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Manchester United appear to hold an advantage in their pursuit of Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana as Erik ten Hag eyes his first summer signing.

What’s the latest on Andre Onana to Manchester United?

According to The Guardian, Onana would favour a move to United this summer over joining Chelsea, who are also keen on the Cameroonian.

Inter are demanding a fee in the region of £50m, and with the added benefit of playing in the Champions League group stages next term, it’s no wonder that the Old Trafford side appear to be his preferred choice.

Could Manchester United sign Andre Onana?

Signing a new ‘keeper is certainly at the forefront of Ten Hag’s mind, especially with the uncertainty surrounding David De Gea and his future.

The Spaniard may find himself on the bench more often next season as Ten Hag appears to be searching for a new No 1, and if he does sign an extended contract, the 32-year-old may have to reduce his staggering £375k-per-week salary that he currently earns.

Onana enjoyed an excellent season for the Serie A side, helping them reach a first Champions League final since 2010 while claiming the Coppa Italia for a second year in succession.

During the stunning run to the final of Europe’s premier club competition, the 27-year-old conceded only 0.8 goals per game, keeping eight clean sheets from 13 matches and making 3.6 saves per game – a success rate of 81%.

These performances meant he ranked first out of the Inter squad in terms of overall rating (7.41/10) via Sofascore, and although his side were defeated in the final by Manchester City, it took a solitary Rodri goal to settle the tie.

Pep Guardiola even lavished praise upon the former Ajax star before the game, describing the player as “exceptional with his feet” – and his distribution abilities could make him fit into Ten Hag’s side with ease.

Indeed, over the past year, Onana ranks in the top 11% across Europe’s big five leagues for touches per 90 (43.81) while also ranking in the top 10% for passes attempted per 90 (35.46), suggesting that not only is he comfortable in possession of the ball, he can also pass out often from the back to generate attacks.

He may cost around £50m, but Ten Hag must make his move for the shot-stopper as soon as possible. With the Red Devils facing stiffer competition next term due to the Champions League gracing the Old Trafford pitch once more, it’s evident that improving their goalkeeping options could be vital, and Onana could be a wonderful acquisition.

Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min absolutely cannot wait for a "raw talent" at Spurs to make his debut, with the South Korea star heaping praise on Brennan Johnson.

Who did Spurs sign this summer?

Lilywhites boss Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy brought in a host of new signings over the summer transfer window.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and Johnson all put pen to paper on moves to N17 before September 1.

Seven new additions in total now arrive to bolster Postecoglou's options ahead of a long and challenging 2023/2024 season at Spurs.

The north Londoners have taken to the new Premier League campaign with real gusto so far; showcasing their new brand of attacking, all-out football under Postecoglou.

Spurs sealed impressive wins against Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley just prior to the international break; scoring nine goals in just three matches.

Tottenham's new manager has been lavished with praise since, and things may only get better as summer signing Johnson is still yet to make his debut in the forward areas.

Son, speaking in a recent press conference on international duty with South Korea, heralded the 22-year-old and explained exactly why he is buzzing to play alongside him.

The winger said that with Johnson's arrival, they will play "even better" football.

"I think that by coming to Spurs (Johnson) wants to improve and go to the next step," said the South Korea captain (via BBC).

"He will feel the pressure as well but I can't wait to have him in our team, playing even better football, better attacking, better fast football, but I think everyone has to take that responsibility.

"You don't want to let Harry go because he's one of best players in world. When you have Harry Kane on your team you have 20-30 goals in your pocket. You have these goals guaranteed, but I think the players have said 'Okay, everyone has to take a big step forward to move this club forward'.

"Everyone has to take a big responsibility because certainly we've lost 30 goals. Now everybody has to step up to make those 30 goals together which is very important."

How good is Brennan Johnson?

The Wales forward stood out among Forest's best players during their successful fight against relegation last term; scoring eight goals and assisting three others in 38 top flight matches (WhoScored).

International boss Rob Page, speaking to the media last summer, also claimed the sky is the limit for Johnson, whilst journalist Mitch Fretton has called him a "raw talent".

“Brennan could potentially have had a move in January,” Page said in 2022.

“But he decided to stay because he’s at a club where he was going to play and enjoy his football. That speaks volumes about him. He didn’t go chasing the money.

“He’s almost the finished article now and Forest have got a wonderful player on their hands. I’ve been to watch him a few times and he’s playing with freedom. He’s really enjoying his football.”

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday evening in a potentially season-defining title clash, with Mikel Arteta no doubt desperately searching for ways to stop the prolific Erling Haaland.

Does Arteta need to make defensive changes at Arsenal?

The Gunners have struggled immensely from a defensive perspective following the injury to William Saliba, with Rob Holding so far proving an inadequate replacement for the Frenchman alongside Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal's defence.

It is often said that attack wins you games and defence wins you titles and right now Arsenal's defence is far from good enough, with no clean sheets in their last five Premier League games, which has included damaging draws against Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton.

Holding has been a big reason behind those defensive difficulties, as his woeful average rating of 6.26 from WhoScored is a stark contrast to Saliba's strong 6.77 rating this term.

Unfortunately, the French youngster won't be fit for the trip to the Etihad and with the title potentially on the line, Arteta must make changes to his backline if he wants to stop City and the dangerous Haaland.

Should Tierney start against Manchester City?

One potential change could see the Gunners revert to a three-at-the-back formation, with Gabriel and Ben White starting alongside Kieran Tierney at centre-back, with the former Celtic man adopting the role he undertakes on international duty with Scotland.

Steve Clarke was left with a difficult decision when selecting Tierney or Andrew Robertson at left-back for Scotland and now describes the Arsenal man as "the best overlapping centre-back in world football," so it is certainly a role he could perform for the Gunners at the Etihad tonight.

This would free up Oleksandr Zinchenko to play in an inverted wing-back role which could give him more time and space in the midfield, while also ensuring that he isn't left so exposed defensively after struggling in recent weeks, with Bukayo Saka more than capable of playing in a wing-back role on the right.

Tierney's pace could also be crucial on the cover against the explosive Haaland, as Arsenal could find themselves completely overwhelmed if Holding and Gabriel are asked to deal with him, given the former's lack of speed, in particular.

The 25-year-old may have struggled with injuries and consistent form since joining the Gunners but there is no doubting his "warrior" attitude – as per Ashley Cole – which could prove vital in what will be the biggest test of Arsenal's title credentials at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola's side head into the game as favourites but if Arteta opts to surprise his former mentor by unleashing the "unbelievable" Tierney – as dubbed by Kris Boyd – in a centre-back role, it could just see the Gunners get their title bid back on track with a huge win.

Chelsea could potentially make a move for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez in June, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Martinez enjoying a good season?

The Argentine has enjoyed as 2022/23 season to treasure to date, enjoying plenty of memorable moments for both club and country. Firstly, he has helped Inter reach the Champions League final against Manchester City next month, scoring in last week's semi-final second leg triumph over rivals AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Martinez also became a World Cup winner with Argentine back in December, in what was surely the crowning moment of his career to date. The £184,000-a-week attacker's future is up in the air, however, and Chelsea have been linked with a move for him in the recent past.

The Blues are badly in need of signing an elite striker once the summer transfer window arrives and it looks as though he could be a leading candidate to come in. His current deal expires in the summer of 2026, though, so it could take a huge bid to be able to sign him.

Is Martinez off to Chelsea this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano admitted that there are no strong links between Chelsea and Martinez yet, but that a move is still far from out of the question:

"At the moment, with Martinez, it is not concrete because we know Inter are busy with the Champions League. At the moment, they have no intention of negotiating for any player. This will be something for June.

"Honestly, at the moment, I'm not aware of any concrete discussion between Martinez’s camp and Chelsea. So, we have to wait and see on that one. I think this is a very normal link because he’s Argentinian. But it's not something concrete at this stage."

Martinez could be exactly what Chelsea are after this season, having been hailed as "spectacular" by compatriot Lionel Messi in the past. At 25, he is at a brilliant age to come in and be a key figure for five or six years at least, leading the line and adding more of a goal threat in that position than someone like Kai Havertz.

His tally of 99 strikes in 223 appearances for Inter highlights his attacking prowess, while a total of 34 assists also shows that he can create for teammates. Whether he opts to join the Blues remains to be seen – a lack of Champions League football could be a drawback – but he ticks all the boxes when it comes to summer additions.

Despite prior reports that new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou was looking to move on a host of first-team assets following his appointment at N17, the window came and went with a number of the 'deadwood' having remained on the books.

The likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg both stayed put despite claims that the north Londoners were open to offers for the experienced pair, while long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is also yet to find a new home, after previously stating his desire to move elsewhere.

There may well be a sense of frustration that those departures did not occur, although the Lilywhites have at least since been able to shift two more figures who appeared to be surplus to requirements, with Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele – both of whom were signed during Mauricio Pochettino's time in charge – having joined Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Those long-awaited exits have brought to an end a tumultuous spell in the capital for the pair, with Spurs likely ruing the hefty investment that they made in the duo – with regard to both transfer fees and wages – over recent years.

How much did Sanchez cost Spurs?

In the case of Sanchez, the Colombian international was snapped up by Pochettino and co back in the summer of 2017, having caught the eye after playing his part in Ajax's run to the Europa League final during the previous season.

The promising talent had been acquired for what was a then club-record fee of around £42m, with the Lilywhites having been keen to provide greater depth in the centre-back ranks, behind the first-choice pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

Six years on from that high-profile switch to England, the 54-cap dud has since moved on to Istanbul for a reported fee of just £12.8m, with that representing a stark decline for a player who has been branded "one of the worst players" to have ever played for the club, according to talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara.

What did Sanchez earn at Spurs?

Having "had question marks hanging over him ever since he came in", according to pundit Noel Whelan, the 2022/23 campaign proved to be a particular low point for the centre-back as he was restricted to just eight Premier League starts in total.

The 6 foot 2 enigma's time at the club also reached its undoubted nadir during the 3-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth earlier this year, as he was brutally withdrawn by interim boss Cristian Stellini early in the second half, despite having only entered the fray midway through the opening period.

That error-strewn outing ultimately led to Sanchez being booed by his own support on the day, with there seemingly having been no turning back from such a disastrous day, hence the player's departure earlier this week.

In truth, it is fair to say that the one-time Atletico Nacional man – who made 207 appearances in total – did not warrant the £65k-per-week salary that he raked in after signing back in 2017, with that totalling up to roughly £20m in wages.

Such a sizeable outlay will no doubt sting for chairman Daniel Levy considering the defender's woes, with Whelan having perhaps best summarised just what a dismal signing Sanchez proved to be for the club:

"He’s been inconsistent, there are mistakes in him – very crucial mistakes which dictate the outcome of games."

It could be argued, however, that the addition of Ndombele proved to be even more of a transfer howler for both Pochettino and Levy, with the Frenchman having been a particularly costly mistake on reflection.

How much did Tottenham pay for Ndombele?

Despite having splashed out £60m on Richarlison last summer in order to prise the Brazilian from Everton, incredibly it is Ndombele who remains the club's record capture, having joined from Lyon on a £63m deal back in 2019.

As his recent loan switch to the Super Lig has indicated – a deal that includes an option to buy for the Istanbul outfit – the 26-year-old is no longer deemed a worthy squad asset for those at N17, having regularly flattered to deceive over the last four years or so.

While perhaps a victim of the sacking of Pochettino just a few months into his time in England, Ndombele didn't exactly do his best to try and win over the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, notably being called a "disgrace" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher back in 2020 for his apparent lack of work ethic.

Although there had been whispers that Postecoglou was willing to give the player a fresh start during pre-season, the news of a temporary departure will not have come as a shock to most, with the midfield maestro having spent the past 18 months at both Lyon and Napoli after falling out of favour at his parent club.

While those recent exits have helped to cover the cost of the maverick's hefty wages, like Sanchez the Frenchman has also rather bled Tottenham dry after being unable to warrant the faith in his talent.

What does Ndombele earn at Tottenham?

After spending four years on the books at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 5 foot 11 dud has thus far scored just ten goals and provided only nine assists in 91 games in all competitions, hardly proving worthy of his reported £200k-per-week wages.

Excluding the time he has since spent out on loan, Ndombele's first two-and-a-half seasons in north London reportedly costly Levy and co around £25m – as per FBref – with his total cost coming in at around £88m, when factoring in his transfer fee.

Add to that the £42m fee that was spent on Sanchez – as well as the centre-back's £20m in wages – and, as journalist Paul O'Keefe alluded to, the club have forked out in the region of £150m on the pair in total.

That is a truly mammoth, eye-watering figure, particularly for two men who have distinctly underwhelmed during their times at N17, with the hope being that it won't be too long before Ndombele joins Sanchez in making a permanent exit from the club.

For many of a Tottenham persuasion, it will likely be a case of good riddance to the pair of them.

Leeds United striker Rodrigo's agent is scheduled to hold a meeting regarding his client's imminent exit from Elland Road, according to journalist Beren Cross.

When did Rodrigo join Leeds?

Rodrigo first arrived in Yorkshire back in 2020 from Valencia and he’s since gone on to make 97 senior appearances after becoming a regular feature of the first-team, but there’s a strong chance that he could be set to depart during the ongoing window.

The Spain international will be out of contract next summer meaning that now will be the final big opportunity that the hierarchy have to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and having established himself as their top-performing offensive player last season, he won’t be short of potential suitors.

The Whites will know that they are resigned to losing several of their big names in the coming weeks with stars like Jack Harrison, Tyler Adams and Robin Koch having already been linked with an exit, and if the following update is to be believed, the 32-year-old could be another to follow in their footsteps and seal a move away from the Championship.

Is Rodrigo leaving Leeds?

Taking to Twitter, Cross revealed that Leeds will meet with Rodrigo's representative possibly in the coming days to discuss his departure from LS11 after three years of service. He wrote:

"Rodrigo's agent, his father, set to meet Leeds top brass imminently to get the wheels moving on his exit. United not expected to make it difficult for him to move and get those wages off the books."

Should the 49ers keep or sell Rodrigo?

Leeds obviously won’t want to lose Rodrigo for nothing and the fee that they could potentially bring in for him will be appealing, but the centre-forward is such a standout player at the club so the 49ers should see if he could be tempted to stay by offering him a new contract.

The Nike-sponsored ace, who pockets £100k-per-week, racked up 14 goal contributions (13 goals and one assist) in 31 Premier League outings last season and recorded 66 shots over the course of the campaign, which was higher than any other of his teammates, as per FBRef.

Rodrigo, who has been lauded a “top talent” by CEO Angus Kinnear, also adds wonderful versatility to the squad with his ability to be deployed in seven different positions over the pitch, including all across the frontline and even in the midfield, so retaining his services is something that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about if possible.

Manchester City have shown "interest" in signing Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, who could now be available for less than his €40m (£34m) release clause, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Are Man City signing a midfielder?

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Man City are weighing up another move for a midfielder, having already agreed a deal to sign Mateo Kovacic for an initial £25m, however, he does not believe it is a priority position for Pep Guardiola, saying:

"They obviously looked at Jude Bellingham and then pulled away from that. Looked at Declan Rice, pulled away from that. So we know there's a temptation there to go for another type of midfielder and an extra body in there.

"At the moment, I'm told it's not a priority. Yes, they've dipped their toes in the water on both of those, thought about going for it, and then not done it.

"But, it's still considered that an extra midfielder for this summer would be a luxury."

However, the Sky Blues are still regularly being linked with a number of potential targets, including Atlanta United attacking midfielder Thiago Almada, and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, although a move for the latter player is currently deemed unlikely.

In the same report, Jones details that Veiga is probably more of a likely acquisition for the Citizens, and Romano has now claimed he could be available for less than initially expected, saying City have shown an interest in the player alongside their attempts to sign RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol, with those at the Etihad set to hold fresh talks over a move for the defender.

“I’m told clubs feel they can make a deal work with bids below the player’s €40m release clause now. For now there doesn’t appear to be a clear preference from the player but really many clubs have looked into it including big names in the Premier League.

“Chelsea are one of them, and there’s also been interest from Man City (who are now focused on Josko Gvardiol), and also Liverpool showed an interest a few weeks ago but are now focused on different players.”

Who is Gabri Veiga?

Former Celta Vigo boss Carlos Carvalhal is responsible for turning the 21-year-old into a deep-lying midfielder, having previously played at number 10, and the Portuguese coach has lauded the way he has adapted to the role, telling Sky Sports: "He accepted that challenge very well. He was absolutely amazing."

The Spaniard scored 11 goals for Celta Vigo last season, the second-highest amount of any player, with Carvalhal praising his clinical nature, saying: "He finishes goals very easily because he was a striker."

Man City were unable to keep hold of Ilkay Gundogan this summer, despite submitting a proposal to keep the German, who scored 11 goals for Guardiola's side last season, playing a vital role en-route to a famous treble.

While Guardiola has since bolstered his midfield options by signing Kovacic from Chelsea, the manager could do with bringing in a goal-scoring midfielder, and Veiga has proven that he would be capable of taking on that responsibility.

As such, it would not be a surprise if City make a move for the Celta Vigo star at some point this summer, and it is good news that he could be available for less than his release clause.

It has been a difficult couple of years for Everton fans, as they’ve seen their side reach the top of the league in 2020 with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, to now battling to avoid relegation year after year.

The Toffees haven’t finished in the top half of the Premier League since the 2018/19 season under Marco Silva, and in the last three years, they’ve finished 16th, 17th and 18th.

Last season Everton came their closest to relegation as they only secured their survival on the last day, following a massive 1-0 over Bournemouth.

One of the reasons for Everton’s fall from grace is their poor recruitment under owner Farhad Moshiri – luckily, though, it appears there's a new era on the horizon with 777 Partners signing an agreement to buy the British-Iranian's full 94.1% stake in the Toffees.

Since becoming an initial 49.9% shareholder in 2016, Moshiri has spent £530m on 31 players and by 2022, £130m worth of players have been sold for free.

One of these huge flops was Oumar Niasse, who left Everton for free in July 2020 after signing in 2016.

How much did Everton pay for Oumar Niasse?

Prior to the striker's arrival in January 2016, Everton and manager Roberto Martínez had endured a difficult start to the Premier League season, only winning six games out of 23.

Following the poor opening games Everton spent £19m in the January transfer window, with £13.5m being used on the Senegalese forward, making him Everton’s third-most expensive signing at the time, behind Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini.

After moving to the Merseyside outfit, the 33-year-old was ecstatic to sign for the Toffees.

He said:

"It's a great day for me, a big dream to play in the Premier League and a big dream to play for Everton.

"Everton is one of the best teams in the Premier League and the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.

"I know Everton is one of the big clubs here in England with history, the fans and the great players, so I'm very excited and happy to be here.

"I started to watch Everton more since the beginning of October because I had heard about their interest. I was interested to see how they play and how they have good young players.

Why did Everton buy Oumar Niasse?

Before signing for Everton, Niasse enjoyed an impressive spell playing for Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia, where he made 40 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 14 assists, meaning he averaged a goal contribution every 0.82 games.

The Senegal international also proved himself in the Europa League by scoring four goals and registering three assists in only six games, this earned him an average rating on Sofascore of 7.22, the highest in the squad.

His attacking prowess was also backed up by his stats as in Europe for the Russian side, per game he had the most shots (3.5), the most successful dribbles (1.5), the second most key passes (1.3) and the second most shots on target (1.3).

What happened to Oumar Niasse after joining Everton?

Niasse suffered a pretty torrid time throughout his four years with Everton as his most successful games in the famous blue shirt came when he played for the U23s, as during his time with them, he played 10 games and scored 12 goals.

However, while playing for the first team he was incredibly disappointing, in his 42 appearances he only managed nine goals and four assists in all competitions, meaning he scored more for the youth teams.

Furthermore, during his first season at Everton Niasse had the 26th-worst Sofascore rating in the Everton squad with 6.54.

While playing under Dutch manager Ronald Koeman, after Martinez's sacking, the striker revealed that he was exiled from the squad and his locker was removed.

While speaking to the Guardian he said:

“It’s sad, it’s really sad.

“And, to be honest, I think I don’t deserve this but what I can do is just keep my head and fight to change things. I’m not going to make a drama over this. I just deal with it.

“I know it’s just one period.

“Koeman said: ‘You have to leave.’

“I couldn’t understand how that decision could have been made after 45 minutes but I just said: ‘OK.’

“I’m in the dressing room with the under-23s but I don’t have a locker.

“The other players have where they put their stuff but I don’t.

“I come with my bag and I just have a place I know. I put my bag down, I train and after, I put everything in my car and go home.

“He took my shirt number, and he told me I wasn’t allowed to be in the dressing room for the first team; that I wasn’t going to train with them. I had to go with the second team.”

Although his career in England did get a little better during the 2017/18 season after Koeman’s exit, as under new manager Sam Allardyce the striker’s Sofascore rating improved to 6.85, the 12th-best in the squad.

This prompted the English manager to confirm in 2018 that Niasse's position had never been stronger.

He said:

“I think Oumar’s position at Everton has never really been as good as it is at the moment.

“He’s put himself in a position to shine and score goals. He’s got goals and assists to his name and he’s starting games on a regular basis.

“Oumar’s grasped that position at the moment, making assists, scoring goals, holding it up well, so it’s made it difficult for me to replace him.”

However, the eight goals he would score for Allardyce that season would be his last for the club as at the end of the 2019/20 season he would be released and since then his career has gone even further downhill.

In February 2022, after a disappointing move to Huddersfield where he didn't play, Niasse joined League One side Burton Albion where he would make just 12 appearances and score three goals before being released just five months later.

It would take the nine-cap international eight months before he found a new club, this time he would join fellow League One side Morecambe for another disappointing spell, where he made just 10 appearances and scored one goal before being released in July this year.

Oumar Niasse's career, via Transfermarkt

Club

Appearances

Goals

SK Brann

4

0

Akhisarspor

40

15

Lokomotiv Moscow

40

19

Everton

42

9

Hull

19

5

Cardiff

13

0

Huddersfield

0

0

Burton Albion

12

3

Morecambe

10

1

Since leaving the English third division side the centre forward is still yet to find a new club, proving what a waste of money he was for Everton.

Mauricio Pochettino is now seemingly the favourite to take over as Chelsea's new manager after both Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann were ruled out of a move to Stamford Bridge recently.

What's the latest on Chelsea's manager search?

According to The Guardian, the former PSG boss is now the front-runner to take over in west London after holding positive talks with the club in recent weeks.

Competitors Nagelsmann and Enrique are both said to be out of the running, although no official approach has been made for the 51-year-old, with Chelsea seemingly happy to take their time as Frank Lampard continues as interim manager.

Chelsea may face competition from Pochettino's former club, Tottenham Hotspur, who are also on the lookout for a new boss after sacking Antonio Conte, but it seems as if the Argentine has been on Todd Boehly's radar for some time, as he was considered as the replacement for Thomas Tuchel before Graham Potter took over.

It would not be a surprise if the former Southampton boss is the man in the dugout for Chelsea next term, and he could be the man to finally get the best out of £88.5m signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who has struggled immensely since his January switch from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Could Pochettino unleash Mudryk?

While some Chelsea fans may have already written off Mudryk after a disappointing start to life in England, he is still only 22 and had fewer than 100 senior appearances to his name in Ukraine before moving to Stamford Bridge.

There is clearly a talented player there, as he had contributed an incredible ten goals and eight assists in just 18 appearances in the first half of the season for Shakhtar, including three goals and two assists in six Champions League outings, which saw him labelled as "frightening" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Nearly every player at Chelsea has been guilty of underperforming this season, with Lampard clearly also unable to get the best out of his squad, and under Pochettino next season, every player would surely be afforded a fresh chance to prove themselves.

The Argentinian manager certainly has history with some of the top wingers in Europe, having worked with Heung-min Son at Spurs and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, with those two players trailing only Harry Kane in terms of goals scored under Pochettino.

Son would join Spurs in the summer of 2015 under the Argentine but, like Mudryk, struggled immensely in his first season at the club, managing just four goals and one assist in 28 Premier League appearances. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best in the league over the past seven years.

Mudryk is at Chelsea for the long term, having signed a contract until 2031, and if he is given regular game time under a world-class coach, then perhaps he could go on to become one of the best in the league, as we saw from Son in his time working with Pochettino at Spurs.

Steven Gerrard could prove to be an unpopular choice as Leeds United's new manager among supporters, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Gerrard a front-runner for Leeds job?

The 43-year-old had an unsuccessful spell at Aston Villa earlier in the season, eventually being replaced by Unai Emery, who has ultimately showed him up with a much improved run of results.

Since then, Gerrard has been out of management, instead doing some punditry, but he has emerged as one of the favourites to become Leeds' next boss.

The Whites continue to look for the perfect man to come in and turn their fortunes around, with Championship football coming their way in 2023/24, following a bitterly disappointing Premier League campaign that culminated in relegation.

Gerrard is far from guaranteed the Leeds job, but he is certainly in the conversation, and it is an appointment that could split opinion, should it end up coming to fruition.

Is the jury out on Gerrard to Leeds?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor admitted that Gerrard's failed spell at Villa could make him an unpopular choice, even though he sees benefits behind the appointment:

"I do think Gerrard would be a decent fit. I know that might not be popular among some supporters because of what happened at Villa, but I think it's a different kind of job now. It's a project and something to build.

"I know that was the case at Villa, but their squad was so strong that it's not entirely surprising where they ended up finishing, although I know Unai Emery has done a great job.

"When Gerrard went to Rangers, he built, reasonably, from scratch. I think that's the sort of environment he would be walking into at Leeds as well, so I quite like those appointments. I think Ruben Selles would be a good option as well, but I've not seen any kind of links to Leeds."

There is understandable trepidation when it comes to Leeds potentially appointing Gerrard, given the manner in which things petered out at Villa, following a fairly promising start.

He is yet to properly prove himself in the Premier League or the Championship – he did win the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers, in fairness, which was a great achievement – so it would be more risky than someone like Daniel Farke or Scott Parker, both of whom have achieved that goal, both earning promotion from the latter.

That being said, Gerrard is still a young manager who could end up having a bright future in that aspect of football – his legendary status as a player is undisputed, but that doesn't automatically make you a great boss – so bringing him in certainly wouldn't be a disaster.