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Chelsea are reportedly set to wage a transfer war against their Premier League rivals for the capture of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, who has been subject to interest regarding his future across recent months.

Last month, The Sun reported that the Blues would be rivalled by Newcastle United and Manchester United in the scramble for the 21-year-old’s signature, but attention has fallen into the direction of the Red Devils since the report, with the Old Trafford club in dire need of a midfield addition themselves.

Now, according to reports from Spain, Chelsea boss Graham Potter is set to swoop for the Ecuadorian in the coming weeks, who could be a triumphant replacement for the scintillating, all-encompassing pivot that is N’Golo Kante.

The report adds that Potter is looking to replenish the ranks at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea losing four of their last five matches across all competitions and languishing in eighth place in the Premier League after 14 matches played.

Could be Chelsea’s “crown jewel”

Caicedo could be the man to not only get the west London outfit back on track, but guide them on a new path which leads towards prosperous future fortunes, cementing a place in the Blues’ midfield and allowing the team to soar.

Signing for Brighton for just £4.5m on the 2021 summer transfer deadline day, the Seagulls could be in for a lucrative payday if they decide to part with one of their most coveted assets, with a price tag of £85m (as per The Mirror) illustrating his meteoric rise.

Indeed, that has led Ecuadorian football historian Enrico Castro-Montes to herald the Seagulls star as a “crown jewel” who could become one of the pre-eminent names on the global footballing landscape in the coming years.

Lauded as a “wonderkid” by salient Chelsea fan Frank Khalid, the 21-year-old ranks within the top 16% for tackles and the top 18% for blocks when compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, as per FBref, with his defensive pedigree rising by the year.

Caicedo would indeed alleviate pressure in his position during a time of great need for the Blues, with Kante’s and Jorginho’s contracts both currently set to expire at the end of the campaign, and his former Brighton manager must go all-out to try and lure him from Sussex to west London.

The 28-cap gem would be a fine addition to the Chelsea ranks, a signing of genuine world-class potential to usher in new life at Stamford Bridge and serve as a catalyst for positive change as the Potter era properly starts to take shape.

Wolverhampton Wanderers central midfielder Connor Ronan is attracting increasing interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Matt Jackson, with Wolves’ strategic player marketing manager revealing in a recent interview with Football Scotland that the Premier League side are leaving the 24-year-old’s future down to him, suggesting that the club would be open to the midfielder leaving Molineux on a temporary or permanent basis in the winter market.

Regarding the Republic of Ireland international’s future, Jackson said: “We’re very much leaving it open to Connor and his agent at the moment. We think so highly of him and we feel that’s how it should be.

“At the moment he’s focused on our first team and he’ll be looking to get involved with them in January and beyond. Of course, there’s a lot of interest in him both loan and permanent interest but, again, we want to do what’s best for Connor.

“He has experience on the continent with our connections with Grasshopper and he did very well in Scotland with Jim Goodwin at St. Mirren, so what works for Connor is what we’ll be looking at.”

Huge mistake

While it is true that Ronan has somewhat struggled to break into Wolves’ first team so far this season – playing just 65 minutes of senior football thus far in 2022/23 – considering just how impressive the midfielder was for St. Mirren last time out, letting the 24-year-old to leave the club permanently this winter would very much appear to be a huge mistake.

Indeed, over his 27 Scottish Premiership appearances last term, the £870k-rated talent was in remarkable form going forwards, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

The £3k-per-week academy graduate also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.2 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and winning 2.4 duels per match, as well as playing an average of 3.4 long balls, 2.1 chipped passes and completing 31.6 total passes – at a success rate of 80% – per outing.

These returns saw the 24-year-old average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.95, not only ranking him as St.Mirren’s fifth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football but also seeing the midfielder pick up the club’s Player of the Year award last time out.

Rather unsurprisingly, Ronan’s displays saw him earn a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from St. Mirren manager Stephen Robinson, who told Express Sport of the Irishman back in May:

“Connor is a truly excellent player. He’s a real creative spark and I honestly could have done with about five of him! He’s a very good trainer, he’s a super goalscorer and he’s got fantastic vision as well.

“You could play him as a deeper lying midfielder or a more attacking one, he’s good enough to play all over the midfield. The best compliment I can give him is that he reminds me of Steven Davis, who I played alongside and then coached for Northern Ireland.

“Like Steven, he’s just so intelligent on and off the ball, a manager’s dream really. We’d have loved to have kept him but I know there are a hell of a lot of clubs interested in him, unsurprisingly. I can actually see him playing abroad again and I’m sure wherever he goes he’ll make an impact again.”

As such, considering the fact that Wolves are struggling for goals this season – having scored a league-low of just eight in 2022/23 – it would appear as if the Old Gold are very much in need of a central midfielder with the forward-thinking ability of Ronan in the second half of the campaign – leading us to believe that parting with the 24-year-old would indeed be a huge mistake.

Glasgow Rangers are considering an approach to sign Josh Onomah in January, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

The Fulham midfielder has fallen down the pecking order under Marco Silva having made just two substitute appearances this season, meaning that an exit next year is highly likely.

The Scottish Premiership side are alert to the fact that the 25-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the campaign and Michael Beale appears to be keen on signing him, which wouldn’t be for the first time…

The Latest: Beale personally eyeing Onomah

According to Football Insider, Gers are ‘plotting’ a move to land Onomah in the New Year because the newly-appointed boss is a ‘long-term admirer’ of his target.

Beale ‘considered signing him’ over the summer when he was at QPR and now looks set to take a second bite of the cherry, though the manager will face competition from a ‘number’ of clubs in the Championship.

The Verdict: Potential bargain

Onomah is likely to be available on a cut-price deal in the winter given his contract and playing situation, so the Light Blues should capitalise by fending off any competitors to secure this potential bargain.

The former England U21s international has made 13 goal contributions since arriving at Craven Cottage and helped his side achieve automatic promotion to the top-flight last season.

Mauricio Pochettino has previously described Onomah as a ‘powerful’ player, and with Beale’s interest so strong, this could be one to look out for in January.

Sheffield Wednesday have been handed an injury boost after Darren Moore confirmed that Reece James will be available for the FA Cup clash against Morecambe on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Spell on the sidelines

The Owls earned an emphatic 4-2 victory over Burton Albion in League One last weekend, so they should be heading into this fixture at Hillsborough full of confidence.

The left-back sustained an injury on the receiving end of a heavy challenge at Plymouth Argyle a month ago and has been out of action ever since, although his return now appears to be on the horizon.

The Latest: James fitness update

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Moore revealed that James has resumed full training and is in contention to start against Derek Adams’ side, whilst also providing an update on Akin Famewo.

Quoted by Examiner Live, the Wednesday manager said: “Reece has been back training with the group and is up for selection tomorrow.

“Akin is still finishing his final bits and pieces with the sports science. It won’t be too long before he’s back with the group.”

The Verdict: Boost for Moore

Having James available again will come as a massive boost to Moore, who will know how integral a figure the defender has been since coming to Wednesday in the summer.

The ‘class’ 28-year-old, as dubbed by the manager himself, was averaging two tackles and 1.5 clearances per game prior to his injury, alongside having an assist to his name (WhoScored). That tackling average puts him second among Moore’s squad.

The Owls’ cup tie will present a good opportunity for returning players to get minutes into their legs, while some younger starlets may also get a chance, with a place in the second round up for grabs if Wednesday can see off the League One strugglers.

Leeds United brought an end to their eight-game winless streak in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, with Jesse Marsch’s side running out 2-1 winners over Liverpool under the Anfield lights.

In a performance which was reminiscent of the Whites’ 3-0 victory over Chelsea in August, Leeds got off to a spectacular start, with Rodrigo bagging one of the easiest goals he will likely ever score after Joe Gomez’s backpass caught out an onrushing Alisson Becker before the Spaniard tapped home into an empty net.

After Mohamed Salah drew the home side level just 10 minutes later, the Reds began to assert their dominance, with Salah, Darwin Núñez, Roberto Firmino, Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson all forcing a spectacular Illan Meslier into a monumental nine saves over the course of the 90 minutes.

This is not to say that the Whites didn’t have their own chances to regain the lead, with Brenden Aaronson crashing an effort against the Liverpool crossbar, while Patrick Bamford also squandered an opportunity to pull the trigger when one-on-one with Alisson after a poor first touch which took him away from goal.

However, with the game still finely poised heading towards the 90-minute mark, a Crysencio Summerville moment of magic would prove decisive, with the 21-year-old picking the ball up in the Liverpool penalty area, dancing his way between Gomez and Virgil van Dijk and firing past Alisson to seal a last-gasp win for Leeds.

While it is undeniable that the flying Dutchman will steal this morning’s headlines, it was arguably the performance of second-half substitute and first-team debutant Wilfried Gnonto which was the real game-changer for Marsch on Saturday night.

Indeed, after being brought on with just 18 minutes of normal time left to play, the £5m summer signing changed the course of the game for the Whites. Despite enjoying just 12 touches of the ball and completing three passes, the 18-year-old caused Liverpool’s defenders no end of problems with his constant movement and electric pace.

Most notably, the £9m-rated talent was the man to provide Bamford with his gilt-edged chance to reinstate Leeds’ advantage – only for the 29-year-old’s aforementioned poor touch to let him down – while it was also Gnonto’s impressive work on the left flank which resulted in the Whites’ dramatic winner.

Taking an exceptional headed first touch to bypass Robertson, the Italy international was then crowded out by three Liverpool players, yet he somehow still managed to fizz a cross into Bamford, whose subsequent flick then set up Summerville.

As such, it is not difficult to see why a number of journalists heaped praise on the “wonderkid” after the final whistle, with Nico Cantor claiming it was Gnonto’s “spark” which saw Leeds take all three points, Thomas Hammond stating his belief that the teenager looks “really special” and Josh Bunting suggesting that the Whites’ winner was “all about” Gnonto”.

Furthermore, The Athletic’s James Horncastle gave a particularly glowing summary of the youngster’s display on Twitter, stating: “Gnonto makes things happen. Did so on his debut for Italy. Does so again tonight with ball in for Bamford and Cry. Bit baffled it’s taken this long to use him.”

While Summerville should rightly be lauded for his ice-cold composure in the closing stages of the match, the efforts of Gnonto cannot be overlooked in Leeds’ famous victory, as the Italian sensation was well and truly Marsch’s game-changer at Anfield.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently preparing for a crucial Champions League group stage showdown with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, with the Old Firm outfit’s hopes of progression currently hanging by a thread ahead of Tuesday’s meeting at Parkhead.

A key talking point heading into that potentially vital encounter is the form of goalkeeper Joe Hart, with the former England number one having faced scrutiny for his role in the defeat to the German giants a week ago.

The 35-year-old made an uncharacteristic mistake to gift Marco Rose’s side a second goal on the night, with the Hoops having only just gotten themselves level moments earlier through Portuguese gem, Jota.

The Shrewsbury-born stopper had produced an errant pass straight to the feet of Dominik Szoboszlai, with the Hungary international duly teeing up teammate Andre Silva to fire the home side back in front.

Following that blunder, the veteran ace had admitted his “mistake” that was ultimately “punished” by such clincial opposition, with that error having come just days after the former Manchester City man was involved in a mix-up with defender Josip Juranovic during the narrow victory over Motherwell.

A poor week in relation to the lofty standards that the £23.5k-per-week man has set during his time in Glasgow over the past year or so, although calls for the 75-cap gem’s head do appear rather premature, particularly following his impressive form up to now.

Pundit Frank McAvennie was notably critical of the goalkeeper’s performance last week, stating that it was an “embarrassing” error by such an experienced figure, while also teasing a possible starting berth for summer signing Benjamin Siegrist by suggesting that the Bhoys have a “damn good keeper in the wings.”

To drop the £1.53m-rated man – who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur last summer – would seemingly be particularly harsh such has been his crucial role in recent times, with Hart having kept an impressive haul of 31 clean sheets in just 66 games in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership side.

That tally includes five clean sheets from just nine top-flight games so far this term, with the evergreen talent showcasing his resilience to produce a fine stop to deny Stevie May in the recent, dramatic victory over St Johnstone.

On a day in which the 6 foot 5 titan had little to do in Perth – having made just two saves against Callum Davidson’s side – that rare intervention showcased his ability to stay focused when it is his side largely in control, with Postecoglou no doubt in need of such an experienced head to be relied upon in the sticks.

The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland has been left buzzing over some early Everton Team News that has now emerged involving Jordan Pickford.

The Lowdown: Back fit

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match away at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, Frank Lampard has confirmed that Pickford is back fit after picking up a thigh injury in their 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park earlier this month.

Lampard initially thought that the goalkeeper may have to wait until their game against Manchester United next week to return to the pitch, but now he looks set to take his place back in between the sticks at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The Latest: Boyland buzzing

Taking to Twitter, Boyland was left buzzing after hearing the news of Pickford’s return, claiming that it is a ‘massive boost’ for the Toffees:

“Jordan Pickford fit for Everton this weekend. Massive boost.”

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The Verdict: Huge

Having Pickford back in between the posts is huge for Lampard and his team.

The England international has been nothing short of excellent so far this season, receiving a lot of praise for some of his performances, as he has conceded just six goals in his opening six games in the top flight, and kept a vital clean sheet in the club’s first win in the division with a 1-0 win at home to West Ham United last time out (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Blues will need their goalkeeper to be at their best if they are to grab their first away win of the Premier League campaign, as they face the Saints over the weekend.

West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has expressed his surprise after Craig Dawson’s proposed exit was blocked. 

The lowdown

Dharmesh Sheth of Sky Sports reported earlier on Deadline Day that Wolves were in advanced talks with the Hammers over a deal for the 32-year-old.

However, it seems that the transfer may have been contingent on the Irons’ concurrent move for Southampton’s Jan Bednarek.

Indeed, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook says that David Moyes’ side have now ‘pulled the plug’ on Dawson’s mooted departure after they failed to land the Poland international from St Mary’s.

The latest

Ex corroborated the report that Dawson’s move is off and says that it’s only the latest shocking development in a ‘crazy’ end to the transfer window for West Ham.

Responding to the twist in the 32-year-old defender’s future, the Irons insider wrote on Twitter: “Wow this deadline day has been crazy! And to think people don’t realise still how quickly things can change.”

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The verdict

Jason Burt of The Telegraph reported earlier in the day that Dawson was hoping to be ‘granted his wish to leave West Ham’. The player himself may duly be disappointed with this development, but you can certainly understand the Hammers’ decision.

With the hours winding down in the transfer window and a move for Bednarek off the table, they’ll be justifiably concerned that they wouldn’t be able to land a replacement in time.

Dawson hasn’t featured for West Ham so far this season, but opportunities should open up for players who are currently a bit down the pecking order at the London Stadium.

That’s because they’re due to compete in the Europa Conference League, which will likely necessitate plenty of squad rotation.

One of Nottingham Forest’s transfer targets is now in talks with another club, according to Fabrizio Romano…

What’s the word?

The Italian noted on Twitter that Ruslan Malinovskyi had entered into discussions with Marseille over a potential move to the Ligue 1 club.

He tweeted: “Excl: Olympique Marseille are in talks to sign Ruslan Malinovskyi. Ukrainian midfielder wants a new challenge, as OM are negotiating with Atalanta and player side.”

Romano had detailed earlier this month that the Premier League club were interested in the wantaway midfielder, but the 29-year-old now seems poised to move elsewhere.

It’s a huge blow for Cooper

After recently securing the signing of Remo Freuler, Steve Cooper will be disappointed to see the Switzerland international’s Atalanta midfield partner heading elsewhere.

The 30-year-old and Malinovskyi have been regulars for the Nerazzurri in recent years and were mainstays in the side which finished third in the 2020/21 Serie A season. That campaign actually saw the latter rank as “Serie A’s best playmaker” when accounting for assists, big chances created and key passes.

He also impressed last season with his offensive output for his team and even ranked as one of the outstanding attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

He ranked in the top 3% for shots total and top 7% for shot-creating actions, instantly marking him out as a constant threat to the opposition’s goal. He can create and score, as outlined with six goals and five assists in the league last season. Adding these qualities to a Forest team who scored 73 times in the Championship last season could have been devastating.

His progressive passes were also exceptional, with an average of 5.79 per game ranking him in the top 5% across Europe. Jesse Lingard would have thrived off his service, as Malinovskyi would have the vision and ability to find the Englishman in dangerous pockets of space on the half-turn.

Similarly, the likes of Taiwo Awoniyi would have feasted on his deliveries. With an xG assisted of 0.32 per game, again ranking him in the top 6%, his creativity would likely be rewarded more often with a fine finisher up front like the Nigerian, who netted 17 Bundesliga league goals last term.

Malinovskyi’s figures mark him out as one of Europe’s most creative attacking midfielders, and the links to Forest would have been flattering for both player and club.

It represents a big blow for Cooper that, for all their signings made over the summer, this is the one they seem set to miss out upon. The Forest manager will surely be left scratching his head after this one, especially given the possible pull of ex-Atalanta team-mate Freuler.

Leeds United director of football Victor Orta is no longer under consideration for Chelsea’s sporting director role.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sports journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite the Spaniard reported to be one of the names on new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s shortlist of candidates for the vacant position at Stamford Bridge, the 43-year-old is no longer an active target for the American.

In his tweet, Jacobs said: “Lots of candidates spoken to with various options explored. There may even be a ‘group’ recruitment head as/when Chelsea add other clubs to their portfolio allowing for a longer-term senior appointment. Luis Campos and Victor Orta are not under active consideration.”

Fantastic news for Leeds

Considering just how impressive a job Orta has done over his five-and-a-half-year tenure as Leeds’ director of football, Jacobs’ claim that the Spaniard is no longer being considered by Chelsea is undoubtedly great news for everyone involved with the club.

With the 43-year-old making the move to Elland Road some 13 years since the Whites had last been playing Premier League football, Orta took just three years to right that wrong through his managerial appointments and transfer business.

Indeed, the Spaniard’s first season at the club saw the arrivals of players such as Adam Forshaw, Pontus Jansson, Gjanni Alioski and Mateusz Klich – all of whom helped to elevate the quality of football played in LS11 almost immediately.

However, it was undoubtedly the director of football’s appointment of Marcelo Biela in the summer of 2018 that proved the catalyst for dragging Leeds out of the second tier, with the Argentine coach being key to the club’s 2020 promotion.

Indeed, following the further additions of players such as Patrick Bamford, Helder Costa and Illan Meslier, as well as Jack Harrison and Ben White on loan deals, the Whites would romp to the Championship title in 2019/20 – ending 16 years of hurt.

Since their promotion, Orta has continued to work hard in the transfer market to ensure that Leeds retain their top-flight status, with international players such as Raphinha, Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams and Rasmus Kristensen all making the move to Elland Road over the past two years.

However, it has not only been the senior side that Orta has strengthened, as the 43-year-old has also brought some incredibly exciting young talent to Thorp Arch in recent seasons, with the likes of Joe Gelhadrt, Sonny Perkins, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Lewis Bate, Darko Gyabi and Mateo Joseph all linking up in the Whites academy setup.

As such, with Orta very much having been the man to have taken Leeds back to where they belong, ensuring the club remained a top-flight team and having meticulously planned for the Whites’ future, the news that the architect of Leeds’ recent success will be remaining at the club for the foreseeable is most certainly fantastic news for all involved with the Whites.