Tottenham Hotspur are looking to secure a deal to extend Pierluigi Gollini’s stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What’s the word?
That’s according to a report by Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite previous reports suggesting that Tottenham will not be looking to make the Atalanta goalkeeper’s loan deal a €15m (£12.5m) permanent switch this summer, Fabio Paratici now would like to extend the stay of the 27-year-old in north London.
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However, the report goes on to state that Torino are also interested in a move for the Italy international this summer, with the Serie A side believed to already be in contact with the shot-stopper regarding a switch to the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium.
Paratici must axe Gollini
Considering just how little Gollini has featured for Tottenham since joining the club last summer, in addition to the widespread reports that Spurs previously had no intention of activating the goalkeeper’s purchase clause, the news that Paratici could now be considering a deal to keep the shot-stopper on is certainly surprising.
Indeed, over his four appearances in the Europa Conference League this season, the £9m-rated stopper did little to convince that he would be a worthwhile signing for Spurs, being unable to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Stade Rennais, NS Mura and Vitesse, in addition to conceding an average of 1.5 goals and making just 1.3 saves – at a success rate of 45% – per game.
These returns saw the £23k-per-week Italian who John Wenham dubbed both “damaging” and “unnecessary” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.25, ranking him as Conte’s second-worst performer in the competition.
Furthermore, with it being reported that Tottenham are closing in on the signing of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on a free transfer – an England international who highly impressed during his last campaign in the Premier League – a move to sign Gollini for around £12.5m appears to make even less sense this summer – leading us at Football FanCast to believe that Paratici simply must axe the Atalanta shot-stopper at the end of the current campaign.
AND in other news: Paratici could land Spurs their own KDB with £68m signing, he’d be “unreal” for Conte
Manchester City are always in the market for up-and-coming talent, and they have started internal discussions regarding a player who is already thriving within the City Football Group.
Manchester City look to arrest Premier League slump…
For most sides, losing just once in their last six Premier League wouldn't be deemed as a slump, especially given when the sole defeat came at the hands of Aston Villa, who have put together an almost formidable run of results at Villa Park this term.
Nevertheless, Manchester City aren't like most sides, which is evidenced by the fact Pep Guardiola and his men are attempting to pull off a record-breaking fourth successive title in a row. Four draws, one triumph over Luton Town and a loss in the West Midlands have left the Sky Blues with work to do if they are to retain the league; however, they will hope to take confidence from their Club World Cup success last week.
Man City make "big-money" offer to "very unique" target; he's wowed scouts
City are in pole position to secure his services.
BySean Markus Clifford Dec 24, 2023
Goodison Park awaits Guardiola's side in one of the toughest assignments they could encounter following their trip to Saudi Arabia. Speaking to official club media pre-match, Portugal international Bernardo Silva said his side must improve as they seek the Premier League crown: "First, we have to focus on the games left this month as it is going to be a very tough month with Everton, then Sheffield United and then Huddersfield in the FA Cup.
"Now we are really focused on the domestic competitions – especially the Premier League as we are not in a very good position. We can think about Copenhagen in the Champions League later on as we have some tough, tough games coming up."
Now, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has offered up the latest state of play regarding Manchester City's pursuit of a talented attacker who could arrive in the summer.
Manchester City discuss Savio deal
Taking to social media platform X, Romano has confirmed that on-loan Girona attacker Savio is a player City chiefs are "discussing internally" as they plan for the long-term under Guardiola.
On loan from ESTAC Troyes, the Brazilian wonderkid is operating under the umbrella of two clubs that are already in the City Football Group, creating a potentially complicated scenario that could eventually lead to the 19-year-old moving to Manchester.
Savio in action for Girona.
Labelled a "brilliant talent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Savio, also known as Savinho, has registered five goals and five assists in 20 appearances across all competitions this campaign at the time of writing (Savio statistics – Transfermarkt).
Five similar players to Savio (as provided by FBRef)
Player
Club
Takefusa Kubo
Real Sociedad
Rodrigo Riquelme
Atletico Madrid
Viktor Tsyhankov
Shakhtar Donetsk
Jonathan Bamba
Celta Vigo
Julian Brandt
Borussia Dortmund
Harnessing the power of the player network provided by the creation of the CFG, Guardiola could now land himself a star of the future if negotiations go to plan.
A “world-class” Arsenal player is set to miss their trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, alongside both Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, with manager Mikel Arteta sharing news this morning.
Arsenal face Newcastle after 3-0 win over Preston
In mid-week, the Gunners soared to a routine 3-0 win away to Preston North End in the Carabao Cup, which sealed their place in the quarter-final draw against Crystal Palace, but Arteta has no time to celebrate as a tough trip to the North East awaits for the title chasers.
Edu eyeing new Arsenal target in "top class" £20m star from league leaders
The Brazilian has a fresh name on his radar.
ByEmilio Galantini Oct 31, 2024
Newcastle are winless in the league since mid-September – last securing victory with a 2-1 win over Wolves at Molineux – and Eddie Howe will be very keen to end that barren run with a surprise triumph over Arsenal.
By contrast, the Gunners have lost just once all season – a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth around a fortnight ago – but have since responded by getting the better of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, holding in-form Liverpool with a weakened team and demolishing PNE.
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Chelsea (away
November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
West Ham United (away)
November 30
Man United (home)
December 4
Arsenal will have to contend with a much-altered side from Arteta’s full-strength eleven, much like they did against Arne Slot’s side last weekend. Odegaard suffered ankle ligament damage in September, and remains out, while Calafiori is set to miss Newcastle United following his knock against Shakhtar.
Meanwhile, Arteta claims Ben White hasn’t trained and is now a real doubt ahead of the encounter.
“Riccy and Martin are out definitely,” said Arteta in his pre-match press conference.
“With Ben we don’t know yet. He could not train so let’s see what happens. Now is the stage when he’s going to start to do certain work with us. Let’s see if he deals with pain if physically he’s able to compete. With the work he’s put in I would be surprised if when he’s back training with us we don’t say he’s ready.”
Takehiro Tomiyasu made a brief return to the side recently, featuring for six minutes in Arsenal’s win over Southampton a few weeks ago, but the Japan international has since been sidelined again with a rumoured recurrence of his knee problem.
Arteta confirms long-term Tomiyasu absence at Arsenal
Speaking to the media, Arteta has shared another update on the £100,000-per-week ace’s condition.
The Spaniard explained that Tomiyasu is set to miss Arsenal’s game against Newcastle with Calafiori and Odegaard. Arteta also said that Arsenal don’t expect him to return before the next international break, which is a real stroke of bad luck for the former Serie A star.
Reports have even suggested that Arsenal could be prepared to sell Tomiyasu, amid his run of serious fitness issues lately, so this is a pretty unfortunate period for the player who’ll be looking to bounce back as soon as possible.
“Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him,” said teammate White to DAZN Japan (via The Metro).
“Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning he’s completely understood English and speaks as well as I do.”
Tottenham have now tabled an offer to sign a young star who has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi as they look to hand Ange Postecoglou more firepower in 2025, it has been reported.
Tottenham looking for attacking midfielders
Dejan Kulusevski has emerged as a key man for Postecoglou in the early stages of the new Premier League season, but James Maddison has blown hot and cold in north London, while there is a lack of alternatives for Postecoglou to turn to.
Tottenham keen on 56-Premier League goal player in potential free transfer
Ange Postecoglou is keen to bolster his attacking options.
3 ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2024
The Australian coach has experimented with his midfield, using Pape Sarr as a box-to-box option, but is yet to settle on a true first choice trio.
The club have been linked with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White in recent windows, but they have managed to land neither and still look a creative midfielder light for Postecoglou’s attacking style of football, part of the reason that they have been unable to sustain any sort of form in the first quarter of the campaign.
Now, they could be set to try and change that by snapping up a young talent turning heads in the top flight.
Tottenham target teenage talent
That comes as a fresh report from Spain claims that Tottenham have tabled a £20m+ offer to sign impressive teenage talent Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton in 2025. The Argentine broke through at CA Rosario Central under the management of former Man City striker Carlos Tevez, and he revealed that the teenager reminded him of his one-time teammate Messi.
“I watch football and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone play who gives me as much pleasure as Buonanotte. When he brakes and accelerates, he reminds me of [Lionel] Messi. He is at a very high level.”
Bought by Brighton, he was sent on loan to Leicester City for the 2024-25 campaign and has already played a starring role for his new side, grabbing four goals and two assists in the first stage of the Premier League season.
Appearances
11
Goals
4
Assists
2
Minutes per goal/assist
133
% of club goals involved in
37.5%
His form has seen him dubbed a “magician” by Rising Stars XI on X, who claimed that the Argentine is “impressing everyone” by shining in a struggling Foxes side.
Still just 19-years-old, his form has turned heads and the report reveals that Tottenham have already made a big step towards trying to secure his signature. The Lilywhites have reportedly “put an offer of 25 million euros [£20.7m] on the table” plus potential add ons, though this is below Brighton’s asking price of 30m euros (£24m).
Any move would not take place until the summer given Buonanotte’s current loan spell in the Midlands, by which time his value could have soared yet further should he manage to reach double figures in either goals or assists for the Foxes, a possibility that doesn’t appear unreasonable given his current form.
As a result, Tottenham may want to get an agreement set sooner rather than later, while Brighton could find themselves better off holding out until the summer.
A few weeks ago, it looked as though Glasgow Rangers were going to remain in the vicious cycle which had seen three managers depart before December over the previous three years.
Philippe Clement was teetering on the edge after a dismal start to the season. Premiership defeats to Celtic, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock ensured the Gers’ title challenge was over before it really began.
Wins over Nice and Killie recently have slightly eased the pressure, but the next seven days will likely define the season. The Light Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, before a League Cup final clash against Celtic three days later.
If Clement can somehow win both of these, he may just remain in the Ibrox hot seat beyond 2024, which seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago.
Michael Beale and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst weren’t so lucky, with the Dutchman perhaps sacked slightly too hasty.
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s record at Rangers
The former Feyenoord manager arrived in November 2021 following Steven Gerrard’s departure to Aston Villa.
Having spent three years at Ibrox as a player, the Dutchman knew all about the club, which was looked on as a major advantage.
Former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Domestically, the Gers struggled in the title race, eventually blowing a lead to let Celtic sneak through and win the Premiership. They did win the Scottish Cup, but it was scant consolation.
The greatest success came in Europe. Having secured qualification from the group stages in the Europa League, Van Bronckhorst led the Light Blues to wins over Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig before succumbing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.
The next step was Champions League qualification, and the club got it after an aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven. They ended up finishing bottom of the group with zero wins from six games, however, and soon after, Van Bronckhorst was sacked.
He didn’t enjoy much success in the transfer market, but one of his signings has since gone on to make the breakthrough at Manchester United – Amad Diallo.
Amad Diallo’s Rangers statistics
In January 2022, the Gers made three loan signings which the manager hoped would give his side a boost during the second half of the season.
Amad Diallo
James Sands failed to make an impact, so did Aaron Ramsey, who missed a penalty in the Europa League final shootout. The final signing was that of Diallo, who arrived from Man United.
He was looked upon as a wildcard option given his tender age and lack of experience in the game. Indeed, prior to this loan spell, the former Atalanta gem had played just nine times for the Old Trafford side and a temporary move would help him secure more game time.
The youngster took just two minutes to make his mark, scoring on his debut against Ross County, and it looked like the club had a wonderful gem ready to spark their title challenge into life.
Unfortunately, this was about as good as it got for the Ivorian, as he scored just twice more for the club. Diallo did win the Scottish Cup, but failed to make it off the bench in the Europa League final.
Amad Diallo
Since then, however, the winger has gone on to make his mark at United.
Amad Diallo now looks like a £100m player
Another loan spell during 2022/23 at Sunderland saw Diallo showcase his true talents, scoring 14 goals and grabbing four assists as the Black Cats just missed out on securing a place in the Premier League.
Injury issues hampered his 2023/24 campaign, but the 22-year-old did net the winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and this was the catalyst for the player to finally star for United this term.
Diallo has featured in 20 games for the Red Devils this term, registering eight goal contributions in all competitions, and he could go from strength to strength under Ruben Amorim, that’s for sure.
Dubbed a “superstar” earlier this year by journalist Liam Canning, Diallo looks like he is on the right path towards greatness.
Metric
Premier League
Europa League
Goals
1
2
Assists
5
0
Big chances created
5
1
Key passes per 90
1.6
1.2
Successful dribbles per 90
1.3
0.8
Not only that, but he is similar in style to one of the finest wingers on the continent in Bukayo Saka.
The Arsenal star has registered 126 goal contributions – 65 goals and 61 assists – during his time with the Gunners, proving to be one of the most consistent attacking talents in the Premier League.
This is the level that Diallo will be looking to reach, and he certainly isn’t far from it, especially after a positive start to the season. According to FBref, Saka is the seventh-most comparable player to Diallo in Europe’s top five leagues, which proves that the duo are alike in many ways.
Furthermore, the pair have registered similar statistics across a variety of metrics domestically this season with regard to assists (five vs ten), shot on target percentage (31.3% vs 37.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.84 vs 6.76), goal creating actions per 90 (1.02 vs 1.77) and successful take-on percentage (46.9% vs 41.4%) which suggests these two wingers enjoy plenty of success in the final third.
Saka is in a league of his own right now, and he is currently valued at €140m (£116m) according to Transfermarkt, and this value will continue to rise as long as the winger is delivering for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta on a consistent basis.
Diallo could become a player who is valued at over £100m, as it looks like he could emerge as a key player under Amorim’s leadership.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
While he may not have enjoyed the most productive of spells at Ibrox, Diallo did manage to secure a Scottish Cup winners medal while gaining experience in a league that thrives on how physical it is.
This may well have made the winger stronger, being able to cope with a lot more on the field, which appears to be evident in his performances for United this campaign.
Sold for £500k: Rangers may regret losing star who's now outperforming Hagi
Rangers sold a player in the summer who is shining for his new club
Clubs could now try to poach a “rising” Arsenal figurehead who is absolutely “key” for manager Mikel Arteta, according to reliable Gunners journalist Charles Watts.
Arsenal bury West Ham 5-2 for second straight Premier League win by three goals
The north Londoners, still hopeful of their first Premier League title in 21 years, have certainly rediscovered their best form since returning from the international break.
Arsenal could eclipse Declan Rice fee with £112m bid for "superb" forward
It would be their most expensive ever transfer.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2024
Their 5-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday put one more nail in the coffin of manager Julen Lopetegui, who is under increasing pressure, all the while making it their second straight league win by a three-goal margin.
Arsenal also thrashed Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League this time last week, with Arsenal finding their mojo in front of goal once again and proving to everybody that they’re not out of this season’s title race.
Man United (home)
December 4
Fulham (away)
December 8
Everton (home)
December 14
Crystal Palace (away)
December 21
Ipswich Town (home)
December 27
Defender Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring against West Ham with a header from a set-piece, and his threat from dead-ball situations is becoming quite the reoccurring theme of his season at N5.
It was the 26-year-old’s third headed goal in the league this season – putting him level with Chris Wood and Ollie Watkins – with Arsenal set-piece coach Nicola Jover in the spotlight as a result.
Arsenal's set piece record under Nicolas Jover.
Arteta was asked whether Jover should have a goal bonus, due to his contribution in making Arsenal such a threat from set plays, and reporter Watts believes that elite clubs could even come knocking on the 43-year-old’s door.
Clubs could try to poach Nicola Jover from Arsenal
Jover is a crucial figure behind the scenes at Arsenal, with Watts telling CaughtOffside that sides will be taking notice of him.
“I did laugh when Mikel Arteta was asked in his press conference after the West Ham game about whether Nicolas Jover should be getting a goal bonus,” said Watts.
“That would certainly be eating into Arsenal’s profits should that be the case, given the number of goals they have been scoring from set pieces over the past couple of seasons. Jover’s star is certainly rising at the moment and his reputation grows stronger with every goal Arsenal score from one of his carefully constructed routines.
“I’m sure other managers or clubs would love to lure him away to take advantage of his expertise, but I can’t imagine he would be looking to go elsewhere at the moment. He is such a key figure in Arteta’s coaching staff and you can see how much work he puts into making the team such a threat from dead ball situations.
“I loved the one against West Ham for Gabriel’s goal. It was just a bit different to the one that had worked so well against Sporting a few days earlier, but that made all the difference.
“Gabriel started just a bit deeper than he usually does. This time his starting point was from within the pack that always gathers beyond the far post, whereas against Sporting he started his run from a more central area and attacked the back post.
“It caught West Ham out and that allowed the Brazilian the space he needed to meet Bukayo Saka’s corner. It’s just such a potent weapon for Arsenal that works time and time again.”
Aston Villa have suffered an injury blow as a “massive” £140,000-a-week star has torn a muscle on international duty.
This break in the Premier League probably came at the right time for the Villans, as they have suffered four defeats in their last four games in all competitions – form that has seen them lose ground in the top flight.
Aston Villa looking at signing Grealish 2.0 in "sensational" PL star
Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for a Premier League midfielder…
ByRoss Kilvington Nov 17, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news
As the Premier League enters one of its busiest periods, clubs like Villa will start putting plans in place for January as the transfer window is not that far away from opening. The Midlands side have been busy in most transfer windows under Emery, and this next one could be the same considering the players that they have been linked with.
One player that Villa are interested in signing is Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor, who has impressed with his performances in the Netherlands. Villa are not the only team interested in Taylor, as Arsenal, Newcastle United and Napoli are also “keeping tabs” on the midfielder. This could be an expensive capture for Emery’s side, as Ajax would be willing to sell the player, but only if they received a fee of £29m.
Meanwhile, Villa are also interested in a swoop for Manchester United’s Harry Amass. The left-back is seen as a promising player at Old Trafford, and Villa, who have been keeping an eye on his development since he was at Watford, are keen on bringing him to Villa Park, with the youngster yet to play in United’s first team.
Aston Villa's £140k-p/w ace suffers injury blow while on international duty
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana has suffered a muscle tear in his foot while on international duty with Belgium. The 23-year-old joined the Midlands side during the summer transfer window from Everton, and since his arrival, he has been a key player for Emery, starting all 10 of the league games he has been available for.
Onana, who has been described as a “monster” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has also started three of their four Champions League games this season and has three goals to his name in all competitions.
Tavolieri states that Onana’s injury is in his foot, and occurred during Belgium’s game against Italy on Thursday night. The midfielder, who earns £140,000 a week at Villa Park, is now expected to be out for two to three weeks, which means he could miss Villa’s games against Crystal Palace, Juventus, Chelsea and Brentford.
This is the second injury blow that Onana has suffered this season, as he’s already missed a few games for club and country due to a hamstring injury. Emery will hope that his return to Villa Park this week can help him speed up his recovery, as he will want his midfielder to be ready for their important games in the league and in Europe.
Serie A giants AC Milan have had a West Ham United player in their sights for a long time, and it is believed he could depart east London in January.
Lopetegui preparing for crucial West Ham trip to Newcastle
Following the conclusion of this international break, Premier League football returns this weekend, and under-pressure Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui will be looking to make the best possible start away to Newcastle United on Monday.
Sky Sports: £90k-per-week West Ham player is now actively looking to leave
He’s opened the door to an exit from east London.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 19, 2024
West Ham boast just three wins from their opening 11 games in the top flight so far, and the east Londoners have been heavily criticised for their form under Lopetegui in that time, with some members of the media “stunned” by their lack of identity and purpose since David Moyes’ departure.
There are many reports that Lopetegui is facing a very uncertain future at West Ham as a result, with technical director Tim Steidten and co weighing up alternatives for the 58-year-old.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#13
09/11/2024
Everton (H)
Premier League
0-0 draw
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Ex-Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri and former FC Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao are two names who’ve been linked with the potential vacant West Ham post, alongside their former backroom member Edin Terzic.
Lopetegui’s inability to call upon their brand-new striker seriously hasn’t helped his cause either, with £27 million summer signing Niclas Füllkrug enduring a nightmare start to his West Ham career.
Having scored 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season, Fullkrug was brought in to ease the reliance on Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, but the Germany international’s struggles with an Achilles tendon injury means he’s been unable to make the desired impact.
AC Milan linger as Fullkrug could leave West Ham in January
The £90,000-per-week forward, it is believed, could depart West Ham as soon as January. A few reports in the media have suggested this already, and the notion of a Fullkrug exit is backed by Italian news outlet TUTTOmercatoWEB.
The outlet and journalist Andrea Losapio writes that a West Ham exit for Fullkrug is on the cards in January, and AC Milan have long been admirers of the 31-year-old, who would’ve been a “perfect” option to partner Alvaro Morata.
Milan ended up settling on Tammy Abraham in the summer instead, who’s bagged two Serie A goals in seven leagues. However, perhaps there could be another opportunity for the Rossoneri to strike a deal for Fullkrug, considering Abraham is only on loan at the San Siro.
After falling to their eighth Premier League defeat of the season away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Christmas Eve, it looked as if Chelsea's season was all but over; however, a string of three league wins since has given the Blues some hope that they can salvage something before May comes around.
Mauricio Pochettino still has a lot to work on, and with the January transfer window in full swing, it will almost certainly involve some new faces.
The latest one touted for a move to Stamford Bridge could help to shore up the defence and become the modern-day Ricardo Carvalho alongside another star who has been likened to John Terry.
Chelsea look to Lisbon for their next Carvalho
According to a report from football.london earlier this week, Chelsea are interested in Sporting CP's incredibly promising young centre-back Ousmane Diomande, and have already 'held talks' with the Lisbon side.
The Blues aren't the only ones interested in the Ivorian though, as the Liverpool Echo revealed earlier this week that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also keen on signing the 20-year-old this year.
Alongside this tough competition, the Pensioners will also have to stump up a considerable amount of cash to get this deal over the line, with football.london reporting that the Sporting star has a release clause worth around £69m inserted into his contract, although there is a reluctance to pay that much.
That said, if Chelsea can get this deal over the line they would have a very talented footballer on their hands, and one that might just be able to follow in the footsteps of Carvalho.
Diomande could become the Carvalho to Colwill's Terry
With Diomande being just 20 years old, it is hard to say whether he'll go on and have a career as impressive and illustrious as Carvalho's, but there are some apparent similarities.
First, if the "immense talent", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, were to sign for Chelsea, he would follow in the legend's footsteps, going from one of the Portuguese league's biggest clubs to Chelsea, with Carvalho arriving from Porto in 2004. Second, both men are right-footed, and lastly, he has the opportunity to form a brilliant partnership with a Blues star who has been likened to Terry: Levi Colwill.
The Southampton-born gem has been compared to the former Chelsea captain for some time now, even giving his thoughts on the matter in an interview with The Athletic: "I'm not going to complain. It's not a bad thing to be called the new John Terry.
"John Terry is a club legend and leader, someone every centre-back at Chelsea should look up to."
The comparisons became more frequent this year, as upon his return from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, the Englishman was given Terry's iconic 26 shirt number, and like clockwork, the comparisons started flooding in.
While the similarities are there, it will take a lot of hard graft and years of success for the pair to rightfully own the comparisons, with it some feat to live up to a duo who were key figures under Jose Mourinho back in the mid-2000s – memorably forming part of a defence that shipped just 15 league goals in 2004/05.
Still, based on Diomande's underlying numbers from this season, he certainly looks like he could make that happen.
5.42
91.0%
1.45
0.97
83.3%
2.08
80.9
1.94
5.97
The "elite talent", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produces a massive 5.42 progressive passes per 90, takes 80.9 touches, makes 5.97 ball recoveries and wins 83.3% of his challenges, indicating his stellar defensive prowess.
At the end of the day, it'll be challenging to live up to the tag of 'the next Carvalho and Terry', but there will be few pairings more likely to do so than these two young starlets.
Sheffield Wednesday look to be nearing towards their first signing of the January transfer window already, with the expected arrival of James Beadle on loan from Brighton now almost a certainty to join the Owls according to reports.
Yet, even with a potential new starting goalkeeper added to the ranks, Danny Rohl won't stop there and could well look to his native Germany for some left-field January additions to further bolster his team.
When speaking to the Sheffield Star and outlining his approach for the transfer window, the former Bayern Munich assistant coach stated that he could well flex his past connections:
"You are always looking and talking to some people. It's not just our former clubs, it's also about the Bundesliga, the second division."
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With that in mind, here are three potential signings Rohl and Wednesday could sanction this month to give the South Yorkshire club a brand-new Bavarian feel…
1 Leon Dajaku
The first of three potential transfer targets with this in mind is former Sunderland attacker Leon Dajaku, the versatile German forward adept at playing down the wings or as a second striker which could be useful for Rohl.
Dajaku didn't set the world alight with the Black Cats – contributing towards eight goals from 37 appearances in League One with the sleeping giant at the time – but the current Hajduk Split man could well be up for a return to English football if the Wednesday boss tempts him.
Rohl and Dajaku were together at Bayern for two years between 2019 and 2021, the six-time Germany U19 international even winning himself a first-team start for the Bundesliga giants in this patch of his career.
Scoring three goals and notching up a further two assists for Split this season, it could well be an astute buy for the Owls this month to add Dajaku to their attacking positions.
2 Fiete Arp
Hyped up to be destined for the big-time when breaking through at Bayern, Fiete Arp's career hasn't quite gone to plan after outlandish suggestions that he would eventually take the world by storm as a world-class striker.
The German boy wonder did score a ridiculous 37 goals from 45 appearances playing for Hamburg at U17 level back in 2017, the Bundesliga giants swooping in to sign Arp off the back of his unbelievable goal record at youth level.
Arp never managed to replicate that blistering knack of putting away goals for fun when joining Bayern, with Rohl there every step of the way bearing witness to Arp's progression as coach.
With the now Wednesday boss one for putting his arm around the likes of Bailey Cadamarteri at Hillsborough currently, helping the teenage sensation perform well even with heaps of pressure on his shoulders, the Owls boss could look to do the same with the 24-year-old German attacker even with Arp now matured.
The 6 foot 1 centre-forward has found his prolific streak again in the 2.Bundesliga this season with Holstein Kiel however, scoring five times from ten starts. Could he be a gem under Rohl in the Championship?
3 Remy Vita
The final signing Rohl could make putting his Bundesliga links to good use is Remy Vita, the French defender formerly on the Bayern books. Interestingly, he has even played in South Yorkshire during his career to date.
Vita was on loan at Barnsley during their dreadful 2021/22 relegation campaign down to League One from the Bayern II side, barely sparking into life with the Tykes but showing his pedigree in bursts.
In a rare win over QPR that same season, the diminutive wing-back stood out – winning six of his ten ground duels at Oakwell on the way to the hosts winning 1-0 over the Hoops.
Predominantly playing as a left-back throughout his career, this would be another smart addition to the Owls squad this January with a lack of available options already at the club able to play in that spot with Rohl having to rely on Akin Famewo – who is usually a centre-back – to fill in there on occasion.
Rohl would have to get over the hurdle of landing Vita from his current club Fortuna Sittard, but with Vita familiar to how the German boss operates after spending time at the Allianz Arena together, this could be a move that has legs this month.