It's been reported this week that Chelsea are "set to cash in" on one of their "selfless" players next month, even if he actually wants to stay.

Chelsea transfer plans for January

Despite spending in and around £400 million in the summer transfer window, Mauricio Pochettino's side have undergone a mixed bag of form so far this season.

Sitting in and around mid-table, the Blues could seriously improve in some areas, as some issues arguably lie both in defence and further forward.

2023 signing now "wants to leave" Chelsea, they'll allow it for £35 million

The Blues need to offload players.

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Long-serving centre-back Thiago Silva also looks set to leave Chelsea when his contract expires in 2024, prompting reports that chairman Todd Boehly and co are eyeing his successor.

Chelsea have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah in this regard, while other media sources believe Napoli star Victor Osimhen is a top target for Pochettino as he chases a prolific goalscorer.

Boehly's heavy spending over the last 12 months, though, means Chelsea may have to sell on more of their squad members in an attempt to comply with FFP.

Chelsea "set to cash in" on Chalobah

This is echoed by TEAMtalk, who claim that outgoings are set to be a big theme of Chelsea's January transfer business.

One player who now seems more and more likely to leave is versatile defender, Trevoh Chalobah. The 24-year-old seems out of favour under Pochettino, with Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest thought to be potential landing spots for him mid-season.

The player himself wants to remain at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea are "set to cash in" on Chalobah regardless. The Englishman has been in west London since childhood, though it now appears likely he'll wave goodbye to his boyhood club in January.

While Pochettino doesn't see Chalobah as viable for the long-term, he's a player who appears to have split opinion at Chelsea over the last 12 months.

Former interim boss Frank Lampard, for instance, was actually a big fan of his.

“He’s such a selfless lad. He doesn’t say ‘I want to play in this position,” said Lampard to the media last season.

“Maybe (his best position) will become apparent, but I think he’s played really well in a back three for the club. (He had) a really good period when he first got into the team, he can play well as a centre-back in a back four and at right-back. The bigger picture is the way he’s been applying himself since I’ve come back.

“He’s a delight to train with every day because he comes in with an enthusiasm, low maintenance, and when you talk about the things you want, he tries to do them on the pitch, which is a great thing.

“In my short period here, you look at what are the games and the individual players, I’ve been very happy. I was looking forward to working with Trev because I didn’t get that chance when I was here before.”

The India allrounder coming back from injury has the chance to influence a tight game with his bowling on the last day at Wankhede stadium

Ankur Dhawan in Mumbai16-Dec-2018

Hardik Pandya perfects a pull against Morne Morkel•BCCI

The IPL has done funny things to Indian cricket, particularly the fan. How else do you explain lusty cheering for Mumbai Indians Baroda allrounder Hardik Pandya as he tried with all his might to thwart Mumbai’s chances of securing a vital first innings lead at Wankhede stadium? Sure, there is merit in the theory that he is an India player, but MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli apart, not many have such a hold over crowds across the country.If it was a case of conflicted emotions – although there was no sign of it as the small crowd chanted his name like an anthem – they got the best of both worlds. Pandya obliged with a 137-ball 73 but Mumbai clung on to the cliff edge, securing a 29-run lead that may just keep them afloat in the Ranji Trophy.Pandya may have missed a maiden Ranji Trophy hundred, but it was his first major contribution with the bat in red-ball cricket since a whirlwind 93 at the start of the year in Cape Town. (He’d made a fifty against Afghanistan in between, but that came after India’s total had already gone past 300)Baroda had other heroes as well. Aditya Waghmode batted in mode to make 114 off 304 balls and Vishnu Solanki produced a more free flowing 133 to give Pandya the time he needed to find his feet, both literally and figuratively. At lunch he was batting on 3 off 29, struggling for rhythm but untroubled by the bowling as such.Match situations, though, can be fickle, and after cruising for 121 overs and looking set to surpass Mumbai’s 465 by a significant margin, wickets fell, as though through a series of trapdoors. A comfortable 351 for 3 became 378 for 6 when tea was taken, and two overs post resumption Baroda had slipped to a precarious 379 for 7. At that stage, it seemed like they were running out of luck, exemplified by Solanki’s questionable lbw decision earlier in the day, but soon enough Pandya was bowled off a no-ball and it became a level playing field once again.Reprieved on 41, he brought his side within 29 runs of Mumbai’s total before being pinned in front by Royston Dias as he tried to steal a single off the last ball of the over. It was not unlike the position he was in a few months ago at Edgbaston, when India needed 32 to win and Pandya was left with the awkward job of refusing singles when the field was spread, and scampering across when it came up. Eventually he was led to play a shot that wasn’t meant to fetch him runs or protect his stumps and he was dismissed.The difference here is that there’s an innings left and Pandya could enjoy the perks of who he is – an allrounder – and influence the result. While Mumbai would have undoubtedly been the happier side, having taken the lead, given the lack of time left in the game, they were also the only ones left in a position to throw it away – a tendency common among teams batting without purpose on final days. With his two quick wickets before stumps, Pandya has stoked that possibility.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are going through a transitional process at the moment. Having reached the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in the 2019/20 season, the Old Gold are now battling it out in the bottom half of the Premier League.

There are very few remnants remaining from Wolves' first campaign back in the top flight under Nuno Espirito Santo, having lost the likes of Willy Boly, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker in recent transfer windows.

However, alongside head coach Gary O'Neil, the board are looking to rebuild the team to one that can compete once more for the European places and have already identified a player that could potentially protect the posts for years to come.

Wolves transfer news – Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduro

According to a report from The Express and Star earlier this week, the Midlands club are exploring a deal to bring AZ Alkmaar teenager Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduro to the club in January for a fee said to be worth £2m.

The outlet are claiming that Wolves have made an enquiry for the goalkeeper but face competition from several other clubs, including Belgian giants Anderlecht who are sitting second in the Jupiler Pro League.

The 19-year-old has yet to make his debut for the club despite being in the squad 28 times since the beginning of last season. Former Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion shot-stopper Mathew Ryan is currently keeping Owusu-Oduro back from making his first-team debut, although The Express and Star also reported that the Dutch outfit were hoping to extend his deal which reportedly will come true, with the teenager set to sign a new contract until 2028.

Wolves are keen to lure the youngster over to Molineux and Owusu-Oduru could be the perfect long-term replacement for first-choice goalkeeper Jose Sa.

Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduru's stats this season

Sa was brought to the club in 2021 for £6.8m to replace the outgoing Rui Patricio who joined Roma in the same transfer window. The Portuguese had never played in a top-five league before moving to England but quickly became one of the best in his position in the Premier League.

The former Porto man had an excellent debut campaign in the Midlands and had the best save percentage of any other goalkeeper in the top flight with a whopping 80.6%. Data showed that by April 2022, Sa had conceded one fewer goal than expected every two games, according to Opta.

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Jose Sa has been a standout performer for Wolves since his arrival in 2021…

ByRosie Tudball May 5, 2023

However, the £40k-per-week asset hasn't quite reached the heights of his first season with the club and has had a drop in his performances this term compared to the 2021/22 campaign.

Save %

80.6

72.7

Goals Against

1.1

1.77

Shots On Target Against

4.38

5.08

Clean Sheets

0.3

0.08

Crosses Stopped

1.18

2

Long Passes Completion %

40.7

38.7

Errors

0.14

0.23

Stats via FBref

As a result of his declining performances with the Old Gold, Wolves are keen to take Owusu-Oduru off AZ's hands. The UEFA Youth League-winning goalkeeper has played 63 times for Jong AZ since the beginning of the 2019/20 campaign and has managed to keep 24 clean sheets which is one clean sheet every 3.8 games on average.

The 6 foot 2 academy product also saved the final penalty against Sporting CP to send AZ to the Youth League final, a game which they won 5-0 against Hajduk Split to lift the prestigious crown. After the semi-final shootout, journalist Antonio Mango described Owusu-Oduru as an "outstanding" talent.

The Dutchman may not be ready for first-team football immediately but looks like an excellent player for the future and Wolves will do well to secure his signature before anyone else, with Sa – who has been touted for a move to Saudi Arabia – now on the wrong side of 30.

Manchester United could land an experienced player on a free transfer once his contract at his current employers runs out, according to a recent report.

Manchester United transfer updates…

Undoubtedly, the Red Devils will feel the need to strengthen in January amid their topsy-turvy start to the Premier League campaign and Erik ten Hag will have designs on recruiting some high-profile stars to help combat their recent run of injury issues.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman has thrown caution to the wind in that respect, detailing that Financial Fair Play issues may limit the power his side, alongise others, have to be able to recruit on a large scale in January, as he stated via BBC Sport: "It gives you limitations. You tell me 'bring this player in', but you have to match the FFP rules, in those rules you have to construct the best squad possible. When you set such rules everyone has to match the rules because otherwise it's not fair."

Spending a figure in the region of £170 million across the summer, it is unclear how much financial muscle Manchester United will have to throw about in the mid-season window. Recently, The Sun have reported that Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo and Sporting Clube de Portugal man Goncalo Inacio are both targets for the Premier League giants as they aim to shore up their backline.

The report states that incoming investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has cleared the sale of France international Raphael Varane at Old Trafford, which could pave the way for a younger alternative to take his place.

According to TEAMtalk, Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite is believed to be the Red Devils' main defensive target from the English top-flight alongside detailing that the club monitored his progress during his spell at PSV Eindhoven last term.

Despite links to big-money arrivals, Manchester United could also land themselves an economically advantageous deal in the market, according to a report.

Thomas Muller eyed on free transfer

As per BILD via Sport Witness, Manchester United are keen on Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Muller and could look to sign the Germany international in 2024, when his contract at the Allianz Arena is due to expire.

Thomas Muller 2023/24 statistics – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances	14
Goals	2
Assists	5

The outlet claim that there is not yet clarity over whether Muller will sign an extension at the Bundesliga champions, which has also put clubs from the United States and Saudi Arabia on alert. 34-year-old Muller has been forced into a diminished role for his current employers due to the emergence of Jamal Musiala in the engine room.

Labelled "intelligent" by Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Muller has still been able to have a positive influence in offence for the German champions, recording 1.4 key passes per match in the Bundesliga (Muller statistics – WhoScored).

Restricted in his duties at present, Muller ending his career by having a swansong at Old Trafford would definitely be an enticing thought for all concerned; however, we will need to wait and see on that front.

10 most famous players in Manchester United history 

Manchester United are undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in world football, and with that comes a certain fame for the players wearing the shirt.

MatériaMais Notícias

A goleada sofrida por 5 a 1 para o Internacional vai deixar duras marcas na história do São Paulo. Isso porque a derrota é a pior da história do Tricolor no Brasileirão e também na história do Morumbi.

PSG vai atrás de zagueiro do City, Flamengo vende joia da base… Veja o Dia do Mercado

A última vez que o São Paulo tinha sofrido cinco gols no Morumbi havia sido em 2000, quando o Tricolor perdeu por 5 a 2 para o Flamengo, depois de abrir uma vantagem de 2 a 0, segundo o historiador Alexandre Giesbrecht.

SIMULE OS JOGOS DO SÃO PAULO NO BRASILEIRÃO

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Na história do Brasileirão, esta foi a décima segunda vez que o São Paulo sofreu cinco gols ou mais na mesma partida, de acordo com o ‘Blog do PVC’.O maior revés sofrido foi um 7 a 2 para a Portuguesa, em 1998.

Das doze goleadas sofridas, somente duas aconteceram no estádio do São Paulo. Em 1969, o Atlético Mineiro goleou por 5 a 2, mas a derrota sofrida para o Internacional por 5 a 1 quebrou o recorde doloroso.

Virat Kohli has said it has been made clear to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul that their controversial comments made on an Indian TV show, which has left them facing a suspension, are not acceptable and the personal opinions are not the view of the India team.Pandya and Rahul appeared on a talk show on Sunday where their comments – Pandya’s in particular – came in for widespread criticism and raised concerns over the team culture. The BCCI issued the players a show-cause notice to which Pandya responded with an apology to the board.”From the Indian cricket team point of view, any inappropriate comments that are made in that scenario are something that we definitely don’t support and the two concerned players felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude of what’s happened,” Kohli said at the SCG ahead of the opening ODI against Australia. “Definitely it has to hit anyone hard, they will definitely understand the things that have not gone right.”We, definitely, as the Indian cricket team do not support views like that and that has been communicated. I can definitely say that as the Indian cricket team and responsible cricketers we definitely don’t align with those views and those are purely individual views.”We are still waiting for a decision to be made but from the Indian cricket team point of view this changes nothing in terms of our beliefs in the change room. It does nothing to the spirit that we’ve been able to create within the change room and these are purely individual opinions and something as I said which is inappropriate.”While the controversy is dealt with by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which is overseeing the BCCI, it creates a headache for Kohli ahead of the first ODI on Saturday, especially the uncertainty around Pandya’s availability given how key he is to balancing the India line-up as the seam-bowling allounder in the middle order.Kohli acknowledged the outcome of the process may require the team to rethink their plans, but was confident that with Ravindra Jadeja in the squad, they had the options to cover for Pandya even though Jadeja is a spin-bowling allrounder.”From the combination and team balance point of view, yes, you’ll have to think about the combination you’ll need now,” Kohli said. “You don’t have control over these things so you have to address it the way it unfolds. That’s how we are looking at it, the combinations will have to be looked at when the decision comes out and from there on we’ll see what needs to be done about the whole situation.”

Everton manager Sean Dyche has made a special appearance in indie band Blossoms' music video.

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Dyche features in music videoEverton boss a fan of Indie band BlossomsToffees on three-game winning streak WHAT HAPPENED?

Stockport-based indie rock band Blossoms are set to release a new music track on May 1 where the Everton manager will make a special appearance. The band released a teaser of their latest track on X on Monday, and Dyche was spotted in the video.

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The Toffees manager is known to be a fan of the British rock band as he recently expressed his admiration for the group while speaking on The Overlap podcast. He said, "I was with the lads from the Blossoms recently who are just great, there are so many."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

The Merseyside club are on a three-game winning streak in the league which includes a remarkable victory over rivals Liverpool. They will be next seen in action against Luton Town on Friday away from home.

Dirk Kuyt has thrown his weight behind Feyenoord boss, Arne Slot, and backed him to be the perfect man to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

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• Slot could be the next LFC manager
• Kuyt believes that Slot could lead LFC to glory
• Insisted that the Kop would "love" his style

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After being snubbed by Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso and Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, the Liverpool board has zeroed in on Slot to fill in the boots of Klopp, who has decided to go on a sabbatical after the season's business is done and dusted. Although Jamie Carragher has voiced his reservations about Slot in unequivocal terms, his former teammate, Kuyt has lavished praise on the Feyenoord manager and insisted that there would be no "language barrier".

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  WHAT KUYT SAID

  In his column for Kuyt wrote: "Following in the footsteps of Jurgen isn’t easy but Arne will do it his own way and give everything to make the club successful. He’s determined and driven with a lot of self-belief. His style of play is exactly what Liverpool supporters love to see at Anfield. He’s also good with the media because he explains himself very clearly. As Feyenoord have so many foreign players, he conducts his meetings in English so there will be no issues over language."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kyut, who spent a week with Slot at Feyenoord to hone his skills under the more experienced manager, claimed that he is a fantastic man manager and has a distinct style of football which is different from Klopp, Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola.

  "Nowadays managers always get compared," Kuyt wrote. "Is it the Jurgen Klopp style? Is it the Jose Mourinho style? Is it the Pep Guardiola style? The answer is that Slot has his own style. He doesn’t copy anyone. He knows exactly what he wants and he believes in it. It’s attractive, attacking football. He likes to play an aggressive defence, high intensity, with the game played in the opponent’s half, but it’s his way. It’s different from Klopp but a lot of the principles are the same."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Slot has established himself as a dependable name in the Eredivisie as he guided Feyenoord to being the Dutch champions in the 2022-23 season and also bagged the KNVB Cup. Moreover, in his very first season, he led the Rotterdam-based club to a third-place finish in the league and a runners-up spot in the Europa Conference League. It remains to be seen if the 45-year-old can weave the same magic in English football in his first season with the Reds.

Katherine Brunt also back in action as England ring changes

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2019Sarah Taylor will make a limited return to action for England women’s tour of India later this month, after missing the recent World T20 in West Indies due to the ongoing management of her anxiety condition.Taylor will take part in England’s three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series in Mumbai, but will miss the T20I leg of the tour, as well as the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka.She will be joined in the squad by another notable absentee in the Caribbean, Katherine Brunt, who was forced to fly home during England’s preparation for the tournament after suffering the recurrence of a back injury. Brunt will be available for all six games in India, but will also fly home ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.Both Taylor and Brunt had last toured India in 2016, for the World T20. The upcoming ODI series in Mumbai will be the pair’s first 50-over assignment in the country since the 2013 World Cup.Jenny Gunn, who was on Wednesday retained on the ECB’s list of central contracts, has been given a break from both series after years of touring and will report back in April. Spin bowler Kirstie Gordon and left-arm seamer Katie George were unavailable for selection through injury.”We’ve looked to use as many players as we can to give everyone an opportunity as we head into a busy year,” said Mark Robinson, England’s head coach.”We’ve included 18 players across the squads and they’ll come in and out as the tours progress as we look to improve our strength in depth.”We’ve got a huge Ashes series in the summer, as well as hosting the West Indies, and obviously there are ICC Women’s Championship points up for grabs across both of these tours so there’s hard work ahead of us but we’re excited.”ODI squad for tours of India and Sri Lanka
Tammy Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Kate Cross (Lancashire), Sophia Dunkley (Middlesex), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Georgia Elwiss (Sussex), Alex Hartley (Lancashire), Amy Jones (Warwickshire), Heather Knight (Berkshire, captain), Laura Marsh (Kent), Nat Sciver (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Sarah Taylor (Sussex, wicketkeeper), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Danni Wyatt (Sussex), Freya Davies* (Sussex), Linsey Smith* (Sussex), Fran Wilson** (Kent)* T20Is in India only
** Sri Lanka only

Arsenal have seemingly been offered the chance to sign a bargain alternative to Brentford star Ivan Toney, with the player's agent reaching out for talks.

Edu's rumoured transfer plans for January

The Gunners, according to recent reports, have their eyes on a new marksman and midfield replacement for Thomas Partey next month. Arsenal are not traditionally busy in the January window, but as they chase a first Premier League title in 20 years, that could soon change.

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Sporting director Edu's "dream" target for midfield is Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa (Fabrizio Romano), though a deal may be very difficult to do mid-season so other more affordable options like Monaco ace Youssouf Fofana could come into play (Ryan Taylor, via FootballFanCast).

Meanwhile, in the striker position, it's reported that Arsenal are keen on signing a proven goalscorer next month, as their only senior options are Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus right now. Manager Mikel Arteta is a rumoured admirer of Toney to upgrade Arsenal's front line. The 27-year-old, who was prolific for Brentford last season, stands out as the most regularly-linked number nine.

Ivan Toney

90min

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Marcos Leonardo

90min

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TV Play

Boulaye Dia

Le Cronache

Some reports suggest Arsenal have held talks with Toney's agents over a possible January move, but Sky Sports claim he'll cost a seismic £100 million. A fee that high would be a huge challenge for Edu and co to navigate, especially factoring in FFP and their £200m-plus spending in the summer window.

Arsenal offered Guirassy chance

Now, according to 90min, it appears Arsenal could be offered a chance to sign Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy as a cheaper alternative. The Guinea international, who's bagged 16 goals in just 13 Bundesliga appearances this term, is in fantastic form and his entourage are now contacting clubs to discuss a January deal.

One of them is Arsenal, with Guirassy's agents now reaching out to the north Londoners in an attempt to get their client a big move away mid-season.

The prolific forward's contract also contains a £15m release clause, which could come as a very enticing fee considering Guirassy's form this season. He's been called "outrageous" by reporter Seb Stafford-Bloor, while other members of the press claim half of England are currently weighing up a move for Guirassy.

"The race to sign Guirassy is getting quite interesting because half the Premier League are now considering whether they should be signing him in January," added journalist Dean Jones on GiveMeSport recently.

"But I’m learning that this will probably come down to big pay offers. The release clause makes an actual transfer relatively easy to get going, but because of that, the player himself will probably be looking for a handsome package that lands in his account, and as such, I think it’ll come down to who can put the best terms on the table.

"But he’s on fire, a European boot contender, and goals are hard to find these days at the top level.”