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Arsenal roared back into the Premier League title race on Sunday afternoon by beating Liverpool 3-1 at the Emirates, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard striking in the second half after a Gabriel own goal had cancelled out Bukayo Saka's opener.

The result sees the Gunners move to within two points of the table-topping Reds, but Manchester City have the opportunity to go a point clear in first if they're able to win their games in hand, both of which are against Brentford.

9/10 Arsenal star was as good as Jorginho vs Liverpool

Jorginho put in a colossal performance vs Liverpool but another star stood out for Arsenal.

By
Matt Dawson

Feb 4, 2024

On Monday morning, some more good news emerged for Mikel Arteta as Arsenal reached an agreement they'd been chasing behind the scenes. The club had reached the "final stages" of talks with defender Takehiro Tomiyasu over a new contract, and planned to complete the process "in the next weeks". As it turns out, though, things have proceeded ahead of schedule after Tomiyasu and Japan exited the Asian Cup at the hands of Iran in the quarterfinals over the weekend.

Arsenal now reach Tomiyasu agreement

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tomiyasu's new deal has now been agreed and sealed. The 25-year-old will soon put pen to paper on a long-term contract in North London, with an announcement imminent.

There was never any prospect of him being allowed to leave, with Arteta and the club hierarchy instead both pushing for him to be rewarded with fresh terms.

Versatile Tomiyasu gives "his life" for Arsenal

Tomiyasu has played 73 games for Arsenal since his £16m move from Italian club Bologna in the summer of 2021, with 20 of those coming this season. He's made ten starts so far – five in the Premier League, four in the Champions League and one in the Carabao Cup, and there are signs that he's climbing the pecking order. Prior to an injury lay-off and his trip to the Asian Cup, he made the XI for four consecutive league games.

Previously, Tomiyasu had been one of Arteta's most trusted substitutes, coming off the bench more often than any defender as the Spaniard looked to shore things up. As you can see in the table below, he ranks fifth in the squad for substitute outings this season.

One of the things that makes him invaluable in this regard is his versatility – he's played almost as much football at right-back as he has at centre-back, and he also has experience on the left of a four too. That means Arteta is able to utilise him wherever he sees fit late in games.

"Tomi is a player that everybody loves in there," he said in October. "He’s always the first (in training) and he’s always the last out. You tell him to do something and he will give his life for it.

"He’s an exceptionally professional player who gives us a versatility and qualities that nobody else has in the squad. For me he’s a really important player."

Tomiyasu's deal had been due to expire in 2025, and now midfielder Thomas Partey is the only other player in that boat. It remains to be seen what decision Arsenal make with regard to his future.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham have been predicted to be dragged into a League One relegation battle in 2024-25 by a supercomputer.

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• League One fixtures for 2024-25 released
• Wrexham predicted to avoid relegation
• Birmingham tipped to win the league

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following the release of Wrexham's League One fixtures, the Grosvenor Sport SuperComputer believes Wrexham will finish 19th – just two spots and five points above the relegation zone. However, Birmingham City, who have NFL legend Tom Brady on their board of investors, have been predicted to secure an immediate return to the Championship by winning the division with 96 points.

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• WHAT THE SUPER COMPUTER PREDICTED

  The supercomputer's final table prediction can be seen below, with Blackpool tipped to join Birmingham in the automatic promotion spots.

  Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
  1	Birmingham City	46	28	12	6	84	50	34	96
  2	Blackpool	46	28	9	9	73	47	26	93
  3	Lincoln City	46	25	12	9	76	50	26	87
  4	Bolton Wanderers	46	24	14	8	79	46	33	86
  5	Huddersfield Town	46	24	11	11	75	48	27	83
  6	Peterborough United	46	20	14	12	65	53	12	74
  7	Wycombe Wanderers	46	20	13	13	73	56	17	73
  8	Barnsley	46	20	13	13	70	55	15	73
  9	Stockport County	46	21	9	16	55	54	1	72
  10	Rotherham United	46	18	13	15	60	55	5	67
  11	Exeter City	46	18	10	18	59	60	-1	64
  12	Charlton Athletic	46	19	6	21	61	63	-2	63
  13	Stevenage	46	17	11	18	65	68	-3	62
  14	Reading	46	16	10	20	61	70	-9	58
  15	Bristol Rovers	46	13	16	17	53	64	-11	55
  16	Wigan Athletic	46	14	12	20	63	69	-6	54
  17	Northampton Town	46	14	12	20	55	62	-7	54
  18	Leyton Orient	46	14	11	21	56	68	-12	53
  19	Wrexham	46	12	11	23	52	68	-16	47
  20	Mansfield Town	46	9	19	18	52	61	-9	46
  21	Crawley Town	46	10	12	24	37	68	-31	42
  22	Shrewsbury Town	46	12	6	28	39	72	-33	42
  23	Cambridge United	46	10	10	26	46	71	-25	40
  24	Burton Albion	46	9	8	29	44	75	-31	35

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham are going for a record third-straight promotion in the English football pyramid, after winning the National League and earning promotion to League Oneat the first time of asking in April. Birmingham, on the other hand, will look to erase the memory of a torrid season in the Championship last term. And going by the SuperComputer, both teams are in for contrasting campaigns in 2024-25.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Phil Parkinson's Wrexham side begin their League One season at home to Wycombe Wanderers on August 10, while Birmingham entertain fellow former Premier League team Reading at home on the same date.

An update has come to light on Roy Hodgson and his precarious future at Crystal Palace, with the Eagles now also making contact with a potential replacement who was seriously praised last season.

Hodgson in real danger of sack amid poor Palace season

Palace now find themselves just four points above the Premier League relegation zone and face dropping to the Championship for the first time since their promotion around 10 years ago.

How Crystal Palace could be without Michael Olise for even longer

The Englishman is already facing two months out.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 7, 2024

Hodgson's side have been lacklustre in many departments, with only Burnley and Sheffield United, the league's bottom two teams, scoring fewer goals than Palace so far this campaign.

They haven't exactly been helped by injuries to key players, like winger Michael Olise, who is facing at least two months on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury (Sami Mokbel).

Eberechi Eze will also be out for a few weeks with his own muscle problem, while defender Marc Guehi is set for a leave of absence as well. Things are looking very grim for Palace, who next take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday.

Hodgson is under mounting pressure at Selhurst Park, as reports suggest club chairman Steve Parish wants to replace the ex-England boss and is actively looking for replacements (Graeme Bailey).

One candidate who's been widely mentioned by various sections of the media is former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper. The Welshman, who steered his former club to safety last term, was given his P45 earlier this season and is readily available for hire.

Palace make Hodgson sack decision as contact made with Cooper

Sharing an update on Palace's managerial situation, Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey has the latest on this. He claims Palace want to sack Hodgson have made an approach for Cooper, but there is some bad news for Parish, as their preferred candidate would rather wait until the summer before making a decision.

The 44-year-old is said to want a full pre-season to grow accustomed to life at Palace and feel out his squad, but the south Londoners are aiming to succeed Hodgson with "immediate effect".

It remains to be seen if they can sway Cooper into changing his mind, but going by previous comments from Sam Allardyce, it could well be worth a try. Indeed, Allardyce even praised him doing the "best job" in the league last season by helping Forest to avoid the drop.

“If Nottingham Forest survive relegation, Steve Cooper has definitely done the best job of all the managers in the Premier League this season," said the ex-top flight coach last year (No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast via Forest News).

"What becomes difficult in terms of building team spirit is having too many players. Most managers don’t have enough. What they don’t have enough of is quality, and what they don’t want is quantity. Steve is one of the only managers to say he has too many players. Dealing with that can distract your focus. You want to keep them all involved and use them if you can and see what they’ve got, but ultimately, it’s a very tough decision. Steve has done an incredible job dealing with these issues as well as getting good results."

West Ham United could do with a little dusting of magic right now to counter the landslide that has dominated the last few weeks of action.

A scintilla of doubt surrounding David Moyes' managerial acumen in the Irons dugout has festered into something damaging, with the 6-0 home defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend indicative of the present malaise at London Stadium.

West Ham have not tasted victory in any competition since beating the Gunners in their own backyard in late December, and having crashed out of the FA Cup to Bristol City, the need for a spark of… something, has never been greater.

Lucas Paqueta, infectious and influential in his playmaking prowess, has been on the sidelines since the start of January and his creativity is sorely missed, though there are plenty of former phenoms to would make a marked impact right now.

West Ham considering "absolutely unbelievable" David Moyes replacement

The Hammers could be swapping managers this year.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 15, 2024

Moyes will continue to plot and ponder, turning the rough coals of an idea into the diamond of a polished plan, but time is running out for the Scotsman, who will be in big trouble if his Irons outfit fall to Nottingham Forest in the top-flight on Saturday afternoon.

Some fine talents could indeed improve the squad right now. Hark back to Dimitri Payet, or to Jesse Lingard. One of the finest, who perhaps ultimately disappointed, is none other than Felipe Anderson. At his best, the silky Brazilian would be the perfect solution to the club's developing crisis.

West Ham's signing of Felipe Anderson

July 2018: Moyes had been let go after saving West Ham from relegation during a short-term stint and Manuel Pellegrini was two months into his tenure in east London.

The Chilean boss, Premier League 2013/14 champion with Manchester City, was the perfect fit to complete a summer of exciting acquisition and the standout deal was for Lazio winger Felipe Anderson, who completed a club-record £36m move.

Dubbed "one of the most exciting talents in European football" by then Director of Football Mario Husillos, Anderson was regarded as a major coup after some excellent campaigns in Serie A and was the perfect offensive star to root into the core of Pellegrini's system.

Anderson had been a menacing figure down the flank for Lazio over several years and had racked up 51 goal contributions across four seasons in the Italian top flight, looking like the man to take West Ham to new heights under Pellegrini's wing.

And while he tasted with breakneck abandon, Anderson flagged early and failed to replicate a brilliant debut campaign with his consequent efforts, ultimately remembered as a player who failed to cut the mustard in the long run.

Felipe Anderson's West Ham career

Now aged 30, Anderson is back plying his trade in Rome, and while he has impressed at the Stadio Olimpico, he will never be able to shake the disappointing decline in the Premier League.

Of course, it certainly didn't start that way, with Anderson plundering ten goals and five assists across all competitions during the 2018/19 term, leading erstwhile Hammer, Robert Snodgrass to hail him as a "terrific talent".

The two-cap Brazil international really was fantastic that maiden season, also averaging 1.8 key passes, 2.1 dribbles, 2.5 tackles and 6.3 successful duels per match in the Premier League, as per Sofascore, showcasing his application and eagerness to perform.

His second season in the English capital was significantly worse than his first, with the 5 foot 9 whiz scoring just one goal across 28 appearances, also creating just four big chances in the Premier League.

There are many reasons that the South American endured such an acute downfall, his third year on Hammer books spent on loan in Portugal with Porto, where he featured just ten times and registered one lonely assist.

Given that Anderson was earning a pretty penny during his time at West Ham – a base salary of £82k-per-week across three years – he bled the club dry of as much as £44m when including his transfer fee, and while he impressed at the start, his performances devolved into alarming ineffectiveness.

Of course, Porto might have covered some of his wages during the 2020/21 term, but given that he was sold back to Lazio for just €3m (£2m) in 2021, it was hardly the investment of the era.

It really is a far cry from his glowing beginnings, with his early performances leading teammate Aaron Cresswell to state: "I can see him becoming a fans’ favourite like Dimitri [Payet]. He’s a similar type of player, coming off the left, creating things and scoring goals. He is our top scorer now, he has been fantastic for us.”

Payet has etched himself into West Ham lore forever, his feats transcending the temporal restraints that throw most Premier League players into the past after playing their last. The Frenchman is quite simply one of the division's most iconic players.

Dimitri Payet's West Ham career

Anderson had many qualities that drew these comparisons to Payet and while there was a likeness, Payet sits in a league of his own when at the top of his game in London.

Signed from Marseille for just £10m back in 2015, Payet arrived with a weight of expectation and duly delivered, posting 12 goals and 15 assists during the 2015/16 campaign, thriving under Slaven Bilic and spearheading his side toward a seventh-place Premier League finish.

Much like Anderson, Payet failed to reach the same level in his second season and became afflicted with a severe bout of homesickness, demanding an exit in January 2017 and receiving his wish the upcoming summer, re-joining Marseille for £25m.

To be fair, West Ham made a healthy profit on the playmaker and have some breathtaking moments indelibly woven into the club's highlight reel.

But the same cannot be said for Anderson, who cost more, was sold for less and ended up being a bigger disappointment, remarked to be "unplayable" by Juve correspondent Adam Digby several years back – referencing both his electric ability and ability to produce such terrible efforts that he cannot be handed a starting berth.

Ultimately, it was right for Anderson to move on just like it was necessary to grant Payet a return to his homeland; both players came and conquered but failed to cement their legacies.

A snapshot of brilliance portended the recent riches under Moyes' leadership, and while few can emulate the sheer skill and art of such players' craft, West Ham have now achieved incredible success across multiple campaigns.

Still, just imagine the likes of Anderson competing on the left for the club right now; at his best, he's just what Moyes needs to turn the tide.

Harry Kane received massive praise from Jamal Musiala as the Bayern Munich star took aim at the England striker's Euro 2024 critics.

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• Kane under scrutiny after poor form at Euro
• Musiala jumps to his defence
• German playmaker hailed striker as "one of the best"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane has faced considerable backlash from fans and the media due to England's underwhelming performances in the tournament. Despite this, Musiala strongly believes that the criticism directed at Kane is unjustified.

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  WHAT MUSIALA SAID

  Kane scored the winner against Slovakia in the round-of-16 after Jude Bellingham's stoppage-time equaliser and Musiala, in an interview with heaped praise on him for having the typical striker instincts inside the box.

  "The last goal he scored was a typical striker's goal. Not many players would have been in the position to score that goal. He's there for those moments," said Musiala. "He may not get many chances, but when he gets that one chance, he can decide the game for his team."

  Musiala also underscored Kane's goal-scoring abilities, which were on full display during his time with Bayern Munich last season. "We have all seen what he has done for us at Bayern this season," he said.

  "He is an important player, an incredible player, one of the best in the world. That's why we have him at FC Bayern – and that's why he is one of the most important players for England."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Former German international Dietmar Hamann has been particularly vocal about Kane's performances. In his column on Sky, Hamann suggested that England's manager, Gareth Southgate, should reconsider Kane's role in the team and proposed that an agile striker like Ollie Watkins might be a better fit for the current squad.

  "Gareth Southgate (England coach; editor's note) has to think about what he does with Harry Kane. With Ollie Watkins you have an agile striker who goes into spaces that Kane doesn't go into or can't get into at all," Hamann wrote.

  "Kane will be 31 in July and has three years left on his contract in Munich. Bayern is in transition and wants to get back to the top of the world, but when I look at the top of the world, Kane's performance has nothing to do with that. I also don't have the feeling that he will be any better at Bayern next year. Kane scored 36 Bundesliga goals last season, but when they needed him, he wasn't there."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR HARRY KANE?

  Despite the criticism, Southgate trusts his striker and remains confident in his abilities to lead the team to victory. And as England prepare for their quarter-final clash against Switzerland on Saturday, Kane is expected to be a key player in the starting eleven.

This afternoon, Manchester United will look to beat Fulham for the fifth time in a row.

Bruno Fernandes has been Erik ten Hag's hero in this fixture since the manager's arrival, scoring four goals in four games against Marco Silva's side.

The Red Devils' captain will lead his side tomorrow, but one player who will not feature at all is Luke Shaw, who is set to miss almost all of the season from this point on due to a leg injury.

With Tyrell Malacia still out injured – and with Sergio Reguilon having departed the club in January following his brief loan spell – United have no left back available in the squad, which may lead to the former Ajax boss being slightly creative with his back four.

The ways Man Utd could replace Luke Shaw

When Shaw was replaced at half-time against Aston Villa and moments before the break versus Luton Town, Ten Hag called upon Victor Lindelof to fill in at an unnatural left-back role.

As a right-footed centre-half who isn't blessed with speed, athleticism, or physicality, this has the potential to be taken advantage of by Fulham on Saturday, just like the Hatters did at the weekend.

During the second period, the Swedish defender was exposed both off the ball and on it, as highlighted by his 50% pass accuracy, zero duels won, and his yellow card for a rash challenge.

The passing aspect is a huge concern because Lindelof always looks to come inside on his right foot, which makes the team extremely vulnerable to the press.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, there is a player who has been dubbed "super talented" by journalist Julien Laurens who could come into the side and not only fix the left-back issue but also be an upgrade on Lindelof at the same time.

The reasons why Willy Kambwala should start v Fulham

19-year-old Willy Kambwala has already been handed some first-team action this season by Ten Hag, with the French defender making four appearances across all competitions.

The highly-rated gem is a centre-back by trade, but in his last two outings he has been subbed on as a right-back and quietly impressed despite going under the radar slightly.

In just eight minutes against Newport County in the FA Cup, Kambwala showed his excellent defensive ability, physicality, and dominance, making two clearances, one tackle, and winning five of his six duels, including all four of his aerial battles.

The United academy star has also already made his first Premier League start in the 2-0 away loss to West Ham United, but his showing was impressive for someone of his experience, and an away day to the Hammers is never an easy trip.

However, during that match, he did show another side of his game, which would make him suited to the right-back role this weekend, with his confidence on the ball standing out as well as his ball retention. The table below shows his key stats from that match.

Kambwala's inclusion in the starting XI would see the usual right-back, Diogo Dalot, move to left-back, with the Portugal international having regularly lined up in that role under Ten Hag's watch.

In truth, neither Lindelof nor Kambwala are the answer to Ten Hag's Shaw dilemma in the long-term, but the young prospect is perhaps far more suited to lining up at full-back than the experienced Swede.

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman told ter male counterpart Gareth Southgate exactly how much time it will take to recover from Euro 2024 final defeat.

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• Wiegman shares advise for Southgate
• Lionesses lost to Spain in World Cup final last year
• Southgate will take time to recover from Euros final loss

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Almost a year ago, Wiegman came agonisingly close to winning her second major international trophy as Lionesses boss as her side faced Spain in the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup. However, a solitary goal from Olga Carmona Garcia shattered her dreams as La Roja lifted the trophy.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Lionesses manager recently opened up about the Three Lions' heartbreaking defeat in the Euro 2024 final against Spain as she shared some valuable advice for Gareth Southgate. She told her male counterpart that it would take some time before he fully recovers from the shock of the loss but she urged the 53-year-old to never forget the pain as it would work as a motivation for him in the future.

• WHAT SARINA WIEGMAN SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the Dutch coach said, "It takes about three weeks [to recover from a final defeat]. It’s very hard, especially if you have given everything and you don’t win. It can always go both ways, there is an opponent that wants to win too and has their qualities, but when you have given it everything it is really, really disappointing. You are asking yourself, did we do everything we could to control what we can control and then you have to accept it. It’s easier to accept a win, but for me, it took a bit of time.

  "You can give yourself a couple of days for a hangover, but it is one of those things, there are moments when it will come back and you will think we should have done this or that. I think that is completely normal, you shouldn’t push that away because you work so hard every day, year after year, it’s your life."

  She added, "You push so hard and you want to win it so badly when that doesn’t happen, it’s a huge disappointment but at the same time you have to keep moving on. I started thinking about that very quickly after the tournament. You don’t have time to stand still. You have to get ready for the next one because you want to keep performing at the highest level."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The England women's team will be next seen in action on July 16 as they take on Sweden in a Euro 2025 qualifying game.

Former Leicester City star and Chelsea flop Danny Drinkwater has taken up a new job after retiring last year.

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• Drinkwater takes up a new job
• Retired from football last year
• Won Premier League with Leicester

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-England international is keeping busy after announcing his retirement from professional football at the age of just 33 in October last year. The former midfielder posted a photograph of himself on a construction site on his social media, only to be targeted by trolls.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Drinkwater, who was an integral part of the 2015-16 Premier League-winning Leicester City side, left for Chelsea in an ambitious move in 2017. His transfer, however, proved to be a failure as he soon found himself frozen out of the first team at Stamford Bridge and then was sent out on four different loan spells.

• WHAT DANNY DRINKWATER SAID

  The 34-year-old reshared a comment from a troll on his Instagram story who wrote: "F****** hell Danny you've hit rock bottom."

  In response, the former player wrote: "Some of these messages, behaveeee. I love being on site grafting! It's a choice."

  Danny Drinkwater InstagramDanny Drinkwater Instagram

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DANNY DRINKWATER?

  There were rumours of Drinkwater approaching the Foxes last year after leaving the Blues over a final move, however, the transfer did not materialise. It's good to see him keeping busy and enjoying his post-football life.

Chelsea haven't been afraid to splash the cash since the takeover of Todd Boehly in May 2022.

The Blues have spent over £1b on transfers as they aim to close the gap and fight for a first Premier League title since the 2016/2017 season.

Players such as Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have both joined the Blues for fees over the £100m mark – with the latter breaking the English transfer record after his move from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023.

Nobody can question Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.

Mykhalio Mudryk and Wesley Fofana both joined the club for fees combining nearly £275m, with the pair unable to yet to show any sort of value for the money the club paid for them.

Despite Mudryk and Fofana's unsuccessful time at the club so far, another player has failed to live up to expectations after his big-money move to Stamford Bridge back in 2022.

Raheem Sterling's record at Chelsea

During his near two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 29-year-old Raheem Sterling has made 72 appearances for the club, scoring on 17 occasions – a substandard return given his experience in England's top flight.

Sterling is just one of many attacking options boss Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal, with the 82-cap international making 24 appearances in the Premier League, scoring six times – a tally that is the third highest within the Chelsea squad this season.

The winger's latest goal came in the 1-1 draw away at champions Manchester City, with the former Liverpool winger failing to score in 11 Premier League games prior.

Sterling, who is primarily a winger, has played in numerous different roles for Pochettino so far this campaign. He's often featured on the left-hand side but has also been utilised as a lone striker or an attacking midfielder.

He hasn't quite found his feet in London, with the attacker unable to match the form he produced during his time under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Wage Burners

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How much Raheem Sterling has cost Chelsea

The club brought Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for a fee in the region of £45m back in July 2022 – with Sterling penning a five-year deal with an option for a sixth at Stamford Bridge.

29-year-old Sterling currently earns £325k-per-week – a figure that is £5k-per-week less than Fernandez and Caicedo combined, with the winger the highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad and his wages contributing to a whopping 11% of the club's total wage bill.

The figure of £325k means Sterling is taking home £16.9m in wages every season, with the former City man on course to earn another £67.6m should he stay for the remaining four years on his contract.

With Sterling's deal set to expire in four years, the package as a whole could amount to £129.5m – an obscene amount of money given his time at Stamford Bridge so far.

Although he joined the club with real pedigree, the winger unfortunately hasn't hit the levels expected with the club set to lose a lot of money on the 29-year-old. Either way, it's probably time they get rid in the summer, bringing through a fresher and younger pair of legs instead.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken in an awkward reunion with Pep Guardiola some 14 years on from their explosive feud at Barcelona.

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• Swedish striker clashed with coach at Camp Nou
• Different personalities were never going to work
• Involved in brief exchange ahead of friendly game

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Enigmatic Swedish striker Ibrahimovic moved to Camp Nou in 2009. He hit 21 goals during his only full season in Catalunya – savouring La Liga, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs – but never saw eye-to-eye with demanding coach Guardiola.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ibrahimovic was critical of Guardiola in his no-holds-barred autobiography, with questions being asked of how one of the most decorated bosses in the business handled a larger-than-life character that needed freedom and trust in order to flourish alongside Lionel Messi and Co.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ibrahimovic is now retired, with an advisor role being filled at AC Milan. He was at Yankee Stadium in New York for a friendly clash between the Rossoneri and Manchester City – meaning that he ran into Guardiola again for an uncomfortable hug and brief exchange.