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Chelsea are battling Manchester United for the signing of in-form Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer, a new transfer report has claimed.

The Lowdown: Osimhen linked with Chelsea move

The 24-year-old is having a season to treasure for the Serie A giants, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and terrifying defences with his combination of unstoppable power and composure in front of goal.

Chelsea have been linked with completing the signing of Osimhen recently, as Graham Potter and Todd Boehly look to make significant transfer inroads once again when the summer window arrives.

The Nigerian’s head could be turned by a move to the Premier League given that he has just two years left on his deal in Naples, and it doesn’t look as though the Blues’ interest is going away.

The Latest: New update emerges

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Chelsea are ‘ready to invest’ in Osimhen this summer, although he could cost as much as €120million (£107m).

United are also name-checked in the report, while fellow European powerhouses Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are seen as clubs who could afford him, too.

The Verdict: Perfect Aubameyang replacement?

A new centre-forward is definitely needed at Chelsea in the summer, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proving to be a huge disappointment, scoring just three times in 17 appearances.

Osimhen could be the perfect signing, in that respect, considering he is almost ten years younger than the Blues striker and has netted 16 goals in as many Serie A starts this season.

He could spearhead a hugely exciting attack that also features the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and potentially Joao Felix, having been hailed as ‘wonderful’ by Jose Mourinho, who also said the player is ‘of the same level as (Didier) Drogba’.

Chelsea certainly don’t seem to be shy of spending big and offering long contracts at the moment, so coughing up massive money for Osimhen would be no great shock.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been praised for his ‘superb’ save during the Premier League game vs Everton by journalist Josh Bunting.

The Lowdown: Defeat on the road

The Gunners were the visitors at Goodison Park where they suffered an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sean Dyche’s side, with the new boss securing victory on his first game in charge.

Despite failing to pick up any points on the road, one of the most positively notable moments was when the Reds shot-stopper made a wonderful save to prevent a deflected effort from Gueye entering the net, even though the flag was raised anyway.

The Latest: Bunting’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Bunting couldn’t rate Ramsdale’s reflexes highly enough, especially considering that he was unaware of the linesman’s signal. He wrote:

“Wouldn’t have counted but that is a superb save from Aaron Ramsdale, he wasn’t to know it wouldn’t have counted and the way he adjusts his body to make the save is outstanding. The reactions, the way he moves his body is stunning goalkeeping.”

The Verdict: No need to panic

Arsenal definitely had an underwhelming day at the office, but Ramsdale was able to continue his impressive form between the sticks which was proven in that one moment of magic.

The England international has kept 10 clean sheets in 21 games across all competitions this season and has played a significant role in the Gunners’ success so far.

Regardless of today’s result, Arteta’s men still find themselves five points clear at the top of the table, so as long as their form can be regained moving forward, there’s no need to panic.

Manchester United are ‘keeping an eye’ on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans’ current situation, journalist Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Tielemans off this summer?

The Belgian has been an excellent servant for the Foxes, scoring what was a legendary winning goal for the club in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Tielemans has been one of Leicester’s most influential players over a sustained period of time, registering 53 goal contributions (28 goals and 25 assists) in 183 appearances, not to mention being called ‘fantastic’ by none other than Emile Heskey.

The 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, however, at which point he will surely move on to pastures new, given there appear to be no concrete reports of talks for a new deal.

The Latest: Man Utd tracking midfielder

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano was asked about Tielemans’ situation, saying they are ‘keeping an eye’ on things and Erik ten Hag could be ‘attracted’ to the player:

“They’re keeping an eye on the market. I think it is normal if there is something interesting that could attract the manager.”

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The Verdict: Where would he fit in?

United have been linked with a move for Tielemans and he is certainly someone who could enjoy his football under Ten Hag, possessing the requisite skills to be a success at Old Trafford.

The 58-cap Belgium international is an all-round midfielder who can provide quality on the ball and hard work off it, having averaged 1.2 key passes and 2.2 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

Fitting Tielemans into United’s team would arguably be the toughest job for Ten Hag, however, with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes a formidable current trio.

At 25, the £35,000-a-week Leicester man could come in as a long-term replacement for Eriksen, though, who is five years older than him and not a long-term prospect anymore.

Arsenal are confident of securing the signing of top target Mykhailo Mudryk, according to David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Mudryk chase

It’s no secret that Arsenal’s top target in the January window is the 21-year-old Mudryk.

The Gunners have already had two bids rejected by Shakhtar Donetsk with The Daily Mail reporting that Arsenal’s second bid of £62m is set to be rebuffed following their opening offer of around £52m suffering the same response.

It’s believed the Ukrainian side are holding out for £88m which the Premier League leaders aren’t willing to match.

The Latest: Arsenal’s optimism

Despite the enormous asking price seemingly out of range for the Gunners in the January window, Ornstein revealed there’s still a positive feeling around the club over the deal.

Speaking to NBC Sports before the Chelsea vs Manchester City clash on Thursday night, Ornstein said:

(3:00) “They have had two bids rejected but their interest remains strong, I think they are staying calm and they’ll continue the conversations with Shakhtar.

“There is optimism at the Emirates Stadium that with patience they will get this done given that the player has very clearly indicated that he would like to join them.”

The Verdict: Down to the deadline?

Arsenal’s attempts for Mudryk could become a long and drawn-out pursuit with Sky Sports reporting that Chelsea are considering joining the race leaving Shakhtar potentially able to play auctioneer to the two London clubs.

Shakhtar would likely want to sell their star this month due to the ongoing issues in the region meaning the finances would seemingly be greatly appreciated.

But with Shakhtar currently five points behind league leaders Dnipro and knowing Arsenal’s strong position in the Premier League, means they will attempt to get a fee as close to their valuation as possible.

The 21-year-old has also made his admiration for Mikel Arteta’s side known meaning the Gunners still remain firmly in the driving seat but a deal will likely run very close to the deadline unless Arsenal cough up soon.

West Ham United are in a ‘pretty good position’ to land Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz despite a ‘ridiculous’ amount of interest, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Moyes’ Brereton Diaz interest

David Moyes has been interested in Brereton Diaz for a while, eyeing him for a potential move back in the summer, although this didn’t transpire, with the Hammers instead opting for Gianluca Scamacca to strengthen their frontline in a £35.5m switch.

Despite Scamacca’s arrival, West Ham have still continued to monitor the Chilean, with 90min detailing that he has been the subject of scouting missions this season, amid interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs.

The Latest: Jones shares the latest

According to transfer insider Jones, the forward still remains a player of interest to a plethora of different clubs, but the Irons are in a good position for his signature.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones said:

“I think West Ham are still in a pretty good position on this one for whenever the time comes to move, but he’s been prepped by a lot of teams this season, like a ridiculous number of teams.”

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The Verdict: Make it happen

While it is perhaps harsh to judge Scamacca at this stage, with less than half of the Premier League season gone, it cannot be denied that he is struggling for goals, scoring on just two occasions in 13 league outings this season.

As such, a different option in attack would be very useful for Moyes, and Brereton Diaz has proven himself as worthy of a move to the top flight with his performances for Blackburn over the past couple of seasons, netting 22 in 37 Championship games last term.

Sports writer Scott Wilson has lauded the 23-year-old as being ‘superb’, and after a slow start to his career with Nottingham Forest, he has really started to flourish in recent times, now with 50 professional career goals to his name at club level and showing no signs of slowing down.

With the Chile international’s contract due to expire at the end of the season, Moyes has a fantastic opportunity to either sign a quality player on cheaper terms in January or for nothing when his current deal comes to an end.

Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to the summit of the Premier League table while also securing Europa League progression in what has been an excellent first half of the season for the North London side.

The World Cup break means the league season won’t resume until Boxing Day and this can give the Spaniard time to assess what areas of his side he needs to strengthen during the January transfer window.

One thing is for certain, the defence won’t need to be bolstered, with the club conceding just 11 league goals all season, joint lowest with Newcastle United and this will play a big part in whether they end the season as champions.

Ben White has often been used as a right back this season due to injuries, however, it may be at the heart of defence alongside William Saliba where the Frenchman really excels in the future.

Pete O’Rourke gave his thoughts to Football FanCast, discussing the long-term plan that Arteta will put in place:

“So, I think long-term plans still will be for Ben White to play centre half and I’m sure an exciting partnership with him and William Saliba, who are both young and full of potential and they could be a great partnership in the making for years to come.”

The £120k-per-week defender has impressed when deployed at right back this season, starting every one of Arsenal’s league matches while averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.04/10 in the process.

The 25-year-old ranks third in the squad for clearances per match (1.8), second for tackles per match (2.0) and fifth for pass success rate (86%), proving he is an integral part of the starting XI.

His main strength is in the heart of the defence, however, and going forward, he should replace Gabriel Magalhaes and form the partnership alongside Saliba.

The Brazilian has been excellent, receiving a rating of 7.14/10 via SofaScore for his performances this season, however, White’s versatility could potentially make him a more viable long-term partner for the Frenchman and this could become Arteta’s defensive duo for the next few years, especially according to O’Rourke.

Aston Villa skipper John McGinn is likely to retain the captaincy after his improved form this season, according to ex-Villans striker Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: McGinn under Emery

The Scot had a tough start to the Premier League season after being given the captaincy in place of Tyrone Mings, struggling to enjoy his usual influence.

McGinn was on the bench in Unai Emery’s first game in charge, however, he returned to the starting line up against Brighton prior to the international break.

There had been doubts over the midfielder’s role as captain and even future but he appears to have silenced his doubters after helping Villa to a 2-1 win at the Amex.

The Latest: Scot backed to remain as captain

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, who contributes for talkSPORT, talked glowingly about McGinn as a player, also saying he should remain as skipper:

“For me, McGinn looked like a man possessed. He was everywhere and looked like the old McGinn that we are used to. He was aggressive and made the run for the penalty.

“He deserves a lot of plaudits because he’s had it hard recently. He’s a player that I like.

“It was a captain’s performance for him. As much as people are saying that the captaincy should go back to Mings or to Martinez, Unai Emery will probably think from that game ‘That was a captain’s performance. I’m in no rush to decide, let’s just see how the players go’.

“The break will do a lot of players favours. It will be nice for them to get a holiday, a bit of sun and back for a little pre-season.”

The Verdict: Correct decision

Emery may have been impressed by what he saw from McGinn prior to the World Cup break and it would be a surprise if he suddenly stripped him of the captaincy.

To make such a decision so soon after he took on the mantle from Mings would feel needless, potentially affecting the player’s confidence when he is still new to the role.

McGinn’s more recent form suggests that he may have turned a corner and there is no reason why cannot be a strong captain for Villa for a number of years to come.

Leeds United U21s bowed out of the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday evening, with the youngsters’ 0-0 draw with Crewe Alexandra – and subsequent penalty shoot-out loss – seeing the Whites finish third in Northern Group B.

However, considering just how dominant Michael Skubala’s side were at The Mornflake Stadium, Leeds will feel as if they missed a huge opportunity to seal progression in the competition.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes, the U21s boasted an enormous 75% possession of the ball, took 16 shots to Crewe’s two – with the Whites hitting the target six times, while the League Two side failed to test Harry Christy once – and completed 469 passes to the home side’s 96.

Despite this, it would be Crewe who went on to claim the bonus point in the penalty shoot-out, with the home side running out 2-1 winners after Leeds missed four of their spot kicks.

However, while the result will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow, there were nevertheless a couple of impressive individual performances on display last night, with Darko Gyabi once again catching the eye in the middle of the park.

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £5m summer signing enjoyed 83 touches of the ball, completed 54 passes, found his man with seven of his 12 attempted long balls and made one key pass.

The 18-year-old also took three shots at the Crewe goal – one of which was a 25-yard drive that Dave Richards brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar – completed both of his two attempted dribbles, won five of his eight duels – a success rate of 67.5% – and made one tackle.

These returns saw the England U19 international earn an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.0, while Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue also awarded the midfielder a seven in his own player ratings, as well as stating of Gyabi: “One of the better youngsters tonight, controlled aggression and good at picking passes through bodies.”

As such, despite the disappointment of the defeat on Tuesday night, the player who Neil Harris dubbed an “exceptional” talent was undoubtedly one of the brighter sparks, with the playmaker very much looking to have staked a place in Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad with his performance against Crewe.

Leeds United have been dealt a fitness setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with Leicester City this evening.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Jesse Marsch revealed that, despite Adam Forshaw “feeling really good” in his recovery from an ankle injury, the central midfielder will not be fit for the trip to the King Power tonight.

Speaking about the current condition of the 31-year-old, the American manager said: “Adam’s coming back from injury but feeling really good.”

Additionally, injury analyst Ben Dinnery claimed in a post on Twitter that, despite the 48-year-old coach previously suggesting that Forshaw could be in line for a return to action this weekend, the Liverpool-born talent is still a couple of weeks away from featuring once more for the Whites.

In his post, Dinnery said: “Adam Forshaw is ‘feeling good’ although he is still a few weeks away.”

Bad news for Marsch

With central midfield not exactly being a position in which Leeds possess fantastic depth, coupled with how impressive Forshaw was in the heart of the Whites side last season, the fact that the 31-year-old looks as if he will remain sidelined for the foreseeable is undoubtedly bad news for Marsch and his side.

Indeed, at present, the 48-year-old has the options of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Mateusz Klich in the middle of the park – meaning that Leeds are just one injury or suspension away from being completely down to their bare bones in central midfield.

And, while it is true that a series of lengthy injury layoffs have seen his game time somewhat limited at Elland Road, the midfielder has nevertheless proven that, when fully fit and firing, he is an incredibly important part of the Whites’ squad.

Indeed, over his 22 Premier League appearances last season, the £2.6m-rated talent made an average of 2.4 tackles – the sixth-most in the Leeds side – 0.9 interceptions, 0.5 clearances and won 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

The £20k-per-week engine also impressed going forwards, providing his teammates with one assist, in addition to completing an average of 31.4 passes – at an 84% success rate – finding his man with 2.4 long balls and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the 31-year-old – who Jonathan Woodgate dubbed “the best player on the pitch” in a 4-2 defeat against Manchester United earlier this year – average a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.73, ranking him as Marsch’s 13th-best performer in the top flight of English football in 2021/22.

As such, it is clear to see that Forshaw’s continued absence for the trip to Leicester will come as a blow to Leeds, as not only does the midfielder provide fantastic cover for the likes of Adams and Roca in the middle of the park, he can also make a real impact for the Whites when called upon.

Manchester United have not been renowned for their astute transfer dealings over the last decade or so, having suffered multiple expensive mistakes and missed a number of golden opportunities with regards to incomings.

One such case of what might have been is that of current England star, Raheem Sterling, with the dynamic forward having reportedly been a target for the Red Devils during his time in the youth set-up at Queens Park Rangers.

As the story goes, the Old Trafford outfit had their eye on the then-teenager back in 2010, with academy director Brian McClair having been sent to watch the diminutive gem in action in a U18 game for the Rs.

Despite that interest, however, United were edged out by bitter rivals Liverpool in the race for the youngster’s signature, with the Reds said to have secured a deal for a fee of just £450k – rising to £2m – after having previously cost the Loftus Road outfit just £50 – a fee which went to the scout who spotted him.

Sir Alex Ferguson and co were left to rue that missed opportunity as the Kingston-born starlet quickly went on to establish himself in the senior set-up at Anfield, providing 48 goal contributions in just 129 games during his stint on Merseyside.

Such form subsequently saw the 77-cap menace make a controversial £49m switch to Manchester City in the summer of 2015, albeit with United said to have made an enquiry regarding a shock move prior to that for a player who has since admitted he had been a boyhood fan of the club.

The 5 foot 7 “fighter” – as dubbed by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate – would go on to sparkle under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, winning a plethora of major honours and registering 227 goal involvements in 339 games over the next seven years.

Having had to witness the 27-year-old star for their Manchester rivals – while also becoming a crucial asset at international level – the Red Devils have only recently seen Sterling make the switch to yet another Premier League rival in Chelsea, joining for a reported fee of around £47.5m.

That figure represents something of a bargain when considering that the £325k-per-week man is said to be worth around £105m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with that valuation a marker of just how far he has come since that initial £450k switch to Liverpool over a decade ago.

Now “one of the best in the world” – according to Blues teammate and international colleague, Mason Mount – Sterling will likely continue to make those at the Theatre of Dreams pay for their inaction all those years ago.