Chelsea are hoping to bring England international Declan Rice to Stamford Bridge this summer to bolster their squad.
The versatile defender-turned-midfielder has been on Frank Lampard’s radar for a while and a move could be put in place for him to join best friend Mason Mount. However, Danny Murphy thinks Rice will be battling for game time if he joins the Blues.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Liverpool midfielder has given his take on a potential move to Chelsea for the 21-year-old. Murphy apparently sees West Ham’s star as more of a centre-back than midfielder, which is the position in which he started his senior career. He has warned Rice he likely won’t be picked to start in many games if he is to join the Blues as a midfield man.
“The only thing is, if you look at Chelsea’s predicament, in the midfield area of Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante – Declan would be going ‘unless they got rid of one or two of those, I won’t be playing midfield,'” Murphy stated.
“Although he could compete with them, they wouldn’t spend that much on a player just to have another central midfielder.”
Rice’s current Transfermarkt value is £44.5million, which is a sensible amount for the 21-year-old. Despite operating mainly as defensive midfielder this season, the Englishman could bolster Lampard’s defence, particularly as the club continues to go under transition. However, talks of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho leaving the club are being held and Rice could be thrown a lifeline which finds him facing less competition for his preferred role.
Do you think Chelsea should sign Declan Rice this summer? Have your say in the comments below!
Darren Bent insists Schalke star Weston McKennie would be a “very Spursy signing” for Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs and England striker believes McKennie’s market value makes it a ‘very doable’ deal for Daniel Levy.
Recent reports revealed Spurs are interested in signing McKennie in the summer and they could prise him away from FC Schalke for a cut-price deal of £20m.
The American is set to move away from Schalke as they are struggling to cope with economic pressures.
Bent claims McKennie could slot straight into the Spurs squad and believes he could be a real bargain.
The player-turned-pundit told assistant editor Russell Edge “it’s cheap enough for them to do it as well. We know the Coronavirus has hit people hard, we understand that, but at the same time he is a very Spursy signing, very, very Spursy.
“The money’s got to be right and at £20 million, you’d think it’s not that much, especially in today’s market. In today’s modern football and the transfer market, that’s not too much money, it’s very doable.”
It is hard to argue with Bent here, as McKennie has become a mainstay for the Miners, making over 91 appearances for the German club so far.
Despite his young age, the 21-year-old has impressed at the VELTINS-Arena, playing 28 games in the Bundesliga for David Wagner’s side this season, scoring 3 goals, making 1.4 tackles per game, averaging 1.6 interceptions, and completing 1.3 clearances on average (via WhoScored).
A versatile player who has won 19 caps for his country, the USA international can start at the heart of the defence or the midfield.
It is no secret that the Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun throughout the season, as they have conceded more goals than Manchester United and Premier League champions Liverpool amongst others.
While Spurs seem to have turned things around for now, Jose Mourinho will be determined to stem the flow once and for all.
McKennie, who is a box-to-box midfielder, has shown he has more than one string to his bow, as he has demonstrated an attacking edge to his playing style, taking 1.1 shots per game, as well as being an indirect set-piece threat.
At a mere £20m, he could be a steal in the summer, as it is worth remembering Spurs spent a club record fee worth £55m to sign Tanguy Ndombele last year.
He could turn out to be the missing piece in the puzzle to solve Spurs’ defensive problems, as he has earned a higher WhoScored rating than Harry Winks this season.
As is often the case with Spurs, there is an added catch, as it seems as though Levy will have a transfer battle on his hands.
Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Weston McKennie this summer? Let us know down below!
Manchester United are growing “frustrated” by Borussia Dortmund’s demands for Jadon Sancho, reports say.
Man United are not giving up on signing Sancho this summer, despite Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insisting the deal is dead.
According to ESPN, the Red Devils are fed up with the fact negotiations are taking so long, while United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief transfer negotiator Matt Judge are annoyed they have to work through third-party agent Marco Lichtsteiner.
Dortmund wanted to reach an agreement by August 10 to give them plenty of time to find a replacement but United failed to meet their deadline.
Sources also told ESPN that club bosses at Old Trafford are concerned by the quoted agent fees and wage demands from the player’s representatives.
Sancho, 20, was the club’s top scorer last term, finishing the season with a tally of 20 goals and 18 assists to his name (via WhoScored).
The Bundesliga giants have slapped a €120m (£100m) price tag on his head after his impressive performances, but the Red Devils are trying to drive down a deal in the summer.
Both clubs remain poles apart on their valuations for the 11-cap England international right winger, who reunited with his teammates in time for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland this week.
It seems as though nothing much has changed as they still have to agree a transfer fee, agent fees and personal terms with Sancho, although personal terms will not be a problem, according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
While it would be far easier if United could talk to Dortmund directly, rather than being forced to work with intermediaries, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has very little choice if he wants to sign his top target in the summer, unless he would really rather sign Barcelona flop Ousmane Dembele instead.
Contrary to some reports, talks are still ongoing between the two clubs, and the Red Devils are confident they can reach an amicable agreement.
United fans, do you think Ed Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Chelsea are still without a solution to their goalkeeping problem and could be looking at another season with Kepa Arrizabalaga as their first choice.
Unless the Blues can finalise a deal for a new shot-stopper, they will continue to have a weak point in their defence this season. However, The Athletic have reported that Frank Lampard is eyeing up a move for Manchester United ‘keeper Sergio Romero (via The Mirror).
Chelsea have been shopping around for the answer to their goalkeeping woes for months now. After Lampard put his foot down on Kepa and ruled him unreliable between the sticks, they have scoured Europe for his replacement.
Their initial interest looked to spell a London move for Jan Oblak, but Atletico Madrid remained firm on their £110million asking price, which put him out of their budget.
Nick Pope was another name thrown into the mix, but talks have died down surrounding a swoop for the England international. Instead, the Blues could now capitalise on Romero’s situation at Old Trafford, with Dean Henderson signing a new deal and David de Gea the favourite to start most of the Reds’ games.
Although Romero may be a bit older than Lampard would like at 33, he boasts 96 international caps for Argentina and was part of the Olympic gold medal-winning side from 2008 (via Transfermarkt).
His international experience behind fellow veteran Thiago Silva could be a huge boost for Chelsea’s struggling defence. Plus, with Henderson in line to challenge de Gea, United may be open to letting Romero leave this window.
No price tag has been specified but his Transfermarkt value is a mere £2.5million and he has just one year left on his current contract. The Reds may be forced to cash in before he is eligible to leave as a free agent next summer.
If the Blues can wrap up a deal for the Argentinian, it will likely be the cherry on top of Lampard’s very expensive transfer cake.
Do you think Chelsea should sign Romero? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Having joined from Fulham last summer, it’s fair to say Ryan Sessegnon didn’t exactly enjoy the greatest of debut seasons at Tottenham.
The England youth international played just 12 times for the first-team, with a hamstring injury certainly not helping his cause either.
The Spurs starlet did show glimpses of huge promise though, including scoring at the Allianz Arena in the north London side’s 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages.
Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…
Now, The Athletic claim that Jose Mourinho rejected Barcelona’s enquiry over a potential loan deal for Sessegnon, and that the current plan for the winger is for him to spend the upcoming campaign at Spurs.
The report adds that “the expectation is that Sessegnon will play more this season, with the club putting the 20-year-old on a strength and conditioning programme aimed at helping him bulk up and be better equipped for the rigours of the Premier League.”
Speaking back in late 2019, the Spurs boss made it clear just how highly he rated Sessegnon, saying: “I think Ryan is absolutely fantastic, I have known him since a kid in Fulham. I think in this moment he is a winger on the left, can also play on the right, can learn progressively and even developing physically, which he is doing.”
Having now spent a year just getting used to his new surroundings, those at Spurs may feel that this new campaign may be the perfect time for Sessegnon to really shine.
Well there we have it, the Premier League has officially kicked off, and game week 1 was full of surprises – including a seven-goal thriller at Anfield, in which defending champions Liverpool managed a 4-3 victory over new boys Leeds, who put up an impressive fight and showcased the potential they have to really make a name for themselves this season.
Other games had some real highlights, with debut goals for Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães in the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Fulham, Newcastle’s new boy’s Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick, and Leicester right-back Timothy Castagne.
Overall it was a great weekend of football, and many results have left me wondering about just how well some teams may do this season with some surprise performances.
Today, we are going to take a look at those opening weekend fixtures and see how they compared to my predictions prior to the weekend’s action.
Fulham 0-3 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta and his men made a real statement in the Premier League opening game on Saturday. The Gunners got off to a flying start when Alexandre Lacazette became the first player to score the first goal of the new season twice (this season and the 2017/18 season).
Fulham showed a real lack of intent and didn’t really get the chance on the ball due to an impressive display from Mohamed Elneny in Arsenal’s midfield. It wasn’t long into the second half when debutant Gabriel scored his first goal for the club.
From a Willian corner, who also provided the assists for Aubameyang’s curling effort from the edge of the box. It was a dominant performance from the Gunners, one that Arteta will be proud of to start the season with – and it wasn’t far off my 2-0 prediction earlier in the week.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Southampton
This one was a real surprise for me – after predicting the Saints to be 2-1 victors, Palace certainly proved me wrong with their injury-hit squad, and Wilfried Zaha’s 13th-minute goal was enough to secure the three points in their first game of the season.
A makeshift defence for the Eagles meant Chiekhou Kouyaté and Scott Dann were the two centre-backs for the game, and they performed surprisingly well together. New boy Eberechi Eze came on in the last 10 minutes for his debut and showed glimpses of the quality he will bring to Roy Hodson’s team this season – with the Palace manager getting things off to a flying start for the club.
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds
Soccer Football – Premier League – Liverpool v Leeds United – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – September 12, 2020 Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates. Pool via REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account repres
What a game this was. I have to admit I probably underestimated Leeds here, not in the sense that I don’t think they will do well this season, as I had predicted them to finish 16th and secure Premier League safety. The game started well for the Reds who went 1-0 up after a Mo Salah penalty
. Marcelo Bielsa and his men continued to fight back, however, and came back to level the game out on three occasions – but the club was unlucky to concede another penalty in the 88th minute after such an impressive display during the whole game.
A silly challenge from new boy Rodrigo gave Salah an opening day hat-trick for the Reds and gave the defending champions their first three points of the season – after my initial and unfair prediction of 4-0 to Liverpool.
West Ham 0-2 Newcastle
This was an impressive and dominant display from Steve Bruce and his side – my prediction of 2-1 to Newcastle wasn’t far off, but the Magpies did one better than that by keeping a clean sheet away from home. T
his was Newcastle’s first opening day victory in the Premier League for 8 years, and a debut goal from Callum Wilson gave the Toon Army a 1-0 lead just before the hour mark. It was Jeff Hendrick’s debut goal for the club in the 87th minute that secured the win, a stunning strike from outside the box that nestled into the top left corner of Lukasz Fabianski’s goal.
West Ham looked sloppy throughout the game, and Declan Rice seemed to be a missing object in their midfield – with evident frustration on the face of club captain Mark Noble. This seems like it’s already going to be a long season for the Hammers, but Newcastle should take some real enjoyment out of such a positive start.
West Brom 0-3 Leicester
Our first correct prediction – and a well-earned victory for Brendan Rodgers and his side. The Foxes had a tough start to the game, with West Brom holding on well to keep things 0-0 going into half time.
On the 56th minute, new boy Timothy Castagne scored his first goal for the club giving them a 1-0 lead with a great header from fellow countryman Dennis Praet’s fantastic cross – which soon became three when Leicester won two penalties in ten minutes, with Jamie Vardy converting both, giving Rodgers and his side three points from their first game of the season.
It was a tough day for Slaven Bilic and his side, who looked out of depth and out of luck during the second half, and it looks as though they’ll have a long campaign ahead of them.
Tottenham 0-1 Everton
It was the best possible opening day game for the Toffees, winning their first game against a top 6 side for the last 40 games, dating back to 2013. My prediction of 1-1 looked almost dead set after the first half of wasted chances from both sides. That was until Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke the deadlock on the 55th minute with a bullet header that left Hugo Lloris in no man’s lead after a brilliant cross from Lucas Digne’s free-kick.
It ended up being a well-deserved opening day victory for Carlo Ancelotti and his side, with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham looking very lethargic and sulky after going 1-0 down during the second half like petulant children – and Mourinho would not have been happy with that. If you go 1-0 down, you fight back and earn your result, rather than look to the ground with a tantrum because things aren’t going your way – which is something that is going to have to change if Spurs want success this season.
Sheffield United 0-2 Wolves
It was an impressive start for Wolves after an extremely long season last time out – with an impressive performance against a talented and proven Blades defence, beating them 2-0 at Bramall Lane. It was a quick start, with Raul Jimenez scoring the first goal of the game in the 3rd minute with a cracking half volley after a beautiful run and cross from Daniel Podence.
This was quickly followed up by Roman Saïss just three minutes later after Pedro Neto’s corner met the head of the Moroccan defender. It was a tough start to the season for Sheffield United, who last season had an impressive defensive record in the league, and it differed from my initial 0-0 prediction for the game, due to both clubs having such strong defensive outlets.
Brighton 1-3 Chelsea
Soccer Football – Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea – The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain – September 14, 2020. Chelsea’s Reece James celebrates scoring their second goal with Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma. Pool via REUTERS/Peter Cziborra EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single
Our second and final correct prediction of the weekend – Chelsea opened the scoring with a penalty from Jorginho, after Timo Werner went down in the box. Brighton leveled the game in the 54th minute after a great strike from outside the box from Leandro Trossard, but it wasn’t to be the Seagulls day.
The Blues scored twice in quick succession through Reece James and Kurt Zouma, giving Frank Lampard and his team their first three points of the season. It was a great sign of things to come this season for Chelsea after heavy investment over the summer, which saw debuts for Werner and Kai Havertz. Graham Potter and his side showed some positive signs too, however, and I feel that Brighton will have an impressive season ahead with a talented and young squad at his disposal.
Carlo Ancelotti is set for his first major test of the season as a potential injury to star forward Richarlison could derail Everton’s unbeaten start.
What’s the word?
Richarlison has been one of Everton’s standout players in the new campaign, with the Brazilian helping himself to four goals and two assists across all competitions – only Dominic Calvert-Lewin (eight goals, no assists) has been involved in more.
But in a cruel twist during the Toffees’ Carabao Cup rout of West Ham United on Wednesday night, Richarlison was forced off nursing what the Liverpool Echo suspect to be an ankle injury.
The 23-year-old appeared to be in real discomfort early in the second-half moments after striking the back of the net to restore Everton’s one-goal advantage, having tracked back to aid his teammates in preventing Ben Johnson from fashioning an instant reply.
Richarlison attempted to carry on deeper into the Round of 16 tie but fell back down in a heap within moments after failing to shrug the limp and was soon brought off for Alex Iwobi, sparking fears on Merseyside of a potential absence for the star forward.
Losing Richarlison for any lengthy period of time would deal Ancelotti his first major test of the campaign ahead of hosting Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with the Italian potentially without a dangerous spearhead of his boisterous front line.
Everton have only faced one serious test in Tottenham Hotspur to date but went into the Premier League curtain-raiser with relatively low expectations, given the Blues had failed to win any of their trips to a top-six side since 2013.
No one like Richarlison
Ancelotti will be hopeful that Richarlison’s potential injury will be nothing to worry about as the Italian has no like-for-like replacement in line to fill the void the 23-year-old would leave behind.
Richarlison offers his side their most lethal option on the left-hand of the pitch with his drifting runs and relentless effort hard for any player to match, and hard for any defender to contain for a full 90 minutes.
That was certainly the case in Everton’s only real test of the term thus far against Tottenham, when the 19-cap winger recorded by far the most dribbles (11) with a 100% success rate and contributed seven shots, a key ball and five successful tackles, per WhoScored.
He again shone brightly against West Ham with three successful dribbles, three shots and one key ball while finding teammates with 92% of his 26 attempted passes before departing the action after 61-minutes.
Brighton may not be a level above the rest but with Liverpool around the corner on October 17 following the international break, Ancelotti will be hoping for positive news when it comes to Richarlison’s potential availability.
AND in other news, a long-time Everton star has emerged as a transfer option for a Premier League competitor.
With over 100 games for the club now, Neil Taylor has proven himself to be a shrewd signing for Aston Villa over these past few years.
The Wales international joined from Swansea back in January 2017, in a deal that saw Jordan Ayew head in the opposite direction. Taylor played a major part in Villa earning promotion to the Premier League for last season, including playing every single minute during the Championship play-offs.
But the 31-year-old fell out of favour when Dean Smith’s side reached the top-flight, making just 14 appearances in the league, with Matt Targett being Villa’s first-choice at left-back.
Now, with his contract coming to an end following the culmination of this season, Villa will have to make a tough decision on whether to extend his £45k-a-week deal.
If Smith sees the full-back as a vital part of his squad due to his leadership or presence in the dressing room, then perhaps the club should consider giving him a shorter-term contract.
But if Villa are looking at it from a purely footballing perspective, and what he can offer on the pitch, then sadly, Taylor’s decline should make it a relatively simple choice to make.
As per Whoscored, when you compare his stats from last season and the one before, all of his numbers in the key categories for a full-back have gone down considerably – some sharper than others.
His tackles per game have gone down from 1.7 to 1.1, he’s been dribbled past twice as much (0.3 to 0.6), his key passes have dropped from 0.6 to 0.4, and his attempted cross have gone from 0.3 to 0.1.
It’s a far cry from the time Robbie Savage once lauded him as “one of the best in the Premier League” when he was at Swansea, and if Villa are to truly mean business, then they need to move on from under-performing players.
Southampton have made a name for themselves as the feeder club of Liverpool. Whilst the Saints put rising stars into the spotlight, the Merseysiders snap them up and complete the final steps towards greatness. Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane are now two of the most highly praised footballers on the planet, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also eventually ended up at Anfield following a detour to the Emirates.
One man who has failed to follow this narrative is forgotten Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne. The cast-off England international walked from the club this summer as a free agent, empty-handed despite his teammates’ historic success.
He is now all the way back where it started, at Crystal Palace – yet to play a single minute of football under Roy Hodgson.
A Rapid Declyne
After snapping up the exciting young right-back from the Eagles back in 2012, Southampton will have thought they’d bagged a real bargain. The south coast side paid just £2.8million for the then 22-year-old, who would go on to become a Saints centurion and contribute five goals and eight assists across his three years with the club.
When Brendan Rodgers came knocking in 2015, Southampton cashed in on a handsome £13million profit, after selling him to Liverpool for a reported £15.9million. Unfortunately for Clyne, the move wouldn’t be a dream one.
Jurgen Klopp took over at the hilt of Anfield just four months after the Englishman arrived and he had already started planning his changes. The 29-year-old went on to make a total of 103 appearances for Liverpool, but was gradually phased out of the team after the emergence of starlet Trent Alexander-Arnold. Once the youngster dipped his feet in the senior team, there was no going back for Klopp.
Clyne made just ten appearances across both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons before being shipped out on loan to Bournemouth. There, he also struggled for game time, earning only 15 chances to play across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).
After being snubbed of his place by the now £99milli0n-valued Alexander-Arnold, the ageing full-back was not only left to leave as a free agent, but he was not given a Premier League winners’ medal for his troubles either. His long-term future at new club Crystal Palace is uncertain too, given he only signed a short-term contract with his former employers at the start of the month.
Southampton certainly cashed in at the right time and avoided dealing with the long-term effects of Clyne’s dip in form and his ongoing injury woes.
In other news, Danny Ings could cause big upset for Everton with impressive record…
Steven Gerrard has admitted he does not know what goes on in Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos’ head.
Morelos an issue
Morelos is not currently in the best run of form. On paper, five goals from 13 games is far from disappointing, but it is worth mentioning that he has netted in just three matches in all competitions. Against Standard Liege on Thursday, he put in a terrible display which was roundly criticised by many supporters.
Speaking ahead of the match against Livingston, Gerrard admitted:
“I don’t know what goes on in his head – I wish I did. I think you have to appreciate what Alfredo brings to the team.
“You guys in the media judge him on goals, numbers and records, which is fine. You are doing your job.
“But I judge Alfredo on what he gives the team in and out of possession. Do the players want him in the team?
“Do they feel like they need him? Does he help in different ways? Of course we all want goals and that is a big part of his job.
“But just because he’s not on the scoresheet doesn’t mean he hasn’t done the job for the team or we’re not happy with the job he has given.”
Worrying issue
At his best, Morelos is a lethal striker, as he has shown with 82 goals in 151 games for the Ibrox outfit. However, he is a livewire whose temperament often gets the better of him. He has received seven red cards in three years in Scotland, whilst he was lucky to escape punishment for slapping Scott Brown on the back of the head in the Old Firm last weekend. He was even involved in the fracas after the match against Liege, despite being substituted previously.
The £13.5m-valued Colombia international (Transfermarkt) can be a liability, and if he is not concentrated on the matter at hand he has a tendency to do stupid things. Gerrard does not say this is the issue directly, but you get the feeling he is a player about whom the manager needs to worry a lot more than others.
In other news, Borussia Dortmund and Leeds United have joined the race for this 22-year-old Gers target compared to Luka Modric. Let us know what you think in the comments below!