why.

The Italian is someone who has played over 100 games in England’s and Italy’s top flights, which is the mark of someone who’s well-versed at the highest level.

With the Gunners setting their sights on the title, they needed to bring in players who are going to help them reach that objective.

Jorginho fits that bill from our standpoint as he’s picked up plenty of winners’ medals in his time as a player and can bring that experience into a young Arsenal dressing room.

Liverpool have suffered yet another potential injury blow with the news that Thiago could miss Monday’s crucial Premier League clash with Everton.

The Lowdown: Thiago a mainstay this season

The 31-year-old has been renowned for being an injury-prone player in his career, but in fairness has been one of the Reds’ mainstays this season.

Thiago has started 14 of his side’s Premier League matches and 22 in all competitions, often holding the midfield together while the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have struggled.

He has averaged 2.9 tackles per game in the league, which is more than any Liverpool player, as well as having the second-highest interception tally (1.3) behind Ibrahima Konate (1.8).

The Latest: Spaniard could miss out

Taking to Twitter on Friday, the reliable Joyce revealed that Thiago could miss Monday’s must-win Merseyside derby clash with Everton with a hip issue:

“Thiago Alcantara struggling with a hip injury for Liverpool ahead of Merseyside derby.”

The Verdict: Potential huge blow

This would be an enormous blow for Liverpool, with Thiago the one midfielder who still has plenty of credit this season, so often being surrounded by struggling teammates and still mustering an 89% pass completion rate in the Champions League.

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Andy Robertson has described his £200,000-a-week-earning colleague as a ‘special’ player in the past year and his ability to dictate a game, bite into tackles and make line-breaking passes is arguably unrivalled in the Reds’ squad.

Not having Thiago available against an Everton side who are likely to stick ten men behind the ball would hamper Klopp’s plans greatly and also force him to start one of the out-of-form Fabinho or Henderson.

This is a reminder of his injury-prone nature, however, and with his 32nd birthday approaching, it is hard to rely on him as a long-term member of Liverpool’s midfield.

Everton have had few shining lights throughout this abysmal campaign, which culminated in Frank Lampard’s sacking late last month.

It has left Sean Dyche with the unenviable task of fixing a club in complete disarray, as they seemed destined to fall to the first relegation in their history.

To turn things around he must fundamentally change everything that his predecessors before him have done, except perhaps one thing.

How did Lampard get the best out of Iwobi?

One of Lampard’s few impressive feats was to transform the career of Alex Iwobi, which had been dwindling out following his £34m move back in 2019. His transfer was almost a microcosm for the whole club, as his aimless purchase mirrored a career that had stagnated. The Nigerian’s best position was unknown, and his untapped potential remained just that.

But, when the 44-year-old came in, he chose to move the £120k-per-week winger centrally, where he operated as part of a three-man midfield.

Instantly, he became a revelation.

His tireless work rate in the engine room was finally realised, and at the start of this season, he boasted six goal contributions before the World Cup began.

What has happened to Iwobi since?

Since then, however, he has struggled, and in Dyche’s first game in charge, he returned to the right wing.

Whilst his 4-4-2 system might not facilitate an attack-minded central midfielder like Iwobi, to truly reignite him to those levels he must find a way to fit him in centrally.

In the long-term, he could actually operate in the role undertaken by Abdoulaye Doucoure against Arsenal, partnering the striker as the first line of press.

Anything to return him to the area where he is most deadly.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson was full of praise for him earlier on in the campaign, as he claimed: 

“He was brilliant at the weekend.

“He is looking like a top player. We are seeing more quality from him in a deeper role. He is just getting better and better. The system that Frank plays really suits him. Iwobi is a much better player than he was two years ago. He is improving game by game.”

This came just before Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison had suggested he “should be creating more” for the Toffees.

Whilst he had initially proved him wrong, he must now recapture that form to ensure it was not simply a purple patch. Iwobi’s revival could be integral to their survival bid, and Dyche must prioritise it.

Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross has made an interesting managerial claim on Feyenoord’s Arne Slot.

The Lowdown: Slot speculation

The Whites have been linked with a number of managers in the last ten days, including Slot. An approach was made last week, with Leeds feeling that his intense and aggressive approach would fit in at Elland Road.

However, the Dutch coach, who has won 84 games as a manager, came out and said he would be staying with his current side, with Leeds still on the search for Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor.

The Latest: Cross’ comments

Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Wednesday, where he was asked a variety of Elland Road questions. When it came to a new manager, the Leeds reporter said the plan is still to find a new coach quickly, adding that Leeds would absolutely get a deal done for someone like Slot if he becomes available.

“The plan remains to find a permanent head coach as soon as possible, whether that’s this month, next month, before the end of the season or in the summer. That depends on when the targets they like become available. For example, if it became clear Feyenoord may be open to letting Slot go in three or four weeks, Leeds would absolutely get that deal done.”

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The Verdict: A gamble…

Leeds have decided to leave Michael Skubala in caretaker charge with crucial fixtures against Everton and Southampton coming up, a call which appears to be a big gamble.

The club have been turned down by a number of targets, including Slot, so it could have been a wise move to bring in an experienced interim manager who was out of work on an initial deal until the summer.

We will find out if the risk of keeping Skubala in charge pays off in the coming weeks, but it looks as if a potential move for Slot may not be off just yet.

Southampton’s youth system is not to be sniffed at, and over the years a multitude of top-class talents have been churned through Staplewood and unleashed onto the major stage, and once again, the south coast club might just have a new prodigy.

Indeed, there has been an abundance of talent dripping through the youth ranks over modern times, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ben White all earning their stripes with Saints before going on to forge successful careers – and, of course, James Ward-Prowse serves as Southampton’s main man to this day.

Who is Southampton’s next academy star?

One other star that burst onto the scene at full throttle was prodigious defender Luke Shaw, who impressed during the maiden stage of his career and chalked up 67 appearances with his boyhood club, before signing for Manchester United at just 18-years-old in a deal worth in excess of £30m in 2014.

While Southampton never got to fully utilise his talents, the left-back became the world’s most expensive teenager following his transfer and given his former outfit’s adroit nature when it comes to their expansive pool of talent, nurturing starlets for their own set-up or benefitting from lucrative fees, the powers that be at the outfit must be watching the development of the prodigious Jayden Meghoma like a hawk.

Last summer, the 16-year-old full-back was signed from Tottenham Hotspur’s development squad on an initial scholarship deal, with Saints’ head of youth development, Dan Rice, saying:

“Jayden is a modern-day left-back, who possesses a confident ball-playing manner combined with an energetic capacity to his game.”

Could Jayden Meghoma really be the next Luke Shaw?

According to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Meghoma is one “of the best talents” in the country for his age group, and given the platform that Southampton offer youth players to grow into their skin, there is no reason why this progress cannot continue to make increments over the coming seasons.

The teenager has forged ten outings for Saints’ youth team, having also made two appearances for Spurs’ U18 group, and with the likes of the Daily Echo’s Alfie House waxing lyrical and proclaiming him to be a “highly regarded” ace, he might only be inches away from earning a shot at Ruben Selles’ senior system over the forthcoming years.

Should he continue to dazzle and impress with his mentality, indeed naming the likes of former Saints stars Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk as inspirations, his chances of emulating the world-class phenom could increase by the month.

Given the aforementioned Rice’s comments about his ‘modern-day’ abilities and ball-playing aptitude, there is certainly no reason why he cannot adopt Shaw’s mantle, with the 27-year-old now capped 243 times by the Red Devils and on 28 occasions by England, ranking among the top 7% of full-backs for attempted passes and the top 18% for progressive passes per 90, also maintaining a career pass success rate of 83.2%.

Given the high fee garnered for the established pro, the Southampton hierarchy need only remember just how beneficial investing into a precocious talent can be, and even if Meghoma does not forge a lengthy career on the south coast, he can be sold for, perhaps, an exorbitant sum.

Despite still perching safely within the formative stage of his footballing development, Meghoma is offering every bit the promise that he will blossom into a formidable force over the coming years, and when this happens, Saints might just have the next Shaw within their clutches.

Newcastle United have been handed a massive boost before their Carabao Cup final on Sunday with the announcement of Miguel Almiron’s new contract.

How long is Almiron’s new contract?

The Paraguayan’s new deal was confirmed on Friday ahead of Newcastle’s trip to the capital this weekend which will provide them with the opportunity to end their long trophy drought.

And it has been announced that the forward has put pen to paper on a deal which will see his stay on Tyneside last another three-and-a-half years.

The 29-year-old has been rewarded on the back of what has been an impressive 2022/23 campaign to date which has him sat as the club’s top scorer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Lee Ryder has been left buzzing after hearing the news with the side set to make their way to the capital on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s final:

“Well, I think it’s an absolutely massive boost for Newcastle United going into that final at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final knowing that one of your star players has signed a new deal. It’ll certainly give him a little boost if he really needed one.”

Why has Almiron been given a new contract?

Almiron’s time on Tyneside has been largely underwhelming on the whole with his performances since his arrival in 2019 leaving a lot to be desired.

However, this has been the first campaign in which the 29-year-old has shown signs of the form which was why the Toon looked to bring him in from the MLS.

In his 152 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions, Almiron has scored just 24 goals but 10 of those have come in his 23 Premier League appearances this season (via Transfermarkt).

This turnaround in form could potentially be put down to the player having the opportunity to work under Eddie Howe over the summer with something clearly clicking for the Paraguayan.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has shared his thoughts on the player’s turnaround which has seen him play a big role in Newcastle’s success this season:

“Miguel Almiron got another superb goal against Spurs, and the improvement from him this season has been incredible. The one thing that has never been in doubt since he joined Newcastle in 2019 is his work rate – he has always put the effort in, and more.”

However, Almiron has only scored once in his last seven Premier League games which will have some fearing he may have just enjoyed a small run of form earlier in the season.

But the game against Manchester United on the weekend could offer Almiron with the perfect opportunity to write his name in Newcastle’s history and cap off what has been a good start to the weekend for him.