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Chelsea boss Graham Potter is reportedly looking to home in on an exciting budding star from Spain, with focus on issuing in a worthy replacement for a potentially departing star…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have declared their interest in industrious Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who might be a golden replacement for N’Golo Kante, who has recently been subject of speculation regarding his future at Stamford Bridge. 

Indeed, with Premier League icon Kante’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, and FC Barcelona looking to lure the mighty midfielder to the Camp Nou, Zubimendi could be the perfect remedy to the loss of such an all-encompassing maestro. 

Zubimendi has previously been touted at £56m, with the 23-year-old a technically-gifted holding presence at the centre of the park and an integral facet to a Sociedad side currently perching in third place in the Spanish La Liga. 

Kante replacement

Zubimendi, currently a one-club man, swiftly emerged into the first-team fold and captivated Sociedad supporters with his composure and grace on the ball, since making 155 professional appearances for the club, scoring four goals and assists apiece. 

And this term, he has truly grown into his own, playing 17 times and providing a sheen of resilience to his flying team.

His presence was especially notable during his two outings against Manchester United in the Europa League, where he played his only two matches of the continental competition – an indication of his importance – and clinched a victory that proved pivotal in the side’s excellent first-placed finish. 

As per FBref, the ace ranks within the top 16% for interceptions, the top 6% for aerials won and the top 7% for clearances when compared to midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues this past year – highlighting the sweeping pedigree he would bring to the Chelsea ranks.

And Sofascore illustrates his defensive aptitude with his 1.6 tackles and 1.7 clearances per outing in the league this term, winning 60% of his duels and confidently aiding forward transitions with an 85% pass success rate.

Zubimendi could certainly take the baton that Kante would hand him, should he indeed depart the club this summer, the £290k-per-week gem, who, on only £50.5k-per-week himself, could be a more affordable and prudent signing. 

Kante has been a stalwart for Chelsea, enjoying a tenure littered with individual and team accolades, but the changing of the guard at the club appears to be in good hands, and the “special” Zubimendi – as hailed by Sid Lowe – could make a resounding statement of intent, should the transfer cross the line.

Manchester City host Premier League strugglers Everton on Saturday and Pep Guardiola could put the nail in Frank Lampard’s coffin by unleashing Joao Cancelo.

The versatile defender has been rested in both of City’s return fixtures following the World Cup break, as a result of Portugal reaching the quarter-finals in Qatar before their surprise defeat against Morocco.

Rico Lewis has filled in at right-back in the absence of Kyle Walker and done an admirable job, while Nathan Ake has covered at left-back, but Guardiola should be free to select his more dangerous options in defence against the Toffees.

Starting Cancelo, on either side, provides yet another area of creative quality in this world-class side and it could be the difference against a side who will no doubt come to the Etihad and do everything they can to waste time and escape with a point.

The former Juventus man ranks top for the most average dribbles per game in City’s side, and getting him one-on-one with Everton’s defenders could prove vital in finding a way past the Merseyside outfit.

According to WhoScored, only six players in Guardiola’s squad have performed better in the Premier League this season, which emphasises just how impressive the 28-year-old has been once again, and he deserves to reclaim his starting spot, despite Lewis’ impressive recent cameos.

From Everton’s perspective, another loss after last weekend’s last-gasp defeat to fellow relegation candidates Wolves would surely edge Lampard closer to the sack at Goodison Park, and starting a player of Cancelo’s quality in the back four could be the catalyst for another comfortable City win against the Toffees.

Nigel De Jong was full of praise for the Portugal international in 2021, writing:

“Can we take a moment and talk about Cancelo’s recent performances? Fair to say he’s becoming one of the best full backs in the world.  Underrated.”

The former Valencia man is certainly recognised as one of the best in his position in the Premier League, as he is also defensively sound as well as offensively proficient, ranking first and second in City’s squad for average tackles and interceptions in the top flight this season.

It is clear that he is an important member of Guardiola’s squad and therefore he should earn a start on Saturday afternoon, as if he can help unlock Everton’s defence from deep, it could be curtains for Lampard at Goodison Park.

Journalist Matthew Renton has given his verdict on Newcastle United’s links to Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

The Lowdown: Magpies admirers of McTominay

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope tweeted that Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are ‘admirers’ of the Scotland international, but the Red Devils want to keep the player in Manchester.

McTominay has featured in 12 league matches this season and 20 times across all competitions. The 26-year-old has spent his entire career at Man United, having been on their books as a youth academy player.

The Latest: Renton doesn’t want McTominay anywhere near NUFC

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Renton reacted to the McTominay links and urged Newcastle to ‘not spend a penny’ on the midfielder.

He stated: “Someone I hope we do not spend a penny on is Manchester United’s Scott McTominay – that’s the shocking link I’m talking about.

“What’s the point in getting McTominay? He’s exactly the same type of player as Sean Longstaff. There’s no progressive passing, there’s no forward passing, everything’s sideways, everything’s yellow card, there’s not much footballing talent, there.

“I’m not a fan of this one at all. I would not want to see McTominay in black and white.”

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The Verdict: Newcastle should set their sights higher than McTominay

Newcastle United should look elsewhere if they are looking to bring in a new midfielder, as it’s clear that the Scotsman isn’t even a regular starter for Man United.

McTominay has only started six of his 12 league appearances so far this season and has averaged 54 minutes per game.

The Magpies are aiming to finish in a Champions League position and currently sit third in the Premier League with two points separating them from fifth place.

If Newcastle are to improve their midfield, they should set their sights on a player who is a regular at their club, and ideally, someone currently competing in European football.

Howe has a number of midfielders at his disposal including Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, so only a significant improvement to the middle of the park will likely be worth investing in during the transfer window, making McTominay a slight risk, in our view.

Journalist Dominic Scurr has torn into Newcastle United’s Chris Wood following his poor display against Sheffield Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Magpies dumped out by Owls

Eddie Howe’s side crashed out of the FA Cup to Sheffield Wednesday after a 2-1 defeat at Hillsborough.

The loss was the Magpies’ first since their last-gasp defeat at the hands of Liverpool last August in the Premier League. It will certainly be a bitter pill to swallow that it was inflicted by a League One side.

The Latest: Scurr slams Wood for ‘shocking’ outing in FA Cup upset

Wood, who came on as a second-half substitute, missed brilliant chances to level the scores, the best of which was blasted over the bar with the goal gaping.

Writing for The Shields Gazette, Scurr slated the New Zealand international’s display as he had a day to forget in front of goal, handing Wood a 4/10 rating.

He stated: “His flick-on led to Bruno Guimaraes pulling a goal back. Was let down by a couple of wayward touches and passes and the less said about his shocking shot late on, the better.”

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The Verdict: Proof Newcastle lack strength in depth

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe fielded a mix of fringe players including Jamal Lewis, Matt Ritchie and Javier Manquillo, as well as first-team regulars Joelinton and Sven Botman.

The fact the Magpies lost to the Owls suggests they’re lacking in terms of their squad depth, and should look to rectify this over the next few transfer windows.

Wood has two Premier League goals to his name this season, but his poor showing in the FA Cup will be one he’ll want to forget as soon as possible.

Howe will be disappointed that many squad players didn’t take their opportunity to prove why they should start on a regular basis, Wood could well be one of those who the boss thinks failed to deliver.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Pedro Porro to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian transfer insider revealing in a recent video on his YouTube channel that, following a number of reports linking Antonio Conte with a move for the Sporting Lisbon right-back in the winter, Spurs are indeed keen to tie up a deal for the 23-year-old this month.

Regarding the Premier League club’s interest in the Spain international, Romano said: “Today we had an update on Tottenham’s situation… we know they are looking for a right-back, and I am told that Pedro Porro, playing for Sporting, a really good player, is their top priority at right-back.

“Tottenham appreciate the player, Tottenham love the player, they consider him perfect for Antonio Conte’s football, but there is an important point about Sporting. When Sporting’s manager, Ruben Amorim, signed a new contract with the club a few months ago, I’m told in that meeting, Sporting told him no big players would leave in January.

“But there is also a point that Pedro Porro has a release clause in his contract of €45m (£40m). He joined from Manchester City in the summer and Man City have a buy-back clause of €25m (£22m). So, for Man City, it’s a very good opportunity but at the moment they are not looking for that kind of signing in January.”

“Perfect”

Considering just how exciting a prospect Porro has very much proven himself to be since his move to Portugal, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the 23-year-old to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this winter.

Indeed, over his 23 Liga Portugal appearances last season, the £22m-rated talent was in exceptional attacking form, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating 11 big chances for his team-mates, also taking 1.6 shots, making two key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

The full-back also caught the eye in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and one clearance and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns saw the Spaniard average a sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.28, not only ranking him as Sporting’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 12th-best player in the Portuguese top flight as a whole.

It has been a similar story for Porro over his 11 league outings so far this season. The £10k-per-week defender has already scored one goal, provided five assists and created six big chances for his team-mates, in addition to taking 2.6 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing one dribble per match.

These metrics have seen the 23-year-old average an equally impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.21, currently ranking him as Amorim’s fourth-best performer in the league and the joint 18th-best player in Liga Portugal as a whole.

As such, should Fabio Paratici manage to get a January deal over the line for the player who Zach Lowy dubbed “special”, it would indeed appear as if the Tottenham sporting director would have landed a perfect player for the right of Conte’s back five in north London. That leads us to believe that Spurs simply must activate Porro’s release clause this month.

Arsenal have reportedly now made a return to try and sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Rebuffed

It was reported last week that the Gunners had a ‘slim to no chance’ of signing Vlahovic in January, with their best opportunity being in the summer.

However, their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is dragging on, meaning that they could need to look at other targets in order to strengthen their attacking options in this window.

The Latest: Return for Vlahovic?

As per news outlet La Repubblica, the North London club have now made a return for Vlahovic, who Juve value at a whopping €110m (£97.7m).

They add that they have been working on a deal for the striker ‘for some time’, although Bayern Munich are also in the mix.

The Verdict: If Mudryk fails…

If Mikel Arteta’s side fail to get a deal over the line for Mudryk, then Vlahovic certainly would not be a bad alternative.

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, the Serbia international has scored a total of 78 senior career goals for club and country combined by the age of just 22.

His playing style is similar to that of Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland and in-form Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, who bagged himself a brace in the 3-0 win away at Oxford United in the FA Cup on Monday night.

Nonetheless, with Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson both out injured, and Emile Smith Rowe only just making his return on Monday, the Gunners need to add some extra firepower in this window, and Vlahovic could be the perfect addition in that regard.

West Ham United enjoyed a busy summer transfer period, which seemed like a turning point in David Moyes’ career at the London Stadium.

It marked a transformative window in which eight new faces entered the fray, and with an improved calibre of player it was expected to propel the Hammers to new heights after a successful seventh-place finish and Europa League semi-finals.

However, they now find themselves wallowing towards the bottom three and facing the very real possibility of a fight to aviod relegation.

Despite their team being full of stars, fans of the club will know that talent enough cannot secure their place in the division. The 2010/11 season certainly taught them that.

Their disappointment thus far in the campaign is likely tied to their underperformance in the market and could explain their tentative approach to the January window, where Danny Ings remains only their second purchase.

However, ever since the conclusion of the World Cup, rumours persist that link Mark Noble and the Irons with a move for Stoke City and Australia defender Harry Souttar.

Having been tipped to make the move to east London by Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer, the initial rumour emerged as December drew to a close, with his reported price tag to be at £25m.

Although he would be making a big step up from the Championship, there is reason to believe that the 24-year-old would represent an upgrade on current stalwart Kurt Zouma.

The Frenchman has endured a tough season which has culminated in a disappointing 6.89 average rating, a far cry from 6.95 and 7.15 from the two seasons prior.

In fact, the 28-year-old has overseen a steady decline as the years have gone on, despite entering his prime years.

Meanwhile, Souttar is a defender on the rise, which came to the fore in Qatar.

Earning a 6.97 average rating, he was a defensive rock for a country that emerged from a group containing would-be finalists France, dark horses Denmark and a resolute Tunisia side that would beat the French too.

Averaging an 83% pass accuracy, he also recorded 1.5 interceptions, one tackle and an incredible 5.5 clearances per game (via Sofascore). This far outweighs Zouma’s 0.9 interceptions, 0.3 tackles and 4.8 clearances per 90 from this campaign, as per Sofascore.

It was no surprise to see him labelled “an absolute monster of a defender” by The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, as he continued to claim he was: “Huge, quick, can head it and is also fairly comfortable on the ball.”

These are attributes that Moyes will be keen to add to a defence that has shipped 25 goals so far this season.

Whilst Zouma has struggled as part of this team, Souttar was thriving on the biggest stage, proving his ability to take the next step up.

As the former Chelsea defender declines, the Potters have an up-and-coming brute on their hands that West Ham will want to snap up quickly.

Chelsea have been persistently linked with a transfer for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram over the past few months, and must now make the requisite moves to secure the signature before the January transfer window draws to a close.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter will be confident that he can utilise the tools at his disposal to craft a new sheen to the struggling Blues outfit, who have lost seven of their past 11 fixtures and languish in tenth place in the Premier League, also out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup at the hand of Manchester City.

And while a multitude of moves have been made to set the ball in motion under the fresh project at Stamford Bridge, there still seems to be a hole in the central striking position, and Thuram has indeed been linked with a transfer this month, according to 90min.

The publication stated a few weeks ago that Chelsea had “met with the representatives” of the player, who could be available for as little as £10m with his Gladbach contract up for expiry at the end of the campaign.

Having scored 13 goals and provided four assists from 17 fixtures across all competitions this season, landing the 25-year-old on a bargain cut-price deal should be a no-brainer.

If the west London outfit are indeed to land Thuram, one can only imagine the strength in partnership that could be forged with Mykhaylo Mudryk, who has already captivated supporters following his £88.5m transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month, with his cameo against Liverpool offering a compelling glimpse into the wizardry of his quality.

With Mudryk capable of soaring down the left flank of the Chelsea system to the greatest of effects over the coming era at Stamford Bridge, the inclusion of a physical forward of Thuram’s ilk could reap boundless rewards.

Take, for example, a portion of Mudryk’s attacking metrics over the past year, with the gem ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s big leagues for rate of both goals and assists, the top 1% for dribbles completed and the top 4% for touches in the attacking box.

This evident emphasis on the direct approach to his forward play would only meld with Thuram’s own abilities like a deck of cards, and Potter could start to see the teammates entwine in perfect unity, proving to be an insurmountable problem for many a Premier League defence, subsequently deploying the club back at the very front of the pack.

The nine-cap Thuram ranks among the top 10% of forwards in Europe for rate of goals and the top 6% for dribbles completed, and with two progressive offensive outlets on the same pitch for Chelsea, who will likely improve on the deep-lying creativity from the centre, there is only one conclusion when it comes to the eventual clicking of the fluidity.

Bearing these factors in mind, Blues owner Todd Boehly must waste no time in conferring with technical director Christopher Vivell, and make a move for Thuram before a rival outfit snatches him from his German Bundesliga side.

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie has told friends he’s heading to Leeds United, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Klich’s exit

The Whites have lost a first-team midfielder this month in Mateusz Klich but appear to be open to bolstering their ranks in the final days of the window.

Jesse Marsch lost an experienced player in Klich, who made 195 appearances in Yorkshire, helping take the club into the Premier League during the 2019/20 season. McKennie, who shares the same agency as Luis Sinisterra and Brenden Aaronson, could well prove to be his replacement, with Leeds making an opening bid worth €28m (£24.6m) to Juventus on Wednesday.

The Latest: McKennie to arrive?

Football Insider shared an update on Friday morning regarding McKennie and Leeds. They claimed that the player has told his friends he is swapping Turin for Yorkshire and has even cleared out his locker at Juventus.

Personal terms have been agreed ahead of a proposed transfer, with the two clubs in talks over the structure of a permanent deal.

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The Verdict: Upgrade?

Klich left Leeds as a hero, but you could say that bringing in McKennie would be seen as an upgrade in the middle of the park.

The USA international, hailed as a ‘monster in the air’ by football writer Wes Tucker, has Champions League experience to his name and has comfortably outperformed Klich in their respective leagues this season, as per WhoScored.

He’s also been labelled a ‘pressing machine‘ by USMNT journalist Chris Smith, so should fit into Marsch’s high-energy system relatively easily.  McKennie is also eight years Klich’s junior, so you’d expect Leeds could get plenty of high-level years out of the player, providing a transfer goes through.

Journalist Beren Cross has claimed that Leeds United winger Jack Harrison screamed at teammate Sam Greenwood after the midfielder failed to pass him the ball.

What’s the word?