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It’s not been a straightforward season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have alternated from looking like one of the best teams in the country, to one that handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the Premier League campaign.

The Australian has been able to turn his team into great entertainers, but that is also down to the fact that it’s hard to know which team will turn up on any given day.

It could be argued that the forward-thinking coach could use one of the first players he sold when he took the reins last summer, a player who’s been touted for a return to the England set-up by Gary Neville.

Spurs' 2023 summer departures

Before getting to the in-form player in question, let’s examine a few other Spurs stars sold in Postecoglou’s first summer, starting with the big one, Harry Kane.

Yes, after years of speculation, the England captain finally left North London last summer, but instead of remaining in the country, he joined German behemoths Bayern Munich for a fee said to be £86.4m.

The Lilywhites legend left the club with an unreal haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games, and while he’s already scored 61 goals and provided 21 assists in 61 appearances for the Bavarians, he is still yet to win his first trophy as an invincible Bayer Leverkusen finally pipped FC Hollywood to the throne last year.

Now, someone who didn’t leave with as much fanfare was Lucas Moura, who rejoined boyhood side São Paulo on a free after making 221 appearances for the North Londoners over five and a half seasons, in which he scored 39 goals, provided 27 assists and gave the fans that night in Amsterdam.

Since returning to Brazil, the 32-year-old has been in fine form and currently has 13 goals and nine assists to his name in 43 games this season, and was recalled to the Brazil squad and played in the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in September.

However, he might not be the only Spurs ace sold last summer to be recalled to their national team in the near future.

The former Spurs star Postecoglou must regret selling

Many former and current Spurs stars have been or still are part of the England set-up, such as Eric Dier, Kane, James Maddison, and now Dominic Solanke.

However, the player Neville believes should be a part of the England squad, and Postecoglou could regret selling last summer, is Harry Winks.

The Australian and Daniel Levy opted to cash in on the 28-year-old midfielder when Leicester City came in with an offer worth £10m, and while that looked like good business at the time, it’s starting to look less so this season.

After playing a crucial role in securing immediate promotion back to the Premier League, the Hemel Hempstead-born “Rolls-Royce”, as dubbed by former professional Ian Baraclough, has continued his fine form into this one, so much so that there are reports that the Lilywhites may be interested in re-signing him in 2025.

If true, it’s not hard to see why, as not only has he already racked up three assists and one goal in just 11 appearances, primarily from defensive midfield, but his underlying numbers are seriously impressive when compared to the North Londoners’ defensive midfielders.

Non-Penalty xG+As

0.13

0.13

0.10

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.38

0.25

0.40

Assists

0.29

0.13

0.00

Shots on Target

0.29

0.25

0.40

Passing Accuracy

86.5%

91.0%

91.4%

Key Passes

1.37

0.34

0.68

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.21

0.00

0.00

Shot-Creating Actions

2.74

2.52

1.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.00

0.00

Tackles Won

0.67

1.77

1.80

Blocks

1.05

0.85

0.91

Dispossessed

0.32

0.68

0.91

Fouls

0.57

1.77

1.20

Ball Recoveries

5.79

7.12

3.64

For example, while he comes out second or third best in some metrics against Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, he comes out ahead in others, including but not limited to assists, key passes, crosses into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it might not be a popular opinion, and Winks might not make it back into the Three Lions set-up under Thomas Tuchel, but he has shown this season that the Premier League is where he belongs.

Moreover, when looking at his raw output and underlying numbers, it certainly looks like he could be doing a job for Postecoglou and Spurs right about now.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024

Despite picking up a much-needed 4-0 victory in the Europa League against FCSB, it wasn’t all good news for Rangers, who have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of St. Mirren this weekend.

Rangers injury news

It was so very nearly the perfect night at Ibrox, with Rangers sweeping their Romanian opposition aside in impressive fashion. Tom Lawrence opened the scoring with just 10 minutes on the clock, before Vaclav Cerny’s brace either side of the break all but sealed the points and Hamza Igamane turned a comfortable victory into an evening to savour for the Gers with just 20 minutes remaining.

Philippe Clement’s attention must now turn to getting his side back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership as his side square off against St. Mirren this weekend. The Gers already sit six points adrift of leaders Celtic and second place Aberdeen and cannot afford to drop any more points after losing late on against Kilmarnock last time out.

That said, a double injury blow may well make their task that much more difficult. As confirmed by Clement and relayed by Rangers Review, both Tom Lawrence and Cyriel Dessers are doubts to face St. Mirren after coming off injured against FCSB.

More touches than Cerny: Rangers star with 95% pass rate stole the show

Rangers secured their second Europa League win on Thursday evening

ByRoss Kilvington Oct 25, 2024

Clement issued an update on the duo, telling reporters after Dessers suffered an eye injury: “I’m not an eye specialist. I’ve a lot of things to do at this club, but that’s not one of those things. We will see how he is in the next couple of days.”

After what looked like a worse knock for Lawrence, the Rangers boss told reporters: “Tom Lawrence got a bad knock, so we need to see how he is and what we can do with that.”

"Emotional" Dessers must find Rangers form

Amid their inconsistency, Rangers have desperately lacked the talisman that Dessers must become sooner rather than later. The 29-year-old has scored just three goals in eight games so far this season and showcased his frustrations after being forced off through injury against FCSB.

Clement explained the forward’s disappointment following the injury after he walked straight down the tunnel, telling reporters: “He apologised for that. He was so emotional. He was hungry to score, hungry to play good for the team.

“He got a knock on his eye and lost eyesight. He could not see anything any more or not enough to play so he was emotional in that moment because he didn’t want to come off. But he could not play.

“Afterwards he said, ‘Sorry manager I should have stayed longer and sit down and give time for the rest’ but it was an emotional reaction of a player who is very hungry to play.”

It’s the type of luck that Dessers could do without as he looks to make things finally work at Ibrox. Whether he gets the chance to do just that against St. Mirren remains to be seen, however.

Harry Kane has thanked Bayern Munich's fans for their "incredible" welcome and that he feels like "one of their own" amid transfer exit speculation.

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Kane pays tribute to Bayern fansFeels like "one of their own"Comes amid release clause newsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kane swapped Tottenham for Bayern in the summer of 2023 and so far he has proven to be a huge hit at the German giants. The 31-year-old says he is "loving" his time with the Bavarian team and the club's supporters have blown him away.

AdvertisementgettyWHAT HARRY KANE SAID

Kane said: "Obviously, I’ve only been here for 18 months but I feel like it’s been a huge part of my life already. The fan base has really been incredible for me and really taken me in, almost as one of their own, and I really appreciate that. playing for a club like Bayern Munich, the pressure is high, every game is intense and a lot of teams want to beat Bayern Munich to have that on their CV, so you have to be prepared at every moment. Yeah, I’m loving it. I’m enjoying this season with the team, with the coach, we’re playing some really good football and that’s always a joy to be a part of, as well."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This comes soon after it emerged that Kane has a release clause that can be activated in the 2026 January transfer window for just €65 million (£54m). The England skipper reportedly ensured the clause was in place when he left Spurs, but he was tight-lipped about the matter when questioned on it. All eyes will be on what happens in the next winter transfer window with Kane.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Kane's future aside, Bayern take on Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Wednesday night.

ظهر مدرب مانشستر سيتي بيب جوارديولا خلال مؤتمر صحفي اليوم الجمعة، متحدثًا قبل المباراة أمام برايتون.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي وبرايتون ضمن مباريات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، غدًا السبت.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز الخامس بـ 47 نقطة، وبرايتون في المركز السابع برصيد 46 نقطة.

وقال جوارديولا: “برايتون من أفضل الأندية من حيث الأداء داخل الملعب وخارجه، يُقدمون أداءً رائعًا في طريقة لعبهم، وهم بلا شك من أقوى الفرق، ليس سرًا ما يقدمونه منذ سنوات عديدة، ترتيبهم الحالي في جدول الترتيب، يستحقون هذا المركز بجدارة”.

وأضاف: “علينا أن نصل إلى أعلى وأفضل مستوى ممكن للتأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، بالتأكيد، علينا أن نحافظ على مستوانا بأقصى قدر ممكن، تبقى لنا عشر مباريات، 6 على أرضنا و4 خارجها، وفي أرضنا نخوض مباريات صعبة للغاية؛ برايتون، أستون فيلا، بورنموث، معظم المباريات صعبة للغاية!”.

وواصل: “علينا أن نتحسن، لأن هناك فرقًا كثيرة في هذا المستوى، وقد أهدرنا فرصة مهمة الأسبوع الماضي (أمام نوتينجهام)، وكنا نستحق ذلك، لسنا كذلك، أحب أن أستحق النجاح، وأن أستحق الفوز، وفي تلك المباراة لم نستحقه”.

وكان المدرب الإيطالي فابيو كابيلو هاجم جوارديولا ووصفه بالمغرور وإلحاق الأذى بكرة القدم، ودمر كرة القدم الإيطالية بجعل الجميع يريدون تقليد أسلوبه.

وسُئل جوارديولا عن الأمر ورد: “أستمع لكل ما يقوله الناس عني، كل شيء، لذا كن حذرًا! ليست هذه المرة الأولى التي يقول فيها السيد فابيو كابيلو ذلك، لستُ جيدًا بما يكفي للفوز في كرة القدم الإيطالية… عناق كبير لفابيو، عناق كبير!”.

وعن المنافسة مع برايتون على مقعد في دوري أبطال أوروبا، أشار: “وبورنموث، وأستون فيلا، ونيوكاسل، وربما فولهام سيكونون هناك… فرق رائعة!”.

وبشأن لاعبه جاك جريليش والذي تم استبعاده من قائمة إنجلترا لمباراتي ألبانيا ولاتفيا، أفاد: “لا أعلم… أريد له كل التوفيق، أريده هو، لا أستطيع الحكم على أسباب استبعاده من تشكيلة إنجلترا، أتمنى له كل التوفيق؛ والأفضل على أرض الملعب وخارجه، هذا ما أريده، هو يظهر المستوى اللازم في التدريبات”.

اقرأ أيضًا | الأولى لـ توخيل.. قائمة إنجلترا لمباراتي ألبانيا ولاتفيا في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

كما أشاد جوارديولا بحارس مرماه إيدرسون قائلاً: “حارس مرمى رائع، مذهل، هذا رأيي، تسع سنوات معًا، وكان أداءً رائعًا”.

وعن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا التي ودعها السيتي من الملحق المؤهل لدور الـ 16 أمام ريال مدريد، أكد: “لا أشعر بأي خيبة أمل أو ندم؛ نحن لا نستحق التواجد هناك”.

وأسترسل: “استمتعوا بكرة القدم، المباريات الرائعة التي كانت في آنفيلد، أو في باريس، التنافسية في مدريد، كيف يلعب برشلونة بشكل جيد طوال الموسم، الطريقة التي لعبوا بها لمدة 65 أو 70 دقيقة ضد بنفيكا”.

وشدد جوارديولا: “أنا مجرد مشاهد للتعلم، لمشاهدتها، للاستمتاع بها، وبالتأكيد ليس لدي شعور للأسف مانشستر سيتي ليس هناك، هذا الموسم، يستحق مانشستر سيتي الجلوس على الأريكة مع كأس من النبيذ”.

Nottingham Forest rescued a point on their travels to secure a 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at the AMEX on Sunday. Ramon Sosa came off the bench to score the equaliser in the 70th minute, finding the back of an empty net from Jota Silva’s square pass, after goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck had put the hosts in front despite Chris Wood’s early penalty.

Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half and Nuno Espirito Santo will now need other players to step up in his absence next time out.

The Tricky Trees could also make further additions to their attacking options, to cover and provide competition for the likes of Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, by dipping into the market in January.

Latest Nottingham Forest transfer news

According to CaughtOffside, Nottingham Forest are ‘closely monitoring’ Galatasaray forward Baris Yilmaz ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. The report claims that fellow Premier League teams Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur are also eyeing up the talented winger, which means that it will not be a straightforward deal for the club to pursue.

It states that Galatasaray are looking to rake in a fee of around €30m (£25m) for the 24-year-old sensation, yet it remains to be seen whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs are willing to pay that.

CaughtOffside does, however, reveal that Brighton are planning to offer around €25m (£21m) for the Turkey international after the turn of the year, but that would be €5m below the Super Lig champions’ valuation.

For now, Forest are said to be keeping tabs on Yilmaz’s progress with Galatasaray and are interested in the Turkish whiz, as a potential target for the next transfer window.

Why Nottingham Forest should sign Baris Yilmaz

The exciting 24-year-old star’s impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign could be why the Tricky Trees are showing an interest in bringing him to England next year.

Yilmaz has fired in four goals and created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates in six appearances in the Super Lig so far this term for Galatasaray. Meanwhile, no Nottingham Forest midfielder or winger has struck more than once in the Premier League.

This suggests that, on current form, the right winger, who can also play up front, would provide Nuno with a significant goalscoring boost from the flank.

23/24 season	Yilmaz (Super Lig)	Elanga (Premier League)	Hudson-Odoi (Premier League)
Appearances	28	25	20
Goals	6	5	8
Big chances created	10	14	4
Assists	6	9	1
Key passes per game	1.2	0.9	1.2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Turkey international also stacked up fairly well against Elanga and Hudson-Odoi at league level last term, outscoring the former and providing more creativity than the latter.

Back in April, Kayserispor coach Ilker Puren claimed that the winger’s level of performance is “close to Phil Foden” and that he will play in the Premier League because of his positional intelligence and his physical attributes.

That is staggering praise for Yilmaz, given Foden racked up 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last season, and illustrates why he would be an exciting addition to Forest’s squad moving forward.

Nottingham Forest eye free agent with best in the world defensive metrics

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Brett Worthington

Sep 17, 2024

South Africa’s domestic season is set to get underway in September with a T20 knockout tournament featuring all 15 provincial teams and the national Under-19 side. The teams have been divided into four pools of four and will play each over three days before the semi-finals and final. The group stages will be held in Kimberley and Bloemfontein, though exact fixtures have yet to be confirmed.ESPNcricinfo understands that this tournament will not replace the Mzansi Super League, which began in 2018 but was not held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that the flagship franchise T20 tournament will still take place later in the year. However, the T20 knockout will provide an opportunity for provincial teams in both division one and two in the new domestic set-up to complete against each other.The tournament features all 15 provincial sides as well as South Africa’s Under-19 team•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It will also be the first time South Africa’s new structure will be in operation, after the system was revamped over the winter. South African domestic cricket was previously made up of a top-tier of six franchises and a lower tier of 13 provincial teams. It is now a provincial-only system, with the franchises no longer in existence. The provincial structure consists of 15 teams, with eight in division one and seven in division two. Both divisions will play first-class and 50-overs cricket, the top division will compete in the MSL, and all the teams will be part of the season-opening T20 knockout.The competition will overlap with the IPL, which will mean several of South Africa’s top players will not take part, but immediately precedes the T20 World Cup and will ensure that those players who are not involved at the IPL have the opportunity for match practice before the tournament. South Africa’s national team has just three T20I fixtures remaining before the World Cup, to be played on a short, white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in the first half of September.No other fixtures for the 2021-22 season have been announced but the FTP has a busy program for the South Africa men’s team. They are due to host India for three Tests and three T20Is in December-January, and to travel to New Zealand and host Bangladesh thereafter. Cricket South Africa also needs to make up fixtures against India (three ODIs which were postponed from March 2020, then rescheduled to September, and now postponed again because of the IPL) and three Tests against Australia, which were due to be played in March-April this year.

Mikel Arteta dropped a "really bad news" on Ethan Nwaneri's injury concerns after the young star had to be taken off at half-time against Brighton.

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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by BrightonNwaneri scored the opener for the GunnersMuscle injury forced him to be hooked offFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old, fresh off his first Premier League start, made his mark yet again by scoring his second top-flight goal just 16 minutes into the match. The strike was his fifth across all competitions this season and set a club milestone: Nwaneri became Arsenal’s first player to score multiple Premier League goals before turning 18, surpassing a record previously held by Cesc Fabregas.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ARTETA SAID

However, Nwaneri’s evening ended prematurely as he was forced off due to what Arteta later described as a muscular issue. Speaking to Arteta said: "It’s really bad news because I think we’ve lost him. We had to take him off at half-time with some muscular problems."

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With Bukayo Saka sidelined until March after undergoing hamstring surgery, Nwaneri has stepped up as a vital component of Arsenal’s attacking lineup. Despite his youth, the teenager has displayed maturity and composure, becoming a key part of Arteta’s first-team plans.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta’s tactical ingenuity and squad depth will be put to the test as Arsenal seek to maintain momentum in their pursuit of silverware in cup competitions. The Gunners are set to face Newcastle United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday, followed by a high-stakes FA Cup third-round clash against Manchester United.

One of the biggest, and arguably more surprising transfers of the summer window in 2024 was that of Julian Alvarez from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. The Argentine World Cup winner departed the Etihad Stadium after just two seasons in an £81m move.

His short time at the eight-time Premier League champions was hugely successful. The 24-year-old pulled on the sky blue shirt 103 times, scoring 36 times and grabbing 18 assists. That included a very impressive 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games last season.

He also has quite an outstanding trophy cabinet to show for his efforts during his time under Pep Guardiola, winning seven. As part of those seven trophies, he won the treble at the Etihad Stadium in 2022/23, which included the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.

There has been plenty of noise surrounding his replacement this summer, and City did not end up bringing anyone in. However, they may well have had his dream replacement right under their noses but sold him a few years ago. That player is Ferran Torres.

Torres’ record at Barcelona

The Spain international made the move back to his native country in December of 2021, ahead of the 2022 January transfer window. It was a deal that represented a brilliant piece of business for the Cityzens.

They paid the Euro 2024 winner’s former club Valencia just £20.87m to acquire his services in August 2020 and received superb profit. Specifically, that was £46.7m from Barcelona up front and £8.5m in add-ons.

His time at Barca, has, on a personal note, been successful so far. He has played 117 games for the La Liga giants, scoring 26 goals and registering 14 assists. That includes a particularly successful 2023/24 campaign, his best yet in that famous blue and red shirt.

Had the winger still been at the Etihad Stadium nowadays, he could have been a perfect replacement for Alvarez while also providing some fierce competition to one of City’s current stars, Jack Grealish, whom he has begun to outperform.

Jack Grealish’s record at Man City

Since joining City in 2021 for a then-British record £100m, Grealish has certainly struggled to fully settle into a hugely successful side. The Cityzens have dominated English, and for a time, European football whilst the Englishman has been at the club, but he has never really looked like the same player he was at Aston Villa.

In 127 games for Guardiola’s side, the 28-year-old has scored just 14 goals and registered just 18 assists. His most productive campaign so far was in 2022/23, where Grealish scored five goals and assisted seven in 28 Premier League games.

He has certainly struggled to recapture the form he showed as a Villan, which earned him his big move to Manchester. His best season in England’s top flight for his boyhood club brought him six goals and ten assists.

The City number 10 has been outscored by Torres since he departed the club in the winter of 2021/22. This certainly could suggest a miscalculation on City’s part to sell the Spaniard to Barcelona, and he could have given the Englishman some stern competition for his place in the team.

Torres & Grealish record for Barca and Man City

Stat

Torres for Barca

Grealish for Man City

Games

117

127

Minutes

6,172

8,422

Goals

26

14

Assists

14

18

Stats from Transfermarkt

Interestingly, the duo have played six times with each other, and have featured in the same team for a combined 385 minutes. Had Torres stayed at the Etihad Stadium, City fans could well have seen this duo play together more often, and even compete for a direct place in the lineup.

Either way the “special” Torres, as football scout Antonio Mango described him, could have been their ideal replacement for Alvarez this summer, not least due to his flexibility to feature through the middle or on the flanks.

As it is, the versatile star is now shining away from Manchester, with there a question to be asked as to whether he was moved on too soon.

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Cole Palmer has been compared to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola after he inspired the Blues' comeback win over Spurs.

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• Palmer compared to Zola
• Scored a brace in Chelsea's win over Spurs
• Move up to third in Premier League top scorer's list

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palmer converted two penalties in the second half including one a cheeky Panenka as Chelsea came from behind to beat Tottenham 4-3 in a fiery London derby on Sunday. With his brace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the England international climbed up on the Premier League top goalscorers list to third position with 11 strikes to his name in the 2024/25 campaign.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pundit and former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher showered the 22-year-old with praise after yet another outstanding performance in a big game as he went on to draw comparisons between Palmer and Blues icon Gianfranco Zola. The Italian forward, who spent seven years at Stamford Bridge and won several trophies with the West London outfit, is widely considered one of the greatest players to have donned the blue shirt, however, Carragher claimed that Palmer might have surpassed Zola's legacy at the club.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Speaking on , Carragher said, "He gets the penalties and he is involved in the Enzo Fernandez goal as well. People fear when he has the ball. He hasn't been playing for the best team. When you look at Chelsea over the years, you look at flair players you look at Gianfranco Zola and Eden Hazard.

  "He has probably done more than Zola already in his 18 months at the club. He is going to go down as one of the biggest players for Chelsea if he keeps doing what he is doing. He is a very special player, and that's not just in the Premier League it is in Europe and world football as well."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Enzo Maresca's side, who have now won five matches in a row, will next face Astana in a Europa Conference League clash on Thursday.

Having already scheduled a medical to complete their deal for Aaron Anselmino, Chelsea have reportedly instantly turned their attention towards welcoming another fresh face.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues have once again enjoyed a busy summer, which started with a managerial change as Todd Boehly swapped Mauricio Pochettino for former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca. Since the Italian's arrival, there's been plenty of incomings. The likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Omari Kellyman and Renato Veiga have all arrived – and are set to be joined by Anselmino.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, the Boca Juniors centre-back is set to travel and complete a medical before returning to the Argentinian giants on loan to pick up where he left off for the rest of the second phase of the Primera Division season.

Following the defender's arrival, the Blues may well be about to present a new shot-stopper too. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Filip Jorgensen in a deal worth an initial £20m this summer and have already scheduled a medical for the Villarreal No 1.

Jorgensen looks set to arrive in a move that will see those at Stamford Bridge beat London rivals Arsenal to his signature. Standing at a staggering 6ft 3in, the Dane will compete with Robert Sanchez to become Maresca's out-and-out No 1 in what will be a highly contested battle between two talented goalkeepers. Having only arrived last summer, Sanchez could be set to lose his place just a year later.

"Great" Jorgensen could take Sanchez's place

At 22 years old, the future is certainly bright for Jorgensen, who could now emerge to become Chelsea's new first-choice option between the sticks. Meanwhile, Sanchez could be left fighting for his place once again after facing a similar battle against Djordje Petrovic after his injury last season. This time around, however, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star may not stand in good stead to reclaim his starting spot.

League stats 23/24 (via FBref)	Filip Jorgensen	Robert Sanchez
Clean sheets	6	3
Save percentage	72.2%	70.5%
Pass success rate	80.7%	82.1%
Saves per 90	3.97	3.27

Aside from slightly bettering the Dane in pass accuracy, Sanchez struggled to match Jorgensen in all the important areas last season. The numbers suggest that for just £20m, Chelsea are about to land an impressive upgrade.

Former Villarreal boss Quique Setien praised Jorgensen in January 2023, saying after losing Geronimo Rulli to Ajax (via Relevo): "In sports, we lose a great goalkeeper but we also gain another. Filip is going to be there and will accompany [Pepe] Reina throughout the season. We will try not to make it too noticeable."