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Chelsea have not been afraid to splash the cash in the January transfer window as Todd Boehly has heavily backed manager Graham Potter in the market.

Noni Madueke was officially unveiled on Friday night and the winger joins David Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Joao Felix in arriving at Stamford Bridge this month.

However, that may not be the end of the club’s business in the transfer market as they could look to strengthen their options in the middle of the park.

Jorginho is out of contract at the end of the season and Chelsea could wave bye-bye to the Italian international, whether that is this month or in the summer upon the expiry of his deal, by signing a replacement for him in the coming weeks.

Boehly could now replace the former Napoli maestro by reigniting his interest in snapping up Enzo Fernandez. Fabrizio Romano revealed, earlier this month, that the Blues agreed personal terms with the central midfielder before talks broke down with Benfica over a transfer fee, with the gem’s release clause sitting at €120m (£105m).

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones said that he would not rule out the club going back in with another swoop for the Argentine star. The reporter said:

“I’ve spoken to a couple of people around Chelsea who say, while it is unlikely at the moment, they don’t have a new plan to go and fix that midfield problem they’ve got.

“So if the alternative fallback options to Enzo Fernandez don’t come off, they might go back in for him again.”

Chelsea must now reignite their interest in the Argentina international as his form for Benfica this season indicates that he could be an excellent replacement for Jorginho.

In the Premier League this season, the current Blues midfielder has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 across 17 appearances – making 3.3 tackles and interceptions and 0.4 key passes per match.

Fernandez, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 7.44 in 15 outings for Benfica in the Portuguese top-flight. The 22-year-old has made 3.2 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 key passes per game in Liga Portugal, which suggests that the gem could offer a similar level of defensive protection whilst being significantly more creative in possession in comparison to Jorginho if he can adapt to English football.

Journalist Roy Nemer claimed that the midfielder can be a “game-changer” and his creativity from the middle of the park could allow him to win matches for Chelsea, whilst his strength off the ball means that he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, the Blues could easily wave bye-bye to Jorginho with no worries about their options in his position by signing Fernandez to be an outstanding player for Potter to work with moving forwards.

Leeds United continue to be linked with Newcastle United striker Chris Wood, despite Eddie Howe reportedly viewing him as an important member of his squad…

What’s the latest?

The Magpies manager dubbed the 31-year-old “hugely important” late last week, although the New Zealand marksman continues to be linked with a return to Elland Road.

Ben Jacobs has given his verdict on the transfer rumour, as he told GIVEMESPORT: “I wouldn’t rule out Chris Wood, former Leeds, of course. He’s not getting much game time at Newcastle United at the moment.

“Newcastle are still looking at goalscorers and creative-minded options. I don’t think Leeds would want to sign Wood on a permanent deal, but there might be a loan opportunity there, so that’s one to just keep an eye on.”

Given Leeds’ failed attempts to sign Matheus Cunha, who has agreed to join Wolves, it could make this potential deal even more important for Jesse Marsch.

Better than Cunha

Although it may seem a ludicrous claim to make, signing Wood could actually be a far better deal for the Whites than the one that Wolves secured for Cunha.

Fabrizio Romano reported an obligatory €50m (£44m) fee for the 23-year-old, and with the New Zealand international having only been bought by the Magpies for £25m, the Whites would surely get him for a cut-price fee should they settle on a permanent deal with Newcastle.

Furthermore, Wood already boasts far more Premier League experience than the Brazilian, who has struggled this season for Atletico Madrid.

Having yet to score so far in 17 appearances in 2022/23, he has only managed two assists. In fact, he is yet to hit double figures for goals in a single season whilst playing in one of the top five domestic leagues in Europe.

Meanwhile, Wood enjoyed four consecutive seasons with Burnley in which he scored ten or more goals, which is made even more impressive given that the Clarets were routinely near the relegation zone in the Premier League.

The 6 foot 4 “Kiwi brute”, as journalist Tom Barclay labelled the 31-year-old, also ranks in the top 1% for aerial duels won per 90 among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022.

These attributes could culminate in a far more effective presence for English football, as opposed to the huge financial risk that Cunha would have posed.

With the squad that Jesse Marsch boasts at Leeds, with tricky wingers who can create for a proper number nine, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise to miss out on Cunha if it means that they will secure a deal with Newcastle for Wood.

Chelsea ‘will talk again’ with N’Golo Kante before any decision is made about him leaving the club, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Kante’s future

With Kante’s current Chelsea contract set to expire in June 2023, there have been reports linking him with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the near future.

Interest comes from Europe, with Spanish sources detailing that Barcelona were making progress on a deal earlier this month, with the Spanish club able to sign him on a pre-contract agreement in January.

There have also been claims that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte remained keen back in November, but there seems to have been no development on that front in more recent times.

The Latest: Phillips’ update

According to Phillips, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, there is still a possibility that the Frenchman extends his stay at Stamford Bridge, with the player himself keen to remain at the club:

“Kante is happy to stay at Chelsea and he’s hoping he can find an agreement there still, but right now it’s not happening. But they will talk again, I think, before a final decision is made either way.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

A hamstring injury sustained back in August has meant that the midfielder has only managed to make two Premier League appearances so far this season, but he has previously proven time and time again that he is up there with the very best in the defensive role.

BBC Sport’s Abbie McCarthy has lauded the 53-time France international as an ‘unreal player’, and for good reason, as he has displayed remarkable acumen in preventing opposition attacks throughout his time at Stamford Bridge.

Over the past year, the enforcer has averaged 2.94 tackles per 90 minutes, which places him in the 88th percentile compared to his peers, as does the figure of 1.65 interceptions over the same timeframe.

Given that he is now 31, Graham Potter may not want to tie Kante down on a long-term deal, but he deserves at least two more years at the club, given his previous success.

Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth is thought to be in the frame for the Queens Park Rangers job, according to The Evening Standard.

The Lowdown: Cifuentes linked with QPR

The Hoops are on the hunt for Michael Beale’s long-term successor and have been linked with a move for Hammarby head coach Marti Cifuentes in recent days.

Reports have suggested that the R’s made initial contact with Hammarby to request permission to speak with the Spaniard right away.

However, it still seems as if the club are drawing up a list of targets closer to home which includes Ainsworth.

The Latest: Ainsworth in the frame

The Evening Standard shared a story on Friday regarding the club’s search for a new manager.

They claimed that a move is being considered for Chelsea coach Anthony Barry, before adding that Ainsworth is also in the frame for the position.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Ainsworth may not be at the top of the club’s wish list, but it seems as if this could be one to keep an eye on over the coming days.

The 49-year-old, who likes to use a 4-2-3-1 system, has plenty of history at Loftus Road both as a player and a coach.

He has been a player, player-coach, assistant manager and caretaker manager for QPR, so it could come full circle by succeeding Beale, although he would need to end his nine-and-a-half-year association with Wycombe for that to happen.

Leeds United’s search for frontline reinforcements this January has taken them back to LaLiga.

Reports in Spain suggest that the Yorkshire giants are one of the teams looking to take advantage of Atletico Madrid’s situation after they failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages.

And as manager Jesse Marsch needs senior strikers, with Patrick Bamford back on the treatment table, Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha has emerged as a likely target.

It’s thought that he would be available for around €30m (£26m) and according to transfer insider Dean Jones, chairman Andrea Radrizzani and co have money to throw at another attacker this winter.

“We know that they’re going to have some reasonably decent money to throw at an attacker, but I’ve seen this one being spoken about a fair bit,” he told GIVEMESPORT, before delivering a verdict on Cunha: “He’s a good player, but I think the key here is that Marsch really has to make sure that he gets the profiles of his attackers right.”

The versatile Atletico ace enjoyed a pretty solid campaign last term, delivering 14 goal contributions across all competitions but he has struggled so far this season, failing to find the net in 17 appearances, despite being deployed as a centre-forward.

This should set alarm bells ringing and director of football Victor Orta may want to think twice before going ahead with a move for Cunha.

There could be some similarities drawn to Leeds’ signing of Rodrigo, who after seven goals and 11 assists, was signed in a then club-record deal for around £27m.

Just like the Brazilian, who was once dubbed an “unbelievable talent” by German YouTube sensation Maximilian Knabe, the Spanish frontman is capable of playing in behind the striker too and it took a while for the Whites to get their rewards.

Rodrigo has scored nine goals in 13 league games so far this term but his record up until now has been pretty dire, having found the net only 13 times across 63 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Time is no luxury, particularly if you are costing around £26m. Marsch – and Leeds – cannot afford to wait for Cunha to get up to speed if they were to sign him in January as they need a goalscoring talisman now, not in two years’ time.

As such, Orta must look to avoid this risk by turning his attention elsewhere after the World Cup.

AND in other news, Leeds plotting £13m swoop for “beautiful player” in Jan, he’s a huge Rodrigo upgrade…

Financial expert Kieran Maguire believes that there could be an ‘earnout agreement’ at Leeds United over a potential takeover from the 49ers Enterprises.

The Lowdown: Option to take full control

The 49ers Enterprises currently hold a 44% stake at Elland Road after Andrea Radrizzani initially sold them a 10% stake back in 2018.

A full takeover is a possibility, with the 49ers having the option to take full control from Radrizzani in a deal worth in excess of £400m.

The American giants only have until January 2024 to exercise their option, though, and Maguire has given his thoughts on a potential takeover.

The Latest: Maguire’s comments

Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the prospect of the 49ers taking full control in Yorkshire.

He said that they are ‘bearing their time’ but hinted that an ‘earnout agreement’, a contractual provision which dictates that the seller is entitled to future compensation, could be in place with Radrizzani.

“The 49ers are bearing their time when it comes to any potential acquisition of Leeds.

“They are waiting to see how the clubs beds in as far as its contribution to the Premier League is concerned.

“There are probably some earnout agreement that they have with Radrizzani which will help to determine the price ultimately paid.

“The 49ers are prepared to be patient. If they have got a fixed price already agreed upon then there is no downside from their point of view in awaiting further developments.”

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The Verdict: This season key?

The Whites failed to back up a promising first season back in the Premier League and managed to survive a real relegation scare on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.

It looks as if the Whites may well be in line for another battle at the bottom under Jesse Marsch, however, if they can stay clear of the drop zone, the 49ers may look to take full control over the summer.

Therefore, it could be a crucial 10-month period at Elland Road both on and off the pitch, as Leeds look to take the next step in the top flight.

Midlands reporter for The Daily Telegraph John Percy has claimed that Steve Cooper being given a new contract at Nottingham Forest is ‘fantastic news’.

The Lowdown: Was under pressure

Cooper was a man under pressure after a 4-0 loss to Leicester City left them bottom of the Premier League table.

Rafa Benitez was reportedly being lined up to replace him earlier this week, but Cooper has now signed a new deal which will keep him at the City Ground until 2025.

The Latest: Percy reacts

Taking to Twitter after the deal was announced, Percy labelled it as ‘fantastic news’ and added that CEO Dane Murphy is set to stay at the club as well, after he too was believed to be heading towards the exit door earlier this week.

The Telegraph reporter tweeted: “Fantastic news for #nffc and this should hopefully settle everything down. Cooper has been Forest’s best manager since Frank Clark and deserves this. Understand CEO Dane Murphy is also staying.”

The Verdict: Right decision

Despite Forest’s poor form at the start of this season, which has left them bottom of the table, it was certainly the right call to give Cooper a new contract.

They brought in a staggering 23 new players in the summer transfer window, and it is clear that they all still need time to gel on the pitch.

Nonetheless, Cooper helped the Reds to gain promotion to the Premier League from the Championship in the first place, so he deserves to be given more time to work with the squad that he now has at his disposal.

The new contract should help to block out any speculative noise too, as there are no longer any doubts over his future at the City Ground.

Celtic look to have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Champions League meeting with FC Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a recent report by the Daily Record, who claim that, after being limited to an 18-minute cameo in the Hoops’ 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid as a result of a shoulder injury, the centre-forward now appears to be fully fit ahead of the club’s second group stage game in Warsaw tonight.

Good news for Postecoglou

While it is true that Giorgos Giakoumakis put in two extremely solid performances when leading the line against Rangers and Madrid in the absence of Kyogo, considering just how impressive the Japan international has been for the Bhoys so far this season, the 27-year-old’s apparent return to full fitness is undoubtedly good news for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

Indeed, over his six Premiership fixtures in 2022/23, the £5.4m-rated forward has been in astonishing form, having already bagged six goals and provided his teammates with one assist, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots – 1.3 of which have hit the target – and completing 0.7 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the £52.5k-per-week talent average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.68, ranking him as the joint second-best player – behind only teammate Jota – in the top flight of Scottish football so far this season.

In comparison, while it is true that Giakoumakis’ physical presence and work rate are his biggest strengths, the Greece international has scored just two goals and registered no assists over his five Premiership fixtures so far this season, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.80.

As such, should Kyogo indeed be deemed fit enough to start this evening, it would undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Postecoglou’s chances of picking up all three points against Shakhtar – a result Celtic will be desperate for in order to give them the best possible chance of making out of the group stages of the competition.

Despite Aston Villa’s precarious position in the Premier League table, Steven Gerrard has by all accounts had a solid summer transfer window.

The club have brought in quality, with Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, and Philippe Coutinho arriving at Villa Park in permanent deals.

Deadline day saw another two additions, with Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek arriving for £13m and a season-long loan respectively and this has given Gerrard options in the two positions that arguably needed it most.

They were also after another forward in the window, with Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton-Diaz being linked recently, however, no move materialised for the player.

This might not matter though, as the club could already have a talent within their ranks who might be a Premier League star in the making.

Caleb Chukwuemeka is a forward for Villa’s U21 side and older brother of Carney Chukwuemeka, who recently joined Chelsea from Villa in a £20m transfer.

There is no doubt that Chukwuemeka could follow in his brother’s footsteps with the talent he possesses, with Gregg Evans describing him as a “real prospect” and there appears no limit to what he can achieve in the game.

Gerrard has sent the youngster out on loan to Crawley Town for the remainder of the season and the manager will be hoping he continues his development in League Two.

In the Premier League 2 last season, he netted seven goals in just nine appearances, grabbing a further five assists and he won the player of the month award for September.

Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers to the signing of the 20-year-old just last year and he joined Premiership side, Livingston, for the second half of last season.

No goals were scored during his stint in Scotland, but first-team football for a top-flight team was excellent for his development and if he carries on improving, then he could well be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Newcastle United have reportedly not given up hope of signing Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, despite having been rebuffed by the Foxes thus far.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, in his CaughtOffside column via Substack, the Magpies are set to make a further attempt to sign the 25-year-old this summer, having already seen two bids rejected thus far – the latter of which totalled a fee of around £50m.

The transfer insider wrote: “Newcastle will push again for the transfer of James Maddison after having two offers rejected. It’s a tricky deal, though, because Leicester insist there is no price for Maddison – Brendan Rodgers has publicly commented that Maddison is not for sale.”

As Romano alluded to, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has seemingly attempted to quash any speculation regarding the Englishman by stating he is not for sale, albeit with some quarters suggesting that a £60m offer could be enough to tempt the Midlands side into letting him depart.

World-class

Previously dubbed “world-class” by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate for his set-piece prowess, Maddison could well become the star attraction at St James’ Park were to make the switch before the September deadline, having proven himself an elite performer in recent times at the King Power Stadium.

The former Norwich City man – who joined his current side on a £20m deal back in 2018 – has scored 45 goals and provided 33 assists in 171 games in all competitions for the Foxes, cementing himself as the key creative force in Rodgers’ side.

Last term proved particularly fruitful as the £45m-rated maestro scored 12 goals and registered eight assists in 35 Premier League games, recording a stunning average match rating of 7.32 in the process, as per SofaScore – the highest among his current teammates.

The £110k-per-week sensation has also got the new season off to a strong start after registering an assist in the 2-2 draw with Brentford on Sunday, teeing up teammate Timothy Castagne with a delicious and inviting corner kick.

Such a moment of quality will have caught the eye of those back in the northeast, with the 5 foot 9 gem only serving to rubberstamp just why Eddie Howe and co are so desperate to sign him, with Newcastle currently crying out for more attacking reinforcements.

At a club which has seen the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Peter Beardsley thrive in a playmaking role in years gone by, Maddison could prove to become the next world-class figure to take on that mantle.