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Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol after being deemed favourites to land the ace’s signature if they prove willing to meet his release clause…

What’s the word?

The Croatian Gvardiol is quickly asserting himself as one of the standout young stars on the European scene, dazzling for both club and country despite having just turned 21 years old, and has subsequently earned interest from some of the continent’s most prominent outfits.

According to a report from The Mirror last month, Blues boss Graham Potter and technical director Christopher Vivell have been considering a January swoop for the colossus, but with AS Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile clinched for £35m, it appears that a transfer might not be forthcoming for the time being.

But now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, German Bundesliga insider Christian Falk has stated that Chelsea would be the probable destination if the west London outfit were among suitors submitting a concrete bid, with his alleged £97m release clause perhaps proving to be a stumbling block for most intrigued parties.

Falk said: “I would say Chelsea would be favourites if they pay that amount, and also Tottenham can hope, but it’s really expensive.”

Terry reborn

Having made 20 appearances for Leipzig this season, Gvardiol is swiftly emerging as one of the hottest defensive prospects on the globe, and has indeed found himself at the heart of intense speculation regarding his future, with Chelsea joined by the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in pursuing a move.

Zach Lowy was impressed by the defender following his excellent performances for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, remarking that his nation have the “leader of their defence for the next decade”, with the 19-cap star recording an average rating of 7.16 as his nation commendably clinched third place.

As per FBref, he ranks within the top 1% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed, the top 2% for attempted passes and the top 5% for progressive passes, illustrating his offensive emphasis and ability as a creative force from deep within his side.

The young gem ranks within the top 25% of positional peers for rate of goals, and if he can continue to build the blocks in this regard he could emulate Chelsea legend John Terry, who made 715 appearances across an illustrious career at Stamford Bridge, notably captaining the side to five Premier League trophies, the Champions League and five FA Cups, among other honours.

Terry was a distinguished phenomenon at the back, a supreme leader as Gvardiol is, and a regular goalscorer for his outfit – notching a remarkable 74 times across the entirety of his career for club and country.

Thus, the Croatian powerhouse, who has been dubbed the “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could emulate the pathway paved by his veteran positional peer.

Lauded as a “gladiator” by journalist Ryan Taylor, Gvardiol could certainly be the unflinching warrior that Chelsea need to steer the club towards glory under Boehly’s reign, and with the abundance of refined defensive might belying the tender age and relative inexperience, there is certainly a platform from which he can flourish.

The centre-back would be a diamond acquisition for a Premier League outfit hellbent on finding a seat within the select pantheon of football’s very greatest and most eminent outfits, and with his inclusion, there could certainly be a very good chance that Boehly has completed the jigsaw to kickstart the new era.

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their pursuit of right-back Ivan Fresneda during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners have now edged ahead of their Premier League rivals Newcastle United in the race to land the gem’s signature.

The report claims that the club are set to hold talks with the player’s representatives in London next week as Edu attempts to secure another addition for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Leandro Trossard became the first signing of the month earlier this week and centre-back Jakub Kiwior looks set to join him, whilst Fresneda could be the third for a fee of £8.8m.

Ben White heir

Edu could land Arteta a dream heir to Ben White’s position in the team at right-back by beating Newcastle to the signing of the Spanish defender this month.

The current Gunners enforcer has been in fantastic form in the Premier League for Arsenal this season whilst playing at full-back, away from his more natural position at centre-back.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.06 across 18 appearances in the top-flight, whilst providing two assists and making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match, and has proven his quality in the division by performing to a high level on a consistent basis.

Only seven other players with at least one Premier League start have averaged a higher score than White within the Arsenal squad and this illustrates his importance to the side.

Fresneda, who is seven years younger than the England international, could come in as the long-term successor in that position as the gem has been in fine form for Real Valladolid this season.

The defender, who journalist Juan Arroita claimed has a “beastly ability” to put crosses in, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 across nine outings in La Liga this term.

Despite only turning 18 in September of 2022, the teenager has caught the eye with some stunning performances in the Spanish top-flight – creating two ‘big chances’ and making an impressive 4.6 tackles and interceptions per outing.

The dynamo, at his young age, has shown that he can perform consistently to a high level in a major European league and his defensive statistics indicate that he may as also end up being an upgrade on White from a defensive perspective, if the warrior can translate his form over to the Premier League.

Therefore, Edu could land a dream future heir to the 25-year-old Arsenal talent by striking an £8.8m deal to sign Fresneda in the coming days.

Belgian reporter Bob Faesen has claimed that a deal for Nicolas Raskin to move to Glasgow Rangers is not as close as first reported.

The Lowdown: Agreement ‘reached’

Rangers expert The 4th Official, who regularly breaks news from Ibrox on their social media channels, claimed on Wednesday afternoon that the Premiership club have ‘reached an agreement’ to sign Raskin from Standard Liege, with personal terms already being agreed with the Belgium under-21 international.

They add that the Gers were looking for a four-and-a-half-year deal, so it will be interesting to see how this story develops in the next few days.

The Latest: Not as close?

Taking to Twitter this morning, Faesen claims that although the Light Blues have made a bid for Raskin, they ‘still have to jump a lot further’ in terms of securing his signature.

He stated: “UPDATE: The bids from Valladolid for Amallah and Rangers for Raskin are now in at @Standard_RSCL. Negotiations are underway. Amallah is expected to make ends meet very soon. Rangers still have to jump a lot further.”

The Verdict: Do not let it slip

However close the deal may be for Raskin, Rangers must ensure not to let this one slip in the final days of the transfer window.

Lauded as ‘monstrous’ and a ‘leader’ by his manager Ronny Deila, he has played nearly 100 games in the Belgian top flight by the age of 21, scoring five times and supplying another 13 assists (Transfermarkt).

Faesen has also hailed how ‘technically gifted‘ Raskin is, while also praising his work-rate and claiming that he can play in any position in the middle of the park.

The 21-year-old could complement new signing Todd Cantwell very well in Rangers’ midfield, and the pair could strike up a formidable new partnership under Michael Beale, should a deal go through of course.

Aston Villa are scouring the market for wide options before the culmination of the January transfer window, and might have found the answer to their quandary in the shape of Leeds United’s Jack Harrison.

A plethora of names have been thrown into the rumour mill at Villa Park since Unai Emery took the managerial reins in October, with the signings of Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran already tied up before the frenetic energy that comes with the closing days of the transfer market.

However, recent developments have linked the Midlands outfit with a swoop for Leeds’ Harrison, with talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook stating that Emery is set to rival Premier League rivals Leicester City and Newcastle United in the pursuit of the player.

The Foxes have already tabled an official £20m bid, but with Newcastle recently completing the £45m acquisition of Anthony Gordon from Everton, interest from Tyneside might fade out this month; regardless, Villan technical director Johan Lange must pounce now if he is to secure a proven asset in the English top-flight.

Forget Nico Williams…

Last week, Villan technical director attempted to launch an ambitious bid to prise Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams away from Basque Country, but the player rebuffed advances after a £44m official bid had been made.

Names such as Real Betis’ Luiz Henrique have also been considered, but by opting to traverse the Premier League route could be a path that bears fruit for Emery as he seeks clarity over the vigour and cohesion of his aspiring outfit.

And the former Manchester City youngster, who signed for the Whites in an £11m permanent deal following a three-year loan spell in Yorkshire, certainly knows the intricacies of the Premier League after starring for United’s robust outfit following promotion from the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign.

Never featuring for the Man City first team, Harrison has scored 30 goals and served 29 assists from 186 appearances for Leeds, including 30 direct contributions from 88 Premier League appearances.

And this season, the 26-year-old has scored two goals and provided seven assists from 18 starts across all competitions, evidence that his prospective arrival could spark the next level of creativity to lift Villa further up the table after clinching five wins from the seven league matches with Emery at the helm.

An “explosive” winger – as dubbed by Jesse Marsch – of Harrison’s calibre must be considered by Johan Lange, with his signature weakening Leeds’ aspirations and enhancing Villa’s own options.

And at less than half the price of Williams, an immensely talented but relatively unknown commodity, landing the gem could be the more prudent avenue for Emery to delve down in order to bolster his side before the business end of the current term.

West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca, amid his injury, could be ‘struggling’ to adapt to the physicality of Premier League football.

The Lowdown: Scamacca sidelined…

The Italy international, after signing from Sassuolo in the 2022 summer transfer window, has managed just three league goals under manager David Moyes.

Scamacca’s arrival originally ended the long and drawn out search for a back up to Michail Antonio but the forward has arguably found it difficult to score on a consistent enough basis.

He did score in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Leeds recently but a knee injury sustained in that game has kept him sidelined since.

The Latest: Sky injury man makes Scamacca claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who contributes for The Athletic, says Scamacca could be ‘struggling’ with life in English football.

He said:

“It can be a sign that he is struggling to adapt to the Premier League.

“There is definitely some adaptation he needs to do since arriving in England but let’s not forget that football is a contact sport.

“Everyone picks up knocks and niggles and generally knee injuries are high up on the list in terms of incident rates.”

The Verdict: Great potential…

The 24-year-old has drawn comparisons with AC Milan big name Zlatan Ibrahimovic in recent seasons for his unorthodox playing style and clinical nature in front of goal.

Scamacca netted 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances last season and the towering 6 foot 4 striker certainly has what it takes physically to adapt to English football.

His knee injury is an unfortunate one and it’s quite common for new signings to go through an adjustment period, especially when arriving in a division as tough as the Premier League.

The worry for Moyes will be how long Scamacca takes to come back fit and firing for what will be a crunch final few months of 2022/2023 – if the Scotsman isn’t sacked by then.

Everton’s academy is revered throughout England, having produced some incredible English talent that still permeates most corners of the game even today.

Their most recent success story came in the form of Anthony Gordon, who despite leaving unceremoniously earned the club a fine £45m sum.

It shows that there is a pathway to first-team success, and with Sean Dyche’s history with youth promotion, that bodes well. He could be set to combine this with an unmatched defensive know-how to nurture Reece Welch into the first team.

The 19-year-old centre-back boasts physicality and technical prowess in abundance, with all the hallmarks of a quality modern-day defender.

The former Burnley boss could look to fast-track his development, and in doing so hand James Tarkowski another partner akin to the one he had with Ben Mee.

Having played together 162 times, the ageing stalwarts boasted a 1.34 points per game average when paired at the back. This is a stark upgrade on the 0.86 points per game currently being posted by the Toffees.

Their partnership was legendary, and they formed the foundation with which the Clarets remained in the Premier League for as long as they did.

Both boasted fine defensive attributes, but in Welch, he has a little touch of class that could set him apart from Mee and make the dynamic even more efficacious.

The teenage ace already boasts two senior appearances, with Frank Lampard handing him a start in their EFL Cup victory over Fleetwood Town earlier in the campaign.

During that game he would earn a 7.0 rating, where he had 67 touches, boasted a 92% pass success rate, and made four clearances and two tackles too, via Sofascore.

It was a display of maturity and quality far beyond his years, which he has also backed up in the U23s run in the Football League Trophy.

Across four games this time he retained his 7.0 average rating, where his pass accuracy fell to 87% but he upheld 4.5 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game, per Sofascore.

Even against senior opposition he has held his own and truly seems poised to enjoy a fruitful career. It led journalist Paddy Boyland to take to Twitter to praise him, stating that he had: “Plenty of potential and, crucially, composed playing out from the defence”.

To compare that with Mee this season for high-flying Brentford, his 76% pass accuracy hardly compares, and his 3.1 clearances and 1.1 tackles suggest he is hardly an upgrade on Welch.

Being 14 years his junior and already boasting such immense talent, the future is sparkling for this young defender, who will thrive beside the solidity brought by Tarkowski.

Manchester United could well be eyeing a summer move for RB Leipzig sensation Josko Gvardiol as Erik ten Hag seeks to strengthen his defence this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Red Devils – along with Premier League rivals Liverpool – are believed to be in the mix for the Croatian’s signature, albeit with fellow top-flight club Chelsea having seemingly slipped out of the running.

The report does suggest that La Liga giants Real Madrid could be the 21-year-old’s preferred destination, albeit with the centre-back’s reported €100m (£89m) price tag potentially set to prove a sticking point for Los Blancos, duly heightening the chance of a move to England.

This follows previous reports in December which claimed that the Old Trafford outfit were one of the clubs to have submitted an offer for the 19-cap starlet, who still has more than four years left to run on his existing deal in Germany.

Big Lindelof upgrade

The addition of a new centre-back could well potentially hasten an exit for Sweden international Victor Lindelof, with the 28-year-old having seemingly been the subject of transfer interest from across Europe during January, with just 17 months left on his current contract at the Theatre of Dreams.

The former Benfica ace – who arrived in Manchester on a £30m deal back in 2017 – has been resigned to a bit-part role under Ten Hag so far this season, having made just four Premier League starts to date.

That lack of action could well ensure that the £120k-per-week Swede is easily usurped in the defensive pecking order if Gvardiol is to be snapped up come the end of the season, with the latter having been in truly imperious form for both club and country this season.

The highly-coveted “warrior” – as lauded by one journalist – was notably part of the Croatia side which surged to the semi-finals of the World Cup last year, having been described as a “standout” at the tournament by United legend Rio Ferdinand after starting all seven of his country’s games in Qatar

Such dominant showings have also been replicated for Leipzig so far this term, with the former Dinamo Zagreb hotshot averaging 1.1 interceptions and 0.5 tackles per game from his 17 Bundesliga appearances, while Lindelof has averaged just 0.7 for the same two metrics respectively.

It is Gvardiol’s quality in possession which has particularly caught the eye, though, as he ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for progressive carries among his European peers. Meanwhile, the current Red Devils defender ranks in the bottom 11% and the top 40% respectively in that regard.

Throw in the fact that the Zagreb native could well be a player for the long term due to his relative youth, and it is easy to see just why he could well be an astute upgrade on United’s peripheral Swede.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be desperate to get his two young stars, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka, tied down to new contracts, according to Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the latest?

The Gunners are enjoying what has been a stunning – and perhaps unexpected – 2022/23 campaign so far as they sit pretty at the top of the table.

Any immediate concerns surrounding the north London club will be around whether or not they can hold onto their five-point cushion in first place and lift the title.

However, there are some issues inside the club which are seemingly needing to be resolved too with key members of the starting XI seeing their contracts set to expire within the next 18 months.

And speaking to Football FanCast, journalist O’Rourke has suggested the Spanish coach will be eager to get the likes of Saka and Saliba tied down to extended contracts:

“They’re two key players that Mikel Arteta will be desperate to tie down. And if Arsenal continue to show the progress they’re making, it’s only going to boost their chances of securing both of these players on long-term contracts despite interest from other clubs.

“I’m sure they’re both happy at Arsenal and can see the club is going in the right direction.”

Tying down the future

Key to Arsenal’s resurgence under Arteta has been the club’s development of young players and there has been no better example over the last few years than Saka.

The Englishman made a real statement last season as to why he should be starting week in and week out for Arteta at the Emirates Stadium.

In his 38 Premier League appearances last season, Saka was able to return an impressive 11 goals and seven assists for the Gunners.

However, his development has continued this season having already offered up seven goals and seven assists in just 20 league appearances.

In addition, the return of Saliba from his time away on loan has helped to transform Arteta’s defence which has conceded the second-fewest number of goals this season (17).

The Frenchman has certainly nailed down the starting spot in Arteta’s side with 20 starts in the Premier League alone this season.

Given Arsenal’s dominance, perhaps the centre-backs stats do not quite level up with others across the league, however, he has earned the praise of many over his displays thus far:

“I was massively impressed by him. He reminded me of a young Rio Ferdinand,” said Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

And when the likes of Manchester City are believed to be showing an interest in Saka, it is key the Gunners are able to tie these players down to new deals to preserve the potential success of the club for years to come.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is the subject of interest from Barcelona, with the La Liga club prepared to pay £80m for him this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Midfield rebuild needed?

Man City manager Pep Guardiola is faced with the prospect of having to rebuild his midfield in the summer, given that Ilkay Gundogan is yet to sign a new deal to extend his stay beyond the end of the season.

In addition, West Ham United are said to be eyeing Kalvin Phillips, while Bernardo Silva is in the sights of both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports from France.

The Latest: Rodri targeted by Barcelona

It does not end there for Guardiola, as Rodri is now also being targeted by Barcelona, as per Football Insider, and they are said to have already started laying the groundwork ahead of a potential deal.

The La Liga club would be willing to spend £80m to secure the midfielder’s services in the summer, and City are fearful that he will be tempted by a move back to his homeland.

The Verdict: Rodri must stay

Even though Barcelona are prepared to shell out a huge amount of money for Rodri, it is imperative that City keep hold of him, as he would be almost impossible to replace.

Some members of the media have lauded the 26-year-old as ‘phenomenal’, while also proclaiming that he is ‘the best in his position in the world’, and there is a very strong case for that being true, given his exceptional passing ability.

The Spaniard ranks in the 98th percentile compared to other midfielders for his pass completion rate over the past year, while he is also dominant in the air, placing in the 96th percentile for aerial duels won per 90 among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

Rodri’s ability, combined with the possibility that City could also lose the likes of Gundogan and Phillips this summer, makes it absolutely essential that Guardiola rejects any advances from Barcelona for his compatriot.

Chelsea are not planning on sacking Graham Potter despite the poor run of form in which the Premier League club finds themselves on.

Will Chelsea sack Graham Potter?

The Blues are certainly enduring a tricky spell in the English top flight as they find themselves slumped in the middle of the Premier League table.

And the future of Potter has been heavily scrutinised over recent weeks with the results failing to improve over the last few weeks.

However, speaking on TalkSport, presenter Jim White has claimed he recently received a text message from someone at Stamford Bridge saying the trust is still fully with Potter:

“Overnight, I woke up to a text message – and what does that tell you? This is what it tells me. It came from a member of the Chelsea hierarchy. Speculation surrounding Graham Potter’s future at the club, so I’m going to paraphrase it.

“This is what we know about Potter and Chelsea.

“I understand the club feels there are extenuating circumstances. They’ve had 12 players injured, they’ve had eight new starters, and Potter himself had no pre-season. They look at the Mikel Arteta model and how Arsenal have reaped rewards by giving him time.

“Graham Potter,  in the hierarchy’s eyes, is creative, thoughtful, and is the right coach for the Chelsea rebuild. A change now, it’s understood, would be a backward step, not a forward one for the club.”

How much time will Graham Potter be given at Chelsea?

This does seem to be the question on the lips of most Chelsea fans who may feel the Englishman’s time may already be up at Stamford Bridge.

For a club who have spent the money they have since Todd Boehly’s arrival, anything less than Champions League football would surely be a huge disappointment.

Yet Chelsea are well off the pace for even a spot in the top four. Despite having played an extra game, Chelsea currently sit 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

But what is interesting is that Chelsea face an away trip to their London rivals on the weekend which could certainly prove a huge indication as to whether Potter can turn this form around.

A win against Spurs would cut their gap on the Lilywhtes to eight points with the prospect of further reducing that to five points with their game in hand.

However, anything less than a win and it could suggest any faint hopes of a turnaround at Chelsea may be somewhat of a pipedream with over 10 games still to play this season.

But it does have to remembered that Potter has not had a pre-season with this side and he has received an awful lot of new players which will need to adapt to the Premier League.

So it will certainly be interesting to see how the next few weeks pan out with a spot in Europe for next season still a possibility but it does feel as if this Sunday’s game could be a real turning point for the Blues.