Southampton's quest to bounce straight back up to the Premier League has got off to a flying start.

Under the stewardship of new manager Russell Martin, the Saints have scored ten goals and registered three wins from a possible four on the board.

Martin's possession-heavy style has worked a treat so far and to ensure their standards don't slip, the club have recently dipped into the loan market, acquiring Newcastle's Ryan Fraser, Everton's Mason Holgate and West Ham's Flynn Downes.

The quality Southampton have been able to add, particularly in the loan market, is a remarkable feat for a club in the second tier and this is demonstrated by the top-flight experience accumulated between the aforementioned trio.

What is the Southampton team news vs Sunderland?

When Southampton travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland this afternoon, Martin virtually has a fully fit squad to choose from, and that is a frightening prospect for the Black Cats.

While centre-back Jack Stephens is their only current casualty after suffering an injury last weekend, Holgate is a fine replacement, and he is likely to make his debut alongside Jan Bednarek.

Further forward, Downes could be handed his first start for the club, but he faces strong competition from central midfielders Carlos Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong and Shea Charles.

The most exciting of the Saints inclusions could be the lightning-quick Fraser, who would offer an injection of urgency and experience to make way for 17-year-old starlet Samuel Amo-Ameyaw.

How good is Ryan Fraser?

Fraser's rapid rise to stardom began in 2012, joining Bournemouth at the start of their ascendancy up the football league pyramid, ending with a fairytale promotion to the Premier League in 2015.

The "electric" winger, as lauded by journalist Sean McCormick, would go on to spend eight years at the Cherries, appearing for the club on 208 occasions and registering 57 goal contributions.

His most impressive season came in 2018/19, registering an extraordinary seven goals and 14 assists in the top flight, alerting the likes of Arsenal to a potential transfer.

The following season saw his stock take a dramatic tumble as the Scotland international only managed five goal contributions in 28 appearances during the 2019/20 season.

Having joined Newcastle in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer, Fraser has been unable to replicate the highs of his time at Bournemouth, scoring only three goals in 59 appearances for the Magpies.

While his time in the North East hasn't worked out as he would have liked, moving back down south can see Fraser resurrect his career and become a key piece to Martin's promotion puzzle.

The 31-year-old has the telling attributes to become a difference-maker for this Saints side, utilising his electric pace and low centre of gravity to help unlock opposition defences.

Not only would his pace and dribbling provide Martin with an ace in his pack when trying to break down low blocks, but Fraser is also capable of matching, if not, bettering the statistical output of most wingers at Championship level.

During Fraser's most productive season in 2018/19, the 5 foot 4 ace produced monstrous numbers that saw him stand out when comparing his per 90 stats to his positional peers in the Premier League.

He ranked in the top 1% for assists (0.40), top 2% for crosses (7.70), top 3% for key passes (2.62), top 7% for progressive passes recorded (7.93) and top 15% for non-penalty goals (0.20), as per FBref.

If Fraser can roll back the years and start to produce a similar level of attacking output at Championship level, Martin will have a player on their hands who is capable of firing them to promotion. That begins by unleashing him against Sunderland today for his full debut, in a game that could see him get his career back on track.

Chelsea's Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England camp in Spain after picking up yet another knee injury.

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• Kirby withdraws from England squad
• No plans to recall Kirby in this break
• England to face Italy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The attacking midfielder did not feature in the Lionesses' rampant 7-2 victory over Austria after being injured in the warm-up and would have been aiming to get some minutes in an England shirt against Italy on Tuesday. However, Kirby has been forced to return to London from the camp in Spain for assessment on the minor injury.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT ENGLAND SAID

  On Kirby's injury, England released a statement saying: "Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England camp in Spain and will return to Chelsea for further assessment on a minor knee injury reported before the Austria match. At this stage, there are no plans to call a replacement into the senior squad."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kirby will be disappointed not to have had the opportunity to showcase her talents for England this break after returning to regular football, and form, this season for Chelsea. Kirby missed the Lionesses' World Cup campaign through another injury to her knee and will be desperate to remind Sarina Wiegman that she can be a starter as they look to defend their crown at next year's European Championship.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KIRBY?

  Kirby will return to Chelsea in order to have her knee assessed. She will have the Blues' next game against Leicester in mind as she looks to recover from this minor setback. Chelsea remain top of the WSL but equal on points with Manchester City.

The hosts secured a 73-run first-innings lead before picking up two early wickets to hurt West Indies further

Sreshth Shah11-Dec-2025Despite a bright bowling performance from the West Indies seamers, half-centuries from New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Mitchell Hay extended the hosts’ advantage after an absorbing second day of the Wellington Test. New Zealand secured a 73-run first-innings lead before a double-wicket burst from their quicks left West Indies still 41 behind with eight wickets in hand.West Indies produced bursts of quality with the ball to keep pegging New Zealand back, and several home batters contributed to their own dismissals with loose shots. But the visitors also offered enough scoring opportunities for Conway and Hay to make valuable inroads.Conway’s 60 – his first fifty against West Indies and 13th overall – anchored one end, while debutant Hay struck an enterprising 61 from No. 6. Their efforts allowed New Zealand to declare at 278 for 9, with the injured Blair Tickner not batting.Related

Tickner not to bowl or field, unlikely to bat for remainder of the Test

With the relatively new ball, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields and Anderson Phillip consistently challenged the batters as the ball swung both ways and occasionally jagged off the surface. Conway, however, punished the loose deliveries, hitting eight fours – mostly cuts and flicks – to keep New Zealand moving.From the non-striker’s end, he saw Tom Latham (11) lose his off stump to a nip-backer from Roach from around the wicket, before watching Kane Williamson (37) have his off stump pegged back by an Anderson Phillip delivery that squared him up. After lunch, Rachin Ravindra – who made 176 in Christchurch – was caught behind off Roach while chasing a wide one. Conway himself was then caught down the leg side off a poor Justin Greaves delivery, thanks to a superb diving take from Tevin Imlach. At that stage, New Zealand seemed to be wobbling at 117 for 4.Mitchell Hay scored a half-century on debut•Getty ImagesA fifth-wicket stand of 73 between Daryl Mitchell (25) and Hay – the latter playing in place of the injured Tom Blundell – brought New Zealand closer to West Indies’ first-innings score of 205. Mitchell was conservative, while Hay leaned on his white-ball instincts to score his runs, producing strong cuts through the off side and, when tested with short balls, pulling confidently over the leg side.Mitchell, like Conway, was eventually strangled down the leg side off Phillip. Hay later fell to the short-ball tactic: after striking back-to-back fours behind square leg, he miscued a pull off Shields straight to Roach at deep-backward square and walked back bitterly disappointed. At 213 for 6, New Zealand then leaned on Glenn Phillips (18) and the lower order to extend their lead.West Indies continued to pepper Phillips with short balls in a cat-and-mouse exchange that brought body blows and top-edges over the keeper. Seeking a change, captain Roston Chase turned to spin for the first time in the innings, and needed only four deliveries to tempt Phillips into a slog that failed to clear deep midwicket.Zak Foulkes then batted 43 balls and frustrated West Indies with deflections off the seamers’ through the gully region on his way to an unbeaten 23. Jacob Duffy added further runs with boundaries to long-off and long-on, and No. 10 Michael Rae joined a rare group of batters to begin their Test careers with five runs off an overthrow boundary. Rae reached 13 before the expensive Seales finally claimed his first wicket of the match, knocking back the debutant’s leg stump.New Zealand’s batting may have been patchy, but their bowlers restored control with a sharp ten-over burst late in the day. John Campbell fell in the seventh over, beaten by a Rae delivery that zipped in to hit off stump. Next over, nightwatcher Phillip initially survived a DRS review for caught behind off Duffy, but a second look confirmed he was lbw instead. Brandon King (15*) and Kavem Hodge (3*) saw out the final few minutes, but West Indies still face a steep challenge when play resumes on Friday.

Now that the transfer window has closed and off-field theatrics have stalled, Aston Villa can focus on the season ahead under Unai Emery.

The Villans had a strong summer to build on their success from the 2022/23 campaign, in which the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands and led the side to a European finish, however, there remains plenty for the squad to build on.

With arrivals come exits, and as the days go by following the climax of deadline day, it looks almost certain that one star will bid farewell to Villa Park before the season progresses.

Philippe Coutinho’s time in claret and blue seems to be over, with Emery confirming that the Brazilian is “close to leaving” his squad for Qatari side Al-Duhail, just a year and a half after his arrival.

What is Coutinho’s salary at Aston Villa?

Signed on an initial half-season loan that was made permanent last summer, Coutinho took a significant wage drop to join the Premier League side, however remains one of the club’s biggest earners.

Picking up an alleged pay packet of £125k-per-week, the 31-year-old is Villa’s fourth-highest earner at present, earning more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz.

The former Liverpool sensation picks up a staggering £6.5m a year on his contract in the Midlands, which is an alarmingly high figure considering the lack of impact he’s had since arriving back in England.

Does Coutinho deserve to earn so much?

When revising the impact of Watkins and Luiz, who contributed to 33 goals between them in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Coutinho’s weekly earnings are unjustified.

There’s no denying the player that Villa thought they could unlock, a talent that was purchased by Barcelona for £146m back in 2018 due to his level of performance in England whilst on Merseyside.

It simply hasn’t happened for the attacker at Villa Park, scoring just once in the league last season, making 20 appearances and battling injury and poor form in between.

Prior to Emery’s arrival, the Brazilian was slammed by club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor for his dreary displays, with the former striker dubbing him as “non-existent” under Steven Gerrard, via talkSPORT.

It’s a shame for both player and club that things didn’t work out as hoped, considering the midfielder's impeccable track record, in which he had a hand in 78 Premier League goals in 152 league appearances for the Reds.

Lauded as having “magical powers” by former Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino, the calibre of player signed by Gerrard was never questioned, however, the issue remains that he has not translated his form in claret and blue.

£125k-per-week is an extortionate amount of money for an individual not contributing or performing to the level expected, particularly when those excelling at his level are earning considerably less.

Setting injury troubles aside, when in action, the 31-year-old has failed to produce the moments of magic typical of his style when at Anfield.

As per Sofascore, last season the Champions League winner averaged a match rating of 6.66 per game in the Premier League, communicating just how dull his performances have been when involved in the action.

With a departure imminent, Villa will soon be freed of the £125k-per-week expense to fund the Brazilian’s talent, with a chance to look back on the deal and hope to not replicate it in the future.

Manchester United have finally seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move to acquire a 25 percent stake at Old Trafford approved by the Premier League and the FA.

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Ratcliffe agrees deal in DecemberPremier League approve it on TuesdayFA follow suit on WednesdayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at the club was approved on Tuesday following an independent review, as the Manchester-born billionaire now looks set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the team moving forward. The Football Association also approved the deal on Wednesday.

AdvertisementWHAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE SAID

A statement released by the Premier League read: "'Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300 million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

"The Board agreed to the change of the club's ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.

"The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed. This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ratcliffe completed the initial deal to acquire the share of the club back in December and has now passed the Premier League's Directors' and Owners' test. The 71-year-old is set to gain complete control over footballing operations, despite only owning a minority share at Old Trafford. Completion of the deal is expected by the end of the week when Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of Class A shares.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

For now, United themselves will look to continue to impress on the pitch following their late winner against Aston Villa last weekend. Erik ten Hag's men are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions and face Luton Town in their next fixture.

Manchester United are keen on signing Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, but they may have to do battle for his signature with one of their Premier League rivals…

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

As a result of his public fallout with Erik ten Hag, Jadon Sancho will look to leave Man United in the January transfer window, with the winger expected to leave on loan initially, before making a permanent exit from Old Trafford next summer.

Sancho is not in the manager's plans at the moment, with the 23-year-old not being named in the squad for the recent trip to the Emirates Stadium, while Antony has been given a leave of absence, amid off-field allegations.

Having recently left PSV Eindhoven by mutual consent, Anwar El Ghazi has now emerged as a target for the Red Devils, with the Dutchman available on a free transfer, but he is not the only player on Ten Hag's shortlist.

According to reports from Spain (via The Hard Tackle), Man United are looking for a right-winger who can "stand out in the short and long term", and Williams fits the bill, but he is a "highly sought after" asset ahead of next summer's transfer window.

Not only are United keen, but Barcelona and Liverpool are also interested, with Jurgen Klopp eyeing a right-winger who can take the place of Mohamed Salah, who is being tempted by a move to Saudi Arabia.

The Athletic Bilbao winger's contract is set to expire at the end of the ongoing campaign, at which point three of Europe's top clubs are set to do battle for his signature.

The report makes it clear that Man United's interest stems from the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Antony and Sancho, and Ten Hag's poor relationship with the latter player could open the door to Williams' arrival.

What position does Nico Williams play?

The 21-year-old is capable of playing on either flank, but he has predominantly featured on the right wing during his time with Athletic Bilbao, weighing in with 17 goals and 20 assists in 71 appearances in that area of the pitch.

Scout Antonio Mango has previously explained why the Spaniard prefers playing on that side, saying:

"Nico is best suited on the right because he likes to cut inside a lot, looking to either carve a shot out for himself, dribble past opponents or cross into the box. Nico excels is his close ball-control dribbling, he ghosts past opposition as if they weren’t there.

Mango has also lauded the Bilbao starlet as "extremely dangerous", which is demonstrated by the fact he ranks in the 92nd percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

The Pamplona-born winger has made a flying start to the current season, recording four assists in his opening four La Liga games, and it is no wonder so many top clubs are queuing up for his signature next summer.

It is exciting news that Man United are one of the teams in the race for Williams, and they should continue to monitor his performances between now and the end of the season.

Newcastle United have brought a new exciting youngster into the fold under Eddie Howe despite the transfer window being closed, as per reports.

What's the latest Newcastle news?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is close to signing a new deal at St James' Park that would make him the highest-paid player in club history.

The report states that the new deal will be worth around £200k-a-week and will also put an end to speculation linking Guimaraes with moves to the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid. No release clause will be present in the Brazil international's new contract as the Saudi Public Investment Fund have refused to include them in any negotiations since taking over in the North East.

In some international break-themed news involving the Magpies, Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes is considering changing his international allegiance from England to Scotland after being snubbed once again by Gareth Southgate, as per The Times.

Barnes is eligible through his grandparents and could opt to work under former Newcastle United assistant Steve Clarke, who is in charge of the Scottish national side. Scotland stand on the brink of securing EURO 2024 qualification following a run of five wins from their first five group fixtures, as per Sky Sports.

In a separate piece from Football Insider, it has been revealed that Fabian Schar could be handed a new contract at Newcastle United, with his current terms set to run out at the end of this campaign.

Former Bournemouth boss Howe is keen to keep hold of Schar despite being in the market for another central defender in the summer. Crystal Palace's Joachim Anderson was targeted by the Magpies and it is believed that the Eagles threw out a late deadline day bid for the Denmark international worth over £30 million.

Who have Newcastle signed?

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has taken to social media platform X to share that Newcastle United have brought in a new talent despite the transfer window closing in England. Romano stated:

"Official, completed. Talented 2007 born winger Trevan Sanusi joins Newcastle from Birmingham City. Newcastle won competition to sign Sanusi as more than five clubs were involved in the race."

Trevan Sanusi, who has been described as a "really exciting young player" by Birmingham boss John Eustace, has yet to make a senior appearance in his career; however, he has trained with Birmingham City's first-team on several occasions and has a growing reputation as a rising star in the English game.

What now for Newcastle?

Newcastle United will wait for the rest of the international break to play out before returning to action next weekend on September 16th against Brentford in the Premier League.

In the summer, CaughtOffside claimed that Newcastle were rebuffed in an approach to try and bring in Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella; however, he could be available for around £77 million next year.

Football Insider report that Newcastle United may look to expand their portfolio abroad by purchasing a top-division Belgian club and they have already held talks about the possibility of doing so.

Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly is on the radar at St James' Park and could be courted in January as a potential addition to Howe's defensive ranks, so it could be a bust few months for the Magpies.

Arsenal enjoyed a fine summer of spending in the recent window, overseeing the purchases of Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, alongside the shrewd loan acquisition of David Raya.

Instantly Mikel Arteta had bolstered his squad all over the pitch, and it seemed like the Gunners were ready to once again challenge for the title as they did so relentlessly last year, stumbling late on to allow Manchester City to emerge victorious.

However, such a hefty outlay was not to be without the major sales too, with the need to balance the books integral in ensuring an intelligent business model remains the focus for sustainable growth.

After all, their steady rise back to the top of English football has likely boosted their coffers massively, but they will still want to avoid potentially falling into the same pitfalls that led their title rivals to be accused of making over 100 FFP breaches.

As such, Granit Xhaka was one outstanding casualty, who despite starring the season prior was pushed towards the exit door as he no longer complied with their youth-focused philosophy. His 14 goal contributions from the engine room in the league proved imperative, but the hope is that Havertz can provide similar firepower once he finds his feet.

All the pieces are seemingly in place for another successful campaign at the Emirates, with their fine results in the opening four Premier League fixtures perhaps papering over the cracks of poorer performances.

It might even lead Arteta to wish he had a young, hungry and dynamic striker to lean on, the likes of which he also sold in the summer; Folarin Balogun.

Why did Folarin Balogun leave Arsenal?

Having enjoyed a true breakout year during his loan spell in Ligue 1, it was unlikely that Balogun was going to go willingly back to a place on the bench. After all, scoring 21 goals in a top European league unsurprisingly drew attention, the likes of which he likely entertained given the competition faced back at the Emirates.

For all his injury woes, Gabriel Jesus remains a remarkable striker who perfectly spearheads the Gunners' play style, with his pace, trickery and intelligent pressing all vital. However, having undergone knee surgery last term, and missed the opening few fixtures of this campaign, a worrying pattern is starting to form for the Brazilian.

Therefore, many assumed that upon the conclusion of his loan deal, Balogun might return from Stade Reims to challenge for a starting role.

However, they were swiftly proven wrong. In June the 22-year-old issued the ultimatum that Arteta would either have to play him or sell him, with the Spaniard opting for the latter as his revolution rumbled on.

The £25.7m fee amassed marked huge money for an academy product, whose only real success at senior level had come during that loan spell. Especially considering the aforementioned signings they had made, the sum of which took their spending to over £200m.

Balogun would speak following his permanent move back to France, revealing his thoughts in his first interview following the switch: "For me, I don’t have any regrets. Football is a competitive sport, and of course, the manager sometimes makes choices: sometimes there are opportunities for some players, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I wanted to play, I wanted to prove to people that I can compete at this level."

"I think the decision was natural, but I wouldn’t say there is any regret. As a young player, I want to play."

With a return to the division that he terrorised last term, it is expected that the young forward will continue his upward trajectory following his departure. And now for Arsenal, attention must move towards developing the next young star who could be the heir to such an academy success story. Step forward Omari Benjamin.

Who is Omari Benjamin?

When delving into the world-renowned Hale End, there are a number of young prospects just raring to take their opportunity when it comes their way. After all, such consistently stunning performances at academy level are sure to earn a call-up eventually.

To highlight arguably the most in-form youngster tearing up the youth football scene, fans need to look no further than the 17-year-old marksman Benjamin.

Describing his own talents, the teenage wonderkid simply claimed: "I’m a forward, my playing style is attacking, but I do like to entertain the audience by beating players with skill. I love scoring goals – it’s an art that I’ve had since I was young and that has never left me."

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool)

£32.6m

Nicolas Anelka (Real Madrid)

£30m

Alexis Sanchez* (Manchester United)

£29.1m

Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona)

£29.1m

Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

£26.3m

Alex Iwobi (Everton)

£26.1m

Such a notion has certainly been proven correct with his recent form, as he has been starring at a level far above his current age. Last season saw him make great strides, having scored 11 and assisted a further two in just 16 U18s Premier League fixtures.

To move into the U23s marked the next natural step up, especially given the four goal contributions he had produced in their FA Youth Cup run to the final (where he would score their only goal in a 5-1 loss), his explosive displays earned him his first five Premier League 2 appearances too.

Comparing this kind of form with Balogun at youth level, it is clear that they share similar goalscoring prowess that could easily see Benjamin emulate his success. The current AS Monaco ace would score 38 times in just 42 U18s appearances, and notch a further 37 in 62 games for the U21s, via Transfermarkt.

Were the young Welshman to continue his form, these are figures certainly attainable. Especially with his cutting-edge having already been lauded, with Arsenal academy expert Jeorge Bird writing: "Omari Benjamin looks like a good prospect. Can play up front or out wide. Has been prolific for the U16s this season. Wales youth international."

Despite the unfortunate sale of a promising youngster, the proficiency of Hale End means that fans will never be far away from the next big academy star.

The hope will be that Benjamin can emerge in the coming years with added emphasis, in an effort to force the issue and usurp Jesus as Arteta's perfect striker.

Chelsea have missed out on a transfer target, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano sharing news that the player is poised to remain at his club instead.

Enzo Maresca has watched BlueCo orchestrate a fairly productive transfer market thus far.

Maresca is now pushing Chelsea to sign £150k-per-week World Cup winner

The Italian and his staff are big fans.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

The Blues sealed a £30 million move for highly-rated young English striker Liam Delap, who’s already got on the scoresheet with his first-ever goal for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, and it is believed that optimism is growing over a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

They haven’t had it all their own way, though, as Dortmund rejected three bids from Chelsea for the 20-year-old before the last transfer deadline on June 10.

Chelsea also failed with an attempt to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, with the Rossoneri insisting on a far higher price tag than Maresca’s side were willing to pay, and talks surrounding a pre-CWC move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké didn’t go anywhere either.

Maresca’s side are in the market for a centre-back too, but according to Romano, they’ll have to move on from Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite – who’s now been added to the list of players who Chelsea won’t be signing.

Jarrad Branthwaite set to reject Chelsea and sign new Everton deal

Earlier this month, journalist Simon Phillips reported that Chelsea were planning to push for Branthwaite, and there was a possibility that the 23-year-old could ask to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

“Chelsea intend to push for him [Branthwaite] again and there is a possibility that they offer players to Everton in an attempt to get the fee down and make the deal more appealing on both sides,” said Phillips.

“We’ve also heard that he is a little frustrated, on Everton putting such a big valuation on his head. We had initially heard that Branthwaite would not actively push for a move. But it has now transpired that he is keen on Chelsea and could end up asking for the move.”

However, despite Chelsea’s intention, the £70 million-rated centre-back has just been put out of Maresca’s reach.

Romano confirms that Branthwaite will commit his future to Everton by signing a new long-term deal until 2030, dealing a blow to Chelsea and other suitors, who are poised to miss out on the Englishman tipped for a very bright future.

The former PSV Eindhoven loanee was also a wanted man at Tottenham, according to some reports, but any potential move to London will have to be put on the back-burner for a long while.

Leeds United return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they travel to Wales to take on Cardiff City in their 27th league match of the campaign.

The Whites were in FA Cup action last weekend as they faced Peterborough United away from Elland Road on Sunday and ran out 3-0 winners.

Leicester City

1

26

65

Ipswich Town

2

26

55

Southampton

3

26

52

Leeds United

4

26

48

West Brom

5

26

42

Sunderland

6

26

40

Daniel Farke's side secured a comfortable win thanks to two goals from Ethan Ampadu either side of a wondergoal from striker Patrick Bamford.

The English centre-forward could keep his position in the side for this clash with Cardiff after that stunning strike and the German head coach must unleash Georginio Rutter in the number ten position behind him, ahead of Joel Piroe.

Bamford's season in numbers

Bamford failed to find the back of the net in any of his first 16 appearances for Leeds this season, and did not provide a single assist for his teammates in that time.

In fact, the 30-year-old striker also missed a penalty in a crucial game against Stoke City away from home, minutes before the hosts scored the winning goal.

However, the former Middlesbrough star was handed his first Championship start of the campaign against Birmingham on New Year's Day and headed in his first goal of the season from Dan James' cross.

Bamford then chipped in with a goal of the season contender, as shown in the video above, and an assist in the 3-0 win over Peterborough last weekend and this means that he has three direct goal contributions in his last two appearances.

Rutter's season in numbers

Farke could now provide the English number nine with the service that he needs to continue that rich vein of form by bringing Rutter back into the team.

The French whiz was rested – as an unused substitute – against Peterborough and should come straight back into the XI to replace Piroe due to his superior creativity.

Appearances

25

26

Assists

Nine

One

Big chances created

17

Two

Key passes per game

2.2

0.9

Dribbles completed per game

2.5

0.5

As you can see in the table above, Rutter has significantly outperformed the former Swansea marksman in a host of key creative metrics in the Championship this season.

In fact, the 21-year-old magician ranks within the top 1% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.53), Expected Assisted Goals (0.37), and assists (0.39) per 90. He also ranks within the top 1% for successful take-ons (2.74) and the top 3% for progressive passes (3.66) per 90.

These statistics show that the ex-Hoffenheim prospect has been one of the best, if not the best, playmakers in the league so far this season.

The £34k-per-week star, who was once lauded for his "blistering" pace by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality to consistently unlock opposition defences to create high-quality chances for his teammates in front of goal.

This is why Farke must unleash him in the number ten position behind Bamford to provide the English striker with all the ammunition that he needs to continue his goalscoring form.