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Chelsea have been gifted the chance to land Leroy Sane in a stunning swap deal involving Blues midfelder Mateo Kovacic.

Who are Chelsea linked with?

Todd Boehly is already hard at work identifying possible targets for the summer transfer window, with a goalkeeper looking high on the priority list. According to reports, the Stamford Bridge outfit are in serious discussions to sign Andre Onana, a signing which has already been approved by Mauricio Pochettino.

And it seems the Argentine, if appointed, will be overseeing a mini overhaul in midfield, with N'Golo Kante soon to be out of contract and both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount linked with exits.

Now, it looks like Kovacic could be on his way out too, with the Croatia international starting just 15 times in the Premier League this season. According to Inter Live (via Sport Witness), who are reporting on the matter due to Inter's own interest in Kovacic, Bayern Munich want to sign the Blues star and do not want to "resort to cash".

Instead, the Bavarian giants plan to "undertake an incredible exchange negotiation" involving Sane, who despite being on £281,000 per-week in Munich is not a nailed on starter under Thomas Tuchel. The player's wife is "fed up" with life in Germany and has already returned to the UK.

Should Chelsea sign Sane?

In truth, Boehly's spending across the last two transfer windows has put Pochettino in a difficult position, as the likely new manager will have a plethora of young attacking talents needing development and nurturing, from Noni Madueke to Mykhailo Mudryk.

However, if they can find room in the squad for one more, Sane could be an excellent signing, due in no small part to the fact that the former Tottenham manager is clearly a big fan. Indeed, Pochettino tried to sign Sane for just £8.5m eight years ago, when he was at Spurs and the winger was still at Schalke.

Racking up 72 direct goal involvements in 128 appearances with Bayern, we feel Sane could be the perfect accompanyment to Pochettino's arrival this summer, injecting serious end product into a group of attacking players currently lacking it.

Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle once again this season and Sean Dyche now just has ten games remaining to save the club from a spell in the Championship.

The Toffees are currently only two points clear of the bottom three following their 2-2 draw with Chelsea ahead of the international break and will need to pick up more crucial points over the coming weeks to secure survival.

Dyche took on the task of saving the Merseysiders back in January and has since picked up 11 points out of a possible 24 in his first eight fixtures so far, with many of his tweaks already improving performances.

The Everton boss has leaned on some of his former players like Michael Keane and Dwight McNeil who both found themselves out of favour under Frank Lampard, but it's not just his Burnley alumni that have seen their opportunities increase.

One player who has revived his Everton career is midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after it was reported he was banished from the squad's training sessions and matchday squads following a fractured relationship forming with Lampard, however, has thrived under Dyche.

As it stands, the £120k-per-week Frenchman will be out of contract this summer and after playing a crucial part in the improvements seen on the blue side of Merseyside over a short time, there is no doubt that a new deal could be on the horizon.

Will Doucoure stay at Everton this summer?

The talented midfielder joined the Toffees back in 2020 in a £20m deal after impressing at Watford and has tallied up 88 appearances, seven goals and nine assists over his time at the club so far.

Dyche spoke out in February about his decision to give the 30-year-old a second chance at Goodison Park after becoming a fringe player ahead of his arrival:

"He's certainly someone that could help the club going forwards. I think he has done very well. Different managers see different things, different managers want different things.

"He has just responded very well so far – but I want him to continue in that vein. I agree, he has played very well. He keeps working in both boxes, driving with his running that's for sure. The signs are good."

Doucoure – who writer Peter Guy claimed has been "reborn" – has scored twice and assisted his teammates on two occasions in the last three games, proving to be a crucial and hard-working asset in Dyche's team and more importantly, proving that he is worthy of a spot in the starting eleven.

Despite reportedly being close to a move away in January, Everton now have an option to extend the Mali international's stay for another 12 months and if he continues to put in the performances he has displayed so far there is no reason why that won't be triggered.

With that being said, Doucoure's contributions could be absolutely crucial to Everton beyond their relegation battle this season and should the side survive he will be a valuable asset to Dyche in the future.

Everton are ready to make a €15m (£13m) offer for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata this summer, according to a report from Il Giorno.

The Lowdown: Everton eyeing forward

The Toffees were keen on new attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window, coming close to signing Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma, before he instead went on to join Tottenham Hotspur.

It was not just Danjuma that Everton missed out on, with Andre Ayew deciding to move to Nottingham Forest, having attracted the interest of the Merseyside club on deadline day, while Kamaldeen Sulemana preferred a move to Southampton.

Zapata was an option in the earlier stages of the January transfer window, with former manager Frank Lampard personally requesting the striker, however the two clubs were unable to strike an agreement.

The Latest: Interest reignited

According to a report from Il Giorno (via Sport Witness), Everton are looking for a striker with physical power who is available for a fee that won’t break the bank , and they feel the Atalanta forward meets these requirements, so they are readying an approach.

The Toffees would be willing to offer €15m (£13m) to secure the services of the 31-year-old, who has seen his price tag collapse dramatically due to injuries and the emergence of young striker Rasmus Hojlund this season.

With the Colombian’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, the next transfer window is said to be the ideal time for Atalanta to recoup some money for him while they still can, potentially opening the door for a move to Merseyside.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti has waxed lyrical about the veteran forward in the past, describing him as: ‘A freight train of a striker. One of the most prolific goal scorers in Europe who finally exploded in his late 20s. Excellent in the air, physically imposing and a much improved finisher. “

It has not been the easiest of seasons for the 34-time Colombia international, for the most part being limited to appearances from the bench due to a variety of different injury issues, and the goal-scoring exploits of Hojlund.

By the time Zapata is able to complete a move to Goodison Park he will be 32-years-old, and so his age, coupled with his injury record, means that it would be a risk to bring him in on anything longer than a two-year deal.

Provided the Serie A marksman is able to put his injury problems behind him, he could be a decent addition Sean Dyche’s squad, weighing in with a very respectable 82 goals and 42 assists in 181 appearances during his time with Atalanta.

Tottenham Hotspur are prioritising the signing of a left-sided defender in the summer transfer window, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Tottenham’s defensive struggles

Spurs have struggled defensively this season, conceding 35 goals in the Premier League, the seventh-most of any team in the division, with Clement Lenglet failing to convince after arriving on loan from Barcelona last summer.

The Frenchman was recently criticised for his performance in the 2-0 victory against West Ham United, but he has not been the only problem for Spurs at the back, as Hugo Lloris has made more errors conceding to goals than any other Premier League player.

The Latest: New defender wanted

According to Football Insider, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is keen to add some defensive reinforcements in the summer, making a new left-sided defender his priority in the next transfer window.

The Italian is yet to make a decision on Lenglet’s future, although he reportedly remains unconvinced by the £145k-per-week earner, so a replacement could be targeted.

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The Verdict: Right call?

A new left-sided defender would no doubt be a very wise addition for Spurs, given that Lenglet has struggled to make his mark in the Premier League, ranked by Sofascore as one of the club’s worst-performing players this season.

However, a new goalkeeper should be just as much of a priority, with Lloris now 36 years old and clearly past his best, having become far too error-prone to justify his constant selection. Indeed, the long-serving veteran has been touted for an exit from N17 in recent weeks.

As such, there are multiple areas of the squad that Tottenham will need to strengthen if they want to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal next season, with recent reports linking them to the likes of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Piero Hincapie.

Manchester United ensured that they remain in touching distance of league leaders Arsenal following the 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag’s side producing an impressive second-half display to maintain their hopes of a title challenge.

The Red Devils had endured a “rubbish” opening period at Old Trafford – in the words of their manager – although they clinically struck the first blow through that man Marcus Rashford, with the in-form Englishman lashing the ball past a helpless Danny Ward from a tight angle.

The red-hot marksman then broke away once again just before the hour mark to calmly bag his 24th goal of the season, ensuring that the 25-year-old now boasts career-best figures in all competitions with three months of the campaign still left to play.

While game-changing substitute Jadon Sancho sealed the win soon afterwards at the end of a stunning sweeping breakaway, it was the standout display of his compatriot which truly caught the eye, with Rashford showcasing just why there is such a desire to see him pen a new long-term deal.

Ten Hag had admitted pre-match that an extension for the versatile forward is of real importance to the club, with United unable to allow their prize asset to depart any time soon, with just under 18 months to run on his current contract.

The Three Lions star was not the only United player to have made a strong case for a new deal against the Foxes, though, with experienced team-mate David De Gea illustrating that he still has a key role to play at the Theatre of Dreams in the years to come.

How did De Gea play against Leicester?

The 32-year-old’s immediate future still appears somewhat in the balance, with his contract set to expire this summer and reports in recent months suggesting that the Premier League giants are hoping to agree to a new deal on reduced terms.

The Spaniard himself has outlined that negotiations will come to an amicable conclusion whatever the outcome – whether in regard to staying or going – although yesterday’s performance appeared to showcase a man who is keen to extend his 12-year stay in Manchester.

On a day which largely belonged to the club’s attacking talents after the interval, Ten Hag was keen to point out the importance of De Gea’s performance between the sticks, with the former Ajax boss stating after the match that “it was only because of” the long-serving stopper that his team still had a clean sheet at half-time.

Amid a shaky start for the hosts against Brendan Rodgers’ side, the 44-touch maestro produced two key interventions early on, notably denying Harvey Barnes from close range with a remarkable save to his right.

The £375k-per-week ace then arguably bettered that stop by producing a breathtaking diving save to claw away Kelechi Iheanacho’s bullet header, with those moments of genius having been influential in thwarting the initially buoyant visitors.

That “superb” outing, as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, has laid bare that De Gea is a true master at keeping the ball out of his net, having subsequently moved level with the great Peter Schmeichel with 180 clean sheets for the club so far.

While there may be concern over the former Atletico Madrid man’s ability on the ball, having notably looked uneasy in the recent defeat to Arsenal, the 45-cap machine continues to pop up with potential match-winning moments.

As such, while much of the attention may well be focused on Rashford’s long-term future, De Gea’s contract must also be a point of priority for Ten Hag and co.

A ‘source in Paris’ has taken aim at Chelsea after the club’s collapsed deadline day exit revolving around Hakim Ziyech.

The Lowdown: Ziyech exit fails…

The Morocco winger was on the verge of a move to Paris-Saint Germain right at the end of the January transfer window, but due to document delays, the transfer couldn’t materialise in time.

After a deal was agreed, Chelsea were thought to have been late sending the proper paperwork back to PSG so they could finalise a late deadline day move.

Once the Ligue 1 giants had received the necessary documentation, PSG couldn’t register it to LFP (French governing body) in time – resulting in Ziyech’s exit falling through.

The Latest: Parisian source takes aim at Chelsea…

Sharing what a source in Paris said after the botched transfer, Sky journalist Kaveh Solhekol relays there is real anger.

He explained (via Twitter):

“Source in Paris on Ziyech deal falling through says: ‘Last night was an absolute shambles. Chelsea will not darken PSG’s doorstep ever again. This is not how you do business or treat a player.'”

The Verdict: Shame…

Ziyech enjoyed a very productive run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, standing out as one of Morocco’s key players and perhaps alerting prestigious suitors to his quality.

The former Ajax star has struggled for game time under Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge, highlighting the fact he needed to find a move away for much-needed minutes.

Ziyech, after this failed move, will now be stuck fighting for inclusion at Chelsea when the player could’ve been gaining valuable match fitness and enjoying this season at PSG.

The Blues’ busy January window in terms of incomings will only push the 29-year-old further down Potter’s pecking order, but alas, it appears he will have to wait until the summer to resolve his future.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Joao Gomes, as they are still short of Lyon’s bid for the midfielder.

The Lowdown: Battle for Gomes

Wolves are reportedly keen on bringing Gomes to the club, tabling a £15m offer for the Flamengo midfielder, however Lyon have since made an attempt to hijack the move, offering £2.5m more to the Brazilian club.

The Daily Mail report also states that the 21-year-old has already travelled to England, as he is personally keen on the switch, however there is now a chance that he does not get his wish…

The Latest: Stand-off

According to the Express & Star, the three clubs have been in a stand-off this week, with Flamengo adamant that they want to sell the youngster to Lyon, given that they are offering more money.

However, the player himself still remains determined to join Wolves. The Old Gold are hopeful of finding a solution to the saga in the next few days – which one would assume involves stumping up the additional difference between their bid and Lyon’s – with the report claiming they do not want to wait until the closing stages of the window.

The Verdict: Get it done

It appears as though the only thing preventing Julen Lopetegui from getting his man is that £2.5m, so if that is what it takes to bring a player of his quality to Molineux, then Wolves should stump up the additional amount.

Hailed as ‘unique’ by scout Jacek Kulig, while also being labelled a ‘midfield destroyer’, the Flamengo ace is a no-nonsense central midfielder who is tough in the tackle, as indicated by him ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles per 90 in the past year, averaging a whopping 4.26.

However, his game is not limited to simply defensive attributes, with the starlet also specialising in carrying the ball, placed in the 92nd percentile for dribbles per 90, with an average figure of 1.37.

Gomes is clearly a quality young player with tenacity off the ball and composure on it, and he is well worth spending some extra money on if it means winning the race for his signature.

Everton may have another issue to deal with before the end of the 2022/23 campaign with journalist David Ornstein concerned by the contract situation of some of their top players.

What’s the latest?

Things are not exactly going to plan at Goodison Park this season with the Toffees finding themselves in another relegation battle as they sit inside the bottom three.

This has seen the club’s owner come out and provide a slight dig at the Everton fans over previous managerial decisions made by Farhad Moshiri.

And the future of their current manager, Frank Lampard, has seen his job come under serious speculation despite Moshiri’s backing ahead of the huge game on the weekend against Southampton.

But Ornstein has drawn some attention to his concerns surrounding the contract situations of Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon and Jordan Pickford when speaking to NBC Sports:

(4:30) “Now, there’s another issue at Everton that there are new contracts that remain unsigned, most notably for Anthony Gordon, so we’re going to have to watch this space on that one Jordan Pickford too. Alex Iwobi as well. It’s a time of real strife but they will hope to come together on Saturday.”

A big few months ahead

There seems to be a lot going on at Goodison currently with the team struggling on the pitch amid the development of the club’s new stadium.

And there will be pressure on the club not just to survive the drop for their reputation, but also to provide the financial backing the Premier League brings at a time when they’re soon to move into a state-of-the-art stadium.

However, the uncertainty surrounding what league the club will be playing in next season will not do Everton any favours in trying to tie down some of their stars to new contracts.

Iwobi, Gordon and Pickford still have at least a year remaining on their deals at Everton, however, there is no certainty over their long-term futures on Merseyside.

There have been strong reports linking Pickford and Gordon with potential moves to the capital over the last few months with Chelsea and Tottenham linked to the players.

And although these could see Everton hold out on losing the trio, with the likes of Pickford and Iwobi, this summer could be one of the last opportunities to cash in on their best players if they are not willing to sign a new deal.

And the longer thee players go without signing a new contract at Goodison, their value will only decrease.

When you consider the likes of Pickford are playing regular football for his national side, it does feel unlikely the England number one will want to be involved in many more relegation battles when Champions League clubs are said to be interested.

Considering Everton’s issues with FFP, if they are to sell on these types of players, they could do with bringing in every last penny possible for them.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was unable to continue his 100% record in the Premier League with the club as his side lost 3-1 to Liverpool on Boxing Day.

The Spaniard won his first two league matches in charge of the Villans, beating Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United before the break for the World Cup, but Jurgen Klopp’s side proved to be too much for them to handle.

Emery was let down by a few of his players on the night as Villa struggled to deal with the quality on display from the Merseyside giants and one dud, in particular, who failed to step up to the plate was Leon Bailey.

The Jamaican international only completed 43% of his attempted passes and lost 75% of his individual duels as he failed to make a positive impact on the game.

Bailey has scored four goals and assisted four in 33 Premier League matches since the start of last season and Emery may already be looking at him as a player to replace in the upcoming transfer window.

He has not produced consistent quality in the final third for the Villans and his display against Liverpool showed that he does not have the ability to be a difference-maker in the big matches, as the likes of Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk were able to keep him quiet with relative ease.

The Mirror recently reported that Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma is on the club’s radar and Emery could finally ditch Bailey by securing a deal to sign the Dutchman, who he worked with in Spain.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips once described the Dutchman as a “nightmare” for defenders and claimed that he can “hurt” any defence on his day, whilst EFL Quest pundit Clinton Morrison dubbed him an “exceptional talent”.

These comments are backed up by his excellent form for Villarreal throughout the 2021/22 campaign as he plundered La Liga and the Champions League combined.

The gem, who has racked up 15 goals in 33 Championship matches, and this suggests that he would not need much time to adapt to playing in England.

His pre-existing relationship with Emery also means that he would not take long to adjust to playing under different tactics as he knows what the Spaniard wants from his players, which is another reason why the Dutchman could hit the ground running at Villa Park.

His statistics for Villarreal indicate that he would be a big upgrade on Bailey in terms of the end product that he can provide in the final third. He would offer a far greater goal threat than the former Bayer Leverkusen man and allow Emery to axe the dud by arriving in January.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) at the helm of Newcastle United are reportedly still considering a move for Christian Pulisic in January.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interested in Pulisic

It was reported in November that the St James’ Park outfit are ‘monitoring developments’ with the American at Chelsea ahead of the January transfer window, as he could be available for around £35m.

He impressed for his country at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring one goal, supplying two assists and ranking as their best-performing player by WhoScored, as he helped USA to reach the knockout stages of the competition before being defeated by the Netherlands in the round of 16.

The Latest: Pulisic still a target

Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer expert Dean Jones has claimed that Newcastle are still ‘willing to consider’ a deal for Pulisic ahead of January.

He said of the Chelsea ace: “He is still someone that they’d be willing to consider. I think he does fit with where they’re headed in terms of recruitment.

“He wouldn’t be considered as a superstar coming in and that’s important. I think he would be a good fit for the style of play too.”

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The Verdict: Smart move

Newcastle could take advantage of Pulisic’s lack of starts at Chelsea and add him as a new dimension to their attack for the second part of the season.

Hailed as ‘special’ by USA manager Gregg Berhalter, and ‘unbelievable’ by USMNT team-mate Tyler Adams, he is clearly regarded very highly in his home country, but not as much at Stamford Bridge.

At just 24 years of age, Pulisic still has a very high ceiling, and the Magpies could end up significantly weakening one of their rivals for a Champions League place by luring him to St James’ Park.