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Financial expert Kieran Maguire believes that Chelsea will be ‘prepared’ to meet Leeds United’s asking price for Victor Orta, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Orta linked with Chelsea

The 43-year-old, who has been director of football at Elland Road since 2017, appears to be on the radar at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea looking for a new sporting director.

Recent reports have stated that the Blues’ co-owner Todd Boehly will step up interviews this week, with Orta seemingly on a four-man shortlist alongside Atalanta’s Lee Congerton, Sevilla’s Monchi and Benfica’s Rui Pedro Braz.

The Latest: Maguire’s comments

Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Orta and Chelsea.

He believes that Leeds will hold out for a ‘maximum amount’ for the 43-year-old, although he feels that the Blues ‘will be prepared to pay whatever the asking price is’.

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Maguire stated:

“With the Dan Ashworth to Newcastle case, we saw that directors of football are now in the upper echelons as far behind-the-scenes staff are concerned.

“Todd Boehly appointing himself as the interim sporting director is a really good case for having a professional do it as opposed to an amateur.

“Chelsea have behaved in a haphazard and disjointed way over the summer with regards to recruitment.

“Leeds will therefore hold out for the maximum amount. If they do not get their way, they are entitled to put Orta on gardening leave and make things as awkward as possible for Chelsea.

“Having said that, given the speed with which Graham Potter went to Chelsea, I suspect that the club will be prepared to pay whatever the asking price is.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Orta was the mastermind behind bringing Marcelo Bielsa to Elland Road and has played a key role in taking the Whites from a mid-table Championship side to a Premier League club.

Therefore, it would be a blow if he ends his five-year stay in Yorkshire to join Chelsea, with the Spaniard working closely with Jesse Marsch.

While you could argue a few of his big-money Leeds transfers haven’t gone to plan, his track record contains more positive than negative deals in Yorkshire. He has helped Marsch massively over the summer with a number of additions, so hopefully he stays put for another while yet.

All the signs were pointing towards Andre Green having a good career at Aston Villa when he broke into the first team at Villa Park but the exciting winger now finds himself in Slovakia after failing to live up to his potential.

Green, who was a product of Villa’s academy, first started to catch the eye of Villa fans when Tim Sherwood promised to make him a part of his Premier League plans in 2015 before a pre-season injury derailed his progress into the first team.

Sherwood was a huge fan of the young winger and even likened him to legendary forward Ronaldo because of his ability to beat a man.

He said: “I love Andre. He’s got ridiculous pace and goes past people like Ronaldo used to. It’s as if they’re not there. He’s got great ability but has been unfortunate with a few injuries.”

A 17-year-old Green would make two substitute appearances in the Premier League for Villa in the 2015/16 campaign before playing a much more significant role in the Championship the following season.

However, in 17 appearances that season, he failed to contribute a single goal or assist, while he would manage his first Villa goal the following season, but made just seven appearances in all competitions.

He was subsequently sent on loan to Portsmouth for the first half of the 2017/18 campaign and found his feet on the south coast, hitting five goals in 12 appearances before returning to Villa Park.

Unfortunately, he was unable to replicate that form in the Championship and finished his Villa career with just two goals and one assist in 48 appearances, before his release in 2020 following disappointing loan spells with Preston North End and Charlton Athletic.

Green would sign for Sheffield Wednesday for the 2020/21 campaign but failed to score in any of his 15 appearances for the Owls as they were relegated to League One.

It was then when the former Villa man made the brave decision to join Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia, and while the standard of football there is a far cry from the Premier League, he certainly seems to be enjoying himself in central Europe.

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The now 24-year-old has 19 goals and seven assists in 55 appearances, which includes six goals in European competitions, something he would never have played in had he remained in England.

While it is disappointing that Green didn’t live up to his potential with Villa and the club were right to release him, it is good to see the Englishman finding his feet abroad.

Liverpool are interested in signing Benfica star Enzo Fernandez, with a fresh report claiming the midfielder is being actively ‘targeted’ by the Reds.

The Lowdown: Reds’ midfield struggles

Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a tough season to date, with many things going wrong from continuous injuries to some dire performances on the pitch.

Liverpool’s midfield has arguably looked like their most jaded and ageing area, with the likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho looking past their best and struggling for energy.

Barring Arthur, who himself is now injured for several months, there was a complete lack of midfield depth signed during the summer, although Fernandez has been linked with a move to Anfield.

The Latest: Fernandez being eyed up

O Jogo [via Sport Witness] now claim that the 21-year-old is ‘already being targeted’ by Liverpool for a move in 2023, but Barcelona are also in the mix.

Described as Benfica’s ‘engine’, Fernandez has enjoyed an 89.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this season, as well as an average of 1.9 tackles per game.

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The Verdict: Superb long-term option

Fernandez is exactly the type of player that Liverpool are crying out for, possessing young legs, an ability to cover ground and a versatile skill-set in midfield, ranking highly in the Portuguese top flight in terms of shots, key passes and tackles.

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He has already made a huge impact at Benfica since joining from River Plate back in January, with manager Roger Schmidt describing him as a ‘complete’ player, and he should only improve further.

If Liverpool could snap up Fernandez in January it would be an added bonus, but if not, a summer switch in 2023 could be the first step towards rebuilding Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. Others would be needed, too, however, and Jude Bellingham would be a dream partner for the Benfica man.

Journalist and Sunderland supporter Josh Bunting has been left buzzing over the news that Daniel Ballard is back in training.

The Lowdown: Fractured foot

The 23-year-old has been out for more than two months with a fractured foot, having signed from Premier League leaders Arsenal in the summer.

The defender has only managed to play Championship football so far for the Black Cats, none since 13 August, and he will no doubt be itching to get back onto the pitch as soon as he can.

The Latest: Ballard back in training

Sunderland posted an image of a smiling Ballard back in training on their official Twitter channel on Thursday afternoon, which left Bunting delighted.

He shared the image to his Twitter profile, along with the caption: “This makes me very, very happy.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Sunderland

It is certainly a big boost for Tony Mowbray and Sunderland to have Ballard back in training after so long out.

Bunting was thrilled upon the Wearside club first signing him, calling the 23-year-old ‘absolutely outstanding’ in the air and praising the fact that he ‘reads the game very well’, is ‘mobile’ and ‘can carry a lot of ground’.

The Northern Ireland international has previous WhoScored).

It is good for the Black Cats’ supporters to see Ballard back in training as he looks to step up his recovery.

Leeds United will be desperate to return to winning ways today, and there is a clear move that Jesse Marsch can make to boost his chances of securing all three points tenfold.

For their midweek loss against Leicester City, the American opted to start Jack Harrison on the bench in favour of youngsters Crysencio Summerville and Luis Sinisterra.

The former, an academy graduate, failed to make his mark despite being handed the full 90 minutes culminating in a 6.4 SofaScore rating.

However, the Columbian is now relied upon heavily in the absence of Raphinha. It stings more when he puts in such underwhelming displays, as he achieved the same rating as the youngster.

Now that that experiment can be chalked up as a failure, Marsch must return his tried and tested speedster, Harrison, to his left flank.

The 25-year-old has maintained a respectable start to this campaign, with one goal and three assists in his opening ten Premier League games.

Harrison has been a mainstay in the Whites side across his various loan spells and subsequent permanent addition, having featured 176 times, scoring 29 and assisting 25.

Last season in particular, he stood up when his side needed him most, scoring the last-minute goal against Brentford to send the travelling fans into raptures as it secured their status in the top-flight.

He has been a constant threat when featuring, having been labelled “fast” and “dynamic” by journalist Callum Williams.

That kind of threat makes him akin to an old-school winger, who can beat a man and put in a wicked delivery.

This season, the £15k-per-week man is averaging 2.1 key passes per game, as well as successfully completing 1.1 crosses per match.

With Patrick Bamford now back in the lineup, he will hopefully be able to start feasting off his creativity.

Bringing Harrison back in could reignite a Leeds side that has won just once in seven league games.

They certainly need something, and perhaps the dynamism aforementioned could be just what is needed to spark the rest of the side into action – especially when they currently sit 16th, only out of the relegation zone due to goal difference.

Marsch needs a spark, and with so much talent in one man patiently waiting on the bench, he must now be unleashed against Fulham.

Son Heung-Min watched LAFC's Leagues Cup victory over Tigres UANL at the team's BMO Stadium ahead of his record-breaking move to the club.

• Spurs star leaving for MLS
• Watches new club LAFC beat Tigres UNAL
• Will join in record MLS transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Son confirmed he would be leaving Tottenham after a decade at the club during the team's tour of Asia and played his final game for the club in front of his adoring fans in South Korea against Newcastle. The 33-year-old is now expected to complete a record-breaking transfer to MLS and was in attendance to watch new side LAFC beat Tigres UNAL on Tuesday. 

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Son is expected to be announced as a new LAFC player at a news conference on Wednesday. LAFC will reportedly splash out around $26 million (£19.5m) to land Son, beating the previous MLS transfer record paid by Atalanta for Emmanuel Latte Lath. Son will also link up with a familiar face at LAFC as he will join former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the club.

• TELL ME MORE…

  LAFC forward David Martinez has been quick to welcome Son to the club. He told reporter Rodrigo A. Serrano: “It is amazing because we know he’s a legend. For me it’s a dream. Being so young, it makes me happy that I get to share a locker room with him. I’m going to learn the most I can. Most of all, happy he’s here with us.”

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SON?

  Son is guaranteed a warm welcome at LAFC after starring for Spurs and with the city boasting a large Korean population. The 33-year-old will be officially unveiled this week ahead of LAFC's next fixture on Saturday against Chicago in MLS.

Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes has been passed fit for the Eagles’ Premier League clash against Everton, injury analyst Ben Dinnery has confirmed.

The Lowdown: False start to 2022/23

The 27-year-old has experienced a frustrating season to date, not yet starting a single league game in 2022/23.

Hughes’ last appearance for Palace came against Leeds United earlier this month, but he only played for five minutes, and his only full match came against Oxford United in the Carabao Cup.

As the Eagles prepare to visit Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, a crucial update regarding the Englishman has emerged.

The Latest: Hughes returns for Everton clash

Taking to Twitter, Dinnery claimed that Hughes would likely make the matchday squad at Goodison Park, having recovered from a recent viral infection.

The injury analyst summarised:

“Will Hughes will be included in the Eagles’ squad on Saturday. Meanwhile, James McArthur should start working outside from next week, although Patrick Vieira was keen to stress that there is no ‘timeline on his return’ following several setbacks.”

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The Verdict: Big boost for Palace

This is great news for Palace boss Patrick Vieira, with Hughes’ return giving him more midfield depth and options in this hectic period ahead of the World Cup break

The former Watford dynamo has been compared to legendary Barcelona duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta in terms of his playing style, which says a lot about his technical ability.

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Hughes might not start at Goodison Park today given his lack of minutes recently, but his introduction as a second-half substitute could provide Palace with fresh legs and control.

Newcastle United are currently sitting in the top four in the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the 2022/23 campaign under Eddie Howe.

The Magpies have accrued 21 points from 12 games and are above Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea as it stands, although they have played one game more than all three of those.

Howe’s men have won four of their last five matches in the top flight and are on a terrific run of form which currently has them in contention to finish in a European place.

However, the club’s superb results in the league this season may not stop Dan Ashworth from dipping into the transfer market to improve the squad further in January.

It was recently reported that the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign Christian Pulisic from Chelsea for €45m (£39m), as the 24-year-old is unhappy with his lack of game-time at Stamford Bridge under Graham Potter.

Signing the USA international from the Blues could allow Ashworth to finally ditch one of Newcastle’s biggest underperformers in recent years, namely Jacob Murphy.

The £35k-per-week dud has produced one goal and zero assists in 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, after managing one goal and two assists in 33 outings last term playing as a winger and a full-back at times.

Pulisic has only started twice in the top flight in 2022/23 but he caught the eye last season with six goals and two assists in 13 starts for Chelsea.

Previously speaking about the competition for his place in the Chelsea team, Hakim Ziyech hailed the former Borussia Dortmund man by saying: “Kai (Havertz) and Timo (Werner) are two big talents, they have proved it at their clubs before. Christian is one of the biggest talents. They have a lot of quality.

“Christian has been here a season longer, and you can see what he is capable of doing on the pitch. He is a crazy winger. It is really exciting to work with them and I can’t wait to be on the pitch, fully fit and doing our thing.”

The American forward’s best season for Chelsea came in the 2019/20 campaign as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 25 Premier League games.

At the age of 24, he is also three years younger than Murphy and could have more years in him as a player, whilst holding greater potential to develop and improve.

Coupled with the pair’s respective statistics in the top flight, this suggests that Pulisic could be an upgrade on the Englishman, which would allow Ashworth to finally ditch the former Norwich man after joining the Tyneside club in 2017.

Newcastle United have enjoyed a remarkable start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign as they currently sit fourth in the table after 13 matches.

Eddie Howe’s side have only lost once in the top-flight so far and are battling for a place in Europe as it stands, although they have 25 outings left to sustain their form.

Dan Ashworth could dip into the transfer market during the January window to further bolster the manager’s squad in order to give him the best possible chance of securing a place in the Europa League, or even the Champions League.

One player who he could bring in to improve the side is Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone.

The Magpies were reportedly keen on signing him in the summer but it was claimed at the time that they may have to wait until 2023 to convince the Bundesliga side to cash in.

PIF must now sanction a January deal for the Frenchman by handing the necessary funds to Ashworth to snap him up from the German outfit.

The Toon owners could complete Newcastle’s midfield by doing so as Kone could form an impressive trio by playing alongside two of the current first-team stars.

Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes have been the standout performers in the middle of the park this season. They have averaged SofaScore ratings of 7.08 and 7.32 respectively, whilst Joe Willock’s score of 6.82 is the next highest – ahead of Sean Longstaff’s 6.77.

Kone averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 in the Bundesliga last season across 26 appearances in the division. He has averaged a score of 6.70 this term but that could be put down to his age as he is still trying to find consistency in his game after turning 21 earlier this year.

The gem, who is reportedly valued at €45m (£39m), was a machine in the middle of the park last term as he made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 59% of his individual duels.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described him as a “monstrous” player in the making and hailed him as a “one-man army” after a particularly impressive performance against Bayern Munich last term.

That praise from Kulig was backed up by Kone’s aforementioned statistics in the Bundesliga as the 21-year-old proved his defensive quality in midfield. He showed that he can consistently win the ball back for his team whilst putting in strong performances and not being bullied by opposition players.

At the age of 21, he is also a player who Howe can work with on the training pitch over the course of a number of years to ensure that he fulfils his potential and is an upgrade on the likes of Willock and Longstaff, with his performances last season suggesting that he has the scope to do so.

The English coach could help the gem to add consistency to his game so that the Frenchman can complete Newcastle’s midfield by being a monster next to Joelinton and Guimaraes in the Premier League for many years to come.

Celtic are back in action away to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership this evening, with the champions looking to maintain their grip on top spot having enjoyed a stunning start to the season in a domestic sense thus far.

For all the frustration regarding the Hoops’ Champions League woes – having finished rock-bottom of the group on their return to Europe’s premier competition – Ange Postecoglou’s side have largely enjoyed a smooth ride in the defence of their league crown, having clinched 12 wins from their opening 13 league games.

The Old Firm outfit’s latest triumph came against Dundee United at Parkhead on Saturday, with the home side running out 4-2 winners following a dramatic climax against Liam Fox’s men, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada netting at the death to seal all three points.

That result had been timely following the midweek thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid just a few days earlier, with the Bhoys likely hoping to put that result firmly behind them with another positive showing later today.

Ahead of that encounter with the Steelmen, Postecoglou could bolster his side’s chances of victory by recalling Greg Taylor to the starting XI, with the Scotland international having started on the bench at the weekend despite netting in his previous two league games.

The 25-year-old had been replaced in the side by understudy Alexandro Bernabei for the visit of the Tangerines, albeit with the young Argentine suffering the misfortune of giving away a penalty and receiving a yellow card to boot early in the first half for what was an incredibly harsh handball decision.

The summer signing was then withdrawn in favour of birthday boy Taylor at the interval, with the ten-cap gem going on to play a key role in the second period, notably producing a “huge moment”, in the words of journalist Alan Temple, after clearing the ball off the line with the hosts leading 2-1.

Such an intervention seemingly epitomised the diminutive full-back’s form so far this season, having been “the most improved player in Scotland over the past 12 months”, according to pundit Kris Commons, with the former Celtic playmaker also stating that he is “on fire” at present.

Despite the presence of the aforementioned Bernabei, the ‘position is his own’, as per Glasgow Live’s Ryan Thom, with Taylor having simply gone from strength to strength so far this season.

The £8.2k-per-week machine could well be vital this evening as Postecoglou’s men look to maintain their imperious form.