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Chelsea should not be too concerned after missing out on midfield transfer target Manuel Ugarte and will have already moved on to other targets, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Who did Ugarte sign for?

Chelsea pulled out of the race to sign Ugarte this week despite submitting an offer to Sporting CP for the Uruguayan midfielder.

The Blues fought against French champions Paris Saint Germain for the player’s signature, but Ugarte is expected to make the switch to Ligue 1 despite strong interest from new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino.

PSG pushed hard to sign the 22-year-old and refused to be beaten on wages, per Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian. The club are now expected to chase other midfield targets, including Brighton’s Moises Caicedo

Jones believes it will not come as a shock to Chelsea that they have missed out on securing Ugarte’s services and expects the club’s summer business to continue as usual.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones stated: “I think it's important that we remember clubs don't just go after one player at one time. And that wasn't the case here, either. So Chelsea were just going about their business in a normal way.

“It’s just so widely reported now from every angle that it just seems to have gone further than people expected.

“PSG were always in that conversation; it looks like they are going to win that particular battle. Chelsea will move on and they won't be too concerned.”

Would Ugarte have been a good signing for Chelsea?

Chelsea will be disappointed that Ugarte has chosen to move to PSG given the size of the rebuild needed in the Blue’s midfield.

N'Golo Kante looks set to leave the club to join Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, while Mason Mount and Reuben Loftus-Cheek have been tipped to leave Stamford Bridge.

Ugarte was an important player for Sporting last season in a season in which they reached the Europa League quarter-finals.

The defensive midfielder played a total of 47 games for Sporting in the 22/23 season, picking up an eye-watering 16 yellow cards in that time per Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old is, without doubt, a talented player, but his wages would have been significant in a Chelsea team that have an eye on Financial Fair Play regulations.

PSG reportedly offered £2.6 million more in base salary than Chelsea, and although Pochettino will be disappointed on missing out on the talent of Ugarte it could be a blessing in disguise due to the cost of the young star’s wages.

Legspinner Rumana Ahmed’s hat-trick – the first in international cricket by a Bangladesh Women’s cricketer – helped her side defend a small total of 106 and beat Ireland Women by 10 runs in the third ODI to claim the series 1-0

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Rumana Ahmed dismissed Kim Garth, Clare Shillington and Mary Waldron for her hat-trick•IDI/Getty ImagesLegspinner Rumana Ahmed’s hat-trick – the first in international cricket by a Bangladesh Women’s cricketer – helped her side defend a small total of 106 and beat Ireland Women by 10 runs in the third ODI to claim the series 1-0.Ireland had begun their chase of 107 well, with the openers Meg Kendal and Cecelia Joyce adding 52. Offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra dismissed Kendal and No. 3 Shauna Kavanagh quickly but the big setback to Ireland’s innings came when Cecelia was run out for 35. Having lost Isobel Joyce for 2, Ireland’s chase was starting to look shaky at 84 for 4 when Rumana struck. She dismissed Kim Garth, Clare Shillington and Mary Waldron off successive balls to leave Ireland’s chase in tatters. Laura Delany, Ireland’s captain, pushed the score along to 96 before she too was dismissed and Bangladesh wrapped up the win in the 38th over.Bangladesh’s spinners split up all eight bowler dismissals in Ireland’s innings. Apart from Rumana’s 3 for 20, Tul Kubra and legspinner Fahima Khatun took two wickets each, while left-arm spinner Nahida Akter had returns of 1 for 18. Khatun’s 2 for 13 was her best in ODIs.Earlier, medium-pacer Amy Kenealy wrecked Bangladesh’s top order, leaving them tottering at 25 for 5 after they had opted to bat first. Her career-best 4 for 32 accounted for four of Bangladesh’s top six. Opener Sanjida Islam top-scored with 33 and led a brief fightback, adding 44 for the sixth wicket with Ritu Moni. Jahanara Alam and Akter shared another useful partnership of 32 runs for the eighth wicket, lifting the score past 100. The failure of the middle order, however, meant that Bangladesh could only muster a total of 106. Twenty-six extras, including 23 wides, were the second-biggest contribution in Bangladesh’s total.The third ODI was not originally scheduled in the series but was added after the first ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled. The second match, which was curtailed to 47-overs-a-side, then saw only 18 overs of play before being abandoned. Bangladesh had earlier lost the T20I series 0-1.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that the representatives of Martin Odegaard have signalled that they want to have talks over a new Arsenal contract.

What's the latest contract news at Arsenal?

It seems as though Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are keen to put plenty of important squad members on fresh new deals as soon as possible.

For instance, it was announced this week that goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had committed his future to the club, while there is plenty of talk in the media about the likes of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka also penning new deals.

The latest name to add to that list appears to be club captain Odegaard – and it's good news for the Gunners, as it seems he's more than keen to stick around with a new deal.

Indeed, Bailey revealed as much while talking on 90min's Talking Transfers, explaining the latest development.

He said: "The main thing with this is, his people have signalled their intent to have the talks – which is the main thing, really.

"You know, it's that Football Manager thing, isn't it? When you engage with the agents and they're positive.

"He's not saying, 'No, I'll wait and I'll wait another 18 months.' He isn't saying that. He's happy to talk.

"So this will be a matter of when rather than if. Probably more to the end of the season but this will be a huge deal as well. This will be over £300,000 a week; he'll be one of the highest-paid players at the club."

How much will Martin Odegaard's new contract be worth?

At the moment, the former Real Madrid midfielder earns a reported £115k per week, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2025.

However, as Bailey reveals, he could potentially treble that and now earn over £300k per week. This makes sense to a degree, seeing as he has since established himself as club captain and helped the Gunners regain Champions League football.

What's more, Odegaard has been superb, winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month for November and December and has subsequently been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Season accolade.

With all that being the case, if the 24-year-old is happy to commit his future to Arsenal, it sounds like one deal that could be wrapped up pretty soon – which would be a great boost going into a potentially busy summer.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has done an 'unbelievable' job at Villa Park as his side go into the business end of the season with a shot at continental qualification, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest news involving Unai Emery and Aston Villa?

Aston Villa sit seventh in the Premier League standings on 54 points with four matches left to play, with only goal difference separating them from Tottenham Hotspur in sixth position.

Since arriving at Villa Park to take over from Steven Gerrard last October, the 51-year-old Spaniard has taken 42 points from 21 fixtures in the English top flight, winning 13, drawing three and losing five of his encounters in charge, working out at a points total of roughly two per game, as per Transfermarkt.

Last weekend, the Villans suffered their first defeat since February at Old Trafford in an unfortunate 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, bringing to an end a ten-match unbeaten run, as per Sky Sports.

As per the official Aston Villa website, Emery spoke of his desire to see his team bounce back following the loss to the Red Devils, stating: “I think today we can be bitterly disappointed but, overall, we have to analyse everything, in the way we are now. Adding the new step ahead we have in front, facing the possibility to play for a European place. We are going to think and analyse the next match against Wolves on Saturday because we have in front a new opportunity.”

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist O'Rourke believes that appointing Emery is the best decision Aston Villa majority owners NSWE have made since taking control of the club.

When asked about their decision to bring Emery into the club has been their most notable, O'Rourke told FFC: "It's hard not to argue with that assessment; he's been unbelievable. I think, since he's taken over, Villa are only second to Arsenal in the amount of points won in the Premier League. Remarkable turnaround, they were in a relegation fight when he took over, but he's transformed things since replacing Steven Gerrard."

How far can Aston Villa go under the stewardship of Unai Emery?

Emery is the sort of manager who takes things a game at a time. However, he'll certainly be encouraged by the strides his Aston Villa side have made and where that could lead them in the coming months.

For now, at least, securing some sort of European access for 2023/24 has to be their main goal, whether that be in the form of the Europa League or Europa Conference League.

Then their focus will likely move on to scouting potential summer recruits, who will likely be enthused by the prospect of competing in continental competition next term.

Nevertheless, this feat can only be achieved if Villa continue to perform under Emery over their next four fixtures, which is something the Spaniard will be doing everything he can to try and ensure his side finish this campaign with a flourish.

Everton’s Premier League survival hopes took yet another hit with a 2-2 draw against Leicester City as Sean Dyche’s men battled back to secure a point, although it may not be enough.

The Toffees took the lead at the King Power through a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty after only 15 minutes and this should have given the away side a surge in confidence, however, the same old defensive failings that have occurred recently let them down.

First Caglar Soyuncu equalised with his first goal since October 2021, before Jamie Vardy netted only his third league strike this season to give the home side a lead.

James Maddison’s penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford and this could be the moment that proves crucial in the relegation battle. Alex Iowbi netted to make it 2-2 with just over half an hour left but no team could find a winner.

Dyche would have been disappointed by a fair few of his starting XI. Dwight McNeil was looking to build on his goal against Newcastle United last week, however aside from his assist for Iwobi, he made just 19 passes and missed a big chance.

It was defender Vitaliy Mykolenko who proved to be one of the worst players for the Toffees in a display that rather summed up his stay at Goodison.

How did Vitaliy Mykolenko perform for Everton?

The left-back was looked upon to link up well with McNeil on the left wing, yet the duo couldn’t exactly get anything going during the clash.

He failed to deliver an accurate cross with that rather epitomising what he's brought to Everton; a lack of attacking acumen.

That was exacerbated by no key passes and no shots as Everton looked to gain an upper hand from anywhere on the pitch.

Taking just 32 touches, he was in possession of the ball on fewer occasions than goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (45 touches) while his 12 passes were also lower than the Everton stopper's, proving he was far from the required standard under Dyche.

Defensively, the £58k-per-week Ukrainian wasn’t much better, losing possession seven times throughout the match, committing two fouls, and winning just three duels from seven as Leicester took advantage of Everton’s lack of confidence at the back.

It was just a poor performance overall with this coming at a time when players should be proving that they can cut it in the team and indeed the division in order to retain their top-flight status. Unfortunately, the left-back has shown time and time again that he cannot be relied upon on a consistent basis.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Francisco Trincao has spoken out on his recent upturn in form, after his hugely disappointing form in England last season.

What did Francisco Trincao say?

The 23-year-old expressed his happiness at this current time with perhaps a disguised swipe at Bruno Lage for how he was managed last term.

Speaking to Sport TV, related by O Jogo, he said:

“It’s like the manager has said about me, I need the consistency that I haven’t had in recent years. I feel good here, I’m happy. I hope to gain this consistency to be able to give more and be better.”

What went wrong for Trincao at Wolves?

The Portuguese joined Barcelona on a five-year deal in January 2020 and was handed his debut in October later that year.

Over a year later, the winger netted his first goal for the Catalan Giants in a 3-2 away win at Real Betis in the Spanish League. The following weekend, he then recorded two assists in a 5-1 thumping of Alaves, which included some delicious link-up play with Lionel Messi.

Due to the incredible competition at Barcelona and with an obvious talent that needed some more regular minutes to be developed and nurtured, the attacker joined Wolves on a season-long loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2021 and was tipped to become a real force within English football.

However, the playmaker endured the least productive campaign of his career and only registered four goals in 30 appearances in all contributions.

It was an incredibly disappointing return, heightened by the fact that he was a player who obviously had an oozing attacking flair but a damaging lack of end product – a painfully similar trend to what compatriot Goncalo Guedes experienced in the Midlands.

The fellow Portugal international has endured a comparatively dismal spell in England. Signed last summer, he has only scored twice and registered a solitary assist in 18 appearances. A better rate than Trincao, but still far from mindblowing.

Like the former Barca man, he is already elsewhere – on loan at Benfica.

After Trincao's disastrous spell, the £13m-rated man has also returned to his homeland, signing on loan for Sporting CP. Across 45 appearances for the Lions, he has contributed 15 goals and assists in a season where Ruben Amorin’s side has defeated Arsenal in the Europa League and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage.

In a recent league match, the former Braga man netted a hat-trick against Casa Pia and also recorded two key passes, two successful dribbles, and a monstrous 9.3 rating, as per Sofascore.

Trincao opting against signing permanently for Wolves emerged as the best option for parties, his short spell in England will be one he'll swiftly forget.

Journalist Charles Watts has hinted that Bukayo Saka should be fit for Arsenal’s next game, despite appearing to pick up a knock in their previous win.

What happened to Bukayo Saka?

The winger has been in sensational form for the league leaders this season, and was one of the stars of the show as Arsenal came from behind to win last weekend.

Saka scored the Gunners’ equaliser against Aston Villa, but was also involved in some heavy-handed duels with left-back Alex Moreno, and was limping towards the end of the game.

Mikel Arteta has spoken out about the heavy tackling Saka has had to face this season amid fears that he could pick up an injury if he is not afforded the protection he should be given.

However, Watts appears confident the winger will be available for his side’s trip to Leicester City, claiming on his YouTube channel that he is expected to make the trip as Arsenal face yet another important game in their title challenge.

He said: “Saka, in terms of team news for him, yes, he got a bit of a battering against Villa at the weekend, we saw how much he was limping. But he got through the game. He was still on there at the end, he was still sprinting.

“So Arsenal will assess him as the week goes on and make a decision on him, but I’d be very surprised if Bukayo Saka isn’t fit to feature against Leicester at the weekend.”

How important is Saka to Arsenal?

Saka is a remarkable figure of consistency when it comes to fitness, as he has featured in all of Arsenal’s last 65 league matches, which is currently more than anyone else in the Premier League.

The England international has been in sensational form, notching up nine goals and eight assists in 23 league games, scoring against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool – proving himself as Arsenal’s main star in their biggest matches.

Based on this, you would imagine Arsenal will need Saka to continue his high level of performance if they are to go on and win the league, and an injury to their star man could prove pivotal, with Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey already absent.

Being able to select him this weekend will therefore be a massive relief for Arteta, and if he is fit, Saka will likely continue in his starting role on the right wing.

Leeds United could now be on the verge of ending their manager search…

What is the latest news on Leeds’ manager search?

According to renowned journalist Phil Hay of The Athletic, the Yorkshire outfit are set to appoint former Watford boss Javi Gracia.

He tweeted:

“Leeds United set to confirm Javi Gracia as their new head coach. Interview with him went well and deal should be finalised shortly. Arrives with the initial target of staving off relegation.”

Is Javi Gracia a suitable appointment for Leeds?

It’s clear that the Whites’ quest to find a suitable replacement for Jesse Marsch has become a little desperate, having had several names ruled out of the running for one reason or another.

The likes of former Marcelo Bielsa assistant Carlos Corberan, his protege Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano, Arne Slot of Feyenoord and Alfred Schreuder have all been linked to the post, but to no avail.

Gracia has been out of work for around eight months, having left Qatar Stars League outfit Al-Sadd in the summer and has not coached in England since being sacked by Watford in September 2019.

During the 2018/19 campaign, the Spaniard guided the Hornets to safety and made the FA Cup final for the first time in 35 years but as is often the case in north London, he wasn’t able to last long in Gino Pozzo’s ruthless regime.

Overall, his time in the country drew just a 37.8% win rate from 66 matches, with that decreasing to just 32% in the Premier League alone.

With Leeds languishing in the relegation zone, Gracia will need to hit the ground running at Elland Road, though his track record makes it seem like that’ll be an even more arduous task, especially as Marsch’s win rate (29%) at the club was very similar.

It won’t be easy to get his ideas across quickly, considering the side had worked with the American for a whole year and in the past two weeks, with U21 boss Michael Skubala and that’ll only be a further detriment to their survival chances and thus, it could have been better to stick it out with the former RB Leipzig boss before making a change in the summer.

AND in other news, Radrizzani could all but seal Leeds’ relegation amid managerial reports on 40 y/o boss…

Liverpool are scrounging for any scrap of positivity right now, but they could find light at the end of the tunnel after a woeful spell of shocking form in the Premier League ahead of tonight’s pivotal Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield.

In fact, concerns of a wobble have now morphed into a fully-fledged crisis, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds still chasing their first league victory of 2023.

During this period, the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all put three past Alisson en route to victory, whilst a drab stalemate against Chelsea at Anfield last month laid bare Liverpool’s problems in attack since the turn of the year.

This is a perilous situation and one that Klopp will be desperate to rectify, having clinched the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last season, along with narrowly losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid and falling an agonising one point short to Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

There are a range of reasons as to why this internal collapse has occurred, and while injuries have played a part, the manner of the fall from grace cannot be chiefly attributed to setbacks this time around.

Nonetheless, Liverpool have felt the effects of several key players’ absences, notably Luis Diaz, Dioga Jota and more recently Virgil van Dijk.

Could Jota star against the Toffees?

Jota is in contention to make his return to the fold after missing 22 games since his calf injury setback against Manchester City in October, having only started on two occasions in the Premier League this term following a pre-season hamstring problem which saw him sidelined for the opening few weeks of the campaign.

Despite his stop-start season, the Portuguese forward has still supplied five assists from eight matches, including just four starting appearances, which is an illustration of the dynamic skill set that the Reds have been missing in his absence.

Klopp, who has hailed the 29-cap star as “exceptional”, waxed lyrical about Jota’s distinctive qualities, stating: “He has the technical skills, he has the physical skills and he is very smart and can learn all the tactical stuff pretty quick. He has the speed, has the desire to finish situations off really good. I think his goalscoring record is pretty impressive.”

Last season alone, the 26-year-old was one of Liverpool’s most pivotal components; not quite the pizzazz of Mohamed Salah, nor a replica of the blistering brilliance of Sadio Mane, Jota is still an incredibly efficient and composed seeker of goals, and the statistics above highlight just how important he is to his team.

Just take a look at FBref’s statistics on the player – Jota ranks among the top 1% of forwards in Europe’s five main leagues for rate of assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for progressive passes over the past year. With Liverpool looking static and devoid of inspiration right now, such traits will only enhance the collective effort and help to burrow a hole out of their current rut.

With the gem – who was signed from Wolves for £41m in 2020 – often enjoying himself against Everton in the past, Klopp will certainly be delighted to have such an impactful player back for tonight’s derby. Jota has scored two goals from just four starts against Liverpool’s city rivals, losing just once in eight outings against them.

The £140k-per-week ace is selfless, robust and a multi-dimensional force within the spherical frontline of Liverpool’s attack.

His return, if it comes tonight, could give the Reds’ forward line a much-needed fresh impetus and might just be the catalyst for positive change at Anfield.

The January transfer window is well underway and Tottenham Hotspur are yet to make a move to bolster their squad by dipping into the market.

Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte were busy over the summer as they brought in Fraser Forster, Richarlison, Djed Spence, Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, and Clement Lenglet with the hope of improving the team.

The pair could now work together to secure further additions to the squad in the final two weeks of the window to give the side the best chance of securing a Champions League place for next season.

One player who has been linked with a move to the club is current Brighton winger Leandro Trossard. Reporter Ryan Taylor recently told GIVEMESPORT that Spurs have made a “verbal proposal” to the Seagulls but is not sure if they will go back in with another offer for his services.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi banished the Belgian international from their match against Liverpool and has since said:

“Nothing serious happened with Trossard. But recently, he didn’t give 100% in training and on matchday, that’s it on my side.

“Maybe his agent fancies selling him for a lower transfer fee… surely, Trossard didn’t tell me the truth. Everyone in the dressing room knows how things went. But if Trossand wants to rejoin us with the right attitude, I am happy to coach him.”

Tottenham must now pounce on any opportunity to sign the 28-year-old, if he is not settled at the AMEX, as Conte could form an exciting partnership at the top end of the pitch by pairing him with Harry Kane.

The Spurs centre-forward has been in phenomenal form in the Premier League this season as he has plundered 15 goals and one assist in 19 appearances.

Kane has created eight ‘big chances’ and provided 1.8 key passes per game in the top-flight but has only been rewarded with one assist for his terrific creative efforts.

Trossard, meanwhile, has found the back of the net seven times in 16 outings for Brighton this term, after scoring eight goals in 32 games in 2021/22.

The £40k-per-week gem, who was once dubbed a “magician” by journalist Deji Faremi, has proven that he can be a goalscorer in the Premier League and bringing in a player of his quality could allow Spurs to make better use of Kane’s passing ability.

No Spurs player, outside of the England captain, has scored more than four times in the division this season and this indicates that Trossard would be a welcome addition to Conte’s options out wide.

Now, just imagine Kane spinning on the halfway line and firing a through ball for the Belgian international to run onto and use to score a goal for Tottenham in the second half of the season. They could form an exciting partnership up front and that is why Paratici and Conte must swoop for him again this month.