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Tottenham Hotspur are set to face bitter North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates this afternoon, with the clash against the Gunners no doubt the biggest of the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Thomas Frank will be getting his first taste of what the Derby has to offer, but he will undoubtedly be hoping to be on the winning side later on this evening.

However, he faces a huge challenge ahead of him, with Mikel Arteta’s team currently sitting top of the Premier League and remaining unbeaten on home soil after their first five encounters.

To make things worse for the Lilywhites, they have only beaten the Gunners once away from home in the last 32 matches, with Frank potentially writing himself into the history books this afternoon.

If his men are to claim all three points against their bitter rivals, the manager desperately needs to drop one player from his starting eleven after his recent dismal form.

Why Brennan Johnson needs to be dropped against Arsenal

Brennan Johnson has endured a massive decline over the last couple of weeks, with the Welshman unable to match his form from the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old has only found the net twice in his first 11 outings of the league season, with his last effort coming way back in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of August.

However, he did start the last outing against Manchester United before the international break, but failed to deliver and made it nine games without a goal in England’s top-flight.

His underlying stats showcase his lack of impact against the Red Devils, with the Welshman only able to complete 50% of the dribbles he attempted in North London.

Johnson also only managed to find a teammate with one of his five crosses, whilst also failing to register a single shot on goal during his 90-minute display.

He gifted possession back to the opposition on 18 separate occasions – the most of any player in the squad – further highlighting his lack of success in the meeting.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to drop him from his starting eleven, with one player deserving of the opportunity to thrive against the club’s bitter rivals.

The Spurs player who can secure bragging rights over Arsenal

During the recent draw with Ruben Amorim’s men, Frank made some crucial substitutions that managed to save the game and secure a vital point in the Premier League.

Mathys Tel was brought off the substitutes bench in the 79th minute against the Red Devils and made an immediate impact on the meeting – as he scored just five minutes after stepping onto the field.

He wasn’t alone in thriving after his addition, with winger Wilson Odobert grabbing the assist for Richarlison’s stoppage-time effort, with both massively staking their claim for a starting role.

However, it’s unclear whether the manager will decide to hand any of the aforementioned stars a rare start – but they are massively deserving of an opportunity from a starting role.

Instead, Frank should look to recall a man who was billed as “Arsenal’s perfect Saka replacement” by pundit Adrian Clarke. Indeed, that man is Mohammed Kudus who must return to the starting eleven after missing each of the last two outings in all competitions with a minor injury.

The £150k-per-week Ghanaian only joined the Lilywhites in a £55m deal from West Ham United in the summer, but he’s wasted no time in impressing and is arguably one of the club’s most important players.

He’s already opened his account for the Lilywhites, whilst laying on four assists in the process – a tally which is the joint-highest of any player in the division.

Johnson has had the opportunity to fill the void in recent weeks, but he’s been unable to do so, with the manager needing to recall the 25-year-old this afternoon.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has only lost once to the Gunners in his four previous meetings – even finding the net in the Carabao Cup win back in November 2023.

xG generated

1.39

3rd

xA registered

1.26

1st

Assists

4

1st

Big chances created

2

1st

Key passes per game

1.9

1st

Dribbles completed per game

3.6

1st

His numbers from the ongoing season, coupled with his previous wins against today’s opponents, showcase his ability to cause carnage in attacking areas when having the chance.

Given such numbers in recent history, Frank desperately needs to start the winger at the Emirates, with his pace and quality on the ball a real danger to any side that dares to stop him.

It’s a massive game and one that the supporters always want to win, with their chances of claiming a rare victory potentially falling into the hands of Kudus.

Spurs must sell "one of the worst signings in PL history" to fund Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur must sell one player if they are to land Antoine Semenyo in January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025

India are in the final of Asia Cup 2025, where they will meet the winner of Thursday’s Super Fours clash between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Sri Lanka are out of contention, and their game against India on Friday is now a dead rubber.India sealed their place in the final with a 41-run win over Bangladesh that was, for the victors, both comfortable and discomfiting. Bangladesh never really looked in contention at any point during their chase of 169, with their limitations as a T20 side exposed by the depth and variety of India’s bowling. But they would feel they should have made a much better fist of that target, after their bowlers had done brilliantly to haul India back when Abhishek Sharma had seemingly put them on course for 200 and beyond.Related

• The relentlessness of Abhishek and the ruthlessness of Bumrah

• Aaron: 'Axar ahead of Samson? I do not understand it'

• Abhishek Sharma is on his way to becoming an elite six-hitter

• Shaheen Afridi brushes off criticism as Pakistan eye Asia Cup final

Abhishek continued his magnificent tournament, following up his 39-ball 74 against Pakistan with a 37-ball 75, but India struggled when he wasn’t at the crease.Their innings followed a pattern not unlike Pakistan’s against their bowlers on Sunday: a strong start followed by a dramatic slowdown when the ball became older and harder to time. India scored 95 runs in overs 3-11, when Abhishek ran rampant, and just 73 runs in the 12 overs either side of that stretch.In the end, Abhishek’s innings proved the difference between the teams. Bangladesh didn’t have anyone in their line-up with that level of relentless boundary-hitting ability, even if Saif Hassan showed the promise in their ranks, hitting five sixes in a 51-ball 69.

Bangladesh begin brightly

Bangladesh could have dismissed Abhishek for 7 off 8 in the third over, had the wicketkeeper held on to an edge off Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who came into an XI with as many as four changes, and bowled brilliantly with the new ball, swinging it prodigiously while also hitting the deck hard.The wicketkeeper who shelled that chance – and Bangladesh’s captain on the night – was Jaker Ali, standing in for Litton Das who was ruled out with a side strain.That moment ended the first chapter of this match, which Bangladesh dominated without quite being able to separate Abhishek and Shubman Gill. Tanzim had beaten Gill’s bat twice in the first over, and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed had used his swinging arm ball cleverly to take the ball away from Abhishek’s hitting arc in the second. By the end of the third over, India were still going at less than a run a ball.

Abhishek and Gill take over

Gill began the counterattack by stepping out to the first two balls of the fourth over and hitting Nasum for four and six. That began a torrent of boundary-hitting that Bangladesh seemed powerless to stop. Abhishek looked unstoppable once he got to grips with the conditions, hitting Mustafizur Rahman for two sixes in the fifth over, peppering the off-side boundary with four fours off Mohammad Saifuddin in the sixth, and carrying on in similar vein beyond the powerplay.In all, Abhishek hit five sixes and jumped to joint No. 7 on India’s all-time T20I six-hitting charts. He has now hit 58 sixes in just 21 innings; Suresh Raina, with whom he drew level, hit 58 in 66 innings.2:57

Chopra questions India’s batting order logic

Experimental India slow down

India were 112 for 2 at the start of the 12th over, and Bangladesh seemed powerless to stop Abhishek. But they did, via a run out manufactured by Rishad Hossain’s brilliance at backward point. He dived to his left to stop a dab from Suryakumar Yadav and sprang up, ready to throw in one motion, leaving Abhishek with little chance of regaining his ground at the non-striker’s end.That moment changed the complexion of the game, exposing India’s middle order to an issue that has troubled every line-up in these conditions in the UAE – the difficulty of starting innings against the old ball. Bangladesh’s bowlers did their bit too, with Mustafizur, Tanzim and Saifuddin finding plenty of purchase with their slower cutters and with Nasum varying his pace cleverly, and India only scored 56 runs across their last nine overs. Hardik Pandya, who was out off the last ball of the innings for 38 off 29, did the bulk of the scoring.India’s slide looked worse for coming against the backdrop of batting-order changes that didn’t come off on the day. India promoted Shivam Dube to No. 3, and sent in Hardik, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel above Sanju Samson, who did not get to bat at all.Handshakes all around after India completed an easy win•AFP/Getty Images

Saif wages lone fight as Bangladesh fade away

Bangladesh seemed in with a real chance at the halfway mark, but the required rate kept slipping further and further away from their reach. Jasprit Bumrah, once again bowling three overs in the powerplay, struck in his first over, and looked close to unhittable with the new ball, finding prodigious swing and at one stage beating Parvez Hossain Emon’s bat six times in eight balls.And then, just as Emon had seemed to shrug off that early struggle with a six off Bumrah and a pair of swept fours off Varun Chakravarthy, he fell while miscuing a slog-sweep in Kuldeep Yadav’s first over, the seventh of the innings.Then it became a game of two ends. At one end, Saif showed off his hitting range, particularly off Axar whom he hit for three sixes. At the other, batters came and went, with Jaker’s run-out dismissal in the 13th over, while trying to steal a quick single to get Saif to his fifty, effectively bringing Bangladesh’s challenge to an end.All that remained was for Kuldeep to pull off his customary two-wickets-in-two-balls trick, for India’s fielders to shell a series of catches to extend Saif’s innings into the 18th over, for Bumrah to come back and pick up a second wicket, and finally for part-timer Tilak to roll his arm over and end the match with three balls to spare.

Grab your glove, hop on your bike and race to Steele Stadium—because the iconic franchise is officially coming back to a neighborhood near you.

Playground Productions, a production company dedicated to creating family-friendly content, announced Tuesday that the beloved video game series is returning "in the coming months" with the same aesthetic of the games released in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“We're incredibly excited to reintroduce to a new generation of players,” Chris Waters, chief product officer at Playground Productions, said in a statement. “We're taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today's audience expects. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’re building on the Playground.”

The original game titled was released in 1997, debuting the iconic cast of "Backyard Kids" characters like Pablo Sanchez, Stephanie Morgan, Kenny Kawaguchi, Pete Wheeler and more. Originally developed by Humongous Entertainment and published by Atari, the franchise later added games for soccer, basketball, football and hockey.

In 2001, Backyard Sports partnered with MLB to feature one player from all 30 teams in in addition to the 30 fictional characters, portraying each big leaguer as the kid versions of themselves. Randy Johnson, Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. were among the athletes featured in the first edition. The other games followed suit, partnering with the MLS, NBA, WNBA and NHL to feature other athletes from those sports, including Kevin Garnett, Lisa Leslie, Brandi Chastain, Cobi Jones, Jerry Rice and Joe Sakic, among many others.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo largou em vantagem na final da Copa do Brasil, contra o Flamengo. O Tricolor venceu o Rubro-Negro por 1 a 0, com gol de Calleri no primeiro tempo. O camisa 9 aproveitou belo cruzamento de Nestor e testou firme para o fundo das redes. O primeiro jogo da final foi marcado por poucas chances das grandes equipes, e o duelo segue aberto para a decisão no Morumbi.

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Manchester United have been backed for a shock Premier League title tilt as a former Red Devils coach feels that 'positive power' is finally building under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford. With their latest win at Anfield over reigning champions Liverpool, United have finally registered back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time since the Portuguese coach took charge of the club.

'Positivity building' under Amorim

Amorim's journey at Old Trafford has been far from plain sailing as in his maiden season, United finished 15th in the Premier League and failed to secure a slot in any of the European competitions. The head coach naturally made full use of the summer transfer window as he splashed big money to secure transfers for stars like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in a bid to bolster his squad.

The Red Devils' miseries, though, continued in the 2025-26 campaign despite the heavy spending, as after six Premier League matches they had registered just two wins and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup second round by fourth-tier club Grimsby Town. However, things may have started to change for good at United, because after securing a routine win over Sunderland they next beat Liverpool at Anfield, a feat they achieved for the first time in nine years.

AdvertisementAFPMan Utd backed for Premier League title run

After the win over the Reds, United only climbed to ninth position in the Premier League table, although they are only two points behind third-placed Liverpool. Arsenal are currently top, enjoying a three-point cushion to second-placed Manchester City. While many believe that the title race will involve those three teams, former United coach Rene Meulensteen sensationally claimed that it is far too early to write off the Manchester club from the title race.

Speaking to , Meulensteen said: "There will be little twists and turns around the corner. If Arsenal lose maybe one or two players and maybe they lose one or two games, everything changes. That could easily happen in a run-in. So I still think Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool are going to be fighting for the Premier League and we can’t rule out Man Utd if they go on this run we are hoping for. It could be three wins in a row and suddenly the whole momentum shifts into a positive power. Then suddenly it could be wide open because they’re only two points off Liverpool despite how the season has started."

Ex-United coach hails Liverpool

Meulensteen also spoke about his compatriot Arne Slot and Liverpool's sudden dip in form after losing three successive matches in the Premier League to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and United. The Dutch coach said: "I have high respect for Arne Slot because I’ve known him for so long. He won’t change. He’ll be the same, very measured and very honest in his opinion and observations. He doesn’t make things worse than they really are because he knows they are playing some really good football and creating chances, they just don’t put them in the back of the net.

"Last year, sometimes you catch a wave, you catch a flow, and everything that you hit goes in. Now they’re hitting a wave that goes against them. You have to ride the wave, turn around, and jump back on it. But that can only be done by not changing anything."

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Getty Images SportAmorim has his players' backing

After the win over the champions last weekend, club captain Bruno Fernandes had shown support towards the United boss and he claimed that the players believe in his system, amid fierce criticism over his tactics in the past months.

Fernandes told reporters: "Our shape always gives teams issues. It is a little bit ungrateful to talk about shape when we lose games and in the same way I am grateful to talk about it when we win. We always believe in the system, whether we win or lose, but it's about doing the right things in the right moments. We had moments we had to suffer and we did that in the game and the main thing is to do the same thing and believe what we prepare is what is going to give us the win."

Tottenham Hotspur has been the home to numerous top-level youth talents over the last couple of years, with attacker Mikey Moore one of the players on their constant conveyor belt.

The 18-year-old has spent the vast majority of his life as a Lilywhite, before making his debut in the first-team last campaign under Ange Postecoglou due to the injury crisis.

Despite his tender age, the youngster racked up a total of 19 senior appearances, ten of which came in the Premier League, with three of his outings coming from a starting role.

Moore even registered his first senior goal for his boyhood club in the Europa League, scoring in the victory over Elfsborg and helping the club end their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware.

However, after Thomas Frank’s appointment during the off-season, he’s been shipped out on loan to Scottish side Rangers in the hope of more consistent game time.

He’s not the only young talent on the books who has caught the eye, with one other youngster set for a huge future in North London during the years ahead.

Luka Vuskovic’s future as a Spurs star

Back in the summer of 2023, Spurs forked out a fee in the region of £12m for the signature of teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split.

However, he’s spent a couple of years out on loan, with his spell on loan at Westerlo catching the eye – but for his attacking quality rather than his talent at the back.

The Croatian scored seven times and registered two assists in his 36 outings, a simply staggering feat for a young defender who is trying to establish himself at the top-level.

Such form led to the sensation being involved in the first-team’s squad pre-season plans, even registering a goal and an assist in the 2-0 victory over League One outfit, Reading.

Many fans were calling for the youngster to be included in the Dane’s Premier League squad for 2025/26, but it wasn’t meant to be, with Vuskovic sent on loan to Bundesliga side Hamburg this summer.

The prospect of top-flight German football to many youngsters may be a daunting one, but the 18-year-old has taken to the task like a duck to water – already netting his first goal despite making just three appearances.

However, his showing against Union Berlin on Sunday was his best to date, winning 18 aerial duels and making 12 clearances – helping his current side keep a needed clean sheet.

There’s no denying that he could be a huge player for Frank in the future, but the new manager already have another hugely promising talent on the books in North London.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Vuskovic

As previously seen by the aforementioned talents at Spurs, they do have a plethora of upcoming stars who could potentially catapult them to continued success in the years ahead.

Their recruitment strategy has certainly aided their ability to create a strong youth setup, with many taking the jump and already cementing themselves in Frank’s plans for 2025/26.

Lucas Bergvall may only be 19, but he’s already established himself as a regular starter, featuring in all six of the Lilywhites’ Premier League outings to date – even scoring once against West Ham United.

The Swede could be joined by youngster Luca Williams-Barnett for many years to come, with the 16-year-old already making huge waves across various levels despite his tender age.

The attacking midfielder has been starring way above his age group over the last few seasons, with the youngster featuring in the U18s for the majority of 2024/25.

He ended the year with a staggering 23 goals and nine assists in his 24 outings for the Lilywhites, resulting in a jump up once again – now becoming a key member of the U21 side.

Williams-Barnett has once again exceeded expectations, already notching eight goal contributions in his first six appearances of the new campaign.

The 16-year-old has let his age get in the way, subsequently starring five years above his age group – something which has caught the eye of first-team boss Frank in recent weeks.

He was handed his first senior appearance against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup last week, coming off the bench for three minutes – leading to analyst Ben Mattinson labelling him as a “superstar”.

Luca Williams-Barnett

8

Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny

4

Rio Kyerematen

4

Oliver Irow

3

Yusuf Akhamrich

3

Tynan Thompson

2

Dane Scarlett

1

Dante Cassanova

1

Given his tender age, there’s no denying that the attacker needs more time in the academy system to develop before being able to make the jump into the first-team squad.

However, that’s not taking away from the fact that Williams-Barnett is a player with mammoth potential, with the club desperately needing to manage him in the right way.

In the years ahead, he could have a huge part to play in the Lilywhites’ hunt for success, with the youngster having the chance to create new history for the club alongside centre-back Vuskovic.

Spurs may already have their new Luka Modric & it's not Palhinha

Tottenham Hotspur have found their next Luka Modric in North London, and it is not Joao Palhinha.

ByDan Emery Sep 30, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is prepared to sell an “important” player who “goes under the radar”, with the Gunners looking to recuperate much-needed funds after a summer of serious spending.

Mikel Arteta’s side are widely expected to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title with Liverpool after splashing north of £250 million on eight key arrivals in Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

There’s been promising signs from a few of them already, perhaps most notably Madueke, who has showcased real improvement since joining Arsenal at both club and international level.

The former Chelsea star has already been tipped to end Gabriel Martinelli’s career in north London, amid uncertainty over the Brazilian’s long-term future.

Martinelli is attracting interest from AC Milan and a move in January is very much possible, according to reports, but the Gunners value him at around £60 million and suitors were only willing to go up to £40 million in the summer (CaughtOffside).

Arsenal could be set for major changes in the wide area following the arrival of Madueke and Eberechi Eze, who’s primarily viewed as a central playmaker but can operate on the wing.

Alongside Martinelli, Belgian winger Leandro Trossard has been linked with a move elsewhere, even after he put pen to paper on a non-extended new contract with improved salary terms.

The 30-year-old is a wonderful impact player on his day, but Arsenal are running out of time to make any money back off the winger’s sale as his deal expires in 2027, and reports last week even suggested that Besiktas held out-of-window talks to sign Trossard in a potential £19 million move.

While this ultimately didn’t go anywhere, ex-Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown says that Trossard’s exit is still likely in January or next summer.

Arsenal prepared to sell Leandro Trossard as replacement mooted

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown states he’s “heard” that Arsenal are prepared to sell Trossard if the right offer comes in — despite him being an “important” member of the squad.

During his time in N5, Trossard has scored some big goals at crucial times, and fired home an impressive 16 in all competitions across 2023/2024 in what was his best season at the Emirates to date — including four in the Champions League.

Trossard also racked up eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League alone last term, so while he’s not one of the mainstays on Arteta’s team sheet, the attacker could still have a significant role to play before Berta finally decides they have to sell.

France Football's editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia has confirmed that Ousmane Dembele beat Lamine Yamal to the 2025 Ballon d'Or by a "wide margin". Dembele and Yamal were the last men standing among the 30 nominees but it was the Paris Saint-Germain star who ultimately claimed the award after a historic 2024-25 season.

• Dembele beat Yamal to Golden Ball

  The 2024-25 campaign proved to be the best season in Dembele's career so far as he won the Ballon d'Or for the first time after leading PSG to a treble. The French giants won every major trophy on offer, except for the Club World Cup, while the Frenchman scored 35 goals across all competitions and provided 16 assists. Yamal also shone with Barcelona as Hansi Flick's side bagged three domestic trophies, but the teenager missed out on the Golden Ball in the end.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  'Ousmane won it by a wide margin'

  Garcia, who is in charge of the France Football organisation that presents the Ballon d'Or every year, has clarified that the final vote was not close this time around, with Dembele the "clear" winner. He said after the ceremony: "There was no match. Ousmane won it by a wide margin. On all continents, Ousmane Dembele's Ballon d'Or is clear and straightforward. It's a Ballon d'Or that is authoritative for our judges."

• Yamal' father triggers controversy

  Following his son's defeat in Paris, Yamal's father Mounir Nasraoui stirred up controversy by branding Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win as the “greatest moral harm” in football. He further claimed that Yamal was "by far the best player in the world" last season. 

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• Getty Images
  

  What's next for Dembele and Yamal?

  Dembele missed PSG's rescheduled Ligue 1 fixture at Marseille on Monday as he is yet to recover from the injury that he sustained during the international break, but the winger is hoping to feature for Luis Enrique's side in their next outing against Auxerre on Saturday. Yamal, meanwhile, is also working his way back from injury and may not be ready to feature when Barca take on Oviedo on Thursday in La Liga.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on completing the signing of a Manchester United youngster in the final few hours of deadline day.

Horrible summer to forget for Sheffield Wednesday

This summer has been a horrible experience for anyone of an Owls persuasion, with the ownership issue surrounding Dejphon Chansiri threatening the entire future of the club.

Wednesday have found themselves in financial turmoil and under threat of long transfer bans, with supporters protesting against Chansiri, calling for him to sell up. Staff members have continually not been paid on time, including the players, with the problems showing no real sign of being resolved fully yet.

Unsurprisingly, the Owls’ off-field struggles have led to a domino effect on the pitch, with Henrik Pedersen’s side without a win in their opening four Championship matches this season, losing three of them and looking like relegation fodder.

Despite this, there is hope that Wednesday are set to agree a deal for one target before the summer transfer window slams shut on Monday evening, with a positive update emerging.

Sheffield Wednesday set to sign Man Utd player

According to journalist Andy Giddings on X, Sheffield Wednesday are set to sign Manchester United youngster Harry Amass on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. The 18-year-old left-back has travelled to undergo a medical, but there is no guarantee that the move will be sanctioned yet, prompting the reporter to call the situation “madness” and perhaps symbolic of the type of decision making Owls fans are unfortunately getting used to.

This will be a welcome boost if they can get it over the line however, as they desperately look to see their side being given some hope of avoiding relegation this season.

Depth is needed in the squad to likely be able to compete as the campaign goes on, and Amass is a talented young player who can excel as both a left-back and left winger, being lauded by Ruben Amorim despite a 4-1 defeat at Newcastle earlier this year.

“I think he did quite well. He caught a player that is really fast, he made his debut in maybe one of the hardest stadiums with a team that is really in a good moment. I think he did really well so he needs to continue and we need to help all these young kids to perform in a higher level.”

Amass has made seven senior appearances for United, which is hugely impressive, even amid their own current struggles, and if a move to Wednesday does go through on deadline day, it could be a great piece of business between now and the end of the season.

Chelsea chiefs are plotting ways to cope without defender Levi Colwill after his serious ACL injury, which is expected to keep him out for the majority of 2025/2026.

The Cobham academy graduate will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, around six to nine months, as is the case with most ACL problems – leaving Enzo Maresca a key centre-half short ahead of what is an imperative Premier League campaign for him.

Expectations are high after their Champions League qualification, Conference League triumph and victory at the Club World Cup, with a solid central defensive pairing key to their potential success.

Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana will most likely start their opening Premier League game against Crystal Palace this weekend, considering Benoit Badiashile is also out injured, Axel Disasi remains surplus to requirements and summer signing Jorrel Hato is viewed more as a left-back.

Fofana’s suffered from extensive injury problems of his own since making a £75 million move from Leicester City in 2022, so it is highly debatable whether the Frenchman can really be relied upon for long periods of the season.

Taking this into account, Maresca has reportedly asked Chelsea for a new centre-back in light of Colwill’s injury.

“At the moment, Chelsea have still not sold Axel Disasi, so we need sales at the back really if they are to pursue a new centre back. Trevoh Chalobah still remains a player who could be sold by the club if an offer comes in because he represents pure profit,” wrote journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack.

“A solution is to potentially loan in a new centre back which as reported, they have been considering as well.

“But Chelsea are exploring all options internally and externally and SPTC Sources learned yesterday that Maresca has asked the club to sign a new centre back ideally.”

Time is running out for the Blues to bring in a new central defender with just over two weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut, so Chelsea will need to operate quickly in terms of both identifying a top target and making room for him – amid their ongoing talks for Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho.

Given Chelsea’s links to PSG outcast Gianluigi Donnarumma too, this could be a hectic end to the window at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea plan direct offer for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate

According to a report from Chelsea News, the west Londoners could turn to Anfield in search of defensive cover.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has entered the final year of his contract, and Arne Slot’s side face the very real prospect of losing their France international star for nothing in 2026.’

This has resulted in mounting speculation over his future and Real Madrid are widely reported to be serious admirers, but Liverpool have apparently quoted a seismic valuation of around £60 million, according to some media sources.

Nevertheless, it is now believed that Chelsea are planning a direct offer for Konate, and are prepared to test both Real and Liverpool’s resolve by bidding “serious money” for the 26-year-old.

Konate is arguably one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs, but his potential price tag and age doesn’t exactly fall in line with Chelsea’s traditional recruitment philosophy, so this would be a head-turning move to say the least.