Chelsea have been charged with 74 alleged breaches of FA regulations dating back to Roman Abramovich’s ownership, raising questions about what punishment the club could face. However, despite the severity of the charges, reports suggest the Blues are bracing for a financial sanction rather than a sporting one, with an outcome likely to mirror their £8m fine from UEFA.

• Chelsea charged with 74 FA rule breaches dating back to 2009
• Club expects financial penalty, not points deduction or transfer ban
• Punishment likely similar to UEFA’s £8m fine issued in 2023

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Football Association confirmed this week that Chelsea had been charged with dozens of rule breaches relating to agents, intermediaries and third-party investment in players. The conduct in question ranges from 2009 to 2022, previous owner during Abramovich’s tenure. Chelsea stated that the breaches were “self-reported” during the due diligence process of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s takeover.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the scale of the charges, Chelsea are reportedly expecting only a financial penalty. According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the west London side are not anticipating any sporting sanctions, such as a points deductions or a transfer ban. The expectation is that the punishment will be similar to the £8 million fine handed down by UEFA in 2023.

• TELL ME MORE…

  The charges cover a long period of time and primarily relate to payments made to agents and intermediaries. FA rules prohibit third-party ownership of players, which was a particular focus of the investigation. By self-reporting, Chelsea hoped to mitigate the punishment and demonstrate transparency under their current ownership, which may have worked in their favour.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The West London side will now work with the FA as the disciplinary process unfolds. While the club may escape sporting sanctions, the case serves as another reminder of the turbulent legacy left by the Abramovich era. The Boehly-Clearlake consortium will be keen to resolve the matter swiftly and focus on stabilising the club both on and off the pitch.

“I think that with the pink ball, it’s better to bowl back of length. Because pitching it up, there’s not a lot of swing”

Alagappan Muthu01-Dec-2024

Siraj with the pink ball•AFP via Getty Images

Mohammed Siraj, who endured a difficult home season, where he only played four of their five Tests for a total of six wickets, is in Australia after a little bit of an epiphany.”I could feel that I wasn’t enjoying my bowling,” he said at the end of the tour game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on Sunday. “As a person I am someone who gets a different feeling when I’m enjoying my bowling, even if I’m not getting wickets. And now when I wasn’t getting wickets, I went a bit deep into why I wasn’t getting them. In India you know that spinners bowl most of the overs, so there it’s a little tough to get wickets in [the] five-six overs [you get as a fast bowler]. So I just became a bit upset about why I wasn’t getting wickets. But now I am having a lot of fun.”Even though its only been one match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Siraj is already closing in on his wickets tally over the last three months, having picked up five in Perth. He checked in with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun to help find his centre.Related

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“I spoke with Bharat Arun sir, that this is what’s happening with me,” Siraj said. “Because he has known me for a while and he has seen my bowling from long time back. So he just told me to enjoy and not run after wickets. Just enjoy and you’ll get wickets. And before travelling, I met [fielding coach] Dilip sir in Hyderabad and we practiced together as well. So it felt good and now I’m enjoying.”Morne [Morkel, India’s current bowling coach] keeps telling me that ‘you are a warrior’. ‘You’ll get us wickets, but you just keep enjoying your bowling’.”Siraj looked in good rhythm in the practice game against the Prime Minister’s XI. It was his first game with the pink ball. Enabled by a rain break in between, he got through a seven-over first spell where he picked up the first wicket to fall. He finished with figures of 7-1-18-1, though he was certain he had Jack Clayton caught behind down the leg side, indulging in a celebrappeal but the deflection was off the thigh pad. He was happy to get time with the pink ball.”This [pink] ball has a synthetic feeling,” Siraj said. “This is different to the red ball we play with. There can be a bit of confusion due to the ball, but it’s just one match so we just have to focus on that and practice for it and we’ll improve day-by-day. The seam is very hard. It’s bright, and quite big. The more you practice with it, the better you get.Mohammed Siraj with the pink ball•AFP via Getty Images

“I think that with the pink ball, it’s better to bowl back of length. Because pitching it up, there’s not a lot of swing, so the more you hit the deck and get it to seam, it will be better for us.”I have heard that the ball swings a lot under the lights but I haven’t yet bowled with it under lights. So when we go to Adelaide and practice, we will try that. And the more practice we get, we’ll know more about what we have to do.”Jasprit Bumrah took the honours in Perth but Siraj and Harshit Rana, who took four wickets in six balls at the Manuka Oval bowling short-pitched deliveries, helped keep the pressure up from the other end and they will be looking to do that again in Adelaide with the series resuming next Friday with a day-night Test.”I always keep talking to Jassi [Bumrah],” Siraj said. “Even before the first match, I spoke with him about what I was going through. And he just told me one thing – don’t run after wickets, just keep bowling consistently in one area and enjoy your bowling. If you still don’t get wickets, then you come ask me. So I enjoyed my bowling and I got wickets as well.”Australia is a place where a fast bowler enjoys because you get pace and bounce. As a fast bowler, you get everything you want. So you get a different kind of confidence to come and enjoy your bowling here.”

Alexander Isak’s arrival at Liverpool will allow some goal-scoring responsibility to be shifted away from Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian superstar has been told that the addition of another forward “won’t improve” his numbers. Salah has been a revelation for the Reds, but they have now splashed out £125 million ($170m) on adding Swedish striker Isak to their ranks.

Salah's record: Total number of Liverpool goals

Salah has registered 247 goals for Liverpool through 406 appearances, becoming a club legend at Anfield in the process. He has committed to a new contract that is set to keep him on Merseyside until 2027.

AdvertisementGettyIsak the most expensive signing in British football

Isak has now linked up with the reigning Premier League champions, becoming the most expensive player in British football history, and should help to make Liverpool an even more formidable proposition in the final third of the field.

Isak's impact? What ex-Reds star thinks

Quizzed on whether Isak’s presence could impact Salah’s output, former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “Salah found it hard to score from open play in the second half of last season. Once you get past 30, and I think he’s 33 now, there aren’t an awful lot of players scoring on a consistent basis in the Premier League. You’ve got [Robert] Lewandowski who does it, you’ve got [Harry] Kane; in the Premier League, you don’t.

“Salah was a freak of nature, very rarely injured, the numbers he got. But I think everything will deteriorate at some stage, and I think we saw it at times last season. Again this year he hasn’t found it easier scoring goals, creating or getting chances. The dynamic has changed as well because in the past Salah was the guy they looked for. Now it might be [Florian] Wirtz, even though he’s had a very disappointing start to his Liverpool career, and now with Isak coming in, obviously there are two ways of seeing it.

“You can say there’s another guy taking attention and maybe taking balls away from Salah. On the other hand, you can say maybe it gives him a bit more space because they have to look after two or three top players. My gut feeling is that the arrival of Isak won’t improve Salah’s numbers.”

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Getty ImagesWill Wirtz come good for Liverpool?

Having hinted at Wirtz’s slow start to life in England, Hamann went on to say of his fellow German – who moved to Anfield in a £116m ($158m) transfer of his own – and what a successful debut campaign with Liverpool will look like: “Well, if they win the league and he contributes, I’d say he’s done his job. He’s a young player, but age doesn’t really come into it because he cost a lot of money.

“I wouldn’t like to quote you a number. But obviously it’s got to start at some stage, because he’s had a disappointing start to his career. It’s a different game, it’s more physical, it’s quicker, and free kicks aren’t given as easily as in Germany. This is something he has to learn.

“When you come to England, you have to mature quickly, because if he has another two or three disappointing performances, I don’t think [Arne] Slot will worry about it, but there might be a time where he says, ‘Maybe it’s better I leave him out for half an hour or 60 minutes’. And if the team does well, then you might have a problem. Then again, they’ve got so many games there’ll be time for everybody. But you want him to come good sooner rather than later.

“I’m not a big fan of assists because if you pass the ball three yards and somebody knocks it in the top corner from 40 yards, you get an assist for it, so I’m not a big assists man. I know how good he is and I’ve told everybody how good he is. I hope he does come good sooner rather than later. In all competitions, I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t get into double figures for goals.”

Chelsea are set for a very busy final month of the transfer window, as BlueCo set their sights on both strengthening the squad and shipping off a plethora of unwanted players.

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BlueCo remain busy in the market.

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While the Blues are in no danger financially, having made millions through player sales, Champions League qualification and winning the Club World Cup in recent months, there is a looming threat from UEFA.

Chelsea have effectively been ordered to balance out their squad through departures, or risk not being able to register new signings for the Champions League next season (Kaveh Solhekol), coming after they were fined for breaching FFP rules.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

João Félix comes as the latest in a long line of Chelsea casualties after he agreed an initial £26 million move to Al-Nassr, with the Portugal international officially joining Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and Mathis Amougou out of the door.

Felix could soon be followed by many more, with Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Alfie Gilchrist and Nicolas Jackson all tipped to potentially leave Chelsea as well.

However, one exit reportedly advancing is that of Raheem Sterling and his potential switch to west London rivals Fulham.

The 30-year-old spent 2024/2025 on loan at Arsenal after being frozen out by Enzo Maresca last summer, and according to a new report by TEAMtalk this afternoon, talks over a transfer to Fulham are seriously progressing.

Raheem Sterling close to agreeing Fulham move as Chelsea eye Alejandro Garnacho

As per the news outlet, Sterling is close to agreeing personal terms with Fulham as talks advance, and Chelsea are keen to get the England international’s sky-high £325,000-per-week wages off their books.

Maresca’s side are even prepared to shake hands on an outright sale worth £20 million – a price which Fulham see as a bargain – with Chelsea poised to take a £30m loss on the £50m they paid Man City for Sterling over three years ago.

What’s more, despite Chelsea’s advanced talks for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, the club are planning to replace Sterling with Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho – following previous reports that they could also bid for the Red Devils ace amid their shortage of left-wingers.

The Argentine, called “unplayable” at times by new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, would be an instant upgrade on Sterling, and it appears that Chelsea are maintaining their pursuit of Garnacho after considering a deal for him in January.

While it’s not quite panic stations just yet, it would be fair to say that the shine has been taken off of Arsenal’s pre-season preparations over the last week or so.

It started with an underwhelming defeat to Tottenham Hotspur out in Hong Kong, and then the mood around the club got even worse following the 3-2 loss at home to Villarreal on Wednesday.

It wasn’t just the losses that shook confidence in some supporters, but also the nature of them, the lack of genuine cutting-edge, and specifically, Viktor Gyokeres’ ineffectiveness in the latter match.

However, the good news is that, based on reports, it looks like Arsenal are targeting someone who’d be able to get the Swede firing in no time at all.

Arsenal target perfect teammate for Gyokeres

While the last two games have certainly dented the excitement that some fans were feeling ahead of the new Premier League season, it should be said that this summer has still been a largely positive one, especially when it comes to transfers.

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For example, in addition to Gyokeres, Andrea Berta and his team have made five first-team additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad, with the likes of Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard looking like excellent depth options and Martin Zubimendi the perfect long-term six.

Yet, things could still get better as the club are still looking to bring in at least one more player, someone who could help the former Sporting CP star explode next season.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastian Vidal, who has reaffirmed that Arsenal are very interested in signing Eberechi Eze this summer.

The journalist has revealed that even though talks have somewhat stalled, the Englishman remains a key target and that a player sale may make it easier to secure his services.

It’ll likely be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze has more than proven his ability and would be more than worth the effort it takes to get him, especially as he could get Gyokeres firing right away.

Why Eze would get Gyokeres firing

Okay, so while there is every chance that things will naturally improve the more games he plays in the team, it was obvious that the biggest problem for Gyokeres against Villarreal was the lack of opportunities being created for him.

Unlike Kai Havertz, who likes to drop back into midfield whenever he can, the Swedish superstar is very much your archetypal centre-forward, someone who spends most of his time in and around the penalty area, and rarely takes his shots from outside the area.

In this case, it’s clear that Arsenal need someone who can get the ball to him with relative ease, either through brilliant ball-carrying or passing, and fortunately, it looks like Eze would be excellent at the former.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for successful take-ons per 90.

In other words, the Palace “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, is elite at getting past opposition defenders and driving into dangerous areas before firing off a shot or laying the ball off for a teammate.

Another reason to believe the £100k-per-week gem could be the one to help the former Sporting star explode next season is the output he managed in a mid-table side last season.

In 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old game-changer managed to find the back of the net 14 times and provide 11 assists for good measure.

Appearances

36

43

Minutes

2285′

3303′

Goals

11

14

Assists

6

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

134.41′

132.12′

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, which is the sort of output that could seriously boost Gyokeres’ own goal and assist tally.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to add another attacking dimension to the team before the end of the summer, and not only would Eze do that, but he’d also get the most out of Gyokeres.

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Afternoon and evening sessions belonged to Sri Lanka with their top four producing best collective effort

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Dec-2024Kyle Verreynne’s manic sprint to a third Test century lit up the second morning and sent South Africa speeding to a total of 358. But the afternoon and evening sessions belonged to Sri Lanka. Their top four produced their best collective effort in the series so far, with Pathum Nissanka hitting 89 off 157 balls, forging a 109-run second wicket stand with Dinesh Chandimal.With Angelo Mathews not out on 40 at stumps, and Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 30, Sri Lanka have seven wickets in hand, and are well-placed to take a lead in the first innings. They have for the first time in the series, put serious pressure on a South Africa attack that seemed short of options on a flattening Gqeberha deck.Kagiso Rabada was the most menacing of their bowlers, conceding only 40 and taking the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne for the third time in the series, in his 15 overs. He’d also had Nissanka dropped by David Bedingham at second slip, on 22. Sri Lanka negotiated Marco Jansen with much more confidence than they had in the first Test, in which he’d claimed 11 wickets. By stumps, Jansen had given away 75 off his 18 overs, and was the only frontline bowler without a wicket.Though there were occasional plays and misses against Rabada in particular, Nissanka was largely watchful, scoring only eight runs off his first 50 deliveries. He eventually began to attack the shorter deliveries, and it was the pull shot that he favoured through the remainder of the innings, taking to Jansen’s shorter balls in particular. Most of his run-scoring came square of the wicket, and he raised his batting tempo in Chandimal’s company, settling into accumulation mode against the spin of Keshav Maharaj in particular.That he got out to Maharaj, whom he had early clubbed for six over deep midwicket, will particularly rankle, especially as he was nearing a century. He merely ran at the bowler, attempted a cross-batted shot to a ball that was full, and essentially yorked himself, the ball going on to clatter into leg stump.Pathum Nissanka brought up his ninth 50+ score in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, the stand between him and Chandimal had provided Sri Lanka a platform. Chandimal was looser with his strokeplay than either opener had been, and collected edged fours behind the wicket early on. He nevertheless stuck at it alongside Nissanka, until a tentative prod against Dane Paterson ended with him being snaffled behind the stumps.Mathews was also somewhat tetchy at the beginning of his innings, but found some boundaries down the ground, and settled into a rhythm later. Kamindu Mendis appeared assured from the outset. The two put on 43 runs together before stumps.The morning, however, had been reigned by Verreynne. Having lost Keshav Maharaj without South Africa adding to their overnight score, Verreynne put on 66 with Rabada, as Sri Lanka turned almost solely to bouncers and short deliveries to blast the final two wickets out. Verreynne crashed three boundaries between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket in one Asitha Fernando over to really get his engine roaring, before venturing even bigger hits when Rabada was bowled by Asitha, and he was left with the No. 11 for company.With 19 runs still to get for his hundred, Verreynne yanked the throttle with even more intensity, first smashing Prabath Jayasuriya over cow corner for six, before mowing Asitha into the banks to get within one strike of a 100. He reached triple figures with another mighty pull in that same over, sending the ball sailing over fine leg’s head.The milestone sparked wild celebrations, a bow from Verreynne to the dressing room, and a bear-hug from Paterson. Verreynne himself likely did not anticipate that a century would be on the cards when the morning’s play began, but finished unbeaten on 105 off 133 balls, having reaped 58 off 50 balls on day two.Lahiru Kumara claimed the last South Africa wicket, and ended with 4 for 79. Asitha and Vishwa Fernando shared five wickets between them.

As has become customary in Glasgow on a Champions League night, the world-famous anthem is greeted with defending cheers.

However, within a matter of minutes, all those in Govan and Glasgow’s surrounding areas could hear was a cacophony of boos.

The night could hardly have started any worse for Russell Martin’s side, conceding after three minutes and then again from a corner four minutes later, before Club Brugge added a third on the 20 minute mark, this the fastest Rangers have ever found themselves 3-0 down in a home European tie in their 69 years of continental history.

At that stage, the Belgian side appeared set to completely put the tie to bed, although it didn’t entirely turn out that way.

Straight after the break, teenaged debutant Jayden Meghoma’s low cross was tapped home by Danilo before, with 12 minutes to play, Djeidi Gassama thought he’d reduced the arrears further, but his goal was disallowed because referee François Letexier deemed that goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had two hands on the ball; a controversial VAR decision.

Thus, 1-3 it finished at Ibrox, leaving Rangers with a mountain to climb at Jan Breydelstadion next Wednesday, and a couple of Martin’s summer recruits in particular did not impress.

Nasser Djiga's calamitous night

Since joining on loan from Wolves this summer, Nasser Djiga has now started all eight matches this season, forming a centre-back partnership with John Souttar.

The Burkina Faso international arrived in Glasgow with plenty of Champions League experience, starting all ten of Crvena zvezda’s qualifiers and league phase fixtures last season, although you wouldn’t have known it three minutes in to this one.

Brugge’s opener, scored by Romeo Vermant, came about in bizarre circumstances.

Danilo had a shot blocked at one end, before Christos Tzolis’ hopeful ball forward was inexplicably just left by Djiga, running in the complete opposite direction, allowing Vermant to delicately lob the ball over a bemused and confused Jack Butland.

Graeme McGarry of the Herald labelled this the “worst defending I’ve ever seen” while, speaking on Sky Sports News, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd described this as “calamitous”, adding “Rangers just come up with new ways to concede goals…. Champions League football… forget it”.

This is such a concern because, as already alluded to, Martin appeared to have his centre-back partnership in Djiga and Souttar set in stone, albeit, after the former was sent off against Dundee ten days ago, this was not his first costly error.

Nevertheless, he is not one of Martin’s summer recruits coming under the most scrutiny following this damaging defeat.

Rangers' new signing could be dropped

James Tavernier has been a stalwart since joining Rangers a decade ago, making 521 appearances for the club, only ten men can boast more, among the first names on the team sheet throughout this period – until now that is.

The club captain was left on the bench for the first leg against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, with the same true again on Tuesday, with Max Aarons starting at right-back instead, very much a permanent fixture in Martin’s team, but could that be about to change?

Well, the 25-year-old did not impress against Brugge, as the table below documents.

Errors leading to shot

1

1st

Defensive actions

3

16th

Clearances

2

12th

Tackles

1

14th

Dribbles past

1

1st

Possession lost

7

11th

Duels contested

11

2nd

Duels won

4

10th

Fouls

2

1st

Touches

68

5th

Sofascore rating

6.7

20th

As the table highlights, only four players, namely the aforementioned Souttar and Djiga, as well as Brugge duo Brandon Mechele and Jorne Spileers, accumulated more touches than Aarons, despite the fact he was hooked with 20 minutes remaining, but he did little good with all this time spent in possession.

The full-back was dribbled past once, this when Tzolis came close to adding a fourth in first-half stoppage time, losing possession on seven occasions, while also winning just four of his 11 ground duels, which pretty much sums up his and Rangers’ night.

Journalist Scott Bradley asserted that Aarons “looks like he hasn’t kicked a ball before”, adding that he remains “absolutely baffled” as to why the “best right-back in the league”, namely Tavernier, is once again left watching from the dugout by under-fire Martin.

Chalkboard

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All in all, a disastrous night for Rangers, leaving their Champions League dreams hanging by a thread, requiring a miracle when they visit West Flanders next mid-week.

Before then, already four points adrift of Premiership leaders Hearts and Celtic after just two fixtures, Martin can ill-afford yet more dropped points at St Mirren on Sunday, so it would be no surprise if captain Tavernier is restored to the team in Paisley.

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Robert Sanchez made unwanted history with a disastrous early red card against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. The Blues’ goalkeeper endured a shaky start, fumbling simple touches, but matters escalated catastrophically when Bryan Mbeumo surged through on goal.

Sanchez given his marching orders

Benjamin Sesko’s flick-on sent Mbeumo behind Chelsea’s defence, and Sanchez made a split-second decision to charge from his line. The moment backfired spectacularly. Mbeumo toyed with the Spanish stopper, rolling the ball around him before Sánchez’s outstretched leg brought him crashing down. The referee’s whistle followed immediately – red card. It became Chelsea’s earliest in the Premier League era and ranks as the third-fastest goalkeeper sending-off in the history of the competition.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaresca makes a couple of brave calls

Enzo Maresca could do little but watch as his goalkeeper trudged off, gloves in hand, the early dismissal leaving the Blues with 10 men in the first quarter of the match. Backup keeper Filip Jorgensen was hurried onto the pitch, replacing Estevao, while Maresca, refusing to let the chaos settle, made a bold tactical tweak. Pedro Neto was sacrificed, making way for centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo. The Blues switched to a five-man defence, packing the backline with Tosin alongside Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah, flanked by Reece James and Marc Cucurella.

United pounce as blues struggle

Playing with a man down so early, Chelsea struggled to keep their shape. United wasted no time exploiting the numerical advantage. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro found the net before the half-time whistle, putting the visitors in command with a 2-0 lead. Chalobah pulled one back, giving the Blues a glimmer of hope, but the deficit proved too large to bridge.

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Getty Images SportMidweek focus shifts to cup duties

Chelsea will now look to regroup ahead of their midweek assignment against Lincoln City in the third round of the EFL Cup. The fixture provides an opportunity to restore confidence before they host Brighton next weekend at Stamford Bridge.

Leeds United kick off their 2025/26 Premier League campaign in ten days as they prepare to welcome Everton to Elland Road for their opening game.

The Whites may have a new-look defence in place when the Toffees come to town, as Lucas Perri, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and Gabriel Gudmundsson will all be hoping to start, whilst Jaka Bijol is suspended.

Daniel Farke has only had one new attacker added to his squad during the summer transfer window so far, though, as Lukas Nmecha joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg.

The German head coach needs more recruits at the top end of the pitch to improve his attacking options, especially in the number ten position, where Brenden Aaronson plays.

Form against the 2024/25 Championship top six
Brenden Aaronson vs	Goals	Assists
Bristol City (A)	0	0
Burnley (H)	0	0
Sunderland (A)	0	0
Sheffield United (H)	0	0
Coventry (H)	0	0
Coventry (A)	0	0
Burnley (A)	0	0
Sunderland (H)	0	0
Sheffield United (A)	0	0
Bristol City (H)	0	0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the USA international struggled badly against the top teams in the Championship, which does not suggest that he is likely to fare well against Premier League teams.

Leeds reportedly looked at a loan swoop for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia earlier in the window, but that particular rumour has gone cold.

Why Leeds may not want to sign Emiliano Buendia

A link to the Argentina international was always going to pop up during the summer transfer window, whether there was genuine interest or not, because of his relationship with Farke.

The Leeds boss signed Buendia for Norwich in the summer of 2018 and coached him for three seasons in Norfolk, winning two Championship titles in the process. During that time, the playmaker scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 appearances for the Canaries.

This shows why Farke may want to work with the Argentine magician again, as he delivered goals and assists on a regular basis for him in East Anglia.

However, Buendia turns 29 in December and he has yet to prove that he can deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch at Premier League level.

Emi Buendia’s Premier League career
Season	Appearances	Goals	Assists
24/25	12	0	0
22/23	38	5	2
21/22	35	4	6
19/20	36	1	7
Stats via Transfermarkt

Leeds, if he is not available on loan, may be reluctant to spend big money on an ageing player who has not fully proven himself as an attacking threat at the top level, with no more than five goals in any of his four seasons in the Premier League.

This may be why the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking at alternative options to come in and bolster their options in the number ten position before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

Leeds target is keen on Elland Road move

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post newsletter, as relayed by Leeds United News, Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss is very interested in a move to Elland Road this summer.

The report claims that the player’s camp have confirmed that he is interested in signing for the Championship champions before the end of the window, and that a meeting has already been held to discuss a possible move.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It adds that the Whites have also made an enquiry to Leicester about a potential deal to sign the Morocco international, who reportedly has a release clause of £22m in his contract.

Tottenham Hotspur, who will be in the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign, have also been linked with an interest in the 21-year-old talent this month.

This latest update on El Khannouss’ eagerness to sign for Leeds will, therefore, come as a big boost to the Whites, who will be hoping to beat off competition from other teams to land his signature.

Why Leeds should sign Bilal El Khannouss

The West Yorkshire outfit should be pushing to get this deal over the line as quickly as possible, now that they know that the player is keen to make it happen, because he could be Farke’s new version of Buendia.

Unlike the Aston Villa attacker, the Leicester youngster is at the start of his career, at the age of 21, and Leeds would be signing a player who is on his way up in the game.

El Khannouss, who has been hailed as“exceptional” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve after his debut season in England, whilst Buendia is closer to the latter stages of his career and still searching for consistency.

The £22m-rated starlet showed flashes of quality in the Premier League with the Foxes, who were relegated, as he created eight ‘big chances’ in 27 starts.

24/25 Premier League	Bilal El Khannous per 90	Percentile rank vs AMs & wingers
xAG	0.19	Top 46%
Assists	0.12	Bottom 35%
Passes attempted	43.85	Top 15%
Progressive passes	5.28	Top 14%
Passes into the final third	3.67	Top 10%
Key passes	1.73	Top 37%
Through balls	0.45	Top 16%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, El Khannouss ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of passing and creative metrics for Leicester.

He was unfortunate to only register three assists from his eight ‘big chances created’ and 0.19 xAG per 90, as his teammates failed to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that were created for them.

These statistics suggest that the Leicester dynamo has the potential to be an incredibly creative force in the number ten position for Leeds, as he was able to shine as a creator in his first year in England as a young player in a team that got relegated.

The Whites will be hoping to put up more of a fight than the Foxes did in the Premier League, which may mean that El Khannouss has even more opportunities to showcase his creativity in what will, hopefully, be a more successful team on the pitch.

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Overall, the Morocco international could be Farke’s next Buendia as an impressive creative threat in the number ten position, and signing him over the former Norwich man may make more sense due to their respective ages and potential for growth in the years to come.

We are just one week into the Premier League season, and Arsenal already have a significant injury setback.

News broke yesterday afternoon that, after only just recovering from his hamstring injury that ruled him out of half of last season, Kai Havertz is out with a knee problem.

It’s not clear what the specific injury is, but it looks like the German will be out of action for some time, which is not what Mikel Arteta needs with a trip to Liverpool coming up.

However, there is some good news for the Arsenal faithful, as the club are being linked with an international star who could be the manager’s next Havertz.

Arsenal target their next Havertz

It has been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year, as just a few weeks ago, following Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival, spirits were high.

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However, the sentiment in the fanbase took a nosedive this morning, mainly down to the news that Eberechi Eze looked almost certain to be heading to rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Unsurprisingly, this mood was not helped by the Havertz update, although Arsenal have acted quickly to give supporters something to look forward to with the Gunners incredibly hijacking Spurs’ bid to sign Eze, now agreeing a move themselves.

Eze hasn’t been the only Premier League attacker on the club’s radar. According to a recent report from the Sun, which has claimed Arsenal are still very interested in Morgan Rogers.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are now ‘weighing up a dramatic swoop’ for the Aston Villa star, who is valued at around £80m.

It goes on to claim that while the North Londoners were already keeping tabs on the Englishman, the injury to Havertz has only ‘increased the likelihood’ that the club will go back into the market.

It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but Rogers is an outrageously talented player and would be more than worth it, especially as he could be Arteta’s new Havertz.

How Rogers would be Arteta's new Havertz

So, the first thing to say is that, yes, Rogers and Havertz have not played in the same position over the last couple of seasons.

However, while that is not the primary basis of this comparison, there are a few other similarities that suggest the Englishman could be Arteta’s new version of the German.

For example, while we are on the topic of positions, they both share the trait of being versatile and playing where their managers want them to.

In the case of the Villa star, he’s spent much of his time at the club moving between attacking midfield and both wings and has even spent a little bit of time up top, which might come in handy at the moment.

The former Chelsea ace, on the other hand, has primarily spent time leading the line, but was originally a left eight when he arrived in North London, and even spent some time on the right last season.

The other key similarity is that, if this transfer goes through at the price reported, it would be another massive signing from a fellow Premier League side, and one that is challenging the European places.

Finally, both players are now full internationals, and while the former Bayer Leverkusen player has far more senior caps to his name, that would be expected given the age gap.

With all that said, there is another massive reason why Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the former Middlesbrough gem: his output.

For example, in his 54 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists.

Rogers’ 24/25

Appearances

54

Minutes

4496′

Goals

14

Assists

16

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.86′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes.

Having that sort of output in this team could be the difference between another second-place finish and glory.

Ultimately, even before the injury to Havertz, Arsenal should have gone all out to sign Rogers, but now we know the German will be out for some time, the club should be solely focused on bringing the Villa star to the Emirates.

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