Chelsea star Noni Madueke has hailed Cole Palmer and claims that the "sky is the limit" for his England team-mate.
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Chelsea are now apparently ready to sell a player, who was key for Mauricio Pochettino over the end of the season, for under £30m.
It's been widely reported that the west Londoners could eventually be facing Premier League charges if they don't raise money through player sales, even if that hasn't stopped them from making new signings already.
Chelsea are now one detail away from sealing "huge" £50m+ signing for Poch
The Blues are close to getting their summer business underway…
By
Tom Cunningham
May 19, 2024
Chelsea appear set to finalise a deal for Palmeiras starlet Estevao to kickstart their summer transfer business, with the highly-rated teenager costing upwards of £50 million including add-ons according to Fabrizio Romano.
This comes after Chelsea agreed personal terms with Estevao over joining, with the Brazilian talent on the verge of sealing a switch to Stamford Bridge – adding to Todd Boehly's ever-growing list of deals for football's most exciting young stars.
|
Chelsea's most expensive and high-profile signings of Boehly era |
Price (via GiveMeSport) |
|---|---|
|
Moises Caicedo |
£115 million |
|
Enzo Fernandez |
£106.8 million |
|
Mykhailo Mudryk |
£89.1 million |
|
Wesley Fofana |
£70 million |
|
Marc Cucurella |
£60 million |
However, to comply with PSR and avoid serious trouble, Chelsea have been tipped to sell a host of stars to balance the books. Conor Gallagher could even be sold by Chelsea, as his transfer would count as pure profit in the eyes of FFP.
The 24-year-old's deal also expires next year, meaning Boehly and co may much rather do business over him this summer than lose Gallagher for nothing in just over 12 months time.
"Decisions, particularly on some of their homegrown players and their academy players, will have to be made before June 30th," said Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth on player sales earlier this year.
"So keep an eye on the likes of Conor Gallagher, keep an eye on the likes of Trevoh Chalobah as well, because selling those players would represent pure profit for Chelsea, which is probably what they need going into the next financial year from July 1st onwards."
That's not even counting the plethora of senior players out on loan, but an update has now come to light on how Chelsea will proceed with Chalobah.
The versatile defender played in 14 of Chelsea's final 15 league games of the season after returning from injury, starting 10 of them and becoming a mainstay for Pochettino on their run to a Conference League qualifying place.
Pochettino, according to The Telegraph, rates Chalobah as one of Chelsea's best defenders. The outlet, though, also claims Chelsea are ready to sell Chalobah for around £25 million regardless – with their price tag from last summer not changing. The 24-year-old could come as a bargain for interested clubs given both Chalobah's versatility and fine end to the campaign.
“He’s a delight to train with every day because he comes in with an enthusiasm," said former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
"Low maintenance, and when you talk about the things you want, he tries to do them on the pitch, which is a great thing."
After missing out on European football following Manchester United's FA Cup win, Newcastle United will reportedly need to raise funds this summer to avoid any issues regarding Financial Fair Play.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies thought they had sealed a place in the Europa Conference League with United left with the daunting task of defeating rivals Manchester City at Wembley, but the Red Devils soon caused an upset to spoil Newcastle's party and qualify for the Europa League themselves. Without European football, the task of keeping hold of Bruno Guimaraes and others just became that much harder.
Newcastle will be keen to keep hold of their star midfielder, but with the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested this summer, they could face an uphill battle if they submit the right offer. And he may not be the only one heading for the exit door, either, after the Magpies already confirmed the exits of Loris Karius, Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie, Jeff Hendrick and Kell Watts upon the expiry of their contracts.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle are also ready to listen to offers for Matt Targett this summer following the left-back's injury concerns and failure to regain his place in Eddie Howe's starting side. His exit would also clear plenty of space in Newcastle's wage bill, given that he reportedly earns a hefty £100k-a-week.
Cesc Fàbregas could now sign "great" Newcastle outcast in free transfer
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ByTom Cunningham May 29, 2024
Despite losing his starting place, Targett always had the backing of Howe, who shut down any January exit rumours, saying via The Scottish Sun back in the winter window: "No, incorrect, you're way off. Matt is injured and has still got some way to go in his injury. He's also a big part of what we're doing here."
Things have now seemingly taken a U-turn, however, and the right offer will see the left-back leave the club in the coming months.
Newcastle can upgrade on "outstanding" Targett
If Newcastle are to consistently qualify for European football – be that the Europa Conference League, Europa League or Champions League, then upgrading on the likes of Targett should be seen as the key. As much as Howe did previously label the left-back as "outstanding", question marks still remain over his ability to stay fit and then perform at the highest level.
With Lloyd Kelly arriving too, there will arguably no longer be a need for the cover that Targett provides for Dan Burn. Instead, Kelly can use his versatility to step into both the centre-back role and cover down the left-hand side, while Lewis Hall is trying to break his way into the first XI as well.
With that said, it remains to be seen whether the current Newcastle man will have potential suitors in the coming months willing to offer Newcastle whatever they deem to be the right price. Targett is certainly Premier League quality, but seemingly not in line to stay put at St James' Park ahead of next season.
On Sunday afternoon, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur side ended their Premier League campaign with an emphatic win over Sheffield United.
While there have certainly been some speed bumps along the way, the Australian's first season in England has largely been positive.
However, the last 11 games of the season saw the club lose six, conceding 22 goals and scoring just 15 in the process, suggesting that, alongside the defence, the attack needs revamping heading into the summer, and based on recent reports, the latest player touted for a move to N17 could be the perfect option to replace Son Heung-min up top.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from a Spanish publication, Tottenham are now interested in RB Leipzig's talented striker Benjamin Šeško ahead of the summer window and could even snatch him from under the noses of fierce rivals Arsenal.
Moreover, the report has also named Chelsea as an interested party, meaning all three London clubs could be set to do battle for the 20-year-old's signature.
The report does not mention a price, but Sky Sports Germany journalist Philipp Hinze reported over the weekend that the Bundesliga side have set the forward's release clause at €65m for the summer, which converts to around £56m.
It wouldn't be a cheap deal to get done, but it might be worth it to bring in an out-and-out goalscorer into the team to replace Son upfront, especially if it means denying Arsenal and Chelsea the same opportunity.
How Šeško compares to Son
So, if Postecoglou were to get his hands on Šeško this summer, he would have to play him up top to get the best out of him, as he has only ever started one game in another position.
Therefore, the two men he'd be up against for a spot in the starting lineup would likely be Son and Richarlison, and when it comes to pure goalscoring, he has them both beat.
So far this season, the Slovenian has scored 18 goals for Leipzig, while the South Korean has 17 and the Brazilian 12, so while there is undoubtedly some more competition to be had with the former Bayer Leverkusen ace, the former Everton star is comfortably beaten.
So, how do the pair stack up when comparing their striker-relevant underlying metrics? Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his familiarity with the role, the former Salzburg "machine," as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, comes out comfortably ahead.
For example, he produces a higher non-penalty expected goals figure, scores more non-penalty goals, takes more shots and shots on target, scores from more of his shots and shots on target, and wins considerably more aerial duels, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals
0.49
0.32
Non-Penalty Goals
0.79
0.45
Shots
2.98
2.50
Goals per Shot
0.26
0.18
Shots on Target
1.62
1.15
Goals per Shot on Target
0.49
0.39
Aerial Duels Won
2.14
0.15
Now, while the "prolific" youngster, as dubbed by Kulig, would be an upgrade on the Lilywhites' captain as a striker, that doesn't mean Ange should just drop the talented attacker altogether.
In just 11 starts out wide this season, the Chuncheon-born star scored three goals and provided four assists, averaging a healthy return of a goal involvement every 1.5 games for the North Londoners.
Ultimately, Spurs are still some ways off the top teams in the country, and while Son is an incredible player, signing Šeško to come in as an upgrade at number nine would be a brilliant idea, and it would also rob Arsenal of one of their top targets at the same time.
Spurs hunting "outstanding" £43m goal machine who can supercharge Son
The lethal forward could form a brilliant partnership with the South Korean ace.
ByJack Salveson Holmes May 17, 2024
Chelsea head into their Premier League clash against Aston Villa this evening still shellshocked after their midweek 5-0 defeat by Arsenal.
It was arguably the worst performance of the season by the Blues, and it will have Mauricio Pochettino scratching his head as to where it all went wrong.
Far too many of his starting XI were off the pace during the match, in particular Mykhaylo Mudryk, who failed to offer any meaningful attacking threat during his spell on the pitch.
Mykhaylo Mudryk’s game in numbers vs Arsenal
The Ukrainian was given a start against the north Londoners in order to cause some chaos to their defence, yet it never materialised.
His distribution was terrible, completing just 14 of his 22 attempted passes, while he failed to show much eagerness to get on the ball, taking only 32 touches in his 66 minutes on the field.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Key passes
1
Total duels (won)
4 (1)
Possession lost
13
If that wasn’t bad enough, his impact in the final third was basically non-existent. Mudryk made just one key pass, failed with both his dribble attempts, didn’t take a single shot during the match, and created zero big chances as the Gunners well and truly sent the Stamford Bridge side packing.
The winger was given a match rating of just 4/10 by the Standard, with journalist Nizaar Kinsella writing that Mudryk was ‘predictably poor tactically and needed to be coached through the game by Pochettino’ which certainly suggests he should be dropped to the bench ahead of the tie against Villa.
Mykhaylo Mudryk’s statistics for Chelsea this season
Since joining the Blues in the 2023 January transfer window, the 23-year-old has failed to live up to his inflated transfer fee, scoring just six goals and grabbing four assists across 53 matches in all competitions.
While that is a fairly underwhelming goal involvement tally, remarkably, Mudryk has won only 11 of his 41 Premier League matches he has featured in, which is a success rate of just 26.8% (27%), more evidence as to why Pochettino should ditch him this evening.
Among his teammates, the left-winger currently ranks fifth for goals and assists in the top flight (five), while ranking eighth for total shots per game (1), eighth for big chances created (5), tenth for key passes per game (0.9) and fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.4).
While some of these numbers are decent, overall, he should be doing so much better considering just how much Chelsea paid to sign him.
Villa are on a solid run of form at the moment and will certainly fancy their chances of taking advantage of a side that conceded five goals just a few days ago.
Surely Pochettino will rejig his starting XI for the match, dropping Mudryk to the bench for someone who could offer a much greater threat in the final third – namely the returning Cole Palmer.
If, and it’s a big if, Chelsea secure all three points against Unai Emery’s men, it could give them the confidence to finish the season on a high note.
Chelsea made mistake selling star who's now worth more than Nkunku
He would have been perfect amid the club’s current injury woes…
ByEthan Lamb Apr 26, 2024
يشهد اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 19-11-2024، العديد من المباريات الهامة والمرتقبة على مستوى منافسات تصفيات أمم إفريقيا، وتصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم، ودوري الأمم الأوروبية.
على مستوى تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، تقام عدة مباريات قوية في ختام المرحلة الأخيرة من دور المجموعات، أبرزها مواجهة جمنتخب مصر ضد بوتسوانا، والتي ستقام على أرضية ملعب الدفاع الجوي، وفي المجموعة ذاتها يلتقي منتخب موريتانيا والرأس الأخضر.
ويخوض منتخب الكاميرون مباراة قوية أمام زيمبابوي ويحل منتخب تشاد ضيفًا على كوت ديفوار، ويواجه منتخب جنوب إفريقيا نظيره جنوب السودان.
وفي تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم، تُلعب أيضًا العديد من المباريات المرتقبة، أبرزها السعودية ضد إندونيسيا، ويواجه منتخب فلسطين نظيره كوريا الجنوبية، ويلعب المنتخب العراقي مواجهة قوية أمام شقيقه عمان، ويلتقي منتخب الإمارات مع قطر، ويستضيف الكويت منافسه الأردن.
وفي دوري الأمم الأوروبية، يستعد عشاق الساحرة المستديرة لمشاهدة مباريات من العيار الثقيل، حيث يلتقي منتخب ألمانيا مع المجر، وتستضيف البوسنة والهرسك منتخب هولندا، ويلتقي المنتخب التركي مع مونتينيغرو.
طالع أيضًا | مدرب بوتسوانا: فرصنا في التأهل لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا ما زالت قائمة.. ومصر من منتخبات القمة مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 19-11-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات تصفيات أمم إفريقيا اليوم
كينيا ضد ناميبيا، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “K24 Kenya”.
الكاميرون ضد زيمبابوي، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 1 FR”.
موريتانيا ضد الرأس الأخضر، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 5”.
مصر ضد بوتسوانا، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.
سيراليون ضد زامبيا، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Azam Sports 2 HD”.
كوت ديفوار ضد تشاد، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 2 FR”.
تنزانيا ضد غينيا، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Azam Sports 1 HD”.
الكونغو الديمقراطية ضد إثيوبيا، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية.
الكونغو ضد أوغندا، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Tele Congo”.
غينيا بيساو ضد موزمبيق، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Sport TV1 Portugal”.
مالي ضد اسواتيني، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports Fr 6 HD max”.
جمهورية الكونغو ضد أوغندا، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية.
جنوب إفريقيا ضد جنوب السودان، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SABC 1”.
السنغال ضد بورندي، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 2 FR”. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم اليوم
كوريا الشمالية ضد أوزبكستان، الساعة 2 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 5”.
الصين ضد اليابان، الساعة 2 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.
إندونيسيا ضد السعودية، الساعة 2 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”.
قرجيكستان ضد إيران، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 4”.
فلسطين ضد كوريا الجنوبية، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 3”.
عمان ضد العراق، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.
الإمارات ضد قطر، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”.
البحرين ضد أستراليا، الساعة 8:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 4”.
الكويت ضد الأردن، الساعة 8:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”. مواعيد مباريات دوري الأمم الأوروبية اليوم
ألبانيا ضد أوكرانيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD Xtra 1”.
التشيك ضد جورجيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 9”.
مونتينيغرو ضد تركيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Sport TV4 Portugal”.
ويلز ضد آيسلندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 5”.
البوسنة والهرسك ضد هولندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 6”.
المجر ضد ألمانيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.
السويد ضد أذربيجان، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD Xtra 2”.
سلوفاكيا ضد إستونيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية.
مالطا ضد أندورا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــــا
With Wolverhampton Wanderers enjoying a successful maiden campaign under Gary O'Neil, it is clear that the club are eager to back their manager by giving him some much-needed reinforcements this summer.
Striker top of Wolves' shopping list
Despite being rarely shy to splash the cash on a number nine, it is clear that recent high-profile strikers to arrive at Molineux have failed to hit the ground running.
Wolves now eyeing move to sign "complete" new forward who's outscored Hwang
He’s enjoyed an impressive season.
ByTom Cunningham Mar 22, 2024
Despite spending a club record £35m fee to secure his services, Fabio Silva struggled in the Midlands and was eventually shipped off for a loan spell with Rangers. It was a similar story with the 2019 signing of Patrick Cutrone, with the £25m fee spent on the Italian forward yielding just two Premier League goals.
Wolves have had some success this season with the partnership of Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha yielding a combined 19 goals in the Premier League. However, it is still clear that the side is crying out for an out-and-out number nine.
Update on Wolves' Nketiah pursuit
As first reported by Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Wolves are now set to launch a bid to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah. Sources have told the outlet that Crystal Palace and Brentford are also set to join Wolves in the race to secure the 24-year-old's services, giving the Midlands outfit competition for his signature.
It had previously been reported that Wolves expressed an interest in the striker, though this development sees O'Neil's men set to launch a formal bid in order to get their man. The Gunners have reportedly set a minimum price tag of £40m for Nketiah – something of a steal in the modern transfer market.
Sitting on the fringes of the Gunners' starting XI for most of his senior career, it is reported that Kai Havertz's return to form, as well as Arsenal's pursuit of Ivan Toney, is what has led to Nketiah pushing for a move away from north London.
2023/24
24
10
5
2022/23
30
9
4
2021/22
21
8
5
2020/21
17
4
2
2019/20
13
7
2
2018/19
5
0
1
2017/18
3
0
0
Whilst Nketiah's stats for Arsenal don't make for great reading, it has long been common knowledge that the 24-year-old is a quality striker starved of genuine game time. Nketiah stands as the all-time top scorer for England's under-21 side, breaking a record held by Alan Shearer for decades.
August 2023 saw Nketiah earn his first call-up to the senior side, and Three Lions' manager Gareth Southgate was quick to heap praise on the forward, telling the press:
“With Eddie coming in, it is an area where we want to have a look at him. Young player with a lot of pedigree, really good finisher, and the record goalscorer in the Under-21s.”
Club manager Mikel Arteta has been similarly complimentary of the striker, commending his "remarkable" performances earlier in the season.
Nketiah continued his good form at the start of this season by scoring his first career hat-trick in the Gunners' 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United back in October. A glimpse into the quality possessed by the forward, it is clear that under the stewardship of a manager like O'Neil, Nketiah could finally fulfil his potential as a genuine Premier League star.
Mashrafe Mortaza asks that he be kept off contracts list
Mohammad Isam12-Jan-2020The BCB has raised the match fees of Bangladesh’s centrally contracted players after three years, with the highest jump given to Test fees. In the 2020 calendar year, a player will earn BDT 600,000 (approximately $7,000 approx) per Test, which is a rise of more than 70% from their BDT 350,000 ($4,000 approx) from 2017 and 2019.The rise in Test match fees comes after a poor year in the longest format, when Bangladesh lost all five matches to New Zealand, Afghanistan and India. But the BCB has put emphasis on their performance in Tests in light of the World Test Championship, which has already increased the number of Tests Bangladesh play in the next two years.Match fees for ODIs and T20Is have also increased significantly from the previous three years. For each ODI, a player will get BDT 300,000 ($3,500 approx) compared to the previous BDT 200,000 ($2,300 approx), while the match fees for T20Is have increased from BDT 125,000 ($1,400 approx) to BDT 200,000 ($2,300 approx).BCB president Nazmul Hassan, after the board meeting on Sunday, said that they will also reconsider the number of centrally contracted players. During the players’ strike last year, the cricketers had demanded that the number should be 30. They had also pointed out that their salary or match fee hadn’t increased since 2017.”We will again discuss the number of players on January 15. We want there to be some more new guys who have performed recently,” said Hassan.He also said that Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, had asked the board to not given him a central contract. “Mashrafe Mortaza has asked us not to keep him in the central contract [list]. He will continue playing but he wants someone new to get a place among the contracted players,” Hassan said. “We have accepted it.”
Rangers have been hit with a significant injury blow with the news that a "fantastic" player has suffered a fitness issue on international duty.
Rangers transfer & injury news
The Gers are in the middle of a tense season, sitting one point off the top of the Scottish Premiership table, but having one game in hand on their Old Firm rivals. While so much focus is rightly on the title race as Philippe Clement looks to seal a great achievement in his first season as manager, the Scottish giants also continue to be linked with potential new signings.
One player who could be Rangers' first signing of the summer is Fluminense defender Jefte, with the left-back a target during the January transfer window. A verbal agreement is reportedly in place, meaning a deal could be agreed at the end of the season.
There also seems to be plenty of focus on improving the Gers' attack this summer, with a new striker being eyed up, regardless of what happens to Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva. The pair are both only on loan currently, but their moves could be made permanent depending on Champions League qualification and whether Rangers meet the price tag demands of Brighton and Wolves respectively.
Away from the transfer situation, Rangers also have injury problems to contend with at the moment, which is proving to be a headache that Clement could do without in the title race. Danilo, Kieran Dowell and Sima are among those who are currently missing, and now another big concern has emerged.
Rangers suffer injury blow to "fantastic" ace
According to Turkish outlet Ajansspor [via Sport Witness], Rangers left-back Ridvan Yilmaz has suffered an injury of "great misfortune" on international duty with Turkey during their friendly meeting with Hungary on Friday evening.
It is believed that the 22-year-old hurt his foot, and having attempted to play on, eventually went down again, being replaced in the 27th minute. The severity of the injury isn't yet known, and it remains to be seen if he will be fit for his country's clash with Austria next Tuesday.
This update will be a major worry for Clement and anyone associated with Rangers, considering Yilmaz has featured regularly this season, starting 15 matches in the league and making 22 appearances in the competition in total.
Suddenly not having him available ahead of some crucial fixtures is something that the manager could badly do without, at a time when rotation is going to be needed, not least after last weekend's postponement against Dundee has caused even more of a pile-up for the Gers.
Yilmaz has been hailed as "fantastic" by This Is Ibrox podcast in the past year, and while not necessarily the first name on Clement's teamsheet, there is no question that he will be seen as an important figure between now and the end of the campaign.
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The hope is that his injury isn't a bad one, and that he was substituted as more of a precaution, but there is every reason to fear a layoff after the international break.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and decided to swoop for German head coach Daniel Farke to lead them back to the top-flight.
The former Norwich City boss arrived with a proven track record at Championship level, with two titles to his name, and a reputation for bringing through and developing young players.
He helped the likes of James Maddison, Max Aarons, Todd Cantwell, Andrew Omobamidele, and Ben Godfrey, among others, to flourish during his spell in East Anglia.
His brilliant work with academy talent has already been on show at Elland Road this season with the emergence of 17-year-old Archie Gray, who has been trusted by the manager and made 28 starts in the second tier this term.
However, not every talented young player gets the opportunity to shine in the first-team and some slip through the net, as appears to have been the case with Liam Kitching as they had a howler with the young gem.
Why Liam Kitching left Leeds
The towering central defender started his career with Leeds in the academy system and made the bench for the first-team in the FA Cup during the 2017/18 campaign.
He then spent the following season on loan with Harrogate Town in the National League. The teenage gem made 33 league appearances for the club and this attracted attention from League Two side Forest Green Rovers.
Kitching made a permanent move to the fourth tier side from Elland Road in the summer of 2019 and explained in his first interview with his new club that he wanted to kick on and step up after going out on loan previously, which is why a transfer was agreed.
The 19-year-old titan seemingly did not feel that there was a pathway to being a first-team regular in the near future at Leeds, which forced him to take the long way around to establish himself as a Championship footballer.
Now 24, Kitching is currently starring for Coventry City in the second tier and some may wonder what could have been as the young defender – in another world – could have been Joe Rodon's partner at the heart of the Whites defence.
Liam Kitching's route to Coventry
The left-footed centre-back spent 18 months in League Two with Forest Green Rovers, where he made 53 appearances for the club in all competitions.
His form led to a move to Championship side Barnsley at the start of 2021 but he only played two matches during the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.
He then played 32 league matches for them throughout the following season as they were relegated down to League One, which allowed him to flourish in the third tier.
Kitching started 45 matches in the league during the 2022/23 campaign for Barnsley and caught the eye with his solid defensive work at the back.
The English titan made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game and won 55% of his duels, which shows that he held his own in physical contests, and this contributed towards his team keeping 16 clean sheets in those 45 outings.
Liam Kitching's current market value
His impressive form in League One convinced Coventry, who lost to Luton in the Championship play-off final last season, to snap him up last summer.
The Coventry Telegraph reported that the club agreed a deal worth in excess of £4m including add-ons to sign him from Barnsley to bolster their defence.
They added that Mark Robins' side had an offer of £2.5m – rising to £3m with add-ons – rejected before they were eventually able to secure his services.
Kitching has been a solid addition to their team so far this season with consistently strong performances at the heart of their backline in the Championship.
The now-24-year-old enforcer has made 18 appearances in the second tier this term and showcased his physicality with a duel success rate of 59%, which shows that opposition players have not found it easy to get the better of him.
He has also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game to cut out attacks and win possession back for his side, whilst no natural Leeds centre-back has made more than Rodon's 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match.
As you can see in the chart above, Kitching also ranks highly among his positional peers in the Championship this season when it comes to progressive passes, with 4.26 per 90, which shows that he has been an impressive performer in and out of possession.
The left-footed colossus could have been a perfect partner for Rodon at Leeds, had he made his breakthrough from the academy at Elland Road, to complement the right-footed machine.
Joe Rodon's dominance this season
The Wales international was signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last summer and has been an outstanding performer in defence for Farke so far.
Rodon, who dominated Swansea in the club's 4-0 win on Tuesday night, has been in fantastic form with his quality as a dominant defender and a progressive passer at centre-back.
Appearances
29
Sofascore rating
7.21
Pass accuracy
91%
Ground duel success rate
68%
Aerial duel success rate
67%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old Leeds star has got the better of opposition attackers on the floor and in the air the majority of the time throughout the campaign.
This suggests that the Welsh ace has been a reliable defensive presence for Farke due to his physical prowess and positioning to win battles against forwards.
He also ranks within the top 26% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes (4.09) per 90, which shows that Rodon looks to play the ball forward to build attacks for his team at an above-average rate.
The Spurs loanee and Kitching could, therefore, have been a solid partnership for Leeds as a balanced – with one right-footer and one left-footer – duo as they are both dominant defenders who like to play out from the back to progress play.
This would also have allowed Ethan Ampadu, who is a number six by trade, to continue in midfield, rather than being needed in defence in the absence of Pascal Struijk.
Hopefully, Leeds, who are currently in second place, will earn promotion back to the Premier League and will not look back to rue the howler they had with their homegrown colossus who is now thriving in the same division as them with one of their rivals.