Liverpool are expected to make an offer for highly-rated Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to an update from talkSPORT.

Who is signing Romeo Lavia?

The future of the 19-year-old has been a big talking point of late, with an exit from Saints widely expected after their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

Lavia has been constantly linked with a move to Liverpool, as the Reds look to do major surgery to their midfield, having already acquired the services of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, now seeking their next addition.

The Merseysiders are far from alone from expressing an interest in signing the young Belgium international however, with fellow Premier League powerhouses such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all thought to be eyeing him up.

It looks as though Liverpool could be in pole position to sign Lavia, though, following a positive update that emerged on Monday morning.

What's the latest on Lavia to Liverpool?

According to talkSPORT, Liverpool are now ready to table an offer for the Southampton starlet, as they look to snap him up during the summer transfer window:

"Liverpool are preparing an opening offer for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, talkSPORT understands. The Reds have moved ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign Lavia, whom Saints have valued at £50million.

"Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment Joe Shields has recommended Lavia to new manager Mauricio Pochettino. But the Blues are thought to be exploring alternative targets for now."

This is a hugely exciting update for Liverpool, with Lavia such a talented footballer who could develop into one of the best defensive midfielders in the world over time, proving to be the perfect long-term replacement for Fabinho.

He is already a senior Belgium international, winning one cap for his country, as well as making 29 Premier League appearances. Not only has he not looked out of his depth, but he has even stood out as possibly Saints' best player over the past 12 months or so, being lauded as "ridiculous" by Southampton reporter Jacob Tanswell for his courage to take the ball from deep and beat the opposition press.

Alongside Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, Lavia could complete a major rebuild of Liverpool's midfield that last well into the future – bringing in Nice star Khephren Thuram would arguably make it a perfect summer at Anfield – and beating big six rivals to his signature would also feel significant.

Assuming he avoids serious injury, the sky is the limit for the Belgian, and the hope is that he would jump at the opportunity to working under Jurgen Klopp.

Football can be a cruel game sometimes, in many ways. But, perhaps no more so than when a player scores the goal of their career, only for it to be a consolation goal in a defeat to forget that everyone quickly fails to remember.Instead, the focus is on the winning side and the goals that they score to seal victory, no matter the quality of the strikes. Players will rightly say that they prefer the three points, too, but sometimes there’s nothing quite like striking to ball clean into the top right, leaving even two goalkeepers with no chance.So, we’re here to remind you of the forgotten and most underrated goals in football – as ranked by Football FanCast.

6 Davide Zappacosta vs Qarabag

Arguably one of the strangest goals scored by a Chelsea player, we’ll give Davide Zappacosta a break and say that he meant to shoot and not cross for his superb goal against Qarabag as the Blues won 6-0 in the Champions League.

Driving down the right-hand side, the fullback carried the ball a great distance before catching the goalkeeper off guard by shooting from way out wide to score what remains an underrated goal.

5 Joe Willock vs Liverpool

Liverpool vs Arsenal always produces fireworks, from thrashings to the tightest of encounters. And this was no different back in 2019 when the two sides battled out an incredible 5-5 draw in the Carabao Cup, before the Reds went through on penalties.

5-4 down in the dying minutes of the game, Divock Origi was of course the man who stepped up to equalise late on for Liverpool in the memorable moment of the game.

It’s worth reminding everyone of Joe Willock’s stunning strike, however, even as his side crashed out.

4 Robin van Persie vs Charlton

Robin van Persie loved a volley, didn’t he? That left foot of his could find the corner of the net first time from just about anywhere, whether it be for Arsenal or dare we say Manchester United.

Many remember the Dutchman’s strike against Aston Villa, and rightly so, but his goal against Charlton should not be forgotten, either.

3 Matt Phillips vs QPR

Team moves are always a nice watch, but sometimes goals don’t get better than a pure strike from range. An unstoppable effort into the top corner just feels fitting in some games.

It’s a shame that results can see some goals of this calibre forgotten, including Matt Phillips’ goal in Queen Park Rangers’ 3-1 loss against Crystal Palace back in 2015.

Three goals down, Phillips scored the goal of the game late with his futile, but glorious, consolation strike.

2 Aaron Ramsey vs Galatasaray

Aaron Ramsey scored some incredible goals during his time at Arsenal, and if it wasn’t for injuries, we could be talking about one of the best Premier League midfielders.

The Welshman’s goal against Galatasaray was particularly impressive, as he struck the ball first time to send the ball flying in pinpoint fashion into the top corner. It’s about as accurate a strike you’ll ever see.

1 Tomas Rosicky vs Sunderland

Even in the later days under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal played some of the best football that you’re likely to see, culminating in some world-class goals.

In the same season that Jack Wilshire scored a stunning team goal against Norwich City – one of the best Premier League goals of all time – Tomas Rosicky netted a similarly impressive goal against Sunderland.

It feels fitting that the most underrated goal was scored by one of the most underrated players in Premier League history.

Pakistan have won the last four T20Is against West Indies. As the series moves to Port of Spain, will West Indies be able to stave off the resurgent visitors with an improved performance?

The Preview by Danyal Rasool29-Mar-2017Match factsMarch 30, 2017
Start time 1230 local (1630 GMT)Debutant Shadab Khan stunned West Indies in the first T20I in Barbados with returns of 3 for 7•AFPBig PictureThe first T20I between West Indies and Pakistan didn’t tell us much, confirming, instead, what was already widely known: West Indies appear a long way away from their World Cup-winning best at the moment, while Pakistan, though nowhere near perfect, have slightly too much quality for the hosts. If any team in world cricket can turn it around within three hours or so, it is Carlos Brathwaite’s men.With this being only the second T20I series that stretches beyond three games between two Test teams, West Indies still have time to make amends. They can start by avoiding falling into the trap Pakistan set for them in the first game: the visitors built up pressure with the spinners in the Powerplay, inducing false shots from the batsmen thereafter. The hosts might look to attack the spinners in the first six overs to force Sarfraz Ahmed to rethink his strategies. It also remains to be seen how wonder kid Shadab Khan, handles the pressure.Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to replicate much of what they did in the first game. While their bowling performance – with the exception of Wahab Riaz – was as close to flawless as head coach Mickey Arthur could have hoped for, concerns still remain in the batting department. It is early days yet, but there are barely any signs of Ahmed Shehzad or Kamran Akmal having managed to rid themselves of the inconsistency that has plagued their international careers so far. Still, Pakistan have won their last four T20I games against West Indies with relative ease.Form guideWest Indies LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWWSunil Narine’s pinch-hitting heroics can come in handy for West Indies•AFPIn the spotlightSunil Narine had a quiet first game, but he’s coming off the back of a successful PSL, even if his side didn’t make it past the group stage. He was the seventh-highest wicket-taker with an economy rate of under 6.50. However, it was his ability with the bat that surprised many. He scored 116 runs at a strike rate of 181.25, which was significantly higher than anyone else; Shahid Afridi was second with 173.52. In addition, he hit eleven sixes – as many as Pollard – during the tournament.In spite of his relative international inexperience, Imad Wasim is rapidly establishing himself as a mainstay of Pakistan’s limited-overs side. His left-arm orthodox spin has been vital to Pakistan’s T20I success, and has bowled his full quota in all but five games. His economy of 5.67 is almost unheard of in T20 cricket. Furthermore, with Pakistan’s top order currently not at its best, Imad is likely to get more chances with the bat.Team newsDefeat in the first T20I for West Indies wasn’t down so much to poor team selection as shambolic execution. As a result, a raft of changes would be a surprise.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Chadwick Walton (wk), 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Jason Mohammed/Rovman Powell, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Jason Holder, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Jerome TaylorShould any change occur in Pakistan’s ranks, it will occur in their top order. However, Pakistan are likely to keep their winning combination intact.Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Kamran Akmal, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Wahab RiazPitch and conditionsThe pitch at the Queen’s Park Oval is expected to behave much the same way as the one in Barbados, with runs hard to come by. Conditions are expected to be humid, and rain is unlikely.Stats and trivia The three remaining T20Is this series will all be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. This will double the number of T20Is ever played at this ground, which has not seen a T20I since 2011. Babar Azam has now gone 15 consecutive innings in limited-overs cricket without being dismissed in single figures. The last time he failed to reach double figures was during the third ODI in Nottingham against England last year, when he was dismissed for 9.

Journalist Andrew Musgrove has urged Newcastle United to keep Jamaal Lascelles at the club ahead of next season.

Is Jamaal Lascelles going to leave Newcastle?

The club captain has been at Newcastle since 2014, when he joined from boyhood club Nottingham Forest alongside Karl Darlow in a double-swoop for the Magpies which cost them £7m.

Since then, Lascelles has made 225 appearances for the team, captaining them in the 2016/17 campaign as they won the Championship title and subsequent return to the Premier League.

Following the arrival of Eddie Howe in 2021, however, the Englishman has found his game time reduced, with the 29-year-old making just 11 appearances for the club last season.

Despite this, it is thought that the central defender remains an important figure on Tyneside and has been a big influence in the Magpies dressing room amid the club's return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

While there will be more matches for Newcastle next season, Football Insider reports that Lascelles will have to leave St James' Park this summer if he wants to get more regular first-team football, with competition for places potentially getting even tougher if reports about the club's interest in Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio come to bear fruit.

Reports from earlier this year stated that a sensational return to Nottingham Forest was potentially on the cards this summer, with Steve Cooper wanting to add more experience to his side. However, that interest hasn't ended up resulting in a bid just yet.

Lascelles' contract runs until the summer of 2024 and it seems unlikely that the Magpies will be offering the defender a new deal, so this summer would be the final chance for the side to cash in on the player who is closing in on 10 years on Tyneside.

But speaking on the Everything is Black & White YouTube channel, Musgrove stated that he disagrees with the result of a fan poll which stated that over 20,000 fans believed the club should sell Lascelles, citing the 29-year-old's experience and influence, as well as the quality he still has as reasons to keep him around.

Musgrove said: "He hasn't kicked off at losing his place – he's taken it in his stride and he's put his focus and attention elsewhere and become a real benefit to Newcastle United off the pitch.

"A lot of you guys will remember him picking up two bookings as a substitute, and that's the kind of thing that really reaffirms just how important he is off the pitch; he's always fighting for the club, even if he isn't kicking a ball for 90 minutes.

"And he's got the right attitude, because let's be honest, a lot of club captains who are suddenly out of the side would've kicked off, they would not have been happy. And I'm sure he's not happy at not playing, but he understands the bigger picture and he really has handled essentially being benched really, really well.

"And when he did come in against Manchester City, against Liverpool, I thought he did very well – and I think he can still play a big part in Newcastle's future going ahead, especially next season."

What should Lascelles do next season?

Lascelles has a big decision to make this summer about his career.

He is 29 years old now and should be in the prime of his career. Does he want to spend it playing regular Premier League football at his boyhood club, or does he want to captain the side he has been with for the past nine seasons into their first Champions League campaign in over two decades?

The big thing that might sway the decision is the fact that he only has a year remaining on his deal, so he could move on in the summer of 2024 and clubs wouldn't have to pay a fee. However, should he only play limited minutes next season, the question will have to be asked about whether teams should take the gamble on him.

It is a massive call for the defender to make, but he has two very appealing options, whatever he decides.

The BCCI’s Committee of Administrators will strive to consult with and persuade – and not confront – state associations into compliance of the Lodha Committee recommendations.The Supreme Court had ordered several changes to the functioning of the Indian board in July last year but none of them have been made yet. Staunch opposition from the state associations has been one of the major reasons for the delay and though the CoA said it did not want to use force, it did make clear the only option available was to comply.Having been appointed on January 30, the CoA finished 50 days in office on Wednesday and had invited a select group of journalists for an hour-long interaction. “For every objective to be achieved you need to do it in stages,” Chairman Vinod Rai said. “The thing is that at each stage, whatever persuasive power that we need, and I am saying persuasive in inverted commas, we will apply.”The CoA was set up to both supervise the BCCI – who are without a president or secretary – and help ensure the implementation of the Lodha recommendations. But so far, both the Indian board and its state associations have ignored the deadlines that had been set for them. Even various warnings from the Supreme Court could not spur them to action. So the most asked question to the CoA was how they were going the succeed in the face of such intransigence.Rai said he could understand the state associations’ reluctance to change, considering most of them have been governed by the same set of administrators for a long time and they were being asked to leave. “We will try to persuade them to see the writing on the wall. We know what is to be done at what point of time. They have been sitting for 25 years, you are asking them to go. At some point, they will see that that is the end of the road for them. And if they don’t understand it, they will be made to understand in a language they will understand. You cannot have defiance of the highest court of the land. Greater bodies, more authoritative people have tried to defy the Supreme Court and they have not succeeded.”The only thing is that they have difficulty accepting the practical aspects of it. Hopefully within the course of time they will be able to understand. We will talk to them. They may have some reasonable differences, clarifications etc.. We will try and help them out with it. We will try to bring them around.”The state associations have filed a fresh set of petitions in the court, on the basis of the argument that Article 19 (1)(c) of the Indian constitution protects their right to form societies and function autonomously. The argument has already been struck down in previous hearings of the case.Some state associations have also sought clarity on the nine-year cap imposed on a BCCI office bearer, a recommendation that the court had already approved. “If they have genuine problems about understanding it, we will explain. It is our job,” Rai said. “If they still refuse to understand, then of course we will have to make out a road map of how we ask them to implement it.”Rai, however, insisted the CoA wouldn’t resort to using force to complete their objectives. “There is no question of aggression at all. They [state associations] may not be generous. It is not a question of generosity. They are representing a particular group of people. We don’t have to rely on their generosity. The attempt is to collaborate, cooperate. Cricket has to be delivered to cricket lovers in the form in which they want it. You and I sitting in governance cannot be made into stumbling blocks or road blocks to it because it is not suiting us. Because it is not suiting the way we were accustomed to administer it in the past.”The two other members of the CoA who were present at the interaction – Ramachandra Guha and former Indian women’s captain Diana Edulji – also gave their full backing to the collaborative approach. “We want to do it in a consultative way,” Guha said. “We don’t want to do it in a confrontational way. We want to take everyone (on board).”Upon taking over as chairman of the CoA two months ago, Rai said he saw himself and his colleagues as nightwatchmen. On Wednesday, he was “reasonably confident” of being done with the job by the end of the year.

Glasgow Rangers are undergoing the rebuild which should have occurred during the summer of 2021, weeks after they claimed their 55th league title.

It didn’t, and complacency set in, allowing their Old Firm rivals to eventually win five of the next six domestic trophies.

Under Michael Beale, this arduous task finally appears as though it’s happening, with five players already departing following the expiration of their contracts, including Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, with the likelihood of a few more players being sold, its set to be a busy summer for the Ibrox side.

One player who could raise some funds for Beale is Glen Kamara, with the midfielder being linked with a £4m move away from Ibrox in recent weeks.

An integral part of the Premiership winning team in 2020/21, Kamara saw his game time limited last season, making only 18 starts, and it is perhaps time that the £21k-per-week liability is moved on, giving Beale some funds to play with during the transfer window.

Beale could target another midfielder to come in and add some extra competition between the midfielders, as South Korean star In-beom Hwang has previously been linked with a move to the Gers.

Does Glen Kamara have a future at Rangers?

With Nicolas Raskin, John Lundstram, and Ryan Jack all able to play in the centre of midfield, plus potentially luring Jose Cifuentes to the club, Kamara looks destined to leave.

With Champions League football returning to Ibrox next term, players of a higher quality will be required and Hwang could fit in at the Light Blues well.

Indeed, last season, the Olympiacos midfielder averaged 55 passes per game – a success rate of 88% – with only Lundstram in the Rangers midfield averaging more per match than the 26-year-old, showing how important he could be if he joined the club, with his ability to regularly circulate the ball key for Beale's tactical system.

His seven goal contributions were also better than Lundstram, Jack, Raskin and Kamara while he also demonstrated his tenacious nature by making 1.4 tackles per game, ranking just behind Raskin for that metric.

It’s safe to say that with these figures, he could certainly be an improvement over certain members of the squad, especially Kamara and thus, making a move should be a no-brainer for Beale.

The 5 foot 9 gem was also described as a “top, top player” by journalist Konstantinos Lianos during the 2022 World Cup as he played all four matches for South Korea, including their last 16 defeat to Brazil.

This experience on the world stage must prove to Beale that he can handle the rigours and demands of Scottish football and although perhaps not a main target at the time being, if the opportunity is there, the Gers should make their move.

With the tour of New Zealand almost at an end, fast bowler Wayne Parnell and back-up wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen have been released from the South African squad

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2017

Left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell and reserve wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen have been released from the South African squad in New Zealand. They will return home on Sunday, following fast bowlers Chris Morris and Duanne Olivier, who were sent back earlier in the series.Neither Parnell nor Klaasen featured in any of the three Tests although Klaasen may have fancied his chances of a debut when Quinton de Kock was injured ahead of the third Test. De Kock damaged a tendon on his right index finger, which has ruled him out of the IPL, but was able to play the Hamilton match with some strapping.Parnell could not displace any of the three quicks – Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada or Morne Morkel – and, like Olivier and Morris, was deemed surplus to requirements, especially with the series at its end. South Africa still have the dropped opening batsman Stephen Cook and offspinner Dane Piedt, who flew in for the third Test but did not find a place in the playing XI, on hand for substitute fielding duties.Hamilton is the last Test in a nine-month summer for South Africa, which began in August. Their next assignment is a four-Test tour of England, right after the Champions Trophy.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, as Mikel Arteta and Edu continue to make their presence known in the transfer window.

It’s been a contrasting summer to ones before at the Emirates, with the Gunners already sealing deals for Kai Havertz and imminently Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice.

Despite having a blistering 2022/23 Premier League season, there are sufficient areas for Arsenal to improve in, with defensive depth a flagging point in the works, however, links to Leverkusen’s full-back Jeremie Frimpong are encouraging in this pursuit.

How much is Jeremie Frimpong worth?

As reported yesterday by Transfermarkt journalist Stefan Bienkowski, Arsenal have displayed “very early” interest in 22-year-old Jeremie Frimpong.

The journalist claimed that “discussions” have been made between the two clubs involved, however, reports that there is “nothing concrete” regarding the deal yet.

It’s added that the Bundesliga side would not consider offers lower than €50m (£43m) for the defender, who is contracted to the club until 2025.

How good is Jeremie Frimpong?

As a former member of Manchester City’s academy, the Dutchman is familiar with the demands of the English game, having spent nine years in the Citizens' youth set-up.

After departing Manchester, Frimpong spent a season and a half at Celtic, in which he made 51 appearances and added a domestic treble to his name in the 2019/20 campaign.

During his time with the Hoops, the budding talent contributed to 11 goals, scoring three and assisting eight to show his versatility on the flanks, being an attacking option at right-back.

With this in mind, it comes as little surprise that Arsenal have their eyes on the Bundesliga ace, who fits the profile of the type of full-back that Arteta is hoping to equip in north London.

The Gunners were caught short last season, with injuries to key defenders such as William Saliba causing problems and highlighting the jump in ability between first and second-choice options in the squad.

While it’s normal to have a favoured starting XI and undroppable figures in the side, Arsenal’s lack of quality in their depth left no room for injuries or suspensions without suffering a detrimental effect on their form.

Branded a “Championship defender” by former Premier League ace Gabriel Agbonlahor via talkSPORT, Rob Holding provided insufficient cover in Saliba’s absence, with Arteta’s other backup options including the likes of Cedric Soares, who managed just 195 minutes on loan at Fulham.

Branded a “disaster” by members of the media, Cedric must be sold by Arsenal this summer to make way for better squad options, which is where Bayer Leverkusen’s Frimpong comes in.

The 23-year-old ranked in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for his rate of progressive carries per 90, averaging a monstrous 5.21 as well as 2.52 successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

The numbers suggest that the Amsterdam-born defender could fit perfectly into Arteta’s side, acting as a wide defender advanced in his approach to play, seeing him lauded as “breathtaking” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

The scout added that the youngster is identifiable as a “modern-day full-back” due to the attacking positions he inhabits when his side is on the offence.

Arteta could bolster his defensive options by capturing the highly-rated player’s signature, in a move that could see the likes of Cedric depart in a complete revamp of the quality through the ranks.

تلقى نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني دفعة إيجابية بشأن لاعبه البرازيلي إيدير ميليتاو، والغائب منذ بداية الموسم بسبب إصابة الرباط الصليبي.

وخضع ميليتاو لجراحة ناجحة بعد إصابته في الرباط الصليبي، بداية الموسم الجاري، ويواصل عمليات التعافي.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، يستعد ريال مدريد لعودة ميليتاو الوشيكة في غضون أسابيع قليلة، وهو ما يمثل دفعة إيجابية للنادي.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن خطة ريال مدريد الأكثر تحفظًا هي عودة ميليتاو في 13 أبريل ضد ريال مايوركا.

وكان ريال مدريد على وشك استعادة البلجيكي تيبو كورتوا الذي أصيب في الرباط الصليبي ببداية الموسم أيضًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | مانشستر يونايتد يتخذ خطوة للتعاقد مع مهاجم ريال مدريد

لكن خلال مشاركته في التدريبات أصيب حارس المرمى في الغضروف المفصلي ليبتعد عن العودة مع ريال مدريد.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لفترة حاسمة من الموسم، مع صدارته للدوري الإسباني وسعيه للاحتفاظ بالصدارة، وسيلاقي أتليتك بلباو يوم الأحد، ثم يواجه مانشستر سيتي بمنافسات ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، يوم الثلاثاء القادم.

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes the Blues should make a move for Harry Kane this summer due to his relationship with new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

What did Cascarino say?

With the Kane transfer saga resuming this summer, the question over where the England captain will be playing next season is no closer to an answer.

New Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou will be hopeful of keeping his talisman at the club, with reports suggesting that Spurs have no plans to sell Kane, but interest from elsewhere means his future remains uncertain.

Strong links with Bayern Munich have surfaced, with rumours suggesting that Kane is eager on a move to the Bundesliga champions, while Manchester United were the supposed front-runners for his signature before the window opened, although a move to Old Trafford now seems unlikely.

However, former Cheslea striker Cascarino believes that his old side should make a move for Kane, in part due to his excellent relationship with Pochettino.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Cascarino said: "Well, managers who have worked with players and they've loved and they have great time for, they love to bring them in. They've worked with them before, they love them as professionals, they love what they can deliver.

"Now, you talked about the bromance, I don't think there's been anyone bigger than Poch and Harry, because Harry's respect for Poch was extraordinary."

He added: "Chelsea could fund it. Would Harry go? Well, we never know because he's never been asked the question, but the Poch lure is a big one. So, you know, it's a weird one because there are Chelsea fans, and likewise Tottenham fans – the great Jimmy Greaves played for both, it ain't that big of a deal."

Cascarino even pondered whether a potential swap deal could be done with Romelu Lukaku heading in the opposite direction, although that seems incredibly unlikely.

Whether or not Chelsea would be interested in a move for Kane remains to be seen, but it would certainly be a very difficult transfer to get done, and may not go down well with fans of either club.

What are Chelsea's transfer plans?

Chelsea have already brought in two attacking players this summer in the form of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, with the latter a more traditional number nine.

Whether either can provide the kind of goal contributions Chelsea require is debatable, but Nkunku did finish as equal top scorer in the Bundesliga last season with 16 goals.

The Blues are still focused on trimming their squad this summer, with 10 more players expected to potentially leave Stamford Bridge on top of those that have already left, meaning that predicting what Chelsea's team will look like next season is impossible.

It appears that Pochettino will focus on bringing in a midfielder next, perhaps feeling he now has enough attacking options at the club. Brighton's Moises Caicedo is the club's priority target as they look to bolster the centre of the park.