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Marcus Rashford has sent a heartfelt message to Aston Villa after completing his loan, but has stopped short of saying goodbye.

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• Joined Villans in winter transfer window
• Surplus to requirements at Old Trafford
• Yet to be determined what future holds

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international saw injury prevent him from finishing a stint at Villa Park with a flourish, with his last appearance coming on April 22 as he registered his fourth goal for the Villans in a Premier League clash with Manchester City.

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  Rashford had been hoping to make more of an impact in the West Midlands, after being deemed surplus to requirements by Manchester United in the winter transfer window, but does have some fond memories to look back on – having helped Villa to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League quarter-finals.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Villa’s loan deal is said to include a £40 million ($54m) purchase option, with United ready to offload a graduate of their famed academy system. Rashford has, however, been linked with clubs across Europe, including La Liga giants Barcelona.

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• WHAT MARCUS RASHFORD SAID

  He is giving little away when it comes to his future plans, saying in a post on Instagram: "Just a message of thanks to everyone here at Villa for what has (injury aside) been an incredible few months for me.

  "It is a really special club and I appreciated the way Villa fans embraced me with open arms from 1st minute on the pitch. Manager, team, and coaching staff have all been brilliant. I know it is a huge disappointment not to have made the Champions League place which everyone worked so hard all season for but I know this club and team will come back stronger."

Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen are among 10 players Manchester United have released as their summer shake-up continues.

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• Man Utd release 10 players this summer
• Lindelof & Eriksen among those let go
• Red Devils continue summer shake-up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United have confirmed their retained list following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, with the likes of Eriksen, Lindelof, and Jonny Evans among those departing as their contracts come to an end. Tom Heaton is also included on the list of free transfers but the club remains in discussions with the goalkeeper about a new deal. Finally, academy players Hubert Graczyk, Jack Kingdon, Sam Murray, Tom Myles, James Nolan, and Tom Wooster have been released.

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  Lindelof's eight-year spell at United has now come to an end, as has Eriksen's after three seasons at Old Trafford. The pair have won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup together but they are now being offloaded as Ruben Amorim's side try to move on from one of the worst seasons they have had in decades. More exits could follow in the coming weeks and months as they try and start next campaign on a high.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Evans has just completed his second spell at United (2023-25), after a first stint that ran from 2007-15. Over his Red Devils tenure, the Northern Irishman won three Premier Leagues, one Champions League, one Club World Cup, and an FA Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Although the likes of academy product Marcus Rashford, wide man Jadon Sancho, and winger Antony are on United's retained list, it seems all three could head out the Old Trafford exit door ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Celtic’s astronomical scoring statistics continue.

Sunday’s 2-0 Scottish Cup victory over Hibernian means Brendan Rodgers’ side have already scored 128 goals across all competitions this season.

With up to 11 games to go, they’re unlikely, to put it mildly, to break the club record of 196 set in 1966/67, but a sixth treble in nine seasons is very much within their grasp.

So, even though the Hoops aren’t exactly finding goals hard to come by, could they regret selling a ‘prolific’ striker who is continuing to impress since departing?

Adam Idah's Celtic career in numbers

By virtue of scoring a 90th-minute winner in last season’s Scottish Cup Final against Rangers, irrespective of what else he achieves, Adam Idah has already cemented his place in Celtic folklore.

This came at the end of the Irishman’s loan spell from Norwich, during which he scored nine goals, thereby convincing the Celtic hierarchy to spend a huge £9.5m to secure his services permanently last summer.

Well, by slotting home the second against Hibs on Sunday, Idah took his tally to 14 for the campaign, most notably bagging a quick-fire brace at Villa Park in the Champions League, despite the fact he’s yet to cement himself as the undisputed first-choice centre-forward.

However, did Celtic sell a striker for less than half Idah’s fee, who may have performed even better?

Celtic may have sold an upgrade on Idah

During Ange Postecoglou’s two seasons at Celtic, he signed no fewer than 29 players, with Alison Conroy of Sky Sports noting that the Australian utilised his knowledge of ‘rarely explored’ markets, most notably those in Far East Asia.

Six Japanese players arrived at Parkhead under Postecoglou, who similarly believed there was value in the K-League, thereby signing striker Oh Hyeon-gyu from Suwon Samsung Bluewings in January 2023, for a reported fee of £2.5m.

Oh arrived to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis, quickly establishing himself as something of a super-sub.

The South Korean scored 12 goals for the Hoops, ten of which came off the bench, unable to usurp cult hero Kyōgo Furuhashi in the starting lineup.

So, after 18 months in Glasgow, in search of more regular game time, Oh joined Jupiler Pro League side Genk for a reported fee of £4.5m last summer, representing a decent profit for Celtic.

Dimitri De Condé, who is Genk’s director of football, said that Oh possesses “a nose for goal”, adding that he is “quick” and that he boasts a “strong presence in the box”, while Owen Brown of the Athletic described him as ‘prolific’.

Well, so far, they’ve both been proved right, given that the 23-year-old has nine goals to his name this season, most recently coming off the bench, in trademark fashion, to snatch victory against FCV Dender in the tenth minute of injury time on Saturday.

Partially thanks to this goal, de Smurfen remain nine points clear at the top of the table, chasing their first league title in six seasons, so let’s assess how Oh and Idah compare.

Of course, as the table outlines, Idah has scored 23 times since joined Celtic last January, while Oh has bagged 21 goals since his own arrival in Glasgow.

Nevertheless, given the fact that both are often asked to make an impact off the bench, it’s noteworthy that Oh’s minute-per-goal ratio at both Celtic and now at Genk is significantly higher than Idah’s, with the Korean on target every 73 and a half minute in Belgium.

Also, on a domestic basis at least, Oh is scoring goals at a higher level.

According to Global Football Rankings, the Jupiler Pro League is the eighth-strongest division in the world, with the SPFL Premiership down in 43rd place, while the UEFA coefficient rankings also has Belgium’s top-flight six places higher than Scotland’s.

So, did Celtic really need to sign Idah for £9.5m, when they could have simply kept Oh, rather than selling him for £4m?

Not just Maeda: Celtic have hit the jackpot on star who's outscoring Kyogo

Celtic have struck gold with the star who has outscored Kyogo Furuhashi so far this season.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 11, 2025

Liverpool’s hopes of securing a domestic trophy to go along with what they hope will be a Premier League title were dashed when they were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United at Wembley last weekend.

The Reds were beaten by goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak in the capital, in the same week that they were also dumped out of the Champions League on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain.

Isak scored what turned out to be the winning goal at Wembley when he reacted to Jacob Murphy’s header to sweep the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher with a ruthless finish into the bottom corner on the half-volley.

It was a lethal strike from the Sweden international who showcased his quality in the final third, whilst Liverpool’s number nine – Diogo Jota – struggled.

The Portugal international failed to find the target with his only effort on goal and only completed 40% of his attempted passes in the match, as he struggled to have a positive impact on the match.

Their contrasting performances on the big stage on Sunday may explain why the Reds have been linked with an interest in signing Isak from the Magpies.

Liverpool's reported interest in Alexander Isak

The Merseyside giants are reportedly keen on a swoop to land the former Borussia Dortmund marksman in the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano said: “Liverpool are also there for Alexander Isak, they already made some contacts with people close to the player, so both clubs are interested in Alexander Isak.

“For Arsenal, he is the absolute top target. For Liverpool, he’s one of names they are considering in that position.”

Liverpool just experienced first-hand the kind of quality that Isak could provide Arne Slot’s side, which may be why they are looking to rival the Gunners to his signature.

However, The Telegraph reported, back in December, that the Magpies are poised to demand a fee of more than £150m for the centre-forward, and that would make him a club-record signing for the Reds.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool could avoid splashing out more than £150m and smashing their club-record transfer fee to land a new number nine, though, as they are said to be keen on a bargain alternative to Isak.

Liverpool showing interest in Ligue 1 centre-forward

According to CaughtOffside, the Premier League leaders are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Lille centre-forward Jonathan David in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Liverpool are ‘considering’ a swoop to bring the Canada international over to England ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as he is due to be a free agent this summer.

David’s current contract with the Ligue 1 side expires at the end of this season and he will be free to negotiate with other clubs at the end of June, which is an opportunity that has attracted interest from plenty of sides.

CaughtOffside adds that Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain are also considering moves for his services, which shows that Liverpool are facing serious competition from massive clubs in England and abroad.

David, who scored against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham United, the latter of whom invited the centre-forward’s agent to watch one of their matches.

Michael Edwards must, now, push to win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window because the Lille marksman could arrive at Anfield as a bargain alternative to Isak, given that he will be a free agent in the summer instead of a signing in excess of £150m.

Why Liverpool should sign Jonathan David

Aside from the fact that he will not a penny in transfer fees, there are several reasons why signing David would make a lot of sense for the Reds.

The Canadian marksman only turned 25 in January and this means that Liverpool would be bringing in a striker who is heading towards the prime years of his career, with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve.

That is particularly exciting when you consider that he has already scored 19 goals or more in each of the last four seasons for Lille in all competitions – including an eye-catching nine goals in 14 matches in the Champions League this term.

The Ligue 1 superstar was once described as “one of the best strikers in the world” by podcaster Tony Marinaro, which is hard to argue when you take his consistent run of goals over the last four years and his form in Europe’s biggest club competition this season into account.

David has proven himself to be a reliable performer at the top end of the pitch for the French side for several seasons, which shows that his current form is far from a flash in the pan and, instead, is something that suggests he could be a fantastic addition for Slot.

When you compare his performances for Lille since the start of last season with Isak’s for Newcastle, signing the 25-year-old on a free transfer seems like a dream scenario for Liverpool.

As you can see in the table above, they boast similar records in their respective leagues, as both scorers and creators of goals, as they are both ruthless finishers who can also create for their teammates.

These statistics show that David is a clinical finisher who can make the most of the opportunities that are created for him, as he has outperformed his xG by almost two goals.

Meanwhile, Jota – who started up front in the League Cup final – has scored five goals from 7.21 xG across 18 appearances in the Premier League this season, which suggests that he has been an unreliable presence for the Reds in the centre-forward position.

Therefore, David could be the perfect signing for Liverpool to come in and make the most of the high-quality opportunities that have been wasted by the Portuguese international.

A "monster" Trent upgrade: Liverpool gearing up to sign £34m Madrid target

FSG are gearing up for a summer of change at Liverpool.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 18, 2025

He would also be a bargain alternative to Isak because he can offer a similar level of quality in the final third, as shown by his aforementioned statistics for Lille, without the more than £150m price tag to go alongside him.

That is why Edwards must do everything in his power to convince David to make the move to Anfield over any of the other reported clubs that are eyeing him up this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Thomas Frank as their new manager, following the departure of Europa League-winning boss Ange Postecoglou.

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• Thomas Frank appointed Spurs boss
• Brentford manager leaves after 7 years
• Joins on three-year deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a hugely successful seven-year spell managing Brentford, the Danish coach will move to North London on a contract that runs until 2028. He'll be joined by his previous assistants at Brentford, Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton, with set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson also arriving from Manchester United.

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  Frank's pedigree in the English game is undeniable; in 2020 the Danish tactician guided Brentford to the top-flight for the first time in 74 years, and in the seasons since, he's cemented the Bees' Premier League status and boosted their points tally year on year. Whether he will be able to replicate that success at Spurs is another matter entirely, given the club's recent difficulties and the fractured relationship between ownership and fanbase.

• WHAT TOTTENHAM SAID

  In an official club statement, the club wrote: "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new Head Coach on a contract that runs until 2028. Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 – since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League… In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FRANK?

  The new Spurs boss has a long list of pressing tasks on his plate, from preventing a player mutiny led by Ange-loving stars, to bringing in trusted Brentford disciples like Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move away from west London. Frank has all the skills required to improve Tottenham's level next season, but many more experienced managers have failed to achieve success at Daniel Levy's club in recent years.

Inspired by Antony's successful loan spell, Federico Chiesa wants to walk on the same path to rejuvenate his career by joining Real Betis.

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• Federico Chiesa is contemplating a move to Spain
• Wants to copy Antony's success story at Real Betis
• Manuel Pellegrini's system hailed for rejuvenating careers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chiesa's 2024-25 season hasn't been what the fans and the Genoa-born player would have imagined. The winger was sidelined for months early in his tenure due to a muscle injury, and as the season progressed, competition within the club rarely provided an opportunity to the former Juve star. As per el Correo, the 27-year-old wants to join Real Betis to revive his career. Chiesa's camp is said to be inspired by Antony's success under Betis' head coach Manuel Pellegrini.

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  The real question is whether Real Betis is interested in the winger. Considering the Euro 2020 winner's form under Arne Slot, it has not been impressive. Chiesa's transfer value has dropped immensely, with the figures being very poor. The former Juve winger's entourage, however, is hopeful, but concrete talks first need to be initiated with Betis representatives. The next issue will be to agree with both clubs on a loan with an option to buy, and even then, the problems will be far from solved for the former Italy under-19 star.

• TELL ME MORE

  The skillful player is aware of his situation and wants to understand the stance of both Betis fans and the club regarding a potential move to Spain. There is a good bond between Chiesa and Anfield, and the winger isn't desperate to make a move. However, his entourage feels Pellegrini's tactics will do wonders in relaunching Chiesa's career.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL BETIS?

  As things stand, the Spanish club's complete focus is on permanently onboarding Antony from Manchester United. The club representatives have also reportedly travelled to England to negotiate the deal with Manchester United. The Brazilian also wants to move to Spain permanently and his representatives are also working on the same, having suggested an initial loan deal for the winger.

Amad Diallo is a player who has hugely benefitted from the appointment of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, having the opportunity to showcase his talents at Old Trafford.

The Ivorian joined in a £37m deal from Italian side Atalanta back in 2021 but found minutes hard to come by under former boss Erik ten Hag – even joining Sunderland on loan for the 2022/23 season.

However, this campaign has undoubtedly been his best with the Red Devils, notching nine goals and seven assists within his 36 appearances across all competitions.

The 22-year-old netted a hat-trick in the 3-1 win against Southampton at the Theatre of Dreams, helping the side claim all three points after going a goal down in the first half.

However, his progress under Amorim has been halted in recent weeks, unable to continue on the upward trajectory he’s been on since the 40-year-old’s appointment in November.

How Amad is recovering from his injury setback

Amad has been missing for the last six weeks after sustaining an ankle injury in training, with his last outing coming in the 2-1 FA Cup victory over Leicester City at the start of February.

After his setback, Amorim confirmed that it was unlikely that he would feature for the club once again this campaign, with his injury worse than initially first feared.

However, despite the recent spell on the sidelines, there’s some optimism that the youngster could return to action before the end of the season, with the manager giving him every chance of returning ahead of schedule.

After the draw with Sociedad, the manager said: “Even Amad, we will see in the end of the last month. I don’t want to say anything, but I have the hope to have Amad before the end of the season.”

There’s hope that he can play a pivotal role in any success next season, but the responsibility could’ve potentially fallen to another player had he continued his early form at Old Trafford.

The former United star who was once ahead of Amad

Over the years, United have made various investments into the front line to try and catapult them back towards Premier League success after a decade-long drought.

Amad is just one of multiple players who have tried to change the fortunes of the club, with others not being as successful in their quest for stardom in the North West.

Facundo Pellistri was just one of the attackers who has joined the Red Devils in recent years, costing a fee in the region of £9m in October 2020 from Peñarol.

Whilst he would spend his first two years out on loan at Spanish outfit Alaves, he would return to the first team fold ahead of the 2022/23 season, the year in which Amad would spend on loan at Sunderland.

The Uruguayan international would make 10 appearances under Ten Hag that season, leading to journalist Andy Mitten labelling him as “magnificent”.

He operated in a wide attacking role, whilst also featuring at full-back, similar to how the Ivorian has done since Amorim’s arrival, being ahead of the youngster a couple of years ago.

However, after moving on loan to Grenada last season, he wouldn’t return to Old Trafford, joining Greek side Panathinaikos for a fee in the region of £5m last summer.

It’s a real shame to see his career fail to work out the way many expected it to after the early promise that he showed during the opening years of his spell in Manchester.

Pellistri has the chance to kickstart his career away from England, after losing his first-team place due to the emergence of Diallo over the last couple of seasons.

Man Utd can axe Garnacho for 18-year-old academy star who's "flying"

Man Utd are not short of talent in their academy

By
Joe Nuttall

Mar 19, 2025

Lauren James has recovered from injury and is back in full training with the Lionesses ahead of the start of their Euro 2025 campaign.

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• James back from injury
• Back in training with Lionesses
• On track to feature in tournament

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sarina Wiegman's side are currently preparing for the start of their European Championship campaign and have been boost by the return from injury of James. The Chelsea star is back in training with her international team-mates after time on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

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  James has not played since March but still made the squad and will be hoping to feature and play a key role in Switzerland. The news will be a boost, particularly as England's preparations for the tournament have been rocked by the decision of Mary Earps and Millie Bright to withdraw from the squad and retire from international football.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  James scored three goals and picked up three assists from her five games at World Cup 2023 and the Lionesses will be hoping she can deliver again this summer at the Euros.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE LIONESSES

  England play a friendly against Jamaica on June 29 and then kick off their Euro campaign against France on July 5.

A player dubbed one of the fastest men in his league is keen on a move to Arsenal this summer, with work already done by the Gunners ahead of what would be an excellent deal for sporting director Andrea Berta.

Andrea Berta wants new forward at Arsenal

Berta has reportedly shortlisted numerous attacking targets, both out wide and further up the field in the striker position.

Arsenal set for talks to sign "underrated" star after Berta decision this week

The Italian is stamping his mark as Edu’s replacement.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 4, 2025

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Berta is targeting Mohamed Kudus (West Ham), Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Alex Baena (Villarreal), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal) and Arda Güler (Real Madrid), but one name is currently in pole position to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s wide options.

Berta held a widely reported meeting with Nico Williams’ camp this week, as the Italian looks to win the highly competitive race for his signature.

As per The Guardian’s Ed Aarons, Williams is also being chased by Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, so Arsenal face a battle to sign one of Europe’s most exciting direct wingers.

In terms of centre-forward targets, three names stand out – Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

The latter is set to be priced out of the market as Eddie Howe appears determined to keep the Swede, with a starting valuation of around £150 million mooted by various sections of the press.

Isak is Arteta’s dream signing, but it is believed that Gyokeres and Sesko are viewed as far more realistic striking options at this point.

Arsenal are apparently set to hold talks over Gyokeres, who could be allowed to leave for £70 million, lower than his £83m release clause, while Sesko will cost even less.

The Slovenia international, who’s already bettered his 2023/24 tally for goals and assists combined in all competitions this season, rejected a proposal to join Arsenal last year, in favour of remaining at Leipzig to further his development.

However, Arsenal could have a better chance of striking a deal this year.

Benjamin Sesko keen to join Arsenal with groundwork laid

According to GiveMeSport, Sesko is keen on joining Arsenal this summer, and groundwork on a deal has already been laid for Berta if he wishes to move forward with a potential transfer for the 21-year-old.

He’ll apparently command a price tag of around £60 million, which is the value of his release clause, and this could be an absolute steal considering both Sesko’s form and physical prowess.

The ex-RB Salzburg sensation, standing at around 6 foot 5, has been recorded as one of the fastest players in the Bundesliga with a top speed of 35.47 kilometres per hour (Sky Sports).

These attributes highlight him as tailor-made for the Premier League, and given Berta can bypass any negotiations with Leipzig via the release clause, this move could be seen as a no-brainer.

Cole Palmer has been labelled as the "little superstar" by a Chelsea teammate who has backed the England international to shine under the increasing pressure of expectation. At just 23 years of age, Palmer has taken on the responsibility of being a central figure in Chelsea’s campaign, and his composure in the spotlight has been a defining trait in his development.

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• Palmer has been a talismanic figure at Chelsea
• Adarabioyo lavished praise on the forward
• Will be in action against Benfica in the CWC

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As Palmer continues his rapid rise, his profile has reached new heights with his face featured prominently across the United States to help promote the ongoing Club World Cup. With Chelsea's aspirations for silverware growing, the pressure is on for Palmer to deliver once again. Despite that weight, Tosin Adarabioyo has no doubts about Palmer’s mettle and backed him to flourish on the global stage.

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  WHAT ADARABIOYO SAID

  Palmer and Adarabioyo share a longstanding friendship dating back to their days at Manchester City’s youth setup.

  “I've known Cole since he was a young boy, so even me seeing him on those big banners makes me very, very proud. I think people do forget that he's still 22, 23 years of age, and he's one of the faces of this tournament," he said.

  "Yeah, obviously his life has changed in the past two years. I banter with him some time and tell him he’s a little superstar. But yeah, he handles it very well. He knows his focus is brilliant on football. He loves playing football and that's Cole Palmer for you."

  He added, "People say he's receiving a lot of scrutiny. I don't think Cole really looks at that, and us as teammates aren't really looking at that. He performs at a very high level every time he steps on the pitch.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Though many might view Adarabioyo as a mentor figure to Palmer, he insists their dynamic is one of mutual respect rather than hierarchy.

  Adarabioyo said: “Yeah, that's my boy. I definitely wouldn't say a mentor. He's a top, top player who doesn't need advice from me to know what he has to do, but I'm there whenever he needs me. I think I settled very quickly when I came and took on that leadership role to try and help the boys whenever I can.

  "We have a fair few, we have a lot of boys who are willing to lead the group. We have our captain, Reece James, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

  Palmer may not have matched his highest statistical season in terms of goals last year, finishing with 15 goals, but his contribution was vital in helping Chelsea qualify for the Champions League and clinch the UEFA Conference League title. His growing influence has now been rewarded with the club’s iconic No.10 jersey, a symbol of both trust and expectation.

  The Round of 16 fixture against Benfica in the Club World Cup will be a true test of both his form and composure, especially as the world watches Chelsea’s poster boy try to lead them to international silverware.