This summer, West Ham United allegedly became the winners of the transfer window when they spent a whopping £120.2m on eight permanent signings and two loan deals. The Hammers also made eight permanent sales, including Flynn Downes, who joined Southampton for a fee of around £18m.

Their most expensive signing of the summer was bringing Max Kilman from Wolves to work alongside his ex-manager, Julen Lopetegui. Kilman has already made 14 appearances for the Hammers this season, providing one assist, contributing to four clean sheets, and totalling 1,260 minutes played.

West Ham 2024/25 signings
Player	Fee (£)
Maximilian Kilman	£39.5m
Crysencio Summerville	£24.4m
Niclas Füllkrug	£22.4m
Luis Guilherme	£19.1m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	£14.6m
Guido Rodriguez	£0
Wes Foderingham	£0
Mohamadou Kante	?
Fees taken from Transfermarkt

Niclas Füllkrug does, however, look like it could turn out to be a costly mistake, only making four appearances for the club since joining, managing 137 minutes played, and is yet to register a goal or assist.

The last window before 2024/25 that wasn’t overseen by David Moyes was all the way back in 2018/1, and that also seems to have had some expensive mistakes in there.

West Ham's 2018/19 transfer window

In the 2018/19 season, West Ham spent around £84m signing ten new players on permanent deals. Their most expensive signing of that window was Felipe Anderson, who joined from Lazio for a fee of around £36m.

The Brazilian made 73 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 12 goals, providing 13 assists, and totalling 5,847 minutes. He then returned to Lazio just three years after leaving for a fee of around £2.6m.

West Ham 2018/19 signings
Player	Fee (£)
Felipe Anderson	£36m
Issa Diop	£20.8m
Andriy Yarmolenko	£16.6m
Lukasz Fabianski	£6.6m
Lucas Perez	£3.6m
Fabian Balbuena	£3.3m
Xande Silva	£1.2m
Jack Wilshere	£0
Ryan Fredericks	£0
Carlos Sanchez	£0
Stats taken from Transfermarkt

Andriy Yarmolenko turned out to be a good value deal, as he went on to make 86 appearances for the club, netting 13 goals and providing six assists but the Ukraine international left the club at the end of his contract in 2022, now playing for Dynamo Kyiv in his home country.

The only player still at the club signed in the 2018/19 season is Lukasz Fabianski, who has made 206 appearances for the club, conceded 272 goals and kept 54 clean sheets. The Polish shot-stopper has made seven appearances so far this term, keeping three clean sheets and only shopping ten goals.

West Ham also sold a U21 player during this window, who was compared to a Ballon d’Or winner, joining Watford for around £1m.

What happened to Domingos Quina's career

Domingos Quina was on the verge of breaking into the West Ham first team back in 2017, regarded as one of the hottest prospects in English football, and being compared to Ballon d’Or winner, Luka Modric, by the West Ham coaches.

Quina made 32 appearances for the West Ham U21 side, scoring three goals, providing two assists, and totaling 2,646 minutes played. However, he only managed six appearances for the first team, totaling just 115 minutes on the field.

The Portuguese midfielder went on to play 37 times for Watford, scoring three goals and providing one assist at the club, but now finds himself playing in Cyprus at just 25 years old, after not having the same career path many expected him to have.

It’s a remarkable turn of events for a player who snubbed the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona when his brother persuaded him to put pen to paper with the Hornets instead.

Quina now currently plays for Pafos FC, and has made 11 appearances so far this season. His side are currently top of the Cypriot First Division, but many will wonder how the Hammers starlet went from one of the most highly regarded youngsters in England to playing in a league below where his potential once lay.

West Ham's sellable £7m star has suddenly become "huge" under Lopetegui

West Ham’s “huge” performer may have saved Lopetegui’s job.

1

By
Connor Holden

Nov 27, 2024

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship once again this afternoon as they prepare to host Derby County at Elland Road in the early kick-off.

The Whites are back in West Yorkshire after they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park last time out, a result that moved them back to third in the division.

A penalty from Todd Cantwell, who won two Championship titles under Daniel Farke at Norwich City, was the only goal of the game in a tough match in Lancashire.

Leeds know that they need to avoid many more off days, such as that one against John Eustace’s men, if they want to achieve automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

The Whites lost to Southampton in the play-off final last season, after beating Norwich 4-0 in the semi-finals, and will want to avoid having to go through the play-off lottery again.

There will be plenty of lessons learned, you would hope, from the defeat to Blackburn last time out in the Championship, as a number of players in the side underperformed.

Leeds United's worst performers against Blackburn

The headline moment of the match unfortunately involved central midfielder Ao Tanaka, who brought Tyrhys Dolan to the ground in the box to hand the hosts a penalty, which Cantwell gratefully converted past Illan Meslier.

He endured a difficult afternoon at Ewood Park with five of five aerial duels lost and four of seven ground duels lost, which shows that the Blackburn players found it too easy to get the better of the Japan international in the middle of the park.

Another player who struggled with the physical challenges that the Rovers player presented was right-back Jayden Bogle. The summer signing from Sheffield United lost six of his seven ground duels, whilst Owen Beck and Todd Cantwell completed 100% (3/3) of their combined dribbles down that side.

They were not the only disappointing performers on the pitch for the Whites, though, as attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson’s showing also left a lot to be desired.

The USA international was selected in the number ten position behind Joel Piroe and did little to help the Dutchman in the final third throughout the game.

Minutes

69

Shots on target

0

Key passes

0

Duels won

4/10

Possession lost

18x

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson failed to register a single shot on target or chance created in 69 minutes on the pitch at Ewood Park.

The midfielder’s play in and out of possession was poor, as he gave the ball away frequently and was dominated in duels, and that contributed to the team’s struggles offensively in the match.

Why Brenden Aaronson must be dropped from the team

Farke must finally ruthlessly ditch Aaronson from the starting line-up for Leeds because it was yet another disappointing display from the former Union Berlin loanee.

The attacking midfielder, who Jesse Marsch signed from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2023, has now gone six games without a goal contribution for club and country.

He has also failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates in those six games for Leeds and the USA, which suggests that his lack of assists has been down to his lack of creativity, rather than due to poor finishing from his fellow forwards.

After five Championship matches without a goal, an assist, or a ‘big chance’ created, Farke must finally drop the American lightweight from the starting XI.

Starts

11

Goals

4

Big chances created

4

Assists

1

Dribbles completed

18

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson had enjoyed a strong start to the season in his first 13 appearances in the Championship, prior to this run of five games.

His return of eight goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 11 starts shows that he was offering a big threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leeds.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, his form has tailed off and Farke should, now, remove him from the starting XI, in the hope that it gives him a kick to get back to his best, and unleash Largie Ramazani in his place.

Why Largie Ramazani should start

The £17.5k-per-week whiz has come off the bench in the last two matches in the Championship, having been out since October through injury, and should finally make his return to the starting XI.

Ramazani has played as an attacking midfielder and as a centre-forward in his career but is typically deployed on the left flank, which means that he could directly replace Aaronson in the number ten role or could play on the left, with Wilfried Gnonto shifted into the middle.

The 23-year-old star, who was once described as “electric” and a counter-attack “weapon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, joined from Almeria in the summer transfer window and has already shown plenty of promise in a Leeds shirt.

He missed eight matches with an ankle injury, that was sustained in October, and Farke will be hoping that the winger can return to the team to pick up from where he left off prior to that enforced absence.

Starts

6

xG

1.91

Goals

3

Assists

1

Dribbles completed

8

As you can see in the table above, Ramazani made a strong start to the season with four direct goal contributions in six starts in the second tier for the West Yorkshire outfit.

He is a direct, as shown by his eight completed dribbles, forward who likes to run at opposition defenders to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Quite simply, Aaronson has offered very little in the final third over the last five games, with his zero goals and zero assists, and Ramazani, who can provide a big threat in front of goal, must come in to replace him in the starting XI against Derby today.

Farke must sell Leeds flop who Marsch was "convinced" would be "great"

The Leeds United defender must be cashed in on at the earliest available opportunity.

ByDan Emery Dec 5, 2024

Jose Mourinho recreated his iconic “if I speak, I’m in trouble!” moment while attending an UFC event in London to watch Brit Leon Edwards.

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Mourinho in London to catch UFC actionEdwards is set to fight Sean Brady Richarlison was also in attendance at the O2 arenaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Fenerbahce manager made a surprise appearance at UFC London on Saturday night, taking a break from football to witness the high-stakes welterweight battle between British fighter Edwards and Sean Brady at the O2 Arena.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 62-year-old Portuguese tactician is no stranger to London, having spent a combined seven years managing Chelsea and Tottenham across multiple stints. With his Fenerbahce squad partly on international duty, Mourinho seized the opportunity to fly back to the British capital for a mini-break. His presence didn’t go unnoticed and received a massive cheer from the London crowd, a testament to the enduring connection he shares with the city.

WHAT MOURINHO SAID

When he was approached by UFC’s social media team for his thoughts on the evening’s headline fight, it was vintage Mourinho on the mic: "I think if I speak, I’m in trouble."

This reference is to his iconic post-match remark from 2014, where he was speaking about referee Chris Foy's performance after Aston Villa beat Chelsea 1-0.

WATCH THE CLIP

Chelsea are now believed to be “working” on the potential signing of a La Liga star behind-the-scenes, with Stamford Bridge officials apparently very impressed by him.

Chelsea looking to strengthen at centre-back and going forward

Enzo Maresca has guided the west Londoner to five wins from their last five Premier League games, as the Italian is forced to constantly refute suggestions that Chelsea are now contending for this season’s title with Arsenal and Liverpool.

Chelsea hold initial talks with £83m ace this week ahead of potential move

The west Londoners have approached his camp “in recent days”.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 14, 2024

Chelsea have scored more goals than any other top flight side, with only Arsenal and Liverpool conceding fewer, leaving little surprise that many are starting to believe Maresca could beat both Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta to the Premier League crown in his debut campaign as manager.

Everton (away)

December 22

Fulham (home)

December 26

Ipswich Town (away)

December 30

Crystal Palace (away)

January 4

Bournemouth (home)

January 14

However, despite their excellent form, those within Chelsea are still looking to bolster some key areas of the squad – whether that be in the looming January transfer window or next summer.

BlueCo are said to be prioritising the addition of a new centre-back at Chelsea, potentially meaning one of Axel Disasi or Benoit Badiashile could depart (Simon Phillips), with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Benfica’s Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva all being looked at.

Meanwhile, there is also the very real possibility that Chelsea could bring in a prolific new number nine, despite Nicolas Jackson’s excellent performances leading the line this season and Christopher Nkunku being just as prolific off the bench.

According to some reports, Chelsea have made contact with Ipswich Town over Liam Delap, and talks over a potential deal have already been held.

The Englishman has impressed under Kieran McKenna, but Delap is by no means there only striker target, with Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko, Victor Boniface and Dušan Vlahović sporadically linked in the past few months as well.

Chelsea "working" on deal for Getafe sensation Christantus Uche

Another player who can feature as a centre-forward, but is more traditionally an attacking midfielder, is Getafe starlet Christantus Uche.

The breakout Nigerian played amateur football in his home country just two years ago, but since then, Uche has risen to the top of European football and is now plying his trade in Spain’s top flight.

The 21-year-old is a mainstay for Getafe after signing for just €500,000 in the summer, and his performances have attracted attention from west London.

According to reports out of Spain, Chelsea are “working” on a deal for Uche, and the club’s board are particularly impressed by his versatility. They’re apparently the “most determined” club to secure his services, but Getafe won’t be letting him go for a penny less than his £21 million release clause.

England quick follows determined batting with inspired spell to dent Hampshire’s progress

ECB Reporters Network20-May-2022

Craig Overton claimed his 400th first-class wicket in a fine spell•Getty Images

Hampshire 144 for 5 (Holland 49, Overton 3-21) trail Somerset 211 (Overton 44, Abbott 3-60) by 67 runsCraig Overton claimed his 400th first-class wicket as Somerset fought back strongly at the end of a rain-shortened second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Hampshire at Taunton.The visitors looked to be cruising towards a first-innings lead when reaching 107 for one in reply to 211, Ian Holland leading the way with 49.But the final session saw Overton produce an inspired seven-over spell, removing Holland and James Vince, as Hampshire lurched to 117 for four before closing on 144 for five.The England seamer ended the day with three for 21 from 18 overs, keeping his side in the game as they led by 67 runs.Early morning rain created a wet outfield and no play was possible before lunch. The action got underway at 1.40pm with Hampshire immediately looking to be positive and make up for lost time.Felix Organ, unbeaten on 15 overnight, played Overton through the offside for four, but in the same over, the second of the day, he threw the bat at a wide one and edged a chest-high catch to Lewis Gregory at third slip.New batsman Nick Gubbins faced a testing start. But Somerset’s seam attack, Overton apart, were unable to match the nagging accuracy of their Hampshire counterparts on the opening day.Some loose deliveries allowed Gubbins and Holland to take the total to 63 for one from 26 overs when a problem with the ball led to it being changed.It was 69 for one when the rain returned to cause a break in play. Holland had moved to 36, playing and missing at times, but also employing careful shot selection to take few risks.Play resumed at 3.20pm and Gubbins soon produced the shot of the day, a superbly timed back-foot stroke that sent the ball racing past bowler Gregory for four.Gubbins followed up with two boundaries off the next over, sent down by Josh Davey, and was looking in ominous form.He had moved to 26 when more rain sent the players off. Tea was taken, with Hampshire 95 for one from 36 overs, with Holland unbeaten on 44.Somerset desperately needed a breakthrough when play resumed at 5.30pm with a possible 19 overs left in the day.They got it when Overton finally found the outside edge of Holland’s bat as he pushed forward and wicketkeeper Steve Davies took a straightforward catch.Holland had faced 111 balls and hit three fours. It was Overton’s 400th first-class wicket and he continued to be the pick of a Somerset attack, who didn’t enjoy the best of luck.With his score on 34, Gubbins edged Peter Siddle just short of Overton in the slips, having been beaten by the previous delivery.Siddle then struck in controversial circumstances when Gubbins, on 36, was judged caught behind by umpire Alex Wharf stretching forward to a ball just outside off stump.Gubbins stood for several seconds in disbelief over the decision before dragging himself off. Before they knew it, Hampshire were 117 for four as Vince fell lbw to an Overton delivery that nipped back off the seam.Ben Brown and Liam Dawson quickly added 27 before what proved the last delivery of the day saw Dawson trapped plumb lbw playing across a ball from Gregory.

New white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran will be without Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis during West Indies’ ODI tours of Netherlands and Pakistan starting May 31. Instead, Jayden Seales, Shermon Lewis and specialist batter Keacy Carty have been included as new faces in the 15-member squad that will play the six ODIs that are part of the ODI Super League championship.While Hetmyer has been given a break so he can be home for the birth of his first child, a statement from Cricket West Indies said Evin Lewis was not considered since he failed to meet CWI’s fitness criteria. Holder has been rested, with workload management cited as the key reason. All three are part of the ongoing IPL season even though Hetmyer recently left the tournament bubble to be with his family.Fast bowlers Seales and Shermon Lewis have been selected for ODIs for the first time. The other new face, Carty, is a 25-year-old batter who averages 25.05 in List A cricket after 23 games. In March, he scored 57 and 49 against the England Test squad in a warm-up game representing a CWI President’s XI. His selection also makes history as he is the first player from St. Maarten to have received a West Indies call up.

Tour details

In Netherlands: May 31, June 2 and 4 – VRA Stadium, Amstelveen
In Pakistan: June 8, 10 and 12 – Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

“We were impressed with Carty and the way he goes about his innings, we saw several glimpses of his ability the way he played against England earlier this year for the CWI President’s XI,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said in the release. “We hope that giving him this opportunity he will recognize the importance of representing West Indies. We think he is a young batsman with great promise, and this is the kind of tour he can show he fits in.”We also have a very good group of young fast bowlers who have demonstrated their ability and we want to use these two tours to give them opportunities in the 50-over format. We have a week in The Netherlands and another week in Pakistan and this should provide them with quality opposition to bowl against as we build towards the Cricket World Cup in 2023. Phillip has been around for some time, and we know what he can offer, Seales has been very good in Test cricket and Lewis is making a return to the West Indies set-up following some good performances.”West Indies are currently not among the spots for direct qualification into the ODI World Cup in India next year. They are tenth on the Super League points table, having lost each of their three most recent ODI series, including an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Ireland at home.After this tour, West Indies will have only three remaining games in the Super League – a postponed home series against New Zealand. If they fail to achieve direct qualification, they will have to enter the competition via a qualifier tournament, a route the side used to reach the 2019 World Cup in England.Full squad: Nicholas Pooran (capt), Shai Hope (vice-capt), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been told how many signings Wrexham will need in order to “do an Ipswich” and reach the Premier League.

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• Chasing down third successive promotion
• Project funded by celebrity co-chairmen
• More money required at Championship level

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons are hoping to make history in 2025 by becoming the first EFL club to enjoy three successive promotions. They bounced straight through League One on the back of a record-breaking National League title triumph.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hollywood co-owners have continued to fund the most ambitious of projects, with the door being left open for more investors to joint the party. Further recruitment will be required if Phil Parkinson is able to guide Wrexham to a top-two finish in League One, or land a winning ticket in the play-off lottery.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There are some big clubs in the Championship, with deep pockets, and that will make life difficult for Reynolds and McElhenney as newcomers to that division. The potential is there, though, for a meteoric rise to continue.

• Getty
  

  WHAT GLEN LITTLE SAID

  That is the opinion of former Wrexham star Glen Little, who has told : “It’s always harder when you go up but Wrexham have got the money and that is a big help. It would be a struggle if quite a lot of those teams went up to the Championship, like Reading who are challenging for the play-offs but don't have the investment, but Wrexham have got the money to go again.

  “They have been backed in League One and if they can add a three or four really good signings if they go up, you never know. Ipswich did it and I wouldn't write anything off. Wrexham could have a real go which would be great to see.”

Explosive batting and exciting bowling will be on stage in Ahmedabad

Deivarayan Muthu26-May-20222:45

Should teams look to bat first in a pressure game?

Big pictureLast weekend, Royal Challengers Bangalore were on the brink of elimination, needing Mumbai Indians to knock Delhi Capitals out. Mumbai did them that favour, and now the stars are aligning for Royal Challengers.Harshal Patel, Royal Challengers’ designated death bowler, has recovered sufficiently from a hand injury. Rajat Patidar’s high-risk 112 not out against Lucknow Super Giants fetched them high reward and put them in the second qualifier. Dinesh Karthik, too, rode his luck on Wednesday, and now Royal Challengers are one step away from featuring in the final this weekend.IPL Live in the USA

Watch live coverage of Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi

Standing between RCB and the chance to meet Gujarat Titans in the final are Rajasthan Royals. Jos Buttler’s brief slowdown and the lack of enough batting firepower beyond Shimron Hetmyer crippled them in the first qualifier against Titans in Kolkata. Prasidh Krishna and R Ashwin also erred in their lines and lengths at different points on Tuesday as the risk of playing six batters and five bowlers in T20 cricket was exposed.Both Royals and Royal Challengers will also have to deal with the challenge of adapting quickly to the conditions at the Motera. The venue has been Royals’ home ground in the past: in all, they have played 12 matches here and have won seven.In the newsRoyals’ allrounder Daryl Mitchell has exited the IPL bubble to link up with the New Zealand side in Chelmsford.Likely XIsRajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Devdutt Padikkal, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Prasidh KrishnaRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Mohammed SirajStrategy puntMatch up Wanindu Hasaranga with Sanju Samson once again. The RCB legspinner has dismissed Samson five times in six T20 innings while conceding only 18 runs off 23 balls. Mohammed Siraj also had a favourable head-to-head record against Samson: two dismissals for 21 runs off 20 balls.Stats that matter Since 2021, teams batting first have won six games, and teams batting second have won 11 games in T20 cricket at the Motera. Karthik has been dismissed thrice in ten innings by Yuzvendra Chahal and averages just 12.66 against him in T20s. After taking ten wickets in his first eight matches this season at an economy rate of 7.8, Krishna has managed only five strikes since, in seven games, with his economy rate shooting up to nine. Royals and Royal Challengers have had the best spin attacks this IPL, in terms of wickets taken. Royals’ spinners have grabbed 38 wickets to RCB’s 35. Friday’s game will be Hasaranga’s 100th in T20 cricket.

أوضح أنجي بوستيكوجلو مدرب توتنهام، موقف لاعبه سون هيونج مين، من مباراة ليفربول المقرر لها يوم الأحد.

ويحل توتنهام ضيفًا على ليفربول بملعب “آنفيلد”، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

سون قائد توتنهام، تعرض لإصابة في القدم أبعدته عن آخر ثلاث مباريات للفريق أمام وولفرهامبتون، وآينتراخت فرانكفورت، ونوتينجهام فورست.

وفي تصريحات نشرها موقع توتنهام الرسمي، قال بوستيكوجلو: “لا يوجد أي تغيير في التشكيل، جميع اللاعبين اجتازوا مرحلة التأهيل بنجاح”.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت يرد على منتقدي الدوري الإنجليزي قبل ليلة حسم اللقب أمام توتنهام

وأضاف: “أما بالنسبة لإعادة التأهيل، فإن سون هو الوحيد الذي يمر بهذه المرحلة، ويتحسن مستواه، لكنه ليس جاهزًا لمباراة الأحد”.

وأضاف: “مرة أخرى، مع برنامجنا القادم، من الواضح أن يوم الخميس ليلة مهمة بالنسبة لنا (أمام بودو جليمت بالدوري الأوروبي) لذا سيكون الأمر متعلقًا بإشراك بعض اللاعبين الذين يحتاجون إلى وقت للعب، والبعض الآخر الذي نشعر أنهم قد يحتاجون إلى مشاركة أقل، سننظر في ذلك”.

Chelsea’s midfield trio of Moises Caicedo, Roméo Lavia and Enzo Fernández cost a combined £248.2m according to Transfermarkt fees, and they are all beginning to show why they were acquired by the Blues.

Enzo Maresca has found ways to utilise all three of his star midfielders, making tactical tweaks based on the opposition to give Chelsea the best possible chance of winning each game.

Fernández brings such a high level of passing quality, Caicedo is an all-action midfielder who mops up the danger, and Lavia adds extra physicality and press resistance in midfield when it’s needed.

But Chelsea are reportedly interested in another midfielder who could help to cover Lavia, who has found himself suffering from frequent injuries in the past few seasons.

Chelsea looking at young midfielder

According to reports from The Sun, Chelsea are interested in Sporting midfielder, Dario Essugo, who is currently out on loan with Las Palmas in La Liga.

The reports also state that Leeds United are pursuing a deal for the midfielder, which means Chelsea will have to act fast if they want to ensure Essugo chooses the Blues over guaranteed minutes at Leeds, who are likely to be promoted to the Premier League next season.

The 19-year-old has made 11 appearances for the Spanish outfit this campaign, scoring once, contributing to two clean sheets, and totalling 911 minutes played.

Transfer Focus

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

How Essugo compares to Chelsea's midfielders

Caicedo has had an excellent start to this campaign, establishing himself as a key figure for Maresca in central midfield and even at right-back as an option. The Ecuador international has made 18 appearances in all competitions, scoring once, providing three assists, and totaling 1,528 minutes on the field.

Minutes have then been shared between Fernandez and Lavia in midfield alongside Caicedo, with the Argentine making 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing eight assists. Meanwhile, Lavia has made ten appearances but provided just one assist.

So, how does Essugo compare to this?

Goals + Assists

0.10

0.19

0.19

0.78

Progressive Carries

0.87

0.96

0.38

1.15

Progressive Passes

4.56

5.10

3.21

5.65

Key Passes

0.58

1.08

1.13

2.06

Passes into Final Third

4.08

6.37

5.66

5.27

Tackles

2.82

3.12

2.83

2.90

Blocks

0.97

1.15

1.13

1.37

Interceptions

2.14

1.72

2.08

0.57

Recoveries

5.44

5.92

4.53

4.89

You can instantly see how Esssugo is similar to Caicedo in profile when analysing their metrics alongside each other. They are both making over five ball recoveries per 90, making 2.8+ tackles per 90, and 1.7+ interceptions per 90. But alongside their defensive acumen, they are also progressive on the ball, especially with their passing into the final third.

Fernandez is a different type of profile, providing more key passes per 90 and being more of a playmaker for the side, whilst Lavia brings a bit of everything to the team, also being the most natural number six or holding midfield type, rather than a box to box.

Essugo has been labelled as one of the “most exciting DMs in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, and by adding him alongside the likes of Caicedo, Lavia and Fernandez, Chelsea would have the best midfield depth in the league. That’s if they don’t already.

7 players Chelsea could sell in January

Who could be off in the winter window as Enzo Maresca tinkers with his squad?

ByBarney Lane Jan 2, 2025