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Chelsea’s handling of Hakim Ziyech’s failed transfer to Paris Saint-Germain has been disgraceful and their business may cause a problem for Graham Potter, Scott Minto has claimed.

What’s the word?

Ziyech looked set for a deadline day loan move to PSG, but a problem with the paperwork meant the move did not go through, much to his disappointment.

Chelsea spent heavily in the January window, signing in eight players, including four attackers in Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and David Datro Fofana, meaning Ziyech’s game time could become severely reduced.

However, the Morocco international started in their following game, a goalless draw with Fulham, and this decision has now been questioned, given that he was close to leaving just days before.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Minto claimed that the messy situation will do Graham Potter no favours.

“You’ve got at least half a dozen, if not double figures, of players who can’t even get in the squad. How do you keep players happy all the time?” He stated.

“An example is Hakim Ziyech. What happened was disgraceful, really. I blame his agents more than anyone but Chelsea as a club should have sorted that out and should have made sure it happens.

“Why is he going to Fulham just days after he should have joined PSG? It makes no sense. So that’s Graham Potter saying, ‘I’ve got to bring this guy onside’ and that’s a distraction.”

Ziyech harshly treated

The biggest victim of the whole saga was Ziyech himself, who now finds himself in limbo at Chelsea.

With his future almost certainly being away from the club, he will now have to settle for a role which is unlikely to include regular starts for the rest of the season, and his head will be elsewhere having nearly secured a move away.

Potter has a difficult task to keep him happy, whilst also keeping his younger new arrivals content with the amount of game-time they will receive, and with Chelsea out of both domestic cup competitions, there are less fixtures for rotation.

Injury expert and Sky Sports contributor Ben Dinnery has given his verdict following a ‘severe’ injury blow to Wolves forward Hwang Hee-Chan.

The Lowdown: Hwang struck by hamstring injury

The South Korean picked up a hamstring injury in their most recent Premier League clash this past weekend.

Hwang claimed the assist for Wolves’ opening strike against Liverpool, which was chalked down as an own goal from Reds centre-back Joel Matip.

Since Julen Lopetegui took charge of the Old Gold, we’ve seen the striker feature a lot more recently, so the recent knock will potentially be a blow to the Spaniard’s setup ahead of their crunch meeting with Southampton on Saturday.

The Latest: Dinnery’s assessment

Speaking on Premier FPL Injuries, Dinnery claimed that the injury was high up on his body, which could make the injury more troublesome for the forward.

He stated: “Unfortunately, he’s another player that’s picked up a hamstring problem. Now, he actually pulled up the mechanism as he was sprinting.

“That’s a good indication that it could be fairly high up, more towards that tendon, and those tend to be a little bit more severe than maybe those problems right down in the belly of the muscle.

“So, like I say, we’re expecting a few weeks at least on the sidelines for Hee-Chan. Assessments are ongoing.”

The Verdict: Opportunity missed

In our view, the injury for Hwang is a big opportunity missed for the striker to lead the line for Wolves for the rest of the season.

The 27-year-old only has one goal to his name this season in the Premier League, but the rest of their forward options have also struggled throughout the campaign.

Hwang has performed well recently and received praise for his FA Cup performance against Liverpool from ex-Reds striker Emile Heskey (via Molineux News).

He labelled the striker as a ‘bright spark’ after coming on and finding the back of the net in their 2-2 draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side, which sealed a replay at Molineux.

Lopetegui had played the South Korean six times in a row in the league which was his longest run of matches this season, and we believe he would’ve continued that streak had he not sustained the blow to his hamstring at the weekend.

Arsenal could sign another Oleksandr Zinchenko, with Gunners chief Edu Gaspar keen on Ivan Fresneda…

What’s the word?

In recent weeks, the north London outfit have been linked with a move for the Real Valladolid CF gem, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano providing the latest on the situation. He told Caught Offside:

“Arsenal, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle have been monitoring Fresneda but at the moment there’s still no official bid on Valladolid’s table.”

It’s thought that the Premier League leaders are prepared to pay around €20m (£18m) to get the deal done, as per reports in Spain.

The 18-year-old talent could be the next January signing on the club’s radar as they accelerate interest in Brighton and Hove Albion winger Leandro Trossard – also according to Romano – having missed out on Mykhaylo Mudryk just last week.

The next Oleksandr Zinchenko

Just as football.london writer Tom Canton has suggested, manager Mikel Arteta is on the lookout for “his next Oleksandr Zinchenko” and Fresneda fits the bill immensely.

Once part of Real Madrid’s famed La Fábrica academy, the Spain U19 international is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the LaLiga outfit – in which he’s already put himself amongst the very best in his role, ranking inside the top 1% for tackles, the top 4% for clearances and the top 9% for interceptions when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s elite five divisions, via FBref.

From his nine league appearances this term, we can see that he likes to come inside rather than hit the byline, as per his seasonal Sofascore heat map – very much in the style of Zinchenko – whilst he has created two big chances, averages 64 touches per game for a struggling side and rarely offers a cross.

Indeed, according to ESPNUK editor David Cartlidge, he’s “like a CM dropped in at full-back” due to his 6-foot frame, “athletic” ability and is “excellent” with the ball at his feet.

Such form and quality has seen the teenager dubbed as “one of the revelations of the season” by LaLiga expert Matt Clark, who further added:

“He is a remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

“He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first-team football.”

Unlike the Ukraine star though, Fresneda is a natural right-sided option, so Arteta could well have two inverted sensations on either flank if Edu were to win the race for his signature.

Having averaged a 7.2 rating against LaLiga frontrunners Real Madrid, it does appear as if the young wonderkid is ready for the leap to a much bigger side, perhaps that should already be known given Fresneda has been also dubbed as a “very special talent” by Cartlidge.

As such, Arsenal must look to hand Arteta his new right-sided Zinchenko by signing Fresneda before deadline day on January 31st.

AND in other news, Contact made: Arsenal eye “fearless” £52m-rated “demon”, he’d be better than Raphinha…

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Everton manager Frank Lampard still has the ‘full backing’ of the board despite the club’s worrying form.

What’s the word?

After only just avoiding relegation last season, things have not really improved this time around with Toffees struggling for consistency yet again.

Indeed, they currently sit right down near the bottom of the table, just one point above the bottom three despite having played a game more than those around them.

Despite it all, it seems as though Lampard’s job hasn’t quite been under threat recently – but that might have changed after the humiliating 4-1 loss to Brighton at home.

Speaking to GiveMeSport prior to that game, Phillips said: “I haven’t heard of any votes of confidence yet for Lampard, but he’s always had the full backing of the Everton board, and he still has that at the moment.

“You mentioned the fans’ discontent, and that’s obviously going to happen when they’re not getting results, but the fans have largely been behind Lampard. The players have been behind Lampard, and they still are as far as I’m aware.”

Last chance saloon?

Before the Brighton defeat, Everton did remarkably well to pick up a point on the road in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City thanks to a fine strike from Demarai Gray.

Even so, the club have struggled to actually win games and haven’t won once in their last seven matches across all competitions. So it’s no shock that they are on the verge of being pulled into the relegation zone.

Phillips’ quotes were given before the Brighton loss and you would think the board’s opinion wouldn’t change after just one game. However, seeing as the Toffees haven’t been in good form for a long time, it could be argued that the loss to the Seagulls isn’t just a one-off result.

It certainly feels as though Lampard is running out of time to turn things around even if the board haven’t publicly dropped any hints yet.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, as sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to strengthen the club’s goalkeeping ranks.

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who noted that fresh interest in the Switzerland international ahead of the January transfer window, with the 34-year-old having just six months remaining on his existing deal in Germany.

The respected journalist stated: “Yann Sommer is one that I’ve been told is on the radar. They’re just looking to see what he’s looking to do next. So, I think various things will crop up.”

The former Grasshoppers man is also reportedly a target for Premier League rivals Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of the season, with the veteran gem having also been linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer.

True Lloris heir

This talk of interest in the one-time Grasshoppers loanee comes following reports earlier this season that suggested the Lilywhites are already drawing up replacements for long-serving skipper, Hugo Lloris, with the experienced Frenchman set to leave N17 when his contract expires in 2024.

While a “legend” at international level – according to compatriot Clement Llenglet – the 145-cap colossus has regularly come in for criticism as a result of his mistakes for his club over the years, notably ranking joint-top for most errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season.

The 35-year-old has also made 22 errors leading to goals in his top-flight career in England to date, with that record the third-worst in the competition as a whole, proving him something of a liability at times.

That knack for a blunder also saw the £100k-per-week man criticised by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor earlier this year for his mistakes in the derby defeat to Arsenal, with the former England international stating: “It’s really poor goalkeeping from Hugo Lloris.”

Also questioned for having gone “walkabout” during the recent Champions League meeting with Sporting Lisbon, in the words of journalist Jonathan Veal, it looks as if age could well be catching up with the former Lyon man at present.

Although Sommer is no spring chicken himself, the 80-cap “monster” – as described by journalist Okon Nya – has remained in sparkling form for Gladbach in the current campaign, notably recording a Bundesliga-record haul of 19 saves in the draw with Bayern Munich back in August.

The 6-foot titan has thus made 47 saves in total from his ten league outings this season and conceded just 14 goals, while Lloris has conceded 18 goals from his 15 league games this season, making 45 saves in that time.

Sommer has also racked up an average match rating of 7.4 per game, as per Sofascore, with that record also better than the current Spurs captain who has averaged just 6.88 match rating this season.

As such, the Gladbach sensation could well be an ideal heir to Lloris moving forward as far as Paratici is concerned, with that bargain acquisition likely to be an attractive one for the north Londoners.

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has not enjoyed the most fruitful of starts to life in the Premier League, following his dazzling exploits with Borussia Dortmund.  

What’s the word?

The England international arrived with a weight of expectation on his shoulders after joining the Red Devils in a £73m deal in the summer of 2021 and has indeed failed to demonstrate an elite level of performance so far at Old Trafford. 

As such, rumours have come to the fore regarding the club’s stance on their player, and despite reports that the player may leave on a permanent deal, TEAMtalk have confirmed that the England ace is very much a part of the club’s long-term plans.

Speaking to TEAMtalk, transfer specialist Graeme Bailey said: “As it stands Erik Ten Hag thinks he can get Jadon Sancho back to his best.

“He and his team, including Steve McClaren, have done great work with Marcus Rashford. The jury remains out whether they can do the same though here. United want Sancho to get back to his best, though he’s some way down the pecking order right now.”

Loan move may be beneficial 

While a prospective loan exit might be met with concern among some of the United fanbase, allowing Sancho to find his feet and consequently flourish once more might be a prudent move.

Having scored just three goals and provided one assist from 14 appearances this season, following a return of just eight goal contributions from 38 appearances during his debut campaign for the Red Devils, the “ineffective” Sancho’s progress has somewhat stalled and certainly needs rectifying swiftly. 

The stark drop-off in performance is magnified by the statistics from his time with Dortmund, with Sancho netting 16 goals and 20 assists across 38 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, including five goal contributions from four starts in the Champions League. 

With the likes of Chelsea interested in a deal for the winger, a loan move could benefit all parties involved, with the Blues getting a presence with demonstrable prowess in front of goal and United offering the player a platform to rekindle his flagging fortunes while still retaining his contract. 

Rashford’s rejuvenation in the United team, coupled with the £85m signing of Antony from AFC Ajax, has indeed resulted in fewer opportunities for the 22-year-old Englishman under Ten Hag.

Also, with the likes of Cody Gakpo a transfer topic of increasing discussion around the Red Devil camp, Sancho might have to grit his teeth and rediscover the form which earned him his move to Old Trafford last year. 

If the chance to ply his trade temporarily elsewhere does indeed surface in the coming weeks, the England winger must clasp the opportunity with firm hands and unleash the abundant potential which brims within.

Sheffield Wednesday have been linked with a move for Grimsby Town left-back Anthony Glennon ahead of the January transfer window and he could prove to be the ideal heir to Marvin Johnson in Darren Moore’s side.

It was suggested by Football Insider earlier this month that Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Hull were all keen on signing the former Burnley man after his impressive displays in League Two this season.

The 22-year-old has featured in 14 games in the fourth tier for the Mariners, in which he has contributed one goal and three assists, averaging a strong 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

For context, only four players in Sheffield Wednesday’s squad are rated higher for their displays in the league, which emphasises just how impressive Glennon has been, given that Grimsby are only mid-table in League Two.

The young defender was very highly rated during his time at Burnley, with academy manager Steven Stone full of praise for him in 2019.

He said: “He is exceptional wherever he plays. He is exceptional in terms of how he drives and leads this team because he is captain of this team now.

“He drives it from centre half, he is not a big centre half and he has been unbelievable alongside Bobby Thomas and I keep saying to people how brilliant he has been.

“It is the same name that comes out and I think everyone else says the same thing.

“Then to push him to left back and be as good as he was again after not playing there for months is a testament to what he is about.”

Glennon has certainly proved himself with Grimsby this season and at just 22, he could be the perfect man to replace Johnson at Hillsborough in the future, given that the former Middlesbrough man turns 32 next month.

The fact that the youngster has also featured as a left-midfielder in Paul Hurst’s side suggests that he could be ideal in Moore’s 3-4-1-2 set-up, which requires the full-backs to contribute in attack, so Moore should definitely look to bring Glennon in during the January window.

Everton sporting director Kevin Thelwell is reportedly lining up a move for QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Thinking of the future?

The Goodison Park outfit have as many as four senior goalkeepers in their squad at the moment, but three of them are aged 35 and over.

England international Jordan Pickford is the established number one, but Asmir Begovic, Andy Lonergan and Eldin Jakupovic are all towards the end of their careers, and so the former will need some competition in the longer term.

The Latest: Dieng interest

As per Football Insider, the Merseyside club are ‘lining up’ a move for Dieng ahead of January, but will face competition from fellow Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth, AS Monaco and LOSC Lille for his signature.

They have been making ‘regular checks’ on the 27-year-old, who is set to go to the FIFA World Cup with Senegal.

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The Verdict: Smart move

Signing a goalkeeper of Dieng’s profile would certainly be a smart move by Frank Lampard’s team.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by former QPR manager Mark Warburton, Dieng has really stepped up this season, keeping play-off places.

The six-foot-four colossus even scored in injury time to equalise in a 2-2 draw with Sunderland earlier this campaign, earning a point that could make all the difference come the end of the term.

Nonetheless, if Dieng is available in January, the Toffees should look to sign him before he raises his profile further, and other clubs come in for him.

South African allrounder strikes 13 boundaries as The Blaze chase down 276 with 12 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network08-May-2024

South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk struck a magnificent unbeaten 106 as The Blaze fought back to beat Western Storm by four wickets in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Trent Bridge.Chasing 276 for victory, the home side looked to be heading for a fifth defeat in six matches when they slipped to 137 for 6 following Natasha Wraith’s impressive career-best 73 in the Storm innings.But 24-year-old De Klerk turned things around in a superb unbroken 139-run partnership with 21-year-old wicketkeeper Ella Claridge (64 not out), whose half-century was her first in women’s regional cricket, as The Blaze won with 12 balls to spare.Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Wraith had shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 93 with skipper Sophie Luff (37), who had earlier put on 66 for the second wicket with Fran Wilson (34) before useful lower-order runs from Chloe Skelton (29 not out) helped Storm made light of the absence of England duo Heather Knight and Danielle Gibson to total to 275 in 48.1 overs. Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon took 4 for 40 to lift her wickets tally to 11 for the campaign.England opener Tammy Beaumont, not selected for the forthcoming T20 series against Pakistan Women, hit 41, sharing an opening partnership of 52 with Teresa Graves (24), but The Blaze looked likely to suffer again in the absence of England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and Scotland internationals Kathryn and Sarah Bryce until De Klerk and Claridge’s heroics won the day.The Blaze had won the toss and Sophie Munro removed Alex Griffiths with the second ball of the match courtesy of an edge to solitary slip Beaumont, but Gordon had to wait until the 14th over to see her decision to bowl first rewarded again, bringing about the breakthrough with her own left-arm spin as Wilson’s sweep flew off a top-edge to short fine leg.Gordon followed up by bowling Smale to leave Storm 70 for 3, after which the Blaze skipper looked to apply the squeeze with spin at both ends.But Wraith and Luff countered by going on the offensive, adding another 50 in just 40 deliveries, Wraith hitting a maximum down the ground off Gordon before knocking leg-spinner Josie Groves out of the attack with three fours in four balls.The fourth-wicket pair plundered more runs against the off-spin of Lucy Higham before Groves, replacing England’s Sarah Glenn in the one change to the Blaze line-up, returned to have Luff caught at long-off thanks to an excellent catch on the run by Munro.Wraith continued unchecked, passing her previous best of 68 when she pulled left-armer Ballinger for her 11th four.She fell in the next over, caught behind off a top edge, and when Gordon then dismissed Katie Jones and Niamh Holland in the space of four deliveries, the home side looked to be wresting back control with Storm 207 for 7.Yet Skelton, who hammered the unfortunate Ballinger for five consecutive fours, led the way as the Storm tail wagged vigorously, the last three wickets adding 68 vital runs, punctuated by a second success each for De Klerk and Munro before Graves ended the innings with her only delivery.In reply, The Blaze were going well until the last over of the opening powerplay, when Smale struck with her first ball as Luff turned to spin for the first time. The left-armer induced the thinnest of tickles as Graves, who had played nicely for her 24, was caught behind on the leg side.From 52 without loss, Blaze stumbled badly. Smale picked up the crucial wicket of Beaumont, whose swing and miss ended with her middle stump out of the ground, before leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington removed Marie Kelly with the help of an excellent catch by Griffiths at gully and had Beth Gammon leg before.Gordon perished for 16, adjudged leg before trying to work Skelton’s off-spin through the on side, and Munro was bowled through the gate by seamer Griffiths.Storm were now well on top with Blaze 137 for 6, but there was no shifting De Klerk, who pounced on almost any delivery that was short or wide, completing her second half-century for the East Midlands side off 62 balls with six boundaries.Having lost five partners before that milestone, she at last found one to stick with her in Claridge, who grew in confidence, her fifth boundary, forcefully driven through the covers off Skelton, bringing up a century partnership for the seventh wicket in 17 overs, with 37 needed from the final six overs.De Klerk brought up her hundred from 112 balls with 12 fours before winning the match with a six, slog-swept off Griffiths.

Frank Lampard will be looking to get Everton back to winning ways on Wednesday night when his side take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

After an impressive unbeaten run, the Toffees have suffered back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and face another tricky game against Eddie Howe’s high-flying side this evening.

Lampard’s side struggled for any real creativity in their last outing at Spurs, failing to register a single shot on target against the north London outfit, but should look a lot more dangerous against the Magpies if Anthony Gordon is unleashed, as is expected upon his return.

The England U21 international missed the trip to Spurs through suspension but is back in contention for Lampard ahead of Newcastle, which is undoubtedly a significant boost to Everton’s chances.

The 21-year-old is Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League so far this season with two goals, while he also ranks second for shots per game, emphasising the threat he poses in the final third.

There is also an added incentive for Gordon to impress at St James’ Park, as Newcastle were reportedly very interested in signing him during the summer and while Everton fans won’t be hoping that he is out to earn a future transfer, he certainly won’t be struggling for motivation to be at his best for Wednesday’s fixture.

Alan Shearer, who may be hoping that Gordon doesn’t perform against his old side, was full of praise for the Everton star last season, saying:

“A young man that has been causing quite a bit of excitement is Anthony Gordon.

“Everton fans have really gotten behind the winger who has shown passion and plenty of ability in what has been a tough season for the Toffees.

“I’ve personally been impressed by his fearless attitude, he’s not afraid to get stuck in and he tries to make things happen going forward, putting plenty of crosses into the box.”

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Given that Gordon has already scored 50% of the goals he managed in the Premier League last season, the £10k-per-week earner looks on track for a big campaign with the Toffees, and Lampard will no doubt be delighted to unleash him again in such a tough game, especially when he will have a big point to prove against his summer suitors.