Aston Villa return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel to London to take on Brentford away from home.
The Villans are unbeaten in their last eight matches in all competitions and come into this game off the back of a 1-1 draw with Zrinjski in their final Europa Conference League group stage outing.
Unai Emery's side have won 11 of their 16 top-flight games so far this season and are looking to continue their push for Champions League football next term.
Unai Emery
After Thursday night's draw in Bosnia, the Spanish head coach could look to make changes to his side and one player who must be unleashed from the start is England international Ollie Watkins.
Jhon Duran's performance against Zrinjski in numbers
Colombia international Jhon Duran started ahead of the star striker in midweek and did not do enough to suggest that he deserves to start against Brentford.
It was another learning experience for the 20-year-old prospect as he played 90 minutes without landing himself a goal or an assist to show for his efforts.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
The left-footed dud did not create a single chance for his teammates and failed to beat the goalkeeper with the two shots that he was able to take, alongside a duel success rate of 33.3% (1/3).
Birmingham Mail's John Townley gave Duran a match rating of 6/10 and pointed to his failure to convert the chances that came his way as the main reason why his performance was not a particularly impressive one.
Meanwhile, Watkins spent the entire match in Bulgaria as an unused substitute for Villa and should be fresh to face the Bees this afternoon.
Watkins' Premier League statistics this season
The £130k-per-week whiz should be unleashed over Duran as he has been in superb form for the Villans in the Premier League this season.
He has showcased his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his teammates in the top-flight and is the "perfect" – as put by journalist Josh Bunting – striker for Emery as the system suits him and the way he likes to peel off defenders and constantly make runs in-behind to stretch defences.
Watkins has contributed with eight goals and six assists in 16 league games for Villa so far this term, which works out as a goal involvement every 1.14 games on average.
The England international, who was once described as 'lethal' by Trevor Sinclair, currently ranks within the top 8% of Premier League forwards for assists (0.39) per 90. This shows that he has the awareness and quality to create opportunities for others to go along with his own terrific goal threat.
He also ranks within the top 8% of his positional peers for touches in the opposition's box (6.58) per 90 and this shows that the system is allowing him to get in dangerous positions on a regular basis, which has led to his impressive return of goals and assists.
Therefore, Emery must unleash his perfect, lethal, number nine and ditch Duran, who failed to take his chance on Thursday, against Thomas Frank's side today as he has the quality to be the match-winner for Villa.
Newcastle United have splashed the cash this summer after qualifying for the Champions League last term with an impressive fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, but the core of talent at Eddie Howe's disposal has largely remained the same.
Having been purchased in an affluent and highly-anticipated PIF club takeover in October 2021, Newcastle are now poised for lasting success at the forefront of the game after spending so many years languishing below expectations.
And while money was spent this summer, business, in the new trademark fashion, was calculated and measured, with some astute additions enriching a cohesive and thriving outfit.
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With a net spend over the summer window that sits just eighth in the league chart, the Magpies' transfer model is one set to last, and the emblematic figurehead of the burgeoning success of this exciting era is none other than Bruno Guimaraes, who has been the midfield centrepiece from the maiden phase of Newcastle's new chapter under Howe's management.
How much did Newcastle pay for Bruno Guimaraes?
When Howe penned a contract with Newcastle in November 2021, replacing Steve Bruce at the helm, the club were winless and facing a relegation scrap, fighting to remain in the division.
If the Toon thought Howe's management could start the new era with a flourish, they were bang on the money and swiftly asserted themselves as one of the Premier League's most resurgent outfits, with a tremendous run of form after Christmas resulting in an 11th-placed finish, 14 points ahead of relegated Burnley.
The cogs clicked together on the pitch, but it was the shrewd business in the winter market that charged an almighty rise in form, and Guimaraes, who completed a £40m transfer from French side Lyon, was the catalyst in midfield.
Hailed as an "exciting talent" and a "standout" performer in France by Howe after he joined the fold, the Brazilian scored five goals and supplied an assist across 11 Premier League starts in the 2021/22 campaign, providing newfound quality and technical ability to demonstrate his ability.
It was the largest acquisition during a winter that saw Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Dan Burn all arrive to revitalise the foundering St. James' Park side, but amid the maelstrom of expensive activity that dictates the contemporary transfer business in football, it looks to be a shrewder signing by the month.
How much is Bruno Guimaraes worth now?
Having now chalked up 62 appearances for Newcastle, posting ten goals and six assists, the 14-cap Brazil star is unequivocally one of the best midfielders plying their trade on English shores.
Calm and composed, energetic and enterprising, Guimaraes is now regarded as a "world-class" component of a team imminently awaiting a two-decade-long wait for Champions League football, as has been said by teammate Burn.
Such is illustrated by the vested interest of first-rate European outfits such as Paris-Saint Germain and Barcelona, who have been eyeing up the £87m-rated midfielder, with separate reports also linking Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool with a transfer.
Such a towering valuation might look to dissuade the sides from furthering their intrigue in his services, but such is the 5 foot 11 ace's profound talent that it appears that that had not dissuaded them from retaining their position as suitors at the very least.
That £87m value actually represents a 117% rise in less than two years on Tyneside, and considering that he was purchased for no small sum of £40m, that is quite an impressive feat.
Newcastle are now actively working on a contract extension, hoping to rebuff the lucrative advances and tie down a staple of the new prosperity with a fresh bumper package, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claiming last week that talks are "at an advanced stage".
Why is Bruno Guimaraes worth that much?
So what's the secret in the sauce? Well, the 25-year-old has transformed a midfield and serves as the perfect counterweight to the likes of resurgent Joelinton, creative Joe Willock and energetic Sean Longstaff.
Once referring to himself as a "piano carrier" – a term coined in his homeland for someone doing the unseen work – the £120k-per-week phenom is both robust and reliable in the centre, orchestrating the play with his delightful range of passing and tenacity in the tackle – recycling possession and then swiftly initiating effective transition.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 21% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 18% for shot-creating actions, and the top 15% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.
This highlights both his creative flair and control with the ball at his feet, capable of beating his man to advance into promising openings in the central third.
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
An "absolutely magnificent" star, as noted by Toon and Premier League icon Alan Shearer, Guimaraes' supreme control and intelligence has proved to be the difference-maker for United in decisive moments, and it is a very real possibility that the rise might not have been quite so impressive had he not joined the club at the start of the exciting new chapter.
While Guimaraes' £40m fee was by no means paltry, it's a testament to his meteoric rise that the likes of Liverpool, PSG and Barcelona are interested in his signature, and that's despite the somewhat exorbitant £87m price tag.
However, his future looks set to remain on Tyneside, and with the talks over a new contract progressing, albeit slowly, there is little doubt that Howe and Ashworth hit the jackpot in sealing a deal for a man who is now one of the hottest commodities in Europe.
Neymar hints at a rift with former PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe after 'liking' an Instagram post criticising the Frenchman for his decision to leave.
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Neymar hints at Mbappe rift
Brazilian star 'liked' post criticising ex-team-mate
Mbappe set to leave PSG in summer
WHAT HAPPENED?
Influential Brazilian social media account Jogada Ensaiada, which has 189,000 followers on Instagram, posted a damning assessment about the nature of Mbappe's influence at PSG and the state of the squad now that he is readying to leave – potentially for Real Madrid – on a free transfer. Neymar 'liked' the post, which had the overall caption "No player should be bigger than the institution", suggesting he endorsed its content.
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WHAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA POST SAID
The Jogada Ensaiada account said: "PSG, an example of football management. They knew how to bring together the best players and had the best team on the planet. When the team started to do well, the ego of a 'certain Frenchman' began to disturbed the atmosphere. Mbappe started to feel excluded, most of the team members spoke Spanish and he threatened to leave. To not lose his precious, PSG started selling those who did not were not aligned with Mbappe's thoughts and brought in the French players he wanted. After doing everything to make everything go his way, Mbappe communicated to PSG that he would leave the club for free at the end of the season. And in the end, this is what remains at PSG."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Having become the second most expensive player in history when signing for PSG permanently in 2018, behind only Neymar in the all-time list, Mbappe is running down his PSG contract. There are already reports in Spain that an agreement with Real Madrid is in place for a five-year deal that would pay €15m (£13m/$16m) to €20m (£17m/$22m), with bonuses on top. That would make him Real's highest-paid player, albeit on less money than he has been earning in Paris since his most recent new contract in 2022.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?
As he prepares to leave PSG and France altogether, Mbappe has a few things he could achieve to properly cap off this chapter of his career. Both he and PSG are yet to win the Champions League but have one foot in the quarter-finals following last week's 2-0 first leg win over Real Sociedad in the last 16. Mbappe is also thought to want to represent France as a designated over-age player at this summer's Olympics on home soil. An Olympic gold medal is something that both Neymar (2016) and Lionel Messi (2008) have in their respective collections.
The striker cannot afford to go out clubbing and miss training after the dire season he and United have had – he needs to wake up and grow up
Xavi Hernandez famously once revealed that when you hear a footballer is suffering from gastroenteritis "you think there's something else going on". At Manchester United gastroenteritis has been replaced by the word "illness" and in the case of Marcus Rashford missing training this week and not travelling to the FA Cup tie at Newport County, there is definitely something else going on.
Rashford may well have been feeling too sick to train on Friday but we can surmise that he was not suffering from a cold or a sore throat. It was revealed that the England striker had been in Belfast during the week seeing old friend Ro-Shaun Williams and had gone nightclubbing, not once but twice.
Rashford had been given a day off on Thursday and there was no issue with him going out to see Williams after Wednesday's training session, even with him being seen at Laverty's bar in the Belfast city centre. The problem was he was seen at Thompson's Garage nightclub later on Wednesday and then again on Thursday, not leaving until the early hours of Friday morning. He would have got only minimal sleep before returning to Manchester on a private jet at 8am on Friday.
It was hardly ideal preparation for a full training session and he did not even make it through the doors at Carrington. It is far from his first trespass and he has given Erik ten Hag yet another disciplinary problem to resolve, just two weeks after finally seeing the back of Jadon Sancho.
Ten Hag is not the only person Rashford is disrespecting with his juvenile behaviour. He is shirking the responsibility that comes with being a senior member of United's squad as well as the club's highest paid player. He is also letting down the fans. But most of all, he is letting himself down…
Getty No room to mess around now
Rashford's trip to Belfast is not the first time he has made negative headlines for his lack of discipline. He turned up late for a team meeting before the visit to Wolves last season and was dropped from the starting line-up by Ten Hag. However, he was in such good form at the time that the Dutchman could not make a real example of him and, with the score 0-0 at half-time, he turned to Rashford, who went on to win the game.
All was forgiven and Ten Hag lovingly embraced him after the game, when Rashford opened up on the reason for his punishment: oversleeping. This was the season that Rashford scored 30 goals in all competitions and for a three-month period he was one of the hottest forwards in the world. The odd indiscretion could therefore be brushed aside.
But this season his form has fallen off a cliff. He has just four goals and has slipped out of the starting line-up due to his consistently bad performances, losing his place on the left of the attack to the effervescent Alejandro Garnacho.
He has been one of the main culprits in United's miserable season and the fact they are eighth in the Premier League and finished bottom of their Champions League group. In other words, he does not have the wiggle room he had last year and he cannot afford to mess about.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesClubbing after derby defeat
And yet he keeps messing around. After the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in October he went out to a nightclub to celebrate his birthday. There was no suggestion of misbehaviour or over-indulgence and he was with his family. But it sent out the wrong message. A humiliating thrashing to your local rivals is no cause to celebrate and certainly not in public. A player that has grown up in Manchester and spent his life with United should have known better.
When Real Madrid were hammered 4-0 by Atletico Madrid in 2015, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos opted against going to Cristiano Ronaldo's birthday party later that night. When word got out that Madrid's players had partied after such a heavy loss, the Spanish media had a field day and the fallout led to their results nosediving, with them ending the season empty-handed while Barcelona won the treble.
Ten Hag made it clear how he felt about Rashford's indiscretion after the derby, labelling his actions "unacceptable". That should have sent out a warning to Rashford. But just three months later he has done it again. And his latest infraction is far worse as it led to him missing training.
Getty ImagesStruggling for consistency
What is most frustrating about Rashford's behaviour is that it indicates a lack of hunger to keep proving his quality. Since breaking into United's first team in 2016 at the age of 18 he has looked like he had the makings of a top class player without ever being truly world class.
Until last season he had only once passed the 20-goal per season barrier. He has been a good player for England without ever being a nailed-on starter for Gareth Southgate. And just two seasons ago there were serious doubts about where his career was going.
He had been reeling from the effects of having back surgery and looked shorn of confidence as well as unhappy. Everything changed in the summer of 2022, when, before pre-season began, he went on an intense training camp at Nike's headquarters in Oregon to work on his explosivity.
His hard work paid off and last season he was truly incredible, scoring 30 goals and adding 11 assists, firing United to their first trophy in six years and back into the Champions League. He used his form as a negotiating tool when discussing a new contract with United and eventually sealed a bumper deal that made him the club's highest-paid player, earning an estimated £375,000 ($476,000) per week . His off-the-pitch charity work and the courage he showed to take on the Conservative government over school meals made him an excellent ambassador for United, the type of asset they were desperate to keep.
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GettyShow some responsibility
Some suggested at the time that his upsurge in form was a classic case of a footballer playing for a new contract and that his resurgence would not last. For whatever reason, he has gone backwards since signing the contract.
Rashford, of course, is not playing badly on purpose and he has appeared very frustrated with his drop in form, often looking angry and dejected on the pitch. But only he can turn things around and going out clubbing is not the way to do it.
On one level his night out was refreshing. A footballer letting his hair down and spending time with one of his old friends. The choice of venue in Belfast, hardly a clubbing mecca, was also intriguing. Thompson's Garage is regarded as a rough-and-ready night out, not the type of exclusive venue where elite footballers are normally seen.
But if Rashford wants to keep moving forward as a footballer and make his performances of last season a trend rather than an anomaly, he needs to grow up and show some responsibility.
Tottenham Hotspur could be set to act fast to solve their outstanding crisis, wholeheartedly backing Ange Postecoglou as he seeks to navigate the trials and tribulations that come with his job…
Who else are Tottenham Hotspur signing?
Thursday night will be a date long remembered in the history of this club, as the day which the news broke detailing Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich.
What stands as a microcosm for years of mediocrity in north London, of which even his legendary goalscoring exploits could not pull them out, they will now be left with a hefty lump sum and a squad still needing a revamp if they are to attain instant success under the new leadership.
Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…
One huge step they could take towards reaching that goal is through the signing of Montpellier's Elye Wahi, who French publication Foot Mercato suggest remains a target for Spurs.
In fact, they are said to be very keen on the young marksman, and could 'quickly concretely move' once the departure of the England captain is confirmed. His club are expected to command a €30m (£26m) fee for his services.
How good is Elye Wahi?
It marks a near-impossible task to replace Kane.
The 30-year-old has written himself in numerous history books across his 19 years in north London, and will leave just 48 goals away from breaking the Premier League all-time scoring record, having surpassed Jimmy Greaves to become the Lilywhites' top scorer back in February.
Even scoring 30 league goals last season marked an outstanding achievement given how it turned into one of the worst campaigns in the club's recent history.
So, seeking to replace him with just one man might seem foolish, should they not do their due diligence on their next starting striker.
He not only needs to align with Postecoglou's high-octane philosophy but also boast a similar cutting-edge that makes him lethal enough to spearhead the new-look attack. After all, they will be losing out on a whole load of goals, some of which have to be offset by his replacement.
harry-kane-spurs
Wahi may be young, but his trajectory suggests that he could soon emulate Kane, with some figures even suggesting he boasts even greater finishing prowess.
After all, the Frenchman did notch 19 goals and assist a further six in Ligue 1 last term, building on his ten-goal haul from the year prior.
This steady progression fed into his recent immaculate 30% conversion rate in front of goal, as the finisher posted his 19 strikes from an expected goals tally of just 12.22, via Sofascore.
For comparison, their departing star could only muster a 23% conversion rate, yet his 30 league goals came from 21.46 expected goals, via Sofascore.
Whilst the latter is clearly more likely to find the net from range, blasting in low-value chances on occasion, it could be argued that Wahi would mark a more reliable marksman to have, who would offer a consistent stream of finishes should the opportunities arise.
Given he also boasts the physical assets to thrive in England too, all signs point towards him being an instant success should he make the switch. Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo had suggested: "He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."
With his unrelenting athleticism and lethal nature, against all the odds Postecoglou could be set to secure a new forward who is arguably just as clinical as Kane.
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has a "very good chance to stay" this summer as the club are yet to receive the amount that they want for him, according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal this summer?
It's been an outstanding transfer window for the red side of North London so far this summer as the club look to go one better than runners-up next season.
So far, the club have spent £65m on signing German international Kai Havertz from cross-city rivals Chelsea, £34m to secure the signature of Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax and a whopping £105m to finally lure Declan Rice from West Ham United – a new record for a British player.
In total, Mikel Arteta's side have spent around £204m on signings this summer. With the spending set to continue, current players are going to have to make way, with Ghanian international Partey looking, at one point, as if his time at the Emirates had come to an end.
At the end of June, it was reported by CBS Sports that the 30-year-old had garnered interest from three clubs in the Saudi Pro League, a report backed up by the Express' Ryan Taylor just two days later.
Despite all this interest from the Middle East, if Partey were to leave this summer, he has always favoured a move that keeps him in European football, with Juventus being his primary destination of choice, per CBS Sports.
That said, the Old Lady are reluctant to stump up the fee that Arsenal would want for their star player, and with that being the case, the club are more than happy to keep the 6-foot-1 titan for another season, per Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:
"They were open to letting him go, but only in case of a big proposal. At the moment, they have been approached by Saudi clubs but not reaching the €40m-€45m (£34m-£38m) they wanted for Thomas Partey and also Juventus three weeks ago asked for Thomas, but they don't want to pay that money."
"At the moment, the feeling internally at the club is that Thomas Partey has very good chances to stay at Arsenal and to continue at Arsenal because no one is putting on the table €40m to €45m.
"So very good chances for Thomas to stay and it means Arsenal have gone quiet on Romeo Lavia."
Who else has Arsenal been linked to this summer?
While the club have been focusing on big-money signings so far, Edu and Co look like they'll pull off their annual foray into the Brazilian league once again this year to sign the highly rated Gremio midfielder Bitello.
According to Italian publication TuttoMercato Web (via the Sun), the Gunners are set to complete the signing of the 23-year-old later this week for a fee of around £6.8m.
The 23-year-old has had a decent season so far this year, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 36 matches for the Rei de Copas.
Another attacking player that has been touted for a move to Islington is Ajax's Mohammed Kudus, a versatile player who has filled in at striker, right-wing, attacking midfield and central midfield over recent seasons, and would add some extra bite to Arteta's midfield.
However, Edu should get a move on if he wants to land the Ghanaian international as reports suggest that Chelsea are also interested in Kudus and are currently slightly ahead in the race to sign him.
It looks like it's set to be another exhilarating year for Arsenal fans next season, and with Partey staying and the team getting stronger, they might just go one better than they did last year.
Erik ten Hag doesn't want other players to be discouraged by Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho's Manchester United experience.
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Ten Hag says it's easier to play for other clubs
Talks about Van De Beek's struggles at club
Dutch midfielder now on loan at Frankfurt
WHAT HAPPENED?
As United prepare for their FA Cup match against Wigan on Monday – which happens to be their only realistic chance of winning a trophy this season – Ten Hag was asked if Van de Beek's troubles and Sancho's inability to perform would deter players from joining the Red Devils. The former Ajax manager admitted that playing for United is harder than playing for any other club, as the pair of Sancho and Van de Beek would attest.
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WHAT TEN HAG SAID
"That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities," Ten Hag said [via BBC]. "But I can tell you one thing – the Premier League is tough. Man United, that is tough to play there because it's more easy to play in almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is that high always.
"You have to deal with that. But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends on player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Van de Beek joined the Premier League giants in 2020 after a scintillating season for Ajax as they won both domestic titles and made it to the Champions League semi-finals. However, life after the move did not turn out to be as fruitful as he had hoped. The Dutch midfielder has now moved on loan to German side Eintracht Frankfurt as he looks to resurrect his career.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
With the new year already underway, Ten Hag will be looking to leave their terrible year behind and begin afresh, starting with a trip to Wigan Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday.
Mushfiqur Rahim has said it will be hard to pick favourites ahead of the first Test in Mirpur, which begins on Sunday, with Bangladesh’s home advantage evened out by Australia’s recent positive results in the subcontinent.Mirpur will be Bangladesh’s first Test against Australia in 11 years, with no player in either squad having faced the other team. Australia have improved in subcontinental conditions since losing 3-0 to Sri Lanka last year, and competed tooth-and-nail in their last Test series in India, winning the first Test before eventually losing the four-Test series 2-1. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have taken steps in the right direction in the last two years, winning a home Test against England and then beating Sri Lanka in Colombo.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh now had players capable of rescuing them from adverse situations, and that they wanted to prove this against Australia as well.”It is hard to say who’s favourites,” Mushfiqur said. “We have more experience of these conditions than them, but they may also know how to play here. They won the first Test against India earlier this year. I think the two teams have 50-50 chance in this Test match. We have a relatively inexperienced bowling line-up than theirs. I think they have some experienced batsmen and bowlers.”We have the belief that we have the players to turn around from a difficult situation. We have to start well since we are playing a Test after a gap, especially at home. It won’t be easy playing against Australia who are a very professional side. We rarely get to play against such a top-quality side, so we want to make good use of this opportunity.”The weather, however, may have a big say in the Test match, particularly the rain that has been relentless in Bangladesh in the last two months. Mushfiqur said that the adverse weather might have made it difficult for the Mirpur curator to properly prepare the ground and pitches.”It is hard to predict what will happen in the Mirpur pitch,” he said. “The weather condition is quite different in this time of the year. But it is the same for both teams but we will have a better idea of what it will be like. How we apply ourselves will be more important.”We can talk about the wicket at the end of the Test match. It was tough to prepare the wicket because of all the rain. The first innings will be crucial, whether we are batting or bowling.”Mushfiqur said Australia would know exactly what to expect at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, although he added that having their warm-up match washed out may have hampered their preparation.”They would have got a better idea had they played the practice match. It is hard to understand how the centre wicket is going to behave by just doing nets. But the weather had the last word. They are a professional side so they know how to get the best out of training sessions.”
Chelsea may be 'stuck' with out-of-favour midfielder Hakim Ziyech this summer even though they are keen to ship him out of Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Paul Brown.
What's the latest transfer news involving Hakim Ziyech?
As recounted by talkSPORT, Ziyech was set to move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr before his move collapsed owing to a knee injury found while he was doing his medical at the club.
In turn, Chelsea have now missed out on the chance to inherit a transfer fee of £8 million, while Ziyech himself would've earned £9 million from the switch to the Middle East.
For the second time in a year, the £100k-a-week ace has now missed out on a transfer away from Stamford Bridge at the last second, as he was set to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January before a technical issue with paperwork scuppered the deal, as per Sky Sports.
Ziyech has taken a swipe at Al Nassr on social media in the aftermath of his failed medical, posting a story on Instagram with the caption "Knee problems, right?" accompanied by two laughing face emojis, as per The Daily Mail.
Chelsea bought Ziyech from Ajax back in 2020 for an initial fee of £33.6 million, rising to £36.6 million in add-ons, though he has endured a tough spell in SW6, as per BBC Sport.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown believes that Chelsea could be met with the awkward scenario of Ziyech potentially being stuck at Stamford Bridge in light of his knee issue being uncovered during a medical examination.
Brown told FFC: "Most of the interest that's come in for Ziyech over the last year or so has been to take him on loan and I think a lot of clubs who may have been interested before would be wary at this news that has come up in his medical, so it's really not good news for Chelsea who want him out and not great news for Ziyech either. He might be stuck at the club; we'll see."
Does Hakim Ziyech have a future at Chelsea?
Ziyech has struggled to make a major impact at Stamford Bridge since joining Chelsea back in 2020 and an exit from his current employers would be a wise move to get his career back on track if possible.
In his time in west London, Ziyech has amassed 107 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, registering 14 goals and 13 assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Hakim Ziyech Chelsea
More unfortunate news could be set to come the way of Ziyech, with Chelsea believed to be in the market for an attack-minded midfield option this summer, which could push him further down the pecking order in SW6.
Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga is of interest to Chelsea and has been identified as a potential replacement for Mason Mount following his move to Manchester United, as per The Guardian.
Corriere dello Sport via METRO claim that Roma's Paulo Dybala is also on the Blues' radar and he could be available for a cut-price fee of around £10 million if his release clause is activated.
There looks to be no way back for Ziyech at Chelsea; however, potential suitors for the Dronten-born ace may now dry up due to his knee issue.