All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers have now been offered the chance to sign a new midfielder in January as they look to recover from their dismal start to the season, it has been claimed.

Rangers reinforcements required in January

Philippe Clement’s side are currently 11 points behind reigning champions and Glasgow rivals Celtic, having endured a tough start to the season in the Scottish Premiership. Worse still, they are seven points behind Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen side, who have enjoyed a rich run of form in the opening months of the campaign and sit second in the league.

Losses to Kilmarnock and Aberdeen as well as Celtic have been damaging to Clement’s side, while they have also been unable to go on one of their usual winning runs that often characterise their campaigns.

There are still chances of silverware this season though, with Rangers impressing in the Europa League and still with a chance of lifting either of the Scottish Cups, with Clement’s side facing Celtic in the semi-final of the League cup before Christmas. One of the problem areas for his side have been the central areas.

Young duo Connor Barron (22) and Mohamed Diomande (23) have been at the base of Rangers’ midfield, and it has been a shoot-out between Ianis Hagi, Tom Lawrence and Nicolas Raskin for the third midfield spot.

Player

Appearances

Goals and assists

Mohamed Diomande

11

3

Connor Barron

13

0

Nicolas Raskin

10

0

Ianis Hagi

4

1

Kieran Dowell

8

0

Tom Lawrence

8

5

Nedim Bajrami

9

1

Clearly, there is room for improvement in that area, with no one able to provide a consistent attacking threat from the middle of the pitch to support unlikely new marksman Cyriel Dessers, who frustrated and dazzled last season but now appears to be more consistent in front of goal. Now, they could land a new option to help them push on in the second half of the campaign.

Rangers offered chance to sign "very good" midfielder

That comes as a fresh report has revealed that Rangers and Clement have now been offered the chance to sign out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka in January.

The former Aston Villa youngster has seen his gametime severely limited since Enzo Maresca’s arrival, who admitted in the summer that though he was a “very good” midfielder, he was not going to get much action in west London.

Rangers now in talks to agree new transfer fee for impressive £16k-p/w ace

The two clubs had agreed a fee but now they are moving the goalposts.

1 ByBen Browning Dec 3, 2024

“Carney, I think he is a very good player. With us, is he going to play 35 games? I’m not sure”, the Italian explained. “The problem is, because of some injuries in the past, I think the best for him is to play 30 or 35 games in a row, to show himself that he is fit and how good he is because he is very good.”

Having failed to secure a loan move in the summer, he is now set to leave in January and is open to moving to Ibrox, according to The Boot Room, recognising that he needs regular first team football.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are happy for him to leave either as part of a “loan move or a permanent departure”, though the latter would be a club record move for Rangers and is therefore highly unlikely. Even a loan move could see them need to pay a substantial chunk of the 21-year-old’s £100,000 a week wages, so it remains to be seen how flexible Chelsea are on that front.

Known as a box to box midfielder with an eye for goal from his time among the youth setup, Chukwuemeka could add another dimension to Rangers’ midfield for the second half of the season, and could help them push for success come the end of the campaign.

Mohamed Salah is hopeful that he will be fit for Liverpool’s Champions League final clash against Real Madrid, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Salah injured in final win

The Reds enjoyed FA Cup glory on Saturday following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea at Wembley, winning their second trophy of the season.

Salah didn’t even make it to half-time, though, limping off with a groin injury and immediately sparking concern surrounding his involvement in the Champions League final on May 28th.

However, a hopeful update has now emerged regarding the 29-year-old’s situation.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-32/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Pearce provides Salah injury update

Taking to Twitter on Saturday night a few hours after the FA Cup final, Pearce confirmed that Salah is confident of being fit for the Champions League showpiece against Real Madrid in Paris.

The journalist tweeted: ” ‘Of course, all good’ says Mo Salah when asked if he will be fit for the CL final in Paris.”

The Verdict: Wrap him in cotton wool

While there is no official confirmation surrounding the severity of Salah’s injury, that he believes he will be fit for the 28th is certainly an enormous positive.

Having gone off injured in the 2018 decider against the same opposition, it would be cruel for the 29-year-old to suffer Champions League final heartache yet again – more importantly, Liverpool need arguably their best player on the pitch.

Salah will do all he can to prove himself, although Jurgen Klopp should be wary of not letting his heart rule his head in the meantime, only starting the Egyptian if he is ready.

There is enough depth in the squad to make do without him from the start these days, which is a very different situation to four years ago. Therefore, Klopp must wrap the 29-year-old in cotton wool for the Premier League games against Southampton and Wolves this week.

In other news, Klopp has reportedly set his sights on one Liverpool signing. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are "on the verge" of a surprise signing as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg breaks some transfer news this morning.

Postecoglou chasing early January deals

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou made clear last month that the north Londoners will attempt to seal their January business early, as the head coach wants to bed new recruits into the squad nice and quickly.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Indeed, Tottenham are linked with signing a centre-back, midfielder and forward this month, with Postecoglou recently saying he's "hopeful" of sealing new players soon after the winter window opens.

"Obviously if we can do business early it's great for us, not just because of losing [Cristian] Romero but there's a whole month there – why waste it?," said Postecoglou on Spurs' January transfer plans.

"If you can bring them in early, even if they don't play you can bed them into training and our style of football because it's not like we're going to sign somebody and they'll hit the ground running. Maybe they could.

Trevoh Chalobah

20th December

Jean-Clair Todibo

20th December

Morato

19th December

Radu Dragusin

16th December

Sebastian Caceres

14th December

Jarrad Branthwaite

13th December

"Whereas if you leave it towards the end of January, it's potentially not until mid to end of February when they get up to speed, depending where they're coming from, the league they're coming from. So there's a whole lot of moving parts. So yes, I'd love to do something early in the window but even me saying that puts a challenge on us – because other clubs know we want to do something early.

"You've got to play the game, we'll see what happens but I'm hopeful it will be much earlier than the end of the window before we bring someone in."

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. Postecoglou's side, in their desperate search for a new centre-back, are thought to be making headway and want a deal done soon.

Tottenham are advancing in talks to sign Dragusin after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but according to Sky reporter Plettenberg, there has been quite an unexpected transfer development out of N17 just this morning.

Timo Werner "on the verge" of joining Tottenham

According to the journalist, RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner could be a Spurs player very soon.

It is believed Werner is "on the verge" of joining Tottenham on loan and "final negotiations" are taking place today.

The Germany international can play anywhere across the attacking midfield area and further forward. Werner has scored two goals in eight Bundesliga appearances this season.

Leeds United return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they travel to Wales to take on Cardiff City in their 27th league match of the campaign.

The Whites were in FA Cup action last weekend as they faced Peterborough United away from Elland Road on Sunday and ran out 3-0 winners.

Leicester City

1

26

65

Ipswich Town

2

26

55

Southampton

3

26

52

Leeds United

4

26

48

West Brom

5

26

42

Sunderland

6

26

40

Daniel Farke's side secured a comfortable win thanks to two goals from Ethan Ampadu either side of a wondergoal from striker Patrick Bamford.

The English centre-forward could keep his position in the side for this clash with Cardiff after that stunning strike and the German head coach must unleash Georginio Rutter in the number ten position behind him, ahead of Joel Piroe.

Bamford's season in numbers

Bamford failed to find the back of the net in any of his first 16 appearances for Leeds this season, and did not provide a single assist for his teammates in that time.

In fact, the 30-year-old striker also missed a penalty in a crucial game against Stoke City away from home, minutes before the hosts scored the winning goal.

However, the former Middlesbrough star was handed his first Championship start of the campaign against Birmingham on New Year's Day and headed in his first goal of the season from Dan James' cross.

Bamford then chipped in with a goal of the season contender, as shown in the video above, and an assist in the 3-0 win over Peterborough last weekend and this means that he has three direct goal contributions in his last two appearances.

Rutter's season in numbers

Farke could now provide the English number nine with the service that he needs to continue that rich vein of form by bringing Rutter back into the team.

The French whiz was rested – as an unused substitute – against Peterborough and should come straight back into the XI to replace Piroe due to his superior creativity.

Appearances

25

26

Assists

Nine

One

Big chances created

17

Two

Key passes per game

2.2

0.9

Dribbles completed per game

2.5

0.5

As you can see in the table above, Rutter has significantly outperformed the former Swansea marksman in a host of key creative metrics in the Championship this season.

In fact, the 21-year-old magician ranks within the top 1% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.53), Expected Assisted Goals (0.37), and assists (0.39) per 90. He also ranks within the top 1% for successful take-ons (2.74) and the top 3% for progressive passes (3.66) per 90.

These statistics show that the ex-Hoffenheim prospect has been one of the best, if not the best, playmakers in the league so far this season.

The £34k-per-week star, who was once lauded for his "blistering" pace by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality to consistently unlock opposition defences to create high-quality chances for his teammates in front of goal.

This is why Farke must unleash him in the number ten position behind Bamford to provide the English striker with all the ammunition that he needs to continue his goalscoring form.

Manchester United have had some sensational midfielders over the years. Two of the players who spring to mind are Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick. The England pair formed a crucial midfield pivot in the later years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s dynasty.

Of course, Scholes was a graduate of the United academy and had plenty of success before Carrick signed for the club in 2006. Once they were playing together week in, week out at the Theatre of Dreams, they formed one of the best midfield pairings in the Premier League.

United have long been searching for a midfielder who possesses as much class as Scholes Carrick did. Kobbie Mainoo is someone who would surely fit that bill.

What Scholes has said about Mainoo

Life under Ruben Amorim this season hasn’t been easy for Mainoo. The 20-year-old has been continuously overlooked, which is strange given the pedigree he comes with, built up in such a short amount of time.

His astronomic rise under Erik ten Hag began with a spellbinding performance on debut away to Everton.

Mainoo’s technical brilliance was on show then, picking up the ball off the back four with ease and carrying forward to progress play.

Touches

61

Passes completed

38/46

Ground duels won

3/5

Aerial duels won

2/3

Ball recoveries

3

Long balls completed

2

Tackles won

1/1

He continued to shine in that United midfield, with Scholes someone who heaped praise on him.

The United great said, “I remember that calmness” Mainoo had on the ball, before going on to admit, “I just couldn’t believe such a young player could do that.”

Mainoo’s excellent performances were capped off last summer. He started and shone in the Euro 2024 final, which England lost 2-1 to Spain.

Given his quick rise and obvious talent, it is baffling that he continues to get ignored for a starting spot by Amorim.

Incredibly, United have a midfielder in the academy who might be even more like Carrick and Scholes than Mainoo, however.

United’s Carrick and Scholes hybrid at Carrington

The Red Devils are no strangers to incredible midfield talent. Of course, Scholes and Carrick are two of them, and Mainoo is the current example, but the likes of Paul Pogba certainly fit into the category.

Well, the next off the incredible production line at Carrington could well be Jim Thwaites. The 17-year-old has shone in the centre of the park for United’s under-18 side this season, under another midfield great, Darren Fletcher.

This season, sitting at the base of the midfield for Fletcher’s team, Thwaites has played six times in the under-18s Premier League. He’s started all of those games, skippering the side once and chipping in with a couple of goals.

Speaking of those strikes, and ones in the past, Thwaites is a bit of a specialist when it comes to free kicks. Look at this effort against Manchester City in what turned out to be a 4-2 defeat for his side.

The United youngster rifled home the set piece into the top left corner, with an inch-perfect effort.

That goal itself showcases Thwaites’ excellent ability. You can’t take a free kick like that without possessing technical brilliance. It is easy to see why he can be such a good controller in midfield, pulling the strings for his side.

In fact, coach Seb Ostergren was full of praise for the youngster. He said Thwaites is like a “hybrid between Scholes and Carrick,” noting he has the “line breaking forward passes” of United’s former number 16 and the “switches” of their academy graduate.

Thwaites is certainly a talent United fans can get excited for. At just 17 years of age, he knows how to make things tick in the centre of the park.

Once he gets used to the pace of senior football, he could become a huge asset for the club.

Man Utd's "homegrown Osimhen" at Carrington looks like their new Rashford

Manchester United already have a star who could reach phenomenal levels in the near future.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 23, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Joao Palhinha to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following earlier reports suggesting that Tottenham are at the front of the queue to land the Sporting Lisbon talent this summer, Fabio Paratici is now preparing an initial offer for the 26-year-old.

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The report goes on to state that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United are also interested in a move to bring the Portugal international to the Premier League, while the Liga Portugal side themselves are looking to receive a figure totalling €40m (£34m) in order to part with the defensive midfielder this summer.

A “special” signing

With it being reported that Antonio Conte has prioritised the signing of a new central midfielder in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why Paratici is plotting an offer for Palhinha ahead of Tottenham’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 26 Liga Portugal appearances this season, the £23.4m-rated talent has been in breathtaking form in the heart of Ruben Amorim’s midfield, making an average of 3.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 0.9 clearances and winning 7.1 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

The £24k-per-week defensively-minded midfielder has also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring three goals and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.0 shots, making 0.4 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per fixture.

These returns have seen the 12-time capped international who Amorim dubbed a “special player” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Sporting’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of Portuguese football.

As such, with the likes of Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele all looking likely to be moved on by Tottenham this summer, Palhinha would very much appear to be a fantastic replacement for any of the three outbound midfielders, leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to convince the 26-year-old of a move to north London ahead of a switch to Wolves or Manchester United this summer.

AND in other news: Journo claims “the door is open” for Spurs to sign £45m star, supporters will love it

Manchester United could face a fight on their hands to keep hold of an exciting youngster after it emerged that a club are ready to make a significant offer for his services.

Man Utd's potential outgoings…

Despite all the talk being about potential incomings at any given club with the transfer window nearing, outgoings are also a crucially important facilitator in paving the way for exciting new arrivals. United are no different in that regard and could be set to offload a number of players in January, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Casemiro and Jadon Sancho all linked with exits.

One other man who could depart Old Trafford in mid-season is Tunisia international Hannibal Mejbri, who is believed to be attracting attention from the likes of Seville, Olympique Lyon and SC Freiburg over a prospective loan deal after it emerged he wouldn't be travelling to feature for his country at the African Cup of Nations, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Outcast Donny van de Beek has already signed on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt and will join the 2022 Europa League winners once the window opens for business on January 1st, demonstrating the Red Devils' intent to get spare parts out of the door at Old Trafford.

Now, Erik ten Hag could have a fight on his hands to keep a bright young star at the club after interest has come to light in his services.

Borussia Dortmund keen on Dan Gore

According to Football Insider, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund are lining up a significant offer to sign Manchester United youngster Dan Gore in the near future.

Dan Gore's brief cameo vs Aston Villa (Sofascore)

Tackles

1

Touches

3

Ground duels won

2/2

The 19-year-old made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and has received 30 minutes of senior action in total under Ten Hag. He is someone who has been earmarked as a long-term target by the German giants, and should he be unavailable in January, Borussia Dortmund plan on making a "big bid" in the summer of 2024 for the England Under-20 international.

The Manchester Evening News has recently claimed that Preston North End are also keen to sign Gore once the window opens on a loan basis, presenting several options for the Manchester-born midfielder to continue his development.

Intriguingly, there is also information in the copy that indicates The SEG International agency, who represents Red Devils boss Ten Hag, are keen to recruit him as a client despite the Carrington youth product's entourage being his family.

Looking ahead, United have a decision on their hands when it comes to Gore, and they may want to keep hold of him, given his status as a promising homegrown talent.

Nottingham Forest have not been shy about spending big money since they returned to the Premier League three seasons ago. After two campaigns battling against relegation back to the Championship, they have flown out of the traps this term.

Impressively, the Midlands club sit third in the Premier League table, one point ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea, their nearest challengers for a top-four spot. They have been superb defensively, conceding just seven times, the second-fewest in the top flight, behind only Liverpool.

So far, the men in Garibaldi Red have had a superb season. They are no doubt desperate to maintain this form and have been linked with a player who could add great strength to the squad in January.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

The player in question here is Bayern Munich and French under-21 international attacker Mathys Tel. The 19-year-old has struggled for game time at the German giants, and could well depart the club in the 2025 winter transfer window.

According to a report from Florian Plettenberg, the Midlands club are “interested” in signing the French winger, and “have already made contact” with Bayern over a potential deal. They will not be alone in their hunt for his signature, however, with German outfit Werder Bremen also chasing him.

Any potential deal would reportedly just be a loan rather than a permanent move at this stage, There could, however, be a crucial stumbling block to signing Tel this winter, with Plettenberg reporting that he “has no plans to leave” Bavaria on a temporary deal.

Why Tel would be a good signing

It would be a fantastic statement of intent to sign such a hot prospect this winter from the Midlands outfit. Interestingly, he is a player whom Edu reportedly wanted to sign at Arsenal. The Brazilian will join Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis in an unspecified boardroom role following a shock resignation from Arsenal. There is certainly a link between Tel and Edu.

It has been a tough start to the season for the young Frenchman. Under new boss Vincent Kompany, his minutes have not really increased, playing 224 minutes across seven games so far, two of which include starts. The dynamic winger has yet to find the back of the net, either.

With that being said, the teenage sensation, described as a “jewel” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has a good record for the Bavarian side. He has played 76 times so far scoring 16 goals and grabbing six assists in just 2230 minutes, equivalent to 24 full 90 minutes.

Should the Midlands outfit bring in the attacker, who is valued at £33.5m by Transfermarkt, he could be an upgrade on Callum Hudson-Odoi. The Chelsea academy graduate has been an important player for the Midlands side this term, scoring two goals in ten Premier League games, but statistically, Tel edges him in many metrics.

When looking at the pair’s stats from last season, there is a clear difference between each. It is worth considering that one played for a high-possession, attacking side in Bayern, whereas Forest were scrapping against relegation. However, in some metrics, there is still a clear gap.

As per FBref, Bayern’s starlet averaged more passes into the final third, with 1.97 each game, and more passes into the penalty area, with 1.62. In contrast, the English winger played 0.97 passes into the final third and 1.55 passes into the penalty area.

The Frenchman also had more success in take-ons last term than the Forest number 14. He completed 3.16 per game, with a 55.2% completion rate, compared to just 2.09 for Hudson-Odoi, who completed 53.8%.

Stat (per 90)

Tel

Hudson-Odoi

Goals

0.6

0.39

Expected goals

0.32

0.13

Passes into final third

1.97

0.97

Passes into penalty box

1.62

1.55

Take-ons completed

3.16

2.09

Take-on success rate

55.2%

53.8%

Carries into penalty area

2.65

1.89

It would certainly be a statement of intent from Forest – and the incoming Edu – to bring Tel in. Not only could he challenge and potentially upgrade Hudson-Odoi, but they would be adding a highly-rated youngster who can play right across the forward line.

In terms of signing a young, hungry player who would continue to fuel a shock European charge, there are perhaps few better.

Edu and Nottingham Forest make contact to sign "machine" versatile attacker

Evangelos Marinakis is set to triple Edu’s salary.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 5, 2024

West Ham United are tail-spinning out of control.

A point was picked up against Everton on Saturday, but the lifeless and uninspiring fabric of Julen Lopetegui’s squad is leaving everything to be desired.

The Hammers fanbase, understandably, wants for more. And as The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas says: “I don’t think Lopetegui is capable of turning this around. He was the wrong appointment.”

So, should he be given the boot?

West Ham considering Lopetegui dismissal

West Ham’s Spanish head coach, who replaced David Moyes in the summer, continues to bang the drum that judgment should be reserved until the end of the campaign. But Hammers fans will not wait that long, not if an upswing does not occur post-haste.

The east London outfit’s majority shareholder David Sullivan and the technical director Tim Steidten are set to meet during the domestic pause this week to discuss Lopetegui’s shortcomings, but it’s unlikely that he will be dismissed. Yet.

It’s looking increasingly unlikely that the 58-year-old will pick himself up from the wayside. And though he’s not going to be sacked just yet, the rumours are abound.

Indeed, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho is in the running, and wouldn’t that be quite the appointment? As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the legendary Portuguese boss is interested in returning to the Premier League and is on West Ham’s radar, among others in the division.

Mourinho only alighted in Turkey this summer but launched a tirade on the standard of the Turkish Super Lig last month, and this could be a deal to keep an eye on.

However, Mourinho’s pragmatic tactics may not give the Hammers the turnaround they so desire. Instead, jobless Graham Potter may prove to be the far better pick.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Graham Potter would be the perfect appointment

Potter has been out of work since being dismissed by Chelsea in April 2023, just six months into his tenure with the Blues.

Even so, he’s built an impressive managerial career and after such remarkable feats with Brighton & Hove Albion, could now revivify his career at the London Stadium.

According to a report from Caught Offside last week, Potter has been lined up by West Ham bosses to replace Lopetegui, and his name is likely to be mentioned in some capacity during the proposed meeting this week.

Potter has been described as “a genius” by journalist Sam Morton and indeed is one of the sharpest tactical minds in English football. His failed stint at Stamford Bridge must not taint the remarkable work that was done at Brighton and, to a lesser extent, Swansea City.

1.

Man City

1st

67.9

2.

Liverpool

2nd

62.7

3.

Chelsea

3rd

61.8

4.

Brighton

9th

54.4

5.

Arsenal

5th

52.8

In his final campaign with Brighton, 2021/22, he took the Seagulls to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League, which was the highest in their history at the time.

This West Ham squad, with the likes of Lucas Paqueta at its heart, cries out for more control and fluency, something that perhaps was anticipated when Lopetegui took over. But it hasn’t been the case, with United 15th this term (45.5% average).

Potter has previously been particularly possession-focused, with his Brighton side averaging 54.3% of the ball in the Premier League during 2021/22, the fourth-best tally in the division and greater than the Hammers’ 47.4% average throughout the same year.

Change might be afoot in east London once again soon, and the Englishman would be the perfect choice to replace the current boss, who simply hasn’t fused with this iron-strong squad.

West Ham wanted to sign "unplayable" star who's outscoring Bowen by a mile

West Ham wanted to sign an incredible striker under Moyes who is now scoring goals aplenty.

ByConnor Holden Nov 11, 2024

Chelsea got back to winning ways following the November international break, beating Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power Stadium. It was a happy return to the East Midlands for Enzo Maresca, who helped the Foxes to promotion from the Championship last season.

The Blues took the lead just 15 minutes into the game after some early domination. It was a brilliant piece of play from Nicolas Jackson to give his side the lead, and he took his finish superbly, given he was swamped by Foxes defenders.

The home side rarely got a sniff and were continuously under pressure from Chelsea. Cole Palmer almost doubled his side’s lead, but his shot was blocked on the line by teammate Noni Madueke as he tried to evade the shot from his England teammate.

The Blues did get their second goal through Enzo Fernandez in the 75th minute. That turned out to be a crucial strike, with Leicester earning a late penalty, which Jordan Ayew converted. The Foxes could not find an equaliser meaning Chelsea held on and will return to London with all three points.

There were some standout players for the Blues in the East Midlands, but Jackson and Fernandez were arguably the best of the bunch.

Fernandez’s and Jackson’s stats vs. Leicester

After a tough start to the season, Fernandez seemed at his very best against Steve Cooper’s side. His goal was one a striker would be proud of. He got on the end of a rebound after a save from Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who pushed away a Jackson header. The World Cup winner simply nodded home into an empty net.

It was a classic performance in the middle of the park outside of his goal from Fernandez. As per Sofascore, he created three chances and managed to get his assist for Jackson, and also won seven from nine ground duels.

As for Chelsea’s striker, he continued his good form and found the back of the net once again. The Blues number 15 took his goal expertly, latching onto a Fernandez pass and somehow keeping hold of the ball, going past the Foxes defence. His finish was well-taken, poking it past the Leicester goalkeeper with the outside of his foot to take the lead.

His performance earned him an impressive 8/10 rating from GOAL journalist Gill Clark. The football writer was full of praise for the Senegal striker, describing him as the Blues’ ‘star man’ in the clash at the King Power Stadium.

As good as both Fernandez and Jackson were, there was a Chelsea player who performed at a similar level and impressed against the Foxes. That man is Benoit Badiashile.

Badiashile’s stats vs. Leicester

It was a commanding performance from the French defender against Leicester, who showed his fantastic on-the-ball abilities and worked hard without the ball, ensuring his side earned all three points.

The former AS Monaco centre-back did not look fazed once, and whilst the Foxes were reserved and did not attack very much, Badiashile still did a good job when called upon defensively.

His stats from the game show just how well he performed. The France international had a whopping 113 touches, while enjoying an 89% pass accuracy rate after he completed 90 from 101 attempted passes. He also won three duels.

Stat

Number

Touches

113

Passes completed

90/101

Pass accuracy

89%

Long balls completed

5/8

Interceptions

4

Clearances

2

Blocks

1

Like Jackson, the Blues defender received an impressive 8/10 rating from Clark for his performances. The journalist praised the 23-year-old, explaining he was ‘great in possession’ and looked completely ‘untroubled at the back’.

It was certainly a fantastic afternoon’s work from Badiashile. He will be hoping to cement his place in the Premier League side, after making just his second top-flight appearance of the season. With plenty of games coming up for the Blues, the Frenchman will surely be hoping to get more of a look in after a strong start.

Reece James injury history: Every game missed by Chelsea star since 2021/22

The defender has endured a torrid few seasons at Stamford Bridge.

ByBen Browning Nov 22, 2024