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Whilst the big news out of the Etihad Stadium centres around the stars who could be leaving the club this summer, Manchester City are also set to join the race to sign an in-demand midfielder.

Guardiola could lose numerous stars this summer

Jack Grealish is the latest name linked with a move away from the Premier League champions with the club reportedly willing to let the winger leave this summer.

Doku upgrade: Man City register interest in £75m PL "menace"

The Cityzens are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the England international this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 9, 2024

A return to Aston Villa appears likely for Grealish as City attempt to recoup a fraction of the £100million fee they spent on the player three years ago. Joining Grealish on the list of potential departures from the Etihad are City stalwarts Ederson and Kevin de Bruyne. The duo are said to have both received big money offers from Saudi Arabia that may be too good to turn down.

With at least some of Pep Guardiola's star players set to leave, the club are set to compete with their closest rivals for a talented midfielder.

Man City have serious interest in PSG player

As reported by Sport Witness, the Uruguayan press are claiming that Man City are making concrete moves to sign PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The outlet states that Manchester United, City and Barcelona have all positioned themselves ready to make a move for the 23-year-old.

Ugarte is currently away with Uruguay at this summer's Copa America, however prior to the tournament, the midfielder made clear his preference to play for United. The arrival of Guardiola's side into the race for the 23-year-old may change Ugarte's mind however, as the promise of Champions League football could be enough to tempt him to the blue half of Manchester.

Ugarte featured 37 times for PSG in all competitions last season as the Ligue 1 outfit once again finished at the summit of French football. During this triumphant campaign, Ugarte stood out as one of the division's best performers in the middle of the park.

Passes attempted

62

84th percentile

Pass completion %

91.2%

96th percentile

Tackles

4.57

99th percentile

Interceptions

1.86

95th percentile

Blocks

1.26

65th percentile

Ugarte's performances for PSG have seen him earn significant plaudits from current boss Luis Enrique who said of the player back in August 2023: “He was magnificent, wonderful, with or without the ball. He recovered balls, pressed very high, intercepted balls. He had a 10/10 performance.”

Whilst numerous clubs have boasted an interest in the Uruguayan, there is also the chance that Ugarte chooses to remain at PSG next season. Ugarte only joined PSG last summer in a £50 million move from Sporting CP, and this figure would likely need to be bettered if the 23-year-old is to leave Paris this summer.

With the future of Man City's midfield looking somewhat uncertain going into next season, bringing Ugarte to the Etihad would be a smart piece of business from Guardiola and Co.

Since the arrival of new manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have worked quickly in the transfer market.

Tosin Adarabioyo became the first signing of the Italian’s era, and it looks set that a striker will be the next priority target, with Marc Guiu up next.

Plenty of household names have been linked with a move to the Blues, but there are some players who are ready to depart.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a current Chelsea player who could head for the departure lounge this summer.

Omari Hutchinson could leave this summer

According to a report from Football.London, Omari Hutchinson could be on his way out of Stanford Bridge before next season.

It’s said that Ipswich Town are ready to make an offer for last season’s loanee, which is expected to be around £20m.

The Blues will demand a higher fee than that, potentially around the £30m mark, and for Hutchinson, a move away is a ‘serious option.’

However, what may concern the Chelsea faithful is that he has previously hinted that he's keen to depart and permanently stay with the Tractor Boys.

Hutchinson could be Chelsea’s own Cole Palmer disaster

While spending the 2023/24 season at Portman Road, Hutchinson developed into one of the finest attackers in the entire Championship.

Despite only starting 20 league games, the Jamaican played a huge role in helping Kieran McKenna’s side earn promotion, particularly towards the end of the campaign.

Overall, the winger made 44 appearances, and across these matches, he scored an impressive ten goals, including three in the final three matches of the season.

On top of that, Hutchinson provided five assists, and he finished the campaign as the club’s fourth-highest goal contributor, despite his fewer minutes.

Goals

0.41

0.43

0.29

Assists

0.16

0.17

0.11

Shot-creating actions

3.81

4.36

3.43

Successful take-ons

2.05

3.16

2.23

Progressive carries

5.99

6.50

5.25

Tackles

2.21

1.37

1.20

As you can see from the table above, Hutchinson proved to be just as influential for his side as Mykhalo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, who’ve operated on the flanks for Chelsea.

The 21-year-old was the catalyst for plenty of attacking scenarios for Ipswich, whether that was by using his elite vision, weaving past defenders, or simply having intensity off the ball.

This is why football scout Antonio Mango labelled him an “outstanding” talent, yet it also makes him similar to Cole Palmer, in regards to his ability to win a game on his own.

Last season, Palmer joined Chelsea for £40m from Manchester City in search of game time, and his development under Mauricio Pochettino was sublime.

The versatile attacker scored 22 goals and registered 11 assists in the Premier League while also picking up the Premier League Young Player of the Season Award, and the sale of a homegrown product looks to have been a huge mistake by Pep Guardiola.

Now, given the quality of Hutchinson, Chelsea are at risk of repeating City’s woes if they do sell the creative gem, especially off the back of a season where he progressed brilliantly.

Although the competition in the Chelsea attack is extremely strong, Hutchinson has more than enough talent to have a future at the club, but if he does leave, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his departure become a Blues howler in the future.

No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.

ByTom Lever May 29, 2024

An elite European side are set for new talks with Chelsea over signing one of their players this summer, and talks have also been opened with his representatives.

Chelsea tipped for mass summer sale as Boehly plots overhaul

After sealing Mauricio Pochettino's replacement in new head coach Enzo Maresca, chairman Todd Boehly and the wider recruitment team have wasted no time in backing the Italian with fresh faces.

Chelsea consider offering two players in swap deal to sign £50 million star

It could be two out, one in at Stamford Bridge.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2024

Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo arrived on a free transfer from Fulham, with the likes of Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian and Omari Kellyman signing for Chelsea thereafter, as the Blues add some exciting talent to the books as well as senior first-teamers.

Kellyman swapped the Midlands for Stamford Bridge with left-back Ian Maatsen going the other way in a separate deal. Chelsea reached an agreement to sell Maatsen for just over £35 million, with the Dutch defender joining Thiago Silva out the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The 22-year-old impressed on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season, helping them reach the Champions League final, but his excellent displays weren't enough to convince Chelsea to not sell for a decent fee.

Dortmund 3-0 Freiburg

8.61

Dortmund 4-0 Darmstadt

8.49

Union Berlin 0-2 Dortmund

8.43

FC Koln 0-4 Dortmund

7.72

Dortmund 3-1 FC Bochum

7.47

Alongside Maatsen, it is believed a fair few current members of Maresca's squad could be sacrificed over the coming weeks, as co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley look to balance the books and trim Chelsea's bloated team.

Armando Broja, Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Lesley Ugochukwu, Marc Cucurella, Mykhailo Mudryk and Conor Gallagher are all players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer.

Ipswich Town have also opened talks to sign Omari Hutchinson this week, according to multiple reliable sources, while flop £325,000-a-week striker Romelu Lukaku is attracting serious interest from Serie A again.

The Belgian, who Chelsea signed in a £98 million deal from Inter Milan three years ago, has since spent time back at the Nerazzurri on loan. Lukaku also played under Jose Mourinho on another temporary spell at Roma, and it is now believed AC Milan want to strike yet another loan for the 31-year-old.

AC Milan set for new talks to sign Lukaku from Chelsea

La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed earlier this week that Lukaku gave his green light to join Milan, with Sky Italia sharing an update of their own on the matter. The broadcaster says Milan are set for new talks with Chelsea to sign Lukaku, and a meeting has been scheduled with his representatives to gauge the feasibility of a potential transfer.

The Rossoneri are pushing for a loan deal, but Chelsea are apparently demanding they pay a high portion of his wages. Lukaku has proved time and time again he can perform well in Italy, with Leonardo Bonucci branding him a "complete" striker.

Liverpool’s disastrous run in the Premier League this season has shown no signs of coming to an end in recent weeks, with the showing against Sunderland once again highlighting their frailties.

Arne Slot’s men were only able to secure a point against the newly promoted outfit at Anfield, something which would have been a crazy statement during the title-winning season.

The drop-off has been astronomical from this time last season, with the Reds now already sitting 11 points off the summit despite playing just 14 league matches.

Wednesday’s clash against the Black Cats further showcased the creative struggles within Slot’s side, with Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort just one of four shots on target during the 90-minute display.

The performances of numerous Reds players no doubt contributed to the failure to secure all three points on Merseyside for the third straight home league outing.

Liverpool’s poor performers against Sunderland

During Wednesday’s draw with the Black Cats, winger Cody Gakpo had yet another performance to forget, with his lack of impact resulting in a half-time withdrawal.

The Dutchman only managed to complete a total of seven passes against Regis Le Bris’ men, with none of his being made into the final third – subsequently highlighting his lack of creativity in attacking areas.

The 26-year-old was also only able to register a singular effort on goal, but it didn’t trouble the opposition goalkeeper – with his substitution at the break certainly warranted.

Joe Gomez was once again asked to operate in an unnatural right-back role due to the injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, but he was massively dominated by the visitors prior to his substitution.

The Englishman entered nine duels during his 65-minute showing, but only managed to come out on top in one of them, resulting in a measly 11% success rate.

He also got dribbled past twice whilst also only completing 20% of the crosses he attempted, highlighting how lacklustre at both ends of the pitch on Merseyside.

Liverpool star is becoming a big problem

The decline of Liverpool in 2025/26 is certainly something to behold, especially after winning the Premier League title under Slot not even seven months ago.

After securing the club’s Premier League title, the Dutchman spent £440m within the transfer market during the summer, but numerous of the big-money additions have so far failed to deliver.

Wirtz’s effort eventually went down as a Nordi Mukiele own goal, which has extended his goalless run, with the German now without a goal in any of his 13 league outings this campaign.

Milos Kerkez has struggled to dislodge Andy Robertson from the starting left-back role, while Frimpong has struggled with injuries and has subsequently been restricted to just four league outings.

Alexander Isak was the most expensive of the summer arrivals, as the Swedish international joined the club in an English-record £125m transfer from Newcastle United.

He no doubt arrived at Anfield with high expectations given such a transfer fee, but also due to his goal tally, which saw him net 23 league goals last campaign.

The striker’s spell on Merseyside to date has been nothing short of a disaster, with the 26-year-old scoring his first league goal at West Ham United last weekend at the sixth time of asking.

As a result, Isak was handed another start against Sunderland last night, but he was once again unable to deliver despite the faith shown in him by the manager.

He featured for 86 minutes of the contest, but could only complete a measly tally of two passes, whilst also losing possession of the ball on three separate occasions.

Minutes played

86

Touches

14

Passes completed

2

Possession lost

3x

Duels won

1

Shots on target

0

Touches in opposition box

2

Chances created

0

The Swede was largely dominated by the opposition at Anfield, as shown by his duels won tally, with the forward winning just one out of a possible six battles that he entered.

He was once again unable to register a shot on target, whilst managing just two touches in the opposition box – subsequently unable to get on the scoresheet once again.

To top off his disappointing display, Isak only registered a total of 14 touches on Merseyside, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Alisson, who managed to notch a total of 34.

As a result of his showing against the Black Cats, the striker was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, further showcasing his struggles after his big-money move.

After such a showing, there’s no doubt that Slot must drop the forward at the weekend, with Hugo Ekitiké needing the chance to start at the top end of the pitch again.

Just one goal in his first seven league games is nothing short of embarrassing, with the record addition desperately needing to find form to kickstart his Reds career.

Fabinho 2.0: Liverpool in pole position to sign £35m midfield "machine"

Liverpool look set to be making a move for one star during the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, amid a new update on his future at the La Liga club.

The Blues already have a plethora of attacking options, having invested heavily during the summer transfer window, with Jamie Gittens grabbing his first Premier League assist of the season in the 2-0 victory against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Gittens set up fellow winger Pedro Neto with a perfectly weighted ball from the left, before Enzo Fernandez sealed all three points with just minutes left to play, moving the Blues up to second in the Premier League in the process.

After the disappointing 2-1 defeat against Sunderland at the end of October, Enzo Maresca’s side look like they are starting to click, and there may be an outside chance they could even compete for the title, although BlueCo may need to strengthen the squad in January to make that dream a reality.

Chelsea submit opening offer for Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted an opening offer of €70m (£62m) for Athletic Club star Williams, and they are willing to triple the winger’s salary in order to tempt him into a January move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been working on a deal for weeks, and they are now confident they will be able to get it over the line soon, with the 23-year-old being identified as a key target, although there is set to be competition for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have now matched the west Londoners’ offer for the Spain international, with it being revealed his future at Athletic Club is ‘more open than ever’, amid interest from two of the Premier League’s top sides.

There are question marks over whether the Athletic Club star would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has a wide array of attacking options, as Chelsea have been obsessed with signing young forwards with high potential.

However, the Pamplona-born forward has certainly impressed in both Spain and Europe over the past three seasons, indicating he could be capable of displacing Gittens in the starting XI at left-wing.

Nico Williams’ performance by season

Appearances (all comps)

Goal contributions

2023-24

37

26

2024-25

45

18

2025-26

10

4

The Spaniard was also one of the stars of Euro 2024, scoring two goals and picking up one assist as his side went on to defeat England 2-1 in the final, while Statman Dave was left particularly impressed by his performance against Georgia in the round of 16.

As such, Williams, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, could be a solid signing for Chelsea, as they look to mount an outside push for the Premier League title.

Chelsea plotting fresh talks to sign another winger alongside Williams Chelsea plot fresh talks with forward after failed £62m bid and 'very exciting proposal'

He’d be a stellar addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

Manchester United are in the market for January reinforcements and may now be about to grant Ruben Amorim one of his key wishes at Old Trafford.

Generating momentum has been a struggle for the Red Devils in recent years. However, they have gone five matches unbeaten in the Premier League, showing a renewed sense of resolve at the club.

Standing firm behind their manager, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will feel vindicated after refusing to succumb to pressure surrounding Amorim. Long-term planning at Manchester United is key, and Fabrizio Romano believes there will definitely be a midfield arrival at the club in 2026.

He said: “Conor Gallagher could be an opportunity, but Atletico Madrid didn’t want to let him go in August. So let’s see what happens in the January window. Angelo Stiller is also a player they appreciate from Stuttgart, but I don’t see a German club selling one of the stars in the January window at all.

“So January is not going to be easy. It’s going to be about opportunities in the summer could be different. And for sure, Manchester United in 2026 will add again, at least one midfielder.”

Romano is right, January is hardly an easy month to do business, and it remains to be seen how much the Red Devils have to spend after a summer of new arrivals, though trying to keep pace with their Premier League rivals may require some form of expenditure.

Midfield is a key area where reinforcements could happen and Hertha Berlin youngster Kennet Eichhorn could be a capture with the long-term in mind.

Casemiro is also coming to the end of his contract, and Manchester United have now shortlisted a successor who has recently been in the headlines.

Man Utd place Bournemouth star Alex Scott on shortlist

According to United In Focus in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Manchester United have placed Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott on their shortlist as a potential heir to Casemiro if he leaves Old Trafford on a free transfer next summer.

The Guernsey-born midfielder earned plenty of adulation last week due to earning a maiden England call-up, and is certainly deserving of the praise he is getting, having bounced back from major knee injuries both at Bristol City and Bournemouth. He is now on the radar of the Red Devils due to his ‘dominant’ displays as Amorim looks to bring fresh energy into his engine room.

Alex Scott’s excellent 2025/26 campaign at Bournemouth

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

0

Bailey stated: “Alex Scott is emerging as a real name now and United are well aware of his talents. I am told they watched him and liked him during his Bristol City days, but now he is maturing into a dominant player.

“We know all the big names linked to United heading into the New Year and ahead of next summer, but keep an eye on Scott – he is a possibility for a number of clubs and that includes United.”

Man Utd could land a heavy discount on an alternative midfielder

Featuring predominantly in a double pivot at Bournemouth, it is likely Amorim would instruct him to perform the same function at Old Trafford, and it appears he could be someone who fills the deeper-lying role at the Red Devils for years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur recorded possibly their most impressive win of the season on Tuesday night as they beat Copenhagen 4-0 with ten men in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s side hit a seasonal high of eight ‘big chances’ created throughout the game, which shows that they were incredibly effective offensively.

Micky van de Ven scored the pick of the goals with his incredible solo run from one box to the other to score his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions.

Randal Kolo Muani led the line for Spurs as their number nine and was unable to get on the scoresheet, but he did provide an assist for Wilson Odobert’s goal.

The PSG loanee has yet to score in seven appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and has missed three ‘big chances’ in front of goal in that time.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to retain his starting spot once Dominic Solanke is fit and available for action.

Why Dominic Solanke may be on borrowed time at Spurs

The England international has been out of action since August with an ankle injury, and is expected to be back and available for selection by the end of November.

Solanke will have to compete with Richarlison and Kolo Muani for a place in the starting line-up when he is back, and he may need to improve upon his form from his first season with the club.

The Lilywhites made him their club-record signing for a fee of £65m when they signed him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to justify that outlay.

Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which was a decent return. However, his performances in the Premier League left a little bit to be desired.

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the English centre-forward underperformed his xG by roughly two goals and missed three more ‘big chances’ than goals scored.

A goal every 245 minutes for a club-record signing, who should be in the prime of his career at 27, does not suggest that Spurs have had much value for money so far.

Football Insider recently reported that Frank has been disappointed with the striker’s performances and injury problems, which does not bode well for his future in North London.

That report and Solanke’s underwhelming statistics, given the money paid for him, suggest that he may be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Kolo Muani’s start to life in England has been fairly unimpressive, with no goals in seven games, but Spurs do have another striker on the way who could end Solanke’s career in North London.

18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia is due to arrive at the club to complete his move from St. Patrick’s Athletic when the January transfer window opens for business, after a deal was agreed in February before his 18th birthday.

Why Mason Melia could end Dominic Solanke's Spurs career

Frank will have a decision to make on the teenage marksman for the second half of the season, because he will have the option to bring the Irishman into the first-team squad.

Given that the Danish head coach is reportedly unimpressed by Solanke, the January transfer window would also provide Spurs with an opportunity to shuffle the pack by attempting to move their club-record signing on from the club.

With Kolo Muani and Richarlison already at the club, Melia’s arrival at the start of 2026 would mean that Frank has enough options in the number nine position to part ways with the English striker.

Whether or not Melia is ready to make the step up to the Premier League with Spurs remains to be seen, but his performances at a young age in Ireland have been impressive.

The 18-year-old marksman, who only turned 18 in September, has scored 25 goals in 98 appearances in all competitions for St. Patrick’s Athletic at first-team level to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has plenty of senior experience despite his age.

Melia’s composure in the clip above for one of his goals against Cork City is evidence that he has maturity and composure that belies his years. This suggests that he may be able to handle the pressure that would come with stepping into the first-team with Spurs next year.

Appearances

35

Starts

29

Goals

13

Minutes per goal

199

Conversion rate

15%

Big chances created

5

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 league goals for his club in the 2025 campaign, averaging a goal every 199 minutes, which is more impressive than Solanke’s aforementioned minutes per goal rate last season in the Premier League.

Melia, who was described as “relentless” and a “hidden gem” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has yet to prove himself in a major league, like the Premier League, but his goal output and composure at such a young age in Ireland are incredibly promising.

Tottenham clearly saw big potential in him, hence why they agreed to sign the forward in February, and Frank will have the chance to assess him up close in January when he arrives in North London.

Spurs have just found the new Eriksen & he's "going to be an elite player"

Thomas Frank may have unlocked Tottenham Hotspur’s new version of Christian Eriksen.

ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

If Melia is able to impress the manager and fight for a place in the first-team squad, it could be the end of Solanke’s career at North London, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Nottingham Forest are now eyeing a £87m striker, who has already scored eight goals this season, with Evangelos Marinakis clearly looking to make a statement of intent.

Forest eyeing new striker despite Dyche reunion with Chris Wood

Sean Dyche is well-known to be an admirer of Chris Wood, having spent a successful period working with the New Zealander at Burnley, and the new Forest boss was left disappointed when the striker exited Turf Moor in 2022.

Dyche said: “It wasn’t a perfect scenario to lose a player who’s done very well for us and for himself as well. He’s a good player. He’s been quieter this season but you look at the record for us, you look at what he’s achieved as an individual.”

The former Burnley manager is likely to be excited by the prospect of working with Wood again, given that the striker was very impressive right across the 2024-25 campaign, chipping in with 20 goals in 36 Premier League goals as the Tricky Trees qualified for Europe.

However, considering the New Zealand international is now 33-years-old, it is probably time to start thinking about long-term replacements, and Marinakis clearly means business, with the Europa League side setting their sights on an exciting young striker.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Nottingham Forest are now eyeing a move for FC Porto star Samu Omorodion, who has also attracted the attention of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Newcastle United.

Dyche plotting shock January Nottingham Forest raid for "magic" £20m forward

The Forest boss is looking to strengthen his forward line.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 23, 2025

Indeed, Omorodion has caught the eye of a number of England’s top clubs, but he is likely to command a huge transfer fee, with Porto unwilling to compromise on the €100m (£87m) release clause included in his contract.

Forest have sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old in action on a number of occasions in recent weeks, and there is every sign that he could be a fantastic addition to Dyche’s squad…

"Powerhouse" Omorodion would be statement signing for Forest

It has been far from an ideal start to the campaign for the Tricky Trees, who may find themselves in a relegation battle if there is not a major turnaround in results, so it would be a real statement of intent if they were able to sign the Porto striker.

Scout Ben Mattinson has suggested the Spain international has the potential to play at the highest level, waxing lyrical about his key attributes a little under one year ago.

Since then, the young Spaniard has continued to impress, chipping in with eight goals in his opening 10 matches for Porto this season.

Omorodion may have the ability to take Forest’s attack to the next level, so it is exciting news they are in the race for his signature, but it could be difficult to get a deal done unless Dyche’s side start improving their league position.

Last season, Tottenham Hotspur were made to bemoan defensive injuries. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed extensive periods through injury. As did full-back Destiny Udogie.

Is it any great surprise, therefore, that Ange Postecoglou’s backline looked such a mess? Perhaps not, but the Aussie was still stubborn enough to refuse change.

Thomas Frank certainly seems more flexible with his style of football but one of the first things he has corrected is that leaky backline.

Only three teams, Arsenal (3), Manchester City (6) and Sunderland (6), have shipped fewer goals than Spurs (7) in the top-flight this term.

Yet, are things beginning to unravel in similar circumstances to Ange? Like the club’s former boss, Frank has now suffered his first big injury blow at the back.

Romero limped off during the warm-up of their game with Aston Villa and after initially being selected, was not fit enough to start. Without their captain, the Lilywhites suffered a 2-1 defeat.

Frank won’t fret quite yet, but he must find a way to get more of a tune out of his attack. Big-money summer signing Xavi Simons will play a big part in that.

Why Spurs need to see improvement from Xavi Simons

Even before James Maddison suffered a terrible ACL injury during pre-season, Frank and Co had made efforts to bring Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White to north London.

We all know how that saga ended but Spurs’ pursuit of a new dynamic number 10 seemed cursed at one point.

It looked for all the world as though they were set to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. A deal was agreed and he was allegedly on his way to Spurs. Instead, a last-minute U-turn saw him head to boyhood club Arsenal. The solution was Simons.

The Dutchman had been courted by Chelsea but it was the Blues’ London rivals who eventually concluded a deal, snapping him up for £52m, a move that made him Spurs’ fifth-most expensive signing of all time.

This was an exciting acquisition. After all, he did score 11 goals and register eight assists for RB Leipzig in Germany last season.

Sadly, we’re yet to see the best of him in white. He is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League and his only goal involvement, an assist against West Ham, came on his English top-flight debut. The Netherlands maestro has not scored or assisted since then.

West Ham (A)

71

1

Brighton (A)

29

0

Wolves (H)

78

0

Leeds (A)

74

0

Aston Villa (H)

79

0

For such a big-money signing, Frank needs to see more from him but it’s not as though he isn’t trying. Perhaps there’s a simple solution to all of this; Spurs need better players in their forward line.

How Spurs can get more out of Xavi Simons

How supporters must long for the days of Harry Kane and a prime Heung-min Son.

The duo aren’t showing any signs of slowing down away from Spurs with Kane simply in the form of his life this campaign, netting 19 times in 11 games for Bayern Munich.

As far as Son is concerned, he’s been lighting up MLS with his displays for LA FC. The South Korean has nine goals and three assists in his first ten outings for the club.

So, to see where the Spurs forward line is now will no doubt make a few fans hide behind the sofa. Combine the loss of Son with injuries to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and you have a real patched-together front line.

Dominik Solanke has played just 31 minutes of league football due to injury in 2025/26 while Richarlison has only beaten the goalkeeper once in his last seven Premier League matches.

As for the French youngster, Wilson Odobert, he is yet to score at all across ten games in all competitions.

With such a glut of misfiring players, is it any surprise that Simons has endured a difficult beginning at Spurs?

Assists

0.3

0.3

Chances created

2.1

1.7

Passes attempted

46.2

33

Forward passes

12.2

9.3

Sideways passes

22

15.5

A look at the numbers tells us that the Dutch midfielder is struggling without a fluid forward line. Worryingly, he’s playing fewer passes per 90 minutes than he did last season at Leipzig. That ultimately means he’s creating fewer goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

He needs the players in front of him to make better runs and there is no better example of that than the aforementioned Odobert.

The former Burnley man, signed for £25m, is still a particularly raw prospect. He’s exciting and fleet-footed but he needs to be doing more to help Simons out.

The big-money summer arrival traditionally operates in the pockets of space on the left-hand side and it’s on the left flank where Odobert tends to operate. The clip below demonstrates precisely what we’re talking about.

Mathys Tel has the ball on the edge of the box and all he needs is for a few defenders to be dragged away by an overlapping run from Odobert to potentially feed Simons in acres of space.

What does the Frenchman do? He surges right into the area where Tel is aiming for, reducing the space and cutting out a chance to get a shot or pass away.

Had Odobert made an overlapping run, he’d have created more room for Spurs’ number 7 and potentially even received the ball himself. As Jamie O’Hara said after the game, he and Tel can be “painful” to watch.

The 20-year-old is a marmite figure. He did a fair bit right against Aston Villa, completing four of his five dribbles but he needs better end product.

He missed an OPTA-defined big chance on Sunday and only completed one key pass. If Odobert can marry his trickery with the ability to make better runs and make himself an option for Simons then things will improve.

Until then, however, it would be better if the Netherlands star operated from the left flank instead or someone like Brennan Johnson operated there.

Just a matter of weeks ago it looked like Chelsea were in the title race but things have rather unravelled for Enzo Maresca and Co in recent weeks.

The Blues did pick up a point against Arsenal with ten men but results since then have been bleak, losing 3-1 to Leeds United and drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth.

Cole Palmer’s return to fitness has been timely, but according to the manager, he’s still not up to full speed just yet.

The latest Chelsea injury news

Palmer returned from the bench against Bournemouth at the weekend but in a fresh blow to Maresca and Co they have decided that the attacking midfielder will not travel with the squad for the Champions League trip to Atalanta.

That said, no fresh injury has been sustained. The manager has confirmed the forward is simply being rested as part of his recovery.

Palmer had missed a period courtesy of a groin injury and then had to spend an extra week out after breaking a toe at home.

That said, he is now slowly working himself back. Maresca said: “Cole is in part of his process in this moment. He’s not available, he can’t play two games in a row in three days. So we planned that, and it’s just a way to protect him.”

As far as Liam Delap is concerned, the news isn’t ideal there. The striker injured his shoulder against the Cherries and will now miss a period of time.

Commenting on the striker’s situation, the Chelsea boss stated: “Liam, fortunately, there is not any fracture, so that is good news. In terms of how long he will be out, we are not sure at this stage to be honest.”

What Delap's injury means for Chelsea

Well, it certainly means that Joao Pedro is likely to play a lot of minutes over the festive period and there could well be a rare slice of minutes for Marc Guiu who has barely kicked a ball this season after being recalled from his early-season loan spell with Sunderland.

That said, it’s unlikely we’ll see a recall for a certain Raheem Sterling who remains out in the cold alongside centre-back Axel Disasi.

A January exit looms for both players and it would be a surprise if we saw either in a Chelsea shirt again.

Maresca said in his press conference: “In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel, they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen, obviously.”

Sterling signed at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £47.5m back in the summer of 2022 but has not lived up to expectations, scoring just 19 goals in 81 outings. A season-long loan spell with Arsenal in 2024/25 failed to get his career back on track either.

As for Disasi, he had a loan spell with Aston Villa in the back end of last campaign but has not been seen in Chelsea blue this season. He once cost the club a whopping £38.5m but there is seemingly no way back for him.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago