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Despite huge investment since the takeover by Todd Boehly back in May 2022, Chelsea will undoubtedly be in the market for another defender this summer.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have conceded 57 goals in the Premier League this season, including five against rivals Arsenal earlier this week, with the club showing signs of fragility in the defensive department.

Current centre-backs Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashle cost the club £38.5m and £35m respectively, with experienced defender Thiago Silva set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, as per journalist Fabrizio Romano.

However, the club could've saved themselves from further spending had they kept hold of one talent, who's excelled in the Premier League since his departure from the Blues.

Nathan Ake's stats at Chelsea

29-year-old Nathan Ake was a Chelsea player between July 2011, when he signed from Feyenoord, originally joining the club's youth setup, to July 2017, when he left to join Bournemouth in a permanent deal worth around £20m.

During the vast majority of his time at Stamford Bridge, he was either out on loan or featuring for various of the Blues' youth sides.

However, the Dutchman made his Premier League debut for the Blues during the 2012/13 campaign, featuring three times for a total of just 90 minutes.

Following just two appearances in two seasons, he would move on loan to Watford, starting 24 games in the Premier League for the Hornets, but it wasn't enough for Ake to force his way into the Blues first-team.

The centre-back would depart Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017, joining the Cherries – in a move that would allow him to excel in England's top flight.

Nathan Ake's market value in 2024

Nearly seven years on from his Chelsea departure, Ake has thrived more than anyone could have anticipated, becoming a regular part of Manchester City's starting lineup, making 41 appearances last season as the club won the treble. He's already made 39 this season as they fight to win the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years.

Pep Guardiola's side paid the Cherries a huge £41m for Ake's signature, which at the time seemed like a steep figure, but he's proved to be worth every penny, as demonstrated by his appearances for the club in recent seasons.

The "unbelievable" star, as described by teammate Jack Grealish, has seen his market value skyrocket in recent months, with the Dutchman now worth £51m, as per Football Observatory.

His subsequent figure is £17m more than current Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, who's now only valued at £34m after his awful luck with injuries throughout this season.

Ake would certainly stroll into the club's current starting lineup, with the Dutchman also having the versatility to fill in at left-back – a position that has caused the club multiple problems with Ben Chilwell's continuous struggles with injury.

With the likes of Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill also sidelined to further deplete the defensive ranks, it is easy to see how Ake would smoothly slot into Pochettino's injury-ravaged squad in the present day, had he never been sold.

Every Chelsea fan will be wishing they kept hold of the defender given his recent form for the Premier League champions, with the club still paying the price for Antonio Conte's decision to offload the 29-year-old during his tenure as Blues boss.

Chelsea set to strike gold by selling "special" star for 31,478% profit

He cost them just £94k and could now leave Stamford Bridge for a big fee.

By
Joe Nuttall

Apr 26, 2024

Sheffield Wednesday are interested in sealing the signing of a "fantastic" goalkeeper in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Sheffield Wednesday chase signings after survival

The Owls completed an incredible escape act in the Championship on Saturday afternoon, winning 2-0 away to Sunderland to ensure that they avoided an immediate return to League One.

It has been a stunning effort from Danny Rohl and his players, who looked doomed when the German replaced Xisco Munoz earlier in the campaign, with their end-of-season form similar to those chasing promotion.

In fact, Wednesday ended up second in the form table in the final six league matches, going to show how impressive they were when the pressure really cranked up.

The key now is for the Owls to kick on this summer and ensure that another relegation battle doesn't come their way in 2024/25. Keeping hold of the impressive Rohl is as important as anything, but equally, signing top-quality players has to be near the top of their priorities.

The hope is that funds are available to strengthen the squad significantly, with a lack of depth and quality often seen as the reason for struggling so much in the first place this season.

Sheffield Wednesday to move for "fantastic" gem this week

Writing on his Patreon [via Sheffield Wednesday News], Nixon claimed that Sheffield Wednesday want to re-sign goalkeeper James Beadle on loan and will even get the move started this week, perhaps no surprise given Dawson is out of contract this summer: "Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday will be on to Brighton this week for keepers Carl Rushworth and James Beadle.

"The two loanees have been stand outs in the Championship and both the Swans and Owls are keen to have them for another season."

Bringing Beadle back to Wednesday in the summer transfer window is a no-brainer for Rohl, considering the positive impact he made when he arrived on loan from Brighton in January. Granted, the 19-year-old wasn't necessarily always perfect, but for a 'keeper to arrive at such a young age and do so well is testament to both his ability and his character.

He immediately ousted Dawson between the sticks, due to his superior use of the ball playing out from the back, and Rohl heaped praised on him: "He is very calm and when I look back to the Leicester game, making such a decision after four minutes. Conceding the goal, this for a young player is not easy.

"He did very well and when you look at his second half even he had good decision making passing the first pressing line. This is fantastic and it shows his quality. I think he will have a great career having worked at this level."

The hope is that Beadle eventually makes a permanent switch to Wednesday, but that could be unlikely if Brighton see him as a big part of their future, allowing him to mature out on loan before using him regularly further down the line.

Championship play-offs 2024: Fixtures, ticket info, prize money & more

FFC looks forward to the 2023/24 Championship play-offs with all you need to know, including updated ticket information.

By
Luke Randall

May 20, 2024

Rela Madrid forward Endrick is reportedly not happy with the amount of playing time he is receiving at Los Blancos following his move from Palmeiras.

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• Endrick unhappy with playing time
• Only played nine minutes at Real Madrid
• Understands his place in the squad

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Endrick signed with Real Madrid in 2022 before formalizing his move to Santiago Bernabeu earlier this summer. While Endrick was never going to be a starter for Carlo Ancelotti this season, the Brazilian has seen his potential minutes at the club diminish through the start of the season due to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As per AS, Endrick is 'bitter about not having the minutes he would like at Real Madrid, but the Brazilian is said to understand his current role in the team with Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz having seniority over him in attack.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  So far this season, Endrick has made a total of three appearances for Real Madrid and accumulated only nine minutes of play. However, he has already scored a goal for Ancelotti's side during a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid last month.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

  After a disappointing international break with Brazil, Endrick will return to Spain and will be in action next when Los Blancos take on Real Sociedad on Saturday, September 14.

Derby County will already be setting the wheels into motion over what the Rams squad will look like when re-entering the Championship, having sealed promotion back up to the second-tier under Paul Warne this season.

With plenty of incomings speculated to join the ranks at Pride Park in the weeks to come, there will also be a number of outgoings revealed to balance the books and fill the camp with Championship capable stars instead.

Korey Smith could be an unfortunate casualty in the latter category, therefore, with the 32-year-old central midfielder out of contract this summer and earning a hefty salary.

Korey Smith's season in numbers

Smith had become a key cog for Warne again in the crunch promotion-deciders his side had been involved with in the last few weeks, after being sidelined with a major injury issue that saw him ruled out for all of December and January.

Bouncing back to be in his manager's starting XI for the last six League One games of the season, the experienced 33-year-old could feel harshly treated if he is discarded in the summer.

Helping himself to a goal and an assist from his 37 league games, the ex-Norwich City midfielder might well give the Rams some experience and grit in the centre of the park moving back up to a division where he has notched up 245 appearances previously.

Yet, with Derby reportedly eyeing up a deal for young Celtic star Bosun Lawal on top of a potential permanent swoop for Ebou Adams in central midfield, Smith could find his minutes are very limited next season.

Smith's excessive wage could also make cutting ties with the ageing midfielder easier to take, with the Rams number 12 raking in more than defensive superstar Eiran Cashin is currently on, according to Salary Sport.

Smith's wage at Derby

Just £900k-per-week off matching Max Bird's Rams wage, which will no doubt be increased moving onto Bristol City, Smith finds his pay packet at Pride Park coming in at a handsome £7k-per-week.

Amazingly, despite making 52 appearances for Warne's men this season in all competitions, one-time Brighton and Hove Albion target Cashin finds himself earning a paltry £3.3k-per-week in contrast.

To keep their standout Irishman around past this summer, with suitors presumably testing the waters soon about a potential deal for their homegrown sensation, Cashin's salary will need to be bumped up with Smith then axed to free up more space on the wage bill.

Playing a key role in the Rams being so defensively resilient this season, with Warne's men boasting the meanest defence in the league with just 37 goals shipped, keeping Cashin around for the jump-up feels paramount.

Whereas, with Smith being 11 years older than the bright Derby number six and arguably past his prime when it comes to second-tier football, getting rid of the £7k-per-week man soon might be a smart call.

Regardless of who stays or goes, Derby fans will just be excited by the prospect of watching Championship football again next season with their beloved team taking part.

Derby could pull off "outstanding" first signing after promotion

Derby County will hope this signing in through the door stands them in good stead for the Championship.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 6, 2024

Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo has not shied away from praising Barcelona's Lamine Yamal as he labelled the 17-year-old as 'one of the best'.

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• Ronaldo praises Barcelona wonderkid Yamal
• Calls him 'one of the best of his generation'
• Yamal leading Barcelona attack at age of 17

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal has been playing at a very top level over the last few months and as such, the 17-year-old is no longer just being considered one of the best youngsters in the game but is being compared to the best senior players in the world. Ronaldo himself has now praised the Euro 2024 Young Player of the Tournament.

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  WHAT RONALDO SAID

  Speaking to the media, Ronaldo said: "I see a lot of talent in Lamine Yamal.

  "I hope he does not have any problems in the future and I think he will be one of the best in this generation, for sure."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal came into Barcelona's first-team debut last year at the age of 15 and has thoroughly impressed under all three coaches that he has played under so far: Xavi Hernandez, Luis De La Fuente and Hansi Flick. Through the start of the current season under Flick, Yamal has been sensational and has already become their main outlet alongside Raphinha.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

  The 17-year-old will be in action later tonight when Barcelona take on Monaco in the Champions League league stage opener, and Yamal will have the chance to become the tournament's second youngest goalscorer behind teammate Ansu Fati.

European champions Real Madrid have reportedly already made contact with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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• Alexander-Arnold drawing interest from Madrid
• Out of contract next summer
• Could leave Liverpool for free

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international has cemented himself as one of the top defenders in Europe and as a result, is drawing interest from Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid. According to Relevo, Los Blancos have made first contact with the 25-year-old in an effort to convince him to make the switch to Spain next summer.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Losing Alexander-Arnold – a local lad who has won it all with the club – would be a huge blow for Liverpool. Conor Bradley has emerged as a suitable replacement for right-back but it is difficult for anyone to match the levels the Merseyside star can reach when he is on form.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Alexander-Arnold has a very close friendship with Madrid star Jude Bellingham. The pair enjoyed a lot of time together with England during Euro 2024 and the ex-Birmingham midfielder could be key to convincing the defender to leave his boyhood club.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

  For now, Alexander-Arnold is a Liverpool player and he could yet sign an extension with the Reds. His focus will be on the pitch at this moment and that continues when Arne Slot's men travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

A huge European club's sporting director is now pushing to sign an "amazing" Southampton star for a £42m discount this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Southampton transfer news

Saints are preparing for their biggest match of the season, as they come up against Leeds United in the Championship playoff final next Sunday. Their 3-1 win over West Brom on Friday night saw them a book place at Wembley, with a return to the Premier League within touching distance.

Getting back into the top flight would be huge for so many reasons, not least because of the boost in finances and ability to attract top players to Southampton in the next few months.

Flynn Downes has enjoyed an excellent season for Saints on loan from West Ham, with the Englishman starting 33 league games and completing an incredible 93.4% of his passes. He has shone so much that the south coast club are reportedly keen on making his move a permanent one at the end of the season. Promotion could hold the key, however, highlighting the importance of getting over the finish line against Leeds.

Rangers attacker Kemar Roofe has also been linked with a summer move to Southampton, with the 31-year-old departing the Scottish Premiership club on a free transfer.

Sporting director wants to sign Southampton ace

According to a new report from Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Juventus want to keep Southampton star Carlos Alcaraz on loan for another season, with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli pushing to get a temporary deal over the line to bypass the release fee in his contract.

Max Allegri's sacking has increased the chances of it happening, with the manager not as fond on him as Giuntoli, and he is seen as a player who could thrive under incoming manager Thiago Motta. Not only that, but a loan move would save the Serie A side €49.5m (£42m) because they wouldn't be triggering his Southampton release clause.

In truth, Saints' only real hope of keeping Alcaraz involved at the club next season is if they are in the Premier League, but this update suggests that another year away could be expected. The 22-year-old is a player who Russell Martin clearly values greatly, saying of him back in October: "We wanted Charly in the team because he has trained so well His mentality has been great.

"I put him in a role that suits him more than the other ones he has played in recently. We wanted to free him up a little bit. We did that I think – he was amazing with it. We sat down a lot this week and went through it and watched a lot of clips. His understanding of it was really good. I’m really proud of him and really pleased for him. He was outstanding [Saturday]."

£50,000-p/w star Martin desperately wants to keep set to leave Southampton

A frustrating decision for Martin…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 17, 2024

The lure of staying at arguably one of Europe's biggest clubs could be great for Alcaraz, although at some point, Southampton are going to need to cash in on him, so a loan move which allows his contract to tick down and the club's negotiating posititon to weaken is risky.

Gary Lineker claims to have "heard rumours" about England's hunt for a new manager as the FA continues its search for Gareth Southgate's successor.

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• Guardiola & Tuchel linked with role
• Carsley doesn't rule himself out
• England bounce back with Finland win

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Carsley has led England through two camps and has one more to go, by which time the FA will hope to have a better idea of Southgate's permanent replacement. The interim boss hasn't ruled himself out of the running, while the FA have eyes on hiring Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Given England's agonising near-misses in recent tournaments, the role comes with plenty of pressure.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carsley has given some puzzling updates on his desire to take on the role, urging the FA to hire a "world class coach that's won trophies" after the Finland win – before backtracking by saying he's "definitely not" out of the race. Lineker questioned Carsley's "defeatist" comments on his The Rest is Football podcast and suggested the 50-year-old may already know what lies ahead for his future.

• WHAT LINEKER SAID

  "I wonder – I've heard rumours and stuff – whether he knows something about what's happening in terms of they're looking for a new manager," the Match of the Day host said. "I think they've sounded out coaches. That's what the rumours are, that's what we've heard. And I wonder whether he thinks he's not going to get it so therefore he is perhaps protecting himself and wants to get his other job back.

  "I don't know, because it seems a little bit defeatist. 'They need a winning coach', I mean, look at the two teams who have just won international tournaments. Spain didn't have a guy who had won trophies before, certainly not in league football, Lee Carlsey has won [the European Championship with England Under-21s]. So he has won a trophy, but he's talking about club sides. I wonder whether they have been sounding out people and he's found out and he just doesn't believe he is going to get the job."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  England take on Greece and the Republic of Ireland in their final Nations League group stage matches next month. After that, Carsley may return to his previous role with the Under-21s with someone else – potentially Thomas Tuchel – brought in to lead the senior team.

A Tottenham player has already reached an agreement with one European club over joining them this summer, with a Spurs summit and club-to-club talks now set to follow.

Spurs expected to undergo summer overhaul in busy transfer window

Ange Postecoglou has publicly stated that his team need to implement drastic change in the months which lie ahead, with reliable journalists like Fabrizio Romano also expecting Spurs to have a busy transfer window.

Club now likely to sell £34m striker as Tottenham make approach for him

He ended the season in fantastic form.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 4, 2024

Tottenham finished the Premier League season in fifth, qualifying for the Europa League in their first season minus club-record goalscorer and former superstar Harry Kane, with Postecoglou's high-pressing system winning plenty of admirers along the way.

To back Postecoglou and keep evolving the squad, in an effort to turn Spurs into genuine Premier League contenders over the next few seasons, it is believed chairman Daniel Levy is open to offers for up to a dozen members of the squad (Paul O'Keefe).

These player sales will rid Postecoglou of deadwood and potentially bolster his transfer kitty, as it is believed that Spurs want to seriously invest in fresh faces for multiple positions this summer.

"We've got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don't think we're anywhere near where we want to be," said Postecoglou on bringing in new players.

"It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure. I certainly don't think we're one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution. Some of it hopefully means we continue to get the improvement we've had this year from some of our players. If that happens over the next 12 months, then we'll be in a great position.

"But you've got to remember, a lot of our group are in their first year of the Premier League. A good chunk of them have been ever-presents, we need them to keep improving at the rate they are. We've still got a lot of work to do with the squad. I think we're a long way away from having one or two players away from getting where we want to be."

One player who may fetch a fairly decent sum, and doesn't appear to be in Postecoglou's plans moving forward, is midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Hojbjerg agrees to join Fenerbahce from Tottenham

The Dane played a lot of top-flight games last season, but the overwhelming majority of his appearances came from the bench, as he started just eight league matches.

Hojbjerg has been heavily linked with a Spurs exit since last September, and now Turkish news outlet Milligazete (via Sport Witness) claim Hojbjerg has reached an outline agreement to join Fenerbache after talks with their sporting director.

The £100,000-per-week midfielder, branded "sensational" in the media for some of his performances, could reunite with Jose Mourinho – and it is claimed that club-to-club talks over the transfer will happen soon.

Former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst wants to seal a reunion with a current Ibrox player in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers continue to be linked with new signings ahead of next season, with Mexican midfielder Andres Montano seen as an option to bring in, potentially being considered an upgrade on Tom Lawrence. Meanwhile, Rapid Bucuresti striker Albion Rrahmani has also been backed to join Rangers in the summer, with talks believed to have taken place over a move coming to fruition.

Bayern Munich youngster Yusuf Kabadayi is another player who the Scottish Premiership giants have reportedly shown an interest in, with the 20-year-old considered a long-term prospect. A fee is even thought to have been agreed, with a transfer close to being completed.

Kalvin Phillips has emerged as arguably Rangers' most high-profile target in recent weeks, as the 28-year-old looks to get his stuttering career back on track. Manchester City see no future for him at the Etihad, and West Ham haven't signed him after a disappointing loan spell there, but Philippe Clement is looking to add him to his squad.

Now, a Gers exit update has emerged, with one established figure potentially heading off to pastures new before the 2024/25 season gets underway.

Van Bronckhorst wants reunion with Rangers ace

According to a new update from the Scottish Daily Mail on Monday [via Ibrox News], Giovanni van Bronckhorst wants to sign Lawrence this summer, sealing a reunion and bringing him to Besiktas in the process. It was the Dutchman who signed the Welshman from Derby County back in 2022, during his time in charge at Ibrox, and they could now team up again.

Ipswich Town are also mentioned as potential suitors, however, with Kieran McKenna seeing the £22,000-a-week attacker as a good option to bring in after his side sealed promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last month. He has already played for the club in the past.

It does feel as though Lawrence's time at Rangers is close to coming to an end – his current deal expires in 2025, meaning that this summer is the last chance to receive a good fee for him, and the player himself appears to be willing to find a fresh challenge.

Teaming up with Van Bronckhorst again could clearly appeal, considering his former boss signed him initially, while a return to Ipswich in the Premier League also has obvious merits.

Rangers could land lethal Cantwell partner in swoop for £6.8m star

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 10, 2024

If Lawrence does move on in the summer, he should be remembered as a solid servant for Rangers – one who David McCallum once described as "excellent" – having registered 11 goal contributions (six goals and five assists) in 41 appearances overall. More was arguably required for him to be a genuine success story, considering he is a 23-cap Wales international, but injuries have held him back.