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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke wants the club to do more business at the top end of the pitch before the summer transfer window closes next week.

Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal on Saturday, the German head coach outlined how he would like the rest of the window to look over the next seven or eight days.

Farke said: “Let’s see if we do even more offensive signings. One maybe two would be beneficial. I’m not too strong about numbers. I think it’s necessary to do something in the full-back position.

“Noah and Dominic are two really good options but to have two or more signings for the offensive it would be beneficial but while not doing anything silly.”

Leeds were put to the sword by Arsenal, losing 5-0 at The Emirates, after those comments from Farke, and the front three showed that they may not be up to the task of starting week-in-week-out in the Premier League.

Wilfried Gnonto, for example, was not a guaranteed starter in the Championship for the German boss last season, yet has found himself starting both games in the top-flight this term.

Why Leeds may need an upgrade on Wilfried Gnonto

The Italy U21 international only started 26 of his 43 appearances in the second tier last term, per Sofascore, as Dan James and Manor Solomon were the preferred wing pairing when fit.

Solomon’s return to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of his loan spell left a vacant position on the left flank, though, which has been occupied by Gnonto so far.

It remains to be seen where new signing Noah Okafor will fit in, as the former AC Milan man has played on both wings and as a central striker in his career.

This means that one of the forwards that Farke wants to add to the squad before the end of the window could be a left-sided attacker to fill that spot that Solomon vacated, as Gnonto has yet to prove that he can be a regular starter in the Premier League.

The Italian forward scored nine goals and provided six assists in the Championship last term, which was a solid return, but he has had a less-than-impressive start to the top-flight campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Gnonto did not register a shot on target, create any chances, or complete any of his attempted dribbles in over two hours of football in the first two matches.

The 21-year-old attacker, who scored two goals in 24 games in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, may not have what it takes to deliver quality on a regular basis at that level, which is why the club may need an upgrade on him.

Leeds ready to pay £30m to sign new forward

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieiri, Leeds United are keen on a deal to sign Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa before the end of the summer transfer window, and he could be an upgrade on Gnonto.

The reporter claims that the Whites are ‘leading’ the race to bring the French forward over to England, with Nottingham Forest also said to be interested in snapping him up.

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

Tavolieri adds that Leeds are ready to pay the £30m asking price that Strasbourg have placed over Bakwa’s head, which is why they are now at the front of the queue of suitors.

However, the journalist does not reveal whether or not the Whites are in active talks with the Ligue 1 side or if they have already made an offer for the 22-year-old star.

It is now down to the Championship champions to agree a deal with Strasbourg and convince the player to make the move to West Yorkshire, before Forest have a chance to swoop in.

Why Leeds should sign Dilane Bakwa

The Whites should push to bring Bakwa to Elland Road before the end of the summer transfer window because he could arrive as a big upgrade on Gnonto, as a player who can play on the right or the left flank.

Whilst the Italian gem is only 21 and has room to develop into a Premier League-grade starter, the Strasbourg star’s performances in Ligue 1 suggest that he is ready to hit the ground running with goals and assists.

Bakwa created one ‘big chance’ and registered an assist in his team’s 1-0 win over Metz in Ligue 1 on the opening day of the current season, before he came off the bench to provide another assist against Nantes on Sunday.

The 22-year-old star’s performances in Ligue 1 in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns also suggest that he has the quality at the top end of the pitch to make a real impact for Leeds in the Premier League on the left wing.

As you can see in the table above, Bakwa has created an eye-catching 25 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 61 games in Ligue 1 in the last two seasons.

This shows that the French star, who was described as “menacing” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could provide more than Gnonto as both a scorer and a creator of goals, given what he has shown in one of Europe’s major leagues in comparison to the Italian’s exploits in the Premier League.

Bakwa’s ability to play on either the left or the right flank also provides Farke with flexibility in how he can set his side up. He could play Bakwa on the right, as a left-footed player, with Okafor on the left, or the French star on the left with Dan James on the right, or even vice versa.

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The signing of the £30m-rated star would, therefore, open up a lot of interesting possiblities for the manager, tactically, whilst also providing him with an upgrade on Gnonto, on both flanks.

Santiago Giménez has yet to score in Serie A after six appearances for AC Milan, with his lone goal coming in the Coppa Italia. Still, manager Massimiliano Allegri insists the Mexico striker has his full trust, praising Giménez’s importance to Milan’s structure and work rate after Sunday’s goalless draw with Juventus.

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  'He gives us structure'

  AC Milan were forced to settle for a draw against Juventus on Sunday, ending their four-game winning streak in Serie A. couldn’t capitalize on their strong form and dropped to third place after six rounds after previously being on the top of the league. 

  Giménez led the line once again for Milan, logging just over an hour before being replaced by Rafael Leão. Despite the striker's scoreless streak extending to another match, Allegri couldn’t have been clearer about how much he values the Mexican's contribution.

  “Santiago is a fundamental piece of this team,” Allegri said after the match. “He gives us structure – the way he connects play, holds up the ball, and presses from the front is vital. The goals will come, but what he brings goes well beyond statistics.”

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  Still searching for a goal

  While the goals haven’t flowed as many fans expected, Giménez’s professionalism has earned him the trust of both his teammates and Allegri. Since arriving from Feyenoord, the 24-year-old has tallied seven goals in 27 appearances, numbers that don’t fully capture his influence on the pitch.

  “Giménez played really well today,” Allegri added. “He worked hard, created spaces, and even forced a penalty. I took him off thinking Leão could give us a different spark, but Santi didn’t deserve to come out.”

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  Milan in strong form

  Gimenez was reportedly close to leaving Milan on deadline day this summer, yet decided to stay and fight for his place. That decision seems to be paying off – Milan have won five of their last six games in all competitions.

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  Next stop: International duty

  Giménez now turns his focus to the national team, having been included in Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad for the October friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador. With Raúl Jiménez unavailable due to injury, the Milan striker could lead the attack for – another opportunity to show why his club manager calls him “fundamental.”

Crystal Palace fans must be waiting with bated breath right now, as last-minute transfer developments continue to filter out of Selhurst Park.

Eberechi Eze has already heartbreakingly left East London behind, with Marc Guehi perhaps the next high-profile departee, as his much-talked-about switch to Liverpool remains up in the air.

If Guehi were to go, it doesn’t have to be all bad news, with the Eagles now looking to rekindle their interest in a defensive titan just in time before 7pm’s cut-off.

Crystal Palace rekindle interest in £40m star

Oliver Glasner’s Eagles already look to have defensive recruits in mind, with Igor Julio expected to leave Brighton and Hove Albion behind to join the Seagulls’ Premier League arch rivals on a loan basis before the window slams shut.

He could be joined through the door by past Palace target Strahinja Pavlović, with Sky Sports, via Ed Aarons reporting that the AC Milan colossus remains the Eagles’ number one target at the back, having looked at the Serbian in January.

However, the £40m-rated centre-back was deemed too costly at the time, with a deal also looking difficult to execute in the here and now.

Yet, if Guehi were to finally uproot to Anfield, that might well accelerate this move forward.

Therefore, Pavlović swapping Italy for England at the final hour could be a move to keep an eye out on, with the Premier League side winning a dream replacement for their 6-foot titan in the process.

How Pavlovic can be a dream Guehi replacement

After all, if Guehi were to relocate to Arne Slot’s Reds shortly, he has at least exited Glasner’s Eagles on the best possible note, having caressed this effort home versus Aston Villa to secure a farewell 3-0 win.

Away from that moment of individual brilliance, Guehi has also been rock solid at the start of the 2025/26 campaign, with the captain leading by example when collecting two clean sheets from his side’s opening three league clashes, with an imposing four duels won on average.

Palace’s deadline day target is also well known for being commanding in the air – as seen in this fierce header cannoning in at the back-end of the last Serie A campaign – with former Rossoneri icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic even going as far as to laud Pavlović as a “beast” in this department.

But, the 24-year-old is far from being a one-trick pony, even if he has also been heralded as a “warrior” by national team manager Dragan Stojkovic for his gritty approach, with his calm ability on the ball making him even more of a readymade replacement for Guehi.

Amazingly, Pavlovic actually bettered Guehi’s pass accuracy average last season in the hustle and bustle of Serie A action, with plenty of promising signs evident to suggest that the Serbian could fill the void left behind by the 25-year-old effectively.

It might just be too little too late for Palace if they want to get a statement deal over the line before 7pm, as Guehi’s switch to Liverpool perhaps goes down to the wire.

But, developments can suddenly spark into life on such a chaotic day, with Palace winning themselves a top deal at the death if Pavlovic does promptly swap Milan for London.

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Cremonese head coach Davide Nicola remains unwavering in his trust in "fighter" Jamie Vardy as the striker prepares for his first start since joining the Serie A club in the summer. He came off the bench as Inter claimed a dominant 4-1 victory last week, but his coach was positive about his impact and feels he makes the team more threatening even though he is yet to find the net across two substitute appearances.

• Inter run riot as Vardy adapts to Serie A

  Inter dominated Cremonese with a convincing win at San Siro, displaying relentless attacking intent and fluidity throughout. Vardy was introduced just before the hour mark in an effort to spark a comeback, but despite his earnest movement and brief flashes of urgency in link-up play, he once again finished the match without either a goal or an assist, extending his frustrating search for a breakthrough in Serie A. 

  Coach Nicola, however, remains optimistic about the English striker, describing Vardy as "a fighter" and expressing hope that a turnaround is near. The Italian manager was quick to praise Vardy for his contribution to the team's only goal against Inter, despite the striker's ongoing personal drought. Nicola emphasised that Vardy's presence and constant pressure in the penalty area were instrumental in creating the space needed for the goal.

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  Coach Davide Nicola optimistic about Vardy's resurgence

  Cremonese had enjoyed a surprisingly positive start to the season, making the defeat to Inter their only loss so far. In a post-match interview, Nicola reflected on his team's six-game run in the league while reassuring supporters that it's only a matter of time before Vardy returns to his goal-scoring form.

  "I don't need to look at the result of a match to be more or less confident. I analyse it every time I start working with a team and I focus on the final objective. This start is thanks to both the players and the moments in which we met certain teams, as well as the situations we were able to exploit," he said. "I'm certainly not the one discovering Vardy; he's shown he's a fighter, and it's no coincidence that by filling the penalty area more, we managed to score. The break will allow us to further improve our physical condition until we can get everyone up to the same level."

• Vardy chose Serie A adventure after Leicester exit

  Vardy joined the Italian side on a free transfer after his long period at Leicester ended last season. While the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League, Vardy departed as a club legend with 200 goals in 500 matches before being snapped up by the newly-promoted Serie A side. He featured in the third league game of the season, coming off the bench for the last 30 minutes as Cremonese drew 0-0 with Hellas. The 38-year-old missed out on the next two games before his substitute role against Inter.

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  Cremonese's challenging path forward

  Cremonese arrived this season as newly promoted and have shown flashes of resilience, but their defeat to Inter exposed gaps in depth and consistency. Vardy remains a focal point despite his goal drought, and Nicola believes continued trust in him and the squad will pay off over time. With the international break providing time to regroup, Cremonese must stabilise defensively before their next fixture against Udinese on October 20.

Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season hung heavy over Anfield as the Arne Slot era looked to get up and running, and many thought the former Feyenoord coach would fall quickly by the wayside.

But Liverpool won the Premier League, and Slot is now renowned not just for his shrewd triumphs in his Dutch homeland but his success on a grander scale with Liverpool, who have fortified last year’s exploits with an utterly merciless spending spree across the summer transfer window, now the overwhelming favourites to retain their crown.

Liverpool did have to haul some surplus this summer, selling a whole host of first-team players in a major reshuffle. Up-and-coming stars such as Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah were sold despite making headway as top English talents over the past few years.

Quansah fell toward the fringes under Slot’s wing last season, and was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m after being told he would continue to play a peripheral role throughout 2025/26.

Liverpool signed 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni to replace him, but Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi was the one who was viewed right up until the final moments of the transfer window as the perfect player to slot in alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool missed out on Guehi

When Guehi scored a peach against Aston Villa before the September international break, his celebration carried with it the sense that he had written an incredible, fairytale ending to his chapter at Crystal Palace.

A move to Liverpool wasn’t just on the cards, but imminent, only it fell through at the eleventh hour on deadline day after the Eagles failed to secure an adequate replacement for Oliver Glasner’s captain, who has been instrumental across 2025 for the multi-trophy-winning side.

Guehi, 25, has emerged over the past few years as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, with his combative and composed defensive style merging with a technical game that stretches beyond what is expected of a centre-half.

Indeed, he has been described as an “absolute gem” by his former coach Michael Beale, who singled out his formative years at Chelsea’s Cobham as building his technical level.

Glasner, for his part, is adamant that certain stories of his desperate – and successful – efforts to keep Guehi at the club were false.

In any case, Guehi remains a Palace player and has no intention of penning a new deal that would extend his contract beyond its expiry at the end of the season.

A move to Merseyside remains a convincing possibility, with Liverpool snapping him up for free.

In this way, Guehi could mimic another deal from the closed summer transfer window, becoming Liverpool’s version of a player who actually left Anfield for a European giant just a few months ago.

Liverpool's own version of Guehi

While the Anfield side were willing to part with such players, it was a different tale with homegrown hero Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was billed by many as Liverpool’s new version of Steven Gerrard after emerging from the academy.

But the 26-year-old instead left at the end of his contract and signed for Real Madrid.

It was a contentious decision, but one which the 26-year-old made after much consideration, leaving England and the Premier League and joining Los Blancos, Liverpool’s biggest European rivals of modern times, for a fresh challenge and a chance to take his career to the next level.

Many Reds couldn’t understand the decision, with jeers when the right-back entered the fray after confirmation of his decision was made known in May, during a draw with Arsenal, pushing the unsavoury situation toward boiling point.

Even so, Alexander-Arnold celebrated Liverpool’s Premier League title with his peers and showed an outpouring of emotion after playing his final match in a Liverpool shirt at the end of the season. The Three Lions star was synonymous with his former outfit’s resurgence of the past decade, after all.

Hailed as a “generational” talent by content creator Asim Mahmood, Liverpool must regret losing such an incredible, irreplaceable playmaker, one of the greatest passers of the ball in English history.

There are parallels between his situation and Guehi’s at Palace, to be sure, and those similarities might become more pronounced in the coming months, when talk of a pre-contract agreement with the Eagles captain gathers steam.

Whether Liverpool win that battle remains to be seen, with sources recently suggesting Chelsea are gearing up to make a move of their own for Guehi after the new year.

But if Guehi does have his heart set on a move to Liverpool, as has been suggested, Slot might just find himself welcoming his own version of Alexander-Arnold, landing an elite player on a Bosman and one who is cherished by the fanbase of a club who cannot bear the thought of his departure.

Of course, Trent will return to his old stomping ground sooner than he might have hoped for, with Real Madrid drawn against Liverpool in the league phase of the Champions League.

Liverpool chiefs will be frustrated that they couldn’t convince the Scouser to stay put, but Slot’s side have already shown they can overcome the setback, just as there is confidence that the failed attempt to sign Guehi from Crystal Palace will not stop the club from achieving their goals.

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Arne Slot brutally branded Manchester United a "long-ball team" as he claimed Liverpool "hardly conceded a chance" in their disappointing 2-1 loss at Anfield on Sunday. United registered their first victory at Anfield since 2016 and secured back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time since Ruben Amorim took over as head coach in November last year.

• Liverpool stuck in a rut

  Reigning champions Liverpool kicked off the season on a bright note as they won seven games in succession, including five in the Premier League. However, things went south towards the end of September when they suffered a 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. More heartbreak followed in Turkey as they went down 1-0 against Galatasaray in the Champions League. Slot's men were then beaten 2-1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and failed to bounce back against United, slumping to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions for the first time since 2014.

  Bryan Mbeumo handed the visitors a surprise early lead, which was later cancelled out by Cody Gakpo's equaliser in the 78th minute. Just when the Reds appeared to have gained the upper hand, Harry Maguire came out of nowhere and scored the winning goal with a clinical header in the 84th minute. The win helped United climb up to ninth in the table, while Liverpool dropped to fourth, four points behind leaders Arsenal.

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  Slot aims dig at Man Utd tactics

  Slot was understandably disappointed with the result, but felt that Liverpool did well to create several goal-scoring opportunities against a United team that often went route one.

  Reflecting on the match, Slot told : "It is always difficult to play against a team that defends in a low block and mainly plays the long ball. It makes it even more difficult when you go one down after one minute when one of our players are on the floor. If you would have told me before the game that against the low block, against so many long balls, that we would have created as many chances as we did I would have not expected us to lose. But that is what we did. We had enough chances to score more than one goal, but on the other hand again conceding two and one of the two was the set piece."

• Concerns over set-piece vulnerability growing

  Slot also expressed his concern over Liverpool conceding from set pieces as he issued a warning to his players. The Dutchman added: "Yes. Of course, we concede maybe one or two extra chances apart from the goals we conceded but you always have to take extra risk when you are 1-0 down. Taking that into account, we hardly conceded a chance and we are waiting for us to score a goal, we have to defend the set piece. Like against Palace and a few other moments this season, we've conceded on a set piece and that is hard to take because it is very difficult to win a game of football if you have a negative balance on set pieces."

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  Referee hit with 'corruption' allegations

  Mbeumo put United ahead inside two minutes with a composed finish after running in behind the Liverpool defence and firing into the back of the net. As he wheeled away in celebration, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was sprawled out on the turf. The World Cup-winning Argentina international was holding his head, having been caught in a challenge just inside the Liverpool half. He was struck by a stray elbow from Van Dijk, which clearly left him in some discomfort and forced him to play the remainder of the game with a headguard. The game, however, was not halted, with Oliver allowing play to go on and the Red Devils to take the lead. Liverpool fans were frustrated with the referee's call as some of them even made 'corruption' allegations against the match official.

  However, former referee Keith Hackett has backed Oliver for making the correct decision, as he told : "Three players challenged in a fair manner for the ball which bounced and put Man United on the attack. They went in to score a good goal. It appeared that Oliver had not seen the head injury and play was allowed to continue. Goal scored and correctly allowed. VAR cannot intervene on this, it is not a clear and obvious error."

Glasgow Rangers have not been good enough defensively, in the Scottish Premiership or in Europe, since Russell Martin took the job on in the summer.

The Light Blues have conceded six goals in six games in the league, gave up 3.79 xG to Genk in the Europa League, and lost 9-1 to Club Brugge on aggregate in the Champions League play-off.

This shows that the Scottish giants have coughed up far too many chances for opposition teams across all competitions, and that something has to change if the head coach wants to turn the season around and achieve success and, hopefully, trophies.

Livingston’s goal against the Ibrox giants in the 2-1 win for Martin’s team on Sunday, their first win of the season in the League, was another example of sloppy defending in the box by the Gers.

Whilst it was an excellent delivery into the box, John Souttar got caught under the flight of the ball and was not close enough to Mo Sylla to put him off his header, which allowed the forward to score.

The club’s struggles in the defensive third this season suggest that Martin needs to unearth his own version of Connor Goldson, who was pivotal to the success of the last Gers team that won the league.

Why Rangers need to find their next Connor Goldson

The Light Blues need to find their next version of the impressive centre-back at Ibrox because their defence has been questionable since his incredible form in the 2020/21 campaign.

Steven Gerrard led the Ibrox giants to the title in that season and his team was built on solid foundations with the former Brighton & Hove Albion brute at the heart of the defence.

As you can see in the table above, Rangers had an unbelievable defensive record with the English titan at the back in that season, conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Goldson, playing as the right-sided centre-back, was an incredibly dominant central defender in that campaign, winning 68% of his ground duels and 72% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore.

His dominance at the back for the Scottish giants helped the team to remain solid and hard to break down, which was one of the main reasons why they won the title that season.

The Gers need their next dominant and reliable centre-back to lead the backline, as Goldson did in their last title success, and they may have their next version of the giant in the making, but it is not Derek Cornelius.

The Rangers star who is the next Connor Goldson in the making

Rangers swooped to sign Cornelius on loan from Marseille in the summer transfer window, and he showed some promising signs against Livingston by winning four of his seven duels, per Sofascore.

It was his defensive partner, Souttar, who was to blame for the goal that was conceded, as evidenced in the earlier clip, whilst the loanee made five clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle.

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However, the Canada international lost 67% of his duels against Genk in the Europa League and is a left-sided centre-back, which means that he is unlikely to be the next Goldson from a physical or positional perspective.

The lesser-seen Emmanuel Fernandez, however, may have the potential to eventually develop into being the club’s new version of Goldson, as a towering and physical presence in the right-sided centre-back position.

Rangers signed the English starlet from Peterborough United, in a deal that was described as a “blockbuster” move by Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, but he has only played two matches in all competitions to date.

Fernandez’s only appearance in the Premiership to date came in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in August. There were positives and negatives to take from his performance alongside John Souttar in that match.

As you can see in the table above, the physical qualities that the 23-year-old star displayed in that draw with St Mirren were particularly impressive, especially when you consider that Souttar has lost the majority of his ground duels this season.

These statistics suggest that the towering English youngster has the physical profile to replicate Goldson’s dominant defending, which Souttar has been unable to do in the Premiership so far this term.

However, Fernandez did leave a little bit to be desired with his use of the ball, failing to complete a single long pass, and looked a bit too relaxed in possession against the Saints, which may be why that is his only appearance in the league to date.

At the age of 23, the youngster still has plenty of time left to make a success of his career at Ibrox. He may not be playing at the moment, but his defensive and physical numbers against St Mirren show that he has the potential to be a dominant defender for the Gers.

With Cornelius coming in on the left side of the defence, where Leon Balogun used to partner Goldson, Fernandez could compete with Souttar to start in the right-sided centre-back role as the Gers look to find solutions to their faltering defence this season.

The defence has not been good enough under Martin, that much is obvious, and the summer signing from Peterborough has shown some signs that he could be the dominant defender that they need.

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Therefore, the right-sided defender could be the next Goldson in the making at Ibrox if Martin is able to help him take the next step in his development to be a regular starter for the Light Blues in the future.

It is now down to Fernandez to show the manager, whenever he is given a chance to prove his quality on the pitch, that he can be relied upon as a regular starter to solve the club’s defensive issues this season.

After fielding a group of teenagers in their Champions League clash against Ajax earlier this week, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is now seemingly set to hand a 15-year-old youth player his senior debut. Resting most of their first-team stars in the European clash, Maresca banked on the youth and they did not disappoint the coach as the Blues registered a thumping 5-1 win over the Dutch giants.

• The new kid on the block

  Per The Sun, 15-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is being considered for his Stamford Bridge debut by manager Maresca. The wonderkid is widely considered as the best player in the world in his age category and has already attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. So high is the hype around Nicoll-Jazuli that he is being tipped to become the next Jude Bellingham because of the striking similarities between the Real Madrid star and the youngster's playing style.

  The report adds that Chelsea head coach Maresca is known to be an admirer of the youngster and the Italian recently invited the player to train with the first team ahead of their Champions League fixture against Ajax. Nicoll-Jazuli does not turn 16 until January but Maresca is already planning to hand him his senior debut in the near future. The midfielder has already represented England at the U-17 level, although he is just 15 at the moment.  

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  'He will be the next big thing'

  Hyping the young Blue, a source told : "You have to keep an eye on Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, he will be the next big thing to come out of Cobham and plays like Jude Bellingham. You only have to see him play once to realise he’s a different kind of talent. The manager is so impressed with him that he plans to hand him his first-team debut soon."

• Chelsea youth created Champions League history

  The Blues, like many other Premier League clubs, are amid a hectic fixture crunch which prompted Maresca to rest a host of first team stars and field a bunch of young players to take on Ajax in the Champions League this week. The youngsters repaid the faith shown by their manager as the English giants marched to a thumping 5-1 over the Eredivisie side. In the process, Chelsea also scripted a Champions League record as they became the first team ever in the competition to have three different teenagers – Marc Guiu (19), Estevao Willian (18), and Tyrique George (19) – on the scoresheet in the same match. 

  The head coach also handed a European debut to Reggie Walsh, who, at just 17, became the youngest player in Chelsea’s Champions League history and the second youngest Englishman to ever play in the competition after Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. Overall, ten Chelsea players aged 21 or younger featured in the match, a staggering testament to the club’s youth-driven strategy.

  After the game, Maresca had heaped praise on his young guns, as he said: "It's the strategy of the club. We have so many young players. I think already last season we were the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, so this season we continue in the same way. I work with them every day, I know what they can do. I know also that we're going to have moments where we struggle a little bit more, for sure. But I think the good thing about them is that they want to learn, they want to improve and I think it's good."

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  Nicoll-Jazuli better than Arsenal's Dowman?

  Arsenal recently proved that age is just a number as Mikel Arteta handed their wonderkid Max Dowman his senior debut against Leeds United in the Premier League before he turned 16. The Sun report further adds that the Blues consider Nicoll-Jazuli even more talented than Dowman. The youngster's passing is crisp, his vision is outstanding and his eye for the goal makes him a complete package. The teenager recently became the youngest Chelsea player to start in a UEFA Youth League match.

  Maresca's men will be back in action on Saturday as they host Sunderland in a crucial Premier League fixture.

Sunderland’s season might well have hit a bump in the road at Old Trafford on Saturday, but the Premier League newcomers won’t feel completely derailed by the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United.

After all, the Black Cats are still sitting in an encouraging ninth position in the early standings, with an expectation that they can bounce back immediately from the defeat at the Theatre of Dreams when Vitor Pereira’s winless Wolverhampton Wanderers next come to Wearside.

Regis Le Bris should very much be commended for this top start to the season, as well, with the Frenchman actually up for the honour of September’s Manager of the Month accolade.

He is joined by Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs in being recognised for their efforts over the last month with the Mackems pair up for Player of the Month.

In an alternate reality, the current make-up of the Black Cats team could look disjointed and messy after a hectic off-season that saw signings aplenty join the building, but also saw Jobe Bellingham disappointingly up and leave for the glamour of Borussia Dortmund.

Fortunately, even without him, they’ve been right as rain in 2025/26 to date.

How Jobe Bellingham is faring at Dortmund

Amazingly, despite garnering much hype at the Stadium of Light, the ex-Sunderland boy wonder never pulled on the famous red and white stripes of the Black Cats in the Premier League.

Instead, the 20-year-old’s final chapter on Wearside fell in the Championship as Le Bris and Co. sealed promotion, with journalist Josh Bunting even hailing the England U21 international as “sensational” when strutting his stuff at the promotion chasers.

While he did begin his footballing education at Birmingham City, it’s fair to say Bellingham very much honed his craft at Sunderland, with the standout number seven managing to mature at a rapid pace, after being handed the first-team reins initially by Tony Mowbray.

A bumper tally of 11 goals and four assists from 90 Sunderland clashes would eventually alert the Bundesliga giants of Dortmund to his services, with the Black and Yellow forking out a substantial £27.8m to land the exciting midfielder.

It hasn’t all gone to plan for Bellingham on German soil so far, though, with just two Bundesliga starts coming his way this season.

In fact, his spell in Germany has been a little controversial thus far with his father, Mark, reportedly unhappy with his son’s playing time, directing anger at manager Niko Kovac.

However, it still goes without saying that the 20-year-old was a stunning success story on Sunderland’s end, with the youngster once just a wide-eyed teenager but now a Champions League figure for Kovac’s side.

So, where could the next Bellingham come from?

Sunderland's biggest talent since Bellingham

Just one glance at those who have previously donned the number ten shirt at Sunderland gives you a quick indication as to why it’s a cherished number.

Kevin Phillips wore that exact number when he bagged 30 goals for the Black Cats during one single top-flight season, while Jordan Henderson also briefly pulled it on, too, before the might of Liverpool came knocking.

While it is, of course, early days into his Sunderland development, Timur Tuterov might well be in line to also pull on that much-talked-about number very soon.

It’s a bold call, indeed, but the Ukrainian is displaying a Phillips-like potency for the U21s this season, as one of his efforts – which saw Tuterov score a fine solo effort – seeing him nominated for Sunderland’s goal of the month competition for September.

Indeed, from just four Premier League 2 contests so far this campaign, the Ukraine U21 international has managed to bag a blistering five strikes in just four games, with back-to-back braces falling into his lap against West Ham and Burnley.

It’s rather evident to see why academy manager Robin Nicholls once described him as “an exciting prospect.”

Should he continue scoring goals at that rate of knots, then Tuterov could also be the biggest talent Sunderland has managed to produce since turning Bellingham into a Dortmund superstar, with the 20-year-old also an adaptable presence, much like the Englishman.

With Le Bris also well-known for getting plenty out of youngsters at his disposal, with Chris Rigg turned into a first-team starter last season, it does feel as if Tuterov could be the next shouted-about name ready to leave an impression on the senior ranks.

Patience will have to be exercised here, but Sunderland’s glittering track record does seem to suggest that Tuterov could be the next gem ready to pull on the number 10 jersey, living up to Bellingham’s insane hype in the process.

Forget Isidor: "Awesome" Sunderland man could be a £30m star in the making

New signing impresses at Sunderland, ensuring he could be the next big-money departure from the Stadium of Light…

By
Will Miller

Oct 3, 2025

Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi has opened up on why he dropped Mason Greenwood from the starting XI in the recent Ligue 1 win over Auxerre. The former Brighton boss was speaking ahead of the club's Champions League clash against Serie A side Atalanta, set for Wednesday night in France, and explained his reasons for keeping the ex-Manchester United man on the bench.

• Greenwood snub explained

  Marseille managed to beat their opponents 1-0 on Saturday, despite a player from both sides being sent off. Greenwood, who has starred for the Ligue 1 outfit since crossing the channel from England, had an unfamiliar feeling of warming the bench for the match. But De Zerbi claims it was just player management, and that he felt the forward was tired and needed a rest.

  Speaking ahead of this week's European action, the Italian head coach said: "I never pick a team with the next match in mind. Atalanta isn't more important than Auxerre. Now, I can think about the match against Atalanta and then I'll think about the one against Brest.

  "I felt Greenwood and Paixao were tired and less sharp. Not physically, but less sharp than usual, and less brilliant. That's why I preferred to start Aubameyang and Vaz up front. They should be ready. The Champions League is important, and I'd like to be able to prepare for this match with more options in terms of players."

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  A new start in France

  The 24-year-old left United in 2024 for a fee worth around £27 million, having had a turbulent few months. The ex-Red Devils star's personal life had been clouded in controversy, after he was arrested in October 2022 and charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. He had previously been shipped out on loan to Spanish side Getafe by the Premier League giants, but still had plenty of interest from Europe after continuing to perform on the pitch. In 2023, all charges against Greenwood were discontinued, but United opted not to reintegrate him into their squad. Instead, he left for France, but not before United could insert a significant sell-on clause into his contract. In the time since, the academy graduate has made 49 appearances for Marseille, scoring 30 goals and notching 10 assists. 

• Giants still circling

  Despite his past controversies, a number of European giants are believed to be monitoring the England international, with many weighing up a move for the player. However, Marseille president Pablo Longoria will be keen to keep hold of him, after admitting he pushed to get a deal done in the first place, despite facing opposition from the mayor of the city. 

  Speaking in a recent interview, he said: "At that moment, you have to think about the decision and what are the values of your club. We took a lot of information from all the clubs he played at and about what was the situation, and what had happened. At that time, you are taking advantage of a situation in the market, because you know he is super talented and you are having this possibility from a circumstance that happened in the past. There was only one person who disagreed at the table.

  "Sincerely, for me it was very easy when you are convinced in all the communication strategies. You know you need a communications strategy, so let’s tell the truth. Let’s say why we take this decision, but with transparency, explaining all the processes, explaining why we arrived to take this decision. After that, time will judge."

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• AFP
  

  Eyes on Atalanta

  Greenwood will likely return to the starting line-up for the clash with Atalanta. So far in the Champions League, Marseille have only won one of their three games in the competition – a 4-0 win against Ajax. They gave Real Madrid a run for their money, narrowly missing out, with the same happening against Sporting CP. Greenwood will be hoping to add to his goal and assist in the competition when he faces the Italian side this week.