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Chelsea have added another promising player to their books, continuing BlueCo’s policy of signing world football’s most exciting young talents.

Related Chelsea plan offer for "world-class" new target in bid to hijack AC Milan

The west Londoners are not done this summer.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 1, 2025

Enzo Maresca already has a squad filled with youth, so much so, that there is a real case to be made for the club to prioritise more experience.

Most recently, Chelsea agreed a deal with Ajax worth over £35 million for teenage starlet Jorrel Hato, who joins Liam Delap (22), Jamie Gittens (20) and Joao Pedro (23) as their latest incomings of the window.

Despite his age, Hato already boasts over a century of senior appearances from his time at Ajax, including some noteworthy Europa League performances.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Hato underwent his medical yesterday, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Chelsea adding yet another starlet to their ranks ahead of the new season.

Todd Boehly and the board haven’t been shy when it comes to splashing the cash on these prestigious talents, having spent nearly £270 million this window alone, and Chelsea are yet to make any signings over the age of 23 in the build up to deadline day.

Chelsea also fielded the youngest ever starting eleven in Premier League history last year (OptaJoe), and amid their talks for RB Leipzig starlet Xavi Simons, not to mention an expected bid for Alejandro Garnacho, their average age isn’t likely to go up any time soon.

Chelsea confirm signing of Jesse Derry from Crystal Palace

The club are very much still prioritising players with huge sell-on value and potential, with Chelsea recently agreeing a deal for young Crystal Palace attacker Jesse Derry too.

The 18-year-old “sensation” was on the verge of a move to Germany, before Maresca’s side hijacked the transfer to keep him in London. Derry was a man in-demand, attracting interest from eight European clubs, but it was Chelsea who ultimately won the race for his signature (Fabrizio Romano).

Now, almost a week later, Chelsea have confirmed Derry’s arrival, with the Englishman putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The teenage forward represented England at this summer’s Under-19 European championships, coming after he racked up 20 goals and five assists in just 27 outings for Palace’s Under-18s during his time at Selhurst Park.

Derry made the step up to Under-21s football at Palace last season too, but he’ll now attempt to battle his way into Maresca’s set up over the coming years.

Fabrizio Romano says that Arsenal are about to sign yet another player this summer, with sporting director Andrea Berta remaining busy in the transfer market after an already-ambitious window.

Eze's dream CF: Arsenal in talks to sign £69m "monster" & it's not Gyokeres

Arsenal could still change their mind on Viktor Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 10, 2025

Mikel Arteta has already watched the Premier League title hopefuls confirm deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard most recently.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

The Gunners announced Norgaard’s capture on Thursday for an initial fee of £10 million, which could rise to £15 million if add-ons are met, and he comes in to shore up Arteta’s midfield whilst replacing the departed Thomas Partey.

“We’re delighted to welcome Christian to Arsenal,” said Arteta about Norgaard’s arrival.

“He is an international player with a wealth of experience of the Premier League. He has proven leadership skills and a strong character which will be invaluable to our squad.

“He is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance. Christian will bring a lot to the group both on and off the pitch, and we’re excited to start working with him in this next chapter of his career. We welcome Christian and his family to Arsenal.”

Attention now swiftly turns to who will follow the Denmark international to N5.

Arsenal remain in ongoing talks to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres as negotiations reach a very advanced stage, and it is believed the 27-year-old is now on strike as he attempts to force through his desired move to north London.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also held talks with Eberechi Eze’s representatives, according to reliable media sources, and a potential deal for the England international playmaker is separate to their pursuit of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.

Earlier this week, after agreeing personal terms with the 23-year-old, Arsenal opened formal talks with Chelsea over signing Madueke, and it now appears those negotiations have reached a swift conclusion.

Arsenal given green light to sign Noni Madueke with agreement reached

That is according to Romano and widespread reports, which claim that Arsenal have now reached a total agreement for Madueke, in a deal worth north of £50 million including add-ons.

Arteta’s side have been given the “green light” to sign the ex-PSV Eindhoven sensation, with Chelsea set to make a £20 million profit – two years after he joined them from the Eredivisie for around £30 million.

The forward, called a “machine” by members of the media, was also dubbed one of Chelsea’s “best players” by Enzo Maresca last season.

However, Madueke is now poised to become the latest in a long line of transfers between the west Londoners and Arsenal, which surely casts major doubt over the long-term futures of both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard – especially if they also complete a deal for Eze.

Chelsea need to balance the books with player sales, in light of their estimated £140 million summer transfer expenditure so far, not to mention pressure from UEFA with regard to FFP.

The Blues are set to receive a bucket-load of prize money from reaching the final of the Club World Cup, having earned a reported £80 million in total from their six games at the tournament so far, but the sheer amount of deadwood on Enzo Maresca’s books needs trimming.

Related "World-class" player reaches gentleman's agreement to leave Chelsea

He can depart for an obtainable fee.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli all departed Stamford Bridge recently and brought in around £19 million, but there are a host of other players in line to depart the west London club.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Djordje Petrovic could all reportedly leave Chelsea too, but BlueCo face an almighty task to find all the aforementioned men new homes before deadline day on September 1.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke, and ESPN report that they could agree a £43 million deal with Chelsea by the end of this week, so as things stand, it appears that transfer could be closest to completion.

Petrovic is also attracting a lot of interest after reaching a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that he can leave Chelsea for £25 million.

The writing has been on the wall for a lot of the previously named Chelsea men for quite some time, but striker Nicolas Jackson could now join them out the door, especially after the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Jackson is “no longer” unsellable, according to multiple reports, and it shows just how quickly things can change in football. The Senegal international was branded one of Maresca’s “most important” players by pundit Joe Cole in May, but Jackson now finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation.

Nicolas Jackson could leave Chelsea in Barcelona loan deal

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona could offer the African a new temporary landing spot.

While talks between the Catalans and Maresca’s side are yet to take place, Barca have apparently “set their sights” on signing Jackson from Chelsea, amid a belief that the 24-year-old would fit perfectly into Hansi Flick’s system.

Chelsea are also said to be open to letting Jackson depart for the Camp Nou on an initial loan deal, on the condition he’s guaranteed game time, so Barca’s hierarchy are closely monitoring the ex-Villarreal gem ahead of a potential swoop.

If Barca do entertain the possibility of signing him permanently in future, perhaps at the end of his loan if he does well enough, then Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea have placed a £52 million price tag on his head – so Barca know exactly what it will take.

Whilst England are lucky to have the likes of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Phil Foden to choose from at the heart of their midfield these days, it wasn’t so long ago that Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes were all available in the engine room.

The current generation is special, but England’s last ‘golden generation’ still arguably had the most talent at their disposal in pursuit of a first honour since the 1966 World Cup.

It wasn’t just in midfield that the Three Lions were spoilt for talent. It’s a squad which also featured Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. And the list could go on.

Many have had their say as to why England were dumped out of the 2002 World Cup and then on penalties against Portugal at Euro 2004, including Lampard. The former England and Chelsea midfielder told reporters: “I think at times, we [the Golden Generation] were too rigid. I talk from my own personal experience of playing at World Cups against teams that were not at our level.

“I’m not talking about France and Italy, more teams like Ecuador, who were keeping the ball in midfield because they were outnumbering us in the centre of the park. The things that maybe me and Stevie [Steven Gerrard] were used to doing where we had numbers, now we are just trying to cover space and you get a bit mentally done with it in the game wondering why this is happening.”

England: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying info, format, fixtures & more

England are set to get their World Cup campaign up and running under Thomas Tuchel.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 20, 2025

Outnumbered or not, there’s no denying the quality that England particularly had in the middle of the park. But finding the right balance between Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes often proved to be The Three Lions’ biggest problem, and that sparked a midfield debate which has rumbled on for decades since.

Rooney named Gerrard as his greatest ever England teammate

Having played with all three at international level and Scholes with Manchester United too, Rooney should be an expert in the age-old England midfield debate, and he delivered his official verdict to The Overlap in 2024.

Whilst praising all three, Rooney went on to reiterate that Scholes could not achieve what Gerrard did in a Liverpool side which often struggled to compete with the very top honours: “All were world-class players. Stevie could come to Manchester United and be a top player and do what Scholes could do. But I don’t think Scholes could do what Stevie did at Liverpool.”

Appearances

504

611

499

Goals

121

177

107

Assists

97

116

61

League titles

0

3

11

The numbers certainly don’t help to end the debate after Rooney’s verdict, but what they do highlight is England’s clear failure with all three at their disposal in a golden generation.

Manchester City are now closing in on a “world-class” defender, having recently received a boost in their transfer pursuit, according to a report.

Man City pursuing new full-back

With captain Kyle Walker being shipped out on loan to AC Milan in January, Matheus Nunes has been filling in at right-back, meaning Man City have now set their sights on a replacement, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro has been identified as a potential target.

Spurs are set to drive a hard bargain for the right-back, having set an asking price of £50m, but the Spaniard is not the only Tottenham defender of interest to City, with left-back Destiny Udogie emerging as a target earlier this month.

The Blues have been pursuing a new left-back for quite some time, and there are a number of options from within the Premier League, including AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, although there could be competition for the Hungarian from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Man City now make £34m+ offer to sign "incredible" Ederson replacement

The Citizens have stepped up their pursuit…

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 28, 2025

Pep Guardiola’s side have also been extensively linked with a move for Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, and a new report from The Sun has revealed they are now closing in on a move for the Italian after receiving a recent boost in their pursuit.

Juventus are advancing towards signing a replacement for Cambiaso, namely Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares, who is currently on loan at Lazio, which indicates they are planning to sell their current left-back in the summer transfer window.

Man City are expected to make a fresh attempt to sign the 25-year-old, who they have been interested in signing since the January transfer window, and reports from elsewhere have stated that a deal could amount to around £54m.

"World-class" Cambiaso could be fantastic signing

Since forcing his way into the first-team, Nico O’Reilly has done a remarkable job at left-back, particularly impressing in an attacking sense, having picked up five goals and two assists in 16 games for City.

However, Guardiola may want to bring in a more experienced option this summer, and there are signs the Juventus defender could be a fantastic signing, given that he has received very high praise from journalist Zach Lowy.

It appears the Italy international is very comfortable in possession of the ball, given the number of passes he has attempted per 90 over the past year, while his pass-completion rate is also very impressive, potentially making the defender a perfect fit in a Guardiola system.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

67.05 (92nd percentile)

Pass-completion %

88.5% (96th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.35 (92nd percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.10 (86th percentile)

There may be concerns that Cambiaso’s arrival could stunt O’Reilly’s development, but the Englishman is capable of playing in a number of different positions, so he should still receive regular game time, and the Juventus star could take City’s defence to the next level.

Of all Mikel Arteta’s signings as Arsenal boss, there has perhaps been none as controversial as Kai Havertz.

Since the German joined the club for £65m in the summer of 2023, he has faced his fair share of criticism from fans and pundits alike, and considering his slow start to life in North London, scoring one goal and providing one assist in his first 12 Premier League games, it’s wasn’t hard to see why.

However, once he moved up top, things started to look much, much better, and before his hamstring injury in February, the German international had amassed a tally of 32 goal involvements in 47 appearances there for the club.

Yet, if recent reports are to be believed, even a rate of return such as that might not be enough to keep him in the starting lineup, as the club are now confident of signing one of Europe’s most exciting strikers.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the striker in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other top poachers Arsenal are reportedly interested in ahead of the summer transfer window, such as Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenian international could be available for around £58m at the end of the season and with a tally of 20 goals and six assists in just 41 appearances, that could prove to be value for money.

Closer to home, the Gunners have kept Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins on their shortlist.

Transfer Focus

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

The Englishman is a player liked by new Sporting Director Andrea Berta, and, with a haul of 29 goal involvements in 49 games this term, it’s not hard to see why, although he’s still some way off the club’s most exciting target: Viktor Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Spain, the North Londoners have maintained their strong interest in the Sporting CP monster and are now ‘confident’ of securing his signature.

However, there is still the small case of his fee, which, according to the report, would be around €70m, which comes out to about £60m.

While that’s a sizable sum of money, this is still a transfer Arsenal should do all they can to get over the line, as Gyokeres could be transformational for them, even if he’d be bad news for Havertz.

How Gyokeres compares to Havertz

Should Arsenal get this transfer over the line and bring Gyokeres to the Emirates next season, it would undoubtedly be with the intention of having him start as many games as possible.

So, that would also mean that, when fit again, Havertz would be his primary competition for regular game time, but who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, despite his decent rate of return in the last year or so, the Sporting CP star wipes the floor with the former Chelsea ace when it comes to their raw output, which is, of course, the most important metric for a number nine.

For example, in 46 appearances, totalling 3700 minutes, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 47 goals and provided 11 assists.

That means he’s currently averaging 1.26 goal involvements per game or one every 63.79 minutes, which only lends credence to ESPN Head Writer Mark Ogdan’s claim that he’s “the hottest striker in Europe.”

Gyokeres vs Havertz
Player	Gyokeres	Havertz
Appearances	46	34
Minutes	3700′	2776′
Goals	47	15
Assists	11	5
Goal Involvements per Match	1.26	0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement	63.79′	138.8′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In comparison, prior to his injury, the former Bayer Leverkusen star had amassed a tally of 15 goals and five assists in 34 appearances, totalling 2776 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games or one every 138.8 minutes.

There is an argument to be made that the Portuguese league is an easier level, but given the extent to which the former Coventry City gem is outperforming the Gunners ace, we reckon he’d still be more prolific in a top-five league.

Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to sign Gyokeres this summer, they have to take it, even if it spells the end of regularly starting games for Havertz.

Better than Kiwior: Arsenal want to sign 'one of the best CBs in the PL'

The incredible international would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 23, 2025

Liverpool are cruising toward the Premier League title, with a variety of scenarios meaning that Arne Slot’s side could have the quest wrapped up before the end of the week.

However, FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes will be hard at work on the transfer front, getting everything in order ahead of the summer window.

Although Liverpool have exceeded expectations this term, there’s a sense that the Reds carry a number of weaknesses that need to be ironed out ahead of Slot’s second season at the helm, with Mohamed Salah the architect of most of Liverpool’s success in and around the final third.

His contract has been renewed, but the 32-year-old’s form has also dipped, and it’s clear that work needs to be done in order to bring him back to his A-game ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Mohamed Salah's dip in form

Salah has gone six games without a goal in all competitions, with his performances in particular against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United drawing criticism from some onlookers.

However, it’s hardly surprising that he’s plateaued of late, having carried the weight of a multi-title-challenging football club on his back for the lion’s share of the season.

Salah, for what it’s worth, has posted 32 goals and 23 assists across all competitions this season, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher saying he’s “one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen in the Premier League.”

And anyway, it’s not as if he’s been dismal of late. As per Sofascore, the 32-year-old has created seven big chances since last scoring in the Premier League four games ago, hitting the woodwork twice during the recent victory over Leicester.

Salah remains head and shoulders ahead of his goalscoring rivals in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, even though it’s been four fixtures since he last made the net bulge.

1.

Mohamed Salah

33

27

2.

Erling Haaland

28

21

2=

Alexander Isak

30

21

4.

Chris Wood

30

18

4=

Bryan Mbeumo

33

18

His Liverpool teammates haven’t been the most helpful in front of goal, with FSG set to bring in some fresh firepower this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Set to win the English title, Liverpool are gearing up to aim big, with one of Europe’s foremost players on the club’s radar.

Liverpool learn conditions for world-class forward

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have learned that they could potentially sign Raphinha this summer, with financially-troubled Barcelona not against selling their most valuable asset.

With a vested long-term interest in the winger, Arsenal and Chelsea are both keen too and intermediaries have informed Premier League suitors that he could be available for around an £80m transfer fee.

Raphinha, 28, has indeed been one of the best players in the world this season and would significantly strengthen Liverpool’s robust attacking line, perhaps even restoring Salah to his absolute best.

Why Liverpool should sign Raphinha

If the money is indeed there to be spent on a rising sensation such as Raphinha, it feels like something of a no-brainer for a Liverpool side that will be desperate to consolidate its place at the top of the Premier League.

Liverpool have dipped in form and fluency over the past several months, with Slot unwilling to utilise his wider first-team squad with the rotation that perhaps some fans have hoped for. But with a player like Raphinha, Liverpool’s frontline would only go from strength to strength, actually restoring talisman Salah to full strength.

Like Salah, Raphinha has adjusted his tactical approach to suit his burgeoning prolific ability. There’s no denying he’s a high-level athlete, with a powerful gait and fleet-footedness that once led his former Leeds United teammate Dan James to hail him as a “magician” of a footballer.

On that note, Raphinha is also Prem-proven, which is always a bonus. Littered with flops is the road toward superstardom on English shores.

But he’s never played as well as he is right now, within Hansi Flick’s attack-centric La Blaugrana set-up.

As per FBref, the Brazilian ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal contributions and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90, perfectly illustrating his newfound place among the game’s top brass.

There’s also the matter of Raphinha’s Champions League campaign. With 12 goals and seven assists from 12 matches on the continental front, it’s clear why he’s among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or, something Liverpool fans will hold onto hopes that Salah will claim.

But with Barca challenging for a treble, there’s every chance that “Europe’s best player in 2024/25,” as he has been called by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, will swipe the crown.

Hypothetically, if Slot could succeed in capturing and preserving Raphinha’s ridiculous output, unleashing it on the left flank at Liverpool, then there’s no telling how dynamic and deadly his title-defending frontline might be next season.

Right winger

70

19

21

0.57

Left winger

54

30

20

0.93

Attacking midfield

8

1

7

1.00

Central midfield

1

0

0

0.00

Such a balanced attacking force could be exactly what Salah needs to stay firing next season, with the in-form Luis Diaz potentially playing in a centre-forward role to accommodate both players.

Salah’s multi-dimensional output would only be reinforced by Raphinha’s arrival, and even though £80m would make him one of the most expensive players in the club’s history, it’s something FSG will want to consider.

Nunez upgrade: Liverpool likely to see £50m bid accepted for "mini-Salah"

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Darwin Nunez is expected to leave Liverpool this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 20, 2025

Arsenal have held talks to sign a once-marquee forward “in recent days”, and he was likely impressed by Mikel Arteta’s side last night as they hammered Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in hugely important Champions League win

Arsenal wowed on-lookers with a stunning victory over the European champions on Tuesday evening, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from club-record signing Declan Rice and a brilliant Mikel Merino finish.

Journalist "told" Arsenal could sign £112m attacker wanted by Real Madrid

The Gunners could go head-to-head with Carlo Ancelotti’s side off the field as well.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 8, 2025

Eduardo Camavinga was also sent off in the dying minutes of the game and the France international is set to miss their return leg in Spain as a result, compounding Real’s misery in what was a real night to forget for the La Liga heavyweights.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

It was a statement performance by the Gunners, who put Real to the sword and placed one foot in the Champions League semi-final draw, but history shows they cannot take the second leg at the Bernabeu lightly, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men have sparked unlikely comebacks in previous seasons.

“I’m very proud, we had a very complete and big performance collectively, and you need that in the organisation and what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real.

“This night is about all two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off is something I haven’t seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment, with your crowd makes a huge difference. And then magic moments, individual moments that decide all matches and the first two goals of Declan sums up the night.”

Following last night’s display, Arsenal’s odds of winning the tournament have increased dramatically, and supporters will be hopeful they can put Real to bed and go on to make history by winning their first-ever Champions League title.

An impressive run in Europe would also do wonders to attract key summer transfer targets, with new sporting director Andrea Berta already working on potential Arsenal signings for next season.

Arsenal hold "fresh" Leroy Sane talks "in recent days"

As things stand, the north Londoners still have a chance of signing former Man City forward and Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane on a Bosman deal.

The Germany international, who once commanded a £137 million price tag when he was at Eastlands, could leave for nothing if his contract is allowed to expire on June 30th, but Bayern remain at work to tie him down.

That is according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who also says Arsenal have held “fresh talks” with Sane “in recent days”.

The 29-year-old has 11 goals and five assists to his name in all competitions this season, adding to his overall total of 59 strikes and 54 assists since joining the Bavarians, and he’s a proven big-game player.

There is little denying Sane would be an excellent alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, but much will hinder on Bayern’s attempts to wrap up a new deal.

With only nine Premier League wins under his belt as a manager in the top flight, it’s fair to say Daniel Farke has his work cut out for him right now to arrest the current Leeds United slide.

With four defeats from their last five league clashes, Leeds now sit just one point above the depressing relegation zone, as Sean Dyche’s equally relegation-troubled Nottingham Forest sucked the Whites deeper into the relegation pit by beating them 3-1 at the City Ground before the international break.

Yet, despite the West Yorkshire outfit hanging on for their lives, and Farke’s wretched record in the top division, it appears as if the ex-Norwich City boss will be kept on, for the time being at least.

Surely, though, if the results continue in their gloomy downward trajectory, the plug will have to be pulled.

But, until then, the under-pressure German has some big decisions to grapple with to try and save his job in the long run.

Decisions Farke needs to make to save his job at Leeds

Sack season is also in full swing now in the Premier League, with bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers getting rid of Vitor Pereira recently, after extending a vote of confidence his way.

Farke will hope he doesn’t follow Pereira in being the next managerial casualty, with the German now facing the decision to make a number of changes to his regular starting lineup.

One of those includes dropping the likes of Brenden Aaronson if he is to remain in the Elland Road dug-out moving forward.

Unfortunately, Farke does appear to be staunchly loyal to certain members of his camp, even when they’re obviously falling below their expected standards, with Aaronson selected now by the German a high 59 times, to hit-and-miss results.

Only one of his ten goals for the West Yorkshire giants under Farke has fallen in the Premier League, and with both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto waiting in reserve, switching out the ex-Union Berlin playmaker for either the Welshman or Italian could seriously boost the relegation-threatened side in attack.

Farke might also help the wins to start flowing if he selects Lukas Nmecha as his sole striker more often, heading into crunch games this November and December, with the ex-Wolfsburg striker stylishly putting away a goal against Forest, which is his second for the club already, despite only amassing 279 minutes of total league action.

The German will also know he needs to change up his defence, with Jaka Bijol receiving plenty of pelters for his recent performances.

However, Farke didn’t exactly help out his tiring defence at the City Ground.

Bielsa signing must be given the boot by Farke

Another compelling argument to get rid of Aaronson from the first team picture, away from his hot-and-cold reputation, is the fact that he’s a remaining relic of the dismal 2022/23 squad that was relegated to the Championship.

The only other dire member of that team that featured against Dyche’s hosts was Jack Harrison, who is somehow still getting minutes under Farke, many years on from his Leeds peak.

25/26

11

0

22/23

40

6 + 10

21/22

38

10 + 2

20/21

37

8 + 8

19/20

49

6 + 8

18/19

42

4 + 4

Indeed, looking at the data above, it’s clear that the former Manchester City youth product was a dependable first-teamer many moons ago at Elland Road, with an impressive collection of 66 combined goals and assists for the Whites.

Leeds managerial great Marcelo Bielsa even once hailed Harrison as a “big influence” during his heyday down the left channel.

But, right now, the 28-year-old needs to be put out of his misery, on his subdued return to the Whites first team fold, after a two-season-long loan stay at Everton.

Last time out versus Forest, when strangely placed into the side at left-back, Harrison would clatter into a Forest shirt late on, clumsily, to gift Elliot Anderson his game-clinching penalty.

Moreover, away from that moment of stupidity, the below-par number 20 still manages to pocket a steep £90k-per-week salary at the Premier League newcomers, despite having no goals or assists to shout about this season from 11 forgettable outings.

Recent reports have also suggested that Harrison could be sold in January if Leeds can win themselves some more reinforcements in attack.

Still, if Farke wants to send out a message that he isn’t going to stand by and watch standards slip, he will try to offload the shoddy winger in the transfer window, anyway, as he attempts everything in his power to keep his precarious position.

He's got a "bit of Bielsa": Leeds could sack Farke for "mental" 4-3-3 coach

A Bielsa-style change of manager could keep Leeds in the Premier League

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 12, 2025

قدّم نادي بيراميدز شكوى رسمية لاتحاد الكرة ضد 3 حكام مصريين متّهمًا إياهم بارتكاب أخطاء تحكيمية مؤثرة في مباراتي الفريق أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية وبتروجيت، وما وصفه النادي بـ”الإخلال بمبدأ العدالة وتكافؤ الفرص”.

وجاء في الشكوى أن الحكم سيد منير الذي أدار مباراة بيراميدز أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية، اتخذ سلسلة من القرارات العكسية ضد لاعبي الفريق، إلى جانب تغاضيه عن إضاعة الوقت المتكرر من جانب لاعبي الكهرباء، مما أثّر على سير اللقاء وتسبّب في اعتراضات واسعة داخل الجهاز الفني.

وأشار بيراميدز إلى أن فوزه بالمباراة لا يعني تجاهل ما حدث، مؤكدًا ضرورة محاسبة الحكم على القرارات غير المفهومة التي صاحبت اللقاء، وعدم اعتبار النتيجة سببًا لإغلاق الملف.

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كما أبدى النادي اعتراضًا شديدًا على أداء الحكم محمد العتباني في مواجهة الفريق أمام بتروجت، خاصة بعد احتسابه ركلة جزاء مثيرة للجدل لصالح الفريق البترولي، رغم توصية تقنية الفيديو (VAR) بعدم احتسابها، واعتبر بيراميدز القرار خطأً حاسمًا أثّر في نتيجة المباراة.

وامتدت الشكوى إلى الحكم الرابع محمود رشدي، حيث أكد النادي أن تعامله مع المدير الفني يورشيتش كان “غير لائق”، مشيرًا إلى وقوع مناوشات بينهما وتدخله المستمر لمنع المدرب من توجيه لاعبيه داخل الملعب، مقابل مرونة أكبر وأجواء أكثر ودية في تعامله مع الجهاز الفني لبتروجيت.

وطالب بيراميدز اتحاد الكرة بفتح تحقيق عاجل في أداء الحكام الثلاثة، وتطبيق معايير المحاسبة، وضمان الاستخدام الصحيح لتقنية الفيديو، حفاظًا على نزاهة المنافسة ومنع تكرار الأخطاء التي تزايدت مؤخرًا.